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Austria ordered four Russian diplomats to leave over espionage allegations, an Austrian official said on Friday. The Foreign Ministry said three diplomats were based at Russia's embassy in Vienna and one at its OSCE mission. Declared personae non gratae for "activities incompatible with their diplomatic status," they were told to leave in coming days. No further details were provided. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky told media that "a reaction is unavoidable". Vienna-host to OPEC, OSCE, IAEA, and UNODC-is considered a spying hotbed due to lenient laws penalizing foreign espionage only if targeting Austrian interests. The neutral EU member aids Ukraine non-militarily as reciprocal European-Russian expulsions continue post-Ukraine invasion. In May, Austria expelled three embassy staff using building antennas to intercept international satellite data, media reported. Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger's liberal Neos party advocated tougher stances. The government is negotiating legislation expanding punishment to espionage against international organizations.

Two workers were killed and five others injured in an explosion inside a mine in northern Turkey on Friday, while rescuers were working to reach another worker trapped underground, an official said. The blast occurred near Kilimli, in the Black Sea coastal province of Zonguldak. The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. Medical teams and rescue workers were dispatched to the scene to assist the victims and search for the missing miner. Zonguldak Governor Osman Hacibektasoglu told reporters that two of the injured workers were in critical condition. One of them was being transferred to the capital, Ankara, for further treatment. Mine accidents are relatively common in Turkey. One of the country's deadliest mining disasters occurred in 2014, when a fire inside a coal mine in the western town of Soma killed 301 people.

Seven oil tankers caught fire or sustained damage in the Strait of Hormuz overnight after being struck by Iran or hitting naval mines, Tehran said Thursday, raising fresh concerns about a possible return to full-scale war. Fears of renewed US-Israeli attacks on Iran are growing ahead of Israel’s closely contested election, scheduled for Oct 27, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could lose power, and next month’s US midterm elections, where rising prices linked to the war have fuelled voter anger. “Netanyahu wants to attack Iran, that’s not even a question,” Danny Citrinowicz, a researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies and a former Iran specialist in the country’s military and intelligence services, told The Associated Press. Citrinowicz accused Israel of rushing towards another confrontation with Iran without revising its strategy. He said a clear victory for Netanyahu in the Oct 27 election would make another attack almost inevitable. Although leading opposition candidates are expected to prioritise domestic issues, Citrinowicz said he believed the region was heading towards “another kinetic escalation.” Iran renews threat to strike US bases in region Iranian state television reported the latest attacks on the vessels, citing the navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Associated Press could not independently verify the claims. The report did not mention any casualties. It also quoted the Guard's navy as renewing its threat to target US military bases in the region if Washington continued helping commercial vessels navigate the Strait of Hormuz. Iran continues to assert control over the strategic waterway, which remains a key source of leverage in any negotiations with the United States over the war. October has seen the highest number of reported attacks on commercial shipping since March, when the war began, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British maritime security monitor. Although UKMTO did not report the latest incidents, it has noted that some shipping operators have become increasingly reluctant to report attacks. Experts say oil producers have managed to maintain crude supplies through alternative arrangements, but doing so has become increasingly costly.

The 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) will focus on the concrete implementation of climate policies, said Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Berris Ekinci on Thursday. Speaking at an event commemorating the upcoming United Nations Day, Ekinci said the conference would be designed as an "implementation COP," reflecting growing expectations that the second decade of the Paris Agreement should focus on delivering climate commitments rather than primarily negotiating new decisions. She highlighted the importance of linking national climate priorities with financing through the Climate Implementation Bridge, an initiative developed with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help turn climate ambitions into bankable projects. According to the Turkish minister, the summit will also combine formal negotiations with a climate action agenda that involves cities, businesses, investors, researchers, civil society, and young people. Ekinci said the agenda includes six global targets for 2035. Babatunde Ahonsi, the UN Resident Coordinator in Türkiye, said that addressing climate change requires broad participation across society, including businesses, local authorities, women and young people, as well as governments. Describing the approach as "inclusive multilateralism," Ahonsi said preparations for COP31 had involved dialogues with businesses, municipalities, youth groups and women's organizations. Also on Thursday, Murat Kurum, minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, said Türkiye expects 85 world leaders to attend COP31 in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya next month, while 26,000 security personnel will be deployed to ensure the event proceeds smoothly. Kurum made the remarks during an inspection of the summit venue. According to the minister, nearly 300 ministers are expected to visit Türkiye, and applications for 159 pavilions and 90 delegation offices have been approved, a record number for the UN conference. More than 1 million visitors are expected during the event, which will feature dedicated meeting halls, exhibition areas and a media center designed to accommodate 4,000 journalists, he said. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said 26,000 personnel from the police, gendarmerie and coast guard would be assigned to security duties, with measures covering land, air and maritime operations. COP31 is scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Turkey Thursday for a two-day visit-his first bilateral trip following July's NATO summit-seeking a strategic partnership and free-trade negotiations to reduce US dependence amid a trade war with Donald Trump. Carney will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara before conferring with business groups in Istanbul. Discussions focus on energy, nuclear plants, sustainable mining, defense, aerospace, advanced tech, and critical minerals-sectors driving 50% trade growth over five years. Canada's Ambassador Marcel Lebleu told media the visit aims to launch a strategic partnership via a joint declaration. Improving ties follow Canada lifting its 2024 arms export ban, previously imposed over Turkish incursions in Syria and military support for Azerbaijan. Turkey also seeks a second Black Sea nuclear plant beside Russia's Rusatom project. Concurrently, Amnesty International urged Carney not to treat human rights as secondary. Director Ruhat Sena Aksenir highlighted Turkey's crackdown on dissent, detained journalists, LGBTQ defenders, opposition TV seizures, and the year-long imprisonment of Erdogan rival and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Erdogan's government maintains courts operate independently.

Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia have agreed to expand cooperation in defence manufacturing, technology sharing and military research as regional conflicts and uncertainty push countries to strengthen their own security capabilities. The four countries signed a memorandum of understanding in Doha on Wednesday, seeking to build on existing military partnerships through joint production, technology transfers and closer links between their defence supply chains. The agreement comes amid the prolonged US-Israeli war with Iran and growing concerns over dependence on Washington for security. However, analysts say the initiative is intended to diversify defence partnerships rather than replace existing alliances. Arda Mevlutoglu, a defence industry analyst and managing director of Mergen Analytical Strategies, said the initiative could help create a broader network of defence cooperation linking the Gulf with South and Southeast Asia. The Qatari Defence Ministry said the agreement, named the “Badr” memorandum, aims to strengthen defence manufacturing, improve military capabilities and promote technical training, research and development among the four countries. Under the arrangement, each country is expected to contribute its particular strengths. Turkiye would provide technological expertise and experience in defence manufacturing, while Pakistan and Indonesia could offer production facilities, skilled workers and domestic markets. Qatar would contribute investment and demand for military equipment. Experts say the partnership could help the countries jointly develop, manufacture and maintain defence systems, potentially reducing costs and creating jobs. Albert Vidal, a research associate at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said Pakistan and Indonesia were interested in purchasing Turkish weapons and producing some of them domestically. Such arrangements could benefit Turkish manufacturers while supporting local industries in the two countries, with Qatar providing financial support. The agreement builds on existing defence cooperation among the participants. Qatar and Turkiye signed a bilateral defence industry agreement in October 2025, while Pakistan and Turkiye have a joint naval shipbuilding project involving four vessels, two to be built in Istanbul and two at Karachi Shipyard. Indonesia and Turkiye are also jointly developing a tank. Burcu Ozcelik, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said the latest initiative could bring separate defence projects under a more coordinated and reliable framework. Regional security concerns have increased amid the war involving Iran, attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels and reports of shortages in US weapons supplies. Analysts say these developments have encouraged countries to diversify suppliers and strengthen domestic production. Mevlutoglu, however, cautioned against viewing the agreement as a move away from the United States. Qatar is unlikely to abandon its strategic ties with Washington, while Turkiye seeks greater technological independence within NATO, he said. Bader Mousa Al-Saif, an associate fellow at Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa Programme and an assistant professor at Kuwait University, said the initiative reflected growing interest among Gulf countries in cooperation with countries in the Global South and other Muslim-majority nations. The Doha agreement also follows a separate regional defence initiative. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, establishing a mutual defence commitment. Ankara submitted the agreement to its parliament for ratification on Wednesday. Unlike that agreement, which focuses on collective defence, the Doha memorandum centres on industrial and technological cooperation. Mevlutoglu said the two initiatives could complement each other by combining military cooperation with stronger regional defence production capabilities. Source: Al Jazeera

Seven oil tankers were damaged or caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz overnight Thursday after being attacked or striking naval mines, Iranian state television reported, in what could be the highest number of vessels damaged in the strategic waterway in a single day since the Iran war began on February 28. According to a statement attributed to the navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), four tankers carrying out oil transfers were targeted and caught fire, while three others were damaged and left immobilised after hitting naval mines. The report did not specify the vessels’ nationalities or provide information about possible casualties. Iranian state television also warned that the Revolutionary Guard could target US military bases in the region if Washington attempted to facilitate oil tanker movements through other parts of the strait. The IRGC has repeatedly targeted US bases in Gulf countries during the conflict. The reported incidents could not be independently verified. Yemen Warns Houthi Gatherings Could Become Military TargetsYemen’s Defence Ministry on Thursday warned that rallies and mobilisation activities organised by the Houthi movement would be treated as legitimate military targets, urging residents in areas controlled by the Iran-backed group not to participate. The warning, published on social media, marked a significant escalation in the government’s stance towards the Houthis and raised concerns about the safety of civilians living in areas under their control. Public rallies and what the Houthis describe as “cultural courses” are key elements of the group’s efforts to recruit supporters and fighters. The ministry alleged that the gatherings were being used to mobilise children for combat. Deliberate attacks against civilians may constitute war crimes under international law. Death Toll from Attack on Saudi Airport Rises to TwoThe death toll from an attack on Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd International Airport has increased to two, the country’s Civil Aviation Authority said Thursday. The victims were a Saudi citizen and an Indian national residing in the kingdom, according to an official statement. Eight other people were injured in the incident late Wednesday. Saudi authorities did not identify those responsible for the attack or disclose further details. Yemen’s Houthi rebels had not issued a statement on the incident. The airport, located in eastern Saudi Arabia near Bahrain and Qatar, has previously been targeted amid a broader campaign of Houthi missile and projectile attacks against major Saudi airports. Disabled Syrian Civilian Killed During Israeli RaidA civilian with special needs was killed during an Israeli military raid on the village of Jamla in Syria’s southern Daraa province on Thursday, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported. The agency provided no further details about the circumstances of the death. The Israeli military had not immediately responded to a request for comment. Following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in a rapid rebel offensive in December 2024, Israel took control of a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and has maintained its presence there. Although Jamla lies outside the Israeli-occupied zone, Israeli forces have frequently conducted incursions into neighbouring areas beyond it.

Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, overnight into Thursday killed one person and injured 22 others, Ukrainian authorities said, hours after Moscow agreed in principle to resume US-brokered peace talks. The attacks damaged residential buildings, transport infrastructure and other civilian facilities in several parts of the city, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said. In the Dniprovskyi district on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, one person was killed and six others, including a child, were injured as fires broke out following the strikes. The bombardment came after Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed “in principle” to resume trilateral negotiations involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine after November 10, a week after the US midterm elections. Putin reached the understanding during a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg, Ushakov said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the prospect of renewed negotiations but expressed caution about their outcome. “We'll see what happens this time,” he said shortly before air raid alerts sounded across Kyiv.

Electronic Arts (EA) is shutting down BioWare, the influential video game development studio behind popular titles such as “Mass Effect” and “Dragon Age”, after more than three decades in the industry. The closure also means the cancellation of the next “Mass Effect” game, the fifth main instalment in the science-fiction role-playing series that began in 2007. BioWare announced the shutdown on social media on Wednesday, following a Bloomberg report that EA was laying off around 400 employees, including about 50 at the studio. “What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember,” the studio said, thanking players for their involvement with its games and characters. Founded in Canada in 1995, BioWare became known for story-driven role-playing games, including fantasy titles such as “Baldur's Gate” and “Dragon Age”, as well as science-fiction adventures such as “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” and “Mass Effect”. EA acquired the studio in 2007. However, the studio faced challenges after expanding into multiplayer gaming. Its 2019 title “Anthem” failed to attract a lasting audience, while “Mass Effect: Andromeda” (2017) and “Dragon Age: The Veilguard” (2024) received mixed reviews and disappointed some fans. A new “Mass Effect” instalment had been under development before the closure was announced. The shutdown comes as EA undergoes broader changes following the completion of a $55 billion sale of the company in August to a group including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, investment firm Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, led by Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law. EA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reported job cuts.

Seven oil tankers were reportedly damaged or caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz overnight Thursday after being attacked or striking naval mines, Iranian state television reported. If confirmed, the incident would mark the highest number of vessels damaged in the strategic waterway in a single day since the Iran war began on February 28, when the United States launched joint strikes against Iran. Citing a statement from the naval forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the report said four tankers caught fire after being targeted while transferring oil. Three other vessels were damaged and left immobilised after striking naval mines. The report did not provide details about possible casualties or identify the countries under whose flags the tankers were sailing. The IRGC Navy also warned that any US attempt to facilitate oil tanker movements through what it described as “illegal passages” in the strait could prompt a broader response, including attacks on US military bases across the region. Since the war began, the IRGC has repeatedly targeted US military bases in Gulf countries. The Strait of Hormuz is a key global energy shipping route, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Disruptions to shipping through the narrow waterway can affect international oil supplies and prices.