Oct 4, 2026, 08:30 PM UTC

Israeli security authorities are investigating how an Omani co-pilot bypassed screening procedures before attempting to crash a Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Mid-flight, the co-pilot reportedly stabbed the aircraft's Emirati captain. Passengers and crew restrained the assailant using headphone cables, allowing another pilot to assume control and land safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

In response, Israeli military jets were scrambled, and Israel requested a temporary suspension of Flydubai flights into its airspace. A second flight bound for Tel Aviv was turned back to Dubai. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz characterized the event as a "jihadist terrorist attack," comparing it to September 11. Passengers have since arrived in Tel Aviv via a replacement aircraft, while investigators examine potential security lapses.

Sources: ANSA, Corriere della Sera, El Mundo, Il Messaggero, La Repubblica.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has announced plans to raise average net monthly salaries to €1,600 by 2028, alongside consultations on minimum wage adjustments and a €3 billion national industrial strategy running through 2034.

However, business representatives and economists warned of structural risks despite 22 consecutive quarters of GDP growth. Mislav Balković, head of the Croatian Employers' Association, cautioned that wage growth is outstripping productivity gains, arguing that future expansion must be driven by private enterprise rather than public spending. Former economy minister Ljubo Jurčić voiced sharper concern, describing the economy as drifting "without an engine or a rudder" as persistent inflation weakens consumer spending.

Sources: HRT Vijesti, Index, Poslovni dnevnik, Vijesti.

French authorities have announced that between 400 and 500 high schools will suspend in-person classes as student blockades escalate across the country. Education Minister Édouard Geffray confirmed that at least 24 establishments were vandalized or damaged by fire during recent demonstrations, declaring that the movement had shifted into "urban violence."

The closures precede a major joint mobilization called by education trade unions, high school organizations, and university student groups. Government officials warned of an intentional "destruction of the public education service," following earlier arson attacks in Nantes and widespread public transit disruptions in Marseille and Strasbourg.

Sources: Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Soir, Libération, RTBF Info.

Tens of thousands of protesters demonstrated across Spain on Saturday to demand greater protection for tenants and affordable housing. Demonstrations took place in around 50 locations, including Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid, where local authorities estimated attendance at 70,000 people while organizers reported significantly higher turnout.

The nationwide rallies, organized by tenant advocacy groups, followed the Spanish parliament's rejection on Friday of emergency housing decrees introduced by the government. Protesters expressed frustration over soaring rent prices, evictions, and an estimated national shortage of roughly 700,000 homes. Activists warned of further action, including potential rent strikes, if lawmakers fail to enact structural reforms to protect tenants.

Sources: Digi24, HotNews, Koha, Expresso das Ilhas, Delo

Czech child welfare authorities recorded over 10,000 cases of abuse, neglect, or exploitation in the past year, marking a multi-decade high. State officials removed 3,616 children from their homes, an increase of 300 from the previous year. Experts suggest official statistics represent only a fraction of cases, debating whether the surge reflects social instability or heightened public awareness.

Child advocacy experts and the Czech ombudsman highlighted structural gaps, pointing to missing evaluation guidelines and a lack of specialized support services for vulnerable families. Concurrently, a seven-billion-koruna EU-funded expansion of early childcare facilities is concluding, though observers cite concerns over absent quality standards.

On the EU level, the European Commission introduced the proposed EU KIDS Act, which seeks to restrict social media access for children under 13 to improve online safety across member states.

Sources: Deník N, Hospodářské noviny, iROZHLAS, Respect, Seznam Zprávy