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Israel’s Channel 13 said documents from two security meetings held before the 7 October 2023 attacks show that security and military leaders recommended targeting senior Hamas officials, while Benjamin Netanyahu chose to contain the escalation and maintain a balanced level of security activity in Gaza amid efforts to normalise relations with Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for expanding military operations and dismantling the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, as the Israeli army reinforced its forces ahead of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The escalation coincided with a Palestinian girl being wounded at the Qalandiya checkpoint, the closure of checkpoints and roads, and an attack by settlers on the village of Abu Falah east of Ramallah.
Tens of thousands demonstrated in the Spanish capital over the housing crisis after 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal was evicted from the home where she had lived for around 70 years. Protesters called for lower rents and greater tenant protection, while the government prepares to consider new measures including automatic contract renewals and additional restrictions on evictions.
Around 700,000 people gathered on the Champs-Élysées and at Place de la Concorde for an open-air Mass led by Pope Leo XIV on the second day of his official visit to France. The event was accompanied by extensive security measures, while the Pope urged Catholics to show their faith and spread the values of love, peace and joy.
Israeli and Turkish officials took differing positions on the withdrawal of delegations from the United Nations General Assembly hall during Benjamin Netanyahu’s address in New York. Danny Dannon described the scene as staged for media purposes, while Hakan Fidan said Israel’s international isolation was widening and that it faced unprecedented legal and punitive circumstances.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters took part in a march in the British city of Liverpool, calling on the Labour government to halt arms exports to Israel and impose sanctions on it. The action came on the eve of the party’s annual conference in the city, in an effort to pressure the government to take measures linked to the war in Gaza.
Fighting has continued in north-eastern Ethiopia for a fourth day along a front stretching between 80 and 90 kilometres, with clashes near Abala, whose population exceeds 50,000. The siege of the city and escalating military operations have raised humanitarian concerns, as well as fears over the impact of the fighting on trade in the region.
Israeli academic Yagil Levy says an intertwined network of military units, border guards and armed settlers operates partly independently of the General Staff and helps expand control over the West Bank. This coincided with more than 1,600 settler attacks recorded since the start of 2026, the highest rate since UN documentation began.
US President Donald Trump predicted that Washington and Havana would reach an agreement, ruling out the need for military intervention. Meanwhile, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez affirmed his country’s readiness for dialogue based on sovereign equality and respect for international law, while Russia called for the US embargo to be lifted and Cuba to be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
An editorial in Haaretz and findings from a Pew Research Centre poll recorded a decline in Israel’s image in the United States and European countries, particularly among young people and left-wing groups, amid the war in Gaza and violence in the West Bank. The indicators emerged after dozens of delegations walked out as Benjamin Netanyahu began his address to the United Nations General Assembly.
In a new book, Russian journalist Roman Badanin presents the findings of more than two decades of investigations into Vladimir Putin’s trajectory and the network around him, warning against underestimating the Russian president’s capabilities. Badanin believes that the continuation of the war in Ukraine has hardened Putin’s position and made it more difficult for him to reverse his course.
Maharashtra, India’s wealthiest state, has announced that 74% of its land is affected by drought after a prolonged period of weak rainfall. The crisis comes amid forecasts that the monsoon season will end with a rainfall deficit, while the state government plans to assess crop damage and provide assistance to affected farmers, agricultural workers and rural households.
An investigative report has revealed contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds between the British Ministry of Defence and Israeli arms companies, alongside London's measures against settlements. The cooperation includes F-35 components, air-defence technology and military training, as well as long-term joint plans in artificial intelligence, guided weapons and space.
Germany is discussing with four countries and the European Commission the creation of centres to speed up the return of migrants who have no right to remain, as the EU announces a 55% decline in irregular migration. The talks include expanding Frontex’s powers, while Berlin distinguishes between Syrians based on court rulings, protection applications and their level of integration.
The Sudanese army announced that it had retaken the Sodiri area in North Kordofan state after fighting with the Rapid Support Forces, while expanding operations west of El Obeid. The development came amid air strikes and drone attacks, competing accounts of civilian deaths in El Obeid and Al-Mazroub, and displacement from areas witnessing a military escalation.
Signs are growing that Republican candidates and lawmakers are distancing themselves from some of President Donald Trump's policies ahead of the midterm elections scheduled for 3 November, driven by the fallout from the war in Iran and rising living costs. The shift is evident in congressional votes, campaign rhetoric and the reduced presence of Trump in the promotional material of several candidates.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Tehran does not intend to respond militarily to restrictions imposed on its air traffic, noting that negotiations are under way to lift them and that non-military options are available. The position came after Iraqi airports suspended flights to and from Iran amid US threats to impose sanctions.
Demolitions and the destruction of homes and infrastructure continue in towns in southern Lebanon, particularly border areas, amid warnings that the effects could extend beyond urban destruction to contaminate soil and groundwater. Recent environmental studies indicate that the level of risk varies according to the nature of the terrain, while field testing is needed to determine the scale of long-term damage.
The death toll from the attack on a mosque and police compound in the north-western Pakistani city of Kohat has risen to 22, with 103 injured, according to subsequent statements by health and investigative officials. The attack began when a vehicle packed with explosives detonated during Friday prayers, after which gunmen attempted to storm the compound and clashes broke out with security forces.
Clashes between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigray forces and their allies have spread to the Amhara and Afar regions, with fighting near Abala and Lalibela, flight suspensions and internet outages in northern areas. The two sides have traded accusations over who started the escalation, while the Ethiopian army announced casualty figures among its opponents that could not be independently verified.
At least 14 people were killed when a small plane carrying a military justice delegation crashed in Kwango province, including the president of the military court and the prosecutor of the Congolese armed forces. President Félix Tshisekedi ordered a comprehensive investigation, while searches for the black box continue.
The municipality of Deir Mimas in southern Lebanon asked residents not to go to fields and olive groves until 28 September 2026, amid reports that an Israeli force had advanced and taken up positions among the olive groves on the southern side of the town’s outskirts.
Several Yemeni fronts have seen fighting, air strikes and reciprocal shelling between government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi group, with clashes concentrated in Taiz and Kahboub overlooking Bab al-Mandab. Both sides have traded claims of advances and inflicted losses, while offering differing accounts of control over Mount Numan and surrounding areas.
Bangkok authorities declared all 50 districts of the capital disaster-affected areas after heavy rain inundated roads and raised canal levels to critical heights. Officials warned residents near waterways and in low-lying areas, while traffic was widely disrupted as small vehicles were unable to cross several locations.
Fighting has continued in north-eastern Ethiopia for a fourth day along a front stretching between 80 and 90 kilometres, with clashes near Abala, whose population exceeds 50,000. The siege of the city and escalating military operations have raised humanitarian concerns, as well as fears over the impact of the fighting on trade in the region.