The crew of the oil tanker Cordelia Moon opened fire on a Houthi explosives-laden drone boat in the Red Sea, narrowly avoiding a major explosion. The attack occurred 110 miles northwest of Hodeidah, Yemen, and was followed by missile splashes near the vessel, as reported by a nearby ship captain. A second vessel, flagged in Liberia, was also hit by a missile, sustaining damage. The assaults are the Houthis' first on commercial ships in weeks, coinciding with their warning of escalated military action amid Israel’s continued offensives in Lebanon and Gaza.

In the largest encounter in Chhattisgarh’s history, over 30 Maoists were killed by security forces in Abujhmad, Dantewada district, on Friday. The Districts Reserve Guards (DRG), acting on intelligence, launched an operation targeting Maoists across three villages—Govel, Nendur, and Tultuli. The DRG is a specialized force that includes surrendered Maoists. Weapons like AK47s were recovered from the site. This year, 187 Maoists have been killed, with 15 security personnel and 47 civilians also losing their lives. Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier vowed to eliminate Left Wing Extremism by March 2026.

Footage has emerged showing a Houthi drone vessel striking the Panama-flagged oil tanker Cordelia Moon in the Red Sea, about 70 miles from the Yemeni port of Hodeidah. A large explosion was seen on the vessel’s port side, but the crew reported no major injuries. The Houthis claimed responsibility, using a drone, missiles, and an unmanned boat. The attack marks the group's return to targeting commercial vessels after a brief hiatus. Another vessel under a Liberian flag was also hit by a missile the same day. Both crews remain safe.

Rahul Gandhi has been summoned by a Pune court to appear on October 23 in a defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar, grandnephew of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The complaint, lodged in April 2023, accuses Gandhi of making defamatory remarks about the Hindutva ideologue during an event in London in March 2023. Satyaki claims Gandhi's comments were aimed at harming Savarkar’s reputation and causing mental distress to his family. This case follows another defamation case against Gandhi for similar remarks made in 2022.

A key road near Lebanon's Masnaa border crossing with Syria has been severely bombed by Israeli airstrikes, according to the UN's World Food Programme. Matthew Hollingworth, WFP's country director for Lebanon, told the BBC that this bombing will significantly affect the ability of people to flee the fighting, while also halting the entry of essential goods into Lebanon via the land route. The Masnaa crossing is a critical supply line, and its destruction adds pressure on Lebanon during the ongoing conflict with Israel.

Lebanon's Ambassador to India, Rabie Narsh, stated that Hezbollah is not a terrorist group but a resistance movement fighting Israeli occupation. In an interview with NDTV, Narsh emphasized that Lebanon’s armed forces haven’t been engaged as it would lead to full-scale war. He defended Hezbollah's actions, stating they represent Lebanon's people resisting occupation and fighting for freedom. Narsh also criticized Israel's expansionist policies, accusing the international community of failing to curb Israel's war crimes against Lebanon.

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has claimed that a bugging device was discovered in his bathroom after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used it during a 2017 visit. The incident is detailed in Johnson’s new book Unleashed, where he notes that Israeli security teams found the device during a routine sweep. Netanyahu had used the bathroom in Johnson’s office, described as a private "secret annex." Israel has previously been accused of spying on friendly nations, but Netanyahu has denied such allegations, including past accusations from the US.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit Pakistan later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. This will be his first trip to Pakistan as India’s foreign minister, and the first such visit by an Indian foreign minister in nearly a decade. The last visit was by Sushma Swaraj in 2015. Relations between India and Pakistan have been tense since the 2016 Uri attack. The summit will be held in Islamabad on October 15-16. There is no confirmation of any bilateral talks between India and Pakistan during the visit.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Modi government of sending 15,000 Indian workers to Israel during the ongoing conflict. He said the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is behind the recruitment process. Kharge raised concerns about young Indians risking their lives due to joblessness in India. He compared it to earlier incidents where Indian youth were misled into going to the Russia-Ukraine war. Kharge criticized the government's job policies and warned that Haryana voters, facing unemployment, would hold the ruling party accountable in the upcoming elections.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered his first public sermon in five years, declaring that Israel "won't last long." Speaking to tens of thousands in Tehran, Khamenei justified Iran's recent missile strikes on Israel as a "public service." He praised Hezbollah's former leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike, calling him a symbol of resistance. Khamenei backed Palestinian and Lebanese movements against Israel, calling on Muslims to support them. His remarks come amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel following missile attacks earlier this week.