A flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Israel made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a violent altercation reportedly broke out between the two pilots. Passengers described hearing screams and seeing blood in the cockpit, while some reported that one pilot had been stabbed. The Boeing 737 MAX carrying about 180 passengers also descended sharply from around 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet within a minute before making an erratic turn. The aircraft transmitted emergency codes, including one associated with possible hijacking, prompting Israel to scramble fighter jets. The plane landed safely, and authorities are investigating the incident and its circumstances. 

The Delhi High Court on September 30, 2026, refused bail to former JNU scholar Umar Khalid and activist Sharjeel Imam in the case concerning the alleged larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. A Division Bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Dinesh Bhatt passed the order. This was the third time the High Court had rejected their bail pleas. The court noted that the Supreme Court had earlier denied them relief while allowing fresh bail applications subject to conditions concerning protected witnesses or the passage of one year. Khalid and Imam are facing charges under the UAPA in the case. (PC: The Hindu)

India enjoyed a successful day at the Asian Games on September 30, winning 4 gold medals across archery and shooting. The men’s compound archery team of Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, Thirumuru Ganesh Maniratnam and Kushal Dalal defeated China 239-238 to claim gold. India also won gold in the women’s compound team, mixed team and mixed trap shooting events. Wrestler Sunil Kumar secured bronze in the men’s 87kg Greco-Roman category after defeating the Philippines’ Callum Johnston Roberts 9-0. He became the first Indian to win two Greco-Roman wrestling medals at the Asian Games. India’s women’s hockey team faced South Korea in the semifinal. (PC: India Today)

Patrick Branco Ruivo, head of the company operating the Eiffel Tower, will step down at the end of 2026 following a controversy over the exclusion of female staff during a Hindu group's visit. An independent investigation found operational failures linked to the September 5 visit by a BAPS delegation. Female employees were reportedly moved from their workstations and told to avoid contact with the visitors. The incident led to staff protests and a one-day closure of the landmark on September 7. BAPS said it had not requested the removal of women. The Eiffel Tower operator has also announced gender-equality measures and training. (PC: X)

The INDIA bloc on Wednesday announced a week-long nationwide ‘Save Democracy’ campaign from October 2 to 8 over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said protests would be held at district headquarters, while Opposition MPs would march to the Election Commission on October 6. The bloc also plans to meet President Droupadi Murmu in October to raise its concerns. Mamata Banerjee demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the poll body of electoral irregularities. Rahul Gandhi said Opposition parties would jointly defend the Constitution and continue their campaign against alleged vote theft. (PC: X)

Four men from Telangana are allegedly trapped at a Russian military camp after travelling to Russia for civilian jobs around six months ago. Their families claim the men were taken to a forest, given weapons and forced to undergo military training. The men have been identified as Bhukya Ravinder, Bhukya Ashok, Megavath Prakash and Mohammed Afzal Khan. Their families said they paid agents around Rs 3 lakh each for the jobs. Khan, in a video message, alleged that they were being held against their will and faced physical abuse. The families have sought government help to bring the men home safely. (PC: NDTV)

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani received a loud welcome from the audience during his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in Los Angeles. The audience stood up and cheered as Mamdani entered the show, with host Jimmy Kimmel greeting him with a handshake. Kimmel joked that the reception showed Mamdani was doing a good job, adding that the mayor of Los Angeles would not receive the same welcome. A video of the moment was later shared on Instagram. Mamdani, New York’s first Muslim mayor and first South Asian mayor, has drawn attention for his housing and childcare plans.

A Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv landed at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia after declaring an emergency and turning back over northern Saudi Arabia. The aircraft was carrying around 180 passengers. Flight-tracking data showed it transmitted the 7700 general emergency code, while a possible hijacking code, 7500, was reportedly detected but remains unconfirmed. Israeli security sources cited by The Times of Israel said an altercation between the pilots may have triggered the incident. Israeli fighter jets were reportedly scrambled after the emergency signals. Israeli media reported that everyone on board was safe. (PC: X)

Chinese AI developer Moonshot is reviewing its Kimi models after security researchers found they could be tricked into discussing biological weapons and assassinations. Mindgard, an AI security firm, said it discovered in July that Kimi K2.6 and K3 Swarm could bypass safety restrictions through a process known as “jailbreaking”. The researchers also warned that a compromised model could potentially help hackers run code and launch cyberattacks. However, Mindgard said it had not verified whether the biological weapon instructions provided by the models would work. Moonshot said it welcomed external feedback and was discussing the findings with Mindgard. (PC: BBC)

India won all three compound archery gold medals on Day 11 of the 2026 Asian Games, completing a clean sweep in the women’s team, mixed team and men’s team events. The women’s team defeated China to defend their title, while the mixed team secured a quota spot for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The men’s team then beat China in a close final to complete the hat-trick. In shooting, Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai won gold in the trap mixed team event. Boxer Lovlina Borgohain also reached the 75kg final, assuring India of at least a silver medal. (PC: NDTV)