The Global Citizen Plus

Yemen's internationally recognised government is fighting the Houthis, a movement backed by Iran, for control of the country. Saudi Arabia backs the government with an air campaign that has reportedly included hundreds of strikes on Houthi-held areas, including the capital Sanaa. The Houthis answered by declaring Saudi airspace a zone of military operations.

On Saturday 10 October the Houthis struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said at least 12 people were killed and at least 309 wounded. The dead included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, and one person each from the US, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt. It was the third Houthi attack on the airport that week, and the Saudi-led coalition called it a war crime.

The attacks have not stopped. Saudi Arabia reported a new barrage of drones and missiles on 12 October, and Riyadh airport remains shut. Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia stopped issuing public warnings of imminent attacks days before the weekend strikes and has not explained why. Iran says it is ready to help facilitate dialogue between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.

The war may widen. President Trump says he is considering joining the Saudi-led offensive, which aims to push the Houthis from Yemen's Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. A Houthi leader warned that the United States would face a swift and painful response if it does. The UN says more than 217,000 people have been displaced since fighting escalated on Yemen's west coast.

A voter list is the official list of people allowed to vote. India's Election Commission has been revising its lists in a process called the Special Intensive Revision. Critics say it has led to the deletion of more than 130 million people from voter lists since 2025, and that it wrongly removed genuine voters. The Commission and the government reject the allegations. The Commission says the revision aims to identify fraudulent voters and prevent foreign illegal immigrants from voting.

On 5 October a three-judge Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant issued notices to the government, the Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The court said that if it finds the law was not followed, it can undo the revision.

The protests are led by the Cockroach Janta Party, student unions and opposition parties. Before the 10 October protest, tens of thousands of police were deployed in Delhi and the Metro closed 57 stations. The Supreme Court asked the Centre not to halt trains and the metro fully, saying restrictions must be proportionate. Three Cockroach leaders were released after about 24 hours in detention, on condition of no breach of peace for one year.

The current wave of protests began on 2 October, and about 700 protesters were detained at Jantar Mantar that day. Critics also say the revision disproportionately affected marginalised and minority communities, especially Muslims. The Supreme Court bench said newspaper reports may be 100 percent correct, partially correct or incorrect, so it could not rule on them yet, and it urged the Centre to designate an alternate protest venue instead of Jantar Mantar.

On Monday, leaders of the movement were detained again after entering the grounds of Jantar Mantar, demanding that Mr Kumar resign. Delhi Police said Jantar Mantar is no longer an official protest site.