Author: Akshara Das

Sofia: An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna diverted to the Bulgarian capital Sofia on October 18 after a bomb threat was reported, prompting a fighter jet escort and a security search of the aircraft. Authorities later confirmed that no danger was found. The Airbus A320, operating as flight OS82, was carrying 51 passengers and six crew members when the crew reported the threat near the Romanian border. The aircraft landed safely in Sofia, where passengers were taken off the plane while security checks were carried out. The Bulgarian Air Force scrambled a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort…

Paris: French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is holding crisis talks on October 19 after widespread looting and violent clashes during nationwide protests left businesses damaged and intensified pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s government. More than 1,500 shops and businesses were reportedly targeted during demonstrations against rising living costs and deteriorating public services. The protests drew around 550,000 people, according to the Interior Ministry, although organisers estimated turnout at more than 800,000. Authorities reported extensive property damage and injuries among security personnel. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez attempted to resign amid criticism over the authorities’ preparation for the demonstrations. Macron rejected the…

Washington: US President Donald Trump will take up to 60 days to assess the economic impact of Russia-related sanctions and tariffs that were waived a day earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, as the administration weighs energy costs against pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine. Trump noted that a final decision had not yet been announced. The president signed an executive order on Friday waiving key measures under the Graham Act, which includes sanctions on Russia and tariffs on countries purchasing Russian energy. The restrictions were scheduled to take effect next week. Rubio said the review would…

London: Daniel Dubois retained his WBO heavyweight title with a crushing second-round stoppage of Fabio Wardley in their rematch at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, delivering a dominant performance to remain world champion. Dubois attacked from the opening bell and dropped Wardley with a powerful right hand just 17 seconds into the fight. The champion continued to apply pressure throughout the opening round, leaving Wardley struggling to withstand the assault. Despite the punishment, the challenger survived until the bell. The relentless attack continued in the second round as Dubois overwhelmed Wardley with a series of punches. Wardley’s corner threw in…

London: The UK will ban three categories of extreme pornography from November 6, making it illegal to possess or publish material depicting strangulation or suffocation, sexual activity between certain relatives, and adults pretending to be children under 16. The measures, introduced under the Crime and Policing Act 2026, follow cross-party pressure over concerns about the effects of harmful pornography on women and girls. The government says the restrictions aim to prevent content that could normalize violence and abusive sexual behavior. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones stated that the government was committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade.…

Rome: Air travellers faced delays and cancellations across Italy on October 16 after a technical fault disrupted air traffic control services nationwide, prompting authorities to introduce temporary restrictions on flight capacity. Officials stated that the incident was not caused by malicious activity. Air traffic control authority ENAV detected anomalies overnight in the data transmission network supporting air traffic control services across the country. The fault prompted temporary measures to limit traffic capacity while technical teams worked to address the disruption and restore normal operations. Rome airports operator ADR warned passengers that delays and cancellations could affect flights because of the…

Jakarta: Indonesia is testing an experimental method using dry ice to disperse toxic wildfire haze as severe forest and peatland fires continue to worsen air quality across the country and neighbouring parts of Southeast Asia. An aircraft is scheduled to scatter 1.5 tonnes of dry ice, or solid carbon dioxide, over South Sumatra. Authorities hope the trial will help break up haze in the lower atmosphere and allow it to rise, according to coordinating minister for political and security affairs Dudung Abdurachman. “If this trial is successful, we will continue with other areas that are central to the haze, such…

Nairobi: Kenya has confirmed a second Ebola case, involving a 39-year-old man who is a close relative of the country’s first patient and was already in quarantine when he developed symptoms, the health ministry said. The new case was detected on October 13, nine days after the first patient died. The ministry said that early detection had improved the second patient’s chances of recovery and reduced the risk of further transmission. “Both cases are linked, and there is no evidence of spread in the wider community,” the ministry stated, urging the public to remain calm but vigilant. It added that…

London: Britain’s media regulator Ofcom said it remained concerned about Elon Musk-owned social media platform X’s handling of illegal hate and terrorist content, despite improvements in how quickly the company reviews reports. In its first quarterly report to Ofcom, X met its commitments to review suspected illegal hate and terrorist content within agreed timeframes. However, the regulator said it continued to have concerns about the effectiveness of the platform’s efforts to remove such material and had received mixed reports about its engagement with third-party experts. Ofcom said it would examine the data submitted by X and continue engaging with the…

Ukraine: At least 600,000 people across Ukraine were left without electricity after overnight Russian missile and drone strikes damaged critical energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on October 14. The attacks targeted energy facilities in Kyiv, the surrounding region and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, raising concerns about the security of Ukraine’s power supply despite US President Donald Trump’s claim that an energy ceasefire had taken effect. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, known as DSNS, reported that at least three people were killed and 21 injured in Kyiv. Russia’s Defence Ministry described the overnight operation as a ‘massive’ strike targeting communications…