News

Seven Ethiopian armed opposition groups have announced a coalition bringing together forces from Tigray, Amhara and Oromia, with the aim of changing the federal government and preparing for a political transition. The alliance comes amid continuing clashes in western Oromia and rising tensions between Addis Ababa and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front following military movements and drone strikes.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure and ships, stressing the need to protect freedom of navigation and uphold international law in maritime passages. He also discussed the Gaza peace plan and the two-state solution, progress in Syria’s transitional phase, and the role of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon.

The race to select the United Nations’ tenth secretary-general has entered a more focused phase after former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet withdrew, leaving seven names in contention. Rebecca Grynspan leads the latest informal ballot indicators, but the appointment requires a Security Council recommendation and avoiding an objection from any permanent member before a General Assembly vote.

Around 130 heads of state and government are preparing to attend United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York, where wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and the Sudan crisis will top the agenda alongside climate, artificial intelligence and reform of the organisation, amid international divisions, financial pressures and early efforts to choose Antonio Guterres's successor.

New York is receiving around 130 heads of state and government for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, amid financial pressures and declining consensus among major powers. Discussions are led by the confrontation in the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine war and artificial intelligence governance, alongside the crises’ repercussions for shipping, energy, food and global trade.

The Yemeni Armed Forces said air strikes on Sunday targeted Houthi personnel and equipment in Al Bayda governorate, destroying missile launchers, a communications system and weapons stores. The strikes came amid escalating fighting and government warnings of a threat to international shipping near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Yemen’s Executive Unit for Internally Displaced Persons Camp Management announced that more than 122,000 people had been displaced across eight governorates as a result of the military escalation. Camps in Marib have received arrivals from other areas, increasing pressure on displacement sites in the governorate, which hosts the largest concentration of displaced people among the areas covered by monitoring operations.

A Yemeni government body documented the displacement of 146,943 people across 8 governorates between 1 and 18 September, amid escalating fighting and growing risks to civilians. The government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees called for urgent assistance, as acute needs persist for shelter, food, water and healthcare.

A military source said on Sunday, 20 September 2026, that Sudanese army defences had downed several drones targeting Atbara airport in River Nile State. The attack came days after drones targeting water facilities in the east of the country were intercepted, amid growing use of such aircraft in the war.

South Korea detected a second projectile launch from North Korea’s eastern coast, hours after a ballistic missile was launched from Wonsan towards the Sea of Japan. Seoul raised its surveillance level and held an emergency security meeting, while Tokyo said the projectile appeared to have fallen outside its exclusive economic zone.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared with his wife, Sara, in the Western Wall Tunnels in Jerusalem, making statements about staying and ties to the site. The appearance came ahead of the 27 October 2026 election, amid close polling between Likud and the Yashar party and continued uncertainty over whether either bloc can form a coalition with 61 seats.

Dutch police arrested 24 people while dispersing an anti-immigration protest attended by around 500 far-right supporters in central The Hague. Riot police used batons, trained dogs and water cannon after officers were pelted with fireworks and other projectiles, while authorities banned a march that had been planned across the city.

Voters in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are casting ballots in Germany’s final state elections of the year, amid fears of another setback for the Christian Democratic Union after the Alternative for Germany won around 44% in Saxony-Anhalt and led national opinion polls.

Two Palestinians were injured in a settler attack in the Wadi al-Shaer area, while Israeli forces arrested Palestinians during raids in several West Bank governorates. The developments coincided with the Israeli security establishment raising its alert level ahead of Yom Kippur and examining possible scenarios on several fronts.

US Southern Command announced that 4 people were killed in a strike targeting a speedboat in the Caribbean on 19 September, claiming it was operating along drug-trafficking routes. The operation is part of a military campaign that has continued for nearly a year, amid rights criticism and questions over its legal basis.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara is working with other countries to prepare proposals aimed at pushing Iran and the United States towards an agreement to end the war, pointing to a deep lack of trust between them. The efforts come alongside Pakistani initiatives and expected meetings in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Russian officials said an attack involving hundreds of drones targeted Moscow and its surrounding area on the final day of the legislative elections, killing two people, evacuating 400 others and damaging an oil refinery and residential areas. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin accused Ukraine of seeking to disrupt the vote, while authorities said more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted since Saturday.

Moscow said it had downed 76 Ukrainian drones as they approached the Russian capital, while Moldova and Luxembourg said they had detected drone-related incidents in their airspace. The developments coincided with the deaths of at least three people in a Russian attack on the Kyiv region and growing European warnings about the widening repercussions of the war.

Ankara has sent Moscow and Kyiv a proposal to end fighting in the Black Sea and halt attacks on commercial vessels, while prioritising the removal of grain from the region. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said both sides had submitted their responses, but their demands and positions remained difficult to reconcile.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure and ships, stressing the need to respect navigational rights and freedom in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. His position followed a meeting with the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, where they discussed threats to regional security and stability.

Washington announced an expected security agreement with Denmark and Greenland that US President Donald Trump said would give his country a permanent role in the island’s security and restrict adversaries’ presence and sensitive investments. Copenhagen and Nuuk, meanwhile, stressed that the arrangements respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.

In Yemen’s Taiz governorate, women-led and community initiatives have been active in collecting food, water, medicines and clothing and sending them to government forces, as renewed clashes with Ansar Allah have continued since early September. The efforts have included convoys to the al-Kadha front west of the governorate, as well as household initiatives and organised committees collecting donations and preparing aid.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara and Washington were working on proposals to resolve the dispute over Russia’s S-400 system and lift US sanctions on Türkiye’s defence industry, expressing hope for positive steps without disclosing details of the options under consideration or setting a timetable for an agreement.