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Moscow and Kyiv exchanged threats to expand strikes on bridges and refineries as Ukraine considered four proposals for partial truces from the United States, India, Türkiye and Egypt. The escalation coincided with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to Kyiv and the signing of an arms agreement including military aid and support for repairing the energy network.
Yemeni government forces announced the start of what they called the “Battle for Liberation” to restore state institutions and areas under the control of Ansar Allah (the Houthis), following a speech by Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi. The Saudi-led coalition reaffirmed its operational support as fighting intensified and warnings grew over worsening displacement and humanitarian needs.
Norwegian author Åsne Seierstad’s book The Trade of War presents former fighter Andrey Medvedev’s account of Wagner Group operations in Ukraine, particularly the battles for Bakhmut. His account describes sending small groups into exposed positions, recruiting tens of thousands of prisoners, poor training and equipment, and mounting losses before he fled and sought asylum in Norway.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Mogadishu rejects Israel's recognition of Somaliland and any military presence in Berbera, warning against bringing Middle Eastern conflicts to the Horn of Africa. He also discussed the impact of disruption to shipping caused by the Houthis, and relations with the UAE, Ethiopia, Egypt, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, as well as domestic security and political developments.
Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said Amman and Damascus coordinate daily to combat smuggling and train Syrian security agencies, announcing that 15,342 drug cases had been recorded this year. He also discussed overcrowding in rehabilitation centres, border-crossing development, the return of Syrians, conditions in the West Bank and the impact of unemployment on security and society.
Four Palestinians were killed in strikes targeting separate areas of the Gaza Strip on Sunday, while the Israeli military announced the killing of Saqr al-Qaisi in Khan Younis, accusing him of belonging to Hamas’s elite unit. The escalation coincided with the announcement of the closure of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip crossings on 5 and 7 October.
Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry accused the Ethiopian government of seeking to expand its regional influence and undermine the sovereignty of neighbouring states, saying Addis Ababa’s talk of access to the sea conceals territorial demands. The position came days after diplomatic ties between the two countries were severed, amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia and international warnings that the confrontation could widen.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced nearly €1 billion in military aid and an energy support package during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. The visit coincided with Russian strikes that damaged the Northern Bridge, while Russian authorities reported casualties and power cuts following a Ukrainian attack on Belgorod.
Israeli media reports said around 3,000 US troops had been deployed in Israel as part of preparations for a possible new confrontation. Their duties include operating air defence and aviation systems and providing logistical support, as broader US military reinforcements head towards the Middle East amid tensions with Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel plans to expand its naval and undersea combat capabilities in response to requests from the security establishment. He made the announcement during a visit to the naval base in Ashdod, following the arrival from Germany of the sixth submarine, Drakon, with plans to add three Dakar-class submarines in the future.
Around 159 million Brazilians began voting to choose the president, members of Congress and state governors, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva holding a narrow lead over his rival, Flávio Bolsonaro. Polls suggest the race could go to a run-off on 25 October, amid domestic polarisation and escalating disputes between Lula’s government and Washington.
The United States is sending more naval assets and ground personnel to the region, alongside proposed arrangements to escort ships and clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The move comes amid pressure on Iran’s oil exports and US threats to launch a large-scale attack, prompting Iranian officials to warn of a more destructive response.
Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi announced the launch of military operations aimed at retaking the remaining areas under Houthi control and extending the authority of state institutions, as fighting escalates on the Taiz and western coast fronts and the group advances near the road linking Taiz and Aden.
More than 100,000 Palestinians who left Gaza during the war are waiting for the chance to return, while the accounts of three men in Cairo for treatment or safety reveal the scale of family losses and the difficulty of reunification amid limited crossings, continuing air strikes and delays to reconstruction.
Mines and war remnants continue to endanger civilian movement in Yemen, forcing people from closed roads onto rugged desert and mountain routes. A rights organisation documented 452 civilian deaths and injuries in Marib over 10 years, while treatment, rehabilitation and clearance operations continue in several governorates.
A research study sets out three possible paths for the renewed clashes in northern Ethiopia since 23 September, ranging from a resumption of dialogue to continued limited fighting and escalating regional intervention. The conflict’s developments are linked to the future of the Pretoria Agreement and the safety of trade corridors leading to Djibouti and the Red Sea.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the closure of the West Bank and crossings into the Gaza Strip to coincide with the anniversary of the 7 October events, amid tightened military measures and the arrest of 15 Palestinians. The Palestine Red Crescent reported the death of a young man after he was detained at the Anab checkpoint, while attacks by settlers on agricultural land and farms were recorded during the olive harvest season.
Japan formally protested to the United States after a 20-year-old US Marine was arrested on suspicion of killing Anna Yagi and stealing her belongings inside a hotel in Naha, Okinawa. The suspect denied the allegations, while the US embassy pledged full cooperation with the Japanese investigation.
Voters in Bosnia and Herzegovina are choosing the three-member presidency, the national parliament and regional bodies in an election that will shape the next government's direction and the country's path towards EU and NATO membership, amid divisions between forces inclined towards Washington and others maintaining ties with Moscow.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz approved the army’s recommendation to impose a comprehensive closure on the West Bank and close crossings into the Gaza Strip on 5 and 7 October, based on a security assessment linked to the third anniversary of the 7 October attacks. Exceptions to the restrictions will be limited to specific cases subject to approval by the relevant authorities.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is accelerating settlement projects and land registration in the West Bank and East Jerusalem ahead of the 27 October election, amid rights warnings that the next government may struggle to reverse them. This has coincided with escalating settler attacks and the displacement of more than 6,500 Palestinians, according to UN and rights data.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv with an economic and defence delegation, ahead of the announcement of €1 billion in military aid and €350 million in support for the energy sector, as well as the completion of a German-Ukrainian agreement to produce drones, missiles, software and long-range weapons.
A photo posted by a Saudi user showing a coffee cup filled to the brim has received more than 19 million views on X after he used it to respond to a comment following the emergency landing of a flydubai flight in Tabuk. Users interpreted the image based on the significance of serving coffee in local culture.
The US Coast Guard has launched an air and sea search for a Gulfstream G100 air ambulance that lost contact during a flight from Bermuda to Boston with six people on board. Air traffic recordings indicate that the pilot declared an emergency before contact was lost.
Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry accused the Ethiopian government of seeking to expand its regional influence and undermine the sovereignty of neighbouring states, saying Addis Ababa’s talk of access to the sea conceals territorial demands. The position came days after diplomatic ties between the two countries were severed, amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia and international warnings that the confrontation could widen.