Washington : A 30-year-old Venezuelan national was arrested near the White House after US Secret Service agents discovered three firearms and ammunition inside a stolen vehicle, with the suspect allegedly telling authorities that voices in his head had instructed him to kill President Donald Trump. The arrest took place shortly before midnight on Thursday when a US Secret Service officer, conducting a routine patrol near the White House, spotted a suspicious blue Ford F-150 pickup truck parked on Constitution Avenue. According to a criminal complaint filed in the DC Superior Court, the officer approached the vehicle and asked the man inside whether he was safe and whether he was carrying any weapons.

The suspect, identified as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, reportedly nodded in response to the question about weapons and made a finger-gun gesture. He subsequently stepped out of the vehicle and communicated with investigators using Google Translate. During questioning, Guanipa Chrinos reportedly told officers that he had a gun because someone had attempted to kill him with it and that he had taken it away from that person. He also directed investigators towards a brown bag inside the vehicle. A subsequent search of the stolen pickup truck uncovered an AR-15 rifle, two handguns and ammunition. According to DHS, the suspect allegedly told officers that voices had instructed him to kill President Trump. He appeared before the DC Superior Court on Friday and remains in custody without bond, according to online court records.

DHS identified Guanipa-Chrinos as an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela who entered the United States through Texas in March 2024. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has also lodged an immigration detainer against him. The incident has once again drawn attention to security concerns surrounding the US President and the White House, which remains under heightened security arrangements. Earlier, in April this year, US authorities charged the suspected gunman in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting with attempting to assassinate President Trump, as officials detailed a fast-moving investigation that they said prevented a “massive attack” from unfolding. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said that “that horrible act was stopped because of the courage and professionalism of law enforcement”, adding that “the President and all the protectees and participants at the dinner were safe”. The suspect, identified in court documents as Cole Tomas Allen, faced three federal counts: attempted assassination of the President, interstate transportation of a firearm to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Riyadh : Union Minister for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju visited the iconic Al Rahmah Mosque in Jeddah, widely known as the Floating Mosque, a historic landmark reflecting Saudi Arabia’s rich Islamic heritage and architectural grandeur. Sharing a glimpse of his visit on Saturday, in a post on X, Rijiju said, “Visited the historic Al Rahmah Mosque in Jeddah, popularly known as the Floating Mosque, situated along the beautiful Red Sea coastline. A remarkable place of spiritual significance and architectural beauty, reflecting the rich Islamic heritage of Saudi Arabia.” Rijiju arrived in Jeddah on Friday for the 6th Haj Conference and Exhibition 2027, where he will participate in signing the bilateral Haj agreement with Saudi Arabia and review preparations to ensure a safe and comfortable Haj journey for Indian pilgrims next year. “Landed in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to attend the 6th Haj Conference & Exhibition 2027, participate in the signing of the Bilateral Haj Agreement with the KSA & review preparations for Haj 2027.Was warmly received at the airport by Shri Fahad Suri, Consul General of India in Jeddah.

Looking forward to productive engagements focused on ensuring a smooth, safe & comfortable Haj journey for all Indian pilgrims,” Rijiju posted on X. Last month, India’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Vipul, met Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Abdulfattah bin Suleiman Al-Mashat, and reviewed preparations for Haj 2027, besides inspecting the Haj Terminal at Jeddah Airport and the Haramain High Speed Railway Station, the Consulate General of India in Jeddah said. “Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia H.E. Shri Vipul, accompanied by Consul General Shri Fahad Suri and Consul (Haj) Ms. Sadaf Choudhary, met H.E. Dr. Abdulfattah bin Suleiman Al-Mashat, Vice Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and other senior officials of the Saudi Hajj and Umrah Ministry, on 04 October 2026,” the Consulate posted on X. “The two sides comprehensively reviewed preparations for Haj 2027 and discussed continued close coordination between the Indian Haj Mission and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Saudi Arabia, for the forthcoming Haj 2027,” it added.

As preparations for Haj 2027 gather momentum, the Ambassador, accompanied by the Consul General and the Consul (Haj), also visited the Haj Terminal at Jeddah Airport and the Haramain High Speed Railway Station, the Consulate said in a separate post. “With over 100,000 Indian pilgrims travelling through the Haj Committee of India route, the Haj Terminal and Haramain train services constitute critical operational nodes in their arrival and onward movement during Haj,” it stated. “During the visit, the Ambassador reviewed the facilities, infrastructure and operational arrangements at both locations and interacted with concerned officials on preparations for the forthcoming Haj,” the Consulate added.

More than a dozen passenger flights across Europe received bomb threats on Thursday, forcing several aircraft to divert and prompting security checks at airports in multiple countries, according to local media reports and airline statements.

An Aer Lingus Airbus A320 travelling from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a military airbase in Evreux, France, following a bomb alert. The aircraft landed safely, and all 151 passengers and six crew members were moved to safety while military bomb disposal teams inspected the plane, according to the office of French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu.

In Bulgaria, three Ryanair flights bound for the capital Sofia received bomb threats on Thursday morning, local broadcaster bTV reported. Flights from Copenhagen and Madrid landed safely in Sofia, while a flight from London Stansted Airport was diverted to Plovdiv Airport. Security checks found no dangerous objects on board the aircraft, according to the broadcaster.

In Poland, a Paris-bound LOT Polish Airlines plane was stopped while taxiing at Warsaw Chopin Airport following a report of a potentially dangerous object onboard. Flight LO331 was moved to a designated parking stand for inspection, and one runway was temporarily closed. No dangerous items were found, and airport operations subsequently returned to normal, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Another LOT flight, traveling from Warsaw to Brussels, also received a security threat. The aircraft landed at Brussels Airport, where additional inspections found no suspicious items, the airline said.

A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was diverted to Vienna following a bomb threat. Two Finnair flights departing from Helsinki, bound for Rome and Vienna respectively, were also targeted. Both landed safely, with the Rome-bound aircraft escorted by Italian military jets.

In Romania, a Wizz Air flight from Milan landed safely at Bucharest’s Henri Coanda International Airport following a bomb threat. The 182 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated while security personnel inspected the aircraft, Romanian public radio reported.

Czech police also reported bomb threats against four aircraft heading to Prague. Police assessed the threats as having low credibility but activated security measures and arranged inspections of the aircraft upon landing.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said Thursday it would continue to monitor developments and assess potential aviation safety implications following the bomb threats against multiple passenger aircraft in Europe.

In an emailed response to Xinhua, EASA said it would “continue to monitor these developments to identify and assess any potential aviation safety implications arising from such security threats.”

Europol Deputy Spokesperson Claire Georges told Xinhua in an email on the same day that the agency stood ready to support national authorities, at their request, where threats were linked to serious organised crime or terrorism, including by facilitating information exchange and identifying possible links across countries.

The incidents followed a series of similar alerts across Europe on Tuesday when at least seven passenger flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats. The affected flights included two bound for Warsaw, two for Rome, two for Sofia and one for Murcia in Spain, while a cruise ship bound for Israel was searched after a bomb threat at the Greek island of Syros.