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The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker was targeted with several projectiles 51 nautical miles north of the Qatari city of Al Shamal, causing injuries. It said authorities were investigating the incident and urged vessels in the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.

US officials said the Pentagon had directed Central Command to complete preparations for possible extensive combat operations in Iran, without setting a date or receiving a final decision from President Trump. The plans could include targets in the energy, infrastructure and nuclear sectors, amid stalled negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

At least 28 people were killed and dozens wounded in a wave of Russian strikes that hit 12 Ukrainian regions overnight, according to Ukrainian authorities. Pryluky recorded the highest death toll, with 20 people killed, while Moscow said it had targeted facilities assembling cruise missiles and long-range drones.

US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran would end soon “one way or another”, predicting oil prices would fall after it ends, while Tehran said it had submitted a detailed proposal through intermediaries outlining its conditions. The main points of disagreement are uranium enrichment, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the sequence for implementing commitments.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said an oil tanker was hit by several projectiles 51 nautical miles north of Al Shamal in Qatar, amid reports of injuries and an investigation by authorities. The incident coincided with increased traffic in liquefied natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz during September.

Clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces are spreading from Blue Nile to Kordofan, alongside the displacement of more than 5,500 people in three days. At the same time, Washington has offered to support an inclusive political dialogue, but disagreements over the truce, the framework for negotiations and the proliferation of initiatives are obstructing a unified path towards a settlement.

A site belonging to the United Nations Interim Force in Southern Lebanon came under small-arms fire on Wednesday morning, damaging the site wall, accommodation units and UN vehicles without causing injuries. UNIFIL condemned the incident, said it had opened an investigation and warned that the lives of peacekeepers had been placed at grave risk.

The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said three people were killed and 36 others injured, including citizens and residents of several nationalities, in two attacks targeting facilities at Abha and King Khalid international airports on Tuesday and Wednesday. The attacks also caused material damage.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that İzmir Mayor Cemil Tugay had joined the ruling Justice and Development Party after resigning from the Republican People’s Party months earlier. Tugay’s move expands the ruling party’s influence in the city but does not give it a majority on the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Council, which remains dominated by the opposition.

British security agencies have begun reviewing intelligence previously shared with Germany following the arrest of August Hanning, the former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service, on suspicion of involvement in a spying and treason case linked to Azerbaijan, amid fears that documents on Iran, Russia and intelligence sources may be at risk.

An adviser to the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Tehran would soon close routes in the Strait of Hormuz that it considers illegal, saying they are used to smuggle oil. The remarks came as shipping-tracking data showed crude exports from the region rising during September, amid continuing security risks and restrictions affecting vessel traffic.

Ceremonies were held in southern Israel to mark the 7 October 2023 attack, while Gaza residents continue to live amid widespread destruction and displacement camps three years into the war. The anniversary comes nearly a year after a ceasefire that did not end the strikes, and ahead of Israeli elections that are reopening debate over responsibility for the security failures.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow had agreed to a US proposal for a trilateral meeting involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine, confirming his country's readiness to begin serious negotiations. He accused Kyiv and European countries of obstructing previous agreements and initiatives aimed at resolving the conflict.

Israel is heading into a pivotal election three weeks after the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, amid debate over Benjamin Netanyahu's responsibility for the failures that preceded them. While most polls do not give his bloc a parliamentary majority, the results could determine his political future and the course of his corruption trial, as well as their impact on relations with Washington.

Escalating fighting in Yemen has displaced more than 200,000 people, according to government estimates, while official field data recorded about 198,000 displaced people by the end of September. Displacement continued in early October as fighting expanded and humanitarian needs rose in affected governorates and areas receiving fleeing families.

Yemen's government forces launched Operation Yemen Dawn on 5 October 2026 to restore state institutions and retake the capital, Sana'a, alongside operations to secure Bab al-Mandab and Mokha. They announced advances and losses among the Houthis, while the Houthis denied any progress by the government forces on the western coast.

Protests by secondary-school students in France have expanded, with classes suspended fully or partially at hundreds of institutions as students demand better educational conditions and increased resources. Their grievances include teacher absences without replacements, deteriorating facilities, overcrowded classrooms and long school days, while the government has announced action plans to address key demands.

The Israeli military has released figures for its operations since 7 October 2023, saying it targeted about 100,000 sites on several fronts and arrested or detained nearly 45,000 people. Its statements did not address casualties or destruction, while Palestinian, Lebanese and Yemeni figures indicate tens of thousands were killed and 82% of Gaza’s buildings were damaged.

Comparisons of satellite images taken over three years reveal damage to around 200,000 buildings in the Gaza Strip, as well as widespread destruction of educational facilities and changes in land use. Roads, earth berms, trenches and 40 Israeli military sites were also identified by May 2026, including eight sites established after the ceasefire agreement.

The Yemeni government discussed developments in Operation Dawn of Yemen in Aden and ordered heightened readiness and protection for vital facilities, while the Human Rights Ministry accused the Houthis of attacking Aden airport with two ballistic missiles and booby-trapped drones. The Houthis said the attack targeted Saudi military supplies at Badr Camp near the airport.

Activists circulated a video showing a man carrying a rifle and threatening French MP of Palestinian origin Rima Hassan after she removed an Israeli flag during an event at the European Parliament. Followers urged the French authorities to take action, while Hassan maintained her position and criticised Israeli practices against Palestinians.

Four people were killed and 12 others, mostly women and children, were injured in a drone attack on Damazin attributed by military and government sources to the Rapid Support Forces. The Blue Nile state finance minister and his family survived an attack on their home, as the number of people displaced from villages in Wad al-Mahi rose to 5,525 over three days.

Two Palestinians were killed and others injured early Wednesday in Israeli airstrikes, shelling and gunfire across the Gaza Strip, as home demolitions and attacks on displaced people’s tents continued in Khan Younis, Rafah, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City, despite the passage of a year since the Hamas-Israel ceasefire agreement.