Indian embassy issues advisory for nationals in France amid violent protests

PARIS, Oct 22: The Indian embassy in Paris has issued an advisory for Indian nationals living in France and those planning to visit the country amid ongoing violent protests and clashes, urging them to stay alert and avoid large gatherings and crowded areas.

"In view of the recent developments and localised curfews imposed in France, please remain vigilant and exercise due caution,” the advisory issued on Wednesday evening read.

The embassy also urged Indians to stay away from areas where demonstrations are taking place and follow directions issued by French authorities.

It asked citizens to check official channels for updates on possible disruptions to transport services across French cities. “In case of any emergency, Indian nationals can contact: Embassy of India, Paris: +33 6 48 34 00 63 | cons.paris@mea.gov.in,” it said.

Earlier this week, the Indian embassy in Italy had issued a safety advisory for Indian nationals amid protests over the rising cost of living and poor public services in the country.

“Indian nationals are advised to exercise caution, avoid crowded areas and locations where protests are taking place, and follow local news about such events,” the advisory released on Monday said.

France has recently seen some of its worst unrest in years. Protests over the rising cost of living, declining public services and concerns about education turned violent, with looting, arson and clashes with police reported in Paris, Marseille and Lyon, among other cities.

High school students have raised concerns over a lack of funding for schools, poor facilities and staff shortages, especially in lower-income neighbourhoods. Some have also complained that school days, which often run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., are exhausting. They have also questioned the complexity and fairness of the university admissions system.

France has seen two consecutive nights of calm since the unrest over the weekend. Curfews remain in force in parts of several major cities, including limited areas of Paris.

Russia agrees to resume three-way talks on Ukraine war with Kyiv and Washington, Kremlin says

MOSCOW, Oct 22: Russia agreed Wednesday to resume three-way negotiations next month with Washington and Kyiv aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, a Kremlin official said, potentially setting up the first such talks since February.

Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed “in principle” to restart the talks after Nov. 10, Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters following a meeting in St. Petersburg between the Russian leader and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

The talks will focus on “building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends,” Ushakov said.

Witkoff's talks with Putin about Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine took place as U.S. President Donald Trump pressed Kyiv to make a deal that stops the fighting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he supported the push from Washington to restart talks swiftly.

"The agenda is clear: to end the war, bring peace closer, and, as I understand it, prepare everything for a meeting at the leaders’ level,” Zelenskyy said in an audio message issued late Wednesday.

Russia, he added, "has said many times already that it is ready to meet in one format or another. Then something changed. Things were canceled. We’ll see what happens this time.”

UK vigilantes confront Indian students during night patrol, tell them to 'go home'

LONDON, Oct 20: A self-styled vigilante group in the UK has been accused of harassing Indian students and ordering them to leave a public park during a night patrol, claiming the area was meant for children and families.

According to a report by Metro, the group, which calls itself the “Chelmsley Wood Patriots”, filmed its members confronting the students at Meriden Park in Chelmsley Wood, near Birmingham. Dressed in black, the group claimed it was patrolling the area to protect women and children amid reports of missing children and rapes.

However, locals and anti-racism activists accused the group of targeting people based on their ethnicity.

In a now-deleted video, members of the group were seen questioning the young men, who identified themselves as Indian students. When one member asked why they had come to England, a student reportedly explained that he had moved to the area that day and had been in Birmingham previously. Another student said he had come to England to pursue a master’s degree and had been living in the country for two years.

One of the group members then warned the students to stay away from the park. “What you need to do is stay away from a children’s park. Do not come round here again. Do not be seen here again. This is your final warning,” he was heard saying in the video, as per Metro.

“Go back to your house yeah and stay away. Take yourself back to where you f****g live then yeah. Back to the HMO, go home, go home,” he added.

In a now-deleted Facebook post, the Chelmsley Wood Patriots claimed its members had approached the men after spotting them in the park at night. The group alleged that its members had walked up to one man, tapped him on the shoulder and asked what he was doing there, before discovering two more men near the toilets, allegedly hiding among the trees.

The group claimed that the men gave “very different stories” about their presence in the park and said they were “politely” asked to leave. “Parks are for children, family units, not three grown men sitting in the dark filming when we have so many uncertainties at present,” the group said in its post, per Metro.

The Solihull Green Party condemned the alleged harassment, saying there was no apparent reason for the students to have been approached other than their ethnicity. It also said it was trying to locate the men to check on their welfare.

Green council candidate Shesh Sheshabhatter told BirminghamLive that the students had done nothing wrong. “Students are allowed to meet and walk outside, and they have every right to do so. We can see no reason they were targeted other than the colour of their skin,” he said, adding, “Nobody should be treated differently because of their skin or their accent.”

“The actions of people calling themselves ‘patriots’ are tarnishing the reputation of Chelmsley Wood, the community we live in and love. Real patriotism means standing up for your neighbours, not intimidating them,” Sheshabhatter said.

West Midlands Police said it was aware of reports relating to the incident and that an appropriate policing response was underway.

Insp Jenny Willetts of Solihull Police told BirminghamLive that officers were aware of a group operating in the Chelmsley Wood area, as well as a social media video showing men being stopped in Meriden Park.

“Stop and search powers belong exclusively to the police acting under specific statutory legislation such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984,” she said.

The police added that they did not endorse, condone or encourage the group’s activities and did not work with its members. “Keeping people in our local communities safe is our priority, and we will take appropriate action when a crime is reported to us,” the statement said.

Night Curfew In Several Cities In France After Violent Protests

PARIS, Oct 19: France announced partial curfews in several northern cities for Monday and Tuesday nights after the country was rocked by some of its worst street violence in years.

According to the office of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, partial curfews were to be imposed from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am (1800 to 0400 GMT) those two days in four northern cities, including Lille.

Putin proposes trilateral meeting with Trump, Xi Jinping to discuss Ukraine war next month

MOSCOW, Oct 18: Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a meeting with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month to discuss the Ukraine war, seeking a settlement favorable to Moscow as ties between Washington and the Kremlin show signs of warming, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The proposed trilateral summit could take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled for November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen, China. However, Trump has not agreed to the meeting, a senior US official told WSJ. The proposed format has raised concerns because Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders would be excluded from discussions about the conflict.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed discussions about a possible meeting but said there was no clear agreement on its agenda or whether it would take place.

Putin reportedly floated the proposal during a phone conversation with Trump on October 9, according to a former Russian intelligence officer cited by the WSJ. The call also produced an arrangement involving US purchases of Russian diesel fuel and efforts to facilitate its sale on international markets.

The proposal comes as US-led efforts to end the war remain largely stalled. Trump, who had promised to end the conflict on his first day back in office, has increasingly expressed frustration with Zelensky over Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.

Washington has also paused the implementation of sanctions that were to be imposed under a bipartisan bill Trump signed last month. The decision drew criticism from lawmakers, including some of the president's allies.

A senior White House official told the WSJ that Trump made the decisions after seeing few other viable options to lower fuel prices. Energy experts cited by the newspaper, however, said the war involving Iran was the main driver of rising diesel prices and that additional Russian supplies were unlikely to significantly affect the market.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump accused Zelensky of targeting Russian diesel refineries and questioned his commitment to ending the conflict.

“I WANT THIS WAR END!” Trump wrote, explaining that he was holding back on sanctions because he did not want to drive Moscow away from negotiations.

A meeting in China would give Xi an opportunity to strengthen Beijing's position as a global diplomatic power and present the country as a potential intermediary between Washington and Moscow.

Russian officials have reportedly raised the proposal with Beijing through diplomatic channels. People familiar with the discussions told the WSJ that China would not object if Trump agreed to participate.

“China wants to be seen as the pivot of the great powers, and potentially as a mediator between the U.S. and Russia,” Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, said.

However, the proposed summit could complicate Beijing's relations with Europe. China has sought to maintain its economic ties with European countries while continuing its support for Moscow. A high-profile meeting on Ukraine could intensify concerns among European governments about Beijing's position in the conflict.

Zelensky says won't follow Trump's demand of no strike on Russian refineries

KYIV, Oct 16: Ukraine will no longer heed US President Donald Trump's demands to stop strikes Russian oil refineries, President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly said on Thursday, as tensions between the two leaders have spiraled over the US-Russia diesel agreement.

The ties between Kyiv and Washington have strained since last week after Trump eased sanctions on Russia in exchange for Moscow releasing large amounts of diesel onto global markets.

Miffed with the development, Zelensky termed the deal as a “weak decision” and said it would encourage Russia to prolong its four-and-a-half-year war with Ukraine, while several of Ukraine's European allies criticised the agreement, it was reported.

On Saturday, Trump blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for rising diesel prices and said it was "time for Ukraine to get a new president".

"The block (on attacking refineries) is out. We're done," Zelensky told the Financial Times in an interview published on Thursday."

Zelensky's remarks come after Trump last week announced a surprise "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine. Zelensky later said he knew nothing about the ceasefire.

Amid chaos over a ceasefire, Ukraine earlier this week reported disruptions to a critical US satellite communications system that its army uses on the battlefield.

"We need HONESTY from our partners about this war," Zelensky wrote on social media on Thursday.

In an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan on Wednesday, Zelensky agreed that he felt "betrayed" by Trump's diesel-supply deal with Russia's Vladimir Putin.

He also questioned the advice that Trump was receiving, after senior Ukrainian officials in Kyiv openly accused the United States of helping Russia.

"It's painful when President Trump chooses one side, not our side," he said.

"I think his advisors are wrong. This is not (the) right side of history."

Trump says Putin wants to make a deal more than Zelensky

Amid these developments, President Trump said on Wednesday he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin “wants to make a deal more than Zelenskyy.”

Speaking to reporters when asked how he planned to ensure Putin respected the ceasefire, Trump replied, “I think what’s happening is he wants to make a deal and we have to get Zelenskyy to want to make a deal. I think Putin wants to make a deal more than Zelenskyy.”

Later, when asked about reports that Russia had already violated the proposed ceasefire, Trump said he was not certain. “I’m not sure about that, and we’ll take a look. But all I know is that Zelenskyy and Putin have to get together and end that ridiculous war.”

He also said there had been “violations on both sides.”

Ladakh integral part of India, Chinese denial cannot change fact: MEA

NEW DELHI, Oct 13: India on Tuesday rejected China’s contention that it has “never recognised” the Union Territory of Ladakh as well as its opposition to New Delhi’s naming of features in the region, and emphasised that the Chinese side’s actions cannot change the established fact that Ladakh is “an integral and inalienable part” of the country.

The strong response from external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal came hours after his Chinese counterpart Mao Ning described the Indian government’s recent move of announcing standard names for 28 locations in Ladakh as “illegal and invalid” and contended that Beijing does not recognise the Union Territory of Ladakh.

The terse exchange reflected continuing tensions between India and China over a disputed border as the two sides work to normalise ties, which fell to an all-time low due to a military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that began in 2020 and lasted more than four years. As part of this process of normalisation, the two sides have held talks aimed at resolving their long-standing boundary dispute.

“It is reiterated that the UT of Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India. No amount of denial by the Chinese side can change this established fact,” Jaiswal said while responding to Mao’s comments on Ladakh.

India, UK aim to double bilateral trade to $120 billion by 2030 under FTA

NEW DELHI, Oct 12: Trade ministers of India and the United Kingdom on Monday said their shared ambition is to double the bilateral trade by 2030 as both are committed to utilise mutually beneficial opportunities created under the free trade agreement that entered into force on July 15.

Jointly addressing corporate honchos at the business plenary of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) with British secretary of state for business and trade Jonathan Reynolds, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said, “2030 should not just reflect the end of this decade, it should be the beginning of much greater ambition.”

While ministers did not give any particular number, government data available in the public domain suggests that the ambition is to double overall bilateral trade (both goods and services combined) from the current level of around $60 billion to $120 billion by 2030.

According to the commerce ministry’s data released on July 15 this year, overall bilateral trade between India and the UK was around $60.56 billion, which included $25.12 billion two-way goods trade in 2025-26 and $35.44 billion bilateral services trade in 2024.

In a statement, the UK government said: “In the 12 months to March 2026, total UK-India trade was worth £48 billion - an increase of £3 billion year-on-year in current prices.”

After 14 rounds of negotiations since May 2021, the two countries formally signed the FTA, known as the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), on July 24, 2025. A separate Double Contribution Convention (DCC) was signed on February 10, 2026, which is also known as the agreement on social security.

Both Goyal and Reynolds co-chaired the 16th meeting of the India-UK JETCO in New Delhi to advance their shared trade and economic priorities.

Goyal said they emphasised the importance of effectively using the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) while addressing trade barriers and strengthening business-to-business engagement to translate the agreement’s opportunities into tangible outcomes.

We reaffirmed our commitment to deepening India-UK economic cooperation through sustained engagement, stronger institutional mechanisms, and enhanced collaboration, unlocking new opportunities for businesses in both countries, he added.

Goyal and minister of state for commerce Jitin Prasada also met a business delegation of visiting UK mayors at Bharat Mandapam. They held discussions on deepening regional partnerships in trade, investment, and innovation. The delegation will also be travelling to other cities across the country where they will hold discussions with various Indian businesses, the minister said.

The JETCO assumed greater significance as it coincided with the visit of seven mayors and a combined authority leader from the North of England. It supported a broader programme of engagement involving government, business, universities, innovators and regional leaders from both countries, including parallel visits by the UK’s Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the two countries said in a joint statement.

The 17th JETCO will take place in the UK in 2027.

Riyadh airport struck again, day after 12 killed as tensions flare

RIYADH, Oct 11: Saudi's King Khalid International Airport has once again come under attack day after 12 were killed in alleged Houthi strikes. Earlier, the Saudi-led coalition said on Sunday that it thwarted an attack on the airport after a cruise missile was shot down.

This comes amid escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi after 12 people were killed in Riyadh airport strike on Saturday. This was followed by airstrike on Yemen's Sanaa International Airport on Sunday, with Houthi blaming Saudi for the attack.

Yemen's Houthis issued a new threat to Saudi Arabia's airspace on Sunday after an attack on the kingdom's international airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and wounded hundreds, forcing authorities to stop operations.

Houthi on Sunday threatened new attacks on the Saudi airports, except for the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, warning passengers not to travel.

"The airports and airspace are exposed to targeting and constitute a theatre of operations for our forces," military spokesman Yahya Saree wrote on X.

The strike came in a week when the group intensified its attacks on the Saudi capital's King Khalid International Airport, where three people were also killed on Thursday, as well as other key targets in the world's top crude oil exporter.

12 Killed, Over 300 Injured In Missile Attack On Saudi's Riyadh Airport

RIYADH, Oct 10: The latest attack on the international airport in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh killed 12 people and injured over 300 others, civil aviation authorities said early Sunday, with some in critical condition. A Saudi-led coalition blamed Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.

It was the deadliest attack in any Gulf Arab country since the start of the Iran war, whose fronts have expanded to include the recent surge in fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.

A missile struck a King Khalid International Airport complex housing terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights, a regional official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to the media.

The Saudi statement said the dead included four Saudi citizens as well as two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a US citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese. It said the injured were being treated at several hospitals.

The attack - the latest of several in the past week on the airport - is expected to increase Saudi pressure on allies including the United States to provide military support for the kingdom, which has seemingly tried to avoid all-out war with the Houthis.

Shortly after the attack on Saturday afternoon, US President Donald Trump said he was evaluating whether the US should join Saudi strikes against the rebels. "We may. We're going to look at it," he said. "We just found out about the recent attack. So we'll make a decision. We move very quickly."

Trump later Saturday said he planned to speak to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and said "what happened in Saudi Arabia is not acceptable." Asked if the US might get involved, Trump responded, "We'll find out."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged in a social media post that an American citizen had been killed in the attack, which he condemned.

"These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now," he said.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis blamed them for the attack, calling it a "fully-fledged war crime" and vowing a firm response. The airport has no military facilities.

There was no immediate statement from the rebels, who earlier Saturday accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa International Airport in the Houthi-held Yemeni capital.

The Houthis claimed attacks earlier in the week on King Khalid International Airport that killed three Saudis, including a pilot. The surge in attacks, including against other Saudi airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure, has come in the week since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against the Houthis.

Saudi civil aviation authorities earlier Saturday said airport operations were suspended. The airport had a heavy police presence, with all entrances blocked, and lights around the complex were dimmed. Flights diverted elsewhere, the Flightradar24 tracker said. Countries including the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada warned citizens to avoid the airport.

Missile Attack On Riyadh Airport 'Unacceptable': India

NEW DELHI, Oct 10: India on Sunday condemned the missile strike on the international airport in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh that killed 12 people and injured over 300 others, saying such repeated attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are "completely unacceptable".

"We strongly condemn the repeated attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport over the past few days, including the dastardly attack on October 10, which have led to loss of lives, injuries and damage to property," India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

"The repeated attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are completely unacceptable and must cease immediately," the statement added.

In Phone Call With Trump, Putin Conveys Iran's Position On Middle East Deal

MOSCOW, Oct 10: Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Donald Trump about Iran's position on a possible Mideast peace deal, the Kremlin said Saturday.

The Kremlin said Tehran's stance was relayed in a phone call held between the two leaders on Friday. It did not say how Trump responded, nor elaborate on Iran's position.

Diplomatic efforts to end the more-than-seven-month-long Iran conflict, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, have been at an impasse since the summer.

Putin met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of a summit in Turkmenistan earlier this week, where the Russian leader expressed an interest in helping broker peace.

"In coordination with the Iranian president, Putin conveyed the Iranian side's views on a possible resolution to the conflict to Trump," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Saturday, according to Russia's state RIA news agency.

The United States and Iran agreed a memorandum of understanding in June that spelled out a framework for ending their conflict, but Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz prompted a resumption of US military operations.

Recent indirect talks between Washington and Tehran on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly failed to produce a breakthrough.

Indian embassy warns nationals in Saudi: 'Stay indoors, refrain from sharing videos'

RIYADH, Oct 8: The Embassy of India in Riyadh has issued an advisory for Indian nationals in Saudi Arabia, urging them to remain alert and vigilant and follow instructions issued by local authorities through official channels.

“In view of the current situation, all Indian nationals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are advised to remain alert and vigilant, stay indoors as necessary, and follow the instructions issued by local authorities through official channels,” the embassy said in its advisory.

The embassy has also strongly advised Indian nationals to refrain from circulating or reposting “any videos or news related to the ongoing events.”

The advisory comes amid growing disruption at Riyadh airport after a fresh Houthi attack claim on Thursday. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group targeted King Khalid International Airport with a ballistic missile and that the strike had disrupted airport operations.

Saudi authorities have reported deadly attacks on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport over the past two days. Three people were killed and 36 injured in the attacks, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation.

Two people were killed and 28 injured at Abha, while one person was killed and eight injured at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, as per Al Jazeera.

India condemns attacks on Saudi airports

NEW DELHI, Oct 8: India on Thursday strongly condemned the attacks on the two Saudi airports, calling the targeting of civilian infrastructure “completely unacceptable”.

The ministry of external affairs said, “India condemns the attacks over the past few days targeting Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which have resulted in civilian deaths and injuries.”

“The targeting of civilian infrastructure is completely unacceptable. We express our deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones. We wish speedy recovery for those injured,” the ministry said.

New Delhi also expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, saying, “We express solidarity and stand with the people and government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

The Embassy of India in Riyadh, the Consulate in Jeddah and their outsourced services provider VFS will continue to function normally, according to the advisory. The embassy said it would issue further updates and advisories “as and when necessary”.

Strike on Ukrainian public buses leaves 30 dead as blackouts worsen in Kyiv

KYIV, Oct 8: A Russian-guided bomb exploded next to public buses filled with passengers in eastern Ukraine, authorities said Thursday, killing 30 people as part of a wave of attacks that also worsened power outages in the capital.

The morning attack occurred next to a bus stop in the war-torn city of Kramatorsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, prompting public transport to be suspended in the area.

“There is no doubt that Russia is cynically targeting civilians,” Oleksandr Honcharenko, head of the city's military administration, said, adding that the rescue effort had been hampered by subsequent Russian attacks using small drones.

Russia and Ukraine are locked in a long-range aerial war while their armies remain largely deadlocked on the front line, more than 4 1/2 years since Moscow’s full-scale invasion. Russia has escalated its aerial attack in recent weeks, putting pressure on Ukraine as it prepares for winter and hitting the infrastructure keeping its war-battered economy afloat. Recent targets have included energy systems, key industries, railways, post offices, shopping centers, telecom networks, gas stations and grain exports.

Thursday's attack followed a Russian missile strike a day earlier that killed 22, including five children, in the northern Ukrainian town of Pryluky. Rescuers were searching the rubble of a residential building. At least 54 people were wounded. Several survivors slept in heavily damaged apartments because they couldn't find anywhere else to stay.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Pryluky on Thursday with visiting British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who announced new sanctions on Russia.

Zelenskyy warned that Russia will likely escalate daily missile and drone attacks as winter approaches. He appealed for additional defense support from NATO countries.

“It is important that support in words takes concrete form in new packages for Ukraine’s defense,” he wrote in an online post. “Supplies of anti-ballistic capabilities, ammunition for our combat aircraft and investments in interceptors — all of this is directly helping save lives every day.”

In audio clips responding to journalist’s questions Thursday evening, Zelenskyy said a Ukrainian delegation would meet in the U.S. with President Donald Trump’s representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff for two days beginning Friday to discuss strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses, among other issues.

Ukraine's energy company DTEK said national grid operator Ukrenergo had ordered emergency power outages in Kyiv. Regular, rolling outages that occur on a schedule across the country will be halted during these shutdowns.

Officials are urging families to prepare emergency kits, store drinking water and maintain backup power sources, as Moscow keeps up the intensity of its attacks.

Kyiv police said bomb disposal specialists defused two unexploded ballistic missile warheads, each weighing about half a ton, after they landed near residential buildings. Late Wednesday, Russian drones struck Kyiv’s Obolonskyi and Desnianskyi districts, killing four people and injuring 12, including four children, police said.

Russian technology giant Yandex said one of its data centers in the western Ryazan region was damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack, taking the site offline.

Also Thursday, Ukraine said its forces struck a large oil refinery complex in the city of Salavat, some 1,200 kilometers east of Moscow. Ukraine's General Staff described the complex as one of Russia’s largest oil refining and petrochemical facilities. The claim could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian drones also reached Russia’s Omsk region in western Siberia, more than 2,000 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. Omsk regional Gov. Vitaly Khotsenko said most of the drones were shot down by air defenses, but one “reached a northern industrial hub.” He didn’t elaborate. Russian independent news outlet Astra reported that the Omsk oil refinery was on fire after the attack. There was no official confirmation of the report.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his government presented proposals to both Russia and Ukraine aimed at protecting civilian shipping in the Black Sea, while warning that commercial trade and grain exports could be disrupted by escalating military offensives.

Separately, Lithuania deployed about 100 additional soldiers to help secure the NATO member's border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, the Baltic country's defense minister, Robertas Kaunas, said. Sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland, Kaliningrad is separated from mainland Russia and remains a major security concern for NATO’s eastern flank.

Three killed, 36 injured in Houthi attacks on Saudi airports

RIYADH, Oct 7: Three civilians have been killed and 36 injured in Houthi-claimed attacks on two airports in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement from the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh were targeted in two separate attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The attack on Abha International Airport killed two female residents, a Moroccan and an Algerian, and injured 28 others, GACA reported.

The attack on King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh killed a Sudanese citizen and injured eight residents, including five Saudi citizens.

GACA said it is working “in full integration and continuous coordination with the relevant security authorities” to assess the damage and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of passengers and workers.

The spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, Major-General Turki al-Maliki, said forces intercepted a ballistic missile north of Riyadh and destroyed a platform in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, that had been used to launch attacks on the Saudi capital.

New cage-like fences have been erected this week around fuel tanks and other equipment of the Saudi state-run Aramco oil company near the Riyadh airport.

On September 18, Saudi-led coalition forces said they intercepted and destroyed a suspected Houthi ballistic missile fired towards the airport in Riyadh from Yemen.

A day later, on September 19, at least one explosion was heard near the airport in Riyadh, and a large plume of black smoke was seen rising from a fuel storage area at King Khalid International Airport.

Saudi-backed Yemeni forces from the country’s internationally recognised government are locked in escalating combat with Iran-aligned Houthi forces who seized a broad swathe of territory astride the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Yemen’s internationally recognised government said the Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones against Aden airport early on Wednesday. No casualties were reported.

Meanwhile, the United States embassy in Riyadh has issued another security alert for Americans in Saudi Arabia due to the ongoing security situation, reminding “all US citizens to exercise heightened vigilance”.

India proposes 3-part truce amid Russia-Ukraine war to keep grain, energy flowing

NEW DELHI, Oct 6: India has proposed a three-part Russia-Ukraine truce that would halt attacks on energy facilities and other infrastructure, keep grain and energy flowing through Black Sea ports, and end strikes on commercial shipping in the strategic waterway, people familiar with the proposal said.

The plan goes beyond separate ceasefire proposals from Egypt, Turkey and the US by seeking to cover both infrastructure and commercial shipping while keeping vital commodity flows open, the people said. It was conveyed to the Ukrainian leadership during external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Kyiv last month.

Egypt and Turkey have focused on ensuring the unimpeded flow of grain from the Black Sea by suspending attacks on commercial shipping, while the US proposal has centered on an “energy ceasefire”, the people said.

The response of Russia and Ukraine to the Indian proposal could not immediately be ascertained. The people acknowledged follow-up exchanges between the three countries but did not provide details.

The proposal figured in Jaishankar’s separate meetings with Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha and President Volodymyr Zelensky during his September 3 visit to Kyiv, the first stand-alone trip to Ukraine by an Indian foreign minister.

Sybiha told reporters in Kyiv on October 2 that Ukraine had received ceasefire proposals from India, Egypt, Turkey and the US, describing the Indian proposal as the “most comprehensive”. He said Ukraine was ready to consider different ceasefire formats, including along the front lines, but only if the truce covered attacks on energy and port infrastructure and the situation in the Black Sea.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow a day earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Prime Minister Narendra Modi “has excellent ideas aimed at finding mutually acceptable…solutions”. He also said Modi maintained a neutral position while being committed to ending the conflict.

Jaishankar’s Kyiv visit came three days after Modi met Putin on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan on August 31, when the Indian prime minister urged the Russian leader to move from “endless war to the end of war”.

India has compelling reasons to push for an end to the war, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the people said.

Attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea have disrupted grain and, more significantly for India, energy supplies from Russia in recent weeks. The Indian proposal is aimed at ensuring the free flow of these commodities, they said.

Five Indian seafarers have also been killed in Russian and Ukrainian attacks on merchant vessels in recent weeks, prompting repeated Indian calls for an end to strikes on commercial shipping.

Black Sea ports account for almost 30% of Russian energy flows to India. There has also been a drop in supplies and a spike in freight costs for Russian crude exports, particularly from the port of Novorossiysk, amid threats to merchant shipping, according to reports.

There is also a wider economic and diplomatic stake for New Delhi. The Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (SRIA), passed recently by the US Congress, is expected to take effect by mid-October, raising the prospect of tariffs of up to 100% on Indian goods over purchases of Russian energy.

Any movement towards a ceasefire could help ease pressure from Washington at a time when India-US relations have been strained by concerns over the SRIA.

Jaishankar has said India has moved beyond its advocacy of the past few years and is now engaged in conversations with both Russia and Ukraine to find a way to end the war. After his meeting with Sybiha in Kyiv, Jaishankar said attacks on commercial shipping affecting Indian seafarers, as well as the impact of fuel, food and fertiliser shortages on the Global South, had figured in their discussions.

“Understandably, it is for the parties involved to find a way. But if India can be of any help in any manner, we are ready, and this was the core of my discussion…with foreign minister Sybiha,” Jaishankar told a media briefing.

Pakistan, Turkey to 'swiftly deploy' forces to Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks in key move under Mecca pact

RIYADH, Oct 5: Pakistan and Turkey agreed on Monday to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Defence Alliance. This comes amid ongoing attacks by Houthi rebel groups from Yemen targeting the Kingdom.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the Mecca Defence Alliance held in Riyadh.

Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud said in a post on X, “The Emergency Meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee under the Makkah Alliance for Defense reaffirmed the solidarity and unity of our countries in confronting the heinous attacks against the Kingdom and the holy sites. The committee agreed to activate collective deterrence measures within the framework of the Alliance in response to the attacks and all those responsible for them.”

According to a joint statement, the member countries "strongly condemned" an alleged attempt by the rebel group to target the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, and the ongoing attacks targeting cities, civilian facilities and economic installations in Saudi Arabia.

"The member states affirmed that the security of each member state is an indivisible part of the collective security of the three states," it further said.

The joint statement also said that Saudi's allies under the pact, Turkey and Pakistan, would deploy forces to the Kingdom to confront and counter the ‘threats.’

It stated, "The Committee decided on the immediate transition to the practical implementation of collective defense commitments, and the taking of necessary measures to provide the agreed-upon forces and military capabilities and to swiftly deploy them in the Kingdom, in accordance with the approved arrangements and the national legislation of the member states, in a manner that enhances readiness, military integration, and the collective capacity to confront threats and counter them."

The statement reaffirmed the three countries' "categorical rejection of any aggression or threat to the security of the Kingdom and the safety of its territories."

The Committee also decided to appoint retired Pakistan Army Lieutenant General Numan Mahmud as its first Secretary-General for a three-year term.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of ongoing attacks by the Houthi rebel group targeting Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the development comes following weeks of Houthi attacks, as Riyadh and its Yemeni government allies launched a counteroffensive against the group, according to a report.

The Houthis have been targeting neighbouring Saudi Arabia since Yemen's civil war reignited, the report also said.

US Wants New Round Of Talks With Russia, Ukraine This Month: Zelensky

KYIV, Oct 4: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that the United States wants to broker a new round of talks with Ukraine and Russia on ending the four-and-a-half-year war and hold it by the end of October.

The US-led peace efforts have been largely stalled with Washington's attention shifted to its war with Iran and as Ukraine says Russia has ramped up its aerial attacks across the war-torn country.

"The American side is currently in contact with Ukraine and Russia and is proposing to somehow hold a meeting at the technical level in a trilateral format by the end of October," Zelensky told reporters on Sunday.

He said he had spoken with the American negotiators on Saturday.

"I confirmed to them that our side is ready to support this timeline," he added.

Zelensky did not say where the talks would take place but said Ukraine was "open to the Emirates or another country proposed by the American side".

The United Arab Emirates had in the past hosted talks mediated by the United States aimed at ending the Russian invasion.

The Kremlin said last month that three-way talks on ending the war could take place in October.

"We do not rule out such a possibility; we are talking about the foreseeable future," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted at the time as saying by Russia's Ria and Tass news agencies.

Previous rounds of talks have failed to yield tangible progress towards peace, with Moscow unwilling to drop its maximalist conditions to end the fighting.

Iran denies diplomats were ‘kicked out’ of US, says all left as scheduled

TEHRAN, Oct 4: Iran's foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, has rejected reports that two Iranian diplomats were “kicked out” of the United States after the UN General Assembly, saying that members of Tehran’s delegation left the country as scheduled.

Araghchi hit out at the reports in a post on X on Sunday, calling the reported “expulsion” fake and accusing those celebrating it of showing “desperation and defeat”.

“All Iranian diplomats who attended UNGA, except one who departed earlier, left as scheduled,” Araghchi said.

He was responding to an Axios report that two members of Iran’s delegation to the UN General Assembly in New York had been “kicked out” of the US after allegedly failing to comply with an order from the US state department to leave the country.

Sharing a screenshot of the report, Araghchi criticised the characterisation of the diplomats’ departure and said such claims were inappropriate.

“Taking pride in fake diplomat "expulsion" is inappropriate for the head of any diplomatic corps. It oozes of desperation and defeat and is inconsistent with UN host nation obligations,” the Iranian foreign minister said.

According to Axios, the US state department had earlier directed Iran’s mission to the UN to ensure that its entire delegation left the country immediately after the General Assembly sessions ended.

The US news outlet's report said two members of the delegation remained in New York despite the order. The Iranian mission was informed on Friday that US authorities knew the two diplomats were still in the city and Washington reiterated its demand that they leave immediately.

“Secretary Rubio means business. Two more members of the Iranian delegation were found still in New York long after the United Nations General Assembly had passed. They have now been kicked out of the country,” a US official told Axios.

One of the two Iranian diplomats left New York on Friday night, while the second departed on Saturday morning, the report added.

The conflicting accounts come as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran face fresh uncertainty.

US and Iranian officials had met in New York the previous week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. US President Donald Trump has rejected a proposal from Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while saying he expected talks between Washington and Tehran to resume in the coming days.

Iranian state news agency IRNA, however, reported that Tehran had no further direct talks scheduled with Washington.

Ukraine attacks major Russian refinery and oil pipeline hub with drones in Samara region

KYIV, Oct 2: Ukraine said it attacked one of Russia’s biggest oil refineries and a key hub in the country’s crude-pipeline network, intensifying its campaign against crucial infrastructure to limit Moscow’s ability to finance the war.

Drones hit Lukoil PJSC’s Volgograd refinery overnight, as well as a major oil-pumping complex in the Samara region, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. Fires were recorded at both sites, it said on Telegram, adding that the extent of the damage was still being assessed.

The Volgograd refinery can process about 300,000 barrels of crude a day. The Samara pumping station is a crucial part of the system, feeding domestic refineries and key export routes toward the Black and Baltic seas and the Druzhba pipeline.

Kyiv’s attacks on Russian oil assets, particularly refineries, are a response to Moscow’s almost daily strikes on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, Black Sea ports and ships, as well as other civilian targets. The strikes have damaged Russia’s downstream industry and prompted the government to restrict most exports of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

Lukoil and Russia’s oil-pipeline operator Transneft PJSC didn’t immediately respond to Bloomberg requests for comment.

“We’re responding fairly to the Russian escalation with our long-range sanctions,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday on Telegram, adding that areas attacked overnight include the Krasnodar, Samara, Volgograd and Nizhny Novgorod regions — home to several fuel-producing plants.

Russia repelled Ukrainian attacks on four oil refineries and is assessing damage at only one of them, Interfax reported, citing Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. He said the threat to refineries remains elevated, though protection measures have reduced the scale of damage.

Satellite images taken by NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System on Friday show fresh heat anomalies both at the refinery site and the oil-pumping complex, likely indicating blazes.

The Samara oil pumping station is Europe’s biggest tank farm and a major hub in Russia’s crude network. It has a storage capacity of more than 1.6 million cubic meters, and handles supplies from western Siberia and Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for a comment whether its crude flows via the Samara oil pumping station were affected.

The Volgograd refinery, which halted operations after a previous attack at the end of July, had gradually been restoring process rates in September.

Any Power Behind flydubai Plot Will Pay 'Very Heavy Price', Warns Netanyahu

TEL AVIV, Oct 2: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Friday that Israel would impose a "very heavy price" on any power behind the flydubai incident, without offering evidence that any country was responsible.

"As time passes, the picture is becoming clearer: The attacker underwent Islamist radicalisation. He came to crash the plane with all passengers on board," Netanyahu said in a statement.

"We are investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price," Netanyahu said of the co-pilot assailant.

Netanyahu did not identify any country as a potential culprit but for years has been quick to point the finger at Iran, which Israel and the United States attacked in February.

US President Donald Trump, who in April reached a ceasefire with Iran that is now in tatters, said Thursday in response to a question that he was "hearing" that Iran was involved and that the country will "be hit very hard" if so.

Israel and the United States have linked Iran's Shia clerical state to numerous attacks around the world since the Islamic republic was founded in 1979.

But it has little-known connection to hijackings, hallmarks of Al-Qaeda during the September 11, 2001 attacks and of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in the 1960s and 1970s.

Netanyahu has previously said the pilot was from Oman and earlier left open the possibility that he was experiencing mental problems.

Israeli officials and witnesses say the co-pilot of the Tel Aviv-bound flight on Wednesday stabbed the Indian pilot, who let passengers come into the cockpit to overpower the attacker. The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia with no deaths.

G7 Nations To Release 100 Million Barrels Of Oil Amid Fuel Price Surge

PARIS, Oct 2: G7 countries agreed Friday to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil from their reserves over four months, leaders said, agreeing to "refrain from export restrictions on energy" and urging others to do the same.

The announcement came after G7 leaders held talks to coordinate action on fuel prices, after the United States upped pressure on Europe to release its strategic reserves by threatening a diesel export ban.

The seven countries agreed to "a coordinated release through the IEA of 100 million barrels to begin immediately over four months, including a frontloaded substantial diesel release within the first 20 days," they said in a joint statement released by French President Emmanuel Macron's office.

The leaders also said that there would be no ban on diesel exports between them.

"We reaffirm our commitment to refrain from export restrictions on energy and energy products between G7 countries and call on all producers to refrain from imposing bans that could exacerbate market tensions," the leaders said.

"Our citizens' concerns about energy prices remain a top priority," they added.

"We will monitor developments closely and stand ready to adjust measures as needed."

Macron had convened a video call of G7 leaders -- a group comprising also Britain, Japan, Canada, Germany and Italy -- to discuss joint action after he spoke with Donald Trump.

Trump has floated the possibility of banning US exports of diesel, which is used in trucks and other hauling vehicles, an alarming prospect for the EU, which relies heavily on fossil fuel imports.

Putin Praises Modi, Says He Has 'Good Ideas' For Ending Ukraine War

MOSCOW, Oct 1: Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts to end the Ukraine war, saying he has "very good ideas" for a peaceful resolution.

Speaking at an event in Moscow, Putin said that Modi, despite having "good relations" with him, has constantly raised the question of ending the Ukraine conflict, now in its fifth year.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of those world leaders who, despite our very good and even friendly relations, personal good relations, constantly raises the question and asks the question about putting an end to the conflict in Ukraine," he told the Valdai Forum of international Russia experts.

"He (Modi) has an avid interest and very good ideas aimed at finding mutually acceptable solutions. In that sense, naturally, the Prime Minister takes a neutral position but with an interest in the end of the conflict. I think it's my duty to say that directly. And we are thankful to the Prime Minister for his ideas," Putin added.

UK-Iranian National Arrested On Terror Suspicion Over Air Force Base Incident

LONDON, Oct 1: British police have arrested a dual UK-Iranian national on suspicion of plotting a terror attack following a security incident at a US-run air base on the weekend.

The 27-year-old man was arrested in London on Thursday, and police have searched two properties in the UK capital.

On Sunday, five men, all in their 20s and from London, were arrested over the incident at RAF Fairford, which has been used by American bombers to strike Iran. They have since been released on bail.

Counter-terror police said a second man, a 26-year-old UK national, has also been questioned under caution.

"As we've made clear, we're looking at all possible angles - including possible foreign state involvement," the senior national coordinator for counter terrorism policing for the Metropolitan Police, Vicki Evans, said. "I'd like to thank the public for their continued support and patience whilst we work through this investigation."