Today News Headlines for School Assembly, October 5, 2026: US announces $20k visa bond, India exempted

National News

Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has launched a digital platform named ‘Satyagraha’ as an initiative to consolidate issue-based protests happening in the country, appealing to citizens to register their protest on the platform.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Wildlife Institute of India (WFI) scientists have released two male Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park, making a first step towards rewilding captive-bred birds under Project GIB. The birds were raised at conservation breeding centres in Ramdevra and Sam, Jaisalmer.

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World News

The United States (US) has introduced a visa-bond programme covering 50 countries, requiring applicants to deposit up to $20,000 for tourist and business visas. India is exempted from the programme, while countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal are on the list.

As per reports, the US is deploying a third aircraft carrier strike group and up to 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East, with three carriers and two amphibious groups expected near Iran by November-end as the war between the US and Iran enters its eighth month.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf has said that the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen until Iran’s conditions are addressed, according to reports. He also said the United States could no longer “stall for time”.

Sports News

India has finished on fourth position at the Asian Games 2026 with a total of 85 medals, comprising 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals.

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China sits on the top of the table with a total of 341 medals, followed by Japan with 269 medals and South Korea with 150.

Business News

The Centre is likely to remove arrest powers under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime to ease compliance and curb tax terrorism. The GST Council will consider the proposal on October 7, with legislative amendments likely in the Winter Session of Parliament.

Amazon has pledged to invest $1 billion over five years in workforce development at its US centres, supporting job training, education and energy-efficiency projects. It will also stop using non-disclosure agreements with government agencies to improve transparency.

Education News

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has approved five Centres of Excellence to study, preserve and promote classical Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit. The centres will be established at universities in Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Odisha and Gujarat.