News

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.

France, in coordination with the United States, is preparing a Security Council resolution affirming freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and supporting the creation of an international mission to restore transit. The moves come as Washington and Tehran hold negotiations and Iran offers to reopen the strait and resume talks.

Paris is preparing a Security Council resolution affirming freedom of navigation and respect for the law of the sea in the Strait of Hormuz. The move coincides with a 7-day Iranian plan to halt the conflict and return to negotiations, amid US doubts over whether it can be accepted.

Bangkok authorities declared a flood disaster after around 300 millimetres of rain fell since Thursday, flooding roads, disrupting traffic and prompting some residents to leave their homes. More than 84,000 people across Thailand were affected by flooding in 21 provinces, amid warnings that rain would continue until Sunday.

The Gulf Cooperation Council affirmed that its member states stand with Saudi Arabia and support its measures to protect its security and sovereignty following ballistic missile and drone attacks targeting Riyadh and Khamis Mushait. The council’s Secretary-General called on the international community to adopt a firm stance, while the coalition supporting legitimacy announced that it had intercepted two drones and two missiles.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces targeted a data-processing centre supporting Starlink systems operating for Ukrainian forces, as well as a cargo ship and logistics facilities in the Black Sea and Odesa. The reported strikes coincided with discussion of a possible Russian-Ukrainian-American meeting to resume efforts to end the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said proposals to resume talks with Ukraine remain under consideration, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Washington had approved the production of Patriot missiles in his country. The statements came as reciprocal attacks continued, leaving people dead and injured and damaging oil and logistics facilities.

Saudi Arabia said its defences intercepted two drones launched by the Houthis towards the capital, Riyadh, in the latest attack in a wave of missile and drone launches targeting Saudi cities during September, including attempted strikes on Riyadh, Taif, Yanbu and Mecca.

Tehran and Washington are continuing indirect talks in New York as part of Qatari-led efforts, with Pakistani participation, to reduce tensions. Discussions centre on a phased proposal involving the Strait of Hormuz and the US blockade, alongside a meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ended a state visit to Washington after agreeing with US President Donald Trump to extend the trade truce until January 2027 and continue meeting. Talks covered artificial intelligence, Taiwan, the war on Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, amid US objections to Beijing’s support for Tehran and China’s insistence that competition be managed peacefully.

The cities of Marib and Taiz marked the 64th anniversary of the 26 September Revolution with official and popular events, as clashes took place between government forces and fighters from the Ansar Allah group. In a speech marking the occasion, Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi called for mobilisation and enlistment in the armed forces, and announced an amnesty for those who abandon fighting alongside the Houthis.

The UN human rights office added 61 companies to its database of businesses linked to Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank, bringing the total to 214. The update also removed companies after reassessment, while Israel’s UN mission rejected the mechanism and accused it of bias.

Military escalation in Yemen has forced tens of thousands of families to leave their areas, with displacement concentrated in Taiz, Lahj, Aden, Abyan and Hudaydah, while more than 3,000 people have reached Djibouti. UNICEF says the fighting has caused child casualties and disrupted schools and health facilities, amid rising acute malnutrition.

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi called for general mobilisation and urged people to join the armed forces and security services through official channels, announcing an opportunity to return for those who leave the Houthi group. He said those covered by the initiative would receive a comprehensive amnesty to be issued later in accordance with legal and constitutional procedures, alongside the regularisation of the status of army and security personnel.

Pope Leo XIV criticised world leaders’ selective treatment of law and justice during a speech at the Élysée Palace in Paris, warning of the spread of nuclear weapons and the risks of AI monopolisation. The speech opened an official visit to France, including religious and political meetings in Paris, Lourdes and Metz.

The United Nations has added 61 companies to a database tracking entities involved in business activities linked to Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The UN mechanism is based on human rights standards and reviews sectors including construction, real estate, financial services, transport and the exploitation of natural resources.

The Israeli army and Shin Bet said they targeted a network that included dozens of money changers in Gaza and other countries and had transferred more than $1 billion to Hamas. They added that operations since the outbreak of the war had killed 16 people whom they described as among the movement’s leading money-transfer operatives.

Most people in the Gaza Strip are facing increasing difficulty accessing water as desalination output falls, most wells remain out of service and distribution networks are damaged. UN and official data show that 82% of households face water insecurity, while groundwater pumping and the discharge of untreated wastewater threaten the quality of the coastal aquifer.

The number of Sudanese refugees who have arrived in Chad since 2023 has risen to 1 million, with 400 arriving daily, according to a UN official. The humanitarian response faces severe shortages of funding, medicine, food and water, alongside reports of rape and violence and difficulties moving people stranded near the border to safe areas.

UNRWA continues to operate extensive health, education and essential services in the Gaza Strip despite being publicly excluded from the Peace Council’s reconstruction plans. Officials revealed that the council and the Palestinian technocratic committee held meetings with the agency amid disagreement over its future and whether its programmes and staff can continue under new vetting conditions.