Flash floods in Nepal's Gorkha district strand more than 100 trekkers as rescue continues
More than 100 foreign trekkers remain stranded in central Nepal after flash floods and a landslide damaged the Manaslu trekking route in Gorkha district. The latest reports say the floods swept away bridges, hiking trails and hundreds of homes, adding to the disruption already caused by the blocked Budhi Gandaki River. Rescue operations are continuing as authorities work to move people out of affected areas and assess the damage.A local official with the Manaslu Conservation Area Project said the trekkers were stranded in different parts of the popular route after sections of the trail were washed away. Authorities said 321... [Continue Reading]
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Afghanistan SAS murder inquiry hears claims military police were blocked from following evidence
A public inquiry in the United Kingdom has heard claims that senior officers prevented military police investigators from following evidence in a probe into alleged killings by the SAS in Afghanistan. The testimony came from Delme Williams, a former military police investigator who worked on Operation Northmoor, the inquiry into alleged unlawful killings by British special forces. He told the hearing that the investigation was not allowed to proceed in the normal way and that decisions were being directed from above.Williams said he remained convinced that members of British special forces should have faced criminal charges. He told the inquiry... [Continue Reading]
Ethiopia's Tigray fighting deepens as UAE backs government and Saudi role comes under scrutiny
Renewed fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region is drawing in wider regional interests, with the United Arab Emirates publicly backing the federal government and Saudi Arabia's diplomatic role coming under fresh scrutiny. The escalation has raised concern that the conflict could spread beyond Tigray into neighbouring Afar and Amhara, while tensions with Eritrea add to fears of a broader confrontation. The developments also put renewed pressure on the November 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, which was intended to end the war between Ethiopia's government and Tigrayan forces.On 25 September, the UAE condemned attacks by the Tigray People's Liberation Front and allied armed... [Continue Reading]
Day News Recap: Riyadh airport attacks widen Middle East tensions as energy shock deepens
Saudi Arabia said it would respond seriously after Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, where two strikes left 14 people dead and more than 300 injured, according to the civil aviation authority. The airport was also suspended as Gulf allies voiced support for a stronger security response. đź”— đź”—The escalation comes as the International Energy Agency warned the world is facing the biggest energy crisis ever, with disruption from the Iran, US war now stretching beyond seven months. Iran also threatened to disrupt US and UAE oil shuttle operations in the Strait of Hormuz, while diesel markets... [Continue Reading]
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Yandex services disrupted as Ukraine strike is linked to sharp drop in bot traffic
Volodymyr Zelensky said a Ukrainian strike on a Yandex data centre in Vladimir has been followed by a sharp fall in bot traffic, as the company's services began returning to normal. Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland, he said social media users may have noticed their feeds were quieter after the attack. He linked the outage to fewer online provocations, saying there was "less hate, less division, and fewer provocations" because there were fewer bots.The strike hit a data centre in Vladimir, about 100 miles east of Moscow, on Sunday, according to the report. Yandex said almost all... [Continue Reading]
Saudi Arabia vows serious response after Houthi airport attacks as conflict widens
Yemen's Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for an attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others. The strike came a day after another attack that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, according to the supplied reporting. The attacks have been described as one of the most significant disruptions to Saudi civil aviation in years and the deadliest assault on Saudi soil in more than a decade.The latest violence comes as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have also struck Sanaa airport and other areas in Houthi-held territory. Houthi-run media reported... [Continue Reading]
Global energy crisis deepens as IEA warns of prolonged strain from Iran-US war
The head of the International Energy Agency has said the world is facing the biggest energy crisis ever, with the disruption now stretching beyond seven months and little sign of relief. Fatih Birol said the US-Israel war on Iran has helped drive the crisis by disrupting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carries about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. He said the result has been higher fuel prices, interrupted supply chains and growing concern about a serious energy shortage.Birol said global oil stocks are falling fast, while governments have already been forced to... [Continue Reading]
Germany warns Russia is using hybrid attacks and planning assassinations
Germany's domestic intelligence chief has accused Russia of using nearly all available means in hybrid attacks against the country and of planning assassinations on German soil. Sinan Selen said on Monday that Berlin expects further activity of this kind, including incidents similar to the drone case at Leipzig/Halle airport. The warning adds to a growing security dispute between Germany and Moscow amid wider European concern over hybrid threats.Selen did not provide details about the alleged assassination plans, and the intelligence service did not elaborate on who might be targeted or how such operations could be carried out. He said Russia... [Continue Reading]
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Saudi Arabia extends Riyadh airport suspension after deadly Houthi attacks as Gulf allies back response
A senior United Arab Emirates official has called for stronger Gulf security and defence cooperation after Houthi missile attacks on Riyadh's international airport killed 14 people over the weekend. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said the strikes on Saudi Arabia undermined the security of the Emirates and other Gulf states. He wrote that "we are all targeted" and argued that failures in collective defence had encouraged attacks on the region.The latest figures show the death toll from Saturday's attack on King Khalid International Airport rose from 12 to 13 after an injured Indian citizen died on Sunday,... [Continue Reading]
China sanctions Paraguay and Belize ministers over Taiwan ties
China has imposed sanctions on the communications minister of Paraguay and the foreign minister of Belize in a move linked to their governments' formal ties with Taiwan. The measures were announced on Monday and were described by Beijing as a response to what it called actions affecting its sovereignty and national security. The sanctions are part of China's wider pressure campaign over Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory.According to the Chinese foreign ministry, the measures include a ban on entry to Hong Kong and Macau, as well as restrictions on Chinese organisations and individuals from engaging in transactions,... [Continue Reading]
Breakfast News Recap: Riyadh airport hit again as global tensions, politics and markets stay on edge
Saudi Arabia said one person was killed and 11 others injured when a projectile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the latest attack to hit the capital’s air hub and a fresh escalation after earlier strikes on the city. 🔗In the Middle East, Iran said it was ready to help facilitate talks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis after a call between the two countries’ foreign ministers, even as ceasefire tensions persisted in southern Lebanon where two men were killed during the olive harvest in Bint Jbeil district. 🔗 🔗Elsewhere in the region, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called... [Continue Reading]
Tokyo Close: Nikkei Slips as Korea Sells Off, Oil and Precious Metals Rally Across Asia-Pacific
Executive summary: Asia-Pacific trading ended with a split picture, as Japan and South Korea weakened while Australia and Hong Kong advanced. The sharpest move came in Seoul, where the Kospi fell -8.3%, while the Nikkei 225 lost -1.3%. In contrast, the ASX 200 rose +1.1% and the Hang Seng added +0.9%. Commodities were broadly firmer, with WTI crude up +3.5%, gold up +1.6%, and silver up +2.0%, while USD/JPY edged higher to 158.373 and USD/CNY slipped to 6.6915. [Continue Reading]
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UAE says flydubai suspect was radicalised in Melbourne as imam responds to allegations
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have said the 29-year-old suspect in an alleged hijacking attempt on a flydubai flight was radicalised while studying in Melbourne. The case has drawn attention because Emirati officials say the man tried to seize control of the aircraft and crash it into Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. A Melbourne mosque leader named in the reporting has now publicly responded, saying the allegations are false.In a statement released through state media last week, the UAE attorney-general said the suspect, widely reported as Omani national Hammam Al-Hammami, began to drift towards extremism and terrorism during... [Continue Reading]
Poland detains suspect in alleged plot against Tusk and defence minister
Polish authorities have detained a man suspected of planning an assassination attack against Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. The arrest took place in the Lower Silesia region, according to officials cited in the latest update on the case. Tusk thanked police for what he called their swift and decisive action.Interior Ministry officials said police had received credible information about possible attacks against the two senior ministers, prompting a special security meeting on Sunday. A spokesman for the special services coordinator said the threat was being treated as deadly serious and that there was a strong likelihood... [Continue Reading]
Day News Recap: Deadly Gulf attacks, Ukraine strikes and global unrest dominate a grim day
Repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and wounded 309, leaving Riyadh's airport shut as the fallout widened and Donald Trump said the United States may join Saudi strikes on the Houthis. đź”— đź”—Security in the Gulf deteriorated further as attacks and warnings spread around the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, where an Iranian Guard report said a petrol tanker hit a naval mine and exploded, and US forces later disabled a cargo ship that allegedly ignored repeated warnings. đź”— đź”— đź”— Shipping firms were also said to be offering captains... [Continue Reading]
At least 109 migrants dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti
At least 109 migrants have died after a boat carrying more than 300 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti, according to the International Organization for Migration. More than 100 others remain missing after the vessel overturned near Guhere, close to the port town of Obock, on the route from Djibouti to Yemen. Around 80 people survived the disaster, and search and rescue operations were continuing on Sunday.The IOM said the boat went down between Thursday night and before dawn on Friday in waters facing the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Survivors told the agency that the... [Continue Reading]
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Breakfast News Recap: Saudi airport strike deepens Gulf tensions as storms, conflict and disease spread
Saudi Arabia has vowed a decisive response after a Houthi strike on Riyadh's international airport killed at least a dozen people and wounded more than 300, with authorities later saying the airport was hit again and operations were briefly suspended. đź”— đź”—In the wider Gulf, a petrol tanker exploded after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, while US forces disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after it allegedly ignored repeated warnings, underlining the pressure on shipping routes linked to the Iran blockade dispute. đź”— đź”—Shipping firms are now reportedly offering captains premiums of... [Continue Reading]
Flydubai hijack probe widens as UAE says suspect drifted toward extremism in Australia
The United Arab Emirates says the Omani co-pilot accused of trying to seize a Flydubai passenger flight began drifting toward extremism and terrorism while studying in Australia. Officials allege he was attempting to crash the aircraft into Tel Aviv's airport in a suicide attack when passengers intervened and the plane was diverted to Saudi Arabia. The case remains under investigation and is being treated as a serious aviation-security and national-security matter.Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said interrogations suggested signs of extremist intent first emerged in 2017, during the suspect's time in Australia. He said the man was influenced by radical ideology... [Continue Reading]
Labour retains Holborn and St Pancras as Sagal Abdi-Wali defeats Green leader by 3,300 votes
Labour has retained the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary seat in central London after a closely watched by-election that had been seen as an early test of support for the party. Sagal Abdi-Wali won the contest, defeating Green Party leader Zack Polanski by about 3,300 votes. The result keeps the seat in Labour hands, where it has been held since the constituency was created in 1983.Abdi-Wali won 12,292 votes, compared with 8,928 for Polanski, according to the supplied reporting. The seat had been vacated by former Labour leader Keir Starmer, and the contest was framed as a measure of whether... [Continue Reading]
Gippsland records nine earthquakes in nine days as aftershocks continue near Leongatha
Gippsland in Victoria has recorded nine earthquakes in nine days, with the latest tremor felt in Leongatha on Wednesday evening. The activity follows a magnitude-4.9 quake near Leongatha that shook the region at the weekend. Emergency services have urged residents to be prepared for further shaking as the sequence continues.Geoscience Australia said the Wednesday earthquake measured magnitude 3.2 and was felt at a depth of 10 kilometres. The agency said it received more than 2,000 felt reports from people who noticed the tremor. Eight aftershocks have been recorded since the stronger weekend quake, including two overnight tremors of magnitude 2.5... [Continue Reading]
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Suspect linked to Monaco bomb attack on millionaire breaks silence from prison
A former Ukrainian security services officer linked to a bomb attack in Monaco in June has given his first on-record account from prison in Kyiv. Vitalii Zhykovych told the BBC that he believed the operation was ordered by senior members of HUR, Ukraine's military intelligence agency. The case centres on an attempted assassination that badly injured businessman Vadym Yermolayev and his 13-year-old son.Zhykovych spoke from prison in Kyiv through his lawyer and described himself as a freelancer for Ukraine's SBU security service. He said Anastasia Berezovska, the woman seen on camera planting the bomb in Monaco, was his agent. He... [Continue Reading]
South Africa anti-migrant protests turn violent in Soweto and Durban
Anti-migrant protests in South Africa turned violent on Thursday in Johannesburg's Soweto township and the coastal city of Durban. Cars were torched, foreign-run businesses were forced to close and looting was reported as police moved to disperse crowds. The unrest came amid anger over a Constitutional Court asylum ruling and government efforts to deal with overcrowding at refugee and asylum offices.Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane said 10 vehicles were torched in Johannesburg and 14 in Durban. Police also said three people were arrested in Durban. In Soweto, residents were seen carrying groceries out of a shop they... [Continue Reading]
Taiwan prepares to restart Maanshan nuclear reactor amid rising AI power demand
Taiwan has approved a preliminary plan to restart the Maanshan nuclear power plant, marking a notable shift in the island's energy policy after years of phasing out nuclear power. The plant, in southern Taiwan, was shut down in May 2025 and is now being considered for a return to electricity generation as early as 2028. The move comes as the government weighs how to meet rising demand from the semiconductor and artificial intelligence sectors.The Nuclear Safety Commission said last month that it had finished reviewing plans to restart the reactor, according to the supplied report. That review is a key... [Continue Reading]
Siberia plague scare deepens as hospital observation and surveillance widen
A plague scare in the Siberian town of Shelekhov has widened after a woman died last week and local residents were kept under observation in hospital. The case has centred on a 28-year-old laboratory worker, Darya Shipilova, who was reported to have died after falling ill in the same town. Russian authorities have continued to downplay the episode, saying she died of pneumonia of unknown cause and denying any link to her work at the Irkutsk anti-plague institute.People in the town described being kept inside for days while officials monitored contacts and restricted movement in some parts of the community.... [Continue Reading]
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Italy electoral reform passes as opposition vows court challenge over bonus seats
Italy's parliament has given final approval to a controversial electoral reform that introduces bonus seats for the coalition winning the most votes. The lower house backed the measure in a secret ballot, with 227 MPs in favour and 164 against, after a heated debate in Rome. The change comes ahead of elections due next year and has been framed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a way to increase political stability.The reform moves Italy to a fully proportional system and requires parties and alliances to present a joint candidate for prime minister and a shared government programme before a general... [Continue Reading]
Malaysia says it will back Myanmar's ASEAN reintegration after talks in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia's prime minister has said his government will do "whatever is possible" to help Myanmar return to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, after hosting talks in Kuala Lumpur with Myanmar's military-backed leader Min Aung Hlaing. The meeting took place during a two-day visit, the first by Min Aung Hlaing to Malaysia since he became president in April. It comes as Malaysia continues to engage directly with Myanmar despite long-running criticism over the country's political and human rights situation.Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia would work to strengthen cooperation and eventually bring Myanmar back into the regional bloc "without prejudice", according to... [Continue Reading]
Israel says British consulate in East Jerusalem is ceasing operations as UK rejects closure
Israel says the British consulate in East Jerusalem is ceasing operations, with most diplomats ending their assignments and leaving the country. The announcement came as the United Kingdom said the building itself would remain open and would instead operate as the UK Mission, Jerusalem. The dispute is the latest escalation in a row over British sanctions and trade restrictions linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said 20 diplomats, including the consul general, were ending their duties, while a small task force of no more than seven diplomats would be allowed to continue with... [Continue Reading]
Shell forecasts sharp rise in refinery margins as war-damaged plants tighten fuel supplies
Shell has forecast that its refinery profit margins will rise sharply in the July-to-September period, as shutdowns at war-damaged refineries in the Middle East and Russia squeeze global fuel supplies. The company said margins are expected to reach $42 a barrel, almost double the $24 a barrel recorded in the second quarter. That would also exceed the previous high of about $28 a barrel seen in mid-2022.The forecast was set out in a market trading update on Wednesday. Shell said the increase reflects a steep rise in the price of refined fuels, including diesel, relative to the cost of crude... [Continue Reading]
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Yemen's Houthis attack Aden airport as Saudi forces intercept missile near Riyadh
Yemen's internationally recognised government says Houthi missiles and drones targeted Aden International Airport, forcing the diversion of a passenger flight from Cairo and the evacuation of the terminal. The airport, which serves as the main international gateway for areas outside Houthi control, was hit in an attack that the government said came close to causing a civilian disaster. Separately, Saudi Arabia said its forces intercepted a ballistic missile north of Riyadh.The Ministry of Transport said at least two ballistic missiles and several drones were used in the attack on the airport's runway and passenger terminal. It said one missile landed... [Continue Reading]
Russia stages major nuclear disaster drill at Beloyarsk plant near strategic bunker
Russia is carrying out a large-scale nuclear disaster drill at the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant in the Sverdlovsk region, with more than 1,000 people taking part. The exercise is testing how emergency services would respond to a simultaneous accident at two reactors, according to the information provided by the state nuclear corporation. The scenario includes possible nuclear explosions or leaks, and the drill is taking place over two days.The exercise involves rescue workers, medical personnel, police, troops from Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Forces, and government officials. The state nuclear corporation said the scenario is based on a highly... [Continue Reading]
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Russia responds as questions continue over Siberian plague lab death
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has again urged people not to "listen to various rumours" after the death of a laboratory technician at a plague research centre in Siberia. He said the public should rely only on information from Russia's public health watchdog, which has given the official cause of death as pneumonia of unknown origin. The comments came as Russian officials continued to face questions over the case and its handling.The latest remarks follow renewed attention on the death at the anti-plague institute in Siberia, which has prompted concern because of the sensitive nature of the work carried out there.... [Continue Reading]
Pakistan and Turkiye move to support Saudi deterrence against Houthis as pact takes effect
The defence arrangement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye has now been activated, with the three countries agreeing to move agreed forces and capabilities into Saudi Arabia. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Monday, according to a joint statement shared by Pakistan's Foreign Office. The statement said the committee had decided to begin practical implementation of collective-defence commitments and to ensure rapid deployment in line with approved arrangements and national legislation.The latest reporting adds that the pact, signed in August and sometimes referred to as the Mecca pact, is now in force for the first... [Continue Reading]
Lithuania moves to lift ban on storing nuclear weapons as Russia warns of retaliation
Lithuania's parliament has taken a preliminary step toward suspending a ban on storing nuclear weapons on its territory, in a move that has drawn a sharp warning from Russia. Lawmakers in the Seimas backed the proposal on Tuesday in Vilnius, but the change is not yet final. A second vote is scheduled for 12 January, and only then could the constitutional prohibition be removed.The measure passed with 106 votes in favour out of 141 possible, according to the parliamentary tally. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in July that political parties had agreed on a plan to suspend the ban, describing... [Continue Reading]
Nigeria mourns as 32 killed in military plane crash in Ondo State
President Bola Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning after a Nigerian military aircraft crashed in southern Ondo State, killing 32 people. The plane came down near a naval base in Igbokoda on Monday morning after disappearing from radio contact on a routine flight from Benin City to Lagos. Authorities said the aircraft was an ATR-42 and that smoke was seen rising from the crash site near a swampy area.Tinubu said the dead included 25 passengers and seven crew members, and he ordered flags to be flown at half-mast across the country. He also directed the Air Force to... [Continue Reading]
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Fear the Shia, Arm the Sunnis: The Uncomfortable Numbers Behind America’s War Narrative
“When fear is managed carefully enough, a nation can be taught to look away from the blood on the floor and stare instead at the shadow on the wall.” A friend of mine, whose name I will not reveal because he asked me not to, sat across from me over dinner and placed a question on the table that would not leave me alone. He was born into a Muslim Shia background, and for the angle of this article, that detail matters, not because I wish to reduce a man to a sect, but because sect has become one of... [Continue Reading]
The Madness of Power, From Balfour to the Edge of World War Three
A Voice in the Wilderness of War: Who Still Dares to Speak Truth While Empires March There are moments in history when the world suddenly accelerates toward disaster, moments when anyone who has studied history can feel the temperature rising even before the explosions reach their peak. The current escalation in the Middle East is one of those moments. According to the facts we now see unfolding, the United States and Israel made the unilateral decision to attack Iran without the approval of the United Nations, without a global coalition mandate, and without the support of most of the international... [Continue Reading]
WAR CRIMES OR HUMANITY ON LIFE SUPPORT?
The Thin, Bloody Line Between Justice and Jungle Rule IS KILLING WITHOUT MERCY NOW LEGAL? By Anthony Sterling In September 2025, the United States military launched what became known as Operation Southern Spear, a lethal campaign targeting suspected drug smuggling vessels in international waters. The stated objective was to combat narco trafficking networks operating beyond territorial jurisdiction. The ethical shock came on 2 September 2025, when a double strike in the Caribbean left survivors clinging to wreckage for nearly an hour. Drone footage reportedly showed two individuals waving from debris after the first impact. Instead of rescue, three additional munitions... [Continue Reading]
Shadows of Fire: The Long Arc of Iran–United States Tensions
A Region on Edge: The Latest Escalation In recent months, tensions between Iran and the United States have intensified once again, fueled by disputes over regional security, nuclear development, maritime incidents in the Persian Gulf, and the broader strategic balance in the Middle East. Officials in Washington have expressed renewed concern over Iran’s uranium enrichment levels, while leaders in Tehran have accused the United States of economic warfare through sanctions and diplomatic isolation. The fragile equilibrium that followed earlier rounds of indirect negotiations appears increasingly strained, with both sides engaging in sharp rhetoric at the United Nations, reinforcing military postures... [Continue Reading]
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