Saudi Arabia intercepts drone over Riyadh amid rising Houthi attacks
Saudi Arabia’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region, according to the Saudi-led coalition fight...
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet in Istanbul on Friday for renewed discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme, according to reporting by Axios.
Sources said preparations are underway, though the timing and format have not been finalised.
The potential meeting comes as the U.S. increases its military presence in the Gulf, with President Donald Trump warning Iran to return to talks while insisting that diplomacy remains possible. He said last week that Tehran was “seriously talking” after his announcement that a large naval deployment was heading towards the region.
Regional mediation has intensified in recent days, with Türkiye, Qatar and Egypt facilitating indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran. Araghchi travelled to Istanbul on Friday for meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, although no official readout was issued.
Witkoff is expected to travel to Israel this week for consultations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, before heading to Abu Dhabi for Russia-Ukraine talks and then to Türkiye.
Iran has warned that any U.S. strike would provoke a rapid response, while Washington says diplomacy is still viable if Tehran engages constructively.
At this stage, no agenda or timeframe has been confirmed by either side.
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
A tenth-grade student was critically injured after a man attacked her with a chainsaw inside a classroom in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. The girl suffered severe injuries to her head, neck and back, while a classmate who tried to protect her was also hurt.
Saudi Arabia’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. No casualties were reported.
Since 2021, only 9 per cent of $8 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan can be traced beyond initial recipients in public records, a Kabul Institute report released on 22 October said. The United Nations says its oversight systems ensure accountability.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorities disputed the findings, while Japan urged continued support for farmers seeking alternative livelihoods.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
Central Asia could gain up to $640 million a year from closer energy cooperation, but strained electricity grids threaten to limit those gains, with Kazakhstan particularly exposed to regional power shortages and growing pressure on its network.
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