Evening News Wrap: Marco Rubio Terms India a Refining Superpower; Mallikarjun Kharge to Raise SIR, Delimitation Concerns with PM Modi, and More

NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in India on Tuesday and indicated that a bilateral trade pact between India and the United States is "very very close." Expressing optimism regarding ongoing negotiations, Rubio stated that only a small number of issues remain before an agreement is reached. During discussions, energy collaboration—including India's oil imports and Venezuelan supplies—alongside strategic and defense ties featured prominently.

Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced that he will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, October 21. Kharge plans to outline his concerns surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the upcoming delimitation exercise, and delays affecting women's reservation, following two letters he previously sent to the Prime Minister.

In the United States, President Donald Trump's public approval rating dropped to a record low of 31% ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, based on a Reuters/Ipsos survey. Democrats hold a 12-point advantage over Republicans as voters react to soaring gasoline costs and widespread dissatisfaction over economic stewardship.

Internationally, Ukraine reported conducting the world's first combat casualty evacuation utilizing a heavy-lift hexacopter drone. The unmanned aerial vehicle successfully retrieved an injured frontline soldier from a location where landmines and active Russian drone presence made conventional ground rescue impossible.

In domestic politics, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Punjab on Tuesday to meet the kin of three anti-drug campaigners allegedly murdered for confronting local drug peddlers. Shah visited the families of Bikramjit Singh in Gurdaspur, Gulzar Singh in Sangrur, and activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, criticizing the Aam Aadmi Party administration over the state's ongoing narcotics crisis.