Synagogue Attack in Manchester Declared Terrorism
Trump Says U.S. In Armed Conflict With Cartels
Putin Hits Back At Trump Over ‘Paper Tiger’
Munich Airport Reopens After Drone Disruptions
Zelensky Warns Europe Over Russian Drone Threat
Drone Strikes Cripple Russian Fuel Output
Israel Intercepts Gaza Flotilla, Hundreds Detained
Hamas Split Over Trump Gaza Ceasefire Plan
France To Try Captain Of Russian-Linked Tanker
FDA Approves Second Generic Abortion Pill
Two people were killed and several others seriously injured after an attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur. The assailant, identified as Jihad al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent, drove a car into worshippers before stabbing people.
Police shot him dead minutes later, describing the assault as terrorism, though investigators said his precise motivation remained under review. He was found wearing a vest designed to resemble an explosive device, which was later determined to be non-viable.
Three people were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences, and police searched homes linked to the suspect. Prime Minister Keir Starmer cut short a European trip to chair an emergency meeting, condemning the attack as “absolutely shocking” and praising security guards and Rabbi Daniel Walker, whose actions helped prevent a greater tragedy. Extra patrols have been deployed across Jewish sites as community leaders voiced fears of rising antisemitism.
Sources: New York Times, BBC
The administration has notified Congress that the United States is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels, framing recent lethal strikes on boats in international waters as lawful military action. The notice follows at least three operations since early September against alleged traffickers off Venezuela, with at least 14 people reported killed. It describes cartels as terrorist organisations and suspected smugglers as “unlawful combatants.”
The move has unfolded alongside a regional military build-up, including additional U.S. naval vessels and aircraft sent to a base in Puerto Rico. Tensions with Caracas are rising: Venezuela’s defence minister said more than five U.S. combat aircraft were detected near the coastline and called the flights a provocation.
Lawmakers and legal experts have questioned the administration’s justification, warning that declaring armed conflict against non-state criminal groups may exceed executive authority.
Sources: Washington Post, Le Monde
Vladimir Putin responded to Donald Trump’s description of Russia as a “paper tiger,” suggesting NATO might better fit that label. Speaking at the Valdai forum, he said Russian forces were advancing along the entire front in Ukraine and that almost all of the U.S.-led alliance was now fighting against Russia. Trump, who had previously urged Kyiv to cede land, has recently said Ukraine could reclaim all its territory and again called Moscow a “paper tiger.”
Putin warned that any U.S. decision to supply Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine would trigger a dangerous new escalation and argued such weapons could not be used without direct U.S. military involvement.
He said NATO members were providing Ukraine with intelligence, weapons and training, while dismissing claims that Russia planned to attack a NATO state.
The United States has not announced any decision on supplying Tomahawks.
Sources: Times of India, Reuters
Munich’s airport reopened in the early hours of Friday after overnight drone sightings forced air traffic control to suspend operations. The shutdown led to the cancellation of 17 flights and diverted another 15 arrivals to cities including Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna and Frankfurt, disrupting travel for nearly 3,000 passengers who were provided with camp beds, blankets and food. A flight from Bangkok was the first to land at around 5:25 a.m., according to the airport’s website.
Authorities said several drones were seen above the airport late on Thursday, though darkness made it impossible to determine their size or type. The episode follows recent airspace intrusions that temporarily shut airports in Denmark and Norway, prompting European leaders in Copenhagen to back anti-drone measures and warn that Europe must bolster defences.
The disruption capped a tense week in Munich, where Oktoberfest was briefly closed due to a bomb threat and explosives were found in a residential building.
Sources: Reuters, The Guardian
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told European leaders in Copenhagen that recent drone incursions show Russia is intent on escalating its aggression. He warned that Moscow’s actions were never just about Ukraine but aimed at undermining Europe itself. Nearly 50 countries attended the summit, held under tight security after mystery drone flights rattled Denmark last month.
European leaders are exploring ways to strengthen defence against such incursions, including a possible “drone wall”. Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to share its battlefield expertise, while French President Emmanuel Macron called for a tougher stance, urging that drones violating European airspace be destroyed. Romanian Prime Minister Nicosur Dan said his forces would shoot down the next Russian drone to cross into his country.
Discussions also extended to Russia’s wider war financing. Macron pressed for action against Moscow’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, while the EU weighed a €140 billion loan for Kyiv funded by frozen Russian assets, a plan that Belgium warned carried significant risk.
Sources: RFI, France 24
Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries have left nearly 40% of Russia’s refining capacity idle, with up to 70% of shutdowns attributed to drone strikes. The fuel market faces a shortfall equal to about 20% of monthly gasoline demand, nationwide production has dropped by about 10%, and roughly 1 in 50 stations have stopped selling gasoline.
Moscow is turning to imports and controls. Purchases from Belarus rose 36% since July, and September imports jumped 168% month on month but remain insufficient.
An oil refinery in the Smolensk region’s Yartsevo district was reportedly struck - Astra / Telegram
Energy Minister Alexander Novak proposed boosting Belarus supplies and scrapping import duties to bring in gasoline from China, South Korea and Singapore. The government extended its ban on gasoline and diesel exports until year end as disruptions hit at least 10 regions. In annexed Crimea, limits were cut from eight to five gallons per person.
Sources: Washington Post, Kyiv Independent
Israel has intercepted a large humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza, detaining hundreds of activists in international waters. More than 40 vessels were stopped by the navy, with about 500 people from over 40 countries taken into custody, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau and Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan.
The detainees are being deported from Israel, which has accused the flotilla of trying to breach a lawful blockade. Activists and legal experts have called the interceptions illegal under international law.
The flotilla was the largest aid mission yet to attempt to reach Gaza, drawing widespread condemnation and sparking protests across Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Colombian President Gustavo Petro expelled Israeli diplomats and cancelled a trade agreement in response.
European governments urged Israel to respect the rights of those seized. One boat, the Polish-flagged Marinette, remains at sea and continues towards Gaza.
Sources: BBC, Al Jazeera
Hamas is weighing Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan for Gaza but is demanding revisions before giving a response. The proposal, already accepted by Israel, requires Hamas to disarm, release all Israeli hostages within 72 hours, and accept a temporary international administration of the territory. In return, Israel would free more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and withdraw its forces to a buffer zone, with a stated guarantee against annexation.
Some Hamas leaders in Qatar and Turkey are open to negotiation, but the military leadership in Gaza has rejected the plan, viewing it as a strategy to dismantle the movement. Disarmament is considered a non-starter across the organisation, and divisions over how to respond are evident.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will “finish the job” if Hamas refuses, while pressing on with operations that have killed more than 66,000 people in Gaza since the war began.
Sources: The Guardian, BBC
A French court will try the Chinese captain of the Boracay, a Russian-linked oil tanker blacklisted by the EU, after it was intercepted off the French coast. The vessel, described as part of Moscow’s “shadow fleet,” was carrying Russian oil to India and is under investigation for sanctions violations and flag irregularities. The captain and first mate were detained for refusing to cooperate, though the first mate has since been released. The captain is due in court in February.
Source - AP
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to follow France’s lead in detaining vessels from the shadow fleet, which he said accounts for tens of billions of euros of Russia’s budget and up to 40 percent of its war effort. Shipping data showed the Boracay had been positioned off Denmark during unexplained drone flights last month, though officials stopped short of confirming a connection. French military personnel remain on board the immobilised tanker.
Sources: France 24, South China Morning Post
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved another generic version of the abortion pill mifepristone, allowing a third company to produce the drug. The decision, announced Tuesday, expands supply of the pill, which was first authorised 25 years ago and is used in combination with misoprostol for medication abortions up to 10–12 weeks of pregnancy.
Nearly two-thirds of abortions in the US are now carried out with medication, with availability through telemedicine cited as a major reason the national abortion rate has not declined since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
The approval prompted swift backlash from abortion opponents, who have been pressuring the Trump administration to restrict access. Groups including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Students for Life denounced the decision, and Senator Josh Hawley said he had lost confidence in FDA leadership.
The agency said it had limited discretion and was required to approve generics that meet established scientific standards.