October 5, 2017: News at a glance

1. Ready to hold national and state elections together from next year: EC

The Election Commission has said it will have the ability to hold simultaneous elections from September 2018. The logistical capability will come after the acquisition of new voting machines. Read full story here

2. Critics of economic policies are pessimists, says PM Modi 
Modi counterattacked critics of his government’s economic policies, saying they were only focussed on the dip in economic output across one quarter of the financial year. He asked them not to create a ‘negative environment’. Read full story here

3. No evidence of terrorism, says FBI on Las Vegas
There was no evidence that the worst mass shooting in US history was terrorism, the FBI has said. However, the agency noted that the attack had been planned meticulously. Read the full story here

4. Pakistan could benefit from India if it quits terrorism, says Mattis
US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Pakistan stood to gain economically from India if it stops its systemic support for terrorism. Read full report

5. Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2XL to be available in India from November
Pre-orders for Google’s latest phone offering will begin on October 26, and go on sale on Flipkart from November 1. The four variants of the phone will range between Rs 61,000 and Rs 82,000. Read full story here