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The US has struck southern Iran as ceasefire talks stall, while Russia has warned diplomats to flee Kyiv following one of its largest attacks on the capital since 2022.

Meanwhile, Serbia has signed over 20 cooperation agreements with Beijing, and a suicide bombing on a Pakistani military train has killed at least 20.

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇺🇸🇮🇷 US strikes Iran amid stalled ceasefire talks: The US launched new strikes on southern Iran targeting missile sites and mine-laying boats, citing self-defense to protect its forces. Secretary of State Rubio maintained a deal remains possible despite Iran's foreign ministry stating an agreement is not imminent, with sanctions relief, frozen funds, and Iran's nuclear programme still unresolved.

2️⃣ 🇺🇸🇮🇳 Quad deepens Indo-Pacific cooperation in New Delhi: Foreign ministers from the US, Australia, India and Japan announced new initiatives on maritime surveillance, Pacific port infrastructure and energy security, as the group seeks to counter China's growing regional influence. Rubio called for the Quad to move beyond dialogue toward concrete action, with officials working toward a leaders' summit later this year though no date has been confirmed.

3️⃣ 🇷🇸🇨🇳 Serbia deepens China ties amid domestic unrest: President Vucic signed over 20 cooperation agreements with Beijing covering trade, technology and education, as Xi called for expanded collaboration in AI, the digital economy and green energy. The visit comes as Vucic faces sustained anti-government protests at home, with clashes erupting in Belgrade more than a year after demonstrations began over a deadly train station collapse.

4️⃣ 🇮🇱🇱🇧 Israel escalates strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon: Netanyahu announced a intensification of military operations against Hezbollah, with the IDF launching strikes across the Bekaa Valley and other parts of Lebanon after declaring the military had been ordered to deal them a "crushing blow." Hezbollah retaliated with 22 drone and rocket attacks.

5️⃣ 🇱🇹🇷🇺 France extradites Russian tycoon to Lithuania: Vladimir Antonov, convicted in 2024 and sentenced to 10.5 years for embezzlement, fraud and document forgery, was transferred to Lithuanian authorities after being arrested in France under a European arrest warrant in December. The charges stem from his control of Lithuania's Snoras bank between 2008 and 2011, with estimated losses of at least 478 million euros.

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Major Story

🇷🇺🇺🇦 Russia warns diplomats to evacuate Kyiv as strikes continue

Russia's foreign ministry has urged foreign nationals and diplomatic personnel, including those at the US embassy, to leave Kyiv, warning of further planned strikes targeting military-industrial facilities, decision-making centres, and command posts in the Ukrainian capital.

The warning follows one of Russia's largest attacks on Kyiv since 2022, which killed at least two people and wounded 91, with weapons including the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, among those deployed.

Putin described the assault as retaliation for a Ukrainian strike on a vocational school in Russian-occupied Luhansk that killed 21 people.

More than 70 ambassadors, led by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, toured the strike sites including homes, residential buildings, and a market, while residents began clearing rubble and nearly 1,000 compensation applications for destroyed housing were filed within 24 hours.

Russia has carried out near-daily strikes on Ukraine since launching its invasion in February 2022.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇮🇷 Tankers resume Hormuz transits amid ongoing disruption: Several LNG tankers and a supertanker carrying Iraqi crude have passed through the Strait of Hormuz bound for Pakistan, China and India, as a small number of vessels continue to navigate the waterway since the US-Israeli war on Iran began in February. Shipping through the strait, which normally carries around a fifth of global oil and LNG supply, remains severely curtailed, with approximately 20,000 seafarers still stranded on hundreds of ships in the Gulf.

2️⃣ 🇨🇦 Carney warns Alberta separation vote could backfire: Canadian PM Carney dismissed the upcoming Alberta referendum as a "dangerous bluff", drawing comparisons to Brexit and cautioning that using a separation vote as leverage against Ottawa could produce unintended consequences. Albertans will vote on October 19 on whether to pursue a binding separation vote, though a recent poll suggests three in five residents would choose to remain in Canada.

3️⃣ 🇨🇿🇷🇺 Czech police detain Russian bishop over suspicious substance: Orthodox Bishop Hilarion was detained after four containers of a white substance were discovered in his car, with Moscow condemning the arrest as an orchestrated provocation and summoning the Czech diplomatic mission in protest. The bishop denied any connection to drug trafficking and his defence team is seeking independent forensic analysis, with no charges yet filed.

4️⃣ 🇵🇰 BLA suicide bombing kills 20 on Pakistani military train: A suicide bombing targeted a train carrying military personnel and their families in Pakistan's Balochistan region, killing at least 20 people and injuring 70 others, with the BLA separatist group claiming responsibility. The attack derailed three coaches and overturned two others, continuing a pattern of BLA strikes on trains as the group accuses the federal government of exploiting Balochistan's mineral resources.

5️⃣ 🇷🇺 Mines found on tanker hull at Russian port: Russian security services discovered two magnetic mines on the hull of an LPG tanker arriving from Belgium at Ust-Luga, with the FSB describing them as likely made using NATO-manufactured components. No group has claimed responsibility, though suspicion has fallen on Ukraine, and a criminal investigation has been launched.

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