Severe floods have killed 14 and left dozens missing in the Himalayan state of Sikkim.

Russia may use sea mines to target non-military ships and blame Ukraine for any attacks, the UK Government has said. Declassified intelligence warned last month that the Russian military had attempted a missile strike against a cargo ship in the Black Sea. The UK believes Russia could continue targeting civilian shipping, including by laying explosive devices in the approach to Ukrainian ports. However, Vladimir Putin’s army wants to openly avoid sinking ships in order to blame Ukraine for attacks, the Government said. Foreign secretary James Cleverly said: “Russia’s pernicious targeting of civilian shipping in the Black Sea demonstrates Putin’s total disregard for civilian lives and the needs of the world’s most vulnerable. Our advice to British shipping has not changed - the UK’s maritime security level for Ukrainian ports and waters remains at the highest level due to the threat posed by Russia Foreign Office statement “The world is watching – and we see right through Russia’s cynical attempts to lay blame on Ukraine for their attacks. We and our allies stand united against Putin and his attempts to harm Ukraine, and thus harm the rest of the world.” When the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in February 2022, around 22 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain meant for export was reportedly stuck. Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain initiative in July of this year, which had been an effort to ship grain out of Ukraine, one of the world’s biggest wheat producers, to countries in Africa and other parts of the world which could otherwise face famine. Continued targeting of ships would therefore be an attempt to pressure the Ukrainian economy, the UK Government says. It is believed since Russia’s withdrawal, enough grain to feed more than one million people for a year has been destroyed. A statement by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “We are working with Ukraine and other partners to put in place arrangements to improve the safety of shipping. Our advice to British shipping has not changed – the UK’s maritime security level for Ukrainian ports and waters remains at the highest level due to the threat posed by Russia. “The UK has put in place intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to monitor Russian activity in the Black Sea. These capabilities will help us to attribute and call out any further Russian attacks on civilian shipping or infrastructure. “We are committed to ensuring Ukraine can continue to export its agricultural produce through all appropriate routes including its ‘humanitarian corridor’, overland and via the Danube. “The UK will continue to work with Ukraine and a range of international partners to achieve this.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live King Charles to appear on Australian dollar coins before Christmas Voters go to the polls in Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election What the papers say – October 5

Punjabi musicians fear they will be caught in the middle of rising tensions between India and Canada.

Sniffer dogs have been called in to help inspect French trains and the Paris metro for bedbugs after dozens of reports of infestations caused alarm in the French capital. Public transport users have taken to standing on the metro instead of sitting on the fabric seats as panic spreads over the reported infestations, while others have posted on social media about the creatures swarming over their Airbnb rentals. Transport minister Clement Beaune said there had been about 10 traveller reports about bedbugs at Paris public transport operator RATP and 37 at rail operator SNCF in recent weeks – but he denied there was an outbreak. "When there is a problem, we deal with it, we won’t deny it. There is no outbreak of bedbugs in public transport," Mr Beaune said after meeting transport and travel chiefs. French social and traditional media have reported extensively on bedbugs on trains and in cinemas, and the government has concerns about its impact on tourism and the Paris Olympics, which start in less than a year. Deputy mayor of Paris Emmanuel Gregoire called the infestation “widespread”, and Eurostar this week stepped up cleaning on its trains because of the threat. Bedbug bites leave red marks on the body that may cause itchy welts. Infestations in the home often need treating by pest controllers, and bedding has to be washed in water of 60C or more. Mr Beaune said all French public transport operators would boost health procedures in general and the fight against bedbugs in particular, notably with canine sniffer teams, which he said were the most effective means of detection. He added that every three months, data will be published about all bedbug reports and any confirmed infestations. “Total transparency will bring total confidence,” he said, adding that there was “no need for psychosis or fear”. He also plans to meet pest-control companies and to organise a conference on any problem by the end of this month. With a typical lifespan of four to six months, bedbugs can be carried in luggage and boxes, and on clothing and bedding. Experts say the UK already has bedbugs but the Paris epidemic could boost their numbers. David Cain, founder of Bed Bugs Ltd and a qualified microbiologist, said: “I have known people go on day trips to Paris, not even staying in hotels or other high-risk activities, and come back with them. Paris has been a popular link for the last six years. “Business is already booming. I started doing this in 2005, when bedbugs were rare and obscure, but [they are] not any more.” A Eurostar spokesperson told The Independent: “The textile surfaces on all of our trains are cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis, and this involves hot-water injection and extraction cleaning, which has proven highly effective in eliminating bugs.” Read More Eurostar orders deep clean to stop bedbugs from Paris crossing Channel to London Transport for London gives latest on feared bedbug invasion from Paris How to check for bedbugs in your hotel room – and what to do if you spot one Is London prepared for the bedbug invasion that has swarmed Paris?

Pope Francis has urged critical Catholic leaders to set aside internal politics and focus on making the church more welcoming, as he opened an influencial gathering of bishops that critics have claimed will “poison” the faith. Disagreement between progressive and traditional Catholic figureheads has been rife in the run up to the Synod, the global gathering of church leaders held every four years in the Vatican City. Two days before the synod started, five of the church's 242 cardinals revealed they had sent a letter to the pope calling for clarifications on the potential of blessings for same-sex couples, the role of women in the church and other issues, such as the acceptance of LGBTQ+ Catholics. These are all subjects on the table at the gathering – including aims to elevate more women to decision-making roles, including as deacons, and for ordinary Catholic faithful to have more of a say in church governance. Also under consideration are ways to better welcome those who have been marginalised by the church, and for new accountability measures to check how bishops exercise their authority to prevent abuses. While the more progressive pope has said the Church must be “open to all”, his critics have accused him of pushing for modernising changes that “risk the very identity of the church”. Both sides of the divide have accused one another of politicising the Catholic establishment. Cardinal Raymond Burke, a Rome-based American traditionalist, accused the pope on the eve of the Synod of “bringing forward an agenda that is more political and human than ecclesial and divine”. He added that the push to modernise amounted to introducing the “poison of confusion, error and division”. In an opening speech today in St Peter’s Square for the gathering, the pope reacted by calling on his critics to avoid “human strategies, political calculations or ideological battles”. “We are not here to carry out a parliamentary meeting or a plan of reformation,” he said in the homily of the Mass, which the Vatican said was attended by a crowd of 25,000. Church leaders have been preparing for the month-long synod for the past two years, asking Catholics around the world to share their vision for the future of the church. Discussions will take place throughout this month and resume next October. A papal document will follow in 2025 that could mean changes to church teaching. The pope has decided to include about 70 lay people, half of whom are women, among 365 “members” permitted to vote at the synod on catholic principles. The empowerment answered long-made calls from progressives Catholics to lend women a more influential voice in the church. Conservatives derided the move as undermining the very concept of this synod, arguing that any discussions on doctrinal issues should come from those who have been ordained. This requirement precludes female voting, as women cannot be ordained in the Catholic Church. Before the opening Mass got under way, advocates for women priests unfurled a giant purple banner reading: “Ordain Women.” The pope was also joined in celebrating Wednesday's Mass by most of the 21 new cardinals he promoted to the high rank on Saturday, a move that further cements his legacy. He has now appointed nearly three-quarters of the electors who will have the right to vote for his eventual successor. Pope Francis has also issued a stark warning on rich nations to commit to real action on the climate crisis, in an update to his landmark 2015 encyclical on the environment released ahead of the COP28 conference starting next month in Dubai,. “The world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point,” he said. “It is indubitable that the impact of climate change will increasingly prejudice the lives and families of many persons.” The pontiff called for an abandonment of "short-term interests of certain countries or businesses," and political forces, saying it was high time to rise to the occasion. "In this way, may they demonstrate the nobility of politics and not its shame". Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Read More Point of no return: Pope challenges leaders at UN talks to slow global warming before it's too late Pope will open a big Vatican meeting as battle lines are drawn on his reform project Pope Francis suggests same sex couples could receive blessings Things to know about the Vatican's big meeting on the future of the Catholic Church Clergy abuse survivors propose new 'zero tolerance' law following outcry over Vatican appointment 5 conservative cardinals challenge pope to affirm church teaching on gays and women ahead of meeting

Italian authorities are investigating whether the driver of a bus that plummeted 50 feet (15 metres) from an elevated road in Venice, killing 21 people and injuring at least 15, had fallen ill before the crash. Those who died in the Tuesday night crash included the Italian driver, at least five Ukrainians and one German citizen, according to the Venice prefecture. Regional governor Luca Zaia said that that the dynamic of the accident remained hard to decipher. "Everything makes one think of an illness," Mr Zaia said. "The driver was an expert, a good person, very well referenced." At least two of the dead were children, Venice prefect Michele Di Bari said, adding that many of the people involved in the accident were "young." Nine people were in critical condition, hospital officials said later on Wednesday, including a three-year-old girl from Ukraine. The Venice prosecutor Bruno Cherchi said he was proceeding with a multiple road homicide investigation into the bus crash. Speaking at a press conference, Mr Cherchi said an autopsy on the driver’s body would be important for the case. Firefighters worked until dawn to clear the wreckage. Later in the morning on Wednesday, traffic was slowly passing the spot where the bus burst through a guardrail and a rusted fence. The bus was carrying foreign tourists from Venice's Piazzale Roma to the Hu campground on Tuesday evening when it fell from an elevated street next to railway tracks in the borough of Mestre, catching fire. Tourists frequently stay in boroughs across the lagoon from the canals of Venice's famous historic center to find cheaper accommodations. The injured included French, Spanish, Austrian and Croatian nationals, local officials said. The Spanish Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that two people from Spain were injured in the accident, and both were in hospital and in good condition. The French Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that there was a French national among the injured. Hospital psychologists were working to help the victims deal with the trauma. Rescuers noted that the fact that the bus was electric contributed to the massive fire and made rescue operations more difficult. Godstime Erheneden was in his apartment near the site when he heard a crash. He rushed outside and was among the first to enter the bus. "When we went in, we saw the driver right away. He was dead. I carried a woman out on my shoulders, then a man," Mr Erheneden told the local newspaper il Gazzettino. "The woman was screaming, 'my daughter, my daughter,' and I went back in. I saw this girl who must have been two years old. I have a son who is a year and 10 months old, and they are the same size. I felt like I was holding my son in my arms. It was terrible. I don't know if she survived. I thought she was alive but when the rescuers arrived, they took her away immediately," Mr Erheneden said. Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the scene was "apocalyptic" and declared a state of mourning. In 2017, 16 people on a bus carrying Hungarian students died in an accident near the northern city of Verona. And in 2013, 40 people were killed in one of Italy's worst vehicle accidents when a bus plunged off a viaduct close to the southern city of Avellino. Associated Press Read More Firefighters work until dawn to remove wreckage of bus carrying tourists in Venice; 21 dead At least five foreign nationals among 21 killed in Venice bus crash – latest At least 21 dead after passenger bus plunges off overpass near Venice A bus crash near Italian city of Venice kills at least 21 people, including Ukrainian tourists 'PAW Patrol' shows bark at box office while 'The Creator' and 'Dumb Money' disappoint At the New York Film Festival, a sluggish fall movie season seeks a higher gear

The Princess of Wales has sent a message of support to Ukraine saying “we are all thinking of you” as she left her handprint on a picture that marked the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Kate wrote the words on a parcel she filled with food, clothes and toiletries for those affected by the war in the eastern European country, during a visit to a Bracknell centre providing services for Ukrainian families settled in the area. The future queen has attended a number of events in support of the people of Ukraine and their struggle against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime. Her tour of the Vsi Razom – Ukrainian for all together – Community Hub saw her make a Ukrainian ribbon brooch, help a little girl complete some artwork and chat with a Ukrainian psychologist providing support to her fellow countrymen and women. The princess’s visit coincided with the one-year anniversary of the hub, founded by Natalia Vil, originally from Estonia but a UK resident for 25 years who is married to a Ukrainian, and Ashleigh Toomey from the UK. Kate asked “is there a technique?” as she began filling her box at the centre in the Lexicon shopping complex, Bracknell, Berkshire, with a group of young Ukrainians, and was advised to put the heaviest objects at the bottom. When told many Ukrainians have volunteered to help out in the centre she said: “It must feel good for them to be able to do something for the people back home.” The princess was invited to add her handprint to a painting of a tree that marked the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine – February 24, 2022 – after putting a disposable glove on her right hand. She lighted the mood by saying “I’ve never done a handprint with a glove on. It will be a bit cleaner, normally the children end up putting paint everywhere.” Later, after trying to tie a bow to make a Ukrainian ribbon brooch, in the national colours of the country, she looked at her effort and quipped: “I’m not sure you’re going to be able to sell this one”. Read More William and Kate meet Windrush veterans Fans call out ‘double standard’ as Kate Middleton sports updo after Meghan Markle’s bun ‘broke protocol’ Kate Middleton grins as she’s sniffed by drug sniffer dog during visit to prison

Shortly before hard-right Republicans made history by ousting Kevin McCarthy, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Ukraine’s western allies, including the UK, the European Union and Nato, received a phone call from President Joe Biden. Congress may be frozen but support for Ukraine is “ongoing”, Mr Biden told those on the line. It was intended as a message of reassurance but, devoid of any detail, it spoke to an impending issue largely outside of the president’s control. Hardline Republicans in the US, the powerhoue of the West, are threatening to demonstratively derail US aid to Ukraine for the first time since last February. Mr McCarthy was removed as head of the lower chamber of the United States Congress, on Tuesday evening following a dispute over how best to allocate government funds for the next fiscal year. The campaign was spearheaded by a group of eight Republicans – a number of them supporters of Donald Trump – angry the domestic issue of securing the border was not being prioritised over supporting Ukraine. The move has plunged the House into chaos and frozen its ability to allocate money completely, including to Ukraine. Until a new speaker is elected and a new financing agreement is approved for next year – a temporary funding bill takes them to 17 November – those reliant on these funds are living on borrowed time. The US is currently operating a policy of taking equipment from its military stocks and sending them straight to Ukraine under the agreed “President Drawdown Authority”. This circumvents the need to buy new equipment from defence companies, which would inevitably delay military aid to a nation that needs it immediately. Congress last year raised the ceiling on the amount the president can take from these military stockpiles from $100 million (£82.4 million) to $14.5 billion (£11.9 billion) to ensure continued support for Ukraine. The Pentagon subsequently sought to get the most out of its funds. But when the fiscal year ended on 1 October without an agreement in the House over how to finance next year, that drawdown authority went back to $100m. Given the burn rate per month for Ukraine of military aid, including artillery and heavier equipment lost in battle, is about $2.5bn, the lowered ceiling of $100m is “basically nothing”, according to Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia and Asia programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. US aid to Ukraine has nearly three months worth of funds (up to $6 billion) to keep feeding its military needs but after that, without a resolution in the House, the stockpiles will run dry. The ousting of Mr McCarthy has made hopes of a resolution evermore difficult. Without a speaker, no decisions can be made. “There is no way to sugarcoat how bad it would be if US security assistance [to Ukraine] stops,” Mr Bergmann said. “A lot of Ukrainians will die and their ability to fight on will be severely compromised.” Russian strikes on critical infrastructure across Ukraine has already begun ramping up, making Kyiv’s need for more air defence systems to protect its civilians more acute. If US funding slows or stops this task beomes far more difficult. Along the frontline, a winter Ukrainian offensive, or the continuation of the current summer counteroffensive, will become exponentially harder the more foreign military aid dwindles. Ukraine’s Armed Forces have become used to attritional warfare, which involves bombing enemy positions before advancing in small groups, retaking small chunks of territory in the process. This requires a continual supply of artillery and shells. Without this, not only are advances more difficult but the threat of a Russian counterattack is heightened. There is also the geopolitical implication of reduced support: it would prove correct the Russian belief that their deep military and personnel resources can outlast Western resolve. “Such a lapse in support will make [Russian President Vladimir] Putin believe that he can wait us out,” US national security council spokesman, John Kirby, said on Tuesday, describing this issue as “just as critical” as the impact on the frontline. European aid will go some way to slowing a potential dilution of US support but they have their own long-term problems regarding arming Ukraine. “The continent collectively has underinvested in defence,” Mr Bergmann said. “There is not as much in the warehouses; there is less ammunition and less mortar rounds.” The House of Representatives, ruled by a razor-thin Republican majority, will now have to vote for a new speaker. Representative Steve Scalise, the number two House Republican, has long been favoured to take over as speaker and enjoys wide support from across his party, but he is currently undergoing chemotherapy for blood cancer. The House, then, must elect a new speaker from a pool of options that are either in the middle of treatment or will struggle to earn enough support to secure any form of sustainable leadership in the House. While they debate and jostle, Ukraine will get closer to losing its most significant military supporter. Read More Kevin McCarthy ousted as US House speaker by Trump supporters – everything you need to know White House says ‘time not our friend’ on Ukraine funding as all eyes on next House speaker Ukraine-Russia war – live: Kyiv launches 31 drones on Putin’s territory as offensive gains momentum

A court in Moscow on Wednesday handed a former state TV journalist a 8 1/2-year prison term in absentia for protesting Russia's war in Ukraine, the latest in a months-long crackdown against dissent that has intensified since Moscow's invasion 20 months ago. Marina Ovsyannikova was charged with spreading false information about the Russian army, a criminal offense under a law adopted shortly after the Kremlin sent troops to Ukraine. She held a picket in the Russian capital in July 2022, and held a poster that said “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is a killer. His soldiers are fascists. 352 children have been killed (in Ukraine). How many more children need to die for you to stop?” Ovsyannikova, who until March 2022 worked at for Russia's state-run Channel One, was detained and placed under house arrest, but managed to escape to France with her daughter. Russian authorities put her on a wanted list and prosecuted and tried her in absentia. In March, 2022 Ovsyannikova made international headlines after appearing behind the anchor of an evening Channel One news broadcast with a poster that said “Stop the war, don’t believe the propaganda, they are lying to you here.” She quit her job at the channel, was charged with disparaging the Russian military and fined 30,000 rubles ($270 at the time). Thousands of Russians have been fined and hundreds have faced criminal charges over publicly speaking out or protesting against the war in the last 20 months. The Kremlin has used legislation outlawing criticism of what it insists on calling a “special military operation” to target opposition figures, human rights activists and independent media. Top Kremlin critics have been handed lengthy prison terms, rights groups have been forced to shut down, independent news sites were blocked and independent journalists have left the country, fearing prosecution. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide

At least 21 people have been killed after a passenger bus plunged from an overpass near Venice in an “apocalyptic” accident, according to Italian authorities. The vehicle was travelling from Venice to Marghera when the shocking accident took place at the overpass in Mestre on Tuesday evening. “It completely went off the road, it flew off the bridge. It was a bus; it was a highway. We are in mourning,” Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro told Italy’s national broadcaster RAI. At least four Ukrainians and one German tourist were among the dead, local authorities said. Morris Ceron, general director of the municipality of Venice, told RAI that children were among the victims of the crash and that the bus was believed to have foreigners aboard as it headed towards a campsite. Luca Zaia, president of Italy’s Veneto region, called the bus crash “a tragedy of enormous proportions” and also confirmed that “the victims and injured are of various nationalities, not just Italians.” He said that more than 20 ambulances had been used at the scene and also the Treviso air ambulance. The injured were taken to hospitals in Mestre, Mirano, Padua and Treviso. Read More At least 21 dead after passenger bus plunges off overpass near Venice A bus crash near Italian city of Venice kills at least 21 people, including Ukrainian tourists

A bus carrying a group of tourists fell from a bridge near Venice late Tuesday killing at least

Ukraine trained its Neptune missiles on Russian targets in the illegally-occupied Crimean peninsula on Tuesday in a fresh attack, according to reports. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said in an update that a Ukrainian Neptune missile was shot down over the northwestern part of the Black Sea off the coast of the Crimean peninsula. The attack was carried out around 8.30pm local time. A Ukrainian drone also targeted Russia’s Black Sea port city of Sevastopol. Debris from the drone landed on the roof of an apartment building but there were no injuries, said Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russia-appointed governor of Sevastopol. Russian emergency services were determining how to remove explosive materials from the site, Mr Razvozhayev said. "Specialists from the Sevastopol emergency services are now on site and a decision will be taken on moving explosive materials," he said, adding that all forces and services remain on “full combat alert". The Crimean peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has been a frequent target since Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion in February 2022. Crimea has served as a key Russian hub in the war. In a separate attack in the early hours of Wednesday, the ministry said Ukraine hit Russian territories in the border areas with a total of 31 drones. “Air defence systems on duty over the territory of the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions intercepted and destroyed 31 Ukrainian aircraft- type unmanned aerial vehicles,” the ministry said on its official Telegram channel. Ukrainian officials have not issued a comment on the reported attacks. It has generally maintained silence on the offensive on Russia and Russian-controlled territories that Moscow blames on Kyiv. However, it has routinely maintained that targeting Russian infrastructure in its region aids the military counteroffensive launched against the full-scale invasion. Last week Russia accused Ukraine’s Western allies of helping plan and conduct a missile strike on the Black Sea Fleet’s headquarters on the annexed Crimean Peninsula. “There is no doubt that the attack had been planned in advance using Western intelligence means, Nato satellite assets and reconnaissance planes and was implemented upon the advice of American and British security agencies and in close coordination with them,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a briefing. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin suffers loss of 261 troops in 24 hours as Kyiv offensive gains momentum Ukraine advances on southern front as Zelensky assesses preparations for winter Russia facing ‘functional defeat’ in the Black Sea – but Kyiv allies warn they are running out of ammunition Putin’s ‘punishment battalions’ full of convicts and drunk recruits: ‘They’re just meat’