World News Live Updates: Saudi Arabia denies meeting Israeli officials during Netanyahu’s UAE visit
The development contradicts a report by the Ynet news site, which stated that Netanyahu met with Middle Eastern officials, including a Saudi official, during his UAE visit.
· The Indian Express · JoinA senior Saudi official has denied reports of a meeting between Saudi and Israeli officials during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to the United Arab Emirates. The development contradicts a report by the Ynet news site, which stated that Netanyahu met with Middle Eastern officials, including a Saudi official, during his UAE visit. The report was also denied by Jordan, which, according to the outlet, was represented alongside Morocco and other unspecified countries at the meeting.
Iran warns UAE of ‘highly dangerous consequences’ after Netanyahu’s visit
Iran’s Foreign Ministry warned the United Arab Emirates of “highly dangerous consequences” following Netanyahu’s visit on Sunday. Calling the Israeli Prime Minister “the child-killing and war-mongering Prime Minister of the Zionist regime,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry said, “the presence of a criminal whose hands are stained with the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent people and who is under prosecution by international courts is extremely dangerous and alarming,” according to an unofficial translation by Tehran’s embassy in India of a statement. “Undoubtedly, given the proven hostility and animosity of the Zionist regime toward Iran and other countries of the region, as well as the regime’s repeated threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran, all countries of the region should be vigilant about the consequences and repercussions of such a presence, which threatens the collective peace and security of the region,” the Ministry added.
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Trump says he does not know if Iran will ‘give up yet’ amid war
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he did not know whether Iran would “give up yet”, while describing Iran as doing “very poorly” in the war with the United States. “I don’t know if they are going to give up yet, but they’ll give up,” Trump told reporters. “They are doing very poorly,” he added.
Follow the latest world news and major international developments here. This live blog is a rolling curation of the day’s key global stories, with updates added as events unfold and the news agenda changes. The headline, introduction and Top Developments section will be refreshed throughout the day to reflect the stories that matter most at that moment.
Live Updates
Sep 30, 2026 04:27 PM IST
Ukraine struggling to cover funding gap as war costs surge
Ukraine's total war costs will reach $155 billion this year and the government is struggling to close a $27 billion funding gap to ensure it can still conduct combat operations at the start of 2027, Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi said on Wednesday.
Koretskyi said the government planned to cover $7 billion of the gap by postponing expenditure, reallocating money from other parts of the budget and cutting some costs, and was in talks with partners on how to cover the remaining $20 billion.
It is the first time Kyiv has released an estimate of its annual war costs, meaning there is no comparable figure for 2025, but officials have said that the cost of the conflict has risen as the use of missile and drone technology has increased.
The $155 billion figure covers both domestic state spending and off-budget military aid from Ukraine's Western allies, including air defence missiles, ammunition and aircraft delivered as hardware rather than cash.
Koretskyi said it was critical that Ukraine plugged the $27 billion gap in its 2026 military spending, as this would help to cover defence orders for the start of next year.
"Our ability to conduct active combat operations, including in the first quarter of 2027, depends on this funding. This applies to our long-range capabilities and our ability to take the war back to where it came from," Koretskyi said.
"This is a critical need that must be met." Reuters
Sep 30, 2026 04:19 PM IST
US military says its withdrawal of troops from Iraq is complete
The U.S. military announced on Wednesday that it has completed the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year mission to fight the Islamic State group. The last U.S. troops left an air base in northern Iraq under a deal between Baghdad and Washington. The withdrawal, agreed on two years ago, comes against the backdrop of the ongoing war between the United States and Iran that has also sometimes spilled over into Iraq, with Iran-backed militias firing on U.S. troops and the U.S. striking the groups' strongholds.Baghdad touted the end of the U.S. mission as a sign of the country's increasing strength and sovereignty.The withdrawal was also celebrated by Iran-backed groups but raised concerns among some other Iraqis, particularly in the Kurdish region. Meanwhile, questions loom around the future of the Iraqi militias, which the Baghdad government has sought — with little success so far — to disarm. AP
Sep 30, 2026 04:00 PM IST
Inflation jumps across euro zone, raising pressure on ECB to hike
Inflation rose far quicker than expected in some of the euro zone's biggest economies this month due to the energy-price shock of the Iran war, increasing pressure on the European Central Bank to raise interest rates again.
The ECB has lifted rates twice this year to prevent rapid price growth from getting embedded, and investors have sharply raised rate hike bets in the past few weeks as natural gas, petrol and diesel prices have all soared.
France's harmonized inflation rate was 3.4% year-on-year in September, up from 2.6% in August, while in Italy it jumped to 4.1% from August's 3.2%, all above the ECB's 2% target, data showed on Wednesday.
In Germany, inflation rose sharply in five key German states in September, suggesting Germany's national inflation rate —which will be released later on Wednesday — could increase this month. Reuters
Sep 30, 2026 03:33 PM IST
Putin will address newly-elected parliament later on Wednesday, Kremlin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver a speech in newly-elected parliament later on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists. Reuters
Sep 30, 2026 03:19 PM IST
Russia pounds the Kyiv region, killing 4 and targeting the power grid
Russia pressed on with its weekslong missile and drone barrage of Kyiv and areas around the Ukrainian capital, killing four people including a child while targeting the power grid and a key internet exchange point, officials said Wednesday.Moscow’s steep escalation of its aerial campaign since the end of August heaps pressure on Ukraine as it braces for winter, when Russia regularly bombards energy facilities to deny Ukrainians heating and running water.Ukrainian officials say Moscow is not engaging with U.S. efforts to halt the fighting, 4 ½ years after Russia invaded its neighbor. Moscow says it wants a comprehensive settlement rather than a temporary truce, although its demand for Ukraine to surrender land is unacceptable for Kyiv.A child was killed and three other people were rescued from the rubble of a private home in Vyshhorod, in the wider Kyiv region, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the regional military administration.Russia has exploited gaps in Ukrainian air defenses by firing ballistic missiles and new jet-powered drones, both of which are hard to stop. AP
Sep 30, 2026 03:00 PM IST
Dozens injured in French student protests over school resources
Dozens of people have been injured so far in a wave of student demonstrations, France's Education Minister Edouard Geffray said on Wednesday, as students continued to protest against dilapidated schools, insufficient resources and stressful exams.
Television images showed lines of police officers in Lyon and students standing outside their schools in Lille as well as Saint-Denis north of Paris. People set garbage cans and other materials on fire in Lille and Lyon and, in Lille, some people were throwing projectiles.
"Since the beginning of these demonstrations, we have had 76 injuries, both among students and personnel," Geffray told RTL radio.
The demonstrations and blockades, which began last week and coincided on Tuesday with a broader public-sector strike, have become a political flashpoint at a sensitive moment for France. On Thursday, the government will unveil the country's 2027 budget which is expected to involve spending cuts aimed at easing pressure on government finances.
Politicians from the hard-left France Unbowed party have joined demonstrations, and officials and politicians from outside their camp have denounced the party for rhetoric they said was stoking students' anger. Bally Bagayoko, the France Unbowed mayor at the centre of the controversy, has said his words have been taken out of context. Reuters
Sep 30, 2026 02:20 PM IST
Iran says it has received US proposal amid diplomatic efforts
Iran has received a proposal from the United States as diplomatic efforts to break the deadlock over the US-Israeli war on Iran continue, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said.
Sep 30, 2026 01:55 PM IST
‘We heard screams, plane dived’: Flydubai passengers recall mid-air chaos
A passenger on board the Israel-bound flydubai flight that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, described chaotic scenes to Channel 12.
“We heard screams on the plane. Then they opened the cockpit and we saw blood, and someone had stabbed the pilot with a pocketknife,” the unnamed woman told the network via text message.
It is believed that a violent altercation developed between the two pilots.
The woman said that the Israeli passengers helped restrain an attacker along with members of the crew. “We prayed, ‘Shema Yisrael,’” she says. “There were also moments when we thought we weren’t going to make it out alive.”
Another woman, who identified identifying herself as noam, said, “Screams began on the plane… by passengers who realized what was happening. We understand that one of the pilots was stabbed and seriously wounded, and they lost control of the plane. It started to dive quickly. It was very scary.”
Sep 30, 2026 01:37 PM IST
Netanyahu office says Flydubai situation under control, passengers safe
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations after a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing, with his office saying the situation is under control.
“The situation is under control, and all measures are currently being taken to bring the Israeli passengers back to Israel safely,” said the Prime Minister’s Office, according to The Times Of Israel.
Sep 30, 2026 01:18 PM IST
US coalition forces leave Erbil base, marking end of Iraq mission
The Pentagon said the orderly departure of coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base marks the conclusion of the military mission that defeated ISIS in Iraq.
The Pentagon said the US Department of War will continue providing targeted training and intelligence support to its Iraqi partners following the conclusion of the military mission.
Sep 30, 2026 12:51 PM IST
Flydubai flight that declared emergency, landed in Saudi
A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv that had signalled an emergency landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia moments ago.
Flydubai emergency signals were reportedly triggered by an altercation between pilots aboard the flight, The Times of Israel reported, citing Israeli security sources.
Sep 30, 2026 12:35 PM IST
Flydubai incident was not hijacking, Israel PM spokesperson says
The incident involving a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Israel was not a hijacking, the Israeli prime minister’s spokesperson said.
Sep 30, 2026 12:34 PM IST
Netanyahu consults security officials over diverted Flydubai flight
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding consultations over a flydubai flight from the UAE to Israel that was diverted from its planned route, three Israeli security officials told news agency Reuters.
Sep 30, 2026 12:26 PM IST
Dubai-Tel Aviv flight diverts after distress signal; Israel dispatched fighter jets
A flydubai flight from Dubai to Israel diverted its route on Wednesday after issuing an emergency signal for several minutes during the journey.
Israel’s air force dispatched fighter jets in response to the incident. The flydubai flight carrying about 180 Israeli passengers descended significantly as it approached the Jordanian airspace, according to Haaretz.
According to Flightradar24, the flight "FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv squawking 7700 en route to Tel Aviv," a code which is used by pilots to signal a general emergency.
The aircraft involved in the incident is a Boeing 737 MAX8, delivered to flydubai in December 2022.
The Israel-bound flight FZ1073 was the first for the day for the aircraft.
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Sep 30, 2026 12:07 PM IST
Russia attack damages Kyiv energy infrastructure, DTEK says
A Russian attack damaged energy infrastructure in Kyiv, Ukraine, power company DTEK said, as Russian strikes continue to affect the country’s energy network.
Sep 30, 2026 12:03 PM IST
US troops withdrawn from their remaining bases in Iraq
US forces have withdrawn from their remaining bases in Iraq, raising concerns that the move could create a security vacuum and allow Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias and ISIS to regroup.
The departure, agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden, was carried out by Donald Trump’s administration amid its war against Iran.
The move comes 23 years after US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein.
Sep 30, 2026 11:13 AM IST
Pakistan pledges to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthis ‘by whatever means’
Pakistan’s defence minister said Islamabad will use “whatever means are available” to defend Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, signalling possible direct involvement.
Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif declined to comment if Pakistani forces had already participated in airstrikes. However, he said that his country's armed forces would be available to Saudi under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
“I’m not going into detail, but obviously when I say that we are bound by this arrangement to defend Saudi Arabia, that means whatever means are available at our disposal, they’ll be available to Saudi Arabia also. I think that’s a categoric statement,” Asif told reporters during a visit to Rome when asked whether Pakistan had been involved in airstrikes against Iranian operators in Yemen.
Sep 30, 2026 10:40 AM IST
Eiffel Tower chief to step down after women staff removed during Hindu group visit
The chief of the company operating the Eiffel Tower will step down at the end of 2026 following controversy over the removal of women staff during a Hindu religious group’s visit.
Patrick Branco Ruivo, who has been in charge of the landmark since 2018, will leave his position at the end of the year after an internal probe found out "operational flaws and shortcomings" in organising the visit that led to the "unacceptable" removal of women staff, the company SETE said in a statement on Tuesday (Sep 29).
Sep 30, 2026 09:53 AM IST
Trump, tech leaders sign 4-tier pact for AI self-regulation
US President Donald Trump and leaders of some of the world’s biggest technology companies have signed a voluntary White House accord on Tuesday outlining measures to improve the safety and oversight of advanced artificial intelligence systems.
The “White House Accord on Super Intelligence”, released by Trump on Truth Social, calls for companies developing and deploying frontier AI models to introduce four layers of internal controls, monitoring and independent audits.
Sep 30, 2026 09:33 AM IST
Indian Coast Guard seizes drugs from Iranian boat in Arabian Sea; 5 Pakistani nationals arrested
The Indian Coast Guard and Gujarat ATS seized 526 kg of methamphetamine and heroin worth over Rs 3,000 crore from an Iranian boat in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday.
The Coast Guard said in a statement that it also detained five Pakistani nationals operating the vessel in the operation carried out near Lakshadweep on September 25.
Coast Guard assets carried out sea-air surveillance, based on the intelligence inputs, and tracked the suspicious dhow before boarding it west of Lakshadweep, it said.
Sep 30, 2026 08:59 AM IST
Saudi Arabia denies meeting Israeli officials during Netanyahu’s UAE visit
A senior Saudi official has denied reports of a meeting between Saudi and Israeli officials during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to the United Arab Emirates.
The development contradicts a report by the Ynet news site, which stated that Netanyahu met with Middle Eastern officials, including a Saudi official, during his UAE visit. The report was also denied by Jordan, which, according to the outlet, was represented alongside Morocco and other unspecified countries at the meeting.
Sep 30, 2026 08:58 AM IST
Iran warns UAE of 'highly dangerous consequences' after Netanyahu's visit
Iran’s Foreign Ministry warned the United Arab Emirates of “highly dangerous consequences” following Netanyahu's on Sunday.
Calling the Israeli Prime Minister “the child-killing and war-mongering Prime Minister of the Zionist regime,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry said, “the presence of a criminal whose hands are stained with the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent people and who is under prosecution by international courts is extremely dangerous and alarming,” according to an unofficial translation by Tehran’s embassy in India of a statement.
“Undoubtedly, given the proven hostility and animosity of the Zionist regime toward Iran and other countries of the region, as well as the regime’s repeated threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran, all countries of the region should be vigilant about the consequences and repercussions of such a presence, which threatens the collective peace and security of the region,” the Ministry added.
Sep 30, 2026 08:57 AM IST
Trump says he does not know if Iran will 'give up yet' amid war
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he did not know whether Iran would “give up yet”, while describing Iran as doing “very poorly” in the war with the United States. "I don't know if they are going to give up yet but they'll give up," Trump told reporters. "They are doing very poorly," he added.
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