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Indian authorities detained thousands of protesters and imposed sweeping security restrictions across New Delhi on Saturday as the youth-led “Cockroach” movement intensified its campaign against a controversial voter list revision, fuelling criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and election authorities. Police intercepted demonstrators heading to Jantar Mantar, detaining activists, opposition lawmakers and movement leaders before the rally began. Barricades, checkpoints, tear gas-equipped vehicles and mobile internet restrictions were deployed across the capital. Police said permission was denied because organisers applied late. Movement leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained after arriving from Mumbai. Opposition lawmaker John Brittas was also detained, while journalists faced restrictions. The movement condemned the arrests as an attempt to suppress peaceful protests. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Sambit Patra dismissed the demonstration as a failure. The protests oppose the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision, which has removed more than 130 million names from voter lists. Opposition parties allege eligible voters, particularly their supporters, have been disproportionately affected. The commission and government deny manipulating voter lists, saying the exercise removes duplicate and ineligible entries. The movement gained prominence through protests over alleged examination paper leaks, prompting Modi’s education minister to resign in July. The latest unrest challenges Modi midway through his third term, ahead of state elections next year in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. National elections are scheduled for 2029. Clarify the voter-list figureUse more neutral protest wording

Russian strikes killed at least seven people, including three children, in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, officials said Saturday, a day after US President Donald Trump announced a deal to buy diesel from Russia that Kyiv warned could help finance Moscow's war. Russian aerial bombs struck residential buildings in the region, killing seven people and injuring at least 10 others, said Mykhailo Semikin, head of the regional military administration. Russia and Ukraine continue to exchange long-range airstrikes, while fighting on the front line remains largely deadlocked, more than four and a half years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion. Ukraine has been struggling to counter increasingly intense Russian attacks that have killed more than 55 people over the past four days. The latest strikes came a day after Trump announced a deal to purchase diesel from Russia, reversing years of US pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. The move is also aimed at addressing rising fuel prices ahead of the US midterm elections. Trump said on social media Friday that he reached the agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call that had been expected to focus on a suspected plague case in Russia. Under the deal, Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tonnes in November and one million tonnes “immediately thereafter”. Russia will deliver an additional three million tonnes “within a short period of time”, Trump said. The announcement appeared to contradict a sweeping Russia sanctions law Trump signed last month, which sought to restrict Moscow's oil and gas revenues used to finance its war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised the deal in a lengthy social media post, warning that Russia would repay it with “further terror and perfidy”. He argued that the agreement would help Moscow prolong the war. “It plays into Russia's hands — allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world,” Zelenskyy said. In a statement released by the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, Zelenskyy described the agreement as “a weak decision, unfortunately, a weak decision by strong partners”. Trump announced the deal while his envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were meeting Ukrainian officials in Miami to discuss a proposal to end the war. “I believe our team is simply being used as a smokescreen. And that is certainly not fair. It is certainly not how partners should treat each other,” Zelenskyy said.

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was detained by Delhi Police on Saturday after his flight from Mumbai landed in the capital ahead of a planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. A video recorded inside the aircraft showed female police officers detaining Dipke and two other CJP leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. “I have come here to be arrested. Arrest me,” Dipke was heard telling the police. “This is not an arrest. Please cooperate,” the officers replied. “Let me carry my bag,” Dipke then requested. The CJP condemned the detentions in a statement, describing them as a violation of the right to freedom of movement. The party demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the three leaders. The CJP, a youth-led protest movement, came into prominence after its sit-in at Jantar Mantar over the alleged leak of the national medical entrance examination paper led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in July. The party had called the latest demonstration at Jantar Mantar to demand Kumar's resignation over allegations of voter-list manipulation during the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and irregularities involving Form 6, which is used to register new voters. Source: NDTV

A year after a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump and Arab allies raised hopes of ending the war in Gaza, progress has stalled, with Israel continuing deadly strikes on the devastated Palestinian territory. The agreement halted major military operations, secured the release of all remaining hostages and improved humanitarian access. However, key commitments, including establishing a new Palestinian administration backed by international forces, disarming Hamas and ending Israeli control over large parts of Gaza, remain unfulfilled. Reconstruction has barely begun. Israel has linked further progress to Hamas' complete disarmament, while the Palestinian group and the Trump administration have argued that disarmament and other steps should proceed simultaneously. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hardened his position over the summer, openly rejecting an agreement announced by Trump, Israel's most important ally, ahead of Israeli elections scheduled for later this month. The deadlock has left Gaza's two million Palestinians facing an uncertain future. Most are living in overcrowded, rodent-infested tent camps, among the ruins of their former neighbourhoods or inside damaged buildings at risk of collapse. Early progress raised hopes for peaceThe 20-point ceasefire agreement followed months of negotiations under the administrations of former US President Joe Biden and Trump. It halted major military operations and led to the return of all remaining hostages captured during Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted 251 others in the attack. Israel responded with extensive airstrikes and a ground offensive that has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records and is generally considered reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. Its death toll does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but the ministry says women and children account for about half of those killed. After the ceasefire was announced, Trump called for a new era of peace in the Middle East. “We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us,” he said at a summit marking the agreement. Key commitments remain unfulfilledThe agreement called for Hamas to transfer power to a committee of Palestinian administrators vetted by the Board of Peace, a new body chaired by Trump and tasked with implementing the ceasefire. Hamas formally dissolved its government in July but retained the civil service. The group remains the dominant force in the roughly 40% of Gaza not controlled by Israeli troops. Meanwhile, Israel has prevented the new Palestinian administration from entering Gaza through Egypt. Plans for an International Stabilization Force were announced in February, but the force has yet to be established. Indonesia, which pledged the largest contingent of 8,000 troops, suspended its plans last spring as international attention shifted to the war involving Iran. Israel was also expected to withdraw from Gaza under the agreement. Instead, it has taken control of additional territory, pushing the so-called Yellow Line of Control westward towards the Mediterranean Sea. Israeli forces have continued carrying out strikes against people they accuse of violating the ceasefire, approaching the Yellow Line or participating in the October 7 attack. Such strikes have frequently killed civilians. Israel's attacks have killed more than 1,400 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Sporadic attacks have also killed five Israeli soldiers in Gaza during the same period. Netanyahu's rejection deepens the deadlockIn July, Trump announced an agreement on disarming Hamas, describing it as a breakthrough in the stalled peace process. The proposed arrangement, an extension of the original ceasefire, called for Hamas to disarm “in a gradual, sequential and time-bound manner” linked to an Israeli withdrawal in phases. Hamas confirmed for the first time that it had agreed to disarm, but said the process must also involve an end to Israeli strikes and a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Days later, Netanyahu declared that Israel would not withdraw from any part of Gaza until Hamas had been completely disarmed, directly rejecting the arrangement announced by Trump. The disagreement marked a rare public rift between the two allies. It also came as Netanyahu sought to strengthen support among nationalist voters ahead of the October 27 election, which could end his nearly uninterrupted 17-year rule, the longest in Israeli history. Netanyahu has faced criticism over security and intelligence failures before the October 7 attack. His opponents have accused him of being too lenient towards Hamas, leaving him with little political room for even limited concessions on Gaza before the formation of a new government, a process that could take months. For now, reconstruction remains largely absent, Hamas has been weakened but continues to hold power in parts of Gaza, and the possibility of renewed fighting remains.

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was detained by Delhi Police from his residence in Sector 56 of Gurugram on Saturday ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) planned protest at Jantar Mantar, police sources said. Around 50 Delhi Police personnel arrived at Rathee’s residence on Saturday morning and detained him, according to the sources. The move drew a strong reaction from the CJP, which demanded his “immediate release”. Rathee announced his plan to join the protest in a video posted on his X account on Friday evening. A vocal critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, Rathee returned to India from Germany earlier this week. He also joined the CJP’s protest in Bengaluru on October 8. Rathee has a large online following, with 19.2 million followers on Instagram, 3.3 million on X and 33 million subscribers on YouTube. Delhi Police earlier denied permission for the proposed demonstration, citing security concerns and procedural requirements. Police have intensified preventive detentions and deployed personnel at key locations to stop protesters from reaching the demonstration site. More than 400 people were detained overnight, while hundreds of trains were cancelled and dozens of metro stations were closed ahead of Saturday’s planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in central Delhi. The CJP has mobilised its supporters to gather at Jantar Mantar. More than 20,000 police and Central Armed Police Forces personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order. Source: NDTV

Entry and exit gates at 45 Delhi Metro stations have been closed as a security measure ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) took the step following a request from Delhi Police, which warned of possible “unruly mob movement towards sensitive locations.” The number of affected stations was initially set at 57 but was later reduced to 45. The closures affect stations in several parts of the capital, including Central Delhi, Hauz Khas, Kashmere Gate, Maujpur-Babarpur and Rithala. According to the DMRC, the restrictions began at 9pm on October 9 and were scheduled to remain in place until 6pm on October 10. Security agencies will review the situation and issue further updates if necessary. Interchange facilities will remain available at all affected stations except New Delhi Metro Station. Meanwhile, the Namo Bharat stations at Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar will also remain closed until 10pm on October 10. CJP Plans Second Protest at Jantar Mantar The CJP called the demonstration at Jantar Mantar to demand Kumar’s resignation over allegations of deliberate changes to Form 6 and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Joint Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad said an application seeking permission for the October 10 protest was submitted on October 7, just three days before the planned gathering. She said the prescribed notice period was at least 10 days. Police have also raised concerns about alleged violations of instructions issued by authorities during an earlier demonstration. As part of the security arrangements, more than 120 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) are expected to assist Delhi Police. Security personnel have been deployed at strategic locations, while CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor the area. Authorities have divided the New Delhi district into 20 zones for closer supervision. Senior police officers, including joint commissioners, deputy commissioners, additional deputy commissioners and special commissioners, will oversee different units and monitor developments. Source: NDTV

 US President Donald Trump has announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to secure diesel supplies from Russia, marking a major shift in Washington’s longstanding policy of pressuring Moscow over its war against Ukraine. The move comes as the administration faces rising fuel prices ahead of the US midterm elections. Trump announced the agreement on social media Friday following a phone conversation with Putin, which was reportedly expected to focus on a suspected plague case in Russia. Instead, Trump said Russia would immediately provide more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes shortly afterward. An additional 3 million tonnes would be delivered within a relatively short period, he added. The announcement appears to contradict a comprehensive Russia sanctions law Trump signed last month, which seeks to restrict Moscow’s oil and gas revenues that help finance its war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the decision, describing it as a “weak decision by strong partners,” according to a statement issued by the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington. Trump revealed the deal while his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were meeting Ukrainian officials in Miami to discuss a possible plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Zelenskyy questioned the purpose of the discussions, suggesting that Ukraine’s negotiating team was being used as a distraction. He said such treatment was unfair and inconsistent with the conduct expected between partners. The agreement has also raised questions about whether the White House will introduce further sanctions against Russia. Legislation passed by Congress with overwhelming support directs the administration to target countries that purchase Russian oil and natural gas. US lawmakers had recently urged the administration to use its available powers to support Ukraine. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Elizabeth Warren, the leading Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, condemned the agreement. They described it as a betrayal of Ukraine, European allies and US national security. The senators called on Trump to end the war involving Iran rather than provide financial support to Russia’s war effort. Global fuel prices have climbed as the conflict in Iran disrupts energy markets. Although diesel futures fell following Trump’s announcement on Friday, the average US retail price remained elevated at $6.28 per gallon, according to AAA. The price had reached a record $6.52 on September 22. Trump did not directly address Russia’s sanctions or its war against Ukraine. Instead, he said lowering costs for Americans, particularly farmers, ranchers and truck drivers, remained his highest priority. Later, as he departed the White House for a campaign rally, Trump expressed gratitude to Putin for the arrangement, saying substantial quantities of diesel were expected to enter the United States. He did not respond to questions about Zelenskyy’s criticism. Washington and Moscow provide limited detailsThe White House did not immediately clarify who would pay for the Russian diesel or when the supplies would become available. According to a Kremlin statement issued Friday, Putin said the two leaders devoted considerable attention to prospects for resolving the Ukraine conflict. They also discussed the situation surrounding Iran and several aspects of bilateral relations. Putin confirmed Russia’s willingness to supply oil and petroleum products to the US and international markets, expressing confidence that the arrangement would benefit the global economy. However, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov declined to say whether Washington had offered concessions or made other commitments in exchange for the fuel supplies. Agreement sparks criticism from US and Ukrainian officialsIn a lengthy online statement, Zelenskyy warned that Russia would respond to the agreement with further aggression and deception. He argued that the deal could strengthen Moscow’s ability to continue its military campaign. According to the Ukrainian president, the arrangement would benefit Russia by allowing it to prolong the war, inflict further casualties and damage, and show less regard for the United States. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, a co-sponsor of the Russia sanctions legislation, said the decision made the United States complicit in Putin’s war against Ukraine. Referring to the bipartisan legislation named after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally known for his tough stance on Russia, Blumenthal called the agreement an embarrassment to the country and contrary to Congress’s intentions. Representative Don Beyer, the senior Democrat on the House Joint Economic Committee, also condemned Trump’s announcement, saying the decision reinforced concerns about the president’s reliability on Russia-related issues. The sanctions law signed last month provides for penalties against Russian officials, banks and a network of tankers used to transport Russian oil. It also prohibits new US investment in Russia and restricts dealings involving Russian sovereign debt. Additionally, the legislation authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15% of Russia’s natural gas exports and have made significant efforts to reduce those purchases. The United States stopped importing Russian oil and gas in 2022 after the Biden administration imposed a ban following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Treasury grants six-month relief from diesel sanctionsShortly after Trump announced the agreement, the US Treasury Department issued a temporary licence permitting Russian diesel to be supplied to the global market. The authorization is the latest US measure concerning Russian fuel shipments since the Iran war began earlier this year. However, it marks the first extension of diesel-related sanctions relief beyond the usual 30-day period since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Under the licence, US sanctions will not apply until April 2027 to Russian diesel shipments loaded onto tankers by Friday. The decision highlights how disruptions caused by the Iran conflict have created additional opportunities for Moscow to earn revenue from its energy exports. Experts question the impact on fuel pricesEnergy specialists remain uncertain whether the arrangement will significantly reduce fuel prices. Clayton Seigle, an energy strategist and expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the agreement was unlikely to have a substantial effect on prices. Nevertheless, he noted that it would benefit Russia and Putin, particularly as Moscow seeks to sell its summer-grade diesel before shifting to heavier winter and Arctic fuel grades needed in the coming months. Michael Lynch of the Energy Policy Research Foundation offered a similar assessment, suggesting that the arrangement would mainly redistribute existing supplies rather than increase the overall availability of diesel. He explained that if Russian diesel were redirected to the United States, Russia’s existing customers would have to find alternative suppliers. That could leave global prices largely unchanged. Russia, previously a major diesel exporter, suspended exports in July as domestic demand became difficult to meet amid repeated Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. The International Energy Agency estimates that Russian diesel production has declined by approximately 30%. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told the state-run news agency TASS that Moscow was beginning to lift restrictions on diesel exports earlier than planned. He said deliveries to the United States could begin this month while ensuring that Russia’s domestic market remained adequately supplied.

Thieves stole around 30,000 bottles of 2023 vintage wines worth an estimated 5 million euros ($5.8 million) from Marchesi Antinori's facility near Cortona in Tuscany's Arezzo province, in Italy's largest-ever recorded wine heist, officials said Friday. The well-prepared gang of at least seven disabled alarms and surveillance cameras on Saturday night, loaded two trucks using company forklifts, and fled. Discovered Monday, the theft was disclosed Friday to avoid interfering with police investigations. The stolen bottles-retailing between 150 and 500 euros each-include 10,000 bottles of flagship Solaia alongside Tignanello and Guado al Tasso. CEO Renzo Cotarella said the gang might be linked to recent winery attacks across Italy. Founded in 1385 and family-run for 26 generations, Antinori warned global clients against unofficial sales offers. Italian police and Carabinieri are examining footage, confident of tracing the shipment. The heist eclipses a 2017 robbery near Adriatic resort town Cervia where 2,000 rare bottles worth 750,000 euros were stolen.

At least 28 people were killed when a passenger bus collided head-on with a timber-carrying truck along the Morogoro-Dar es Salaam highway in eastern Tanzania, official sources said Friday. The crash occurred overnight Thursday at Mkambarani in the Morogoro Region, according to Joseph Mwasabeja, acting commander of the Morogoro Regional Fire and Rescue Force. Mwasabeja attributed the crash to the unidentified truck driver, who was traveling from Iringa toward Dar es Salaam and attempted to overtake other vehicles without taking adequate precautions. This resulted in a head-on collision with the passenger bus heading from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya in Tanzania's southern highlands. Following the impact, the passenger bus caught fire and was completely burnt out, Mwasabeja added.

Indian authorities tightened security in the capital on Friday and announced transport restrictions ahead of a planned demonstration by the youth-led “Cockroach” movement, as protests against a controversial revision of voter lists continue to spread across the country. Thousands of demonstrators are expected to gather at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar protest site on Saturday as opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and the country's election authorities intensifies. The protesters, joined by opposition parties, are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the Election Commission of manipulating voter lists through the revision process. Indian Railways announced the cancellation of several trains serving two New Delhi stations on Saturday, while the Delhi Metro said 57 stations would be closed. The restrictions could make it harder for supporters of the “Cockroach” movement, many of them students who rely on trains and the metro, to reach the protest venue. Local media reported that at least 23,000 police personnel had been deployed across the capital ahead of the demonstration. Police said the security measures were intended to maintain public order and prevent disruptions to the movement of people. The protests centre on a nationwide voter list review known as the Special Intensive Revision, which has been conducted in most Indian states and federally administered territories. More than 130 million names have been removed from the lists so far, prompting millions of people to appeal against the deletions. Although those affected can challenge the removal of their names, critics say the process can be difficult, particularly for people who lack older government records or other required documents. Opposition parties allege that the deletions have disproportionately affected their supporters and members of minority communities, while voters more likely to support Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have been retained or added to the lists. The Election Commission and the government have rejected the allegations, maintaining that the exercise is politically neutral and intended to eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries. The “Cockroach” movement has played a leading role in the demonstrations. It began as an online youth campaign in May before expanding into street protests. Its earlier demonstrations, sit-ins and hunger strikes over examination paper leaks led to the resignation of Modi's education minister in July. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has also become a prominent figure in the campaign. Police briefly detained him twice during protests in New Delhi this week. Ahead of Saturday's demonstration, student groups and activists accused police of detaining some protesters travelling to the capital. Local media also reported that police officers had visited several mosques in New Delhi and urged religious leaders to discourage people from attending the rally. Abhijeet Dipke, leader of the “Cockroach” movement, said on Friday that protesters would go ahead with the demonstration despite the detentions and restrictions. “This intimidation is not going to work, Modi,” Dipke wrote in a post on X. “The youth of this country are no longer scared of you.”