Pioneer In Short
Moitra alleges BJP egg attack in Nadia
TMC MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday alleged that BJP workers pelted her with eggs in the presence of police during her visit to Tehatta in West Bengal’s Nadia district. Demonstrators waved black flags and shouted “go back” slogans as she left a party meeting. Moitra, the two-term MP from Krishnanagar, said seven to 10 BJP workers, including local office-bearers, entered the area where her programme was being held and threw eggs at her. A video posted by her on X showed broken eggshells on her face. Moitra said police personnel were present during the incident and alleged that officers put her into a car instead of controlling the protesters.
She also said the demonstrators raised “Jai Shri Ram” slogans. Referring to an August Supreme Court hearing in which a bench had questioned her apprehension that eggs could be thrown at her, Moitra said she was “facing the eggs as a freedom fighter faced bullets”. West Bengal BJP chief spokesperson Debjot Sarkar condemned egg-pelting if the incident was confirmed but denied BJP workers were involved, saying he did not believe the allegations were true.
Saudi says Houthis targeted MECCA
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday accused Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels of attempting to attack Mecca, declaring Islam’s holiest city a “red line” as the kingdom faces mounting pressure amid the wider Iran conflict. Saudi authorities said they intercepted and destroyed a drone before it entered Mecca’s airspace. The Houthis denied targeting the city. The alleged attack drew condemnation from Pakistan, Turkey and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which said any attempt to target the holy sites violated their sanctity. The incident is an early test of a new defence pact involving Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Officials from Ankara and Islamabad told The Associated Press that Riyadh had not requested military assistance. The Houthis later claimed they had shot down a Saudi-led coalition F-15 fighter jet over Yemen’s Marib province, but provided no evidence and the claim could not be independently verified. Washington has so far signalled reluctance to intervene directly. President Donald Trump said the Houthis appeared focused on Saudi Arabia, while Vice President JD Vance said the US remained in contact with both sides. Meanwhile, fighting has displaced more than 100,000 Yemeni civilians, according to the International Organisation for Migration, amid fears of renewed civil war.
