The news excerpts provide a snapshot of current events in India, focusing heavily on domestic political initiatives and economic reforms, alongside various global and national challenges. Key domestic developments include the Election Commission's next phase of its voter participation initiative and the BJP's intensified CAA outreach to refugees in West Bengal ahead of the 2026 assembly polls. Economically, India plans a significant financial sector reform by increasing the FDI cap in state-run banks to 49%, even as its rare earth ambitions are threatened by China's export restrictions on crucial equipment. Geopolitically, the nation grapples with a diplomatic row sparked by a controversial comment about Northeast India attributed to Bangladesh’s interim leader and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's public criticism of US and EU selective sanctions. Furthermore, there is news of Elon Musk's Starlink expanding its presence in Mumbai, and updates on high-profile incidents like cricketer Shreyas Iyer’s life-threatening injury and the Supreme Court considering entrusting all digital arrest scam investigations to the CBI.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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