Timor-Leste becomes ASEAN’s 11th member, the organization’s first expansion in 26 years.

1 Timor-Leste becomes ASEAN’s 11th member, the organization’s first expansion in 26 years.

Timor-Leste  was  admitted to  the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)  on  Sunday   as its  11th member country . This is ASEAN’s first expansion in 26 years  . Previously,  Cambodia was admitted to the organization in 1999.  Timor-Leste  applied for membership in 2011. During  the 47th  ASEAN  Summit  in  Kuala Lumpur,  Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao  signed documents with the leaders of the other 10 member countries, making the island nation’s long-awaited membership official. The leaders then shook hands in a show of unity.  Malaysian Prime Minister  Anwar Ibrahim ,  the current  ASEAN chair  , congratulated Timor-Leste on the occasion. Malaysia is hosting the 47th ASEAN Summit and related conferences from October 26 to 28 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre under the theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability.” Several key ASEAN summits will be held during this period, including the ASEAN Plus One Summit, which is attended by seven partner countries: Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States. The East Asia Summit, the ASEAN-UN Summit, and the ASEAN-New Zealand Commemorative Summit, which marks 50 years of dialogue relations, will also be held. Malaysia will also host the 5th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit and the 3rd Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Leaders’ Meeting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi , addressing the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit held virtually in Kuala Lumpur  on  Sunday,  said   that the 21st century is the century of India and ASEAN countries. He said that ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy and that the two regions share deep historical, cultural, and civilizational ties. Prime Minister Modi congratulated Malaysia and its  Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim  for  successfully hosting the 47th ASEAN Summit  and thanked the Philippines for its excellent role as the coordinator country for India. He  welcomed Leste Timor on becoming the 11th member of ASEAN  and   expressed condolences  on the passing of Queen Mother Sirikit of Thailand . Prime Minister Modi has attended all ASEAN-India Summits since 2014, except for the one in 2022 . The heads of state of all 10 ASEAN countries were the chief guests at India’s 69th Republic Day celebrations, marking the 25th anniversary, held in New Delhi in January 2018. The Prime Minister recently spoke with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

3 India to host Asia Pacific Accident Investigation Group meeting and workshop for the first time

4 Cambodia and Thailand sign peace deal, ending military standoff in presence of President Trump and Anwar Ibrahim

Cambodia and Thailand   signed a historic peace agreement on Sunday,  ending years of tension in  Southeast Asia  . The agreement  was signed in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia  , in the presence of  US President Donald Trump  and  Malaysian Prime Minister and ASEAN Chairman Anwar Ibrahim  . Both leaders played a key role in brokering the agreement. At the ceremony, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul formally signed the “Cambodia-Thailand Peace Agreement.”

5 National Science Awards 2025 announced, Professor Jayant Vishnu Narlikar gets Vigyan Ratna Award posthumously

The National Science Awards for 2025  have been announced.  Professor Jayant Vishnu Narlikar  will be  posthumously  awarded  the Vigyan Ratna Award . Eight scientists have been selected for the Vigyan Shri Award  .  Under the Vigyan Yuva category, 14 young scientists from various disciplines  have been selected, while  the Vigyan Team Award is being given to Team Aroma Mission , Council of Scientific and Industrial Research for their contribution to agricultural science  . These awards are given under four categories – Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar and Vigyan Team – for outstanding contribution to science, technology and innovation.

6 Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new President of Seychelles, Dr. Patrick Herminie

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan  attended the swearing-in ceremony  of  the new President of  Seychelles  , Dr. Patrick Herminie. Mr. Radhakrishnan, who is on a two-day visit to Seychelles,  also met with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam  . They discussed the strong and enduring ties between the two countries, rooted in their shared history and culture. The two leaders also discussed ways to further strengthen India-Mauritius bilateral relations.

7 Catherine Connolly elected 10th President of Ireland

8 Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the successful test of the nuclear-powered ‘Burevestnik’ cruise missile.

Russian President Vladimir Putin  announced  the successful test of a unique nuclear-powered ‘Burevestnik’ cruise missile with unlimited range  and ordered the armed forces to prepare the infrastructure for its deployment. In a televised meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff and other military commanders, Putin said that during recent exercises of the nuclear forces, the ‘Burevestnik’ cruise missile remained in the air for 15 hours and covered a distance of 14 thousand kilometres during the successful tests.

9 Jal Jeevan Mission transforms rural India, providing tap water to 157.2 million households

The Jal Jeevan Mission  has achieved a historic milestone in providing  clean drinking water to every household in the country  .  As of October 22nd, 157.2 million rural households have received   tap water   under this mission , covering over 81 percent of rural India  . It is noteworthy that PM Modi  launched this ambitious scheme on  August 15th, 2019.  At that time, only 32.3 million rural households had tap water  , while now 124.8 million additional households are connected. This mission, run with central assistance of ₹2.08 lakh crore, has recorded the fastest expansion of rural infrastructure. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this mission saves approximately 55 million hours of time every day, 75 percent of which belongs to women. The WHO estimates that if everyone has access to safe drinking water, approximately 400,000 deaths from diarrhea could be prevented each year and 14 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) could be saved. This will result in savings of approximately Rs 8.2 lakh crore in health expenditure.

10 Under-23 World Wrestling Championship: India’s Hansika Lamba and Sarika Malik won silver medals

India’s  Hansika Lamba  and  Sarika Malik  won  silver medals  at  the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships  in  Serbia  . India  won seven medals in the women’s category at the competition  . Besides Hansika and Sarika,  Nishu, Neha Sharma, Pulkit, Srishti, and Priya Malik  also   won bronze medals .

11 Chess: D. Gukesh and Divya Deshmukh won gold medals in the European Chess Club Cup competition

Indian Grandmasters D. Gukesh  and  Divya Deshmukh  produced impressive performances at   the recently concluded  European Chess Club Cup, winning gold medals  . Grandmaster D. Gukesh led the Super Chess Team, and Women’s World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh won the team championship in the women’s competition. India’s  Nihal Sarin also  won an individual gold medal.