News

Seven armed Ethiopian organisations have announced the formation of an alliance aimed at removing the federal government led by the Prosperity Party and establishing a transitional authority. The bloc brings together forces that fought one another in recent years, amid uncertainty over its leadership and political programme, and warnings that internal conflicts could widen and become linked to regional tensions.

Seven Ethiopian armed and political groups have announced the formation of an alliance aimed at ousting Abiy Ahmed’s government and establishing a transitional administration, as fighting spreads across Oromia and Amhara and tensions return to Tigray. The announcement followed violence in Gambella that killed 12 people, while a health centre received 88 injured and affected people.

Israeli forces continued their military operations in southern Lebanon on Monday, carrying out air strikes on Wadi al-Saluki and areas near Nabatieh and Tyre, alongside artillery shelling of towns in the districts of Marjeyoun, Bint Jbeil and Nabatieh, as well as sweeping operations, movements by military vehicles and the demolition of homes in al-Mansouri.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces mounting pressure after weak results for his party in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin, as the Alternative for Germany gains ground. While Merz rejects calls to resign and remains committed to his economic reforms, coalition disputes and falling support for its parties are making the period ahead more difficult.

Dozens of Yemenis held a protest outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague, demanding that the Houthis be designated a terrorist organisation and calling for support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government. The protest came amid escalating clashes since July and government warnings that international shipping faces a threat after the Houthis advanced towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Preliminary Russian parliamentary election results show United Russia securing 57.5% of the vote after about 71% was counted, putting it on course to retain a two-thirds majority in the Duma. The vote took place amid cyberattacks and Ukrainian drone strikes that killed two people in the Moscow region.

Four people were injured and nearby homes began to be evacuated after a powerful explosion was followed by successive blasts at an army site in al-Eis, southern Aleppo, in the fifth ammunition-related incident in Syria during September. The closely spaced incidents have revived speculation about sabotage and technical failures caused by ageing ammunition and poor storage.

Moscow plans to expand a carbon-fibre plant in Tatarstan, potentially enabling the production of airframes for around 28,000 additional attack drones annually. Documents and satellite imagery show preparations for the project, which is intended to support Russia’s defence industries and reduce reliance on Chinese imports.

The Nineveh Health Directorate announced the death of Hajar, who succumbed to wounds and internal injuries sustained after falling into an abandoned well more than 15 metres deep. She died immediately after arriving at a hospital in Erbil, following a rescue operation that lasted about seven hours and ended with her being pulled out alive.

The isolation of Khirbet Ras al-Ahmar in the northern Jordan Valley is continuing after a trench was dug and the last access route to the area was closed, restricting the movement of 47 families and thousands of livestock. Foreign solidarity activists reached the community carrying food supplies and water, amid acute shortages of water, fodder and medicines.

Around 20 million people are facing hunger in Sudan, including 5 million at emergency levels, amid declining aid funding, scarce rainfall and rising food and fuel prices. While the government denies famine, the two sides in the war trade accusations over obstructing aid access and using food in the conflict.

The Afghan government said 3 civilians were killed and 3 others injured in Pakistani strikes targeting Kunar and Paktika provinces in the east of the country, vowing to respond at the appropriate time and place. The strikes followed a deadly attack on a police facility in north-western Pakistan, amid growing disputes over armed group activity on both sides of the border.

The Left secured its best-ever election result in Berlin, winning 25.7% of the vote and finishing ahead of the Christian Democratic Union. The preliminary results allow for a coalition with the Greens and the Social Democratic Party, which could pave the way for The Left’s candidate, Elif Eralp, to become Berlin’s mayor.

Reciprocal attacks between Russia and Ukraine have continued, causing deaths and damage in Kyiv and other cities, as well as at Russian oil facilities, while Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares to meet Donald Trump in New York. In parallel, Türkiye has put forward a proposal to halt fighting in the Black Sea, amid diverging positions from the two sides.

US and Chinese officials agreed, after eight hours of talks in New York, to continue meetings and establish bilateral dialogue on artificial intelligence. The talks precede a planned summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at the White House on 24 September, amid efforts to extend the trade truce and address outstanding economic and political issues.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf condemned Itamar Ben-Gvir and groups of settlers entering the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque and performing Talmudic rituals there, while the developments coincided with the closure of the Ibrahimi Mosque, clashes in Jerusalem and the killing of a settler in the West Bank.

A powerful explosion occurred at a Syrian army site near the town of al-Eis, south of Aleppo, followed by successive blasts that hindered the arrival of ambulance and rescue teams. Aleppo Civil Defence operations commander Faisal Mohammed Ali urged civilians to stay away from the site as response efforts continued.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji reaffirmed Beirut’s commitment to negotiations to restore sovereignty over all its territory, saying the military option had devastated the south and displaced its residents. He stressed that placing weapons under state control was an independent Lebanese decision, and said efforts were under way to establish an international force under the umbrella of the United Nations as an alternative to UNIFIL.

France condemned Iranian authorities’ closure of the French language centre affiliated with its embassy in Tehran, describing the decision as unjustified and unacceptable, and announced that it would summon the Iranian ambassador and take appropriate measures. Tehran said the centre was closed under a judicial order after violating licensing requirements, and accused it of activities linked to national security.

The West Bank saw an escalation on Sunday after a settler was killed in a shooting near the Halamish settlement and a Palestinian was killed by Israeli forces near Jenin. The events were accompanied by arrests, the closure of checkpoints and roads, military reinforcements and a curfew in neighbourhoods of Hebron, as well as Israeli calls to demolish the shooter’s home and execute him.

Thousands of displaced people in the Gaza Strip face the risk of buildings they have taken refuge in collapsing, amid warnings that rain and soil erosion could worsen the situation. Civil Defence says more than 2,000 buildings require urgent intervention, while the lack of safe alternatives and restrictions on bringing in tents and heavy equipment have prevented their evacuation.

The 12th anniversary of the Houthis’ takeover of Sana’a coincides with a military escalation along the western coast and in al-Bayda, al-Jawf and Ma’rib, as government officials speak of plans to advance towards the capital. The clashes follow four years of relative calm, amid changes to the map of control and the extension of attacks to Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea.

The southern Lebanese town of Mansouri witnessed heavy explosions carried out by Israeli forces during the night, with their echoes reaching villages and towns across the Tyre district. The explosions coincided with an air strike on the al-Araish neighbourhood and further attacks targeting several towns and areas in southern Lebanon.