An Indian national was among 2 people killed in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday evening, October 21. Two other Indian nationals were among 8 people injured in the incident, Saudi authorities and the Indian Embassy confirmed on Thursday.   The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said some of the injured were in serious condition. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said it was gathering further details and contacting the affected families. The attack comes amid a surge in strikes on Saudi infrastructure linked to the conflict involving Yemen’s Houthi rebels.  

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington shares India’s concerns about terrorism while defending the need to maintain diplomatic ties with Pakistan. Speaking during his visit to India, Rubio said the United States opposes terrorism and any country that sponsors it. He argued that engagement with Pakistan could help Washington discourage actions that concern New Delhi and risk regional conflict. Rubio cited Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and strategic location as reasons for maintaining relations. He also assured India that US ties with Pakistan would not come at the expense of its partnership with New Delhi, pointing to ongoing cooperation and trade negotiations between the two countries. (PC: India Today)

India has strongly criticised a United Nations report describing fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company as an “India-based” criminal group, calling the description factually inaccurate. Speaking at the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee, Indian diplomat Raghoo Puri said Ibrahim had been wanted in India in connection with terror attacks since 1993. He argued that the report failed to mention that Ibrahim had left India before the UN Security Council listed him in 2003 for links with Al-Qaeda. Puri said Ibrahim was based in Pakistan, referring to the country where Osama bin Laden was found and killed. India also raised concerns over alleged bias and a lack of accountability in UN reports. (PC: News18)

An Indian national and a Saudi citizen were killed in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, according to the Saudi civil aviation authority. Eight others were injured, including nationals of India, Yemen and Bangladesh. Authorities were assessing the damage, while airport operations and air traffic had returned to normal. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said it was gathering information and contacting affected families. The attack comes amid intensified Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia. The US has ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave the country. (PC: HT)

India has objected to a United Nations special rapporteur describing fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company as an “India-based” criminal group, calling the description factually inaccurate. Raghoo Puri, First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, raised the objection during an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism in the General Assembly’s Third Committee. Puri said the report cited the UN Security Council’s 2003 listing of the leader of “India-based D-Company” over links with Al-Qaeda but failed to mention that Ibrahim had been wanted in India in connection with terror attacks since 1993. The objection challenges the report’s characterisation of the criminal organisation.

The Indian Embassy in Paris has issued a safety advisory for Indian nationals living in or travelling to France amid ongoing unrest and localised curfews. Citizens have been urged to remain vigilant, avoid protest sites, large gatherings and crowded areas, and follow instructions issued by French authorities. The embassy also advised Indians to monitor local news, consult official French government updates and check for possible public transport disruptions. The advisory comes as France prepares for fresh demonstrations on October 24 following violent unrest linked to protests over rising living costs and concerns about public services and school conditions. The Indian Embassy in Paris and the Consulate General in Marseille have shared emergency helpline contacts. 

A Kuwait-flagged oil product tanker carrying 21 Indian seafarers was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on October 21, 2026, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said. All 21 Indian sailors and the remaining crew members were reported safe following the incident. In a post on X, Sonowal identified the vessel as M/T AL DASMA and confirmed that authorities were monitoring developments. He said the government remained in close contact with the ship management company to safeguard the crew’s security and well-being. The incident comes amid heightened maritime security concerns around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a major global shipping route.

US President Donald Trump has said the United States and India are close to finalising a bilateral trade deal, describing it as “a much different kind of deal”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said negotiations were nearing completion, with 99% of the work done and finalisation expected within weeks. However, differences over specific wording and terms remain unresolved. The deal has faced delays amid tensions over US tariffs on Indian goods and India’s purchases of Russian oil. Both countries are continuing negotiations to settle outstanding issues and strengthen economic ties. (PC: The Indian Express)

Pakistan’s cybercrime agency has exposed an alleged cross-border fraud racket involving 3 Pakistani men and 4 Indian nationals living in Canada. The suspects allegedly used AI-generated passports and photographs to create fake identities and open bank accounts remotely with Canadian banks. According to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), the Canada-based suspects prepared the documents and sent them to their Pakistani accomplices, who allegedly opened the accounts. Credit cards were then used to exhaust their limits before being discarded. Pakistani authorities announced arrests in Lahore on October 19. The banks involved and total losses remain undisclosed. (PC: India Today)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said India and the United States are weeks away from finalising a trade deal, with 99% of the work completed. In an interview with The Indian Express during his second India visit in less than five months, Rubio described bilateral ties as positive and a feature of Washington’s foreign policy. He sought to reassure New Delhi that US relationships with Pakistan or China would never come at India’s expense. Rubio also said the Trump administration’s tariffs and tighter visa rules were not directed at India. He highlighted continued regular high-level diplomatic engagement, including Quad meetings and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States.