&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Latest News India and World LIVE Updates: Dubai Crown Prince meets Flydubai hero Smit Machchhar; Hindu temple in Ohio attacked during prayers")
The Omani co-pilot accused of attacking Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit of a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv has been identified as Hamam Al-Hammami, according to Al Arabiya, citing sources. The identification comes as investigators in the United Arab Emirates examine the circumstances surrounding the September 30 incident, in which the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed Machchhar and attempted to take control of the aircraft.
A British maritime security agency reported Friday that two oil tankers were hit by "unidentified projectiles" near the Strait of Hormuz, marking the latest threat to vessel safety in the vital shipping lane.
The United States is deploying a third aircraft carrier and an additional 9,000 to 10,000 troops in the West Asia as tensions remain between the US and Iran. This comes as the American military is ramping up its military presence in the region as US President Donald Trump weighs the possibility of renewed strikes on Iran after the midterm elections in November. Reportedly, USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group “quietly” left San Diego on Sunday (Sep 27) and are expected to reach the region by mid-November.
The price of Brent crude oil has emerged as a crucial economic metric ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections. The “war premium” linked to the US-Iran conflict is directly affecting fuel prices in America, putting rising costs at petrol pumps at the centre of the political debate
Stay with us for the latest news, breaking updates and developments as they unfold.
Two Iranian athletes have been acquitted of the charges against them by South Korea’s Supreme Court after 16 months of legal proceedings and have left Seoul for Tehran, according to Iran’s embassy in South Korea.
In a statement, the embassy said it had closely followed the case and the two athletes’ situation from its earliest days and had seen them off at the airport as they returned to Iran.
“Two Iranian athletes who endured a difficult time over the past 16 months have been cleared of all charges by a not guilty verdict from the Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea and returned to their home country, Iran, today (October 3). The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Republic of Korea has provided necessary support since the early stages of the incident and personally saw off the two athletes at the airport today,” said the Iranian embassy in Seoul
Dubai Crown Prince and UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum on Saturday (Oct 3) met with Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, the captain of the Flydubai flight who foiled a hijacking attempt by his co-pilot and saved the lives of 180 people on board. Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot, who tried to hijack the aircraft with the intention of crashing it. However, he resisted the attack and bravely fought back. Despite being severely injured, the captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to rush in and overpower the attacker.
India's air force chief has warned that falling fighter squadron numbers and delays in new aircraft programmes will leave the service exposed, and said the force needs the equivalent of almost two squadrons a year simply to stop the decline. Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, speaking at his annual press conference in Delhi, said squadron numbers were already falling after the retirement of the MiG-21 fleet last year. “Everyone understands at this point that our numbers are coming down,” he said. “This time, this delay has become somewhat more, because it is going to hurt us, no doubt.”
A Hindu temple in Ohio was targeted on Friday, with perpetrators hurling bricks at the structure and causing significant damage to the building, said The Hindu American Foundation, an American non-profit organisation.
Twelve people were taken to hospital with injuries on Saturday (October 2) after a bar collapsed in La Rioja in northern Spain, Spanish Guardia Civil said. The bar in San Vicente de la Sonsierra collapsed at about 5:25 a.m. (0325 GMT), when there were around 50 people inside.
Tens of thousands of students and educators protested across France on Friday (October 2), raising demands over degraded learning conditions, overcrowded classrooms, and a shortage of teachers, as frustrations erupted into widespread demonstrations in over 1,200 high schools.
Five people, including four women and a mother and her daughter, were killed in Israeli strikes overnight Friday into Saturday, according to Shifa hospital, where the casualties were taken.
Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh in his annual press conference in New Delhi on Saturday (Sept 3) raised concerns over Pakistan collaborating with China to build 5th generation fighter jets. However, he said that Pakistan has failed to pose any threat 'due to lack of integration'.
Delhi Police have registered at least three FIRs in connection with Friday's (Oct 02) protests by student groups, political parties and civil society activists who attempted to gather at Jantar Mantar and demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Two FIRs were registered at Parliament Street police station and one at Connaught Place police station, police said, as reported by PTI.
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RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra has flagged risks to global financial stability from high asset valuations, rising leverage and a potential slowdown in artificial intelligence investment.
Speaking at the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave, Malhotra said Indian government bond yields had risen “only partially” in response to higher global energy prices and bond yields. He attributed this to fiscal consolidation, credible monetary policy and easing structural inflation pressures.
He warned that emerging markets with high levels of sovereign debt held by non-residents could face capital outflows as carry trades unwind.
Malhotra also pointed to stretched valuations in the AI sector. He said a slowdown in AI spending or earnings could trigger sharp repricing across the AI value chain, while high leverage could amplify market corrections and financial volatility.
He also cautioned that growing leverage among hedge funds, option sellers, ETFs and other non-bank financial intermediaries could increase the risk of spillovers if financial conditions tighten.
Iran has executed Siavash Jamshidi after convicting him of several offences, including firing a military-grade weapon at police during anti-government protests earlier this year, according to the country's judiciary.
Jamshidi was sentenced to death on charges including *moharebeh*, or “waging war against God”, as well as conspiracy and collusion against national security. Iran's judiciary also said he was convicted of offences including fraud, threats, theft, possession of an illegal military-grade weapon, kidnapping-related complicity and intentional bodily harm.
The protests began in December 2025 over grievances including the cost of living and peaked in January. Iranian authorities have reported more than 3,000 deaths, while foreign-based NGOs have accused Iranian security forces of firing on protesters.
Iran has increased executions linked to the unrest. Rights groups Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty said Iran executed at least 1,639 people in 2025.
India scored 211-6 in 20 overs against Pakistan after choosing to bat in the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket gold-medal match in Nagoya on Saturday.
Abhishek Sharma provided a rapid start, smashing a 20-ball half-century before finishing with 61. India reached 100 in just 55 balls before Pakistan's bowlers regained some control and dismissed Ishan Kishan for 20 and captain Shreyas Iyer for 21.
Tilak Varma and Shiv Dube then launched a late assault, adding 62 runs for the sixth wicket in five overs.
India's total is the highest of the tournament so far, surpassing their 169-7 against Sri Lanka in the semi-final. Pakistan will now chase 212 for the gold medal.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Saturday that India has secured the deportation of alleged narco-trafficking kingpin Navpreet Singh from Türkiye in connection with drug trafficking and other criminal cases.
Shah said Singh had obtained Turkish citizenship using the alleged fake identity of Navab Virk and continued to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine to India from Afghanistan. He said Indian agencies tracked him down and secured his deportation.
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Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has urged people to share their stories of “injustice” through a digital platform called 'Satyagraha', aimed at bringing information about protests across the country onto a single platform.
Gandhi said protesters can submit details about their causes, locate similar movements through an interactive map and seek support. He said the initiative draws on Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of Satyagraha.
“People across the country are fighting for their rights and often fighting alone,” Gandhi said, adding that the platform was intended to bring different voices together.
In a video accompanying his post, Gandhi said protests over issues including inflation, farmers' concerns, students and women's safety could be registered on the website. He said people could enter their name, group and details of their protest and seek support from his office.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has vowed to work with the state legislature to close a legal loophole that can make it harder to prosecute rape cases involving people who voluntarily became intoxicated.
Her comments came amid renewed scrutiny of an alleged 2024 gang rape at Cornell University. The woman has filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was drugged with ketamine and sexually assaulted by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity. The criminal investigation was reopened this week, with Attorney General Letitia James appointed as special prosecutor.
Hochul said voluntary intoxication should not prevent prosecution of sexual assault allegations. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said his office did not pursue charges in 2024 because the complainant's testimony did not establish a lack of consent.
Cornell shut down the fraternity and temporarily suspended the students allegedly involved, several of whom were later expelled. James said she would review the evidence and pursue prosecutions if warranted.
The UAE's attorney general said the co-pilot of a flydubai flight to Israel had planned a "terrorist act" and used the cockpit's emergency axe to attack the captain, the official UAE news agency WAM reported Saturday.
The news agency quoted Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi as saying that according to the initial findings of an investigation, "the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist act" and had "attacked the captain in the cockpit with the emergency axe and tried to take control of the aircraft".
The Omani pilot suspected of attacking a fellow pilot aboard a Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight had previously been removed from a role at Oman’s national carrier over concerns about his alleged extremist views, according to a CNN report citing two anonymous sources. The pilot has been identified as 28-year-old Omani citizen Hamam al-Hammami by the sources, an Israeli official and Saudi state media.
US President Donald Trump reportedly attended a secret meeting on Iran and Yemen at Camp David on Friday. The meeting chaired by US Vice President JD Vance was attended by top administration national security aides, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine.
The report by Axios cites three US officials, who said "things were decided, or at least deeply discussed." However, the White House refused any comment in this regard to the media house. The meeting comes amid reports that both the US military and Saudi Arabia are preparing to step up military activity in the region.
Two oil tankers have been struck by "unidentified projectiles" in the Strait of Hormuz region, a British maritime agency said Friday, in the latest threat to shipping in the waterway.
The Hormuz passage, through which a fifth of the world's oil and LNG passed before the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February and sparked the Middle East war, remains at the heart of the conflict.
Tehran has been blocking the passage of commercial ships, firing on vessels it accuses of unauthorised crossings.
Washington responded with a counterblockade of Iranian ports in an effort to prevent Tehran from exporting its oil.
In a bid to ease supply pressures that have caused crude oil prices to soar, G7 countries have agreed to release 100 million barrels of oil and diesel from emergency reserves . The group, including the US, said the move would include a "substantial release" of diesel in the coming days. They also said to refrain from energy export restrictions.
The decision came after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose US ban on diesel exports if the the European Union did not draw down emergency diesel inventories. A ban by US could have sharply reduced supplies to Europe, which has become increasingly reliant on US diesel.
The G7 in a statement released after the decision said member countries had now agreed to "refrain from export restrictions on energy and energy products" on one another.