* Indian pilot Smit Machchhar has won praise for averting a crash of a Flydubai plane following an altercation inside the cockpit. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed Machchhar as a "hero." Machchhar was stabbed on Wednesday by a co-pilot mid-air on a Dubai to Tel Aviv flight. He managed to open the cockpit door and call for help, after which the attacker was overpowered by the passengers and crew.
* Republic of Korea's elderly population reached 21.6 percent of the total population amid rapid population aging, statistical ministry data showed Thursday. The number of people aged 65 and older totaled 11.125 million in 2026, accounting for 21.6 percent of the country's total population, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
* Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called on deputies of the newly convened State Duma to focus on national priorities, strengthen the country's defense capabilities and support servicemen.
* Brazil and the United States have agreed to form a working group to discuss U.S. tariffs on Brazilian goods and other bilateral trade issues, Brazil's Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services said Wednesday.
* Denmark's government released its annual climate program on Wednesday, warning that the projected margin for meeting its 2030 emissions reduction target had narrowed sharply.
* Italy is seeking greater flexibility under European Union budget rules to cope with the impact of rising inflation driven by energy costs, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Wednesday.
* Italy has extended for another 15 days the checks at its air and maritime borders with Spain due to the continuing situation in Ceuta, local media reported Wednesday.
* The U.S. Navy has redirected over 100 commercial vessels amid an ongoing blockade of Iran, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday.
* Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed joint diplomatic efforts on Wednesday to de-escalate regional tensions and enhance security and stability, according to Qatar's Foreign Ministry.
* Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi confirmed Thursday the complete and final withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces from Iraq, declaring the full achievement of national sovereignty. In a statement addressing the nation, al-Zaidi said Oct. 1 marks the beginning of a "new chapter in Iraq's journey."
* Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi rejected on Thursday the British government's claim that Iran has "played a part" in a recent incident near the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford, a base hosting the U.S. Air Force in southwest England.
* Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday welcomed the complete withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces from Iraq, saying it marks the beginning of the region's "liberation from U.S. domination."
* A top Iranian security official on Wednesday warned that the United Arab Emirates' (UAE's) hosting of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not have "favorable consequences."
* The United Arab Emirates attorney-general on Thursday ordered an investigation into an incident involving a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the state news agency WAM reported.
* Yemen's Houthi group said Wednesday that Saudi forces had carried out 51 airstrikes across five Yemeni provinces over the past 24 hours, while the Yemeni government said Houthi attacks had killed five people in the southwestern province of Taiz.
* China's commerce ministry has extended its trade barrier investigations into U.S. actions and measures which harm global production and supply chains as well as impede trading of green products, citing the complexity of the cases. The investigations, launched on March 27, have been extended until Dec. 27, in accordance with the rules on foreign trade barrier investigations, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said on Wednesday.
* Republic of Korea's exports hit a record high in September, topping 120 billion USD for the first time thanks to a record-breaking global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors, government data showed Thursday.
* Indonesia's annual inflation rate rose to 3.28 percent in September 2026 from 3.19 percent in August, the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) said Thursday.
* The total outstanding debt of the Philippine government rose to 19.61 trillion pesos (about 313 billion USD) at the end of August, driven by state bond issuances and the peso's depreciation, according to the Bureau of the Treasury on Wednesday.
* Thailand's economy remained broadly unchanged in August on a monthly basis, as higher private investment and a slight rise in private consumption offset declines in manufacturing output and service-sector activity, the central bank said on Wednesday.
* Austria's economy returned to growth in 2025 after contracting for two consecutive years, with real gross domestic product (GDP) rising 0.7 percent from a year earlier, Statistics Austria said on Wednesday.
* The Saudi Ministry of Finance on Wednesday announced the Pre-Budget Statement for FY 2027, estimating total expenditures at 370 billion USD and total revenues at about 320 billion dollars.
* The World Bank on Wednesday approved 110 million USD to help Sri Lanka repair and reconstruct 600 km of roads severely damaged by Cyclone Ditwah.
* Israeli defense technology company Smart Shooter said in a disclosure to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange on Wednesday that it has secured a U.S. military contract worth up to 150 million USD to provide systems and training to counter small unmanned aircraft.
* Glaciers in the Swiss Alps suffered a "devastating" year due to intense heat and low snowfall, with their volume shrinking by more than 5 percent, experts said Thursday.
* Floods across Thailand have killed 24 people and affected millions since mid-September, authorities said on Wednesday. According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, flooding continued in 29 provinces and Bangkok, affecting over 1.12 million households and 3.19 million people.
* The Southwest Monsoon is expected to continue over Singapore and the surrounding region in the first half of October, bringing hot conditions and thundery showers over parts of the island on some days, the Meteorological Service Singapore said Thursday.
* Two people were killed and two others injured after a medevac helicopter crashed into waters off Southern California's Catalina Island Wednesday night, authorities said.
