Four men from Telangana are allegedly trapped at a Russian military camp after travelling to Russia for civilian jobs around six months ago. Their families claim the men were taken to a forest, given weapons and forced to undergo military training. The men have been identified as Bhukya Ravinder, Bhukya Ashok, Megavath Prakash and Mohammed Afzal Khan. Their families said they paid agents around Rs 3 lakh each for the jobs. Khan, in a video message, alleged that they were being held against their will and faced physical abuse. The families have sought government help to bring the men home safely. (PC: NDTV)

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani received a loud welcome from the audience during his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in Los Angeles. The audience stood up and cheered as Mamdani entered the show, with host Jimmy Kimmel greeting him with a handshake. Kimmel joked that the reception showed Mamdani was doing a good job, adding that the mayor of Los Angeles would not receive the same welcome. A video of the moment was later shared on Instagram. Mamdani, New York’s first Muslim mayor and first South Asian mayor, has drawn attention for his housing and childcare plans.

A Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv landed at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia after declaring an emergency and turning back over northern Saudi Arabia. The aircraft was carrying around 180 passengers. Flight-tracking data showed it transmitted the 7700 general emergency code, while a possible hijacking code, 7500, was reportedly detected but remains unconfirmed. Israeli security sources cited by The Times of Israel said an altercation between the pilots may have triggered the incident. Israeli fighter jets were reportedly scrambled after the emergency signals. Israeli media reported that everyone on board was safe. (PC: X)

Chinese AI developer Moonshot is reviewing its Kimi models after security researchers found they could be tricked into discussing biological weapons and assassinations. Mindgard, an AI security firm, said it discovered in July that Kimi K2.6 and K3 Swarm could bypass safety restrictions through a process known as “jailbreaking”. The researchers also warned that a compromised model could potentially help hackers run code and launch cyberattacks. However, Mindgard said it had not verified whether the biological weapon instructions provided by the models would work. Moonshot said it welcomed external feedback and was discussing the findings with Mindgard. (PC: BBC)

India won all three compound archery gold medals on Day 11 of the 2026 Asian Games, completing a clean sweep in the women’s team, mixed team and men’s team events. The women’s team defeated China to defend their title, while the mixed team secured a quota spot for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The men’s team then beat China in a close final to complete the hat-trick. In shooting, Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai won gold in the trap mixed team event. Boxer Lovlina Borgohain also reached the 75kg final, assuring India of at least a silver medal. (PC: NDTV)

A Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after sending distress signals, triggering fears of a possible hijacking. The incident prompted Israeli authorities to scramble fighter jets and hold security consultations. The aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and everyone on board was reported safe. According to Israeli media reports citing security officials, the incident was linked to a dispute between the plane’s two pilots, rather than a hijacking. The situation raised initial security concerns as authorities responded to the emergency. (PC: HT)

Nearly one-fifth of children worldwide without access to school sanitation in 2025 were in India, according to a WHO-UNICEF report. The report said around 5 crore Indian children lacked sanitation services at school, out of 24.4 crore globally. Nigeria followed with 3.4 crore children, while Ethiopia had 2.6 crore. India reduced the number of schools without sanitation services by 14 per cent during the period assessed. Around 2 crore Indian children also lacked school hygiene services, while 1.2 crore lacked drinking-water services. The report said India is among 28 countries on track for universal basic drinking-water coverage in schools by 2030. (PC: India Today)

Leaders of 19 opposition parties under the INDIA bloc began a meeting at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss electoral issues and their next course of action. The agenda includes the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, concerns over electronic voting machines (EVMs) and a proposed motion seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi are among the key leaders attending the meeting. The parties are also discussing ways to coordinate their response to the issues and explore joint action in Parliament. (PC: X)

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected the bail pleas of activist Umar Khalid and former Jawaharlal Nehru University student Sharjeel Imam in the larger conspiracy case linked to the February 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. Khalid had approached the High Court for regular bail for the third time. His earlier pleas were rejected in October 2022 and September 2025, with the Supreme Court upholding both decisions. Both men face charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) over their alleged roles in the riots conspiracy. The violence in February 2020 left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. (PC: The Indian Express)

India’s Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai won the gold medal in the trap mixed team event at the Asian Games 2026 on Wednesday, September 30. The Indian pair set an Asian record by scoring 34 out of 40 targets in the final. Qatar secured silver with 32 points. The victory marked Neeru’s third medal at the Games and her second gold, following her win in the women’s individual trap event on Tuesday. Despite missing three of her first five shots, Neeru recovered strongly. Chenai, 36, also delivered a gold medal for India in the mixed team competition. (PC: India Today)