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After a clip from the wedding of an Iranian cleric's daughter went viral, the internet threw tons of questions at the regime of the Islamic Republic. The clip was from the wedding ceremony of Iran's former security chief Ali Shamkhani. The clip sparked outrage because women in the function, including the bride, were seen wearing revealing dresses. This holds utmost significance as a young woman, Mhasa Amini, was tortured to death in the country for not wearing her hijab "properly".&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/louvre-burglary-sparks-outrage-critics-blame-diversity-hires-for-the-theft-of-the-decade-1761034277502">Louvre heist sparks outrage, 'diversity hires' blames for 'theft of the decade'</a>&nbsp;After receiving the utmost backlash, the close aide of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, defends himself on the grounds of privacy. He also hinted that the video leakage from a private ceremony was a "revenge" from his enemies.&nbsp;In his first reaction to the leaked video, Shamkhani told state media, “As I said earlier: Hey you bastards, I’m still alive,” referencing a quote from Papillon (1973), Iran International reported.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-clarifies-100-000-h-1b-fee-rule-after-lawsuit-check-who-gets-exemptions-and-what-1761025836778">US clarifies $100,000 H-1B fee rule after lawsuit — Check who gets exemptions?</a>&nbsp;The leader posted on X the exact line in Hebrew, hinting at blaming Israel for the video leak. He had previously used the same line when addressing Israel after surviving an airstrike on his home in Tehran during June’s war.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-calls-war-a-strange-thing-says-ukraine-could-still-win-but-adds-i-don-t-think-they-will-1761011313214">Trump says Ukraine 'could still win' the war, but adds ‘I don’t think they will’</a>&nbsp;Reacting to the video, moderate cleric Mohammad-Ali Abtahi denied any wrongdoing as he said it was merely a video of unveiled women in a "female-only" gathering.&nbsp;The wedding, which reportedly took place in April 2024, is further fueling anger among those who believe the regime’s leaders are hypocritical in their treatment of women. Ali Shamkhani, 70, has long been a loyal ally of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. He previously served as defense minister and headed the Supreme National Security Council until 2023.

The clip sparked outrage because women in the function, including the bride, were seen wearing revealing dresses. This holds utmost significance as a young woman, Mhasa Amini, was tortured to death in the country for not wearing her hijab properly.

After a clip from the wedding of an Iranian cleric's daughter went viral, the internet threw tons of questions at the regime of the Islamic Republic. The clip was from the wedding ceremony of Iran's former security chief Ali Shamkhani. The clip sparked outrage because women in the function, including the bride, were seen wearing revealing dresses. This holds utmost significance as a young woman, Mhasa Amini, was tortured to death in the country for not wearing her hijab "properly". Also read: Louvre heist sparks outrage, 'diversity hires' blames for 'theft of the decade' After receiving the utmost backlash, the close aide of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, defends himself on the grounds of privacy. He also hinted that the video leakage from a private ceremony was a "revenge" from his enemies. In his first reaction to the leaked video, Shamkhani told state media, “As I said earlier: Hey you bastards, I’m still alive,” referencing a quote from Papillon (1973), Iran International reported. Also read: US clarifies $100,000 H-1B fee rule after lawsuit — Check who gets exemptions? The leader posted on X the exact line in Hebrew, hinting at blaming Israel for the video leak. He had previously used the same line when addressing Israel after surviving an airstrike on his home in Tehran during June’s war. Also read: Trump says Ukraine 'could still win' the war, but adds ‘I don’t think they will’ Reacting to the video, moderate cleric Mohammad-Ali Abtahi denied any wrongdoing as he said it was merely a video of unveiled women in a "female-only" gathering. The wedding, which reportedly took place in April 2024, is further fueling anger among those who believe the regime’s leaders are hypocritical in their treatment of women. Ali Shamkhani, 70, has long been a loyal ally of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. He previously served as defense minister and headed the Supreme National Security Council until 2023.

The clip sparked outrage because women in the function, including the bride, were seen wearing revealing dresses. This holds utmost significance as a young woman, Mhasa Amini, was tortured to death in the country for not wearing her hijab "properly".

Iran’s Ali Shamkhani defends daughter's 'western-style' wedding, indirectly calls leaked video 'revenge' by Israel

In a surprising turn of events in the political history of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, a conservative veteran long linked with the right wing, was elected as the first female prime minister of the nation on Tuesday. She ended nearly eight decades of uninterrupted male leadership in Japan.&nbsp;The 64-year-old Takaichi won the election after she received 237 votes in the 465-member Lower House and succeeded Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned last month after the electoral setbacks of his party. Her appointment was confirmed by the Upper House and paved the way for her swearing-in as the 104th prime minister of Japan.<h3>Sanae Takaichi's background and political career</h3>Sanae Takaichi was born in Nara Prefecture in 1961 and graduated from Kobe University. Her father was an office worker and her mother a police officer. The background of Takaichi is more modest than compared of several senior LDP members, who often hail from elite institutions such as the University of Tokyo or Harvard Kennedy School.&nbsp;Politics was far from her early life as she was a passionate heavy metal drummer, known for breaking drumsticks mid-performance and always carrying spares. She also enjoyed scuba diving and cars; her cherished Toyota Supra is now showcased in a Nara museum, according to a report in the BBC.&nbsp;Before stepping into politics, Takaichi briefly worked as a television presenter. Her political awakening came in the 1980s, amid tense US-Japan trade relations. Seeking to grasp how Americans viewed Japan, she joined the office of Democratic congresswoman Patricia Schroeder, a vocal critic of Japan at the time.&nbsp;After Takaichi witnessed mixing up Japanese, Chinese and Korean languages and cuisine, as well as observing Japan being often grouped together with China and South Korea, she fought her first parliamentary election in 1992 as an independent but lost.&nbsp;Later, she won a seat a year later and joined the LDP in 1996. Since then, she has been continuously elected as an MP 10 times, losing only once. With this achievement, she built a reputation as the most outspoken conservative voices of the LDP.&nbsp;Including minister for economic security, state minister for trade and industry, and a record-breaking tenure as minister for internal affairs and communications, Takaichi has also held several roles of senior government.&nbsp;Takaichi made her first bid for LDP leadership in 2021 but was defeated by Fumio Kishida. She ran again in 2024, leading in the initial round of voting yet ultimately losing to Shigeru Ishiba. On her third attempt this year, she finally triumphed, positioning herself to become Japan’s first female prime minister pending parliamentary approval.

The 64-year-old Takaichi won the election after she received 237 votes in the 465-member Lower House and succeeded Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned last month after the electoral setbacks of his party. 

In a surprising turn of events in the political history of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, a conservative veteran long linked with the right wing, was elected as the first female prime minister of the nation on Tuesday. She ended nearly eight decades of uninterrupted male leadership in Japan. The 64-year-old Takaichi won the election after she received 237 votes in the 465-member Lower House and succeeded Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned last month after the electoral setbacks of his party. Her appointment was confirmed by the Upper House and paved the way for her swearing-in as the 104th prime minister of Japan. Sanae Takaichi's background and political career Sanae Takaichi was born in Nara Prefecture in 1961 and graduated from Kobe University. Her father was an office worker and her mother a police officer. The background of Takaichi is more modest than compared of several senior LDP members, who often hail from elite institutions such as the University of Tokyo or Harvard Kennedy School. Politics was far from her early life as she was a passionate heavy metal drummer, known for breaking drumsticks mid-performance and always carrying spares. She also enjoyed scuba diving and cars; her cherished Toyota Supra is now showcased in a Nara museum, according to a report in the BBC. Before stepping into politics, Takaichi briefly worked as a television presenter. Her political awakening came in the 1980s, amid tense US-Japan trade relations. Seeking to grasp how Americans viewed Japan, she joined the office of Democratic congresswoman Patricia Schroeder, a vocal critic of Japan at the time. After Takaichi witnessed mixing up Japanese, Chinese and Korean languages and cuisine, as well as observing Japan being often grouped together with China and South Korea, she fought her first parliamentary election in 1992 as an independent but lost. Later, she won a seat a year later and joined the LDP in 1996. Since then, she has been continuously elected as an MP 10 times, losing only once. With this achievement, she built a reputation as the most outspoken conservative voices of the LDP. Including minister for economic security, state minister for trade and industry, and a record-breaking tenure as minister for internal affairs and communications, Takaichi has also held several roles of senior government. Takaichi made her first bid for LDP leadership in 2021 but was defeated by Fumio Kishida. She ran again in 2024, leading in the initial round of voting yet ultimately losing to Shigeru Ishiba. On her third attempt this year, she finally triumphed, positioning herself to become Japan’s first female prime minister pending parliamentary approval.

The 64-year-old Takaichi won the election after she received 237 votes in the 465-member Lower House and succeeded Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned last month after the electoral setbacks of his party.&nbsp;

Who is Sanae Takaichi? The ‘Iron Lady’ and first female Prime Minister of Japan

India’s BrahMos missile, a homegrown supersonic weapon, has become a defining symbol of India’s defence self-reliance and technological strength. (Supersonic means the missile travels faster than the speed of sound—over 1,200 km/h—allowing it to strike targets with extreme speed and precision.) Co-developed with Russia, the BrahMos reportedly played a key role in striking Pakistan’s military bases during the May 7–10 conflict—known as Operation Sindoor—where it demonstrated unmatched precision and power.&nbsp;The BrahMos story began in 1993, when Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, then Secretary of DRDO, visited Russia to explore joint work on supersonic missiles. During his visit, he came across a half-finished supersonic engine project that had been abandoned after the Soviet Union’s collapse due to a lack of funds. Recognising the potential of collaboration, this meeting laid the foundation for a landmark defence partnership.&nbsp;Five years later, on February 12, 1998, Dr. Kalam and Russia’s Deputy Defence Minister NV Mikhailov signed an agreement to create BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between DRDO and Russia’s NPOM, with India holding 50.5% and Russia 49.5%. The venture was established to design, develop, and market the world’s only supersonic cruise missile, bringing together Indian innovation and Russian experience.&nbsp;The first contract, signed on July 9, 1999, included India’s contribution of $126.25 million (about ₹11,110 crores today's price conversion ) and Russia’s share of $123.75 million (around ₹10,890 crores). Work began that same year in the specialised laboratories of DRDO and NPOM. The first successful launch took place on June 12, 2001, from a land-based launcher at Chandipur, Odisha. Since then, BrahMos has been displayed at major international defence shows, beginning with MAKS-1 in Moscow in 2001, marking India’s entry into the global missile arena.&nbsp;Following numerous successful tests, the BrahMos was inducted into the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. It flies at a speed of Mach 2.8 (about 3,430 km/h)—nearly three times the speed of sound. Its success is rooted in India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), launched in 1983 to achieve self-reliance in missile technology. Originally designed for land and ship launches, the BrahMos was later modified in 2013 for air-launch capability, making it adaptable across all major platforms.&nbsp;“The most challenging task,” said S.K. Mishra, former Director General of DRDO, “was to integrate the BrahMos missile on the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet.” The redesign, handled by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), was estimated by Sukhoi to cost ₹1,300 crore, but HAL completed it for just ₹88 crore, showcasing India’s engineering excellence.The BrahMos’ global reputation grew rapidly. In 2024, India delivered BrahMos missiles to the Philippines, marking its first export of the supersonic system. This followed a $375 million (₹33,000 crore) deal signed in 2022, with a second batch delivered in April 2025. S.K. Mishra noted that other countries, including Argentina, have also shown strong interest, demonstrating BrahMos’s global credibility.&nbsp;At present, India has three BrahMos variants—air-launched, land-based, and submarine-launched. The missile operates in two stages: a solid-fuel booster for take-off, followed by a ramjet engine that propels it to Mach 3 speed, allowing it to fly from 15 km altitude to just 10 metres above the ground. Its “fire and forget” principle means that once launched, it needs no further guidance. With a low radar signature, high speed, and massive impact power, it is extremely difficult to intercept.&nbsp;Originally limited to 290 km under Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) rules, the BrahMos’ range was extended to 450 km after India joined the MTCR in 2016. Ongoing tests aim to develop a new 800 km version, featuring an upgraded ramjet engine and improved guidance systems, including an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that works even without GPS, and external navigation through GPS, GLONASS, and NavIC satellites. The new version, expected by 2027, promises greater accuracy and resilience against jamming.&nbsp;Once tests are complete, the Navy can upgrade its existing 450-km BrahMos missiles to the 800-km version through software updates—modifying only the fire-control graphical interface (the computer system used by operators to select targets and monitor launches). The Army and Navy will induct the upgraded version first, followed by the air-launched variant.&nbsp;In March last year, the Defence Ministry signed its largest-ever deal worth ₹19,519 crores to buy over 220 BrahMos missiles for the Indian Navy. About 20 warships, including India’s latest destroyers and frigates, are already equipped with vertically launched BrahMos systems. Following Operation Sindoor, the Defence Acquisitions Council, led by Rajnath Singh, also approved 110 more air-launched BrahMos missiles worth ₹10,800 crores for the IAF.&nbsp;Calling Operation Sindoor a “trailer,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declared that every part of Pakistan is now within BrahMos’s reach, sending a powerful message to India’s adversaries. Speaking on October 18, after flagging off the first BrahMos batch from the Lucknow unit with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Singh described the missile as a symbol of India’s growing self-reliance and technological power.&nbsp;He said, “India believes its enemies cannot escape the power of BrahMos.” Referring to Operation Sindoor, he added, “If India could create Pakistan, it also knows what to do when the time comes,” making his message unmistakably clear.During the same event, Singh noted that the Lucknow facility will produce around 100 BrahMos missiles each year for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, generating a ₹3,000 crore turnover and ₹500 crore in GST revenue. He praised the speed and efficiency of the project, which has strengthened both BrahMos’s reputation and Lucknow’s industrial identity. He also highlighted PTC Industries’ contribution in setting up the Strategic Material Technology Complex, proving that India is moving rapidly toward full self-reliance in defence production with strong private sector participation. From strategic material production to ready-to-fit critical components, India’s entire missile supply chain is now domestically developed.&nbsp;From a vision shared in 1993 to global recognition three decades later, BrahMos stands as a living symbol of India’s innovation, resilience, and resolve. It is not just a missile—it is the embodiment of India’s confidence to defend its sovereignty and shape its future in the modern world.

The BrahMos story began in 1993, when Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, then Secretary of DRDO, visited Russia to explore joint work on supersonic missiles.

India’s BrahMos missile, a homegrown supersonic weapon, has become a defining symbol of India’s defence self-reliance and technological strength. (Supersonic means the missile travels faster than the speed of sound—over 1,200 km/h—allowing it to strike targets with extreme speed and precision.) Co-developed with Russia, the BrahMos reportedly played a key role in striking Pakistan’s military bases during the May 7–10 conflict—known as Operation Sindoor—where it demonstrated unmatched precision and power. The BrahMos story began in 1993, when Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, then Secretary of DRDO, visited Russia to explore joint work on supersonic missiles. During his visit, he came across a half-finished supersonic engine project that had been abandoned after the Soviet Union’s collapse due to a lack of funds. Recognising the potential of collaboration, this meeting laid the foundation for a landmark defence partnership. Five years later, on February 12, 1998, Dr. Kalam and Russia’s Deputy Defence Minister NV Mikhailov signed an agreement to create BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between DRDO and Russia’s NPOM, with India holding 50.5% and Russia 49.5%. The venture was established to design, develop, and market the world’s only supersonic cruise missile, bringing together Indian innovation and Russian experience. The first contract, signed on July 9, 1999, included India’s contribution of $126.25 million (about ₹11,110 crores today's price conversion ) and Russia’s share of $123.75 million (around ₹10,890 crores). Work began that same year in the specialised laboratories of DRDO and NPOM. The first successful launch took place on June 12, 2001, from a land-based launcher at Chandipur, Odisha. Since then, BrahMos has been displayed at major international defence shows, beginning with MAKS-1 in Moscow in 2001, marking India’s entry into the global missile arena. Following numerous successful tests, the BrahMos was inducted into the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. It flies at a speed of Mach 2.8 (about 3,430 km/h)—nearly three times the speed of sound. Its success is rooted in India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), launched in 1983 to achieve self-reliance in missile technology. Originally designed for land and ship launches, the BrahMos was later modified in 2013 for air-launch capability, making it adaptable across all major platforms. “The most challenging task,” said S.K. Mishra, former Director General of DRDO, “was to integrate the BrahMos missile on the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet.” The redesign, handled by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), was estimated by Sukhoi to cost ₹1,300 crore, but HAL completed it for just ₹88 crore, showcasing India’s engineering excellence. The BrahMos’ global reputation grew rapidly. In 2024, India delivered BrahMos missiles to the Philippines, marking its first export of the supersonic system. This followed a $375 million (₹33,000 crore) deal signed in 2022, with a second batch delivered in April 2025. S.K. Mishra noted that other countries, including Argentina, have also shown strong interest, demonstrating BrahMos’s global credibility. At present, India has three BrahMos variants—air-launched, land-based, and submarine-launched. The missile operates in two stages: a solid-fuel booster for take-off, followed by a ramjet engine that propels it to Mach 3 speed, allowing it to fly from 15 km altitude to just 10 metres above the ground. Its “fire and forget” principle means that once launched, it needs no further guidance. With a low radar signature, high speed, and massive impact power, it is extremely difficult to intercept. Originally limited to 290 km under Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) rules, the BrahMos’ range was extended to 450 km after India joined the MTCR in 2016. Ongoing tests aim to develop a new 800 km version, featuring an upgraded ramjet engine and improved guidance systems, including an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that works even without GPS, and external navigation through GPS, GLONASS, and NavIC satellites. The new version, expected by 2027, promises greater accuracy and resilience against jamming. Once tests are complete, the Navy can upgrade its existing 450-km BrahMos missiles to the 800-km version through software updates—modifying only the fire-control graphical interface (the computer system used by operators to select targets and monitor launches). The Army and Navy will induct the upgraded version first, followed by the air-launched variant. In March last year, the Defence Ministry signed its largest-ever deal worth ₹19,519 crores to buy over 220 BrahMos missiles for the Indian Navy. About 20 warships, including India’s latest destroyers and frigates, are already equipped with vertically launched BrahMos systems. Following Operation Sindoor, the Defence Acquisitions Council, led by Rajnath Singh, also approved 110 more air-launched BrahMos missiles worth ₹10,800 crores for the IAF. Calling Operation Sindoor a “trailer,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declared that every part of Pakistan is now within BrahMos’s reach, sending a powerful message to India’s adversaries. Speaking on October 18, after flagging off the first BrahMos batch from the Lucknow unit with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Singh described the missile as a symbol of India’s growing self-reliance and technological power. He said, “India believes its enemies cannot escape the power of BrahMos.” Referring to Operation Sindoor, he added, “If India could create Pakistan, it also knows what to do when the time comes,” making his message unmistakably clear. During the same event, Singh noted that the Lucknow facility will produce around 100 BrahMos missiles each year for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, generating a ₹3,000 crore turnover and ₹500 crore in GST revenue. He praised the speed and efficiency of the project, which has strengthened both BrahMos’s reputation and Lucknow’s industrial identity. He also highlighted PTC Industries’ contribution in setting up the Strategic Material Technology Complex, proving that India is moving rapidly toward full self-reliance in defence production with strong private sector participation. From strategic material production to ready-to-fit critical components, India’s entire missile supply chain is now domestically developed. From a vision shared in 1993 to global recognition three decades later, BrahMos stands as a living symbol of India’s innovation, resilience, and resolve. It is not just a missile—it is the embodiment of India’s confidence to defend its sovereignty and shape its future in the modern world.

The BrahMos story began in 1993, when Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, then Secretary of DRDO, visited Russia to explore joint work on supersonic missiles.

Every part of Pakistan is in reach: The Power and politics of BrahMos

Delhi has claimed the title of the world’s most polluted city, according to a recent report by Swiss air quality firm IQAir. Along with the Indian capital, two other cities from India—Mumbai and Kolkata—also feature in the top 10 most polluted cities globally. Mumbai ranks 5th, while Kolkata comes in at 8th. This worrying data places India at the center of the global air pollution crisis, but it’s not just Indian cities facing this problem. Two Pakistani cities—Lahore and Karachi—also make the list, occupying the 2nd and 4th spots, respectively.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/-operation-sindoor-marks-india-s-strength-and-resilience-says-pm-modi-in-diwali-letter-1761028872913">'Operation Sindoor marks India’s strength and resilience', says PM Modi in Diwali letter</a>&nbsp;As Diwali celebrations continued across Delhi-NCR, the capital woke up to hazardous air quality on Tuesday (October 21) morning. The Air Quality Index (AQI) surged into the ‘severe’ category, reaching an alarming 451—almost double the national safety threshold. Several parts of Delhi, including Noida and Gurgaon, recorded AQI levels of 407 and 402, respectively, while the majority of monitoring stations indicated 'red zone' conditions, marking the air as ‘very poor’ or worse. The pollution levels worsened overnight, following the Diwali festivities, which had already seen air quality deteriorate to the ‘very poor’ category. Areas like Punjabi Bagh topped the charts with an AQI of 999, the highest possible reading, while Narayana registered 611. Other hotspots like Rohini and Anand Vihar reached 500, with Central Delhi seeing 409, and Noida at 392.&nbsp;The timing of this report coincides with the aftermath of Diwali, when firecracker use significantly worsens air quality across India. Despite a Supreme Court ruling that allowed the sale of "green crackers" between October 18 and 21, many ignored the prescribed timing limits, which led to further pollution spikes. The court had set specific windows (6-7 pm and 8-10 pm) for firecracker use, but celebrations stretched beyond these hours.&nbsp;In Delhi, the Air Quality Index (AQI) hit a ‘very poor’ 350 on Tuesday, with some areas, such as Bawana and Jahangirpuri, reaching ‘severe’ levels (AQI over 401). The AQI scale ranges from 0 to 500, where anything above 300 is categorised as hazardous to health. This data highlights the urgent need for stricter pollution control measures and greater public awareness of the environmental and health impacts of firecrackers.

Delhi tops list as world's most polluted city; Mumbai, Kolkata, Lahore, and Karachi make top 10

Delhi has claimed the title of the world’s most polluted city, according to a recent report by Swiss air quality firm IQAir. Along with the Indian capital, two other cities from India—Mumbai and Kolkata—also feature in the top 10 most polluted cities globally. Mumbai ranks 5th, while Kolkata comes in at 8th. This worrying data places India at the center of the global air pollution crisis, but it’s not just Indian cities facing this problem. Two Pakistani cities—Lahore and Karachi—also make the list, occupying the 2nd and 4th spots, respectively. Also Read: 'Operation Sindoor marks India’s strength and resilience', says PM Modi in Diwali letter As Diwali celebrations continued across Delhi-NCR, the capital woke up to hazardous air quality on Tuesday (October 21) morning. The Air Quality Index (AQI) surged into the ‘severe’ category, reaching an alarming 451—almost double the national safety threshold. Several parts of Delhi, including Noida and Gurgaon, recorded AQI levels of 407 and 402, respectively, while the majority of monitoring stations indicated 'red zone' conditions, marking the air as ‘very poor’ or worse. The pollution levels worsened overnight, following the Diwali festivities, which had already seen air quality deteriorate to the ‘very poor’ category. Areas like Punjabi Bagh topped the charts with an AQI of 999, the highest possible reading, while Narayana registered 611. Other hotspots like Rohini and Anand Vihar reached 500, with Central Delhi seeing 409, and Noida at 392. The timing of this report coincides with the aftermath of Diwali, when firecracker use significantly worsens air quality across India. Despite a Supreme Court ruling that allowed the sale of "green crackers" between October 18 and 21, many ignored the prescribed timing limits, which led to further pollution spikes. The court had set specific windows (6-7 pm and 8-10 pm) for firecracker use, but celebrations stretched beyond these hours. In Delhi, the Air Quality Index (AQI) hit a ‘very poor’ 350 on Tuesday, with some areas, such as Bawana and Jahangirpuri, reaching ‘severe’ levels (AQI over 401). The AQI scale ranges from 0 to 500, where anything above 300 is categorised as hazardous to health. This data highlights the urgent need for stricter pollution control measures and greater public awareness of the environmental and health impacts of firecrackers.

Delhi is the most polluted city globally, with Mumbai and Kolkata also in the top 10. Diwali firecrackers worsen air quality, pushing AQI to hazardous levels

The Louvre burglary has blown open a fierce public row in France, with critics arguing that the audacious burglary was made possible because of "diversity hires," a barb reminiscent of US President Donald Trump. On Sunday (Oct 19), four masked burglars pulled off what officials called the "theft of the decade," stealing priceless jewellery tied to Napoleon’s family. Investigators are still hunting the suspects and say they have not ruled anything out, including an inside job, though the evidence currently points to organised crime.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/-king-trump-trump-shares-ai-generated-video-mocking-protestors-amid-no-kings-protests-1760852945951">‘King Trump’: Trump shares AI-generated video mocking protestors amid ‘No Kings’ protests</a><h2>Lourve museum's security shortcomings revealed</h2>The theft has exposed long-running concerns about museum security. Dominique Buffin, 46, who was appointed last September as the Louvre’s first female head of security, has become a target with critics accusing the museum of prioritising optics over competence, and calling for her resignation.Marion Maréchal, an MEP (Member of the European Parliament) and niece of Marine Le Pen, has labelled the incident "ridiculous" and said the museum’s director, Laurence Des Cars, should also step down. She said that the burglary has made France the "laughing stock of the world". She alleged that Cars and Buffin were only hired as "part of a feminisation policy," and must be asked to resign. On X, she said that the Culture Minister Rachida Dati "must demand the immediate resignation of the museum’s director Laurence Des Cars and the security chief Dominique Buffin, whom she appointed – Le Monde was delighted – as part of a feminisation policy."Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/-like-watching-a-living-galaxy-unfurl-beneath-you-shubhanshu-shukla-shares-breathtaking-diwali-spectacle-of-india-from-space-station-watch-video-1761020335036">'Like watching a living galaxy unfurl beneath you': Shubhanshu Shukla shares breathtaking Diwali spectacle of India from space station. Watch video</a>"Evidently at the cost of forgoing competence and endangering the cultural heritage of our Nation," she alleged.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Depuis 24 heures, la France est la risée du monde à cause du vol ridicule des joyaux de la couronne au Louvre. Cette humiliation ne peut rester sans réaction : Rachida Dati doit exiger la démission immédiate de la directrice du musée Laurence Des Cars et de la responsable de la…— Marion Maréchal (@MarionMarechal) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarionMarechal/status/1980251055267913825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Meanwhile, National Rally leaders described the theft as a wound to France’s soul and an "intolerable humiliation," while the justice minister said the incident painted a terrible image of the country where thieves could just “grab priceless jewels”. Talking to Inter Radio, Gérald Darmanin, the Justice minister, said: "What is certain is that we have failed, since people were able to park a furniture hoist in the middle of Paris, get people up it in several minutes to grab priceless jewels, and give France a terrible image."

The Louvre heist has spiralled into a political firestorm in France, with critics blaming “diversity hires” for what they call a preventable failure. 

The Louvre burglary has blown open a fierce public row in France, with critics arguing that the audacious burglary was made possible because of "diversity hires," a barb reminiscent of US President Donald Trump. On Sunday (Oct 19), four masked burglars pulled off what officials called the "theft of the decade," stealing priceless jewellery tied to Napoleon’s family. Investigators are still hunting the suspects and say they have not ruled anything out, including an inside job, though the evidence currently points to organised crime. Also read | ‘King Trump’: Trump shares AI-generated video mocking protestors amid ‘No Kings’ protests Lourve museum's security shortcomings revealed The theft has exposed long-running concerns about museum security. Dominique Buffin, 46, who was appointed last September as the Louvre’s first female head of security, has become a target with critics accusing the museum of prioritising optics over competence, and calling for her resignation. Marion Maréchal, an MEP (Member of the European Parliament) and niece of Marine Le Pen, has labelled the incident "ridiculous" and said the museum’s director, Laurence Des Cars, should also step down. She said that the burglary has made France the "laughing stock of the world". She alleged that Cars and Buffin were only hired as "part of a feminisation policy," and must be asked to resign. On X, she said that the Culture Minister Rachida Dati "must demand the immediate resignation of the museum’s director Laurence Des Cars and the security chief Dominique Buffin, whom she appointed – Le Monde was delighted – as part of a feminisation policy." Also read | 'Like watching a living galaxy unfurl beneath you': Shubhanshu Shukla shares breathtaking Diwali spectacle of India from space station. Watch video "Evidently at the cost of forgoing competence and endangering the cultural heritage of our Nation," she alleged.

The Louvre heist has spiralled into a political firestorm in France, with critics blaming “diversity hires” for what they call a preventable failure.&nbsp;

Louvre burglary sparks outrage, critics blame 'diversity hires' for the 'theft of the decade'

In a significant relief for foreign professionals, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued new guidance on the controversial $100,000 visa application fee, outlining several exemptions. Under the new rules, individuals transitioning to H-1B visa status from other visa categories, such as F-1 student visas, will not be required to pay the fee.&nbsp;Additionally, H-1B holders filing amendments, status changes, or extensions within the US are exempt from the charge, and current visa holders will continue to be allowed entry and exit from the country. The rule applies only to new applicants who are outside the US without a valid H-1B visa. It also includes an online payment option for new applications.&nbsp;The clarification followed just two days after the US Chamber of Commerce, the biggest business organisation of the US, sued the Trump administration over the new rules, labelling it “unlawful," as per the IANS report.<h3>How does the visa fee impact American businesses?</h3>Based on the lawsuit registered in the district court in Washington on Thursday, the plaintiff argued that if the visa fee is implemented, it will affect American businesses and drive them to either dramatically spike their labour costs or hire fewer highly skilled employees for whom domestic replacements are not readily available.&nbsp;It statement further described Trump's September 19 proclamation as “plainly unlawful” and a “boon to America's economic rivals." This marked the second major domestic legal challenge against the new H-1B regulations, after a lawsuit filed by a group of unions, education professionals and religious bodies sued the Trump administration on October 3.&nbsp;Meanwhile, while signing the proclamation in September, Trump had stated that the “incentive is to hire American workers.” This proclamation caused immense confusion as it appears to suggest that it would affect the current H-1B visa holders, who might experience challenges in returning to the United States.&nbsp;The White House clarified on September 20 and assured that this is a “one-time fee” which applies only to new visas and not renewals or current visa holders. Meanwhile, due to a large backlog in approvals and a high number of skilled immigrants, India-born workers received over 70 per cent of the total approved H1-B visas in 2024.

The rule applies only to new applicants who are outside the US without a valid H-1B visa. It also includes an online payment option for new applications. The clarification followed just two days after the US Chamber of Commerce sued the Trump administration over the new rules.

In a significant relief for foreign professionals, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued new guidance on the controversial $100,000 visa application fee, outlining several exemptions. Under the new rules, individuals transitioning to H-1B visa status from other visa categories, such as F-1 student visas, will not be required to pay the fee. Additionally, H-1B holders filing amendments, status changes, or extensions within the US are exempt from the charge, and current visa holders will continue to be allowed entry and exit from the country. The rule applies only to new applicants who are outside the US without a valid H-1B visa. It also includes an online payment option for new applications. The clarification followed just two days after the US Chamber of Commerce, the biggest business organisation of the US, sued the Trump administration over the new rules, labelling it “unlawful," as per the IANS report. How does the visa fee impact American businesses? Based on the lawsuit registered in the district court in Washington on Thursday, the plaintiff argued that if the visa fee is implemented, it will affect American businesses and drive them to either dramatically spike their labour costs or hire fewer highly skilled employees for whom domestic replacements are not readily available. It statement further described Trump's September 19 proclamation as “plainly unlawful” and a “boon to America's economic rivals." This marked the second major domestic legal challenge against the new H-1B regulations, after a lawsuit filed by a group of unions, education professionals and religious bodies sued the Trump administration on October 3. Meanwhile, while signing the proclamation in September, Trump had stated that the “incentive is to hire American workers.” This proclamation caused immense confusion as it appears to suggest that it would affect the current H-1B visa holders, who might experience challenges in returning to the United States. The White House clarified on September 20 and assured that this is a “one-time fee” which applies only to new visas and not renewals or current visa holders. Meanwhile, due to a large backlog in approvals and a high number of skilled immigrants, India-born workers received over 70 per cent of the total approved H1-B visas in 2024.

The rule applies only to new applicants who are outside the US without a valid H-1B visa. It also includes an online payment option for new applications. The clarification followed just two days after the US Chamber of Commerce sued the Trump administration over the new rules.

US clarifies $100,000 H-1B fee rule after lawsuit — Check who gets exemptions and what?

Legendary singer Kenny Loggins has demanded that US President Donald Trump must remove his hit song "Danger Zone" from a bizarre AI generated video the POTUS posted recently. The video in question showed Trump dumping sludge on "No Kings" protestors from a plane emblazoned with "King Trump". In a statement, the 77-year-old singer said he never permitted Trump to use his 1986 hit "Danger Zone" in the AI generated clip. Calling it an "unauthorised use of my performance of ‘Danger Zone'," Loggins said he was not asked for permission and "would have denied" even if he was.<h2>Something with 'sole purpose of dividing us'</h2>The American singer and songwriter said Trump's use of his music was "unauthorised" and noted, "Nobody asked me for my permission, which I would have denied." He then requested that his "recording on this video is removed immediately".Kenny Loggins added that he cannot "imagine why anybody would want their music used or associated with something created with the sole purpose of dividing us."Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/-king-trump-trump-shares-ai-generated-video-mocking-protestors-amid-no-kings-protests-1760852945951">‘King Trump’: Trump shares AI-generated video mocking protestors amid ‘No Kings’ protests</a>"Too many people are trying to tear us apart, and we need to find new ways to come together. We’re all Americans, and we’re all patriotic. There is no ‘us and them’—that’s not who we are, nor is it what we should be. It’s all of us. We’re in this together, and it is my hope that we can embrace music as a way of celebrating and uniting each and every one of us," he said.<h2>White House replies to Kenny Login's statement</h2>The White House, when asked by Daily Beast for its response to the legendary singer, songwriter's statement on the unauthorised use of his performance, merely sent a screengrab. What did the screengrab say? According to the report, it was a screengrab of Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards' 1986 movie 'Top Gun' and had the text "I feel the need for speed". This, as per the publication, could be the Trump administration's attempt to pay homage to the film.<h2>Trump's bizarre "King Trump" video</h2>Trump stoked the political fire on Sunday (Oct 19) by sharing an AI-generated video in which he appeared to pilot a fighter jet emblazoned with the words "King Trump." The video comes amid the "No Kings" protests, which as per reports drew nearly seven million participants nationwide. In the clearly AI-generated video he can be dumping mud or some other unidentified sludge on protesters from the air at what looked like Times Square. The 19-second clip, posted on Truth Social, even showed influencer Harry Sisson getting splattered in the chaos.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/-king-trump-trump-shares-ai-generated-video-mocking-protestors-amid-no-kings-protests-1760852945951">‘King Trump’: Trump shares AI-generated video mocking protestors amid ‘No Kings’ protests</a>

Legendary singer Kenny Loggins has demanded Trump remove his hit "Danger Zone" from an AI-generated video showing the president dumping sludge on “No Kings” protesters. He called it unauthorised. The White House meanwhile responded by trolling the singer. All you need to know.

Legendary singer Kenny Loggins has demanded that US President Donald Trump must remove his hit song "Danger Zone" from a bizarre AI generated video the POTUS posted recently. The video in question showed Trump dumping sludge on "No Kings" protestors from a plane emblazoned with "King Trump". In a statement, the 77-year-old singer said he never permitted Trump to use his 1986 hit "Danger Zone" in the AI generated clip. Calling it an "unauthorised use of my performance of ‘Danger Zone'," Loggins said he was not asked for permission and "would have denied" even if he was. Something with 'sole purpose of dividing us' The American singer and songwriter said Trump's use of his music was "unauthorised" and noted, "Nobody asked me for my permission, which I would have denied." He then requested that his "recording on this video is removed immediately". Kenny Loggins added that he cannot "imagine why anybody would want their music used or associated with something created with the sole purpose of dividing us." Also read | ‘King Trump’: Trump shares AI-generated video mocking protestors amid ‘No Kings’ protests "Too many people are trying to tear us apart, and we need to find new ways to come together. We’re all Americans, and we’re all patriotic. There is no ‘us and them’—that’s not who we are, nor is it what we should be. It’s all of us. We’re in this together, and it is my hope that we can embrace music as a way of celebrating and uniting each and every one of us," he said. White House replies to Kenny Login's statement The White House, when asked by Daily Beast for its response to the legendary singer, songwriter's statement on the unauthorised use of his performance, merely sent a screengrab. What did the screengrab say? According to the report, it was a screengrab of Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards' 1986 movie 'Top Gun' and had the text "I feel the need for speed". This, as per the publication, could be the Trump administration's attempt to pay homage to the film. Trump's bizarre "King Trump" video Trump stoked the political fire on Sunday (Oct 19) by sharing an AI-generated video in which he appeared to pilot a fighter jet emblazoned with the words "King Trump." The video comes amid the "No Kings" protests, which as per reports drew nearly seven million participants nationwide. In the clearly AI-generated video he can be dumping mud or some other unidentified sludge on protesters from the air at what looked like Times Square. The 19-second clip, posted on Truth Social, even showed influencer Harry Sisson getting splattered in the chaos. Also read | ‘King Trump’: Trump shares AI-generated video mocking protestors amid ‘No Kings’ protests

Legendary singer Kenny Loggins has demanded Trump remove his hit "Danger Zone" from an AI-generated video showing the president dumping sludge on “No Kings” protesters. He called it unauthorised. The White House meanwhile responded by trolling the singer. All you need to know.

Kenny Loggins slams 'divisive, unauthorised' use of music in viral 'King Trump' clip, White House responds with trolling

A video showing the daughter of Ali Shamkhani, a high-ranking aide to Iran's Supreme Leader, wearing a strapless wedding dress at a luxurious Tehran hotel has ignited significant controversy. The footage, which surfaced on social media platform X on October 17, depicts Shamkhani escorting his daughter, Fatemeh, into the upscale Espinas Palace Hotel, where guests cheer as she walks in wearing a designer gown with a low neckline. The extravagant wedding, seen as a stark contrast to the regime’s stringent dress codes for women, has sparked a backlash. Critics argue that it exposes the hypocrisy of Iran’s leadership, which imposes severe hijab laws on the public while allowing the elite to bypass them. Shamkhani, who has previously overseen brutal crackdowns on anti-hijab protests, is being accused of double standards.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-calls-war-a-strange-thing-says-ukraine-could-still-win-but-adds-i-don-t-think-they-will-1761011313214">Trump calls war ‘a strange thing’ says Ukraine 'could still win,' but adds ‘I don’t think they will’</a>&nbsp;Masih Alinejad, an exiled activist, condemned the event on X, emphasising the irony that while women in Iran face violence for showing their hair, the daughter of a key government official celebrates in a strapless gown. She accused the regime of preaching modesty while their own families are exempt from such rules. Swedish-Iranian politician Alireza Akhondi also criticised the wedding, calling it a clear demonstration of corruption and privilege. He noted that Fatemeh Shamkhani’s freedom to wear whatever she wanted is a direct result of her father’s powerful position, which he argued had little to do with religion.<h2>Watch the viral video here</h2>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">The daughter of Ali Shamkhani one of the Islamic Republic’s top enforcers had a lavish wedding in a strapless dress. Meanwhile, women in Iran are beaten for showing their hair and young people can’t afford to marry. This video made millions of Iranian furious. Because they… <a href="https://t.co/MAb9hNgBnN">https://t.co/MAb9hNgBnN</a> <a href="https://t.co/WoRgbpXQFA">pic.twitter.com/WoRgbpXQFA</a>&mdash; Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlinejadMasih/status/1979867926162280534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The incident has sparked debate just as Iran plans to expand its morality police force with 80,000 new officers tasked with enforcing strict hijab laws in Tehran. The wedding, which reportedly took place in April 2024, is further fueling anger among those who believe the regime’s leaders are hypocritical in their treatment of women. Ali Shamkhani, 70, has long been a loyal ally of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. He previously served as defense minister and headed the Supreme National Security Council until 2023. Under his leadership, the regime implemented a brutal crackdown on protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022, who died in police custody after allegedly violating hijab regulations. The government’s violent response led to the deaths of over 500 people and the arrest of thousands more, particularly targeting women and girls.

WATCH | Iran's supreme leader's aide faces backlash after daughter’s lavish, hijab-free wedding

A video showing the daughter of Ali Shamkhani, a high-ranking aide to Iran's Supreme Leader, wearing a strapless wedding dress at a luxurious Tehran hotel has ignited significant controversy. The footage, which surfaced on social media platform X on October 17, depicts Shamkhani escorting his daughter, Fatemeh, into the upscale Espinas Palace Hotel, where guests cheer as she walks in wearing a designer gown with a low neckline. The extravagant wedding, seen as a stark contrast to the regime’s stringent dress codes for women, has sparked a backlash. Critics argue that it exposes the hypocrisy of Iran’s leadership, which imposes severe hijab laws on the public while allowing the elite to bypass them. Shamkhani, who has previously overseen brutal crackdowns on anti-hijab protests, is being accused of double standards. Also Read: Trump calls war ‘a strange thing’ says Ukraine 'could still win,' but adds ‘I don’t think they will’ Masih Alinejad, an exiled activist, condemned the event on X, emphasising the irony that while women in Iran face violence for showing their hair, the daughter of a key government official celebrates in a strapless gown. She accused the regime of preaching modesty while their own families are exempt from such rules. Swedish-Iranian politician Alireza Akhondi also criticised the wedding, calling it a clear demonstration of corruption and privilege. He noted that Fatemeh Shamkhani’s freedom to wear whatever she wanted is a direct result of her father’s powerful position, which he argued had little to do with religion. Watch the viral video here

A video of Ali Shamkhani’s daughter wearing a strapless wedding gown sparks outrage, highlighting the hypocrisy of Iran’s strict hijab laws amid elite privilege

President Donald Trump said on Monday (Oct 20) that Ukraine “could still win” its war against Russia — but quickly added he doesn't think it will. He made the comments during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House. When asked to clarify remarks he made earlier at the United Nations, where he claimed Kyiv "could possibly win the war" against Vladimir Putin's Russia, Trump said, “Well, they could. They could still win it. I don’t think they will, but they could still win it.”<h2>Misunderstood Trump?</h2>Trump, when grilled over his earlier remarks and whether he truly believed Ukraine could defeat Russia, claimed his comments were being misinterpreted. Noting that "war is a strange thing," he said, "I never said that they would win it. I said they could win it. Anything can happen. You know, war is a very strange thing."Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-conditional-ceasefire-in-gaza-trump-warns-hamas-says-will-eradicate-the-palestinian-militants-if-1761009401745">'Conditional' ceasefire in Gaza? Trump warns Hamas, says will 'eradicate' the Palestinian militants if...</a>The Oval Office meeting wasn’t just about Ukraine. Trump and Albanese signed a multi-billion dollar agreement on critical minerals and defence cooperation, signalling a strengthening of US-Australia ties even as the administration faces mounting global crises.<h2>Zelensky continues to push for Tomahawks</h2>Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to push for stronger American backing. In an interview with NBC News, he urged Trump to apply “more pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that Putin is “something similar but stronger than Hamas.” Zelensky said he hoped Washington would provide long-range Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep into Russian territory.Trump has left that option open, though he appeared noncommittal after meeting Zelenskyy at the White House last week. &nbsp;"It was good that President Trump didn't say 'no', but for today, didn't say 'yes'," Zelenskyy noted after the meeting which as per reports culminated into a "shouting match".Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-zelensky-meeting-reportedly-erupts-into-shouting-match-as-potus-reconnects-with-putin-1760927147107">Trump-Zelensky meeting reportedly erupts into 'shouting match' as POTUS reconnects with Putin</a><h2>Trump to meet Putin, but Zelensky isn't invited?</h2>Trump, who has made ending the Ukraine war a key foreign policy goal, announced plans to meet Putin in Budapest for a second round of peace talks. The Ukrainian president, who is yet to be formally invited to the meeting aimed at peace in Ukraine, said he was prepared to attend. "If we really want to have just and lasting peace, we need both sides of this tragedy," he said. "How can there be some deals without us about us?" he questioned.

Trump said Ukraine “could still win” its war with Russia but added he doesn’t think it will. He later claimed his remarks were “misunderstood,” calling war “a strange thing.” The comment came as he announced plans to meet Putin in Budapest — without inviting Zelensky.

President Donald Trump said on Monday (Oct 20) that Ukraine “could still win” its war against Russia — but quickly added he doesn't think it will. He made the comments during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House. When asked to clarify remarks he made earlier at the United Nations, where he claimed Kyiv "could possibly win the war" against Vladimir Putin's Russia, Trump said, “Well, they could. They could still win it. I don’t think they will, but they could still win it.” Misunderstood Trump? Trump, when grilled over his earlier remarks and whether he truly believed Ukraine could defeat Russia, claimed his comments were being misinterpreted. Noting that "war is a strange thing," he said, "I never said that they would win it. I said they could win it. Anything can happen. You know, war is a very strange thing." Also read | 'Conditional' ceasefire in Gaza? Trump warns Hamas, says will 'eradicate' the Palestinian militants if... The Oval Office meeting wasn’t just about Ukraine. Trump and Albanese signed a multi-billion dollar agreement on critical minerals and defence cooperation, signalling a strengthening of US-Australia ties even as the administration faces mounting global crises. Zelensky continues to push for Tomahawks Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to push for stronger American backing. In an interview with NBC News, he urged Trump to apply “more pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that Putin is “something similar but stronger than Hamas.” Zelensky said he hoped Washington would provide long-range Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep into Russian territory. Trump has left that option open, though he appeared noncommittal after meeting Zelenskyy at the White House last week. "It was good that President Trump didn't say 'no', but for today, didn't say 'yes'," Zelenskyy noted after the meeting which as per reports culminated into a "shouting match". Also read | Trump-Zelensky meeting reportedly erupts into 'shouting match' as POTUS reconnects with Putin Trump to meet Putin, but Zelensky isn't invited? Trump, who has made ending the Ukraine war a key foreign policy goal, announced plans to meet Putin in Budapest for a second round of peace talks. The Ukrainian president, who is yet to be formally invited to the meeting aimed at peace in Ukraine, said he was prepared to attend. "If we really want to have just and lasting peace, we need both sides of this tragedy," he said. "How can there be some deals without us about us?" he questioned.

Trump said Ukraine “could still win” its war with Russia but added he doesn’t think it will. He later claimed his remarks were “misunderstood,” calling war “a strange thing.” The comment came as he announced plans to meet Putin in Budapest — without inviting Zelensky.

Trump calls war ‘a strange thing’ says Ukraine 'could still win,' but adds ‘I don’t think they will’

US President Donald Trump delivered a blunt warning to Hamas on Monday (Oct 20), saying the militant group would be "eradicated" if it breaks the fragile Gaza truce he helped broker — but he also said he would give the militants a chance to honour the deal. Trump, speaking at the White House while hosting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, framed the Gaza ceasefire agreed on recently as conditional. Here's what he said.<h2>A 'conditional' ceasefire in Gaza?</h2>Speaking to the press, Trump said, "We made a deal with Hamas that they're going to be very good, they're going to behave, they're going to be nice". He added that "And if they're not, we're going to go, and we're going to eradicate them, if we have to. They'll be eradicated, and they know that."Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-insists-gaza-ceasefire-still-in-place-despite-fresh-israeli-strikes-blames-rebels-within-for-violations-1760923155703">Trump insists Gaza ceasefire still in place despite fresh Israeli strikes, blames 'rebels within' for violations</a>The comments came as tensions threatened to undo the ceasefire. Israel has accused Hamas of delaying the return of bodies of hostages and of mounting attacks, while Hamas negotiators insist they remain committed. Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s top negotiator, told Egypt’s Al-Qahera News that extracting bodies has been "extremely difficult," but that Hamas wants the agreement to hold and is working to honor it. "We are finding it extremely difficult to extract the bodies, but we are serious and working hard to extract them," he said in comments broadcast Tuesday morning."The Gaza agreement will hold, because we want it to and our will to abide by it is strong," he added.<h2>Trump warns Hamas against public executions</h2>Condemning reports of public executions carried out by Hamas against rivals and alleged collaborators, Trump said the United States would not lead any ground intervention. He pointed instead to a coalition of countries that have signaled readiness to join stabilisation forces in Gaza, which he said would "love to go in." He also insisted that Israel would "go in two minutes" if he asked them to. "But right now, we haven't said that. We're going to give it a little chance, and hopefully there will be a little less violence. But right now, you know, they're violent people," he added.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gaza-ceasefire-at-risk-us-warns-of-hamas-attack-on-civilians-militants-call-claim-false-say-we-categorically-deny-it-1760860736782">Gaza ceasefire at risk? US warns of Hamas attack on civilians, militants call claim false say 'we categorically deny it'</a>He painted Hamas as weakened, saying its regional backer Iran is unlikely to intervene after strikes earlier this year. "They got very rambunctious, and they did things that they shouldn't be doing, and if they keep doing it, then we're going to go in and straighten it out, and it'll happen very quickly and pretty violently." Trump insisted that Hamas "don't have the backing of really anybody anymore. They have to be good, and if they're not good, they'll be eradicated."

Trump warned Hamas will be “eradicated” if it breaks the Gaza truce he brokered, but said he’ll give them a chance to honour the deal. Labelling the ceasefire as conditional, he insisted Israel would go back in “if I asked”.

US President Donald Trump delivered a blunt warning to Hamas on Monday (Oct 20), saying the militant group would be "eradicated" if it breaks the fragile Gaza truce he helped broker — but he also said he would give the militants a chance to honour the deal. Trump, speaking at the White House while hosting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, framed the Gaza ceasefire agreed on recently as conditional. Here's what he said. A 'conditional' ceasefire in Gaza? Speaking to the press, Trump said, "We made a deal with Hamas that they're going to be very good, they're going to behave, they're going to be nice". He added that "And if they're not, we're going to go, and we're going to eradicate them, if we have to. They'll be eradicated, and they know that." Also read | Trump insists Gaza ceasefire still in place despite fresh Israeli strikes, blames 'rebels within' for violations The comments came as tensions threatened to undo the ceasefire. Israel has accused Hamas of delaying the return of bodies of hostages and of mounting attacks, while Hamas negotiators insist they remain committed. Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s top negotiator, told Egypt’s Al-Qahera News that extracting bodies has been "extremely difficult," but that Hamas wants the agreement to hold and is working to honor it. "We are finding it extremely difficult to extract the bodies, but we are serious and working hard to extract them," he said in comments broadcast Tuesday morning. "The Gaza agreement will hold, because we want it to and our will to abide by it is strong," he added. Trump warns Hamas against public executions Condemning reports of public executions carried out by Hamas against rivals and alleged collaborators, Trump said the United States would not lead any ground intervention. He pointed instead to a coalition of countries that have signaled readiness to join stabilisation forces in Gaza, which he said would "love to go in." He also insisted that Israel would "go in two minutes" if he asked them to. "But right now, we haven't said that. We're going to give it a little chance, and hopefully there will be a little less violence. But right now, you know, they're violent people," he added. Also read | Gaza ceasefire at risk? US warns of Hamas attack on civilians, militants call claim false say 'we categorically deny it' He painted Hamas as weakened, saying its regional backer Iran is unlikely to intervene after strikes earlier this year. "They got very rambunctious, and they did things that they shouldn't be doing, and if they keep doing it, then we're going to go in and straighten it out, and it'll happen very quickly and pretty violently." Trump insisted that Hamas "don't have the backing of really anybody anymore. They have to be good, and if they're not good, they'll be eradicated."

Trump warned Hamas will be “eradicated” if it breaks the Gaza truce he brokered, but said he’ll give them a chance to honour the deal. Labelling the ceasefire as conditional, he insisted Israel would go back in “if I asked”.

'Conditional' ceasefire in Gaza? Trump warns Hamas, says will 'eradicate' the Palestinian militants if...

On Monday (Oct 20), Amazon Web Services (AWS) faced an outage, and thousands of websites and apps were knocked out. The company said it has identified the root cause of the issue and is resolving it. Amazon provides cloud services to government and other users, which include data storage, on-demand computing power, and other digital services. The outage impacted social media apps like Reddit and Snapchat; the disruption in the server impacted users worldwide as these platforms use cloud infrastructure. Even streaming platforms like Amazon's Prime Video service and Disney+ were affected. Perplexity AI, the Fortnite game, Airbnb, and Duolingo also experienced the outage.&nbsp;<h2>What happened?</h2>&nbsp;AWS’s cloud infrastructure manages nearly one-third of the planet’s cloud infrastructure. And the issue was first flagged at 7:11 AM GMT, and it affected 76 services as per the company. Amazon initially noted, “We are investigating increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS services in the US-EAST-1 Region. We will provide another update in the next 30-45 minutes.”&nbsp;Later added, “We have narrowed down the source of the network connectivity issues that impacted AWS Services. The root cause is an underlying internal subsystem responsible for monitoring the health of our network load balancers. We are throttling requests for new EC2 instance launches to aid recovery and actively working on mitigations.”Amazon has said over 65 services have been resolved, and they continue to work to fix the major issue.&nbsp;<h2>Who all were impacted?</h2> From social media users to government and other companies relying on the cloud services provided by AWS were impacted. Even mobile telephone services and messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp were affected in Europe. Lloyds bank in the UK was also impacted.&nbsp;<h2>Here’s a list of apps and websites:</h2>&nbsp;·&nbsp;Snapchat - social media·&nbsp;Fortnite - gaming service&nbsp;·&nbsp;Duolingo - language-learning app&nbsp;·&nbsp;Venmo - payment app&nbsp;·&nbsp;Signal - messaging app&nbsp;·&nbsp;Slack - corporate communications tool&nbsp;·&nbsp;Reddit - social media&nbsp;

 Amazon Web Services outage impacted social media apps like Reddit and Snapchat; the disruption in the server impacted users worldwide as these platforms use cloud infrastructure. 

On Monday (Oct 20), Amazon Web Services (AWS) faced an outage, and thousands of websites and apps were knocked out. The company said it has identified the root cause of the issue and is resolving it. Amazon provides cloud services to government and other users, which include data storage, on-demand computing power, and other digital services. The outage impacted social media apps like Reddit and Snapchat; the disruption in the server impacted users worldwide as these platforms use cloud infrastructure. Even streaming platforms like Amazon's Prime Video service and Disney+ were affected. Perplexity AI, the Fortnite game, Airbnb, and Duolingo also experienced the outage. What happened? AWS’s cloud infrastructure manages nearly one-third of the planet’s cloud infrastructure. And the issue was first flagged at 7:11 AM GMT, and it affected 76 services as per the company. Amazon initially noted, “We are investigating increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS services in the US-EAST-1 Region. We will provide another update in the next 30-45 minutes.” Later added, “We have narrowed down the source of the network connectivity issues that impacted AWS Services. The root cause is an underlying internal subsystem responsible for monitoring the health of our network load balancers. We are throttling requests for new EC2 instance launches to aid recovery and actively working on mitigations.” Amazon has said over 65 services have been resolved, and they continue to work to fix the major issue. Who all were impacted? From social media users to government and other companies relying on the cloud services provided by AWS were impacted. Even mobile telephone services and messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp were affected in Europe. Lloyds bank in the UK was also impacted. Here’s a list of apps and websites: · Snapchat - social media · Fortnite - gaming service · Duolingo - language-learning app · Venmo - payment app · Signal - messaging app · Slack - corporate communications tool · Reddit - social media

&nbsp;Amazon Web Services outage impacted social media apps like Reddit and Snapchat; the disruption in the server impacted users worldwide as these platforms use cloud infrastructure.&nbsp;

Internet services disrupted worldwide due to Amazon cloud outage. What really happened?

Israel said it had received on Monday the remains of another Gaza hostage handed over as part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal. "Israel has received, through the Red Cross, the coffin of a missing hostage who was handed over to the IDF (military) and Shin Bet forces inside the Gaza Strip," a statement from the prime minister's office said.The military and Shin Bet later confirmed the remains were back in Israel, and were being sent to "the National Institute for Forensic Medicine, where identification procedures will be carried out".&nbsp;A senior Hamas official told AFP that the group's armed wing had handed over the captive's remains to the Red Cross after receiving them from the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades -- the armed wing of the Marxist-Leninist movement the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).&nbsp;A statement from the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades said: "In fulfillment of our national responsibility, we... announce that we are handing over the body of one of the Zionist soldiers in implementation of the terms of the agreement."Prior to this handover, Hamas had returned 12 bodies of hostages to Israel, out of the 28 it had pledged to return as part of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

The military and Shin Bet later confirmed the remains were back in Israel, and were being sent to "the National Institute for Forensic Medicine, where identification procedures will be carried out".

Israel said it had received on Monday the remains of another Gaza hostage handed over as part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal. "Israel has received, through the Red Cross, the coffin of a missing hostage who was handed over to the IDF (military) and Shin Bet forces inside the Gaza Strip," a statement from the prime minister's office said. The military and Shin Bet later confirmed the remains were back in Israel, and were being sent to "the National Institute for Forensic Medicine, where identification procedures will be carried out". A senior Hamas official told AFP that the group's armed wing had handed over the captive's remains to the Red Cross after receiving them from the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades -- the armed wing of the Marxist-Leninist movement the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). A statement from the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades said: "In fulfillment of our national responsibility, we... announce that we are handing over the body of one of the Zionist soldiers in implementation of the terms of the agreement." Prior to this handover, Hamas had returned 12 bodies of hostages to Israel, out of the 28 it had pledged to return as part of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

The military and Shin Bet later confirmed the remains were back in Israel, and were being sent to "the National Institute for Forensic Medicine, where identification procedures will be carried out".

Israel says received Gaza hostage body from Red Cross

Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov and US counterpart Marco Rubio discussed preparations for an upcoming summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in a call on Monday, both sides said.Rubio "emphasized the importance of upcoming engagements as an opportunity for Moscow and Washington to collaborate on advancing a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war," Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that he was ready to join if invited, but neither Moscow or Washington mentioned Zelensky in their statements.The Kremlin said earlier it had "no details" about whether Zelensky would attend.Diplomatic efforts to end Russia's three-and-a-half-year invasion have stalled since Trump and Putin met for peace talks in Alaska in August.The two announced last week that they would meet in Budapest for a second round of talks, but it was not clear whether Zelensky -- who was shut out from the previous meeting -- would attend."If I am invited to Budapest -- if it is an invitation in a format where we meet as three or, as it's called, shuttle diplomacy, President Trump meets with Putin and President Trump meets with me -- then in one format or another, we will agree," Zelensky told reporters in remarks released on Monday.Zelensky also criticised Hungary -- Moscow's closest partner in the EU -- as a meeting place.Western countries encouraged Ukraine to sign away its nuclear arsenal at a summit in Budapest in 1994, a defining moment in its post-Soviet history that many Ukrainians now see as a betrayal."Another 'Budapest' scenario wouldn't be positive either," Zelensky said.French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday welcomed the planned summit but said Ukrainians and Europeans should be included.Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Diplomatic efforts to end Russia's three-and-a-half-year invasion have stalled since Trump and Putin met for peace talks in Alaska in August.

Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov and US counterpart Marco Rubio discussed preparations for an upcoming summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in a call on Monday, both sides said. Rubio "emphasized the importance of upcoming engagements as an opportunity for Moscow and Washington to collaborate on advancing a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war," Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that he was ready to join if invited, but neither Moscow or Washington mentioned Zelensky in their statements. The Kremlin said earlier it had "no details" about whether Zelensky would attend. Diplomatic efforts to end Russia's three-and-a-half-year invasion have stalled since Trump and Putin met for peace talks in Alaska in August. The two announced last week that they would meet in Budapest for a second round of talks, but it was not clear whether Zelensky -- who was shut out from the previous meeting -- would attend. "If I am invited to Budapest -- if it is an invitation in a format where we meet as three or, as it's called, shuttle diplomacy, President Trump meets with Putin and President Trump meets with me -- then in one format or another, we will agree," Zelensky told reporters in remarks released on Monday. Zelensky also criticised Hungary -- Moscow's closest partner in the EU -- as a meeting place. Western countries encouraged Ukraine to sign away its nuclear arsenal at a summit in Budapest in 1994, a defining moment in its post-Soviet history that many Ukrainians now see as a betrayal. "Another 'Budapest' scenario wouldn't be positive either," Zelensky said. French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday welcomed the planned summit but said Ukrainians and Europeans should be included. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Diplomatic efforts to end Russia's three-and-a-half-year invasion have stalled since Trump and Putin met for peace talks in Alaska in August.

Lavrov, Rubio hold talks to prepare for Putin-Trump summit in Hungary

US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was visiting the White House, signed a rare earths and critical minerals agreement on Monday (Oct 20). The deal is aimed to ensure a steady supply of the materials as China tries to tighten its control over global supply. Trump also told Albanese that his country would get submarines under a 2021 pact that the US president previously cast doubt on.&nbsp;The meeting comes after Trump threatened China with 100 per cent tariffs earlier this month, citing Beijing’s latest rare earths export curbs.&nbsp;“The submarines that we’re starting to build for Australia are really moving along,” Trump told reporters alongside Albanese at the White House. He added, “We’ve worked on this long and hard, and we’re starting that process right now. And it's really moving along very rapidly, very well.”&nbsp;According to Canberra, the AUKUS submarine deal between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States could cost Australia up to $235 billion over the next 30 years. However, the Trump administration said earlier this year that it had put AUKUS under review to ensure it aligned with his “America First agenda.”&nbsp;<h2>Trump to visit China</h2>Trump also said that he would travel to China early next year and hopes to seal a trade deal in South Korea with President Xi Jinping later this month, despite recent tariff tensions.&nbsp;“I’ve been invited to go to China, and I’ll be doing that sometime fairly early next year. We have it sort of set,” Trump told reporters at the White House.&nbsp;

Trump also told Albanese that his country would get submarines under a 2021 pact that the US president previously cast doubt on.

US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was visiting the White House, signed a rare earths and critical minerals agreement on Monday (Oct 20). The deal is aimed to ensure a steady supply of the materials as China tries to tighten its control over global supply. Trump also told Albanese that his country would get submarines under a 2021 pact that the US president previously cast doubt on. The meeting comes after Trump threatened China with 100 per cent tariffs earlier this month, citing Beijing’s latest rare earths export curbs. “The submarines that we’re starting to build for Australia are really moving along,” Trump told reporters alongside Albanese at the White House. He added, “We’ve worked on this long and hard, and we’re starting that process right now. And it's really moving along very rapidly, very well.” According to Canberra, the AUKUS submarine deal between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States could cost Australia up to $235 billion over the next 30 years. However, the Trump administration said earlier this year that it had put AUKUS under review to ensure it aligned with his “America First agenda.” Trump to visit China Trump also said that he would travel to China early next year and hopes to seal a trade deal in South Korea with President Xi Jinping later this month, despite recent tariff tensions. “I’ve been invited to go to China, and I’ll be doing that sometime fairly early next year. We have it sort of set,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

Trump also told Albanese that his country would get submarines under a 2021 pact that the US president previously cast doubt on.

‘Moving along very rapidly’: Trump, Albanese sign rare earths deal; Australia to get US submarines

A robbery in broad daylight in the iconic Louvre Museum of France has left the country shell-shocked. The theft, which sounds the plan 'right from a Hollywood movie' has exposed how poorly secured the iconic tourist attraction was. The thieves carried out the heist of some of the most prestigious and historically relevant jewels as well as artifacts in under seven minutes in early morning hours of museum opening. Now, a video has emerged of the unfortunate incident which shows a thief cutting through a glass display during the robbery without much fear.&nbsp;<h2>Louvre Museum robbery video emerges</h2>&nbsp;In the video, which has been shared by France-based BFMTV, a thief can be seen cutting through the glass display in the brazen daylight robbery while other visitors just passing by.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Have a look at the video below:</h2>&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Les images du cambriolage du Louvre (document BFMTV) <a href="https://t.co/FciPpaXTMA">pic.twitter.com/FciPpaXTMA</a>&mdash; BFMTV (@BFMTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/BFMTV/status/1979937331399233659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

According to the primary investigation, four thieves were reportedly involved in the heist in which "Two high-security display cases were targeted, and eight objects of priceless cultural heritage were stolen," as per the French cultural ministry. Paris's chief prosecutor Laure Beccuau also told BFMTV that the thieves used angle grinders to break the glass displays and steal the artifacts. Notably, Louvre also houses the iconic Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci among other treasured items.<h2> </h2><h2>What all was stolen in the robbery?</h2> As per a report by Bloomberg, the robbers stole a total of eight royal artifacts which included: a sapphire diadem, necklace, and single earring from a matching set linked to 19th-century French queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense; an emerald necklace and earrings from Empress Marie-Louise, second wife Napoleon Bonaparte; a reliquary brooch; Empress Eugénie’s diadem; and her large corsage-bow brooch.The crown of Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, however, has been found by the authorities in damaged condition near the museum. The crown has 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds and with golden eagles, as per the museum website.

Now, a video has emerged of the unfortunate incident which shows a thief cutting through a glass display during the robbery without much fear.

A robbery in broad daylight in the iconic Louvre Museum of France has left the country shell-shocked. The theft, which sounds the plan 'right from a Hollywood movie' has exposed how poorly secured the iconic tourist attraction was. The thieves carried out the heist of some of the most prestigious and historically relevant jewels as well as artifacts in under seven minutes in early morning hours of museum opening. Now, a video has emerged of the unfortunate incident which shows a thief cutting through a glass display during the robbery without much fear. Louvre Museum robbery video emerges In the video, which has been shared by France-based BFMTV, a thief can be seen cutting through the glass display in the brazen daylight robbery while other visitors just passing by. Have a look at the video below:

Now, a video has emerged of the unfortunate incident which shows a thief cutting through a glass display during the robbery without much fear.

Louvre Museum robbery: WATCH | Thief cutting through glass display in brazen heist

US President Donald Trump, during a meeting in the White House with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, said that no American president has ever ended a war. He claimed he is the first and only to do so. This came after a heavy campaign by Trump and his allies for the Nobel Peace Prize for the US president. Trump has claimed he has ended multiple wars, including the India-Pakistan conflict. Although India has firmly denied any role of Trump in ending the conflict.&nbsp;Trump said to the reporters, “‘Sir, if you solve one more, you’re going to be known as a peacekeeper.’ So to the best of my knowledge, we’ve never had a president that solved one war, not one war. (George W) Bush started a war (in Iraq). A lot of them start wars, but they don’t solve the wars. They don’t settle them, and especially when they’re not, when they have nothing to do with us.”&nbsp;But Trump's claim is completely false. “Like a lot of Trump’s statements, it massively exaggerates what he’s done, while ignoring any history of what other presidents have done,” David Silbey, a Cornell University military historian, told Al Jazeera.&nbsp;Trump said he was focusing on wars that “have nothing to do with us”, and none of the eight wars he claims to have ended have primarily involved the US as a combatant.&nbsp;Here's the truth&nbsp;Former US president Theodore Roosevelt played the key role in mediating peace in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. He even got the Nobel Peace Prize for it in 1906.&nbsp;Moreover, President Jimmy Carter brought Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to the White House to sign the Camp David Accords on September 17, 1978.

Former US president Theodore Roosevelt played the key role in mediating peace in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. He even got the Nobel Peace Prize for it in 1906.

US President Donald Trump, during a meeting in the White House with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, said that no American president has ever ended a war. He claimed he is the first and only to do so. This came after a heavy campaign by Trump and his allies for the Nobel Peace Prize for the US president. Trump has claimed he has ended multiple wars, including the India-Pakistan conflict. Although India has firmly denied any role of Trump in ending the conflict. Trump said to the reporters, “‘Sir, if you solve one more, you’re going to be known as a peacekeeper.’ So to the best of my knowledge, we’ve never had a president that solved one war, not one war. (George W) Bush started a war (in Iraq). A lot of them start wars, but they don’t solve the wars. They don’t settle them, and especially when they’re not, when they have nothing to do with us.” But Trump's claim is completely false. “Like a lot of Trump’s statements, it massively exaggerates what he’s done, while ignoring any history of what other presidents have done,” David Silbey, a Cornell University military historian, told Al Jazeera. Trump said he was focusing on wars that “have nothing to do with us”, and none of the eight wars he claims to have ended have primarily involved the US as a combatant. Here's the truth Former US president Theodore Roosevelt played the key role in mediating peace in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. He even got the Nobel Peace Prize for it in 1906. Moreover, President Jimmy Carter brought Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to the White House to sign the Camp David Accords on September 17, 1978.

Former US president Theodore Roosevelt played the key role in mediating peace in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. He even got the Nobel Peace Prize for it in 1906.

'A lot of them start wars, but don’t solve it': Trump claims no US president ever ended a war. Is he right?

Following a brazen heist at the Paris’s Louvre museum, its management on Monday (Oct 20) denied claims that they contacted a private Israeli intel firm to investigation into the jewel theft at the world-renowned French museum. Earlier, Tel Aviv based CGI Group claimed that the Louvre had sought its help for the probe into the audacious weekend robbery due to its past success in 2019 when it recovered stolen artefacts from a German museum.“The Louvre management denies it,” museum representatives told AFP, without further details.<h2>What did Israeli intel group claim?</h2>The CGI Group claimed earlier that Louvre had asked them to uncover the indentity of the culprits involved in the brazen heist and recover the stolen French imperial jewels.CGI Group CEO Zvika Naveh told AFP, “The Louvre exceptionally asked us to uncover the identity of people involved in the theft and to retrieve the stolen artefacts.”When asked for clarification, Naveh said that the request had come “via an intermediary acting on behalf of the Louvre and other entities, including insurance companies.”However, Louvre’s management has maintained that it had not “contacted anyone” for help into the investigation.<h2>What prosecutor said</h2>The group of chainsaw-wielding thieves who robbed The Louvre in broad daylight may have been hired by a collector, officials said on Monday. A day earlier, thieves broke into the world-renowned museum and fled with eight French imperial jewels–all within seven minutes. The culprits targeted Galerie d'Apollon.Following the incident, French authorities found a 19th-century crown near the museum. The crown belonged to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. It features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds.Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that authorities are investigating whether the heist was commissioned by a collector, reported New York Post. “We’re looking at the hypothesis of organized crime,” she told BFM TV. She added that it was possible professionals were working on spec for a buyer.Beccuau said, in that case, that there was a good chance that the stolen pieces would be in good condition once they’re tracked down and retrieved. She added that it was also possible that the jewels were used to launder profits from other criminal enterprises.

The CGI Group claimed earlier that Louvre had asked them to uncover the indentity of the culprits involved in the brazen heist and recover the stolen French imperial jewels.

Following a brazen heist at the Paris’s Louvre museum, its management on Monday (Oct 20) denied claims that they contacted a private Israeli intel firm to investigation into the jewel theft at the world-renowned French museum. Earlier, Tel Aviv based CGI Group claimed that the Louvre had sought its help for the probe into the audacious weekend robbery due to its past success in 2019 when it recovered stolen artefacts from a German museum. “The Louvre management denies it,” museum representatives told AFP, without further details. What did Israeli intel group claim? The CGI Group claimed earlier that Louvre had asked them to uncover the indentity of the culprits involved in the brazen heist and recover the stolen French imperial jewels. CGI Group CEO Zvika Naveh told AFP, “The Louvre exceptionally asked us to uncover the identity of people involved in the theft and to retrieve the stolen artefacts.” When asked for clarification, Naveh said that the request had come “via an intermediary acting on behalf of the Louvre and other entities, including insurance companies.” However, Louvre’s management has maintained that it had not “contacted anyone” for help into the investigation. What prosecutor said The group of chainsaw-wielding thieves who robbed The Louvre in broad daylight may have been hired by a collector, officials said on Monday. A day earlier, thieves broke into the world-renowned museum and fled with eight French imperial jewels–all within seven minutes. The culprits targeted Galerie d'Apollon. Following the incident, French authorities found a 19th-century crown near the museum. The crown belonged to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. It features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds. Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that authorities are investigating whether the heist was commissioned by a collector, reported New York Post. “We’re looking at the hypothesis of organized crime,” she told BFM TV. She added that it was possible professionals were working on spec for a buyer. Beccuau said, in that case, that there was a good chance that the stolen pieces would be in good condition once they’re tracked down and retrieved. She added that it was also possible that the jewels were used to launder profits from other criminal enterprises.

The CGI Group claimed earlier that Louvre had asked them to uncover the indentity of the culprits involved in the brazen heist and recover the stolen French imperial jewels.

Did Louvre contact Israeli intel firm for help in investigation? Here’s what museum said

As India celebrates Diwali on Monday (Oct 20), Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended his wishes on the festival of lights for the Hindu population of his country. “As homes and hearts are illuminated with the light of Diwali, may this festival dispel darkness, foster harmony, and guide us all toward a future of peace, compassion, and shared prosperity,” Sharif wrote on X.&nbsp;“The spirit of Diwali that embodies light over darkness, good over evil, and hope over despair inspires our collective resolve to overcome the challenges confronting our societies, from intolerance to inequality,” he added.&nbsp;Also, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said on the occasion that the festival of Diwali “reminds us of the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil”.&nbsp;As per a report by Radio Pakistan, Zardari noted that the country's constitution guaranteed equal rights and complete freedom of religion to all citizens. &nbsp;

As per a report by Radio Pakistan, Zardari noted that the country constitution guaranteed equal rights and complete freedom of religion to all citizens.

As India celebrates Diwali on Monday (Oct 20), Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended his wishes on the festival of lights for the Hindu population of his country. “As homes and hearts are illuminated with the light of Diwali, may this festival dispel darkness, foster harmony, and guide us all toward a future of peace, compassion, and shared prosperity,” Sharif wrote on X. “The spirit of Diwali that embodies light over darkness, good over evil, and hope over despair inspires our collective resolve to overcome the challenges confronting our societies, from intolerance to inequality,” he added. Also, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said on the occasion that the festival of Diwali “reminds us of the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil”. As per a report by Radio Pakistan, Zardari noted that the country's constitution guaranteed equal rights and complete freedom of religion to all citizens.

As per a report by Radio Pakistan, Zardari noted that the country's constitution guaranteed equal rights and complete freedom of religion to all citizens.

‘May this festival...’: Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif extends Diwali message. Here’s what he said

On Sunday (Oct 19), Donald Trump while speaking about the deadly attack against the Israeli military in the southern Gaza Strip said the Hamas leadership did not orchestrate it. The US president noted that it was done by “some rebels within”. The Israeli Defence Force has blamed Hamas for the attack. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “As you know, they’ve been quite rambunctious. They’ve been doing some shooting, and we think maybe the leadership isn’t involved in that.”

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said the attack on Israeli forces in southern Gaza was not orchestrated by Hamas, but it was done by “some rebels within”.

On Sunday (Oct 19), Donald Trump while speaking about the deadly attack against the Israeli military in the southern Gaza Strip said the Hamas leadership did not orchestrate it. The US president noted that it was done by “some rebels within”. The Israeli Defence Force has blamed Hamas for the attack. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “As you know, they’ve been quite rambunctious. They’ve been doing some shooting, and we think maybe the leadership isn’t involved in that.”

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said the attack on Israeli forces in southern Gaza was not orchestrated by Hamas, but it was done by “some rebels within”.

Not Hamas, 'some rebels within': Trump comments on deadly attack on IDF troops in Gaza Strip

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected US President Donald Trump's claim on Monday (Oct 20) that the nuclear sites of the Islamic Republic were destroyed in June during the Israel-Iran war. The Ayatollah released a statement and told the American president to "keep dreaming" of destroying the sites. He also questioned the US president's right "to say what a country should or should not have if it possesses a nuclear industry".&nbsp;Last week, during a speech at the Israeli Knesset, Trump reiterated that the US confirmed "obliterating" Iranian nuclear sites during the strikes.&nbsp;"So we dropped 14 bombs on Iran's key nuclear facilities. Totally, as I said originally, obliterating them, and that's been confirmed," Trump said. In a Sunday interview with Fox News, Trump also said Iran "no longer became the bully of the Middle East" after the US strikes, which "destroyed their nuclear capability".

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected US President Donald Trump claim on Monday (Oct 20) that the nuclear sites of the Islamic Republic were destroyed in June during the Israel-Iran war. 

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected US President Donald Trump's claim on Monday (Oct 20) that the nuclear sites of the Islamic Republic were destroyed in June during the Israel-Iran war. The Ayatollah released a statement and told the American president to "keep dreaming" of destroying the sites. He also questioned the US president's right "to say what a country should or should not have if it possesses a nuclear industry". Last week, during a speech at the Israeli Knesset, Trump reiterated that the US confirmed "obliterating" Iranian nuclear sites during the strikes. "So we dropped 14 bombs on Iran's key nuclear facilities. Totally, as I said originally, obliterating them, and that's been confirmed," Trump said. In a Sunday interview with Fox News, Trump also said Iran "no longer became the bully of the Middle East" after the US strikes, which "destroyed their nuclear capability".

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected US President Donald Trump's claim on Monday (Oct 20) that the nuclear sites of the Islamic Republic were destroyed in June during the Israel-Iran war.&nbsp;

Iran’s Khamenei wants Trump to ‘keep dreaming’ of destroying Tehran’s nuke sites

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday (Oct 20) said that his country is preparing to sign a contract with the United States for 25 Patriot air defence systems to help fend off escalating Russian aerial attacks. Zelensky also said that he would be ready to meet with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Hungary, if he is invited.“In coordination with US agencies, we held talks with defense companies on air defense systems and are preparing a contract for 25 Patriots,” Zelensky told reporters following his talks with Trump and American weapons makers.Describing the deal as “a very positive story – complex but long-term,” Zelensky noted that production backlogs remain an obstacle. “These are the 25 systems we need,” he said. “The request comes directly from our Air Force and air defense forces.”Zelensky said that Ukraine is expecting the delivery of the systems over several years, depending the US decisions and production schedules.“The White House can move us up in the queue if there is political will,” he said, adding that some European NATO members could help speed deliveries. He added that if allied coordination succeeds, Washington could also allow Ukraine to use US-owned systems stationed in Europe.The Ukrainian president added that Kyiv may receive Tomahawk long-range missiles from European allies if a political decision is reached.“European countries also have Tomahawks,” he said. “The issue is not only which weapons you have, but how you can use them.” He added that many EU leaders back the idea and plan to speak directly with Trump regarding it.“We are in constant contact with national security advisers in European countries and are forming a joint position,” he said. He added that Trump is currently seeking to avoid any escalation with Russia ahead of potential negotiations.

Describing the deal as “a very positive story – complex but long-term,” Zelensky noted that production backlogs remain an obstacle.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday (Oct 20) said that his country is preparing to sign a contract with the United States for 25 Patriot air defence systems to help fend off escalating Russian aerial attacks. Zelensky also said that he would be ready to meet with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Hungary, if he is invited. “In coordination with US agencies, we held talks with defense companies on air defense systems and are preparing a contract for 25 Patriots,” Zelensky told reporters following his talks with Trump and American weapons makers. Describing the deal as “a very positive story – complex but long-term,” Zelensky noted that production backlogs remain an obstacle. “These are the 25 systems we need,” he said. “The request comes directly from our Air Force and air defense forces.” Zelensky said that Ukraine is expecting the delivery of the systems over several years, depending the US decisions and production schedules. “The White House can move us up in the queue if there is political will,” he said, adding that some European NATO members could help speed deliveries. He added that if allied coordination succeeds, Washington could also allow Ukraine to use US-owned systems stationed in Europe. The Ukrainian president added that Kyiv may receive Tomahawk long-range missiles from European allies if a political decision is reached. “European countries also have Tomahawks,” he said. “The issue is not only which weapons you have, but how you can use them.” He added that many EU leaders back the idea and plan to speak directly with Trump regarding it. “We are in constant contact with national security advisers in European countries and are forming a joint position,” he said. He added that Trump is currently seeking to avoid any escalation with Russia ahead of potential negotiations.

Describing the deal as “a very positive story – complex but long-term,” Zelensky noted that production backlogs remain an obstacle.

Ukraine to get 25 Patriot systems, Tomahawks? Here’s what Zelensky says

India's High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh K. Patnaik has emphasised a renewed focus on rebuilding trust through robust security dialogues between the two nations. Speaking to Canada's CTV news, as both countries work towards a reset in ties, Patnaik highlighted ongoing talks between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), as well as meetings between the countries' National Security Advisers (NSAs), as key steps toward building trust. "Both sides lost trust. We lost trust because we felt there was an allegation without any substance. There was a trust&nbsp;deficit on the other side. Both of us need to build the trust back, and I think we have started doing that", the new Indian high commissioner said.&nbsp;Remember, India-Canada ties deteriorated under Trudeau, who under his Prime Ministership alleged Indian involvement in the 2023 killing of India listed Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Delhi saw the action as part of Trudeau's domestic vote bank politics with support to Khalistani extremists. This led to diplomatic expulsions, reduction of diplomatic staff and suspension of trade talks.&nbsp;The Indian High Commissioner, on the ongoing security dialogue said, "what we are talking about now are the different security scenarios that are happening&nbsp;in this country, security scenarios where there is a group of people who are actually terrorizing, keeping the relationship under hostage. How do we deal with them? How do we deal with the law and order situation... We already have the Babar Khalsa etc..under proscription in this country. So how do we deal with the entire security situation? How do we deal with sovereignty issues, how do we deal with territorial integrity issues? How do we deal with criminal activities?". The Canadian government, through recent CSIS intelligence and Finance Ministry reports, has acknowledged Khalistani extremists using Canada for fundraising and planning violence against India. This marks a shift, validating India's concerns and prompting calls for enhanced security measures.&nbsp;He pointed, that he finds it "strange that a high commissioner here has to be under protection. I'm under protection. I should not be under protection in a country like this, if you think it's safe, why am I under protection?" . He linked this to escalating incidents, such as the repeated attacks on Indian-owned businesses, including shots fired at a Vancouver restaurant for the third time. "Indians are feeling South Asians, and Indians are feeling unsafe here... Do we need to target that? We do need to make sure that they feel safe." Khalistani extremists have in the past issued threats to Indian high commissioner and Indian diplomats in Canada, and held protests in front of the Indian diplomatic mission in the North American country.&nbsp;Earlier this month Canadian FM Anita Anand had visited India for talks with EAM Dr S Jaishankar, just days after both ministers met in New York. The foreign ministers during the Delhi meeting agreed on a "New Roadmap" to deepen cooperation in trade, AI, critical minerals, energy, and more. In June, new Canada PM Carney invited PM Modi for the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta and held talks that paved the way for the re-set in talks.

India's High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh K. Patnaik has emphasised a renewed focus on rebuilding trust through robust security dialogues between the two nations.

India's High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh K. Patnaik has emphasised a renewed focus on rebuilding trust through robust security dialogues between the two nations. Speaking to Canada's CTV news, as both countries work towards a reset in ties, Patnaik highlighted ongoing talks between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), as well as meetings between the countries' National Security Advisers (NSAs), as key steps toward building trust. "Both sides lost trust. We lost trust because we felt there was an allegation without any substance. There was a trust deficit on the other side. Both of us need to build the trust back, and I think we have started doing that", the new Indian high commissioner said. Remember, India-Canada ties deteriorated under Trudeau, who under his Prime Ministership alleged Indian involvement in the 2023 killing of India listed Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Delhi saw the action as part of Trudeau's domestic vote bank politics with support to Khalistani extremists. This led to diplomatic expulsions, reduction of diplomatic staff and suspension of trade talks. The Indian High Commissioner, on the ongoing security dialogue said, "what we are talking about now are the different security scenarios that are happening in this country, security scenarios where there is a group of people who are actually terrorizing, keeping the relationship under hostage. How do we deal with them? How do we deal with the law and order situation... We already have the Babar Khalsa etc..under proscription in this country. So how do we deal with the entire security situation? How do we deal with sovereignty issues, how do we deal with territorial integrity issues? How do we deal with criminal activities?". The Canadian government, through recent CSIS intelligence and Finance Ministry reports, has acknowledged Khalistani extremists using Canada for fundraising and planning violence against India. This marks a shift, validating India's concerns and prompting calls for enhanced security measures. He pointed, that he finds it "strange that a high commissioner here has to be under protection. I'm under protection. I should not be under protection in a country like this, if you think it's safe, why am I under protection?" . He linked this to escalating incidents, such as the repeated attacks on Indian-owned businesses, including shots fired at a Vancouver restaurant for the third time. "Indians are feeling South Asians, and Indians are feeling unsafe here... Do we need to target that? We do need to make sure that they feel safe." Khalistani extremists have in the past issued threats to Indian high commissioner and Indian diplomats in Canada, and held protests in front of the Indian diplomatic mission in the North American country. Earlier this month Canadian FM Anita Anand had visited India for talks with EAM Dr S Jaishankar, just days after both ministers met in New York. The foreign ministers during the Delhi meeting agreed on a "New Roadmap" to deepen cooperation in trade, AI, critical minerals, energy, and more. In June, new Canada PM Carney invited PM Modi for the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta and held talks that paved the way for the re-set in talks.

India's High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh K. Patnaik has emphasised a renewed focus on rebuilding trust through robust security dialogues between the two nations.

India-Canada ties thaw but key focus on security dialogue, says Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Patnaik

The group of chainsaw-wielding thieves who robbed The Louvre in broad daylight may have been hired by a collector, officials said. A day earlier, thieves broke into the world-renowned museum and fled with eight French imperial jewels–all within seven minutes. The culprits targeted Galerie d'Apollon, the officials said. Following the incident, French authorities found a 19th-century crown near the museum. The crown belonged to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. It features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds.Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that authorities are investigating whether the heist was commissioned by a collector, reported New York Post. “We’re looking at the hypothesis of organized crime,” she told BFM TV. She added that it was possible professionals were working on spec for a buyer.Beccuau said, in that case, that there was a good chance that the stolen pieces would be in good condition once they’re tracked down and retrieved. She added that it was also possible that the jewels were used to launder profits from other criminal enterprises.“Nowadays, anything can be linked to drug trafficking, given the significant sums of money obtained from drug trafficking,” she said.Beccuau noted that while investigators were keeping all angles open for the crime but foreign interference had been largely ruled out.The Louvre museum remained closed on Monday (Oct 20), second day after the brazen theft. A team of 60 investigators are on a manhunt to catch the thieves who fled with eight items from the world-renowned museum.Meanwhile, France’s Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday admitted lapses in the security of the museum that led to robbers gaining entry and fleeing with imperial jewels in broad daylight.“What is certain is that we have failed, since people were able to park a furniture hoist in the middle of Paris, get people up it in several minutes to grab priceless jewels and give France a terrible image,” he told France Inter radio.Four thieves wielding power tools raided the Louvre in just seven minutes around 9:30 am and fled with some of the country’s priceless crown jewels. The museum had just opened minutes before at 9:00 am.According to the culture ministry, “Two high-security display cases were targeted, and eight objects of invaluable cultural heritage were stolen.” The largest museum in the world is home to world-famous art spectacles, including the Mona Lisa.

Beccuau noted that while investigators were keeping all angles open for the crime but foreign interference had been largely ruled out.

The group of chainsaw-wielding thieves who robbed The Louvre in broad daylight may have been hired by a collector, officials said. A day earlier, thieves broke into the world-renowned museum and fled with eight French imperial jewels–all within seven minutes. The culprits targeted Galerie d'Apollon, the officials said. Following the incident, French authorities found a 19th-century crown near the museum. The crown belonged to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. It features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds. Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that authorities are investigating whether the heist was commissioned by a collector, reported New York Post. “We’re looking at the hypothesis of organized crime,” she told BFM TV. She added that it was possible professionals were working on spec for a buyer. Beccuau said, in that case, that there was a good chance that the stolen pieces would be in good condition once they’re tracked down and retrieved. She added that it was also possible that the jewels were used to launder profits from other criminal enterprises. “Nowadays, anything can be linked to drug trafficking, given the significant sums of money obtained from drug trafficking,” she said. Beccuau noted that while investigators were keeping all angles open for the crime but foreign interference had been largely ruled out. The Louvre museum remained closed on Monday (Oct 20), second day after the brazen theft. A team of 60 investigators are on a manhunt to catch the thieves who fled with eight items from the world-renowned museum. Meanwhile, France’s Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday admitted lapses in the security of the museum that led to robbers gaining entry and fleeing with imperial jewels in broad daylight. “What is certain is that we have failed, since people were able to park a furniture hoist in the middle of Paris, get people up it in several minutes to grab priceless jewels and give France a terrible image,” he told France Inter radio. Four thieves wielding power tools raided the Louvre in just seven minutes around 9:30 am and fled with some of the country’s priceless crown jewels. The museum had just opened minutes before at 9:00 am. According to the culture ministry, “Two high-security display cases were targeted, and eight objects of invaluable cultural heritage were stolen.” The largest museum in the world is home to world-famous art spectacles, including the Mona Lisa.

Beccuau noted that while investigators were keeping all angles open for the crime but foreign interference had been largely ruled out.

Was Louvre heist commissioned by collector? What we know about brazen crime

European Union member states on Monday reached an agreement to completely phase out their remaining gas imports from Russia by the end of 2027, marking a significant move to end the bloc's reliance on Moscow amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The proposal was approved by the European Commission in Luxembourg to gradually phase out both pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia, pending approval from the European Parliament.&nbsp;The Energy Minister of Denmark, Lars Aagaard, who holds the European Union's rotating presidency, hailed the move as a "crucial" step to make Europe energy self-reliant. The proposal is a part of a wider EU strategy to avoid the bloc's dependency on Russian energy supplies. "Although we have worked hard and pushed to get Russian gas and oil out of Europe in recent years, we are not there yet," Aagaard said, news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;The commission is also advocating for liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia to be halted a year earlier, by January 2027, under a new sanctions package designed to weaken the war finances of Russia against Ukraine. However, such sanctions require unanimous consent from all 27 EU member states, a consensus that has often proven difficult to achieve.<h3>What do the new contracts say?</h3>Monday’s trade restrictions, by contrast, only needed the approval of a weighted majority, at least 15 member states. According to diplomats, all nations except Hungary and Slovakia backed the decision as both nations maintain closer ties with the Kremlin and continue to receive Russian gas through pipelines.&nbsp;"The real impact of this regulation is that our safe supply of energy in Hungary is going to be killed," said Budapest's top diplomat, Peter Szijjarto. His government stated that the landlocked country requires importing gas from Russia due to geographical constraints.&nbsp;Based on the approved proposal on Monday, which is most likely to also win the support of the European Parliament, Russian gas imports will be banned as of January 1, 2026, under new contracts. However, the current agreements will be given a transition period, allowing gas deliveries under short-term contracts until 17 June next year and under long-term contracts until 1 January 2028.&nbsp;While pipeline gas imports from Russia have significantly declined since the start of the Ukraine invasion, several European nations have boosted their intake of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipped by sea. As of 2025, Russian gas is still estimated to make up about 13 per cent of the EU’s total imports, valued at more than 15 billion euros annually, according to EU officials in Brussels.

The Energy Minister of Denmark, Lars Aagaard, who holds the European Union's rotating presidency, hailed the move as a "crucial" step to make Europe energy self-reliant. The proposal is a part of a wider EU strategy to avoid the bloc's dependency on Russian energy supplies.

European Union member states on Monday reached an agreement to completely phase out their remaining gas imports from Russia by the end of 2027, marking a significant move to end the bloc's reliance on Moscow amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The proposal was approved by the European Commission in Luxembourg to gradually phase out both pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia, pending approval from the European Parliament. The Energy Minister of Denmark, Lars Aagaard, who holds the European Union's rotating presidency, hailed the move as a "crucial" step to make Europe energy self-reliant. The proposal is a part of a wider EU strategy to avoid the bloc's dependency on Russian energy supplies. "Although we have worked hard and pushed to get Russian gas and oil out of Europe in recent years, we are not there yet," Aagaard said, news agency AFP reported. The commission is also advocating for liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia to be halted a year earlier, by January 2027, under a new sanctions package designed to weaken the war finances of Russia against Ukraine. However, such sanctions require unanimous consent from all 27 EU member states, a consensus that has often proven difficult to achieve. What do the new contracts say? Monday’s trade restrictions, by contrast, only needed the approval of a weighted majority, at least 15 member states. According to diplomats, all nations except Hungary and Slovakia backed the decision as both nations maintain closer ties with the Kremlin and continue to receive Russian gas through pipelines. "The real impact of this regulation is that our safe supply of energy in Hungary is going to be killed," said Budapest's top diplomat, Peter Szijjarto. His government stated that the landlocked country requires importing gas from Russia due to geographical constraints. Based on the approved proposal on Monday, which is most likely to also win the support of the European Parliament, Russian gas imports will be banned as of January 1, 2026, under new contracts. However, the current agreements will be given a transition period, allowing gas deliveries under short-term contracts until 17 June next year and under long-term contracts until 1 January 2028. While pipeline gas imports from Russia have significantly declined since the start of the Ukraine invasion, several European nations have boosted their intake of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipped by sea. As of 2025, Russian gas is still estimated to make up about 13 per cent of the EU’s total imports, valued at more than 15 billion euros annually, according to EU officials in Brussels.

The Energy Minister of Denmark, Lars Aagaard, who holds the European Union's rotating presidency, hailed the move as a "crucial" step to make Europe energy self-reliant. The proposal is a part of a wider EU strategy to avoid the bloc's dependency on Russian energy supplies.

No more Russian gas! EU to end remaining gas imports from Moscow by 2027 — Here's why?

The Louvre museum remained closed on Monday (Oct 20) following a brazen theft after thieves broke in and stole priceless jewels in broad daylight. A team of 60 investigators are on a manhunt to catch the thieves who fled with eight items from the world-renowned museum. The culprits targeted Galerie d'Apollon, which houses the French crown jewels, and committed the robbery within seven minutes. Following the incident, French authorities found a 19th-century crown near the museum. The crown belonged to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. It features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds.“Following yesterday's robbery at the Louvre, the museum regrets to inform you that it will remain closed to the public today,” the museum said on its website.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/louvre-robbery-crown-with-1-354-diamonds-56-emeralds-found-broken-near-paris-museum-1760882905837">Louvre robbery: Crown with 1,354 diamonds, 56 emeralds found broken near Paris museum</a>Shortly before the announcement, queues of impatient visitors were seen making their way across the museum’s pyramid courtyard and under the tall arches of the main entrance gallery.France’s Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday admitted lapses in the security of the museum that led to robbers gaining entry and fleeing with imperial jewels in broad daylight.“What is certain is that we have failed, since people were able to park a furniture hoist in the middle of Paris, get people up it in several minutes to grab priceless jewels and give France a terrible image,” he told France Inter radio.Four thieves wielding power tools raided the Louvre in just seven minutes around 9:30 am and fled with some of the country’s priceless crown jewels. The museum had just opened minutes before at 9:00 am.According to the culture ministry, “Two high-security display cases were targeted, and eight objects of invaluable cultural heritage were stolen.” The largest museum in the world is home to world-famous art spectacles, including the Mona Lisa.&nbsp;

France’s Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday admitted lapses in the security of the museum that led to robbers gaining entry and fleeing with imperial jewels in broad daylight.

The Louvre museum remained closed on Monday (Oct 20) following a brazen theft after thieves broke in and stole priceless jewels in broad daylight. A team of 60 investigators are on a manhunt to catch the thieves who fled with eight items from the world-renowned museum. The culprits targeted Galerie d'Apollon, which houses the French crown jewels, and committed the robbery within seven minutes. Following the incident, French authorities found a 19th-century crown near the museum. The crown belonged to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. It features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds. “Following yesterday's robbery at the Louvre, the museum regrets to inform you that it will remain closed to the public today,” the museum said on its website. Also read | Louvre robbery: Crown with 1,354 diamonds, 56 emeralds found broken near Paris museum Shortly before the announcement, queues of impatient visitors were seen making their way across the museum’s pyramid courtyard and under the tall arches of the main entrance gallery. France’s Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday admitted lapses in the security of the museum that led to robbers gaining entry and fleeing with imperial jewels in broad daylight. “What is certain is that we have failed, since people were able to park a furniture hoist in the middle of Paris, get people up it in several minutes to grab priceless jewels and give France a terrible image,” he told France Inter radio. Four thieves wielding power tools raided the Louvre in just seven minutes around 9:30 am and fled with some of the country’s priceless crown jewels. The museum had just opened minutes before at 9:00 am. According to the culture ministry, “Two high-security display cases were targeted, and eight objects of invaluable cultural heritage were stolen.” The largest museum in the world is home to world-famous art spectacles, including the Mona Lisa.

France’s Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday admitted lapses in the security of the museum that led to robbers gaining entry and fleeing with imperial jewels in broad daylight.

Louvre robbery: Museum remains closed on second day following brazen heist; justice minister admits security lapse

On Monday (October 20), a major disruption hit a range of widely-used online services, including Amazon's cloud platform AWS, Robinhood, Snapchat, and Perplexity AI. The issue, tracked by Downdetector, appeared to stem from AWS, which supports much of the internet's infrastructure. According to Downdetector, over 2,000 reports of AWS outages emerged across the United States, with users struggling to access a variety of apps and services. Even Amazon’s own platforms, such as Amazon.com, Prime Video, and Alexa, faced connectivity problems.&nbsp;Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI, confirmed that the disruptions were directly linked to issues with AWS, which led to temporary interruptions in their operations. Other popular services also experienced sporadic outages, including Venmo, the peer-to-peer payments app from PayPal. AWS in a statement said, "We can confirm increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS Services in the US-EAST-1 Region. This issue may also be affecting Case Creation through the AWS Support Center or the Support API. We are actively engaged and working to both mitigate the issue and understand root cause."&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/louvre-from-a-medieval-fortress-to-the-world-s-most-iconic-museum-know-its-history-and-significance-1760940102282">Louvre: From a medieval fortress to the world’s most iconic museum. Know its history and significance</a>&nbsp;The ripple effect was widespread, affecting numerous platforms that depend on AWS, including Canvas by Instructure, Crunchyroll, Roblox, Whatnot, Rainbow Six Siege, Coinbase, Canva, Duolingo, Goodreads, Ring, The New York Times, Life360, Fortnite, Apple TV, Verizon, Chime, McDonald’s App, CollegeBoard, Wordle, and PUBG Battlegrounds.Although some platforms have started to recover, users continued to report issues well into the afternoon. As of now, Amazon has not issued an official statement on the cause or duration of the outage.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/are-chatbots-the-new-spiritual-gurus-how-ai-is-shaping-modern-worship-and-beyond-1760944885345">Are chatbots the new spiritual gurus? How AI is shaping modern worship&nbsp;and&nbsp;beyond</a><h2>Here is the list of sites, apps affected</h2>Amazon.com Prime Video Alexa Robinhood Snapchat Perplexity AI Venmo Canvas by Instructure Crunchyroll Roblox Whatnot Rainbow Six Siege Coinbase Canva Duolingo Goodreads Ring The New York Times Life360 Fortnite Apple TV Verizon Chime McDonald’s App CollegeBoard Wordle PUBG Battlegrounds

Massive AWS outage disrupts multiple popular apps, including Amazon. Check the whole list here

On Monday (October 20), a major disruption hit a range of widely-used online services, including Amazon's cloud platform AWS, Robinhood, Snapchat, and Perplexity AI. The issue, tracked by Downdetector, appeared to stem from AWS, which supports much of the internet's infrastructure. According to Downdetector, over 2,000 reports of AWS outages emerged across the United States, with users struggling to access a variety of apps and services. Even Amazon’s own platforms, such as Amazon.com, Prime Video, and Alexa, faced connectivity problems. Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI, confirmed that the disruptions were directly linked to issues with AWS, which led to temporary interruptions in their operations. Other popular services also experienced sporadic outages, including Venmo, the peer-to-peer payments app from PayPal. AWS in a statement said, "We can confirm increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS Services in the US-EAST-1 Region. This issue may also be affecting Case Creation through the AWS Support Center or the Support API. We are actively engaged and working to both mitigate the issue and understand root cause." Also Read: Louvre: From a medieval fortress to the world’s most iconic museum. Know its history and significance The ripple effect was widespread, affecting numerous platforms that depend on AWS, including Canvas by Instructure, Crunchyroll, Roblox, Whatnot, Rainbow Six Siege, Coinbase, Canva, Duolingo, Goodreads, Ring, The New York Times, Life360, Fortnite, Apple TV, Verizon, Chime, McDonald’s App, CollegeBoard, Wordle, and PUBG Battlegrounds. Although some platforms have started to recover, users continued to report issues well into the afternoon. As of now, Amazon has not issued an official statement on the cause or duration of the outage. Also Read: Are chatbots the new spiritual gurus? How AI is shaping modern worship and beyond Here is the list of sites, apps affected Amazon.com Prime Video Alexa Robinhood Snapchat Perplexity AI Venmo Canvas by Instructure Crunchyroll Roblox Whatnot Rainbow Six Siege Coinbase Canva Duolingo Goodreads Ring The New York Times Life360 Fortnite Apple TV Verizon Chime McDonald’s App CollegeBoard Wordle PUBG Battlegrounds

An AWS outage caused disruptions for major platforms like Amazon, Robinhood, Snapchat, Venmo, and more, with widespread connectivity issues reported

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