Israel has banned Green Party of England and Wales leader Zack Polanski from entering the country, its foreign ministry said, after party members adopted a motion calling Zionism a form of racism. The ministry called the text "clearly antisemitic" and beyond legitimate political debate. Members backed the motion at the Brighton conference by 1,022 votes to 813. Polanski, who is Jewish, did not vote, as he was campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. Jewish groups called the motion an attack on the community, while Labour and the Conservatives also condemned it. Four of the party's five MPs had opposed it. (PC: BBC)

FBI Director Kash Patel and country singer Alexis Wilkins are engaged, the couple announced on Sunday. Wilkins, 27, shared a black-and-white photo on X showing her standing beside Patel, 46, while displaying her engagement ring. She captioned the post, “Went and got the law involved.” Patel and Wilkins have been dating since before he became FBI director in 2025. Wilkins attended Patel’s swearing-in ceremony after he took charge of the agency. The engagement announcement quickly drew attention online, with the couple sharing the news publicly on social media. No details about their wedding date or plans have been announced yet. (PC: The Hindu)

The Pentagon confirmed that all US B-1 bombers deployed to RAF Fairford have returned to their home stations in the United States, days after a suspicious incident near the UK airbase forced 85 homes to evacuate. Police were called after a farmer reported three vans blocking a road and masked men fleeing. The vans appeared to contain barrels, with one carrying a fake diesel delivery company logo and phone number. Investigators found no explosives but recovered petrol. Five London-based British men in their mid-20s were arrested and later released on bail, prompting criticism from US President Donald Trump. Secretary of State Marco Rubio alleged foreign involvement, while Iran denied speculation. Security had reportedly been heightened around the base. (PC: X)

Al-Qaeda’s Yemen-based branch, AQAP, has praised the failed hijacking of flydubai flight FZ1073 and called for similar attacks on US and Israeli airlines. Its weekly publication, Al-Bayan, published an Arabic editorial titled “Between September 11 and September 30,” featuring images of the 9/11 World Trade Centre attacks and the Tel Aviv-bound flight. The editorial said aircraft carrying Israelis, Americans and others deemed enemies of Islam remain vulnerable to attack. It suggested a successful hijacking could have shifted the regional balance of power and said attacks could also be carried out by non-Muslims whose actions might serve Islamist interests. The flight’s Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, opened the cockpit door after being attacked, allowing passengers to restrain the co-pilot. (PC: X)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected reports that two Iranian diplomats were “kicked out” of the United States after the UN General Assembly, saying Tehran’s delegation members left as scheduled. In a post on X, Araghchi called the reported expulsion “fake” and accused those celebrating it of showing “desperation and defeat.” He was responding to an Axios report that two Iranian delegates remained in New York despite a US State Department order to leave after the UNGA. According to Axios, US authorities reiterated the demand after discovering the diplomats still in the city. One left Friday night and the other Saturday morning. The conflicting accounts come amid renewed uncertainty over diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran.

Investigators said flydubai co-pilot Hammam al-Hammani planned to secretly kill Captain Smit Machchhar, take control of the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight and carry out a 9/11-style attack. According to the investigation, the 29-year-old Omani national intended to shut down the aircraft’s engines and crash the plane either into a skyscraper in Tel Aviv or onto another aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport. Al-Hammani attacked Machchhar mid-air and allegedly attempted to hijack the flight. He is currently in custody in the UAE. An initial Israeli investigation found that al-Hammani acted alone, CBS News reported. The findings suggest the attack was allegedly planned rather than a spontaneous cockpit confrontation, with investigators examining the co-pilot’s intended target and actions. (PC: X)

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an incident involving a tanker about 60 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Mocha, where its crew saw multiple explosions nearby. The crew were safe, with no environmental impact reported. The incident followed claims by Iran-aligned Houthis that they had targeted an Aramco facility in Riyadh using ballistic missiles and drones. Two other tankers were reportedly struck over the weekend near Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. The developments have raised concerns over threats to key oil routes, with analysts warning that an intensification of the conflict could affect global energy prices and inflation. The September 30 security crisis and continuing regional tensions have heightened concerns over maritime energy supplies. (PC: AP)

Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on Sunday said any process that disenfranchises millions of Indian citizens would be “intrinsically arbitrary” and strike at the heart of the Constitution. Speaking at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad, he said the Constitution does not create 2 classes of citizens—those with voting rights and those without them. Justice Bhuyan said mass denial of voting rights would violate Articles 14 and 326 and described the right to vote as central to the constitutional structure. He also said voter names should not be deleted without notice and a hearing. His remarks came amid controversy over the Election Commission’s SIR exercise. (PC: NDTV)

The Green Party of England and Wales has adopted a motion declaring Zionism a form of racism and supporting a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine. The motion passed 1,022–813 at the party’s annual conference in Brighton on Sunday. It defines Zionism as an ideology supporting an ethnonationalist Jewish state and says it privileges one ethnic group over others. Green Party leader Zack Polanski backed the motion but had supported amendments seeking changes to its wording. Jewish groups criticised the policy, raising concerns about antisemitism and Jewish self-determination. Israel’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the decision, calling it beyond legitimate political debate. (PC: India Today)

An Omani co-pilot who allegedly attacked flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar mid-flight may have shut down the Boeing 737’s engines after his reported plan to crash the aircraft in Tel Aviv failed, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported. The co-pilot, Hammam al-Hammami, allegedly attacked Machchhar with a crash axe before attempting to take control of the aircraft. The plane then rapidly lost altitude, while cabin emergency lights suggested a possible loss of main power. Investigators are reportedly examining whether the co-pilot moved the engine fuel switches from “Run” to “Cutoff”. Passengers and off-duty pilots eventually overpowered him, allowing the aircraft to land safely in Saudi Arabia. (PC: X)