In a fresh escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war, bridges have become major targets...For four days in a row, Russia has attacked Kyiv's two key bridges, aiming to paralyse the Ukrainian capital, as they connect the western and eastern parts of the city.Just a short while ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of attacking a civilian vessel in the Black Sea, with Indian nationals aboard. According to him, the ship's captain was killed in the strike. However, Romania, which rescued 11 crew members aboard this ship, reported two fatalities...Now, take a look at this footage...Visuals showed cars moving on Kyiv's northern bridge, as a drone crashed into it, before exploding, creating a ball of fire. A cloud of smoke could be seen rising above the bridge.This was the second attack on this bridge, in as many days...Two people were injured in this Russian drone strike, which took place even as German President Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit.According to Zelensky, this was an attempt by Russia to force civilian evacuations from big cities.On its part, Russia vowed to step up its attacks on military and related infrastructure targets in Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, in response to Zelensky's recent comments about intensifying strikes on Russian oil refineries.Ukraine also accused Russia of conducting missile strikes on Kharkiv overnight, killing one person and injuring six others. Visuals showed firefighters battling a blaze, as vehicles as well as multiple buildings were damaged.According to Odesa's governor, Russian air strikes also targeted industrial and port infrastructure in the region, causing fires.Additionally, Moscow struck two Ukrainian cargo vessels in the Black Sea....Now, Kyiv's southern bridge was targeted for the first time on October 1. Visuals showed the moment when an explosion struck this bridge, and a column of smoke start rising.A day later, Russia again struck this bridge. Take a look at this image, of a jet-powered drone striking the bridge....The relentless Russian attacks have forced temporary closure of key bridges in Kyiv, thereby leading to traffic chaos...This comes amid a surge in Russia's use of jet-powered drones.According to the Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson, Russian forces fired over three thousand one hundred seventy-seven jet-powered drones, in September alone.With the advanced variant of these drones having a speed of 600 kilometres per hour, and the ability to strike targets from 950 kilometres away, they are much harder to intercept.Apart from the speed, there might be another reason for this.According to a Ukrainian official, Russia might have hidden small signal boosters or repeaters, to help its long-range drones evade air defences and strike with greater precision.These are essentially small concealed radio relay devices that receive and transmit encrypted signals across multiple connections.This helps extend the range of drone operators, while maintaining control in areas whereas GPS signals may be disrupted.Thus, it is harder for Ukraine to disrupt these drones through electronic jamming.Last week, Zelensky himself admitted that Ukraine was able to intercept only 57% of Russia's jet-powered drones.Meanwhile, Ukraine and Germany signed 15 agreements, worth over 1.46 billion dollars, during Merz's visit to Kyiv.In a boost for Ukraine, Germany's package focuses on air defence capabilities, including joint production of interceptors against jet-powered drones.Berlin will also provide long-range weapons, satellite technology and combat drones to Kyiv.On this occasion, Zelensky also expressed willingness to hold trilateral talks with Russia and U.S. this month in UAE or any other country proposed by America.Meanwhile, Russia declined to comment on a New York Times report which claimed that a multi-billion dollar oil deal was a part of Washington's talks with Moscow on ending the war in Ukraine...With Moscow once again asking foreign nationals including diplomats to leave Kyiv, it is amply clear that we are entering a dangerous phase in the Ukraine war.

Russia targets Kyiv's key bridges and intensifies jet-powered drone attacks as Ukraine reports strikes across the country and Germany announces new support.

In a fresh escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war, bridges have become major targets... For four days in a row, Russia has attacked Kyiv's two key bridges, aiming to paralyse the Ukrainian capital, as they connect the western and eastern parts of the city. Just a short while ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of attacking a civilian vessel in the Black Sea, with Indian nationals aboard. According to him, the ship's captain was killed in the strike. However, Romania, which rescued 11 crew members aboard this ship, reported two fatalities... Now, take a look at this footage... Visuals showed cars moving on Kyiv's northern bridge, as a drone crashed into it, before exploding, creating a ball of fire. A cloud of smoke could be seen rising above the bridge. This was the second attack on this bridge, in as many days... Two people were injured in this Russian drone strike, which took place even as German President Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit. According to Zelensky, this was an attempt by Russia to force civilian evacuations from big cities. On its part, Russia vowed to step up its attacks on military and related infrastructure targets in Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, in response to Zelensky's recent comments about intensifying strikes on Russian oil refineries. Ukraine also accused Russia of conducting missile strikes on Kharkiv overnight, killing one person and injuring six others. Visuals showed firefighters battling a blaze, as vehicles as well as multiple buildings were damaged. According to Odesa's governor, Russian air strikes also targeted industrial and port infrastructure in the region, causing fires. Additionally, Moscow struck two Ukrainian cargo vessels in the Black Sea.... Now, Kyiv's southern bridge was targeted for the first time on October 1. Visuals showed the moment when an explosion struck this bridge, and a column of smoke start rising. A day later, Russia again struck this bridge. Take a look at this image, of a jet-powered drone striking the bridge.... The relentless Russian attacks have forced temporary closure of key bridges in Kyiv, thereby leading to traffic chaos... This comes amid a surge in Russia's use of jet-powered drones. According to the Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson, Russian forces fired over three thousand one hundred seventy-seven jet-powered drones, in September alone. With the advanced variant of these drones having a speed of 600 kilometres per hour, and the ability to strike targets from 950 kilometres away, they are much harder to intercept. Apart from the speed, there might be another reason for this. According to a Ukrainian official, Russia might have hidden small signal boosters or repeaters, to help its long-range drones evade air defences and strike with greater precision. These are essentially small concealed radio relay devices that receive and transmit encrypted signals across multiple connections. This helps extend the range of drone operators, while maintaining control in areas whereas GPS signals may be disrupted. Thus, it is harder for Ukraine to disrupt these drones through electronic jamming. Last week, Zelensky himself admitted that Ukraine was able to intercept only 57% of Russia's jet-powered drones. Meanwhile, Ukraine and Germany signed 15 agreements, worth over 1.46 billion dollars, during Merz's visit to Kyiv. In a boost for Ukraine, Germany's package focuses on air defence capabilities, including joint production of interceptors against jet-powered drones. Berlin will also provide long-range weapons, satellite technology and combat drones to Kyiv. On this occasion, Zelensky also expressed willingness to hold trilateral talks with Russia and U.S. this month in UAE or any other country proposed by America. Meanwhile, Russia declined to comment on a New York Times report which claimed that a multi-billion dollar oil deal was a part of Washington's talks with Moscow on ending the war in Ukraine... With Moscow once again asking foreign nationals including diplomats to leave Kyiv, it is amply clear that we are entering a dangerous phase in the Ukraine war.

Russia targets Kyiv's key bridges and intensifies jet-powered drone attacks as Ukraine reports strikes across the country and Germany announces new support.

Putin turns Kyiv into a kill zone, Ukraine unable to stop Russia's jet drones | GRAVITAS

Protests in France continued to rage as students barricaded schools and clashed with police over education conditions.&nbsp;The functioning of 564 high schools was disrupted. 65 school staff, including 40 head teachers, have been injured. Meanwhile, nearly 2,000 students have been detained so far.&nbsp;Protests are increasingly turning violent. In Paris, for instance, demonstrators threw projectiles at police. In response, riot police fired tear gas at hundreds of high school students.&nbsp;Students were seen setting fire to bins and bicycles outside schools. Students also blocked the entrance to multiple schools across France by erecting barricades.&nbsp;Visuals also showed drivers passing by and sounding their horns in solidarity with the protesters. Parents of students also joined the protests.&nbsp;Chaotic scenes were witnessed in Rennes and Toulouse as well, with riot police scrambling to deal with protesting students, especially those who became violent.&nbsp;Now, these protests pertain to high schools in France, where students in the 15 to 18 age group complete their secondary education.&nbsp;Protesters have complained about poor school infrastructure and sanitary conditions, as well as extreme classroom temperatures. Concerns have also been raised over large class sizes, absent teachers and exhausting schedules.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-warns-of-further-action-if-ukraine-does-not-apologise-over-pow-disclosure-1790957449565">South Korea warns of further action if Ukraine does not apologise over POW disclosure</a>&nbsp;This is not all. Teachers also flagged how students are increasingly anxious about the national higher education admission portal, which is perceived to be opaque.&nbsp;Earlier, French PM Sebastien Lecornu called a crisis cabinet meeting, where he told ministers to cancel travel plans to deal with the demonstrations.&nbsp;The government has accused the far-left France Unbowed party of encouraging the protests, with several of its parliamentarians and mayors joining the protests.&nbsp;With the situation spiralling out of control, France's education minister has now appealed to parents to get involved and tell their children not to take part in the school blockades.

Protests by high school students in France have intensified, with school blockades and clashes with police reported amid concerns over infrastructure, classroom conditions, teacher shortages and higher education admissions.

Protests in France continued to rage as students barricaded schools and clashed with police over education conditions. The functioning of 564 high schools was disrupted. 65 school staff, including 40 head teachers, have been injured. Meanwhile, nearly 2,000 students have been detained so far. Protests are increasingly turning violent. In Paris, for instance, demonstrators threw projectiles at police. In response, riot police fired tear gas at hundreds of high school students. Students were seen setting fire to bins and bicycles outside schools. Students also blocked the entrance to multiple schools across France by erecting barricades. Visuals also showed drivers passing by and sounding their horns in solidarity with the protesters. Parents of students also joined the protests. Chaotic scenes were witnessed in Rennes and Toulouse as well, with riot police scrambling to deal with protesting students, especially those who became violent. Now, these protests pertain to high schools in France, where students in the 15 to 18 age group complete their secondary education. Protesters have complained about poor school infrastructure and sanitary conditions, as well as extreme classroom temperatures. Concerns have also been raised over large class sizes, absent teachers and exhausting schedules. Also Read: South Korea warns of further action if Ukraine does not apologise over POW disclosure This is not all. Teachers also flagged how students are increasingly anxious about the national higher education admission portal, which is perceived to be opaque. Earlier, French PM Sebastien Lecornu called a crisis cabinet meeting, where he told ministers to cancel travel plans to deal with the demonstrations. The government has accused the far-left France Unbowed party of encouraging the protests, with several of its parliamentarians and mayors joining the protests. With the situation spiralling out of control, France's education minister has now appealed to parents to get involved and tell their children not to take part in the school blockades.

Protests by high school students in France have intensified, with school blockades and clashes with police reported amid concerns over infrastructure, classroom conditions, teacher shortages and higher education admissions.

France accuses 'radical left' as protests grow, 2,000 students detained | Gravitas

As wars continue to rage across the world, the significance of missile interceptors has come to the fore, with Ukraine and US running low on its air defence stocks.Amid this, India’s indigenous air defence system is emerging as a success story.The Akash missile system, which was first conceptualised in 1983 and cleared for use in 2007, is now in demand from multiple countries.While Armenia was its first customer, India’s Defence Secretary confirmed that Akash has been exported to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as well.Developed by DRDO, Akash is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system which provides cutting-edge air defence due to its multi-sensor data processing ability.It can track and destroy multiple aerial threats, from fighter jets to missile drones, within a 25-kilometre radius.During Operation Sindoor last year, indigenous systems like Akash played a key role.It is also being positioned as a low-cost alternative for countries that cannot afford to buy huge stocks of air defence systems like THAAD and Patriot.In December last year, DRDO successfully completed user evaluation trials of the next-generation Akash missile, which is a potent system for ensuring air defence against different types of aerial threats.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://x.com/hashtag/Gravitas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gravitas</a> | As wars continue to rage across the world, the significance of missile interceptors cannot be overstated. Amid this, India&#39;s Defence Secretary confirmed that the Akash missile system has been exported to Armenia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan<a href="https://x.com/MollyGambhir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MollyGambhir</a> has more <a href="https://t.co/m7eg9cCpuS">pic.twitter.com/m7eg9cCpuS</a>&mdash; WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://x.com/WIONews/status/2106065690625221017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Meanwhile, the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile remains India’s flagship export product.According to India’s Defence Secretary, BrahMos exports are set to cross 600 million US dollars, with agreements to sell this high-end strategic weapon to the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.With India scaling up domestic manufacturing of weapons, it now exports defence equipment, including artillery systems and missiles, to over 80 countries.The country’s defence exports reached over four billion US dollars in the April 2025 to March 2026 period. This was a 62 per cent jump as compared to a year ago.According to India’s Defence Ministry, the sharp rise signalled an increasing global acceptance of Indian-made defence products.India has now set an ambitious target of achieving 50,000 crore Indian rupees in defence exports by 2030.With countries like Brazil, Egypt and the Philippines also reportedly showing interest in buying the Akash missile system, it just reaffirms India’s growing stature as a defence manufacturer.

Developed by DRDO, Akash is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system which provides cutting-edge air defence due to its multi-sensor data processing ability.

As wars continue to rage across the world, the significance of missile interceptors has come to the fore, with Ukraine and US running low on its air defence stocks. Amid this, India’s indigenous air defence system is emerging as a success story. The Akash missile system, which was first conceptualised in 1983 and cleared for use in 2007, is now in demand from multiple countries. While Armenia was its first customer, India’s Defence Secretary confirmed that Akash has been exported to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as well. Developed by DRDO, Akash is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system which provides cutting-edge air defence due to its multi-sensor data processing ability. It can track and destroy multiple aerial threats, from fighter jets to missile drones, within a 25-kilometre radius. During Operation Sindoor last year, indigenous systems like Akash played a key role. It is also being positioned as a low-cost alternative for countries that cannot afford to buy huge stocks of air defence systems like THAAD and Patriot. In December last year, DRDO successfully completed user evaluation trials of the next-generation Akash missile, which is a potent system for ensuring air defence against different types of aerial threats.

Developed by DRDO, Akash is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system which provides cutting-edge air defence due to its multi-sensor data processing ability.

Gravitas | India exports indigenous Akash missile system to Armenia, Tajikistan & Turkmenistan

Moscow has stepped up its aerial attacks on Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia oflaunching over 100 drones, most of which were jet-powered drones at multiple cities across Ukraine overnight. This was followed by a massive retaliation by Kyiv. According to the Ukrainian president, Russia targeted a kindergarten in Kherson, a grocery store in Kharkiv and apartment buildings in Kramatorsk and Sumy. He added that four people wereinjured in this overnight attack.&nbsp;&nbsp;Additionally, one person was killed in Kyiv when a Russian drone struck the 24th and 25th floors of a residential building. As a result, fire broke out in the premises. Listen in to what a resident of this damaged building had to say. In wake of the Russian drone attacks, two of Kyiv's major bridges were shut, leading to massive traffic snarls. Amid this, the Ukrainian capital's mayor stressed that Russian strikes are tearing Kyiv apart. On its part, Ukraine claimed to havestruck oil refineries, airfields, industrial facilities, a missile and space centre as well as ammunition depot in Russia over the last 24 hours.&nbsp;Multiple regions of Russia including Samara, Voronezh and Krasnodar faced the brunt of Ukraine's retaliation. Now, even as drones have been the go-to weapon in this war, both sides have also been developing and using a range of indigenous missiles to extend their strike options. In a key development, Zelensky announced that Ukraine deployed its domestically developed FP-7 tactical ballistic missile in combat for the first time.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/vladimir-putin-threatens-to-unleash-entire-russian-arsenal-if-europe-attacks-kaliningrad-1790960720388/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/vladimir-putin-threatens-to-unleash-entire-russian-arsenal-if-europe-attacks-kaliningrad-1790960720388/embed</a>&nbsp;However, he didn't provide details about when or where the missile was used. Now, why is this so significant? This missile is very hard to stop because it travels at a speed of over five thousand kilometres per hour, giving air defence systems very less time to react. Designed by Firepoint, it can engage targets at up to 250 kilometres away. As this missile is launched from a ground-based platform, it provides strategic flexibility and can cater to various operational scenarios. According to the manufacturer, this ballistic interceptor has been developed as a cheaper alternative toAmerica's army tactical missile system.&nbsp;Ukraine is also developing a FP-9 missile with a range of up to 850 kilometres, which is likely to be ready by year-end.It is worth noting that Firefront launched the long-range fpFP5 flamingo missile last year. This cruise missile system has been designed to strike ground targets at a three thousand kilometre range. It also stands out due to its low cost,ease of use and the fact that, it can be disguised as an ordinary truck during transport.&nbsp;In another boost for Ukraine, UK agreed to provide classified information to enable domestic production of the long-range storm shadow missile. This supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by France and Britain, offers a precision deep strike ability, due to its advanced navigation system. Its targets include bunkers and key infrastructure. Amid this, an unusual shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile in Russia has garnered attention.&nbsp;This man-portable air defence system or manpads which was seen on Russian state television, does not resemble any domestically-made weapon. While Russian personnel reportedly referred to it, as via, the weapon's origin and model remains a mystery. According to some experts, it resembles an Iranian Misagh-3 and Chinese QW-series system. Others feel that it may be a Russian-produced version of an Iranian or Chinese design.&nbsp;Manpads are crucial as they can be dispersed among small teams, rapidly repositioned and deployed without the large infrastructure associated with conventional surface-to-air missile batteries. Now, missile warfare has been a key part of Russia's offensive against Ukraine. In July alone, Russia reportedly launched 376 missiles at Ukraine, more than twiceThe number fired in June.&nbsp;If we look at Russia's indigenous missile arsenal used during the Ukraine war, the Zircon anti-ship cruise missile has played a key role owing to its speed, and plasma cloud which allows it to remain undetected. Another key missile is Iskander, that can execute unpredictable evasive maneuvers in terminal descent. This is not all. Russia has also used its Oreshnik missile, which has a range of over five thousand kilometres.&nbsp;It has the ability to fire nuclear weapons. The air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missile is another vital weapon in its arsenal. With Russian President Vladimir Putin ruling out a ceasefire on long-range strikes on Ukraine, it is apparent that the battlefield action is unlikely to stop anytime soon.

According to the Ukrainian president, Russia targeted a kindergarten in Kherson, a grocery store in Kharkiv and apartment buildings in Kramatorsk and Sumy. He added that four people were injured in this overnight attack. 

Moscow has stepped up its aerial attacks on Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of launching over 100 drones, most of which were jet-powered drones at multiple cities across Ukraine overnight. This was followed by a massive retaliation by Kyiv. According to the Ukrainian president, Russia targeted a kindergarten in Kherson, a grocery store in Kharkiv and apartment buildings in Kramatorsk and Sumy. He added that four people were injured in this overnight attack. Additionally, one person was killed in Kyiv when a Russian drone struck the 24th and 25th floors of a residential building. As a result, fire broke out in the premises. Listen in to what a resident of this damaged building had to say. In wake of the Russian drone attacks, two of Kyiv's major bridges were shut, leading to massive traffic snarls. Amid this, the Ukrainian capital's mayor stressed that Russian strikes are tearing Kyiv apart. On its part, Ukraine claimed to have struck oil refineries, airfields, industrial facilities, a missile and space centre as well as ammunition depot in Russia over the last 24 hours. Multiple regions of Russia including Samara, Voronezh and Krasnodar faced the brunt of Ukraine's retaliation. Now, even as drones have been the go-to weapon in this war, both sides have also been developing and using a range of indigenous missiles to extend their strike options. In a key development, Zelensky announced that Ukraine deployed its domestically developed FP-7 tactical ballistic missile in combat for the first time. https://www.wionews.com/videos/vladimir-putin-threatens-to-unleash-entire-russian-arsenal-if-europe-attacks-kaliningrad-1790960720388/embed However, he didn't provide details about when or where the missile was used. Now, why is this so significant? This missile is very hard to stop because it travels at a speed of over five thousand kilometres per hour, giving air defence systems very less time to react. Designed by Firepoint, it can engage targets at up to 250 kilometres away. As this missile is launched from a ground-based platform, it provides strategic flexibility and can cater to various operational scenarios. According to the manufacturer, this ballistic interceptor has been developed as a cheaper alternative to America's army tactical missile system. Ukraine is also developing a FP-9 missile with a range of up to 850 kilometres, which is likely to be ready by year-end. It is worth noting that Firefront launched the long-range fpFP5 flamingo missile last year. This cruise missile system has been designed to strike ground targets at a three thousand kilometre range. It also stands out due to its low cost, ease of use and the fact that, it can be disguised as an ordinary truck during transport. In another boost for Ukraine, UK agreed to provide classified information to enable domestic production of the long-range storm shadow missile. This supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by France and Britain, offers a precision deep strike ability, due to its advanced navigation system. Its targets include bunkers and key infrastructure. Amid this, an unusual shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile in Russia has garnered attention. This man-portable air defence system or manpads which was seen on Russian state television, does not resemble any domestically-made weapon. While Russian personnel reportedly referred to it, as via, the weapon's origin and model remains a mystery. According to some experts, it resembles an Iranian Misagh-3 and Chinese QW-series system. Others feel that it may be a Russian-produced version of an Iranian or Chinese design. Manpads are crucial as they can be dispersed among small teams, rapidly repositioned and deployed without the large infrastructure associated with conventional surface-to-air missile batteries. Now, missile warfare has been a key part of Russia's offensive against Ukraine. In July alone, Russia reportedly launched 376 missiles at Ukraine, more than twice The number fired in June. If we look at Russia's indigenous missile arsenal used during the Ukraine war, the Zircon anti-ship cruise missile has played a key role owing to its speed, and plasma cloud which allows it to remain undetected. Another key missile is Iskander, that can execute unpredictable evasive maneuvers in terminal descent. This is not all. Russia has also used its Oreshnik missile, which has a range of over five thousand kilometres. It has the ability to fire nuclear weapons. The air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missile is another vital weapon in its arsenal. With Russian President Vladimir Putin ruling out a ceasefire on long-range strikes on Ukraine, it is apparent that the battlefield action is unlikely to stop anytime soon.

According to the Ukrainian president, Russia targeted a kindergarten in Kherson, a grocery store in Kharkiv and apartment buildings in Kramatorsk and Sumy. He added that four people were injured in this overnight attack.&nbsp;

Ukraine fires hard-to-stop ballistic missile as Russia unleashes mystery missile | Gravitas

Oceans are warming at an alarming pace, which may have far-reaching consequences, for which the world is seemingly unprepared.To put this into context, the amount of heat absorbed by oceans last year was equivalent to the energy of 12 Hiroshima bombs going off every second for a year. According to the Copernicus ocean state report, this was almost 40 times the energy consumed by the entire planet in 2025.The report highlighted that global oceans are absorbing roughly 90% of the excess heat produced by humans burning fossil fuels, thereby triggering changes that could reshape marine ecosystems, coastlines and communities.Let's break it down further for you.According to this report, the sea surface temperature has been rising at 0.12 degrees Celsius per decade and reached its third highest level on record last year. Since 1999, the sea level has been rising by 3.88 millimetres per year.As far as ocean warming is concerned, it has been accelerating since 1960. Last year though, the total amount of heat stored in the ocean reached its highest level.This is not all.Oceans have become 17% more acidic as compared to four decades ago. Ocean acidification is particularly harmful for underwater ecosystems, making it harder for oysters, lobsters and corals to build and maintain shells.The report also flagged that the Mediterranean and Black seas experienced record-breaking marine heatwaves last year, with temperatures in some regions exceeding 4.6 degrees Celsius above average.On the other hand, the monthly average sea ice in the Arctic reduced by roughly the size of Spain per decade from 1979 to 2025.In wake of these dramatic changes, scientists called for sustained monitoring of oceans to ensure that governments and communities have the information they need to prepare for what is coming.Now, due to a heat wave and low winter snowfall, glaciers in Switzerland have lost 5.5 percent of their ice volume this year, which is the second-biggest percentage drop on record.According to the Swiss glacier monitoring service, Alpine glaciers have no chance of surviving in the long term under such conditions.The trend has worsened over time, with glacier ice volume in Switzerland declining by 20% over the last five years.However, scientists have squarely placed the blame for this on growing human emissions.Now, the impact of this cannot be understated.Switzerland's loss of water from July to September due to the accelerated ice melt amounts to four times its annual water consumption.Also, it is worth noting that Switzerland's glaciers feed some of Europe's key rivers, including the Danube and Rhine.

Oceans absorbed record heat last year while sea levels rose, acidity increased and glaciers lost ice, highlighting the scale of climate change.

Oceans are warming at an alarming pace, which may have far-reaching consequences, for which the world is seemingly unprepared. To put this into context, the amount of heat absorbed by oceans last year was equivalent to the energy of 12 Hiroshima bombs going off every second for a year. According to the Copernicus ocean state report, this was almost 40 times the energy consumed by the entire planet in 2025. The report highlighted that global oceans are absorbing roughly 90% of the excess heat produced by humans burning fossil fuels, thereby triggering changes that could reshape marine ecosystems, coastlines and communities. Let's break it down further for you. According to this report, the sea surface temperature has been rising at 0.12 degrees Celsius per decade and reached its third highest level on record last year. Since 1999, the sea level has been rising by 3.88 millimetres per year. As far as ocean warming is concerned, it has been accelerating since 1960. Last year though, the total amount of heat stored in the ocean reached its highest level. This is not all. Oceans have become 17% more acidic as compared to four decades ago. Ocean acidification is particularly harmful for underwater ecosystems, making it harder for oysters, lobsters and corals to build and maintain shells. The report also flagged that the Mediterranean and Black seas experienced record-breaking marine heatwaves last year, with temperatures in some regions exceeding 4.6 degrees Celsius above average. On the other hand, the monthly average sea ice in the Arctic reduced by roughly the size of Spain per decade from 1979 to 2025. In wake of these dramatic changes, scientists called for sustained monitoring of oceans to ensure that governments and communities have the information they need to prepare for what is coming. Now, due to a heat wave and low winter snowfall, glaciers in Switzerland have lost 5.5 percent of their ice volume this year, which is the second-biggest percentage drop on record. According to the Swiss glacier monitoring service, Alpine glaciers have no chance of surviving in the long term under such conditions. The trend has worsened over time, with glacier ice volume in Switzerland declining by 20% over the last five years. However, scientists have squarely placed the blame for this on growing human emissions. Now, the impact of this cannot be understated. Switzerland's loss of water from July to September due to the accelerated ice melt amounts to four times its annual water consumption. Also, it is worth noting that Switzerland's glaciers feed some of Europe's key rivers, including the Danube and Rhine.

Oceans absorbed record heat last year while sea levels rose, acidity increased and glaciers lost ice, highlighting the scale of climate change.

Heatwaves, Wildfires Drive Global Ozone Spike | GRAVITAS

As wars rage across the world, and major shipping routes have been disrupted, the impact goes well beyond the energy crisis. What if I told you that the protracted wars may affect, the food on your plate?This is not an exaggeration.&nbsp;India has now warned of a major food crisis...&nbsp;Speaking at an event organised by The Asia Society in New York, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserted that the world faces a major food crisis in the coming months, as wars in Ukraine and West Asia had compounded the effects of a super El Nino.&nbsp;Amid an escalation in the Russia-Ukraine War, Jaishankar hinted at the possibility of major grain exporters being unable to send their shipments out of the Black Sea.&nbsp;He said, "We are already looking at significant fertiliser shortages because key producers have been in West Asia &amp; Russia."&nbsp;He also flagged the impact of super El Nino, which scientists have warned could cause almost half a million additional heat-related deaths worldwide by February 2027.&nbsp;Highlighting that energy, food, fertilisers and finance were all under strain at once, he flagged the devastating impact on economies of the Global South.&nbsp;Earlier this week, Ukraine accused Russia of damaging port infrastructure facilities in Ukraine's Black Sea region of Odesa.&nbsp;Rescuers were seen working on the site of a destroyed building.&nbsp;Now, these air strikes may have been confined to the Black Sea, but their consequences are not limited to the region.&nbsp;Why is this the case?&nbsp;Russia and Ukraine are significant producers and exporters of several commodities including wheat, corn, sunflower oil and fertilisers.&nbsp;For instance, Russia and Ukraine account for around one-third of the global wheat trade, which mostly moves through Black Sea ports.&nbsp;However, multiple drone and missile attacks on Black Sea ports and vessels by Russia and Ukraine, have shut down nearly 97% of their grain export capacity.&nbsp;Overall, this conflict has disrupted close to 17% of world's grain exports.&nbsp;This has resulted in higher food prices, especially impacting countries which depend on imports.&nbsp;The situation has escalated as the Strait of Hormuz remains virtually closed due to the Iran war.&nbsp;This strategic waterway caters to almost one-third of global fertiliser trade.&nbsp;This is crucial as less fertilisers reaching the farmers imply smaller harvests, which can result in a food shortage months later.&nbsp;Additionally, the disruption is compounded by rising prices of natural gas, which is a key input in fertiliser production, pushing costs higher and limiting output.&nbsp;A few days earlier, the International Chamber of Commerce urged U.S. and Iran to accept UN's facilitation to resolve the fertiliser supply crisis, sparked by the Hormuz blockade.&nbsp;Now, the El Nino impact is clearly visible in India.&nbsp;During the June-September monsoon season, India witnessed a rainfall deficit of 13%, which is the fourth lowest seasonal rainfall since 2001 and the 13th lowest since 1901.&nbsp;So far, the Government of India has declared a drought in five states—Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.&nbsp;Expressing concern over the drought situation, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that he would maintain constant communication with the state governments.&nbsp;For the upcoming rabi crop season, the minister said the centre would assist states in identifying suitable seeds and crop varieties that require less water, have shorter maturity periods and are suited to local soil and weather conditions.&nbsp;Chouhan added that other parts of the country would also be assessed for drought status.&nbsp;But where does the responsibility lie for a possible food crisis?&nbsp;Taking a veiled dig at countries who are refusing to bring the wars to a closure, S Jaishankar said that policymakers have a responsibility to understand the consequences of their decisions on the rest of the world.&nbsp;He also stressed that countries should not be so self-centred...

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar flagged the impact of super El Nino, which scientists have warned could cause almost half a million additional heat-related deaths worldwide by February 2027. He flagged the devastating impact of shortages on economies of the Global South.

As wars rage across the world, and major shipping routes have been disrupted, the impact goes well beyond the energy crisis. What if I told you that the protracted wars may affect, the food on your plate? This is not an exaggeration. India has now warned of a major food crisis... Speaking at an event organised by The Asia Society in New York, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserted that the world faces a major food crisis in the coming months, as wars in Ukraine and West Asia had compounded the effects of a super El Nino. Amid an escalation in the Russia-Ukraine War, Jaishankar hinted at the possibility of major grain exporters being unable to send their shipments out of the Black Sea. He said, "We are already looking at significant fertiliser shortages because key producers have been in West Asia & Russia." He also flagged the impact of super El Nino, which scientists have warned could cause almost half a million additional heat-related deaths worldwide by February 2027. Highlighting that energy, food, fertilisers and finance were all under strain at once, he flagged the devastating impact on economies of the Global South. Earlier this week, Ukraine accused Russia of damaging port infrastructure facilities in Ukraine's Black Sea region of Odesa. Rescuers were seen working on the site of a destroyed building. Now, these air strikes may have been confined to the Black Sea, but their consequences are not limited to the region. Why is this the case? Russia and Ukraine are significant producers and exporters of several commodities including wheat, corn, sunflower oil and fertilisers. For instance, Russia and Ukraine account for around one-third of the global wheat trade, which mostly moves through Black Sea ports. However, multiple drone and missile attacks on Black Sea ports and vessels by Russia and Ukraine, have shut down nearly 97% of their grain export capacity. Overall, this conflict has disrupted close to 17% of world's grain exports. This has resulted in higher food prices, especially impacting countries which depend on imports. The situation has escalated as the Strait of Hormuz remains virtually closed due to the Iran war. This strategic waterway caters to almost one-third of global fertiliser trade. This is crucial as less fertilisers reaching the farmers imply smaller harvests, which can result in a food shortage months later. Additionally, the disruption is compounded by rising prices of natural gas, which is a key input in fertiliser production, pushing costs higher and limiting output. A few days earlier, the International Chamber of Commerce urged U.S. and Iran to accept UN's facilitation to resolve the fertiliser supply crisis, sparked by the Hormuz blockade. Now, the El Nino impact is clearly visible in India. During the June-September monsoon season, India witnessed a rainfall deficit of 13%, which is the fourth lowest seasonal rainfall since 2001 and the 13th lowest since 1901. So far, the Government of India has declared a drought in five states—Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Expressing concern over the drought situation, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that he would maintain constant communication with the state governments. For the upcoming rabi crop season, the minister said the centre would assist states in identifying suitable seeds and crop varieties that require less water, have shorter maturity periods and are suited to local soil and weather conditions. Chouhan added that other parts of the country would also be assessed for drought status. But where does the responsibility lie for a possible food crisis? Taking a veiled dig at countries who are refusing to bring the wars to a closure, S Jaishankar said that policymakers have a responsibility to understand the consequences of their decisions on the rest of the world. He also stressed that countries should not be so self-centred...

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar flagged the impact of super El Nino, which scientists have warned could cause almost half a million additional heat-related deaths worldwide by February 2027. He flagged the devastating impact of shortages on economies of the Global South.

India warns of major ‘food crisis’ in coming months amid El Nino & wars | Gravitas

Student protests which started in Paris last week, have now spread to at least 400 high schools across the country. As the protests turned violent in some places, the police detained about 440 persons, most of whom were minors. 76 others have been injured. Take a look at these visuals.High school students in the northern French city of Lille set garbage bins and electric bikes ablaze. Tensions flared outside a barricaded high school, where masked protesters threw projectiles at police officers. According to France's interior minister, there were seven incidents in which people threw hydrochloric acid at law enforcement officers.But what has triggered the student protests? It has to do with the conditions in France's high schools where students between the ages of 15 and 18, generally spend their final three years of secondary education. Many protesters have complained of, deteriorating buildings, poor sanitary conditions and extreme temperatures in classrooms. Concerns have also been raised over large class sizes, absent teachers and exhausting schedules. Listen in to a student voicing her concern.Now, the protests coincided with a nationwide public sector strike against the government's proposed budget which includes funding cuts worth 61.3 billion U.S. dollars. A day earlier, thousands of people working in the country's public services hit the streets in Paris, voicing discontent against the government's proposal to freeze base salaries of state employees in 2027. Firefighters also denounced the lack of resources alloted by the government to combat massive wildfires during the summer season.Now, the protests also gained a political dimension, with politicians from France unbowed party joining the demonstrations. While the government has said that difficulties in high schools must be acknowledged and addressed, French president Emmanuel Macron made it clear that violence cannot be justified.

French police clashed with students during protests over school conditions as demonstrations spread to 400 high schools and 440 people were detained.

Student protests which started in Paris last week, have now spread to at least 400 high schools across the country. As the protests turned violent in some places, the police detained about 440 persons, most of whom were minors. 76 others have been injured. Take a look at these visuals. High school students in the northern French city of Lille set garbage bins and electric bikes ablaze. Tensions flared outside a barricaded high school, where masked protesters threw projectiles at police officers. According to France's interior minister, there were seven incidents in which people threw hydrochloric acid at law enforcement officers. But what has triggered the student protests? It has to do with the conditions in France's high schools where students between the ages of 15 and 18, generally spend their final three years of secondary education. Many protesters have complained of, deteriorating buildings, poor sanitary conditions and extreme temperatures in classrooms. Concerns have also been raised over large class sizes, absent teachers and exhausting schedules. Listen in to a student voicing her concern. Now, the protests coincided with a nationwide public sector strike against the government's proposed budget which includes funding cuts worth 61.3 billion U.S. dollars. A day earlier, thousands of people working in the country's public services hit the streets in Paris, voicing discontent against the government's proposal to freeze base salaries of state employees in 2027. Firefighters also denounced the lack of resources alloted by the government to combat massive wildfires during the summer season. Now, the protests also gained a political dimension, with politicians from France unbowed party joining the demonstrations. While the government has said that difficulties in high schools must be acknowledged and addressed, French president Emmanuel Macron made it clear that violence cannot be justified.

French police clashed with students during protests over school conditions as demonstrations spread to 400 high schools and 440 people were detained.

French police clash with students blockading schools, 440 detained | Gravitas

Even as the U.S. continues to pile on economic pressure on Iran, Tehran has refused to cave in. Amid a temporary pause in fighting, Iran held its first military training course for women as part of the 'Sacrifice for Iran' campaign.&nbsp;Dressed in the traditional chador, Iranian female volunteers were seen handling multiple weapons ranging from a gun to a rifle at a training centre in Tehran.&nbsp;According to Iranian state media, the training course also covered operating drones, first aid, guerrila tactics, survival techniques and preparedness for harsh conditions.&nbsp;Now, the training is a part of a broader nationwide volunteer mobilisation programme that includes military and emergency training to both men and women.&nbsp;Iran aims to form thousands of national resistance battalions in a push to increase civilian preparedness and participation in national defence.&nbsp;Last week, thousands of people took part in a 'Sacrifice for Iran' motorcycle rally in Tehran.&nbsp;The anti-U.S. sentiment looms large on the streets of Iran.&nbsp;Zolfaghar missiles and a Shahed drone have been displayed at Tehran's Baharestan Square besides a banner reading 'Kill Trump'.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Iran revealed that it has received an official U.S. response to its proposal to reopen Strait of Hormuz within 7 days.&nbsp;While suspense remains on America's response, Iran has reportedly demanded a ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, unfreezing of Iranian assets, lifting of sanctions on its oil exports and ending the U.S. naval blockade.&nbsp;This comes at a time when tensions remain high in the Strait of Hormuz.&nbsp;According to a British maritime agency, unknown projectiles struck three ships, including a crude oil tanker and an LNG tanker, in this strategic waterway on Tuesday.&nbsp;While U.S. President Donald Trump continues to insist that Iran is doing very poorly, he remained less optimistic about Iran giving up anytime soon.&nbsp;Both sides have also started incentivising people to help gain an edge in this protracted war.&nbsp;For instance, the U.S. Department of State has offered a reward of up to 15 million U.S. dollars for information leading to disruption of economic lifelines that sustain IRGC.&nbsp;This includes information on IRGC's alleged illicit financial schemes, its front companies and entities helping it evade U.S. sanctions.&nbsp;On the other hand, Iran has reportedly offered a reward of around 20,000 U.S. dollars to any citizen who captures or kills an American soldier. According to reports, the reward would double to 40,000 U.S. dollars if the citizen is a woman.&nbsp;As the impasse continues over Iran's proposal, China stressed that it supports resolving disputes through political and diplomatic means.&nbsp;It also urged U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations and abide by the expired memorandum of understanding.&nbsp;With Iran revealing that it is designing new weapons to defend itself while upgrading and mass-producing its existing arms, it is amply clear that any kind of compromise to end the war appears to be a far-fetched scenario...

Iran aims to form thousands of national resistance battalions to increase civilian preparedness and participation in national defence. Last week, thousands of people took part in a 'Sacrifice for Iran' motorcycle rally in Tehran. The anti-U.S. sentiment looms large on the streets of Iran.

Even as the U.S. continues to pile on economic pressure on Iran, Tehran has refused to cave in. Amid a temporary pause in fighting, Iran held its first military training course for women as part of the 'Sacrifice for Iran' campaign. Dressed in the traditional chador, Iranian female volunteers were seen handling multiple weapons ranging from a gun to a rifle at a training centre in Tehran. According to Iranian state media, the training course also covered operating drones, first aid, guerrila tactics, survival techniques and preparedness for harsh conditions. Now, the training is a part of a broader nationwide volunteer mobilisation programme that includes military and emergency training to both men and women. Iran aims to form thousands of national resistance battalions in a push to increase civilian preparedness and participation in national defence. Last week, thousands of people took part in a 'Sacrifice for Iran' motorcycle rally in Tehran. The anti-U.S. sentiment looms large on the streets of Iran. Zolfaghar missiles and a Shahed drone have been displayed at Tehran's Baharestan Square besides a banner reading 'Kill Trump'. Meanwhile, Iran revealed that it has received an official U.S. response to its proposal to reopen Strait of Hormuz within 7 days. While suspense remains on America's response, Iran has reportedly demanded a ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, unfreezing of Iranian assets, lifting of sanctions on its oil exports and ending the U.S. naval blockade. This comes at a time when tensions remain high in the Strait of Hormuz. According to a British maritime agency, unknown projectiles struck three ships, including a crude oil tanker and an LNG tanker, in this strategic waterway on Tuesday. While U.S. President Donald Trump continues to insist that Iran is doing very poorly, he remained less optimistic about Iran giving up anytime soon. Both sides have also started incentivising people to help gain an edge in this protracted war. For instance, the U.S. Department of State has offered a reward of up to 15 million U.S. dollars for information leading to disruption of economic lifelines that sustain IRGC. This includes information on IRGC's alleged illicit financial schemes, its front companies and entities helping it evade U.S. sanctions. On the other hand, Iran has reportedly offered a reward of around 20,000 U.S. dollars to any citizen who captures or kills an American soldier. According to reports, the reward would double to 40,000 U.S. dollars if the citizen is a woman. As the impasse continues over Iran's proposal, China stressed that it supports resolving disputes through political and diplomatic means. It also urged U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations and abide by the expired memorandum of understanding. With Iran revealing that it is designing new weapons to defend itself while upgrading and mass-producing its existing arms, it is amply clear that any kind of compromise to end the war appears to be a far-fetched scenario...

Iran aims to form thousands of national resistance battalions to increase civilian preparedness and participation in national defence. Last week, thousands of people took part in a 'Sacrifice for Iran' motorcycle rally in Tehran. The anti-U.S. sentiment looms large on the streets of Iran.

Women in Iran take up arms for war as mass mobilisation campaign intensifies | Gravitas

At a time when Pakistan has escalated its war against Afghanistan, Asim Munir's forces are struggling to deal with the situation in its own backyard.&nbsp;Balochistan continues to be on the boil.&nbsp;Baloch women have now taken up weapons, even as Pakistan has vowed to crush the insurgency with an iron fist.&nbsp;The Balochistan Liberation Front has launched its female combat unit called Karima Armed Assault Division or KAAD.&nbsp;Fighters belonging to this unit are seen marching and firing weapons at targets.&nbsp;According to BLF, this unit carried out its first operation on September 22 when it ambushed a Pak military convoy on the CPEC highway in Turbat.&nbsp;The group added that its KAAD fighters also established blockades on the Quetta-Karachi highway in Kalat and attacked Munir's forces.&nbsp;Overall, BLF claimed responsibility for the deaths of nine Pakistani military personnel, and destruction of military vehicles.&nbsp;However, Pakistan is yet to react to this claim.&nbsp;According to BLF, this unit is named after prominent political activist Karima Baloch, who headed the Baloch Students Organisation-Azad.&nbsp;While living in exile, she was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Toronto in December 2020.&nbsp;The unit seeks to challenge Pakistan's colonial domination in Balochistan as well as the patriarchal structures within Baloch society.&nbsp;Now, this is not the first time Baloch women have been at the frontline of the struggle against the Pakistani army.&nbsp;In February this year, Balochistan Liberation Army released photos of two female suicide attackers—Hawa Baloch and Asifa Mengal.&nbsp;According to BLA, Baloch was killed while fighting in Gwadar, whereas Mengal stormed the ISI headquarters in Nushki before detonating herself.&nbsp;What stood out was both of them were well-educated.&nbsp;Last week, the Pakistani army claimed to have killed 73 terrorists in a 96-hour period across various parts of Balochistan, including Quetta, Ziarat and Noshki.&nbsp;However, Munir's forces are unable to contain the growing attacks by Baloch rebels, who have staged a number of attacks this year.&nbsp;In July, gunmen killed nine police officers in an attack on a checkpost at the Mangi Dam Project in Balochistan.&nbsp;Earlier in May, over 30 people were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden car into a train in Quetta, which was carrying Pakistani security personnel and their families.&nbsp;This is not all.&nbsp;Pakistan has also suppressed dissent by jailing prominent human rights activists like Mahrang Baloch.&nbsp;Now, by portraying its female members as highly educated and politically conscious, Baloch rebels are making it clear that the insurgency is not just an armed rebellion, but an intellectual movement that can transcend sectarian divisions.&nbsp;With the South Asia Terrorism Portal reporting over 552 incidents of killing in Balochistan this year, a key question arises.&nbsp;As Pakistan faces pressure from Saudi to join the war against Houthis, can it even afford to do so when it is unable to deal with the deteriorating security situation in Balochistan as well as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?&nbsp;It is apparent that Munir faces an uphill task...

In February this year, the Balochistan Liberation Army released photos of two female suicide attackers—Hawa Baloch and Asifa Mengal. BLA said Baloch was killed while fighting in Gwadar, whereas Mengal stormed the ISI headquarters in Nushki before detonating herself.

At a time when Pakistan has escalated its war against Afghanistan, Asim Munir's forces are struggling to deal with the situation in its own backyard. Balochistan continues to be on the boil. Baloch women have now taken up weapons, even as Pakistan has vowed to crush the insurgency with an iron fist. The Balochistan Liberation Front has launched its female combat unit called Karima Armed Assault Division or KAAD. Fighters belonging to this unit are seen marching and firing weapons at targets. According to BLF, this unit carried out its first operation on September 22 when it ambushed a Pak military convoy on the CPEC highway in Turbat. The group added that its KAAD fighters also established blockades on the Quetta-Karachi highway in Kalat and attacked Munir's forces. Overall, BLF claimed responsibility for the deaths of nine Pakistani military personnel, and destruction of military vehicles. However, Pakistan is yet to react to this claim. According to BLF, this unit is named after prominent political activist Karima Baloch, who headed the Baloch Students Organisation-Azad. While living in exile, she was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Toronto in December 2020. The unit seeks to challenge Pakistan's colonial domination in Balochistan as well as the patriarchal structures within Baloch society. Now, this is not the first time Baloch women have been at the frontline of the struggle against the Pakistani army. In February this year, Balochistan Liberation Army released photos of two female suicide attackers—Hawa Baloch and Asifa Mengal. According to BLA, Baloch was killed while fighting in Gwadar, whereas Mengal stormed the ISI headquarters in Nushki before detonating herself. What stood out was both of them were well-educated. Last week, the Pakistani army claimed to have killed 73 terrorists in a 96-hour period across various parts of Balochistan, including Quetta, Ziarat and Noshki. However, Munir's forces are unable to contain the growing attacks by Baloch rebels, who have staged a number of attacks this year. In July, gunmen killed nine police officers in an attack on a checkpost at the Mangi Dam Project in Balochistan. Earlier in May, over 30 people were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden car into a train in Quetta, which was carrying Pakistani security personnel and their families. This is not all. Pakistan has also suppressed dissent by jailing prominent human rights activists like Mahrang Baloch. Now, by portraying its female members as highly educated and politically conscious, Baloch rebels are making it clear that the insurgency is not just an armed rebellion, but an intellectual movement that can transcend sectarian divisions. With the South Asia Terrorism Portal reporting over 552 incidents of killing in Balochistan this year, a key question arises. As Pakistan faces pressure from Saudi to join the war against Houthis, can it even afford to do so when it is unable to deal with the deteriorating security situation in Balochistan as well as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa? It is apparent that Munir faces an uphill task...

In February this year, the Balochistan Liberation Army released photos of two female suicide attackers—Hawa Baloch and Asifa Mengal. BLA said Baloch was killed while fighting in Gwadar, whereas Mengal stormed the ISI headquarters in Nushki before detonating herself.

Baloch rebels launch female combat unit, 9 Pak army soldiers killed | Gravitas

A week after notorious cybercrime group ShinyHunters breached the FBI's defences, the federal agency is scrambling to protect its staff members. But what is at stake? The FBI fears the potential disclosure of sensitive personal data involving thousands of former and current employees, as well as those who applied for a job at this federal agency.&nbsp;Now, ShinyHunters claimed to have stolen two to three terabytes of data from the FBI's job portal in retaliation for its May advisory. Back then, the federal agency had outlined this cybercrime group's modus operandi and advised people not to respond to its demands.&nbsp;The hacked data reportedly includes names, addresses, phone numbers, work emails, Social Security numbers, birth dates and hire dates of current and former FBI personnel. Additionally, ShinyHunters claimed to have stolen medical data of employees, as well as their background check files.&nbsp;In an internal memo sent to its employees, the FBI acknowledged that the hackers had stolen their personal data. Declaring the hack a "cybersecurity incident", it decided to conduct virtual briefings in the weeks ahead. The FBI instructed its employees to report threats, avoid answering calls from unknown numbers, and set up voicemail accounts with AI-generated voices. This is not all.&nbsp;The FBI stressed that it is working round the clock to investigate this cyber incident and is in regular touch with anyone who may be impacted. The federal agency said, and I am quoting it, "FBI treats the security of its information and the safety of its workforce as top priorities."&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/gravitas/india-mulls-banning-social-media-accounts-for-minors-as-sc-steps-in-1790703799126">India mulls banning social media accounts for minors as SC steps in | Gravitas</a>&nbsp;Initially, ShinyHunters issued an ultimatum to the FBI to withdraw or change its advisory by Tuesday, failing which it would dump the data of FBI employees online. However, it has now backtracked on this demand.&nbsp;In a fresh statement, the cybercriminal group claimed that it won't release FBI data. It added that the hack and threat to the FBI was a marketing campaign to protect its business. ShinyHunters also asserted that it did not want to escalate the situation, as its goals had been accomplished.&nbsp;Meanwhile, it has now emerged that the Dutch police arrested a 24-year-old man, identified as Pepijn van der Stap, as part of its investigation into ShinyHunters, barely days before the FBI hacking incident.&nbsp;While he was convicted in 2023 for data theft and extortion, he subsequently denounced this path and started working as a cybersecurity professional. However, ShinyHunters has denied any association with this suspect.&nbsp;While the cybercrime group's future course of action remains to be seen, the possibility of it selling the data to other criminals or foreign governments cannot be discounted. The volume of information it possesses could be used to build elaborate dossiers on FBI agents and track them for years. Thus, security agents reckon that the hacking incident may have a huge impact on the operational ability of the FBI.

The hacked data reportedly includes names, addresses, phone numbers, work emails, Social Security numbers, birth dates and hire dates of current and former FBI personnel.

A week after notorious cybercrime group ShinyHunters breached the FBI's defences, the federal agency is scrambling to protect its staff members. But what is at stake? The FBI fears the potential disclosure of sensitive personal data involving thousands of former and current employees, as well as those who applied for a job at this federal agency. Now, ShinyHunters claimed to have stolen two to three terabytes of data from the FBI's job portal in retaliation for its May advisory. Back then, the federal agency had outlined this cybercrime group's modus operandi and advised people not to respond to its demands. The hacked data reportedly includes names, addresses, phone numbers, work emails, Social Security numbers, birth dates and hire dates of current and former FBI personnel. Additionally, ShinyHunters claimed to have stolen medical data of employees, as well as their background check files. In an internal memo sent to its employees, the FBI acknowledged that the hackers had stolen their personal data. Declaring the hack a "cybersecurity incident", it decided to conduct virtual briefings in the weeks ahead. The FBI instructed its employees to report threats, avoid answering calls from unknown numbers, and set up voicemail accounts with AI-generated voices. This is not all. The FBI stressed that it is working round the clock to investigate this cyber incident and is in regular touch with anyone who may be impacted. The federal agency said, and I am quoting it, "FBI treats the security of its information and the safety of its workforce as top priorities." Also read: India mulls banning social media accounts for minors as SC steps in | Gravitas Initially, ShinyHunters issued an ultimatum to the FBI to withdraw or change its advisory by Tuesday, failing which it would dump the data of FBI employees online. However, it has now backtracked on this demand. In a fresh statement, the cybercriminal group claimed that it won't release FBI data. It added that the hack and threat to the FBI was a marketing campaign to protect its business. ShinyHunters also asserted that it did not want to escalate the situation, as its goals had been accomplished. Meanwhile, it has now emerged that the Dutch police arrested a 24-year-old man, identified as Pepijn van der Stap, as part of its investigation into ShinyHunters, barely days before the FBI hacking incident. While he was convicted in 2023 for data theft and extortion, he subsequently denounced this path and started working as a cybersecurity professional. However, ShinyHunters has denied any association with this suspect. While the cybercrime group's future course of action remains to be seen, the possibility of it selling the data to other criminals or foreign governments cannot be discounted. The volume of information it possesses could be used to build elaborate dossiers on FBI agents and track them for years. Thus, security agents reckon that the hacking incident may have a huge impact on the operational ability of the FBI.

The hacked data reportedly includes names, addresses, phone numbers, work emails, Social Security numbers, birth dates and hire dates of current and former FBI personnel.

FBI scrambles to safeguard employees as hackers threaten to leak personal data | Gravitas

Amid growing concerns over children's use of social media, the Supreme Court has asked the Narendra Modi-led government to frame statutory rules to prevent intermediaries from creating social media accounts for minors.&nbsp;The Centre has agreed to examine the issue following the court's intervention.&nbsp;The case came before the Supreme Court through a plea filed by NGO Just Rights for Children Alliance, which sought safeguards for children using social media and other digital platforms. The plea questioned how minors can independently create social media accounts despite the Indian Contract Act of 1872 making them ineligible to enter into binding contracts.&nbsp;During the hearing, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana stressed that social media intermediaries must comply with Indian legal requirements, regardless of whether they are registered outside the country.&nbsp;The Supreme Court's intervention comes at a time of growing concern over children's vulnerability on online platforms and the possible impact of excessive social media use on their mental health.&nbsp;Countries around the world are also taking steps to address digital addiction among children and young people. Nearly 40 per cent of education systems globally have introduced varying levels of bans and restrictions on mobile phone use in schools.&nbsp;Countries such as Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia have also banned children below the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms.&nbsp;India is also grappling with concerns over social media addiction. According to a report, social media users in the country spend up to one hour and 30 minutes every day on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.&nbsp;In the US, Meta agreed to strengthen its age verification measures as part of an $18 billion settlement with multiple US states. The states had sued the technology giant over claims that its platforms contributed to social media addiction and mental health problems.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/don-t-mess-with-us-netanyahu-warns-of-possible-attack-ahead-of-israel-polls-1790702151986">'Don't mess with us': Netanyahu warns of possible attack ahead of Israel polls</a>&nbsp;Meta also agreed to restrict Instagram and Facebook use for minors to two hours a day. Minors will also not be able to see the number of likes and reactions on posts.&nbsp;The changes are aimed at addressing concerns over the impact of social media, which can amplify peer pressure and contribute to anxiety and depression among young users.&nbsp;Following the Supreme Court's intervention, attention will now turn to the steps the Indian government takes to regulate social media access for minors and ensure a safer online experience for children.

The Indian Supreme Court has asked the Centre to examine rules restricting minors from creating social media accounts amid growing concerns over children's online safety and social media addiction

Amid growing concerns over children's use of social media, the Supreme Court has asked the Narendra Modi-led government to frame statutory rules to prevent intermediaries from creating social media accounts for minors. The Centre has agreed to examine the issue following the court's intervention. The case came before the Supreme Court through a plea filed by NGO Just Rights for Children Alliance, which sought safeguards for children using social media and other digital platforms. The plea questioned how minors can independently create social media accounts despite the Indian Contract Act of 1872 making them ineligible to enter into binding contracts. During the hearing, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana stressed that social media intermediaries must comply with Indian legal requirements, regardless of whether they are registered outside the country. The Supreme Court's intervention comes at a time of growing concern over children's vulnerability on online platforms and the possible impact of excessive social media use on their mental health. Countries around the world are also taking steps to address digital addiction among children and young people. Nearly 40 per cent of education systems globally have introduced varying levels of bans and restrictions on mobile phone use in schools. Countries such as Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia have also banned children below the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms. India is also grappling with concerns over social media addiction. According to a report, social media users in the country spend up to one hour and 30 minutes every day on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. In the US, Meta agreed to strengthen its age verification measures as part of an $18 billion settlement with multiple US states. The states had sued the technology giant over claims that its platforms contributed to social media addiction and mental health problems. Also Read: 'Don't mess with us': Netanyahu warns of possible attack ahead of Israel polls Meta also agreed to restrict Instagram and Facebook use for minors to two hours a day. Minors will also not be able to see the number of likes and reactions on posts. The changes are aimed at addressing concerns over the impact of social media, which can amplify peer pressure and contribute to anxiety and depression among young users. Following the Supreme Court's intervention, attention will now turn to the steps the Indian government takes to regulate social media access for minors and ensure a safer online experience for children.

The Indian Supreme Court has asked the Centre to examine rules restricting minors from creating social media accounts amid growing concerns over children's online safety and social media addiction

India mulls banning social media accounts for minors as SC steps in | Gravitas

Not all is well with the U.S. warships.A string of high-profile mechanical failures and onboard emergencies have triggered alarm and have exposed growing vulnerabilities within the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet.Relentless global deployments and severe shipyard backlogs are pushing American warships past their limits.In the latest, four personnel on board the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower were injured after a mishap off the Virginia coast.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;According to the U.S. Navy, the incident occurred on September 28th during aircraft recovery operations.Two naval aviators assigned to carrier Air Wing 3, ejected from their aircraft and were promptly recovered by search-and-rescue personnel.The injured sailors are currently undergoing treatment.U.S. Navy is silent on the type of two-seater aircraft involved.It also didn't disclose what happened to the plane or what caused the accident.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;What is striking is that the aircraft carrier was recently repaired in July.The nuclear-powered Nimitz-Class USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was commissioned in 1977. It conducts operations in support of U.S. naval missions around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Even the newly commissioned USS Santa Barbara, U.S. Navy’s 418-foot littoral combat vessel, experienced serious maintenance issues weeks before it arrived earlier this month at a Singapore port.Reports say the ship’s four engines were operating well beyond their maximum recommended operational thresholds, presenting an immediate, critical threat of mechanical failure.

&nbsp;USS Santa Barbara was commissioned in 2023.The ship deployed from San Diego in early 2025.It spent time in the Persian Gulf last year and is now on deployment with the 7th fleet in the Indo-Pacific.Last month, it took part in a seven-day joint exercise with the Royal Australian Navy and Philippine Navy. The exercise was a success, but not all was well with the ship.&nbsp;&nbsp;Recently another U.S. warship that made news was USS Abraham Lincoln. It faced severe operational strains.The ship endured 286 days at sea, spending over 240 of those days without a single port call, after being redirected to West Asia for operations against Iran.It witnessed system breakdowns stemming from a grueling, marathon deployment.When it finally docked in Thailand in September, the carrier was shockingly covered in heavy rust from bow to stern.The relentless combat and blockade tempo left the crew with no stationary downtime to perform standard waterline scraping and paint maintenance.Sailors reported widespread mechanical breakdowns, including failed water desalinisation systems, contaminated drinking water, and severe plumbing blockages that left human waste overflowing onto restroom floors.

Even the newly commissioned 418-foot littoral combat vessel USS Santa Barbara experienced serious maintenance issues weeks before it arrived this month at a Singapore port. Reports say the ship’s four engines were operating well beyond their maximum recommended operational thresholds.

Not all is well with the U.S. warships. A string of high-profile mechanical failures and onboard emergencies have triggered alarm and have exposed growing vulnerabilities within the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet. Relentless global deployments and severe shipyard backlogs are pushing American warships past their limits. In the latest, four personnel on board the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower were injured after a mishap off the Virginia coast.

Even the newly commissioned 418-foot littoral combat vessel USS Santa Barbara experienced serious maintenance issues weeks before it arrived this month at a Singapore port. Reports say the ship’s four engines were operating well beyond their maximum recommended operational thresholds.

Gravitas | Glitches plague U.S. warships: Is U.S. Navy’s fleet at breaking point?

The fighting between Russia and Ukraine escalated as Kyiv and multiple other cities came under a fresh wave of attacks.Meanwhile, Russia warned that Ukraine would face retribution for its massive drone attacks during its parliamentary elections.Take a look at these visuals.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of conducting a drone strike at the country's National Academy of Sciences, located in the centre of Kyiv.Local authorities said that one woman was killed, whereas three others were wounded in this strike, which triggered a fire.Zelensky also claimed that civilian infrastructure in other cities was targeted as well.According to him, Russia launched around 3,900 drones, aerial bombs and other missiles at Ukraine over the past week alone.In another attack on the Ukrainian capital, a cafe located in a building opposite a fuel station was hit, leaving three people injured.Firefighters rushed to the scene to put out the flames and assess the damage.Also, at least four people were killed and 19 others were wounded in a Russian strike on an office building in Dnipro city.Rescuers evacuated around 49 people from the burning building.A nine-storey residential building in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv was also damaged during Russian strikes.At least 35 people, including 10 children, were injured.Visuals showed rescuers clearing the rubble, while the injured were carried to ambulances.Russia, though, remained firm on continuing its attacks, citing no room for compromise on its national interests.On the other hand, Ukraine claimed to have struck two defence plants in the Russian cities of Tula and Voronezh.Zelensky added that Russia's oil facilities in Krasnodar and a target in the Black Sea were also hit.Earlier in the day, defence ministers of EU member states met in Brussels for a meeting of the European Defence Agency Steering Board.Claiming that Russia is planning acts of sabotage and attacks targeting European countries, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas said that the bloc would propose an emergency protocol for responding to hybrid threats from Russia.On this occasion, she also hit out at Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, rejecting his German counterpart's calls to step back from what she described as a dangerous path of escalation.The EU also imposed sanctions against 10 individuals and 17 entities for their involvement in the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.Meanwhile, in an apparent reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Pope Leo slammed what he termed as a senseless slaughter, claiming countless civilian lives daily.Questioning whether countries are truly making creative efforts to foster world peace, he called for a compromise to end the war.With no let-up in attacks by Moscow, Zelensky appealed to Ukraine's allies to ensure that Russia is held accountable for its aggression and faces real consequences.

Russia launched a fresh wave of attacks on Ukrainian cities, while Kyiv claimed strikes on Russian defence plants as the war escalated further.

The fighting between Russia and Ukraine escalated as Kyiv and multiple other cities came under a fresh wave of attacks. Meanwhile, Russia warned that Ukraine would face retribution for its massive drone attacks during its parliamentary elections. Take a look at these visuals. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of conducting a drone strike at the country's National Academy of Sciences, located in the centre of Kyiv. Local authorities said that one woman was killed, whereas three others were wounded in this strike, which triggered a fire. Zelensky also claimed that civilian infrastructure in other cities was targeted as well. According to him, Russia launched around 3,900 drones, aerial bombs and other missiles at Ukraine over the past week alone. In another attack on the Ukrainian capital, a cafe located in a building opposite a fuel station was hit, leaving three people injured. Firefighters rushed to the scene to put out the flames and assess the damage. Also, at least four people were killed and 19 others were wounded in a Russian strike on an office building in Dnipro city. Rescuers evacuated around 49 people from the burning building. A nine-storey residential building in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv was also damaged during Russian strikes. At least 35 people, including 10 children, were injured. Visuals showed rescuers clearing the rubble, while the injured were carried to ambulances. Russia, though, remained firm on continuing its attacks, citing no room for compromise on its national interests. On the other hand, Ukraine claimed to have struck two defence plants in the Russian cities of Tula and Voronezh. Zelensky added that Russia's oil facilities in Krasnodar and a target in the Black Sea were also hit. Earlier in the day, defence ministers of EU member states met in Brussels for a meeting of the European Defence Agency Steering Board. Claiming that Russia is planning acts of sabotage and attacks targeting European countries, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas said that the bloc would propose an emergency protocol for responding to hybrid threats from Russia. On this occasion, she also hit out at Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, rejecting his German counterpart's calls to step back from what she described as a dangerous path of escalation. The EU also imposed sanctions against 10 individuals and 17 entities for their involvement in the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Meanwhile, in an apparent reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Pope Leo slammed what he termed as a senseless slaughter, claiming countless civilian lives daily. Questioning whether countries are truly making creative efforts to foster world peace, he called for a compromise to end the war. With no let-up in attacks by Moscow, Zelensky appealed to Ukraine's allies to ensure that Russia is held accountable for its aggression and faces real consequences.

Russia launched a fresh wave of attacks on Ukrainian cities, while Kyiv claimed strikes on Russian defence plants as the war escalated further.

Russia's strikes on Kyiv & Dnipro cause multiple fatalities, Zelensky warns of retaliation | Gravitas

Amid global geopolitical uncertainty, the recent electoral gains of Alternative for Deutschland, or AfD, have sent shockwaves across Europe. As Europe gears up for a series of elections in 2027, far-right parties are likely to gain electoral ground across the continent.&nbsp;Over the next year, parliamentary elections will take place in Finland, Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and Spain, whereas presidential polls are due in France.&nbsp;With concerns over immigration, the rising cost of living and a sluggish economy, parties towards the far-right of the political spectrum are fast making a headway.&nbsp;Take France, for instance.&nbsp;According to a latest survey conducted from September 22 to 24, Marine Le Pen is leading next year’s presidential race, with her expected to win 35 to 36% of the votes in the first round of the election.&nbsp;Le Pen, who is the presidential candidate of France's far-right National Rally Party, came third in the 2012 presidential election.&nbsp;She emerged as the runner-up to President Emmanuel Macron in 2017 as well as 2022.&nbsp;Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon of the France Unbowed Party is projected to be her main opponent.&nbsp;In another boost for Le Pen, her party and its allies increased their tally in the latest senate election to 14.&nbsp;While the National Rally is the single largest opposition party in the lower house of France, it has now won enough seats to form a parliamentary group in the senate for the first time.&nbsp;Thus, with Macron out of the poll race, a victory for Le Pen cannot be ruled out.&nbsp;Now, let's turn our attention to Italy.&nbsp;Giorgia Meloni, who became the longest-serving Italian prime minister earlier this month, is facing a challenge from a party which leans even more to the right.&nbsp;The newly launched National Future Party, headed by former army general Roberto Vannacci, is already polling around eight per cent, making it Italy's fourth-largest political force.&nbsp;His poll plank includes the forced return of immigrants and a limit on foreign residents.&nbsp;In this backdrop, Meloni has been taking a tougher stance on immigration.&nbsp;Last week, her government imposed a ban on burqa and niqab in schools and announced that children without Italian citizenship or with poor knowledge of the Italian language will be capped at 30% in schools.&nbsp;In Spain, a tough electoral battle awaits PM Pedro Sanchez next year with his government mired in corruption allegations.&nbsp;His wife, Begona Gomez, is set to stand trial on charges of influence peddling and embezzlement.&nbsp;According to an opinion poll published earlier this month, a majority of respondents termed his handling of the Ceuta migrant crisis as bad or very bad.&nbsp;Additionally, over half of the respondents expressed intent to vote for the Conservative People's Party and far-right Vox Party.&nbsp;The support for the ruling socialist party dipped to 27%.&nbsp;In Poland, next year's parliamentary elections will also be closely watched for a possible comeback of the right-wing Law and Justice Party.&nbsp;Backed by this party, Karol Nawrocki narrowly won the country's presidential election last year.&nbsp;While federal elections are not due in Germany in 2027, polls are scheduled in at least five states.&nbsp;With his approval ratings at a record low and the AfD emerging as the most popular party nationally, Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces an uphill task.&nbsp;Amid the rise of the far-right, Macron called upon Europe to rediscover the courage of its founding fathers and not give in to divisive nationalism.

Over the next year, parliamentary elections will take place in Finland, Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and Spain, whereas presidential polls are due in France. With concerns over immigration, the rising cost of living and a sluggish economy, the far-right parties are fast making a headway.

Amid global geopolitical uncertainty, the recent electoral gains of Alternative for Deutschland, or AfD, have sent shockwaves across Europe. As Europe gears up for a series of elections in 2027, far-right parties are likely to gain electoral ground across the continent. Over the next year, parliamentary elections will take place in Finland, Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and Spain, whereas presidential polls are due in France. With concerns over immigration, the rising cost of living and a sluggish economy, parties towards the far-right of the political spectrum are fast making a headway. Take France, for instance. According to a latest survey conducted from September 22 to 24, Marine Le Pen is leading next year’s presidential race, with her expected to win 35 to 36% of the votes in the first round of the election. Le Pen, who is the presidential candidate of France's far-right National Rally Party, came third in the 2012 presidential election. She emerged as the runner-up to President Emmanuel Macron in 2017 as well as 2022. Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon of the France Unbowed Party is projected to be her main opponent. In another boost for Le Pen, her party and its allies increased their tally in the latest senate election to 14. While the National Rally is the single largest opposition party in the lower house of France, it has now won enough seats to form a parliamentary group in the senate for the first time. Thus, with Macron out of the poll race, a victory for Le Pen cannot be ruled out. Now, let's turn our attention to Italy. Giorgia Meloni, who became the longest-serving Italian prime minister earlier this month, is facing a challenge from a party which leans even more to the right. The newly launched National Future Party, headed by former army general Roberto Vannacci, is already polling around eight per cent, making it Italy's fourth-largest political force. His poll plank includes the forced return of immigrants and a limit on foreign residents. In this backdrop, Meloni has been taking a tougher stance on immigration. Last week, her government imposed a ban on burqa and niqab in schools and announced that children without Italian citizenship or with poor knowledge of the Italian language will be capped at 30% in schools. In Spain, a tough electoral battle awaits PM Pedro Sanchez next year with his government mired in corruption allegations. His wife, Begona Gomez, is set to stand trial on charges of influence peddling and embezzlement. According to an opinion poll published earlier this month, a majority of respondents termed his handling of the Ceuta migrant crisis as bad or very bad. Additionally, over half of the respondents expressed intent to vote for the Conservative People's Party and far-right Vox Party. The support for the ruling socialist party dipped to 27%. In Poland, next year's parliamentary elections will also be closely watched for a possible comeback of the right-wing Law and Justice Party. Backed by this party, Karol Nawrocki narrowly won the country's presidential election last year. While federal elections are not due in Germany in 2027, polls are scheduled in at least five states. With his approval ratings at a record low and the AfD emerging as the most popular party nationally, Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces an uphill task. Amid the rise of the far-right, Macron called upon Europe to rediscover the courage of its founding fathers and not give in to divisive nationalism.

Over the next year, parliamentary elections will take place in Finland, Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and Spain, whereas presidential polls are due in France. With concerns over immigration, the rising cost of living and a sluggish economy, the far-right parties are fast making a headway.

Far-right surge: Here's how Europe will look like after elections next year | Gravitas

Over a month after the Iran-US MOU expired, tensions remain high in West Asia. While Trump threatened annihilation of Iran, Pezeshkian stressed that Tehran won't surrender.&nbsp;Although Iran has now proposed a 7-day plan to end the war, it is also flexing its strength.Take a look at these visuals.&nbsp;As part of a nationwide mobilisation campaign, thousands of Iranians took part in a mass drill in south-eastern Iran's Kerman province.&nbsp;Crowds were seen carrying the national flag and a huge poster of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.&nbsp;Also, a rally called 'Sacrifice for Iran' was held in Tehran.&nbsp;According to Iranian authorities, 40,000 motorcyclists took part in this rally from Imam Hossein Square to Azadi Square.&nbsp;On the diplomatic front too, Iran has been making a concerted attempt.&nbsp;For the first time since June, the US and Iran engaged in lengthy talks, mediated by Qatar.&nbsp;According to Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Tehran was willing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the US meets certain conditions.&nbsp;He added that these conditions were outlined in the MOU signed by Trump.&nbsp;According to reports, the proposal entails the US lifting sanctions on Iran's oil exports, ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon and releasing some of Iran's frozen assets.&nbsp;In return, Iran has reportedly agreed to resume talks on multiple issues including its nuclear programme.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-hails-very-positive-us-china-talks-as-xi-hints-at-more-meetings-this-year-1790353599662">Trump hails ‘very positive’ US-China talks as Xi hints at more meetings this year</a>&nbsp;Now, the seriousness of this endeavour is evident from the fact that Araghchi is staying back in New York over the weekend in anticipation of an American response.&nbsp;At a time when Xi Jinping is on a state visit to the US, Iran's Foreign Minister revealed that China had agreed to its proposal.&nbsp;Now, Araghchi also added that he would like the deal to go through before the midterm polls.This is seen as an off-ramp for Trump, as Republicans are facing a tough challenge in the midterm polls due to rising energy prices, triggered by the West Asia war.&nbsp;Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian placed the onus on ending the war squarely on America.&nbsp;He also vowed to respond strongly to any aggression and resist US pressure until the very end.&nbsp;Now, even as Pakistan and China have pressed Iran to rein in Houthis, which have mounted a fresh offensive against Saudi Arabia, Pezeshkian sought to distance Tehran from the group's actions.Amid Iran's latest proposal, a key question arises.&nbsp;Will either Washington or Tehran be willing to compromise without extracting something tangible in return?&nbsp;While the US has been applying an economic squeeze on Iran, Tehran has a stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a global energy crisis.

Iran is combining a nationwide mobilisation campaign with a diplomatic push to end the war, as Tehran offers to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the US meets its conditions.

Over a month after the Iran-US MOU expired, tensions remain high in West Asia. While Trump threatened annihilation of Iran, Pezeshkian stressed that Tehran won't surrender. Although Iran has now proposed a 7-day plan to end the war, it is also flexing its strength. Take a look at these visuals. As part of a nationwide mobilisation campaign, thousands of Iranians took part in a mass drill in south-eastern Iran's Kerman province. Crowds were seen carrying the national flag and a huge poster of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Also, a rally called 'Sacrifice for Iran' was held in Tehran. According to Iranian authorities, 40,000 motorcyclists took part in this rally from Imam Hossein Square to Azadi Square. On the diplomatic front too, Iran has been making a concerted attempt. For the first time since June, the US and Iran engaged in lengthy talks, mediated by Qatar. According to Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Tehran was willing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the US meets certain conditions. He added that these conditions were outlined in the MOU signed by Trump. According to reports, the proposal entails the US lifting sanctions on Iran's oil exports, ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon and releasing some of Iran's frozen assets. In return, Iran has reportedly agreed to resume talks on multiple issues including its nuclear programme. Also Read: Trump hails ‘very positive’ US-China talks as Xi hints at more meetings this year Now, the seriousness of this endeavour is evident from the fact that Araghchi is staying back in New York over the weekend in anticipation of an American response. At a time when Xi Jinping is on a state visit to the US, Iran's Foreign Minister revealed that China had agreed to its proposal. Now, Araghchi also added that he would like the deal to go through before the midterm polls. This is seen as an off-ramp for Trump, as Republicans are facing a tough challenge in the midterm polls due to rising energy prices, triggered by the West Asia war. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian placed the onus on ending the war squarely on America. He also vowed to respond strongly to any aggression and resist US pressure until the very end. Now, even as Pakistan and China have pressed Iran to rein in Houthis, which have mounted a fresh offensive against Saudi Arabia, Pezeshkian sought to distance Tehran from the group's actions. Amid Iran's latest proposal, a key question arises. Will either Washington or Tehran be willing to compromise without extracting something tangible in return? While the US has been applying an economic squeeze on Iran, Tehran has a stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a global energy crisis.

Iran is combining a nationwide mobilisation campaign with a diplomatic push to end the war, as Tehran offers to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the US meets its conditions.

Iran flexes muscle with mass mobilisation campaign, vows to resist US | Gravitas

Over 73,000 killed in Gaza, close to 9,000 killed in Lebanon and countless more killed in Iran. These are not merely numbers, but a direct outcome of Israel’s aggression on multiple fronts since the October 7 Hamas terror attack.During his address at the UN General Assembly, the Israeli prime minister chose to brazen it out yet again. But right at the outset of his address, delegates from multiple countries walked out of the hall as a mark of protest. This left a large number of empty seats in the hall.Accusing his critics of spreading what he described as lies about Israel, he referred to the delegates walking out as “moral cowards”.Now, at the time when Netanyahu was speaking at the UNGA, another spectacle was unfolding outside the UN headquarters.Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets, waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners. Protesters called out Israel’s war in Gaza and questioned why Netanyahu had been allowed to address the UN. Others stressed that opposition to the Israeli government should not be equated with hostility towards Jewish people.Facing a tough battle in the Israeli election slated for October, Netanyahu used this forum to try and defend what he described as Israel’s seven-front war. Stating that attacking Iran was one of the easiest decisions he has made, the Israeli PM dismissed genocide allegations in Gaza as the “greatest lie of the century”.He also launched a tirade at New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://x.com/hashtag/Gravitas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gravitas</a> | Amid mounting global pressure, Netanyahu mounted a defence of his government&#39;s seven-front war. However, several foreign delegates boycotted his address to the United Nations General Assembly. In another setback, he did not get a meeting with Trump <a href="https://x.com/MollyGambhir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MollyGambhir</a> has… <a href="https://t.co/Uw7PlQNm4K">pic.twitter.com/Uw7PlQNm4K</a>&mdash; WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://x.com/WIONews/status/2103529858689310747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Netanyahu also held up a pager while lauding IDF’s actions in Lebanon against Hezbollah. This was a reference to Israel’s attack on September 17, 2024, when it remotely detonated hundreds of pagers that had been distributed to Hezbollah fighters.At least 12 people were killed in this attack, whereas over 3,000 others were injured.The Turkish President Recep Erdogan was also at the receiving end of Netanyahu’s ire. Calling him a tyrant, he accused Turkiye of becoming a super spreader of anti-Semitic lies and harbouring Hamas leaders. Ankara hit back, calling these allegations baseless and malicious.Netanyahu raked up the colonial past of UK and France to slam their recent move to ban import of all goods produced in West Bank’s Israeli settlements.Meanwhile, about hundred protesters, including US actress Susan Sarandon, were detained by the New York police for staging a sit-in to demand an end to US arms supplies to Israel.This comes in the wake of the Trump administration reportedly recently approving the sale of 40,000 highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs and other munition to Israel, worth 2.8 billion dollars.But you see, all is not well between Trump and Netanyahu. Far from it.In fact, things have reached a point where Netanyahu could not get a meeting with US President Donald Trump, unlike last year, in another setback for the Israeli prime minister.Reports attributed this to Trump’s extreme frustration with Netanyahu, who had promised a quick and easy war against Iran.In fact, very significantly, Netanyahu’s growing isolation was also referred to by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.Speaking at a conference a few days earlier, Kushner claimed that US had used global pressure on Israel following its strike on Qatar last year, to push a reluctant Netanyahu to accept the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.Remember, in the New Delhi declaration, BRICS supported the creation of an independent state of Palestine, comprising the Gaza Strip and West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital.It also expressed deep concern over continued violence in Gaza despite the ceasefire and urged Israel to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.Also, what do the Israelis feel about Netanyahu’s UNGA address?It’s a mixed bag.While some praised his defence of Israel’s policies, others contended that his speech was meant for the domestic audience ahead of polls.As Netanyahu continues to face flak, this is bad news for the leader, coming right ahead of the election, as he seeks a record seventh term as PM.

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets, waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners. Protesters called out Israel’s war in Gaza and questioned why Netanyahu had been allowed to address the UN. 

Over 73,000 killed in Gaza, close to 9,000 killed in Lebanon and countless more killed in Iran. These are not merely numbers, but a direct outcome of Israel’s aggression on multiple fronts since the October 7 Hamas terror attack. During his address at the UN General Assembly, the Israeli prime minister chose to brazen it out yet again. But right at the outset of his address, delegates from multiple countries walked out of the hall as a mark of protest. This left a large number of empty seats in the hall. Accusing his critics of spreading what he described as lies about Israel, he referred to the delegates walking out as “moral cowards”. Now, at the time when Netanyahu was speaking at the UNGA, another spectacle was unfolding outside the UN headquarters. Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets, waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners. Protesters called out Israel’s war in Gaza and questioned why Netanyahu had been allowed to address the UN. Others stressed that opposition to the Israeli government should not be equated with hostility towards Jewish people. Facing a tough battle in the Israeli election slated for October, Netanyahu used this forum to try and defend what he described as Israel’s seven-front war. Stating that attacking Iran was one of the easiest decisions he has made, the Israeli PM dismissed genocide allegations in Gaza as the “greatest lie of the century”. He also launched a tirade at New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets, waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners. Protesters called out Israel’s war in Gaza and questioned why Netanyahu had been allowed to address the UN.&nbsp;

Double shock for Israel: Furious Trump refuses to meet humiliated Netanyahu | Gravitas

Over the last three years, Gaza has been plagued by devastation and death due to Israeli aggression following the October 7 terror attack.&nbsp;Over 73,000 people have been killed, whereas millions have been displaced.&nbsp;A new report has now brought into focus the surge in sexual violence and forced marriage faced by girls and women.&nbsp;In yet another violation of the October 2025 ceasefire, IDF conducted an air strike on a vehicle in Gaza's Khan Yunis city, which killed two people and wounded two others.&nbsp;However, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Hamas finance chief Muhammad Abu Alwan aad been killed in the attack.&nbsp;With about 82% of structures in Gaza damaged due to the war, danger still looms large for residents staying in such buildings due to less options for shelter.&nbsp;Local authorities are planning to evacuate them following the deadly collapse of an apartment block last week.&nbsp;Now, the latest report by the UN Population Fund uncovered a dark reality.&nbsp;The report, which analysed data collected by ten organisations, highlighted a 27% increase in gender-based violence from April to June as compared to the previous quarter.&nbsp;Nearly 30% of these cases pertained to physical assault.&nbsp;This period saw a 61% surge in sexual violence incidents, with adolescent girls comprising eight percent of such cases.&nbsp;This is not all.&nbsp;Some of the women interviewed for the report revealed how rape victims are often married to their rapists to avoid shame and scandal.&nbsp;The acute sense of displacement and poverty is having drastic consequences.&nbsp;For instance, a man reportedly married off his 14-year-old daughter in exchange for two bags of flour so that he and his other children could eat.&nbsp;Additionally, girls orphaned during the war are especially vulnerable, with relatives often marrying them off early.&nbsp;The data depicts a story in itself.&nbsp;According to this report, there was a staggering 123% rise in cases of child marriage as well as forced marriage in Gaza in comparison to the last quarter.&nbsp;Shockingly, adolescent girls accounted for 16% of these cases.&nbsp;One-third of these overall cases were reported from Gaza city.&nbsp;The report attributes this phenomenon to resource scarcity, severe overcrowding in refugee camps and limited access to education.&nbsp;Amid the ongoing crisis in Gaza, U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace announced a six-month plan worth 2.45 billion US Dollars to supposedly rebuild Gaza.However, at a time when people of Gaza continue to be killed by Israel, can an economic plan designed without taking them on board truly address their grievances?&nbsp;This question continues to resonate among distraught locals...

For instance, a man reportedly married off his 14-year-old daughter in exchange for two bags of flour so that he and his other children could eat. Additionally, girls orphaned during the war are especially vulnerable, with relatives often marrying them off early.

Over the last three years, Gaza has been plagued by devastation and death due to Israeli aggression following the October 7 terror attack. Over 73,000 people have been killed, whereas millions have been displaced. A new report has now brought into focus the surge in sexual violence and forced marriage faced by girls and women. In yet another violation of the October 2025 ceasefire, IDF conducted an air strike on a vehicle in Gaza's Khan Yunis city, which killed two people and wounded two others. However, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Hamas finance chief Muhammad Abu Alwan aad been killed in the attack. With about 82% of structures in Gaza damaged due to the war, danger still looms large for residents staying in such buildings due to less options for shelter. Local authorities are planning to evacuate them following the deadly collapse of an apartment block last week. Now, the latest report by the UN Population Fund uncovered a dark reality. The report, which analysed data collected by ten organisations, highlighted a 27% increase in gender-based violence from April to June as compared to the previous quarter. Nearly 30% of these cases pertained to physical assault. This period saw a 61% surge in sexual violence incidents, with adolescent girls comprising eight percent of such cases. This is not all. Some of the women interviewed for the report revealed how rape victims are often married to their rapists to avoid shame and scandal. The acute sense of displacement and poverty is having drastic consequences. For instance, a man reportedly married off his 14-year-old daughter in exchange for two bags of flour so that he and his other children could eat. Additionally, girls orphaned during the war are especially vulnerable, with relatives often marrying them off early. The data depicts a story in itself. According to this report, there was a staggering 123% rise in cases of child marriage as well as forced marriage in Gaza in comparison to the last quarter. Shockingly, adolescent girls accounted for 16% of these cases. One-third of these overall cases were reported from Gaza city. The report attributes this phenomenon to resource scarcity, severe overcrowding in refugee camps and limited access to education. Amid the ongoing crisis in Gaza, U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace announced a six-month plan worth 2.45 billion US Dollars to supposedly rebuild Gaza. However, at a time when people of Gaza continue to be killed by Israel, can an economic plan designed without taking them on board truly address their grievances? This question continues to resonate among distraught locals...

For instance, a man reportedly married off his 14-year-old daughter in exchange for two bags of flour so that he and his other children could eat. Additionally, girls orphaned during the war are especially vulnerable, with relatives often marrying them off early.

Women in Gaza traded for food, forced to marry their rapists | Gravitas

Over the last few months, concerns were raised over the prolonged deployment of sailors aboard US USS Abraham Lincoln. While US President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had dismissed these concerns, the US Navy has now admitted that eight sailors aboard this warship attempted to commit suicide since the beginning of the Iran war.USS Abraham Lincoln spent 286 days at sea at a stretch, including a lengthy stint in West Asia for the Iran war, before having a brief layover at Thailand. The living conditions of Navy personnel aboard this warship have been under scrutiny, with sailors reportedly running out of something as basic as food, toothpaste and soap. Complaints also surfaced that they are working very long shifts, and some are rarely even getting a day off.Now, this is the first time US has formally acknowledged suicide attempts by military personnel during the Iran war. This disclosure was made in US Navy Secretary Hung Cao's letter to Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who had raised questions about the well-being of sailors.While Cao maintained that the warship has adequate food supply, he admitted that some meal options were reduced for a 'short time'. He also acknowledged problems with the ship's problems with R-O desalination units. The vessel’s expected U.S. arrival timeline remains a secret.Gillibrand, who is a member of the US Senate’s Armed Forces Committee, hit out at Trump and Hegseth for downplaying these concerns earlier.She said, “Our troops and their families make immense sacrifices every single day, yet the president dismissed them, with open disrespect”.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://x.com/hashtag/Gravitas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gravitas</a> | US admits sailors attempted suicide: 8 suicide attempts aboard USS Abraham Lincoln Warship spent 286 days at sea at a stretch; US Navy Secretary concedes that some meal options were reduced<a href="https://x.com/MollyGambhir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MollyGambhir</a> has more <a href="https://t.co/UObZXS7Cwy">pic.twitter.com/UObZXS7Cwy</a>&mdash; WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://x.com/WIONews/status/2103175677776408716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

While the US Navy Secretary had stated in August that a small number of health issues were treated with no loss of life, Trump went to the extent of saying that USS Abraham Lincoln’s deployment was not long enough.Initially, Hegseth had dubbed reports of poor living conditions and suicide attempts aboard this warship as completely misrepresented. He said, “We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide ​them at every single moment.”While the US Navy remains silent on whether disciplinary action was taken against the sailors who attempted suicide, American news portal MS NOW had reported one such case. According to the report, a Navy personnel who attempted suicide by jumping from this warship on August 3, due to mental stress, was charged for intentionally hurting himself to avoid service. He could reportedly end up losing half of his normal pay.Now, the Pentagon has also been accused of hiding US troop casualties during the Iran war. Last week, a Washington Post report claimed that 22 to 23 US personnel have died during the war, which is more than the official records. While Hegseth described this as a ‘complete lie’, the Pentagon quietly added a new fatality to its database on Monday, taking the official death toll of US soldiers to 19.As the Iran war drags on, the suicide attempts by US military personnel are also seen as a reflection of the sheer fatigue within the US military and the prevailing sentiment.

This is the first time US has formally acknowledged suicide attempts by military personnel during the Iran war. This disclosure was made in US Navy Secretary Hung Cao's letter to Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who had raised questions about the well-being of sailors.

Over the last few months, concerns were raised over the prolonged deployment of sailors aboard US USS Abraham Lincoln. While US President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had dismissed these concerns, the US Navy has now admitted that eight sailors aboard this warship attempted to commit suicide since the beginning of the Iran war. USS Abraham Lincoln spent 286 days at sea at a stretch, including a lengthy stint in West Asia for the Iran war, before having a brief layover at Thailand. The living conditions of Navy personnel aboard this warship have been under scrutiny, with sailors reportedly running out of something as basic as food, toothpaste and soap. Complaints also surfaced that they are working very long shifts, and some are rarely even getting a day off. Now, this is the first time US has formally acknowledged suicide attempts by military personnel during the Iran war. This disclosure was made in US Navy Secretary Hung Cao's letter to Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who had raised questions about the well-being of sailors. While Cao maintained that the warship has adequate food supply, he admitted that some meal options were reduced for a 'short time'. He also acknowledged problems with the ship's problems with R-O desalination units. The vessel’s expected U.S. arrival timeline remains a secret. Gillibrand, who is a member of the US Senate’s Armed Forces Committee, hit out at Trump and Hegseth for downplaying these concerns earlier. She said, “Our troops and their families make immense sacrifices every single day, yet the president dismissed them, with open disrespect”.

This is the first time US has formally acknowledged suicide attempts by military personnel during the Iran war. This disclosure was made in US Navy Secretary Hung Cao's letter to Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who had raised questions about the well-being of sailors.

US admits 8 suicide attempts aboard USS Abraham Lincoln amid Iran war | GRAVITAS

At a time when the world is embroiled in numerous conflicts, concerns over growing nuclear arsenal have compounded.&nbsp;Now, a new report has thrown light on how China is reportedly expanding its nuclear weapons programme across seven major sites, despite calling for non-proliferation.&nbsp;According to an investigation by the Telegraph, one of the key sites is the Pingtong nuclear facility where the triggers for nuclear warheads are manufactured.&nbsp;Citing satellite imagery, the report claimed that the site has vastly expanded to include a support town, ventilation shacks and chemical storage tanks.&nbsp;In case of the Guangyuan facility, new plants have reportedly come up to handle nuclear waste remediation and long-term storage.&nbsp;Also, the report claims that China's most advanced nuclear fusion research centre has come up at Miangyang.&nbsp;Additionally, a shock tube test site has reportedly been added to the Zitong nuclear weapons complex.&nbsp;This is not all.&nbsp;More test sites are allegedly under development at Lop Nur, where China's first nuclear test was conducted in 1964.&nbsp;The report also flagged fresh construction at the nuclear sites of Jiquan and Jinta.&nbsp;At a time when the world's two superpowers are vying for dominance in every arena, it is worth noting that the Chinese president had demanded a ban on nuclear weapons nine years ago.&nbsp;China, which has signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, maintains a no-first-use nuclear policy.&nbsp;Beijing has repeatedly stressed that it is not engaging in an arms race with any country.&nbsp;However, a recent report from SIPRI suggests that China's nuclear stockpile has more than doubled under Xi's tenure as president, reaching an estimated 620 warheads.&nbsp;While this is still much below U.S. and Russia, the report indicated that China's ICBM arsenal could reach parity with both nuclear powers by the end of this decade.&nbsp;In November last year, Trump stirred a hornet's nest when he instructed U.S. Department of War to begin testing nuclear weapons.&nbsp;He justified this move by accusing China, Russia and Pakistan of conducting clandestine tests.

Beijing has repeatedly stressed that it is not engaging in an arms race with any country. However, a recent report from SIPRI suggests that China's nuclear stockpile has more than doubled under Xi's tenure as president, reaching an estimated 620 warheads.

At a time when the world is embroiled in numerous conflicts, concerns over growing nuclear arsenal have compounded. Now, a new report has thrown light on how China is reportedly expanding its nuclear weapons programme across seven major sites, despite calling for non-proliferation. According to an investigation by the Telegraph, one of the key sites is the Pingtong nuclear facility where the triggers for nuclear warheads are manufactured. Citing satellite imagery, the report claimed that the site has vastly expanded to include a support town, ventilation shacks and chemical storage tanks. In case of the Guangyuan facility, new plants have reportedly come up to handle nuclear waste remediation and long-term storage. Also, the report claims that China's most advanced nuclear fusion research centre has come up at Miangyang. Additionally, a shock tube test site has reportedly been added to the Zitong nuclear weapons complex. This is not all. More test sites are allegedly under development at Lop Nur, where China's first nuclear test was conducted in 1964. The report also flagged fresh construction at the nuclear sites of Jiquan and Jinta. At a time when the world's two superpowers are vying for dominance in every arena, it is worth noting that the Chinese president had demanded a ban on nuclear weapons nine years ago. China, which has signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, maintains a no-first-use nuclear policy. Beijing has repeatedly stressed that it is not engaging in an arms race with any country. However, a recent report from SIPRI suggests that China's nuclear stockpile has more than doubled under Xi's tenure as president, reaching an estimated 620 warheads. While this is still much below U.S. and Russia, the report indicated that China's ICBM arsenal could reach parity with both nuclear powers by the end of this decade. In November last year, Trump stirred a hornet's nest when he instructed U.S. Department of War to begin testing nuclear weapons. He justified this move by accusing China, Russia and Pakistan of conducting clandestine tests.

Beijing has repeatedly stressed that it is not engaging in an arms race with any country. However, a recent report from SIPRI suggests that China's nuclear stockpile has more than doubled under Xi's tenure as president, reaching an estimated 620 warheads.

Secret sites in China reveal Xi's nuclear aggression | Gravitas

The virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war has become a critical pressure point for global energy, forcing countries to look for alternative routes.India, for instance, depends on this strategic waterway for a significant share of its crude oil, LPG and LNG imports.In this scenario, two key ports are becoming central to bypassing Hormuz.First is the port of Fujairah, which is located on the UAE's eastern coast and serves as one of the world's largest crude oil storage hubs.The other port which has come under focus is Oman's Sohar, which handles bulk cargo, petrochemicals and container traffic.Located outside Iran's jurisdiction, these ports provide an opportunity for bypassing Hormuz and facilitating ship-to-ship transfers and energy exports.Now, ship-to-ship transfers serve as a critical logistical option when direct port access is blocked or restricted.This is the case currently, with the U.S. naval blockade and Iran's closure of Hormuz.Ship-to-ship essentially refers to the direct transfer of cargo such as crude oil and LNG between two vessels at sea.These vessels usually turn off their trackers to avoid detection.Sohar port in particular has emerged as a key gateway for India for its trade with West Asia.According to reports, feeder vessel services between India and Sohar port have quadrupled since the beginning of the Iran war to cater to Indian cargo.The port reportedly recorded a 52 per cent growth in the first half of this year.Because of its strategic location, vessels from Indian ports can sail directly across the Arabian Sea and reach Omani shores without entering the narrow passage of Hormuz.This significantly lowers operational costs and risks and eliminates delays caused by maritime threats.Additionally, Sohar is connected to Saudi Arabia via a secure green land corridor.Thus, during times of heightened risk, cargo can be unloaded at this port and then transferred via land route to other countries.Oman has also been pitching investment opportunities for a free zone, which is an industrial and logistics hub adjoining this port.This port's importance in the current crisis is not limited to India alone.Saudi Arabia has also turned to Sohar for moving crude oil to international markets, especially after operations of its East-West pipeline were disrupted.According to Reuters, Riyadh has planned to move around 60 million barrels of crude oil through ship-to-ship transfers at Sohar during September and October.This assumes significance as Houthis have imposed a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.Now, the quest to diversify the global energy supply chain is also being seen as an imperative by the West.A few hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump threw his weight behind the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor or IMEC, saying that it would help shift energy infrastructure away from Iranian checkpoints.The proposed corridor comprises an eastern corridor, connecting India with West Asia and a northern corridor connecting West Asia with Europe to boost connectivity and trade across the three regions.Amid strong bilateral ties, with the India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement taking effect in June this year, ports like Sohar provide a vital logistical option for India in this environment of uncertainty.

As the Strait of Hormuz faces disruption, Oman’s Sohar and UAE’s Fujairah ports are emerging as key alternative routes for India’s energy trade.

The virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war has become a critical pressure point for global energy, forcing countries to look for alternative routes. India, for instance, depends on this strategic waterway for a significant share of its crude oil, LPG and LNG imports. In this scenario, two key ports are becoming central to bypassing Hormuz. First is the port of Fujairah, which is located on the UAE's eastern coast and serves as one of the world's largest crude oil storage hubs. The other port which has come under focus is Oman's Sohar, which handles bulk cargo, petrochemicals and container traffic. Located outside Iran's jurisdiction, these ports provide an opportunity for bypassing Hormuz and facilitating ship-to-ship transfers and energy exports. Now, ship-to-ship transfers serve as a critical logistical option when direct port access is blocked or restricted. This is the case currently, with the U.S. naval blockade and Iran's closure of Hormuz. Ship-to-ship essentially refers to the direct transfer of cargo such as crude oil and LNG between two vessels at sea. These vessels usually turn off their trackers to avoid detection. Sohar port in particular has emerged as a key gateway for India for its trade with West Asia. According to reports, feeder vessel services between India and Sohar port have quadrupled since the beginning of the Iran war to cater to Indian cargo. The port reportedly recorded a 52 per cent growth in the first half of this year. Because of its strategic location, vessels from Indian ports can sail directly across the Arabian Sea and reach Omani shores without entering the narrow passage of Hormuz. This significantly lowers operational costs and risks and eliminates delays caused by maritime threats. Additionally, Sohar is connected to Saudi Arabia via a secure green land corridor. Thus, during times of heightened risk, cargo can be unloaded at this port and then transferred via land route to other countries. Oman has also been pitching investment opportunities for a free zone, which is an industrial and logistics hub adjoining this port. This port's importance in the current crisis is not limited to India alone. Saudi Arabia has also turned to Sohar for moving crude oil to international markets, especially after operations of its East-West pipeline were disrupted. According to Reuters, Riyadh has planned to move around 60 million barrels of crude oil through ship-to-ship transfers at Sohar during September and October. This assumes significance as Houthis have imposed a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. Now, the quest to diversify the global energy supply chain is also being seen as an imperative by the West. A few hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump threw his weight behind the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor or IMEC, saying that it would help shift energy infrastructure away from Iranian checkpoints. The proposed corridor comprises an eastern corridor, connecting India with West Asia and a northern corridor connecting West Asia with Europe to boost connectivity and trade across the three regions. Amid strong bilateral ties, with the India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement taking effect in June this year, ports like Sohar provide a vital logistical option for India in this environment of uncertainty.

As the Strait of Hormuz faces disruption, Oman’s Sohar and the UAE’s Fujairah ports are emerging as key alternative routes for India’s energy trade.

India's new oil route: Sohar & Fujairah bypass the Hormuz chokepoint | Gravitas

Whether it is trade, artificial intelligence, or global security, the world's two superpowers have been locked in a turf war.&nbsp;At a time when the world is besieged by conflicts, all eyes are on Chinese President Xi Jinping as he lands in US in a few hours from now for a crucial state visit.&nbsp;In an unprecedented gesture, US President Donald Trump will personally welcome Xi and his wife at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.&nbsp;This will be followed by an elaborate welcome ceremony on Thursday, which will feature 479 US military personnel.&nbsp;However, Taiwan remains a sticking point in the US-China bilateral ties.&nbsp;Just ahead of the Trump-Xi summit, Taiwan conducted live-fire exercises featuring a domestically developed eight-wheeled armoured vehicle.&nbsp;According to Taiwan's military, this vehicle combines high mobility and firepower, allowing ground forces to conduct rapid strikes and respond quickly across terrains.&nbsp;It also displayed military equipment used to strengthen the island's defence capabilities, such as HIMARS rocket launchers and air defence systems.&nbsp;This is not all.&nbsp;Last week, combat exercises, involving all three branches of Taiwan's armed forces featuring multiple type of attack drones were held for the first time.&nbsp;Amid this, Beijing issued a firm warning to Washington.&nbsp;The Chinese Envoy to US made it clear that Taiwan and human rights are red lines for China that cannot be crossed.&nbsp;He stressed that America should stop fabricating pretexts such as national security, economic imbalances and forced labour to try and constrain China.&nbsp;The diplomat also added that his country's political model, human rights record and development rights cannot be challenged.&nbsp;Now, tensions increased after US announced weapon sales worth over $11 billion dollars to Taiwan in December last year.&nbsp;However, US is yet to go ahead with this deal, owing to China's consistent objections.&nbsp;In February, Xi warned Trump over the Taiwan arms deal on a phone call, telling him to be "prudent".&nbsp;In May, when Trump went to China, Beijing said, if Taiwan is handled improperly, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts. This was the exact official wording by the Chinese govt.&nbsp;Now, it's September, it is Xi's turn to visit U.S. - and he is likely to again press Trump to stop deliveries of arms already ordered by Taiwan as well as future arms sales to Taipei.&nbsp;Taiwan though remains optimistic about the arms deal.&nbsp;Xi's America visit also holds significance from the economic perspective with US trade deficit with China standing at more than 91 billion US Dollars.&nbsp;After initially threatening tariffs, Trump announced a trade and economic deal with China in November 2025.&nbsp;According to US, China promised to eliminate export controls on rare earth elements and other critical minerals, and end its retaliation against US semiconductor manufacturers and resume purchase of soybeans.&nbsp;However, uncertainty remains over whether this agreement will be extended over concerns that China is still squeezing flows of critical minerals to US.&nbsp;This is vital for US as they are essential components in production of weapons which have been depleted by the Iran war.&nbsp;According to Chinese customs data, shipments of rare earth magnets to US dropped by 21% in August as compared to the month before.&nbsp;It is worth noting that after holding talks with Xi in Beijing in May, US had announced that China has agreed to address its concerns over rare earths.&nbsp;According to America, China also agreed to purchase 200 American-made Boeing aircraft, and US agricultural products worth 17 billion US Dollars.&nbsp;The recent passage of the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act has also cast a shadow over the trade talks, as it allows Trump to potentially levy tariffs of up to 100% on China for being the top importer of Russian crude oil.&nbsp;AI remains another domain of contention between both sides.&nbsp;While industry leaders have been pushing for a coordinated slowdown of AI development, Trump claimed that China is the only one happy about this.&nbsp;He also announced the formation of an AI Force, and boasted that America is leading China in this domain and would continue to do so...&nbsp;At the same time, America has proposed setting up a US-China AI dialogue.&nbsp;On his part, Xi has called for a consensus-based global AI governance framework.&nbsp;At this juncture though, the Iran war is likely to be one of the key agenda for the talks.&nbsp;Being Iran's largest trading partner, which purchases roughly 90% of its crude oil, China has high stakes in reopening Strait of Hormuz.&nbsp;While Trump has increased economic pressure on Iran, China has consistently opposed unilateral sanctions, and urged both sides to return to the negotiating table.&nbsp;With Iran and US at loggerheads, it remains to be seen whether China's intervention can bring an end to this war.&nbsp;With China's growing assertiveness and Trump rolling out the red carpet to Xi, the upcoming two days will be crucial in determining whether the two superpowers can find a middle ground on bilateral issues, as well as matters of global significance...

In an unprecedented gesture, US President Donald Trump will personally welcome Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his wife at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. This will be followed by an elaborate welcome ceremony on Thursday, which will feature 479 US military personnel.

Whether it is trade, artificial intelligence, or global security, the world's two superpowers have been locked in a turf war. At a time when the world is besieged by conflicts, all eyes are on Chinese President Xi Jinping as he lands in US in a few hours from now for a crucial state visit. In an unprecedented gesture, US President Donald Trump will personally welcome Xi and his wife at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. This will be followed by an elaborate welcome ceremony on Thursday, which will feature 479 US military personnel. However, Taiwan remains a sticking point in the US-China bilateral ties. Just ahead of the Trump-Xi summit, Taiwan conducted live-fire exercises featuring a domestically developed eight-wheeled armoured vehicle. According to Taiwan's military, this vehicle combines high mobility and firepower, allowing ground forces to conduct rapid strikes and respond quickly across terrains. It also displayed military equipment used to strengthen the island's defence capabilities, such as HIMARS rocket launchers and air defence systems. This is not all. Last week, combat exercises, involving all three branches of Taiwan's armed forces featuring multiple type of attack drones were held for the first time. Amid this, Beijing issued a firm warning to Washington. The Chinese Envoy to US made it clear that Taiwan and human rights are red lines for China that cannot be crossed. He stressed that America should stop fabricating pretexts such as national security, economic imbalances and forced labour to try and constrain China. The diplomat also added that his country's political model, human rights record and development rights cannot be challenged. Now, tensions increased after US announced weapon sales worth over $11 billion dollars to Taiwan in December last year. However, US is yet to go ahead with this deal, owing to China's consistent objections. In February, Xi warned Trump over the Taiwan arms deal on a phone call, telling him to be "prudent". In May, when Trump went to China, Beijing said, if Taiwan is handled improperly, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts. This was the exact official wording by the Chinese govt. Now, it's September, it is Xi's turn to visit U.S. - and he is likely to again press Trump to stop deliveries of arms already ordered by Taiwan as well as future arms sales to Taipei. Taiwan though remains optimistic about the arms deal. Xi's America visit also holds significance from the economic perspective with US trade deficit with China standing at more than 91 billion US Dollars. After initially threatening tariffs, Trump announced a trade and economic deal with China in November 2025. According to US, China promised to eliminate export controls on rare earth elements and other critical minerals, and end its retaliation against US semiconductor manufacturers and resume purchase of soybeans. However, uncertainty remains over whether this agreement will be extended over concerns that China is still squeezing flows of critical minerals to US. This is vital for US as they are essential components in production of weapons which have been depleted by the Iran war. According to Chinese customs data, shipments of rare earth magnets to US dropped by 21% in August as compared to the month before. It is worth noting that after holding talks with Xi in Beijing in May, US had announced that China has agreed to address its concerns over rare earths. According to America, China also agreed to purchase 200 American-made Boeing aircraft, and US agricultural products worth 17 billion US Dollars. The recent passage of the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act has also cast a shadow over the trade talks, as it allows Trump to potentially levy tariffs of up to 100% on China for being the top importer of Russian crude oil. AI remains another domain of contention between both sides. While industry leaders have been pushing for a coordinated slowdown of AI development, Trump claimed that China is the only one happy about this. He also announced the formation of an AI Force, and boasted that America is leading China in this domain and would continue to do so... At the same time, America has proposed setting up a US-China AI dialogue. On his part, Xi has called for a consensus-based global AI governance framework. At this juncture though, the Iran war is likely to be one of the key agenda for the talks. Being Iran's largest trading partner, which purchases roughly 90% of its crude oil, China has high stakes in reopening Strait of Hormuz. While Trump has increased economic pressure on Iran, China has consistently opposed unilateral sanctions, and urged both sides to return to the negotiating table. With Iran and US at loggerheads, it remains to be seen whether China's intervention can bring an end to this war. With China's growing assertiveness and Trump rolling out the red carpet to Xi, the upcoming two days will be crucial in determining whether the two superpowers can find a middle ground on bilateral issues, as well as matters of global significance...

In an unprecedented gesture, US President Donald Trump will personally welcome Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his wife at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. This will be followed by an elaborate welcome ceremony on Thursday, which will feature 479 US military personnel.

Xi cautions Trump on arms deal, Taiwan flaunts new weapons | Gravitas

78 years ago, the National Health Service was established in the UK and touted as the western world's first universal free healthcare system.&nbsp;However, a new report has laid bare how the same NHS faces severe structural and operational challenges today.&nbsp;According to this report published by a think tank named 'The Health Foundation', NHS is suffering from unnecessary regulation, reporting and compliance tasks.&nbsp;It also pointed out that ageing hospitals and limited diagnostic and bed capacity is a major challenge.&nbsp;Additionally, it claimed that poor use of information technology is wasting clinical time and gaps in administrative support is shifting additional work onto clinicians.&nbsp;The other key issue remains late diagnosis of diseases like diabetes and cancer.&nbsp;But is there a way to overcome these issues?&nbsp;This tank tank claimed that there was susbtantial scope for NHS to improve outcomes without spending more money.&nbsp;For instance, it called for creating a national 'test and learn' approach to improve productivity through effective use of AI.&nbsp;Additionally, it advocated cutting red tape and diagnosing life-threatening health conditions at an early stage.&nbsp;According to this report, these changes could help potentially result in 18,500 to 20,600 fewer deaths each year.&nbsp;It could also add 2.5 to 4.5 additional years of good health for people on average.&nbsp;This is not all.&nbsp;Overall, NHS could end up saving 44 billion US Dollars on an annual basis.&nbsp;Reacting to this report, UK's department of health and social care affirmed that it is already making progress to achieve more productivity in NHS, and making sure that patients see the benefits through record number of appointments, tests and scans.&nbsp;At the same time, it conceded that, there is much more to do...

The report says that ageing hospitals and limited diagnostic and bed capacity is a major challenge today. Additionally, ipoor use of information technology is wasting clinical time and gaps in administrative support is shifting additional work onto clinicians. 

78 years ago, the National Health Service was established in the UK and touted as the western world's first universal free healthcare system. However, a new report has laid bare how the same NHS faces severe structural and operational challenges today. According to this report published by a think tank named 'The Health Foundation', NHS is suffering from unnecessary regulation, reporting and compliance tasks. It also pointed out that ageing hospitals and limited diagnostic and bed capacity is a major challenge. Additionally, it claimed that poor use of information technology is wasting clinical time and gaps in administrative support is shifting additional work onto clinicians. The other key issue remains late diagnosis of diseases like diabetes and cancer. But is there a way to overcome these issues? This tank tank claimed that there was susbtantial scope for NHS to improve outcomes without spending more money. For instance, it called for creating a national 'test and learn' approach to improve productivity through effective use of AI. Additionally, it advocated cutting red tape and diagnosing life-threatening health conditions at an early stage. According to this report, these changes could help potentially result in 18,500 to 20,600 fewer deaths each year. It could also add 2.5 to 4.5 additional years of good health for people on average. This is not all. Overall, NHS could end up saving 44 billion US Dollars on an annual basis. Reacting to this report, UK's department of health and social care affirmed that it is already making progress to achieve more productivity in NHS, and making sure that patients see the benefits through record number of appointments, tests and scans. At the same time, it conceded that, there is much more to do...

The report says that ageing hospitals and limited diagnostic and bed capacity is a major challenge today. Additionally, ipoor use of information technology is wasting clinical time and gaps in administrative support is shifting additional work onto clinicians.&nbsp;

Gravitas | Boosting NHS productivity could save 20,600 lives in UK annually: Report

41 years ago, a horrific tragedy unfolded as Air India flight 182 from Toronto to Mumbai was destroyed by a bomb over the Atlantic Ocean.&nbsp;329 innocent lives onboard were killed. This included 268 Canadians and 24 Indian nationals.&nbsp;On the same day, another bomb exploded at Tokyo's Narito airport, killing two Japanese baggage handlers.&nbsp;However, justice continues to elude families of the victims.&nbsp;This comes even as it remains the deadliest terror attack in Canadian history.&nbsp;According to CBC News, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP, which is Canada's national police service, told the kin of victims that it is winding down the investigation owing to the lack of any new suspect.&nbsp;Earlier, Canadian investigators had concluded that the Kanishka bombing plot was carried out by extremists linked to Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa.&nbsp;In a statement to WION, RCMP stated that its representatives met the victims of this terror attack in Toronto on September 12, as part of what it described as a commitment to transparency.&nbsp;The agency said, "While an individual was identified, no definitive link to the events under investigation, could be established."&nbsp;However, it did not reveal the identity of this person referred to as Mr X.&nbsp;While revealing that no suspects are on the radar, RCMP maintained that the investigation remains open and any new information will be probed.&nbsp;However, this meeting left many families distressed.&nbsp;According to CBC News, relatives of victims wrote to the RCMP commissioner as well as Canadian PM Mark Carney expressing their utter dismay.&nbsp;They termed it as a 'betrayal' of the families' trust and a complete dereliction of RCMP's duty towards them.&nbsp;Now, this angst also stems from the fact that only one person—Inderjit Singh Reyat, who pleaded guilty for assembling the bombs planted on the plane, has been convicted in this case so far.&nbsp;He was released in 2016 after spending 20 years in jail.&nbsp;Two other suspects Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri were acquitted in 2005.&nbsp;On the other hand, Talwinder Singh Parmar who was widely regarded as the mastermind of this terror attack, was killed in India in 1992.&nbsp;Now, Canada's handling of this terror attack was also criticised by the commission of inquiry appointed by its own government in 2006.&nbsp;In its final report released four years later, it found that Canadian agencies possessed significant pieces of information, which pieced together would have LED to the conclusion that AI-182 was at high risk of being bombed in June 1985.&nbsp;The commission also flagged the inability of agencies to take pro-Khalistani extremism seriously.&nbsp;Additionally, it highlighted the lack of cooperation between RCMP and airlines pertaining to airport security.&nbsp;On the 25th anniversary of this terror attack in 2010, the then Canadian PM Stephen Harper apologised on behalf of the government for the institutional failings and treatment of the victims' families thereafter...&nbsp;Back then, he also stressed the need to marginalise extremists seeking to import Battles of India's past to Canada.&nbsp;However, India continues to raise concerns over pro-Khalistani groups operating on Canadian soil, owing to their death threats to Indian leaders and diplomats, vandalisation of places of worship and attempts to promote secessionism.&nbsp;In May this year, the Canadian Security Intelligence service itself flagged Canada-based Khalistani extremists as an ongoing national security threat.

Canadian investigators had concluded that the Kanishka bombing plot was carried out by extremists linked to Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa. RCMP stated that its representatives met the victims of this terror attack in Toronto on September 12 as part of a commitment to transparency.

41 years ago, a horrific tragedy unfolded as Air India flight 182 from Toronto to Mumbai was destroyed by a bomb over the Atlantic Ocean. 329 innocent lives onboard were killed. This included 268 Canadians and 24 Indian nationals. On the same day, another bomb exploded at Tokyo's Narito airport, killing two Japanese baggage handlers. However, justice continues to elude families of the victims. This comes even as it remains the deadliest terror attack in Canadian history. According to CBC News, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP, which is Canada's national police service, told the kin of victims that it is winding down the investigation owing to the lack of any new suspect. Earlier, Canadian investigators had concluded that the Kanishka bombing plot was carried out by extremists linked to Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa. In a statement to WION, RCMP stated that its representatives met the victims of this terror attack in Toronto on September 12, as part of what it described as a commitment to transparency. The agency said, "While an individual was identified, no definitive link to the events under investigation, could be established." However, it did not reveal the identity of this person referred to as Mr X. While revealing that no suspects are on the radar, RCMP maintained that the investigation remains open and any new information will be probed. However, this meeting left many families distressed. According to CBC News, relatives of victims wrote to the RCMP commissioner as well as Canadian PM Mark Carney expressing their utter dismay. They termed it as a 'betrayal' of the families' trust and a complete dereliction of RCMP's duty towards them. Now, this angst also stems from the fact that only one person—Inderjit Singh Reyat, who pleaded guilty for assembling the bombs planted on the plane, has been convicted in this case so far. He was released in 2016 after spending 20 years in jail. Two other suspects Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri were acquitted in 2005. On the other hand, Talwinder Singh Parmar who was widely regarded as the mastermind of this terror attack, was killed in India in 1992. Now, Canada's handling of this terror attack was also criticised by the commission of inquiry appointed by its own government in 2006. In its final report released four years later, it found that Canadian agencies possessed significant pieces of information, which pieced together would have LED to the conclusion that AI-182 was at high risk of being bombed in June 1985. The commission also flagged the inability of agencies to take pro-Khalistani extremism seriously. Additionally, it highlighted the lack of cooperation between RCMP and airlines pertaining to airport security. On the 25th anniversary of this terror attack in 2010, the then Canadian PM Stephen Harper apologised on behalf of the government for the institutional failings and treatment of the victims' families thereafter... Back then, he also stressed the need to marginalise extremists seeking to import Battles of India's past to Canada. However, India continues to raise concerns over pro-Khalistani groups operating on Canadian soil, owing to their death threats to Indian leaders and diplomats, vandalisation of places of worship and attempts to promote secessionism. In May this year, the Canadian Security Intelligence service itself flagged Canada-based Khalistani extremists as an ongoing national security threat.

Canadian investigators had concluded that the Kanishka bombing plot was carried out by extremists linked to Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa. RCMP stated that its representatives met the victims of this terror attack in Toronto on September 12 as part of a commitment to transparency.

Justice eludes Air India 1985 bombing victims as Canada probe goes 'inactive' | Gravitas

West Asia remains on edge as fighting between Iran-backed Houthis and Yemeni forces supported by Saudi Arabia continues to escalate. In the past two days alone, 154 people have reportedly been killed in Yemen.Footage released by Houthis shows an alleged Saudi air strike targeting a local market in a village near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.&nbsp;Visuals showed people running for cover as flumes of smoke engulfed the air.&nbsp;According to the Iran-backed group, Saudi Arabia has launched 917 air strikes since the escalation started. It also accused Riyadh of carrying out three air strikes on the strategic port city of Mocha which it seized a few days ago. Houthis claimed that six people died in the strikes, whereas eight others were wounded.&nbsp;This is not all.&nbsp;The group alleged that Saudi Arabia targeted a prison in al-Hazm town, which led to the killing of nine recently captured prisoners.&nbsp;It also added that a mother and her child were killed in separate air strikes in al-Hazm's al-Batin area.&nbsp;Saudi Arabia is yet to react to these claims, though even as Pakistan and US have rebuffed Saudi's requests to join the war against Houthis, UK has now stepped in to help.&nbsp;It has agreed to deploy an RAF Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft to support Saudi defensive activity.&nbsp;This aircraft will provide mid-air fuel to Saudi military jets so they can stay airborne longer to intercept Houthi drone and missile attacks.&nbsp;The UK government justified this move by highlighting that escalating West Asia tensions can have a serious impact in Britain in the form of rising prices, disruption to energy supplies and extra costs for local businesses.&nbsp;However, UK has still refrained from directly striking Houthis.&nbsp;Meanwhile, EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that the bloc's naval mission to protect shipping in Red Sea requires more than ten warships.&nbsp;Known as Operation Aspides, this mission was launched in 2024 to safeguard vessels from attacks by Houthis.&nbsp;At present, six warships are a part of this mission.&nbsp;While drone attacks forced Saudi Arabia to shut its east-west oil pipeline on September 13, it has now restarted operations according to Reuters.&nbsp;Why is this crucial?&nbsp;Since the virtual closure of Strait of Hormuz, the country has been using this pipeline to reroute around four million barrels of oil per day to the Yanbu port located on the Red Sea coast.&nbsp;This accounts for nearly four percent of global oil supply.&nbsp;As the fighting continues, the foreign ministers of G7 condemned the strikes waged against Saudi Arabia and urged Houthis to immediately cease all military actions and return to the political process in good faith.&nbsp;They also called on Iran to end its support for this group.&nbsp;Now, the humanitarian toll of the war in Yemen cannot be understated.&nbsp;According to the international organisation for migration, a staggering one hundred thirty thousand people have been displaced across seven provinces in Yemen.&nbsp;This UN agency also added that over three thousand people have crossed the Red Sea and fled to Djibouti.&nbsp;According to United Nations, an additional one hundred thousand Yemenis could be forced to leave their homes within the next three months.&nbsp;At one such camp for the displaced people in Yemen, authorities described the extent of the humanitarian crisis...

Iran-backed Houthis said Saudi Arabia launched 917 airstrikes since the escalation and accused Riyadh of carrying out three airstrikes on the strategic port city of Mocha, which it seized a few days ago. Houthis claimed that six people died in the strikes, whereas eight others were wounded.

West Asia remains on edge as fighting between Iran-backed Houthis and Yemeni forces supported by Saudi Arabia continues to escalate. In the past two days alone, 154 people have reportedly been killed in Yemen. Footage released by Houthis shows an alleged Saudi air strike targeting a local market in a village near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Visuals showed people running for cover as flumes of smoke engulfed the air. According to the Iran-backed group, Saudi Arabia has launched 917 air strikes since the escalation started. It also accused Riyadh of carrying out three air strikes on the strategic port city of Mocha which it seized a few days ago. Houthis claimed that six people died in the strikes, whereas eight others were wounded. This is not all. The group alleged that Saudi Arabia targeted a prison in al-Hazm town, which led to the killing of nine recently captured prisoners. It also added that a mother and her child were killed in separate air strikes in al-Hazm's al-Batin area. Saudi Arabia is yet to react to these claims, though even as Pakistan and US have rebuffed Saudi's requests to join the war against Houthis, UK has now stepped in to help. It has agreed to deploy an RAF Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft to support Saudi defensive activity. This aircraft will provide mid-air fuel to Saudi military jets so they can stay airborne longer to intercept Houthi drone and missile attacks. The UK government justified this move by highlighting that escalating West Asia tensions can have a serious impact in Britain in the form of rising prices, disruption to energy supplies and extra costs for local businesses. However, UK has still refrained from directly striking Houthis. Meanwhile, EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that the bloc's naval mission to protect shipping in Red Sea requires more than ten warships. Known as Operation Aspides, this mission was launched in 2024 to safeguard vessels from attacks by Houthis. At present, six warships are a part of this mission. While drone attacks forced Saudi Arabia to shut its east-west oil pipeline on September 13, it has now restarted operations according to Reuters. Why is this crucial? Since the virtual closure of Strait of Hormuz, the country has been using this pipeline to reroute around four million barrels of oil per day to the Yanbu port located on the Red Sea coast. This accounts for nearly four percent of global oil supply. As the fighting continues, the foreign ministers of G7 condemned the strikes waged against Saudi Arabia and urged Houthis to immediately cease all military actions and return to the political process in good faith. They also called on Iran to end its support for this group. Now, the humanitarian toll of the war in Yemen cannot be understated. According to the international organisation for migration, a staggering one hundred thirty thousand people have been displaced across seven provinces in Yemen. This UN agency also added that over three thousand people have crossed the Red Sea and fled to Djibouti. According to United Nations, an additional one hundred thousand Yemenis could be forced to leave their homes within the next three months. At one such camp for the displaced people in Yemen, authorities described the extent of the humanitarian crisis...

Iran-backed Houthis said Saudi Arabia launched 917 airstrikes since the escalation and accused Riyadh of carrying out three airstrikes on the strategic port city of Mocha, which it seized a few days ago. Houthis claimed that six people died in the strikes, whereas eight others were wounded.

Yemen clashes kill 154 people in two days as cornered Saudi battles Houthi offensive | Gravitas

From OpenAI CEO SAM Altman to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, the artificial intelligence industry leaders have largely been united in seeking a coordinated slowdown of AI development.&nbsp;Even as the doomsday debate intensifies, US President Donald Trump is viewing AI as a domain of competition with China.&nbsp;Framing calls for AI regulation as a 'sick conspiracy', Trump claimed that China is the only one happy about this.&nbsp;He also announced the formation of an AI force and boasted that America is leading China and would continue to do so...&nbsp;The US President said, “Whoever wins AI, wins.”&nbsp;Now, this has brought back into focus the US-China rivalry over AI, as Xi is set to meet Trump later this week.&nbsp;A few hours earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that his meeting with the Chinese vice premier over trade and AI was very successful.&nbsp;He added that US had proposed a mechanism with China pertaining to AI.&nbsp;The Chinese president outlined his vision for AI at the BRICS Summit earlier this month.&nbsp;Calling for evolving a consensus-based Global AI governance framework, Xi stated that China will be a pioneer in establishing a BRICS AI open source community.&nbsp;Now, US clearly leads China in terms of total market valuation of its artificial intelligence firms.&nbsp;For instance, Google and Meta's market valuation runs into trillions of dollars.&nbsp;This is followed by Anthropic and OpenAI.&nbsp;On the other hand, Alibaba ranks among China's top revenue-generating AI heavyweights, having a market value of 299 billion US Dollars.&nbsp;Next on the list are other firms like, DeepSeek and Moonshot.&nbsp;While America has a head start, China has been promoting its own low-cost AI models to the developing world.&nbsp;According to reports, tech giant Huawei offered Egypt to build a data centre powered by its own advanced computer chips.&nbsp;This prompted Washington to push a rival offer from a consortium LED by American companies, which finally clinched the deal worth one billion US Dollars.&nbsp;This competition is playing out across the globe.&nbsp;For instance, Brazil announced an investment of 444 million US Dollars to bolster its AI ecosystem splitting projects between US and Chinese tech firms.&nbsp;This was seen as a strategic move to balance ties with both superpowers.&nbsp;Even as fear spreads about the potential dangers of AI, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has emerged as Trump's key ally.&nbsp;Asserting that predictions of doom aren't grounded in science, Huang opined that model developers are responsible for securing their products before releasing them.&nbsp;This is not all. Trump called him while he was on the stage at an AI summit in Los Angeles.&nbsp;On that call which was put on speaker, Trump reiterated that robots are not going to be taking over and that concerns around AI and data centres are a hoax.&nbsp;Now, NVIDIA is a key player in the AI industry as it supplies the graphics processing units used by OpenAI, Anthropic and others to train their AI models.&nbsp;With growing concerns that AI could move beyond effective human supervision, all eyes will now be on the Xi-Trump meeting, to see whether they can take a step forward in ensuring AI regulation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined his vision for AI at the BRICS Summit earlier this month. Calling for evolving a consensus-based Global AI governance framework, Xi stated that China will be a pioneer in establishing a BRICS AI open-source community.

From OpenAI CEO SAM Altman to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, the artificial intelligence industry leaders have largely been united in seeking a coordinated slowdown of AI development. Even as the doomsday debate intensifies, US President Donald Trump is viewing AI as a domain of competition with China. Framing calls for AI regulation as a 'sick conspiracy', Trump claimed that China is the only one happy about this. He also announced the formation of an AI force and boasted that America is leading China and would continue to do so... The US President said, “Whoever wins AI, wins.” Now, this has brought back into focus the US-China rivalry over AI, as Xi is set to meet Trump later this week. A few hours earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that his meeting with the Chinese vice premier over trade and AI was very successful. He added that US had proposed a mechanism with China pertaining to AI. The Chinese president outlined his vision for AI at the BRICS Summit earlier this month. Calling for evolving a consensus-based Global AI governance framework, Xi stated that China will be a pioneer in establishing a BRICS AI open source community. Now, US clearly leads China in terms of total market valuation of its artificial intelligence firms. For instance, Google and Meta's market valuation runs into trillions of dollars. This is followed by Anthropic and OpenAI. On the other hand, Alibaba ranks among China's top revenue-generating AI heavyweights, having a market value of 299 billion US Dollars. Next on the list are other firms like, DeepSeek and Moonshot. While America has a head start, China has been promoting its own low-cost AI models to the developing world. According to reports, tech giant Huawei offered Egypt to build a data centre powered by its own advanced computer chips. This prompted Washington to push a rival offer from a consortium LED by American companies, which finally clinched the deal worth one billion US Dollars. This competition is playing out across the globe. For instance, Brazil announced an investment of 444 million US Dollars to bolster its AI ecosystem splitting projects between US and Chinese tech firms. This was seen as a strategic move to balance ties with both superpowers. Even as fear spreads about the potential dangers of AI, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has emerged as Trump's key ally. Asserting that predictions of doom aren't grounded in science, Huang opined that model developers are responsible for securing their products before releasing them. This is not all. Trump called him while he was on the stage at an AI summit in Los Angeles. On that call which was put on speaker, Trump reiterated that robots are not going to be taking over and that concerns around AI and data centres are a hoax. Now, NVIDIA is a key player in the AI industry as it supplies the graphics processing units used by OpenAI, Anthropic and others to train their AI models. With growing concerns that AI could move beyond effective human supervision, all eyes will now be on the Xi-Trump meeting, to see whether they can take a step forward in ensuring AI regulation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined his vision for AI at the BRICS Summit earlier this month. Calling for evolving a consensus-based Global AI governance framework, Xi stated that China will be a pioneer in establishing a BRICS AI open-source community.

US and China vie for AI dominance as calls grow for regulation | Gravitas

As Pakistan faces Saudi Arabia's pressure for trying to shirk its Mecca Pact commitment and growing internal turmoil, Asim Munir's diversionary tactics are back.&nbsp;His forces reignited another front by conducting fresh air strikes on Afghanistan in the early hours of Monday.&nbsp;According to Taliban, the Pakistani army bombarded civilian areas in the provinces of Kunar and Paktika.&nbsp;While a woman and two men were killed and four others were injured in Kunar's Nurgal district, no casualties were reported in the Paktika strike that damaged a house and a shop in the Barmal district.&nbsp;Condemning these strikes, Taliban accused the Pak military establishment of committing such a crime to divert attention from its security failures within its own country.&nbsp;It also vowed to respond appropriately to what it called... this aggression.&nbsp;Visuals showed the spate of destruction in Kunar province where the strikes took place.&nbsp;People were seen trying to search for their belongings in the rubble of their destroyed home.&nbsp;Remnants of a bomb were also recovered from the spot.&nbsp;After performing funeral prayers for the victims, residents lashed out at Pakistan for targeting innocent civilians.&nbsp;On its part though, Pakistan's information ministry claimed that the calibrated strikes were carried out on hideouts and safe havens of what it said were terrorist groups responsible for the recent terror attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.&nbsp;It added that 28 terrorists were killed after a suicide bombers' training centre was reportedly destroyed.&nbsp;This comes barely a few hours after six Pakistani soldiers were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Hangu district near the Afghan border.&nbsp;Earlier on September 18, the city of Kohat was rocked by a deadly attack.&nbsp;A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle at the police headquarters and terrorists stormed the compound thereafter, leading to 31 deaths and more than a hundred injuries.&nbsp;It is worth noting that Pakistan had issued a veiled warning to Afghanistan after this attack, asserting that it has the 'will and capability' to eliminate such threats wherever they are.&nbsp;Now, although both nations agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025, the truce ended in February this year after Pakistan conducted air strikes in Afghanistan.&nbsp;The worst escalation took place in March, when Munir's forces bombed a Kabul hospital.&nbsp;While Taliban stated that about 400 people were killed, the UN assistance mission in Afghanistan independently verified the killing of at least 269 civilians whereas 122 others were wounded.&nbsp;In June-end, Pakistan killed at least 36 civilians with air strikes on the three eastern provinces of Paktika, Kunar and Paktia.&nbsp;Subsequently, Afghanistan claimed to have targeted ISIS centres in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, a claim which Pakistan denied.&nbsp;Now, Pakistan's targeting of civilians has been confirmed by UN itself.&nbsp;From April to June this year, UN documented killing of 57 Afghan civilians and injuries to 342 others due to Pakistan's attacks.&nbsp;It also flagged an increase in casualties caused by unexploded ordnance left behind in areas close to the border.&nbsp;Pakistan's aggression comes at a time when it is scrambling to deal with growing internal dissatisfaction over former PM Imran Khan's prolonged incarceration.&nbsp;Ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf's September 27 nationwide protest and long march to demand Khan's release from jail, the authorities have commenced a brutal crackdown.&nbsp;The PTI founder's sisters, Aleema Khan, Dr. Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, have been detained for 30 days under the pretext of maintaining public order.&nbsp;According to Khan's son Kasim, their children have been arrested as well.&nbsp;Stressing that no nation should tolerate this establishment, he called for global action.&nbsp;Munir's use of brute force on civilians as well as dissenters has yet again exposed Pakistan's real face on the global stage...

Pakistan's aggression comes at a time when it is scrambling to deal with growing internal dissatisfaction over former PM Imran Khan's prolonged incarceration. A brutal crackdown has been launcnhed ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf's September 27 nationwide protest and long march.

As Pakistan faces Saudi Arabia's pressure for trying to shirk its Mecca Pact commitment and growing internal turmoil, Asim Munir's diversionary tactics are back. His forces reignited another front by conducting fresh air strikes on Afghanistan in the early hours of Monday. According to Taliban, the Pakistani army bombarded civilian areas in the provinces of Kunar and Paktika. While a woman and two men were killed and four others were injured in Kunar's Nurgal district, no casualties were reported in the Paktika strike that damaged a house and a shop in the Barmal district. Condemning these strikes, Taliban accused the Pak military establishment of committing such a crime to divert attention from its security failures within its own country. It also vowed to respond appropriately to what it called... this aggression. Visuals showed the spate of destruction in Kunar province where the strikes took place. People were seen trying to search for their belongings in the rubble of their destroyed home. Remnants of a bomb were also recovered from the spot. After performing funeral prayers for the victims, residents lashed out at Pakistan for targeting innocent civilians. On its part though, Pakistan's information ministry claimed that the calibrated strikes were carried out on hideouts and safe havens of what it said were terrorist groups responsible for the recent terror attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It added that 28 terrorists were killed after a suicide bombers' training centre was reportedly destroyed. This comes barely a few hours after six Pakistani soldiers were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Hangu district near the Afghan border. Earlier on September 18, the city of Kohat was rocked by a deadly attack. A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle at the police headquarters and terrorists stormed the compound thereafter, leading to 31 deaths and more than a hundred injuries. It is worth noting that Pakistan had issued a veiled warning to Afghanistan after this attack, asserting that it has the 'will and capability' to eliminate such threats wherever they are. Now, although both nations agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025, the truce ended in February this year after Pakistan conducted air strikes in Afghanistan. The worst escalation took place in March, when Munir's forces bombed a Kabul hospital. While Taliban stated that about 400 people were killed, the UN assistance mission in Afghanistan independently verified the killing of at least 269 civilians whereas 122 others were wounded. In June-end, Pakistan killed at least 36 civilians with air strikes on the three eastern provinces of Paktika, Kunar and Paktia. Subsequently, Afghanistan claimed to have targeted ISIS centres in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, a claim which Pakistan denied. Now, Pakistan's targeting of civilians has been confirmed by UN itself. From April to June this year, UN documented killing of 57 Afghan civilians and injuries to 342 others due to Pakistan's attacks. It also flagged an increase in casualties caused by unexploded ordnance left behind in areas close to the border. Pakistan's aggression comes at a time when it is scrambling to deal with growing internal dissatisfaction over former PM Imran Khan's prolonged incarceration. Ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf's September 27 nationwide protest and long march to demand Khan's release from jail, the authorities have commenced a brutal crackdown. The PTI founder's sisters, Aleema Khan, Dr. Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, have been detained for 30 days under the pretext of maintaining public order. According to Khan's son Kasim, their children have been arrested as well. Stressing that no nation should tolerate this establishment, he called for global action. Munir's use of brute force on civilians as well as dissenters has yet again exposed Pakistan's real face on the global stage...

Pakistan's aggression comes at a time when it is scrambling to deal with growing internal dissatisfaction over former PM Imran Khan's prolonged incarceration. A brutal crackdown has been launcnhed ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf's September 27 nationwide protest and long march.

Pakistan kills 3 civilians in air strikes on Afghanistan, Taliban vows retaliation | Gravitas

Despite Pak army chief Asim Munir's attempt to project Pakistan as a security provider in West Asia, the ground reality is stark. The internal security situation has deteriorated under his watch, with a spike in terrorism.Pak authorities have largely attributed this to Fitna al-Khawarij. Holding it responsible for the recent terror incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan claimed to have targeted its terrorist camps and hideouts in Afghanistan a few hours earlier.While Islamabad declared the killing of 28 terrorists, the Taliban stated that three civilians lost their lives...Now, it is worth noting that Pakistan announced that Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, will be officially referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij in July 2024.What was the rationale behind this move?The name change was a bid to delegitimise this outfit, which Pakistan claimed had distorted the image of Islam.A notification issued by Pakistan's interior ministry stated that TTP's activities are detrimental and in contradiction to the true teachings of Islam. It also directed that religious titles such as Mufti and Hafiz should not be used for those associated with TTP.Let's break this down further.Formed in 2007 under Baitullah Mehsud's leadership, TTP saw disparate terror outfits coming together, with an aim of overthrowing the Pakistani government and ruling as per its interpretation of Islamic law.It is widely regarded as one of the deadliest terror groups operating on Pakistani soil, having killed hundreds of military personnel and civilians.In 2011, TTP was added to the UNSC sanctions list.Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan has accused it of supporting TTP, leading to a further rise in terror attacks. But the Afghan Taliban has denied this claim.TTP is believed to have an estimated strength of up to five thousand fighters at present.Now, Pakistan's deteriorating security situation is also evident from hard data.According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, Pakistan has already witnessed 1,880 terrorism-related incidents this year.This marks the highest tally since 2014, which saw over 2,700 such incidents.662 civilians and over 1,020 security personnel have lost their lives.As Pakistan struggles to deal with this and backs cross-border terrorism at the same time, it would do well to recall a warning issued in 2011.The then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, and I quote her, 'you can't keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours'.

Pakistan has labelled Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan as Fitna Al-Khawarij. Here's what the group is, why Islamabad considers it a major threat and its role in rising terror attacks.

Despite Pak army chief Asim Munir's attempt to project Pakistan as a security provider in West Asia, the ground reality is stark. The internal security situation has deteriorated under his watch, with a spike in terrorism. Pak authorities have largely attributed this to Fitna al-Khawarij. Holding it responsible for the recent terror incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan claimed to have targeted its terrorist camps and hideouts in Afghanistan a few hours earlier. While Islamabad declared the killing of 28 terrorists, the Taliban stated that three civilians lost their lives... Now, it is worth noting that Pakistan announced that Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, will be officially referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij in July 2024. What was the rationale behind this move? The name change was a bid to delegitimise this outfit, which Pakistan claimed had distorted the image of Islam. A notification issued by Pakistan's interior ministry stated that TTP's activities are detrimental and in contradiction to the true teachings of Islam. It also directed that religious titles such as Mufti and Hafiz should not be used for those associated with TTP. Let's break this down further. Formed in 2007 under Baitullah Mehsud's leadership, TTP saw disparate terror outfits coming together, with an aim of overthrowing the Pakistani government and ruling as per its interpretation of Islamic law. It is widely regarded as one of the deadliest terror groups operating on Pakistani soil, having killed hundreds of military personnel and civilians. In 2011, TTP was added to the UNSC sanctions list. Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan has accused it of supporting TTP, leading to a further rise in terror attacks. But the Afghan Taliban has denied this claim. TTP is believed to have an estimated strength of up to five thousand fighters at present. Now, Pakistan's deteriorating security situation is also evident from hard data. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, Pakistan has already witnessed 1,880 terrorism-related incidents this year. This marks the highest tally since 2014, which saw over 2,700 such incidents. 662 civilians and over 1,020 security personnel have lost their lives. As Pakistan struggles to deal with this and backs cross-border terrorism at the same time, it would do well to recall a warning issued in 2011. The then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, and I quote her, 'you can't keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours'.

Pakistan has labelled Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan as Fitna Al-Khawarij. Here's what the group is, why Islamabad considers it a major threat and its role in rising terror attacks.

Fitna Al-Khawarij: Decoding biggest security threat to Pakistan | Gravitas

As Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu seeks a record seventh term in office in the upcoming elections, he continues to advocate a hardline approach when it comes to Palestinians. However, a recent survey has reflected how this stance may not be resonating with many voters any longer.The survey, conducted by the Jewish Public Policy Institute from September 1 to 3, focused on a recent incident in the West Bank's Qusra village.In late August, dozens of masked Israelis arrived in pickup trucks, threw stones at residents and barricaded themselves inside a house. While several Palestinians were wounded, the rioters fled when security forces arrived.According to this survey, one-third of Israelis described these rioters as "Israeli terrorists", whereas another 18 per cent termed them "nationalist criminals". Only 13 per cent of them had a lenient view, calling them young people who sometimes go too far.Crucially, merely 5 per cent of respondents expressed support for the Jewish settlers.Now, the poll also showed a clear political divide. Sixty-three per cent of left-wing respondents described the rioters as "Israeli terrorists". That figure fell to 49 per cent among those leaning towards the centre, and just 3 per cent among right-wing respondents.However, 27 per cent of Jewish Israelis also used the term "Israeli terrorists" for the settlers.This comes at a time when criticism of the Benjamin Netanyahu-led government has been mounting globally over its policies in the West Bank.For instance, the UK accused Israel of turning a blind eye to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and announced a ban on imports of all goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.Eleven other countries, including France and Canada, also announced similar plans. This drew a fierce retaliation from Israel, which announced the closure of Britain's consulate in Jerusalem.Palestinians continue to suffer, though.Rescuers were scrambling to recover bodies from a six-storey building in Gaza City after it collapsed overnight following damage sustained in Israeli strikes.According to the local authorities, at least 12 people, including five children, have died, and over 100 people remain missing.With Israel's growing isolation, it remains to be seen whether this will translate into an electoral setback for Netanyahu.

The poll also showed a clear political divide. Sixty-three per cent of left-wing respondents described the rioters as "Israeli terrorists". That figure fell to 49 per cent among those leaning towards the centre, and just 3 per cent among right-wing respondents.

As Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu seeks a record seventh term in office in the upcoming elections, he continues to advocate a hardline approach when it comes to Palestinians. However, a recent survey has reflected how this stance may not be resonating with many voters any longer. The survey, conducted by the Jewish Public Policy Institute from September 1 to 3, focused on a recent incident in the West Bank's Qusra village. In late August, dozens of masked Israelis arrived in pickup trucks, threw stones at residents and barricaded themselves inside a house. While several Palestinians were wounded, the rioters fled when security forces arrived. According to this survey, one-third of Israelis described these rioters as "Israeli terrorists", whereas another 18 per cent termed them "nationalist criminals". Only 13 per cent of them had a lenient view, calling them young people who sometimes go too far. Crucially, merely 5 per cent of respondents expressed support for the Jewish settlers. Now, the poll also showed a clear political divide. Sixty-three per cent of left-wing respondents described the rioters as "Israeli terrorists". That figure fell to 49 per cent among those leaning towards the centre, and just 3 per cent among right-wing respondents. However, 27 per cent of Jewish Israelis also used the term "Israeli terrorists" for the settlers. This comes at a time when criticism of the Benjamin Netanyahu-led government has been mounting globally over its policies in the West Bank. For instance, the UK accused Israel of turning a blind eye to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and announced a ban on imports of all goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Eleven other countries, including France and Canada, also announced similar plans. This drew a fierce retaliation from Israel, which announced the closure of Britain's consulate in Jerusalem. Palestinians continue to suffer, though. Rescuers were scrambling to recover bodies from a six-storey building in Gaza City after it collapsed overnight following damage sustained in Israeli strikes. According to the local authorities, at least 12 people, including five children, have died, and over 100 people remain missing. With Israel's growing isolation, it remains to be seen whether this will translate into an electoral setback for Netanyahu.

The poll also showed a clear political divide. Sixty-three per cent of left-wing respondents described the rioters as "Israeli terrorists". That figure fell to 49 per cent among those leaning towards the centre, and just 3 per cent among right-wing respondents.

Netanyahu faces heat over settler violence in West Bank ahead of polls | Gravitas

A silent crisis is deepening among young girls in America. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among children aged 10 to 14 in the United States. But a new study has uncovered another deeply unsettling trend: suicide rates among girls in this age group have risen sharply, narrowing the long-standing gap between boys and girls.&nbsp;The study, conducted by an American psychologist at San Diego State University, analysed federal data spanning 2001 to 2024 to examine gender patterns in youth suicide rates and identify areas where prevention efforts could be better targeted.<h3>Suicide gap between boys and girls nearly disappears</h3>According to the study, the difference in suicide rates between boys and girls aged 10 to 14 in the U.S. had nearly disappeared by 2024.&nbsp;The most striking finding was among girls. The suicide rate for girls in this age group increased almost fourfold between 2007 and 2024. The trend became even more pronounced in recent years.&nbsp;Between 2018 and 2024, the suicide rate among boys aged 10 to 14 fell by 35%, while the rate among girls increased by 13%.<h3>What is driving the rise?</h3>The study did not establish a single, concrete cause behind the increase. However, its author pointed to smartphone access and social media exposure as potentially important factors.The argument is particularly significant amid growing concerns about the impact of social media on children's mental health.&nbsp;Young girls, experts say, can be exposed to relentless comparisons with peers and influencers, appearance-related pressure, cyberbullying and disrupted sleep.&nbsp;Constant exposure to carefully curated images of seemingly perfect bodies and lifestyles can also affect how young people perceive themselves.<h3>Social media and the pressure to fit in</h3>For many young girls, social media can turn everyday experiences into a constant cycle of comparison.&nbsp;The pressure to look a certain way, gain approval, receive likes or fit into a particular social group can contribute to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety.&nbsp;The study's findings come against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, when children and teenagers spent significantly more time at home and, in many cases, increasingly relied on digital platforms for social interaction.&nbsp;However, the researchers did not conclude that social media alone is responsible for rising suicide rates.&nbsp;Instead, the findings point to a complex problem involving multiple social, psychological and environmental factors.<h3>Meta faces growing scrutiny</h3>The issue has also intensified scrutiny of social media companies in the U.S.&nbsp;Amid lawsuits and growing concerns over the effects of social media on young users, Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has faced increasing pressure to strengthen protections for children and teenagers.&nbsp;The debate centres on whether platforms should do more to limit excessive use, reduce harmful content and protect young users from online pressures.<h3>Why the findings matter</h3>The sharp increase in suicide rates among girls aged 10 to 14 is particularly concerning because this is a very young age group. It also highlights the need for gender-specific suicide prevention strategies, rather than assuming that the same interventions will work equally well for boys and girls.&nbsp;Social media may not be the sole explanation for the trend. But its role in shaping children's social lives, sleep patterns, self-image and exposure to peer pressure makes it an issue policymakers, parents, schools and technology companies cannot ignore.&nbsp;The study therefore serves as another warning sign: the mental-health crisis among children is evolving, and prevention strategies may need to evolve with it.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or feels at immediate risk, seek help from emergency services or a qualified mental-health professional immediately.

The suicide rate for girls in this age group increased almost fourfold between 2007 and 2024. The trend became even more pronounced in recent years.

A silent crisis is deepening among young girls in America. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among children aged 10 to 14 in the United States. But a new study has uncovered another deeply unsettling trend: suicide rates among girls in this age group have risen sharply, narrowing the long-standing gap between boys and girls. The study, conducted by an American psychologist at San Diego State University, analysed federal data spanning 2001 to 2024 to examine gender patterns in youth suicide rates and identify areas where prevention efforts could be better targeted. Suicide gap between boys and girls nearly disappears According to the study, the difference in suicide rates between boys and girls aged 10 to 14 in the U.S. had nearly disappeared by 2024. The most striking finding was among girls. The suicide rate for girls in this age group increased almost fourfold between 2007 and 2024. The trend became even more pronounced in recent years. Between 2018 and 2024, the suicide rate among boys aged 10 to 14 fell by 35%, while the rate among girls increased by 13%. What is driving the rise? The study did not establish a single, concrete cause behind the increase. However, its author pointed to smartphone access and social media exposure as potentially important factors. The argument is particularly significant amid growing concerns about the impact of social media on children's mental health. Young girls, experts say, can be exposed to relentless comparisons with peers and influencers, appearance-related pressure, cyberbullying and disrupted sleep. Constant exposure to carefully curated images of seemingly perfect bodies and lifestyles can also affect how young people perceive themselves. Social media and the pressure to fit in For many young girls, social media can turn everyday experiences into a constant cycle of comparison. The pressure to look a certain way, gain approval, receive likes or fit into a particular social group can contribute to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. The study's findings come against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, when children and teenagers spent significantly more time at home and, in many cases, increasingly relied on digital platforms for social interaction. However, the researchers did not conclude that social media alone is responsible for rising suicide rates. Instead, the findings point to a complex problem involving multiple social, psychological and environmental factors. Meta faces growing scrutiny The issue has also intensified scrutiny of social media companies in the U.S. Amid lawsuits and growing concerns over the effects of social media on young users, Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has faced increasing pressure to strengthen protections for children and teenagers. The debate centres on whether platforms should do more to limit excessive use, reduce harmful content and protect young users from online pressures. Why the findings matter The sharp increase in suicide rates among girls aged 10 to 14 is particularly concerning because this is a very young age group. It also highlights the need for gender-specific suicide prevention strategies, rather than assuming that the same interventions will work equally well for boys and girls. Social media may not be the sole explanation for the trend. But its role in shaping children's social lives, sleep patterns, self-image and exposure to peer pressure makes it an issue policymakers, parents, schools and technology companies cannot ignore. The study therefore serves as another warning sign: the mental-health crisis among children is evolving, and prevention strategies may need to evolve with it. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or feels at immediate risk, seek help from emergency services or a qualified mental-health professional immediately.

The suicide rate for girls in this age group increased almost fourfold between 2007 and 2024. The trend became even more pronounced in recent years.

Suicide among girls aged 10–14 in US grows 4 times from 2007: Study

Can BRICS emerge as a genuine counterweight to the West?

As India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, the expanded grouping is attracting fresh attention as the global balance of power undergoes major changes. China, Russia, India and other BRICS members are pushing for greater cooperation across trade, finance, technology and the wider Global South.

The bloc has also discussed local-currency trade and alternative payment mechanisms, raising questions about the long-term dominance of Western-led financial systems. But BRICS is far from a unified anti-Western alliance. India continues to maintain strategic partnerships with the United States and other Western powers, while differences between BRICS members could make deeper coordination difficult.

With Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and other leaders expected in New Delhi, the 2026 summit could reveal how far BRICS can actually go in reshaping the global power equation.

Can BRICS become a true counterweight to the West — or will its internal divisions limit its ambitions?

 Can Brics Emerge as a Counterweight to the West? 

Iran’s nuclear programme is once again at the centre of a growing geopolitical confrontation, as Tehran faces international pressure while deepening nuclear cooperation with Russia.

Iran operates Russian-designed nuclear infrastructure at Bushehr, while further Russian-Iranian nuclear projects are also under development. Iranian officials have described expanding cooperation with Moscow, including work involving nuclear power and radiopharmaceuticals.

At the same time, Iran’s fortified nuclear facilities remain a major concern for the United States and its allies. The heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain site near Natanz has emerged as a particular focus amid the continuing US-Iran conflict.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has also referred Iran to the UN Security Council over its failure to cooperate with a long-running investigation into undeclared uranium traces. Iran continues to insist that its nuclear programme is peaceful.

As Russia deepens its relationship with Tehran, the nuclear question is becoming an increasingly important part of the wider geopolitical contest.

Watch GRAVITAS for a closer look at Iran’s nuclear capabilities, Russia’s expanding role and what this partnership could mean for the future of the region.

Iran's Nuclear Fortress Is Getting Stronger as Russia Expands Its Nuclear Ties | GRAVITAS 

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