A Spanish naval commander was removed from his NATO post in the UK and had his security clearance suspended over concerns about his relationship with Janina White, a Russian-born US-Polish dual national he met on Tinder. The Telegraph reported that NATO and Spanish authorities investigated the relationship in 2025, after which the officer was barred from the Northwood base and returned to Spain. White, 49, denies links to Russian intelligence and is seeking a judicial review over why she was considered a security risk. She has also filed a discrimination case against Britain’s Ministry of Defence. The commander and White are no longer together, while NATO and the MoD declined comment. (PC: X)

The first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have declared that “Westminster’s time is coming to an end” and urged the UK government to prepare for constitutional change. The nationalist leaders of Plaid Cymru, Sinn Féin and the SNP, who support their countries leaving the United Kingdom, signed an agreement stating that no Westminster government had the right to block democracy. Scotland’s John Swinney and Northern Ireland’s Michelle O’Neill called for independence referendums during a joint press conference. However, Wales’ Rhun ap Iorwerth declined to provide a timetable for a Welsh referendum. The agreement signals a coordinated push by the three nationalist parties for constitutional change across the United Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia has reported about 110 million tonnes of raw material containing promising concentrations of uranium at the Jabal Sayid project in the Medina region, according to Moneycontrol. The discovery includes high concentrations of rare earth elements, adding to the significance of the mineral find. The uranium-containing material is located at the Jabal Sayid project, with Saudi Arabia highlighting the scale of the resource and the presence of rare earths. The report, published on September 14, 2026, said the material contains promising uranium concentrations. Details provided in the report excerpt do not specify the exact quantity of uranium or rare earth elements recovered, nor any plans for their extraction or processing. (PC: X)

Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami was blocked from attending the International Atomic Energy Agency’s annual conference in Vienna after the United States opposed a travel exemption, Iranian state television reported. Eslami and his delegation flew to Vienna on Saturday but he returned to Tehran after what Iran described as US pressure on Austria. Iran accused Austria of revoking Eslami’s visa after initially granting it, calling the decision politically motivated. Austria said it had sought a UN Security Council exemption allowing Eslami to enter despite sanctions, but the request was rejected. The US said it objected because Eslami’s participation could allow Iran to use IAEA proceedings for propaganda while avoiding substantive cooperation. Eslami attended last year’s conference. (PC: The Hindu)

Thousands of people gathered in London for the first-ever Ganga aarti on the River Thames. The event was organised by Chinmaya Mission UK as part of its 75th anniversary celebrations. The ceremony was held at Greenwich near the Old Royal Naval College. It included prayers, music, chanting and large oil lamps. Swami Swaroopananda led the aarti and spoke about unity, love and harmony. Organisers said the event honoured the Ganga and highlighted the importance of protecting nature. The ceremony was held fully on land. Nothing was placed or released into the Thames. The event may become an annual tradition.  

US President Donald Trump claimed Russia and Ukraine have agreed to stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure, although neither side has confirmed the understanding. Trump made the claim Monday on his social media platform, saying Ukraine agreed not to target Russian energy facilities and Moscow agreed to do likewise. His statement came a day after he urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop targeting Russian oil refineries and diesel infrastructure. Trump argued such strikes were contributing to a shortage and pushing diesel prices higher. He said halting attacks on energy targets could help ease pressure on global diesel supplies. The claim follows concern over rising diesel prices in the United States. 

US tech stocks fell after AI company leaders called for a slower pace of AI development. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said development should slow to reduce the risk of serious problems. Elon Musk agreed, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said current safety standards are not ready for much faster progress. The Nasdaq fell 1.2% in early trading. The S&P 500 dropped 0.7%, while the Dow Jones fell 0.27%. Hewlett Packard shares fell 10%, while Intel and Sandisk dropped 7%. Nvidia fell 3%. US President Donald Trump rejected calls for stronger AI guardrails and said the US must stay ahead of China.  

A US military attaché based at the American Embassy in London has been sent back to the United States amid allegations involving child abuse material. According to reports, British authorities were alerted after such material was allegedly found on the official’s devices. The US informed UK authorities before the attaché left Britain on a commercial flight. The move has sparked anger among some British politicians. Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty accused the US of “protecting pedophiles”. The British government said foreign diplomats must follow UK laws. The US Embassy said it took swift action and is cooperating with British authorities while the investigation continues. (PC: AFP via Getty Images)  

Pakistan has raised the bounty for information leading to the arrest of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar to 7 million Pakistani rupees, around Rs 24 lakh. The move comes weeks before the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meeting in Paris from October 26 to 30. Azhar remains on Pakistan’s official list of most-wanted terrorists. Islamabad has claimed for years that he is not in Pakistan and fled to Afghanistan. Azhar, 58, founded Jaish-e-Mohammed, which has been linked to several major attacks in India. He is also listed as an international terrorist by the United Nations Security Council.  

The CBI FIR in the Disha Salian death case includes provisions related to murder, gang rape, criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and giving false information. It lists several prominent names, including former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya Thackeray, whose roles are to be investigated. Other names include Rohan Rai, Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi, Rhea and Showik Chakraborty, Sachin Waze and former police commissioner Param Bir Singh. The FIR also mentions police officers, forensic officials, doctors, security guards and other individuals. However, no person has been named as an accused so far, and the FIR calls for their roles to be investigated. (PC: X)