Former Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with elevating India’s global standing while alleging efforts to undermine him. Speaking in a podcast clip on Wednesday, Vucic said Modi had “raised India to the heavens,” made it a power and “accomplished huge things.” His remarks came as Modi marked 25 years as head of government. Vucic, who stepped down as Serbian president last month to contest parliamentary elections, said there was a global trend of attempts to undermine leaders. Singling out Modi, he highlighted India’s growing international influence under his leadership and flagged what he described as efforts to “tear him down,” despite Modi’s achievements on the global stage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted Swiss President Guy Parmelin 3 award-winning Indian cheeses during his state visit to India on October 5. The cheeses — Gulmarg, Konark and Yeoor — were produced by Mumbai-based Eleftheria creamery and showcased India’s growing cheesemaking tradition. Gulmarg, a Brie-style cheese, won a Super Gold award at the 2026 Mundial do Queijo do Brasil. Konark, inspired by the Sun Temple’s chariot wheel, won gold at the 2023 World Cheese Awards. Yeoor is aged for 8–9 months and made in a Gruyère-style. The gift came as India and Switzerland discussed stronger cooperation in trade, investment, mobility and technology. (PC: India Today)

Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar has warned that Israel, India and other democracies could face a new wave of radical Islamist terrorism. In an interview with India Today, Azar said terrorist groups were developing capabilities faster than governments and urged stronger vigilance. He pointed to alleged Hamas activity in Pakistan and Bangladesh and claimed Hamas had influenced regional militant organisations. His remarks came amid the investigation into the flydubai incident, in which Indian captain Smit Machchhar and passengers stopped the co-pilot from allegedly attempting to crash the aircraft. Azar praised their actions for preventing a potentially major disaster. (PC: India Today)

US President Donald Trump linked France’s ongoing student protests to what he called “out of control mass migration” and claimed that Islam was seeking to “take over” the country. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the unrest was “nothing less than out of control mass migration” and argued that it was not about schools. Thousands of students, teachers and others have protested across France over concerns surrounding the education system, with hundreds of schools reportedly shut. More than 6,000 people have been detained in recent weeks, most of them minors without prior criminal histories. The unrest has injured students, teachers and police personnel. In Lens, a student reportedly lost a hand after picking up a grenade, while another allegedly suffered an eye injury.

A Liberia-flagged oil tanker carrying 23 Indian crew members came under attack by unmanned surface vessels off Russia’s Black Sea coast near Sochi, Russian authorities said. The Aframax Rio was attacked on Tuesday, with open fire reported in the surrounding waters. Russia’s Transport Ministry said the entire Indian crew was rescued and evacuated to shore, with preliminary information indicating that nobody was injured. The fire was reportedly too intense for firefighting operations to begin initially, as oil continued burning in the Black Sea. Rescue vessels were expected to approach once conditions became safer. Sochi authorities temporarily restricted access to beaches and sea embankments. The attack comes amid escalating risks to commercial shipping during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

India has proposed a three-part truce between Russia and Ukraine aimed at reducing attacks on critical infrastructure, maintaining vital commodity flows and protecting commercial shipping in the Black Sea, according to a CNN-News18 report cited by Firstpost. The proposal was conveyed during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s September 3 visit to Kyiv, his first standalone trip to Ukraine as foreign minister. It calls for halting attacks on energy facilities and other critical infrastructure, continuing grain and energy movement through Black Sea ports, and ending strikes targeting commercial shipping. The proposal combines concerns addressed separately by earlier initiatives from Egypt, Turkey and the US, while adding specific protection for commercial vessels operating in the Black Sea. (PC: X)

India has proposed a three-part truce between Russia and Ukraine aimed at reducing the war’s impact on global food and energy supplies. The proposal calls for stopping attacks on energy facilities and critical infrastructure, ensuring the continued movement of grain and energy through Black Sea ports, and ending attacks on commercial shipping. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said India has been engaging with both Moscow and Kyiv on these issues. Ukraine has described India’s proposal as the “most comprehensive” among four ceasefire initiatives. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to find mutually acceptable solutions. (PC: AP)

The US House of Representatives has passed a resolution honouring Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his “extraordinary courage” in thwarting an attempted terrorist attack aboard Flydubai Flight 1073 on September 30, 2026. The Dubai-Tel Aviv flight carried approximately 174 passengers, including 27 children and four US citizens. During the flight, the first officer attacked Machchhar with an emergency crash axe and attempted to seize the controls, causing the aircraft to lose more than 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds. Despite grave injuries, Machchhar fought back and unlocked the cockpit for off-duty pilots to enter. The aircraft landed safely at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The resolution commended the crew and passengers and called for a full investigation.

India has condemned an attack on the Panama-flagged vessel MT On Peace, which was hit by a projectile while passing through the Strait of Hormuz off Oman's coast. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 12 crew members were injured, including 11 Indians, and that 17 of the 19 crew are Indian. The injured were evacuated with Omani help and are being treated in Khasab. India thanked Oman and called for an immediate end to attacks on shipping, saying such incidents are a deep concern. Separately, UKMTO reported that a tanker near Khasab turned back after Iran's IRGC threatened to target it. (PC: HT)

Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, who helped foil an apparent attempt to crash a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, suffered a depressed skull fracture when he was attacked in the cockpit with a crash axe, sources told NDTV. The 38-year-old opened the cockpit door despite heavy blood loss, letting crew and passengers overpower the Omani co-pilot. The plane, carrying over 170 people, landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where doctors reconstructed his skull. He was later airlifted to a military hospital in Abu Dhabi and is reported to be responding well. His family has been allowed to meet him. (PC: NDTV)