&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Latest News India and World HIGHLIGHTS: Poland political crisis deepens, US approves Patriot sale to Ukraine")
Polish President Karol Nawrocki abruptly cancelled his visit to Africa while in mid-flight and returned to Warsaw on Friday as riot police were deployed around the country's Constitutional Court. The developments followed the suspension of the court's chief justice amid an escalating political confrontation between the centrist government and the nationalist right.
The Trump administration on Friday (Oct 30) green-lit the sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, the State Department said. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has, however, warned that the deliveries could take years. The approval, which goes to Congress for review, comes after weeks of complaints by Ukrainian authorities that its supplies of the interceptor missiles were dwindling.
A tanker carrying 27 Indian seafarers was struck by limpet mines in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday (Oct 30). The engine room of the Panama-flagged MT LOUISE 1 crude oil tanker caught fire, temporarily disabling the vessel after it was struck by the mines. All Indian crew members aboard the tanker were “completely safe with no injuries”, Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said in a post on X.
Stay with us for the latest news, breaking updates and developments as they unfold.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is open to the country issuing a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade but ruled out financial compensation for its historical involvement.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday (Oct 31) accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of working under the direct instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, as the INDIA bloc held a symbolic 'public impeachment' against him in New Delhi.
Diplomatic efforts to prevent another military confrontation between the United States and Iran have reportedly reached a breakthrough, with an American delegation expected to join Iranian officials for direct negotiations in Doha. According to a Qatari media report, Washington and Tehran have reached an agreement on preliminary steps. This comes amid growing fears that US President Donald Trump is weighing a renewed American military action after the November 3 midterm elections.
EAM Dr S Jaishankar attends the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Atlanta, United States.
At the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting, US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, says, "The Quad is very important to the United States. We must communicate on a regular basis with our partners: with India, of course, and with Japan and Australia. This is the third meeting that we are having at this level, the ministerial level. We had our first meeting in Delhi, a second meeting in Manila, and now this third meeting here in Atlanta. The hope is that this leads to the finalisation and announcement of a leaders' summit at some point among all four leaders. There is so much that happens within the Quad. We have regular touchpoints almost weekly, so there must be engagement at the highest levels as well."
We have some more comments from Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed ElKhereiji at the Manama Dialogue security forum in Bahrain. The Saudi official warned the region was at a critical juncture and said that widening conflict is threatening maritime security, energy supplies and the global economy.
“The kingdom continues its diplomatic efforts, in coordination with brothers and partners, to de-escalate and settle disputes by peaceful means, in a way that preserves the security and stability of the region,” he said, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Thursday accused chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of committing “treason against the nation and the Constitution of India”. He levelled six charges against CEC Kumar over alleged irregularities in the conduct of elections and the revision of electoral rolls.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tells Al Jazeera Tehran has studied a letter sent by United States Vice President JD Vance, calls Washington’s attempt to open dialogue a “positive step”.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday (Oct 31) announced its first list of 40 candidate for the Punjab assembly elections to be held early next year. Prominent names featuring in the list are Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who will contest from Dhuri, Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan from Kotkapura and Minister Sanjeev Arora, who is currently in jail, from Ludhiana West.
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has discussed regional de-escalation efforts in a phone call with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, according to Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has ordered military commanders to ensure an immediate and effective response to any threat, without geographical limitation.
Cyclone Arnab pounded India's eastern coast, leaving behind a trail of destruction across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. As residents deal with the aftermath, the storm's unusual name has also sparked curiosity about its origins and how cyclones are named.
The CBI has filed a case over the alleged diversion of crores of rupees belonging to multiple fixed deposit (FD) and savings account holders in a Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The investigative agency's Anti-Corruption Bureau (Ghaziabad) registered the FIR on Thursday (October 30) after taking cognisance of a written complaint sent on October 23. The complaint was sent by the Chief Manager of PNB's Noida Circle against an employee of the 'Sector Pi' branch and some other account holders.
Police and military units were patrolling around the Arc de Triomphe and other parts of Paris early on Saturday (October 31) as France braced for another round of protests that authorities warned could see more violence.
An incident of an attack on a Class 10 girl student at a Zilla Parishad High School in Rapthadu, Anantapur district, has been reported. The accused allegedly attacked the student brutally with a saw inside the school classroom.
An umbrella body of Meitei groups held a massive rally in Manipur's capital city on Saturday, demanding the chief minister's resignation over continued violence, protection of indigenous people and scrapping the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with militant groups.
The Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported, citing several sources, that "a breakthrough has been achieved in indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran. An American delegation will join talks in Doha to conduct direct negotiations with Iran.
Additional Labour Commissioner Rakesh Dwivedi dismissed claims about labour bonuses circulating on social media as false and fabricated, warning that legal action will be taken against those spreading the fake reports.
He clarified that workers must have completed at least 30 days of work during financial year 2025-26 to qualify, and the company must be at least five years old and profitable. The deadline for bonus disbursement is November 30, 2026.
The clarification comes amid a viral message claiming the Supreme Court ordered a mandated Rs 5,100 Diwali bonus.
Delhi Police has busted an alleged online fraud racket selling health supplements and medicines through a fake website targeting people, particularly Punjabi-speaking residents of Punjab, arresting two persons. Hiten Kumar and Ayush Arya, both 22, allegedly facilitated the movement of money cheated from victims through bank accounts in exchange for a 10 per cent commission.
The case came to light after an Amritsar resident was cheated of approximately Rs 83,257 for products never delivered. Police traced Rs 2,66,437 linked to the fraud and are working to identify the alleged website operator.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu assured residents that the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project will not be forced upon them, reiterating that the government is only seeking cooperation for its Pre-Feasibility Report.
"This project won't move forward without talking to the public," he said, inviting the Adi Bane Kebang youth wing and Adi Students' Union for discussions.
The 11,200-MW project has faced sustained opposition from the Adi community over fears of displacement and ecological damage, with protests turning violent in late September and again on October 23.
Two mechanised passenger boats carrying over 100 passengers collided at Bahari Ghat on the Brahmaputra River in Assam's Barpeta district, leaving several people injured.
The incoming boat reportedly lost control while approaching the ghat and rammed into a stationary vessel that was boarding passengers, triggering panic. Several injured passengers were rushed to Chenga Model Hospital.
Allegations have emerged that neither boat was equipped with life jackets, raising concerns over passenger safety. Further details on the number of injured are awaited.
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit took over as the new Chief of the Air Staff on October 31, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who superannuated after a 25-month tenure.
Outgoing chief AP Singh laid a wreath at the National War Memorial ahead of his final farewell, marked by a ceremonial guard of honour.
Dixit, commissioned into the fighter stream on December 6, 1986, has more than 3,500 hours of flying experience and is associated with promoting indigenous platforms including the LCA Tejas. He has been conferred several honours, including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2026.
Nearly 200 nations struck hard-fought agreements at the UN biodiversity summit COP17 in Yerevan, but the outcome was accompanied by disappointment over missed opportunities.
Delegates cheered as crucial texts were approved in overtime, yet French Ecological Transition Minister Monique Barbut said the result was "not commensurate" with the crisis engulfing the natural world.
The summit sought to revive a landmark commitment to halt nature's destruction by 2030, including protecting 30 per cent of Earth's land and oceans. Ecuador was chosen to host the next biodiversity talks in 2028.
All six Indian seafarers aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged LNG carrier M/T AL MAYEDA are completely safe after the vessel was targeted in a projectile attack in the Persian Gulf on October 30, according to Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal.
In a post on X, Sonowal said that the entire 25-member crew was reported safe and that authorities are continuously monitoring the situation and remain in close contact with the ship management company to ensure the ongoing security and well-being of the seafarers.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor remembered former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on the 42nd anniversary of her assassination, describing her death as a profound personal blow.
Recalling his first meeting with her in 1974 as president of the St Stephen's College students' union, Tharoor said that despite his fierce opposition to the Emergency, her assassination in 1984 still felt deeply personal.
"It took something vital away from our democracy that the political fate of our Prime Minister should be determined by bullets and not ballots," he wrote. He also hailed her triumph in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
Saudi air defences intercepted a drone in the Riyadh region on Saturday, according to the spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis.
"Air defences intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone in the Riyadh region," Turki al-Malki wrote on X, adding that "debris from the interception fell without causing injuries". Malki did not say who launched the drone.
France's Environment Minister Monique Barbut said on Saturday the decisions taken at the UN biodiversity summit were "not commensurate with the stakes" facing nature.
"The progress we failed to achieve here is a series of missed opportunities to speed up our response to the loss of biodiversity," Barbut said in a lengthy statement to AFP, stressing that "nature will not wait for the pace of our negotiations".
Pakistan's military said on Friday (Oct 30) it was "cautiously optimistic" about its mediation between Iran and the United States, in its first interview with news agency Reuters since a high-level delegation visited Tehran this week. Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's chief mediator in efforts to de-escalate the eight-month-old Iran war, has travelled to Tehran twice this month. His latest visit was on Monday (Oct 26), alongside Saudi and Turkish officials.
Asked whether the trips signalled progress, military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of Inter-Services Public Relations, said the repeat visit pointed to some positivity. "The word that we would use is always cautiously optimistic," he said.
Oman said Friday it had rescued 25 sailors from a merchant ship set ablaze in an attack, as Iran reported three oil tankers were halted while crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran has restricted maritime traffic through the strait since the Middle East war erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic.
The narrow waterway, which normally carries about a fifth of global oil, has become a focal point of the conflict, with ships regularly coming under Iranian fire.
Muscat's navy "carried out an evacuation operation for 25 crew members of the merchant ship RITI, flying the Panamanian flag, after it was targeted, which led to a fire breaking out on board," Oman's Maritime Security Centre said in a statement.
The crew members were provided with medical care, the Omani statement said, without giving details.
The Marine Traffic ship-tracking website described the RITI as a crude oil tanker.
US Central Command chief Brad Cooper said in a video released on Friday that US forces had "successfully cleared the strait's internationally recognised primary transit routes of Iranian sea mines".
A tanker carrying 27 Indian seafarers was struck by limpet mines in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday (Oct 30). The engine room of the Panama-flagged MT LOUISE 1 crude oil tanker caught fire, temporarily disabling the vessel after it was struck by the mines. All Indian crew members aboard the tanker were “completely safe with no injuries”, Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said in a post on X.
Though, it was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, four tankers struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz for navigating in the illegal shipping lanes promoted by the US. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said three tankers caught fire after striking mines along what it called an “unauthorised southern route” near the Omani coast. UKMTO reported that an outbound vessel was “on fire” about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab. It comes a day after the US military claimed that it had cleared key routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
The initial three vessels had "switched off all their radar and navigation systems" and disregarded warnings from the IRGC navy, the statement said. The IRGC also said that the unauthorised route through the Strait of Hormuz is mined, and that "vessel owners and crews are responsible for transiting these routes and should not pay attention to Centcom's delusions on social media".
Two Chinese men who admitted trying to recruit US military service members to spy for Beijing were imprisoned in California on Friday (Oct 30). The men, identified as Liren Lai and Yuance Chen, have been ordered to serve 30 months in a federal lockup and to undergo three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to acting on the orders of China's Ministry of State Security.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki abruptly cancelled his visit to Africa while in mid-flight and returned to Warsaw on Friday as riot police were deployed around the country's Constitutional Court. The developments followed the suspension of the court's chief justice amid an escalating political confrontation between the centrist government and the nationalist right.
Dozens of police officers guarded the court's entrance as supporters of the opposition right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS) gathered to protest the removal of Constitutional Court President Bogdan Swieczkowski. The court's official account on X described the development as a 'coup d'etat', while some demonstrators chanted ‘Tusk traitor’ as they criticised Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government.
Several protesters held Roman Catholic rosaries and religious images while saying prayers. Police confirmed that three people had been arrested after attempting to enter the court complex. Tusk's government has been attempting for weeks to remove judges from the Constitutional Court who were appointed by the previous PiS administration, which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023. During that period, the court frequently ruled in favour of Polish legislation over European Union law. The EU accused Poland's highest court of being too closely aligned with the nationalist political authorities at the time.