Here are the top 5 news updates of October 29, 2021:

1. Facebook relaunches itself as 'Meta' in a clear bid to dominate the metaverse

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has announced the company will change its name to Meta, saying the move reflects the fact the company is now much broader than just the social media platform. The rebrand follows several months of intensifying discourse by Zuckerberg and the company more broadly on the metaverse - the idea of integrating real and digital worlds ever more seamlessly, using technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Zuckerberg said he hoped the metaverse will be a new ecosystem that will create millions of jobs for content creators.

2. Leander Paes, Nafisa Ali join Trinamool Congress

Tennis veteran Leander Paes and actor Nafisa Ali joined the Trinamool Congress Party in presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Goa today. Welcoming Paes (48) during a press conference, Banerjee recalled meeting Paes when the Olympic bronze medal winner was a teenager. "I was the sports minister of the country when I (first) met him," she said. "I have got my younger brother and sweet and cute brother in the TMC," she added. Paes told reporters that having retired from tennis, he wants to serve the people through the vehicle of politics to make a difference to country.

3. Nawab Malik posts clip of Kashiff Khan dancing on Mumbai cruise, asks why no action taken by NCB

Senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik today asked why the action was not initiated against Kashiff Khan, senior executive of Fashion TV, who had allegedly organised the rave party in Mumbai cruise ship on October 2. The Maharashtra Cabinet Minister alleged Khan was let off by NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede because he is probably a friend of Wankhede. The Minister also claimed that he never personally attacked Wankhede's mother and he has high regard for his mother and wife. After the Bombay High Court announced bail for Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, Malik had put out a tweet, saying "Picture Abhi Baki Hai Mere Dost".

4. Kannada actor Puneet Rajkumar dies after heart attack

Well-known Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar died on Friday following a heart attack. The 46-year old Sandalwood star was rushed to the hospital after he complained of chest pain. A statement from the hospital earlier said that Puneeth Rajkumar "was brought to the emergency department, Vikram Hospital with history of chest pain at 11:40 am, he was non-responsive and was in Cardiac Asystole and Advanced cardiac resuscitation has been initiated." The son of matinee idol the late Rajkumar, and Parvathamma, he was fondly called 'Appu' by his fans. A popular television presenter, the 'power star', who began his career as a child artist, was also among the highest paid actors in the Kannada film industry.

5. Sensex slumps 678 pts; Nifty ends below 17,700

Equity benchmark Sensex tanked 678 points today, tracking losses in index majors Reliance Industries, Infosys and HDFC Bank amid a weak trend in global markets. The 30-share index plunged 677.77 points or 1.13 per cent to end at 59,306.93. Similarly, the NSE Nifty fell 185.60 points or 1.04 per cent to 17,671.65. Tech Mahindra was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 3 per cent, followed by NTPC, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Bank and Reliance Industries. On the other hand, UltraTech Cement, Tata Steel, Maruti, Titan and Dr Reddy's were among the gainers.