With the Delhi assembly polls approaching, the BJP has announced its first list of candidates, including four sitting legislators, two former MPs, and eight previous MLAs. Notable candidates include Parvesh Verma facing Arvind Kejriwal and Ramesh Bidhuri contesting against CM Atishi. The elections are scheduled for February, with AAP and Congress also naming their candidates.

Eminent physicist Rajagopala Chidambaram, pivotal in India’s 1974 and 1998 nuclear tests, passed away at 88. He held significant roles, including principal scientific adviser and director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Chidambaram’s leadership established India as a nuclear power, earning him the Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan.

News18 Afternoon Digest: We are covering Chhattisgarh journalist Mukesh Chandrakar’s death, BJP’s first candidate list ahead of Delhi elections, updates on HMPV virus from China and other top stories.