A 28-year-old laboratory technician in Russia’s Irkutsk region has died after reportedly contracting suspected pneumonic plague at an anti-plague research institute. Darya Shipilova was hospitalised on September 29 with severe pneumonia and died on October 1 after being placed on a ventilator. Local reports said she may have been exposed to live bacteria after accidentally breaking a test tube while collecting samples. More than 200 people who may have had contact with her have been quarantined and placed under medical observation. Several hospitals and public events were reportedly affected. Authorities said no plague outbreak has been confirmed and urged people to remain calm. (PC: NDTV)

The Supreme Court on Monday said every woman in Delhi-NCR should feel safe while walking or using public transport, including at 10 PM. Hearing a suo motu case on rape and sexual assault, a bench headed by Justice JB Pardiwala questioned whether CCTV systems can prevent crime without continuous monitoring and a dedicated war room. The court stressed that safety measures must work at the grassroots level rather than remain on paper. It also urged authorities to take strict action when necessary. The court is examining safety arrangements across parks, roads, public transport, markets and other public spaces following several recent sexual assault cases in Delhi-NCR. (PC: News18)

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)

Delhi Police personnel deployed at Jantar Mantar during recent protests did not wear name tags as a deliberate measure to prevent social media targeting, officials said. The decision followed the July 20 violence during a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) march, when several officers and their families were reportedly targeted online. Junior personnel were allowed to remove their tags while performing crowd-control duties within the law. The move drew criticism amid allegations of excessive force during the July protests. Police also trained personnel to remain calm when approached by influencers and tightened checks on people posing as journalists. Some IPS officers retained their tags during the latest protests. (PC: HT)

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed 15 petitions seeking FIRs and an SIT probe into alleged hate speeches by political leaders linked to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. The pleas named BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and others, alleging their statements contributed to the violence. Another petition named Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with AAP and AIMIM leaders. A separate plea sought an inquiry into alleged police misconduct during the riots, while another sought an NIA probe into alleged funding of CAA protests. The February 2020 violence killed at least 53 people and injured around 700. (PC: India Today)

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)

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson Saurav Das has claimed that the government is planning to arrest him and other leaders, including founder Abhijeet Dipke and Ashutosh Ranka, ahead of the outfit’s October 10 protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The demonstration seeks Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. In a late-night social media post, Das alleged that such actions would not suppress the protest and urged people to continue fighting for their rights. Dipke also questioned how many people would be arrested, saying the country would come to Delhi on October 10. The claims have not been independently established in the supplied report. (PC: X)

Sanjay Dutt clarified remarks made during his appearance on Shekhar Suman’s talk show Shekhar Tonite, saying the conversation was scripted and intended to be light-hearted and humorous. On X, Dutt said he never intended to hurt, offend, or disrespect any individual, community, or institution. He explained that his comments reflected humour and satire similar to Munna Bhai, particularly its “Gandhigiri” concept promoting love, togetherness, warmth, and goodwill. During the Gandhi Jayanti episode, Dutt said he no longer felt peace in India and hoped peaceful days would return. He also imagined himself as Prime Minister for five minutes and delivered a fictional address in his Munna Bhai style, triggering online controversy.

Israeli-American musician Itay Benda paid tribute to Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian Flydubai pilot who confronted his co-pilot during an alleged attempt to crash a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. Benda specially learned Hindi and performed Shah Rukh Khan’s popular song “Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai” as his “small way of saying thank you” to the “brave” captain and Indians worldwide. Originally sung by Roop Kumar Rathore, the song features in Shah Rukh Khan’s 2008 film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. The video went viral across social media, drawing praise from viewers for Benda’s Hindi pronunciation and choice of song. On September 30, FZ1073 made an emergency landing in Tabuk after the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar; all 174 people survived.

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)