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The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced stricter checks on pilots’ identities and security screening for flights bound for Israel after a stabbing in the cockpit of a Flydubai flight that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The airline said the incident’s motives remain under investigation.
The Afghan government said Pakistani airstrikes on Helmand and Kunar provinces killed 9 civilians, injured 11 others and destroyed three homes. Pakistan, meanwhile, described its operations as planned and measured, saying they targeted camps and hideouts belonging to armed groups based on intelligence information.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has urged North Korea to return to dialogue and restore trust amid a dispute over an explosion inside the Demilitarised Zone on 21 September that seriously injured three South Korean soldiers, with Seoul and Pyongyang trading accusations over the incident.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised pilot Sumeet Matchar after he was stabbed during an incident in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073, which was carrying 174 people. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, while the airline said the motive remained unknown and was subject to an official investigation.
An Afghan government source said 9 people were killed and 7 others injured in Pakistani air strikes targeting Kunar and Helmand provinces. An official in Helmand said 2 homes were bombed in the Garmser area, noting that most of the casualties were women and children, amid continued tensions between the two countries.
flydubai flight FZ1073, carrying 174 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv, diverted and landed safely at Tabuk Airport after an altercation in the cockpit. While Israeli and US officials spoke of an attempt to bring down the aircraft, the airline said the causes and motives remained under official investigation.
People, including civilians, have been killed and injured as shelling and fighting continue between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis on several fronts. Alongside developments on the ground, the Defence Ministry discussed arrangements for general mobilisation, while the Interior Ministry announced the arrest of cells linked to the Houthis. The Human Rights Ministry said it had documented the deaths of 100 children recruited by the group during September.
Iraq has announced the end of the international coalition’s military mission, which began 12 years ago to fight Islamic State, with security cooperation shifting to bilateral frameworks. Baghdad reaffirmed its rejection of weapons outside the law, while Washington said it would continue providing targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi forces.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the incident involving a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was an attack attempt aimed at crashing the aircraft. The airline, meanwhile, confirmed that a confrontation took place in the cockpit, stressing that the causes and motives remain under official investigation.
The Yemeni Armed Forces said they had carried out eight precision strikes targeting Houthi reinforcements, weapons and military equipment, including three artillery batteries on the Al-Wazi’iyah front and a mobile air-defence system in Mokha, as well as leaders and members in Al-Mansoura and the Bab al-Mandab area.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi announced the end of the international coalition’s mission to fight Islamic State in Iraq, confirming that Iraqi forces would assume full responsibility for the country’s security. The announcement was made during an official ceremony in Baghdad, coinciding with the launch of Sovereignty Days and a public holiday running until 3 October.
Three power stations in Syria were taken offline after gas supplies were halted following an explosion and fire on a pipeline running between the al-Shoula area and Deir ez-Zor. Firefighters announced that the blaze had been extinguished, while technical teams prepared to secure the site and begin maintenance and repairs to the damaged line.
US President Donald Trump said his country had left Iraq, leaving Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaydi to manage the next phase, after announcing the completion of the withdrawal of US troops and equipment from Erbil on 30 September. Washington said the withdrawal ends a 12-year military mission against Islamic State, while limited training and intelligence support for Baghdad will continue.
The British government said it believes Iran played a role in a security incident near Fairford air base, which is used by US forces. Counter-terrorism investigators are continuing to examine the incident after five British men were detained and released on bail, while Iran’s embassy in London denied any connection between Tehran and the case.
A replacement aircraft carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, arrived at Ben Gurion Airport after their flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was forced to land in Tabuk following an incident in the cockpit. While Israeli officials presented an account involving an attempt to bring down the aircraft, the airline said the cause of the altercation was under official investigation.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has opened the door to examining several paths for the relationship with the European Union, from maintaining the current arrangement to restoring full membership. The debate comes ahead of a summit expected in November, amid a shift in opinion polls and a positive European response, alongside domestic objections and complications over the terms of any new accession.
Israeli authorities described the incident involving flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv as an attempt to bring down the aircraft, while Flydubai said an altercation had taken place inside the cockpit and that it was too early to determine the causes and motives. The aircraft landed safely at Tabuk airport after issuing a distress call and activating emergency procedures.
French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed the possibility of Britain returning to the European Union, as debate in Britain over its relationship with the bloc gathers pace. He criticised the results of Brexit and the promises made during its campaign, while British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to examine options ranging from remaining outside the EU to restoring membership.
The Ukrainian government has estimated total war needs for 2026 at about $155 billion, including a $27 billion funding gap. Kyiv plans to provide $7 billion by cutting spending and reprioritising it, while negotiating with international partners to secure the remaining amount and ensure the continuation of military operations at the start of 2027.
Fatima Zahra El Mansouri has become the first woman to head the Moroccan government and the third Arab woman to reach the position, following two appointments in Tunisia. Her appointment comes as international data showed that only 28 countries were led by a woman as head of state or government at the beginning of 2026, while 101 countries had never experienced this.
The European Union’s Aspides mission said 2,640 ships have requested protection and escort services since it was launched in 2024, while about 130 ships request escorts each month in the Bab el-Mandeb. The mission faces a shortage of warships compared with the number targeted when it was established, amid continuing risks to shipping in the Red Sea.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations received a report that a liquefied natural gas carrier was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, while authorities began an investigation to determine its nature and source. The authority urged transiting vessels to exercise caution amid a dispute between Washington and Tehran over navigation arrangements in the strategic waterway.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol square on Tuesday evening, continuing their protests over the housing crisis for a fourth consecutive day. Protesters are calling for rent freezes and the automatic renewal of contracts without arbitrary increases, after the actions began when an 87-year-old woman was taken from her home on a stretcher.
The Lebanese Army said a soldier was seriously wounded and three civilians were injured after an Israeli drone targeted a military vehicle in Nabatieh al-Fawqa. The strike coincided with artillery shelling, two explosions and intensive flights by warplanes and drones over several areas of southern Lebanon early on Wednesday.
People, including civilians, have been killed and injured as shelling and fighting continue between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis on several fronts. Alongside developments on the ground, the Defence Ministry discussed arrangements for general mobilisation, while the Interior Ministry announced the arrest of cells linked to the Houthis. The Human Rights Ministry said it had documented the deaths of 100 children recruited by the group during September.