HT Evening News Brief October 27: Sonia Gandhi predicts ‘tamasha’ over memoir; Imran Khan’s ‘leave India’ notice put on hold

27 Oct 2026, 06:08 PM 3 min read

Good evening. As you wrap up your workday, here are the major headlines you need to catch up on. From the latest developments in the 2026 MLC elections, with Akhilesh Yadav alleging a halt in counting in Agra, to Benjamin Netanyahu urging Israelis to vote in the ongoing elections, the political landscape remains in focus.Sonia Gandhi predicts ‘tamasha’ after ‘Belonging’ releaseCongress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi believes there is more to her story than what has been written about her over the years.

Her upcoming memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love will offer her account, though she expects readers to have differing reactions, the Congress leader said on Tuesday.“There’s bound to be some tamasha when this book comes out,” Gandhi said in a video. She explained that much had been written about her over the years, but some of it was “invented or exaggerated”. The book is scheduled to be released on November 10.

Read more.Akhilesh Yadav claims counting halted in Agra after SP lead in MLC elections The first trends in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections indicate that Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Ashutosh Sinha is leading in the Varanasi Graduates’ constituency. In the Varanasi Teachers’ constituency, SP candidate and incumbent MLC Lal Bihari Yadav is leading.Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged a conspiracy to manipulate elections, questioned the Election Commission’s credibility and demanded Aadhaar-linked voter lists and biometric verification to ensure free and fair polling.

Check live updates here.Netanyahu casts vote in Jerusalem, urges Israelis to ‘vote correctly’Voting began across Israel on Tuesday in a high-stakes national election, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing a tough challenge from former military chief Gadi Eisenkot and other opposition leaders. A total of 7,331,981 Israelis are eligible to vote, with around 31% of them voting by noon.Benjamin Netanyahu cast his ballot shortly after midday as he faced a crowded field of political rivals seeking to end his long tenure in power.

Describing the moment as “moving and fateful”, Netanyahu said he and his wife were “truly overwhelmed” and urged voters to “vote correctly.” Check live updates here.Imran Khan gets interim reliefActor Imran Khan is set to get temporary relief in his legal battle against a notice directing him to leave India by October 28. The Bombay High Court on Monday deferred the hearing on his petition until November 2 at 3 pm after the Centre's counsel sought more time.The development comes a day before the deadline given to Imran by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) to leave the country.

The actor, who is a US citizen and holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, has challenged the notice, calling it arbitrary and questioning the grounds on which it was issued. Read more.Abhishek Sharma's ton powers India to chase 199 in 80 balls against New Zealand in Wellington T20IAbhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s opening stand produced 133 in 43 balls as India won third T20I for unassailable 3-0 lead.

India reached 100 in five overs, matching the fastest team hundred in T20Is in available records. The target of 199 had required a chase but India’s opening pair turned it into a countdown. New Zealand’s bowlers were not necessarily short of ideas. But they were simply running out of deliveries that Abhishek and Sooryavanshi were willing to respect. Abhishek ended with 20 boundary hits, 11 of them sixes, reducing the match to a mismatch.