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The United Democracy Project committee has begun an initial $94,000 spending campaign against Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, after previously spending nearly $30 million during the primary elections. El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s general election scheduled for November.
The German and French defence ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the MGCS project to develop a joint land combat system, despite speculation that its scope could be reduced from the original plan. The two countries consider the project central to their defence cooperation and plans to gradually retire their current main battle tanks.
US, Ukrainian and European negotiators discussed drafting a unified proposal to end the war and presenting it to Russia in the coming weeks during six-hour talks in Miami. The discussions covered security guarantees, Ukraine’s reconstruction and European membership, as well as territory and a vision for future security relations between Europe and Russia.
A powerful earthquake struck Panama on Friday 9 October 2026. The US Geological Survey measured it at magnitude 7.6 and located its epicentre near the town of Petalosa Arriba. The shaking led to buildings being evacuated in the capital, while the tsunami warning centre continued assessing the possibility of hazardous waves after an initial magnitude estimate of 8.
Palestinian authorities documented 19 incidents linked to settler violence in the West Bank since Friday morning, including physical assaults and the theft of livestock and crops. Video footage showed a Palestinian vehicle being stopped and a father assaulted in front of his son, while the Israeli military said it was reviewing reports related to the incidents.
Eritrea accused Ethiopia of waging an unjustified war of aggression in response to an Ethiopian letter to the UN Security Council demanding the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces from the north of the country. Tensions have risen following reports that troops crossed the border into Tigray and the severing of diplomatic ties between the two countries in early October.
Damascus has denied reports that Saudi Arabia requested Syrian troops for the kingdom or Yemen, affirming its support for Saudi and Gulf security while maintaining a policy of stability and avoiding the opening of new fronts. The denial follows Syrian-Saudi talks and a statement by the Mecca Pact on activating mutual defence commitments after Houthi attacks.
The European Parliament approved, by 381 votes, a resolution calling for action against what it described as “Islamist infiltration” and tighter scrutiny of networks linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and their sources of funding. The resolution does not constitute a binding terrorist designation, amid calls for closer examination of institutional ties and warnings against restricting independent Islamic associations.
Syrian internal security forces announced the arrest of seven former regime members in operations in Hama province, including one of the founders of the Hawks Regiment and a member known as the “Tiger’s Foal”. It said the detainees were accused of murder, abduction, torture and extortion between 2011 and 2024, adding that investigations were continuing ahead of their referral to the courts.
Military engineering teams continued sweeping the Bab al-Mandab area and removing mines and explosive devices on Friday, according to a military source. The work comes days after Yemen’s government forces announced that they had taken control of the area and Dhu Bab Airport, and began securing sites they said they had retaken on the western coast of Taiz governorate.
Military sources said the Giants Brigades attacked barracks housing Houthi fighters in Dhu Bab after a three-day siege and ultimatum. According to the sources, the Houthis sent military reinforcements by sea to their besieged fighters while intensifying missile and drone launches towards the Bab al-Mandab area.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development forecast a slowdown in global economic growth from 2.9% last year to 2.6% in 2026, noting that the repercussions of the Middle East crisis are spreading to energy, trade and financial markets.
Then-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on 21 September 2025 that the United Kingdom officially recognised the State of Palestine, amid clear tensions emerging in relations between London and Tel Aviv.
German magazine WirtschaftsWoche said Iranian intelligence services are targeting US military bases in Germany, naming Ramstein and Spangdahlem air bases. The report, published on Thursday, linked the information to fears that covert attacks could be carried out in connection with the war against Iran.
Yemeni sources said that two air strikes targeted a Houthi radar station on Jabal al-Nabi Shu’ayb, west of the capital Sanaa. The sources identified the nature and location of the targeted facility, as well as the number of strikes against it.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, which considers an armed attack on any one of the three countries to be an attack on all three. It aims to strengthen collective deterrence and develop defence cooperation as the parties seek to support regional and international security and stability.
The headquarters of an Iranian opposition organisation in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, came under attack by two drones on Thursday. The attack caused material damage, but no casualties were reported, and the identity of the perpetrators has not been established.
Lufthansa and three Indian airlines, including Air India, have suspended flights to the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The suspensions followed Houthi attacks and involved German and Indian carriers operating routes to the kingdom.
The Kurdistan Workers' Party said all its fighters had left Turkish territory days before its announcement on Thursday 8 October 2026. The party linked the move to the peace process that began in 2024, criticising Ankara for what it described as inaction in advancing the process.
European countries are preparing to send a security mission to Lebanon, with its first personnel expected to reach Beirut by 25 December following a formal Lebanese request. The mission will include at least 100 military personnel from France, Spain and Italy to support the army and Internal Security Forces, without deploying in the south of the country.
The Israeli army said on Thursday that an officer had been killed and three soldiers had sustained minor injuries in southern Lebanon. The announcement comes as Israel occupies large areas of the region following the war with Hezbollah, with the death and injury toll attributed to the Israeli army.
Sources in Sanaa reported air raids on Al-Hafa camp and the former First Armoured Division camp. The report, published on 9 October 2026, named both military sites and said that the raids targeted both.
The occupied West Bank saw an escalation in attacks by Israeli forces and settlers as part of a field campaign involving arrests and raids targeting cities, towns and villages, extending operations across multiple areas of the West Bank.
The US Treasury Department has announced new sanctions targeting 17 vessels accused of transporting Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemicals. The department said the measure was part of its efforts to tighten economic pressure on Tehran and target the maritime transport of its products.
Damascus has denied reports that Saudi Arabia requested Syrian troops for the kingdom or Yemen, affirming its support for Saudi and Gulf security while maintaining a policy of stability and avoiding the opening of new fronts. The denial follows Syrian-Saudi talks and a statement by the Mecca Pact on activating mutual defence commitments after Houthi attacks.