Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on Saturday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. The talks come as Washington pushes for a new peace plan.   Russia and Ukraine also agreed to pause strikes on each other’s capitals for three days. The Kremlin said Russia would not target Kyiv, while President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would stop attacks on Moscow until Monday.   The US envoys are expected to visit Kyiv on Sunday. The renewed peace effort comes as missile and drone attacks continue to cause civilian deaths. (PC: AP)  

Iran has claimed that its Revolutionary Guard fired several ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and a Navy destroyer. The IRGC said the warships were targeted for interfering with Iranian ships and supporting a naval blockade.   Iran claimed both vessels were damaged and later left the area. The US military, however, said its ships evaded the attacks and no American personnel were injured.   The clash followed US strikes on Iranian oil tankers. Iran has warned that any further US action against its shipping could lead to stronger attacks on American military vessels.  

China is moving ahead with its massive hydropower project on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo, which becomes the Brahmaputra after entering India. The decision comes despite renewed concerns following recent floods and geological warnings in the Himalayan region. The project, launched in 2025, involves five power stations and an estimated investment of about 1.2 trillion yuan. Its planned capacity could reach 60 GW, potentially generating around 300 billion kWh annually. India remains concerned about downstream water flows, ecological impacts and limited hydrological data-sharing. China maintains that the project will meet strict safety standards and benefit downstream disaster prevention. (PC: AFP)

The US military said it struck three Iran-linked oil tankers on Saturday after Iran launched ballistic missiles toward two American Navy warships in the region. US Central Command said one tanker near Kharg Island and another near Jask were “permanently disabled”, while a third in the Gulf of Oman was destroyed. Iran confirmed the attacks and warned it would expand strikes on US military vessels if American attacks on Iranian ships continued. Centcom said its forces evaded multiple IRGC attacks targeting a US aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer, with no American troops injured. The strikes come amid renewed fighting between Washington and Tehran. 

Joheirry Mola of the Dominican Republic was crowned Miss World 2026 at the grand finale in Nha Trang, Vietnam, on Saturday. Thailand’s reigning Miss World, Opal Suchata Chuangsri, crowned her successor. Spain’s Elisabeth Reynes was named first runner-up, while Malaysia’s Taanusiya Chetty finished as second runner-up. The Top 6 also included Eritrea’s Snit Habteab, Vietnam’s Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc and South Africa’s Romanda Hombir. India’s Nikita Porwal reached the Top 40 but failed to advance to the Top 20. A total of 111 contestants competed in this year’s pageant. The next Miss World edition is scheduled to be held in Tanzania. (PC: X)

The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly backed an African Union-led push for more accurate world maps, with India voting in favour of the resolution. The “Correct the Map” resolution received 164 votes, while the United States voted against it and six countries abstained. Sponsored by Togo on behalf of the African Group, the resolution challenges the widely used Mercator projection, which distorts the apparent size of regions away from the Equator. India said it supported broader consideration of equal-area map projections, but did not endorse any single projection. The African Union urged institutions, schools, publishers and digital platforms to adopt more accurate maps. (PC: Economic Times)

US President Donald Trump’s top negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday for talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Trump said the envoys were carrying a proposal to end the conflict. They are due to travel to Kyiv on Sunday for further discussions with Ukrainian officials. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US team had already begun working with Russia and confirmed plans for talks in Kyiv. Russia and Ukraine have said they would halt strikes on each other’s capitals for three days during the visit. Key disagreements remain over territory and security guarantees. (PC: BBC)

Around 50 US military and civilian officials were reportedly subjected to lie detector tests as part of an investigation into leaks related to the Iran war. The tests were reportedly aimed at identifying officials who may have shared classified information with journalists. The investigation followed reports about shortages of key weapons, including long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors. According to reports, none of the officials failed the questions asked during the tests. The Pentagon has not publicly disclosed details of the investigation but has said it takes the unauthorised disclosure of classified national security information seriously. (PC: NDTV)

The US military said it struck three Iranian crude oil tankers on Saturday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy warships. CENTCOM said the American vessels, including an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer, evaded the attacks and no US personnel were injured. Two Iranian tankers were permanently disabled, while a third, which was unladen, was destroyed after its crew abandoned the vessel. The US said the ships were linked to an oil network that helps fund the IRGC and allied armed groups.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian forces to halt strikes on Kyiv for three days, beginning at midnight, the Kremlin said on Saturday. The decision comes as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow for talks aimed at reviving negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the pause was linked to the envoys’ planned visit to Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had also said Ukraine would pause airstrikes during their visit and urged Russia to take similar steps. The US delegation is expected to travel to Kyiv after talks in Moscow. (PC: India Today)