Trump says Russia and Ukraine agreed to stop hitting each other's energy sites, and neither side confirms it

The rest of the day

29 more stories on this beat.

Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.

1. 02

   Houthis hit a Saudi air base, and the US stays out

   Yemen's Houthis, the Iran-backed group holding most of northern Yemen, said they fired dozens of missiles and drones at King Khalid air base in Khamis Mushait, in southern Saudi Arabia, on Monday. [18] The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said 13 civilians were wounded. [16] The Houthis said they were answering more than 300 Saudi air strikes on Yemen in five days. [18] Sources told Reuters that the US refused Saudi requests for air strikes and offered only intelligence and help with targets. [19] Saudi Arabia's crown prince met the top US commander for the region, Admiral Brad Cooper, in Jeddah on Monday. [16]

   Why it matters — Saudi Arabia's east-west oil pipeline, built to get around the Strait of Hormuz, is still shut after an attack last Thursday. [16] A defence pact Saudi Arabia signed with Turkey and Pakistan last month has produced no joint response, and a Turkish official says its defence duties are not yet legally binding. [20]

2. 03

   Houthis take two more Red Sea islands

   The Houthis captured the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish in the southern Red Sea after government-allied forces pulled out, officials on both sides said on Monday. [21] The islands sit about 160km north of Bab el-Mandeb, the narrow strait between Yemen and Africa that Saudi oil shipments now depend on. [21] Last week the Houthis took the port of Mocha and Mayun island, which lies inside the strait. [21] Yemen's government says about 150 civilians have been killed in the fighting since 3 September. [21] The UN's migration agency says 82,000 Yemenis have fled since the start of the month. [17]

   Why it matters — The Houthis are now about 32km from the US military base in Djibouti, on the other side of the strait. [21] Government forces backed by Saudi air strikes are pushing back in Taiz province, inland. [18]

3. 04

   Why the Hormuz talks were put off

   Oman was due to host Iran and the Gulf states on Monday to talk about reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which carried a fifth of the world's oil exports before the war. [16] The meeting was postponed with no new date. [22] Iran's foreign ministry said Saudi Arabia objected. [22] US media reported that Saudi Arabia wanted changes to an Iran-Oman plan, fearing it would fix a new status quo in the strait. [22] The plan would set up temporary lanes for ships in and out, mostly through Iranian and Omani waters. [22]

   Why it matters — Iran says it will keep pursuing its own deal with Oman over the strait and decide how to announce it. [22] Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's top security council, said there will be no talks until Iran's conditions are met. [16]

4. 05

   A tanker burns, and two stories about why

   Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Monday that the Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia struck a sea mine and exploded in the Strait of Hormuz. [23] The US military's Central Command said that was false. [23] It said an Iranian missile had disabled the ship last month, and an Iranian drone hit it again this weekend off Oman. [23] The UN's shipping agency said the tanker was damaged on Saturday and two seafarers are missing, without saying what caused it. [16]

   Why it matters — Nobody outside the two militaries has said what hit the ship. [16] Reuters could not reach its owners in Dubai to check either account. [16]

5. 06

   Europe answers the train strike near Poland

   A Russian drone hit a train on Sunday near Ukraine's border with Poland, minutes after a delegation including former UK prime minister Boris Johnson passed through the same station. [8] The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said the attack was meant to scare Western countries out of supporting Ukraine. [7] NATO's secretary general, Mark Rutte, said the alliance would increase its support for Ukraine. [7][8] Poland's army recovered what it believes is a Russian military drone from the Baltic Sea. [7] Russia's defence ministry said it had hit railway lines used to bring military cargo from Europe. [9]

   Why it matters — Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk, warned of more Russian attacks in the coming weeks. [7] Polish officials say intelligence points to strikes on border crossings and more sabotage inside Europe. [7] NATO diplomats say there is no agreement yet on whether many small attacks could count as an attack on the whole alliance. [10]

6. 07

   NATO jets shoot down a drone over Lithuania

   NATO fighter jets shot down a drone over southern Lithuania, near Kaunas, the country's second-largest city, shortly after midnight on Tuesday. [13] Lithuanian officials said it probably came from Belarus, a close ally of Russia, but its origin has not been determined. [12] Italian pilots flying for NATO's air defence mission in the Baltic states took part. [13] NATO jets have already shot down stray Ukrainian drones over Estonia and Latvia this year. [12][13] Ukraine says Russian jamming pushes its drones off course. [12]

   Why it matters — Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are covered by NATO's promise that an attack on one member is an attack on all. [13] Drone incursions into European countries have become more common since Russia's full invasion of Ukraine. [13]

7. 08

   Finland joins France's nuclear shield

   Finland has joined France's plan to extend its nuclear protection to partner countries in Europe, the two presidents said on Monday. [14] France launched it in March, after Trump raised doubts about US protection for Europe. [14] Only France's president can decide to use the weapons. [14] Finland's president, Alexander Stubb, said Finland will not allow nuclear weapons on its soil in peacetime. [14] Ten countries now take part. [14]

   Why it matters — Twelve EU countries said in a joint statement the same day, at a European Arctic summit in Finland, that the EU should take a bigger role in the far north. [15] France's foreign minister told that summit the train strike near Poland was meant to divide Europeans. [11]

8. 09

   Syria's fuel price rise brings the biggest protests since Assad

   Syria's government raised the price of diesel by 40% on Saturday, to 175 Syrian pounds ($1.32) a litre. [24] People burned tyres and blocked roads, including the highway from Damascus to Aleppo, in the widest protests since Bashar al-Assad was overthrown almost two years ago. [24] Syria's government said the rise is temporary and caused by the war on Iran and new fighting in Yemen. [25] Syria's largest refinery, at Baniyas, is also closed for three months of maintenance. [24] The UN estimates 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line. [24]

   Why it matters — Protesters demanded the sacking of the energy and economy ministers, and parliament has called the energy minister to a hearing. [24][25] Syria also relies on Russian crude oil, a supply that Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries have put under pressure. [24]

9. 10

   Israel's army chief orders legal steps against a Gaza film

   Israel's army chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, called the documentary NAZA a blood libel on Monday. [27] He ordered military lawyers to examine legal action against the film and the people involved, and a search for who leaked classified material. [27] NAZA, by the Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, alleges AI-assisted killing of civilians in Gaza, drawing on 24 soldiers and intelligence staff. [28][29] The army says the witnesses cannot be verified. [28] More than 200 Israeli filmmakers signed a petition backing its makers. [28]

   Why it matters — Two former army chiefs who now lead opposition parties, Gadi Eisenkot and Benny Gantz, also attacked the film. [29] The petition says the campaign against the makers is edging towards threats to their lives. [28]

10. 11

    Sweden's prime minister does not give up

    The centre-left bloc of Magdalena Andersson has a thin lead in Sweden's 349-seat parliament. [33] Politico reported it as three seats with 95% of votes counted. [35] Early and overseas votes are counted on Wednesday. [33] Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said parliament has a clear majority against left-wing economics, and he will see whether there are any possibilities. [33] He is expected to try to pull the small liberal Centre Party away from Andersson's side. [35] The far-right Sweden Democrats fell to about 17.5%, their first loss since entering parliament in 2010. [36]

    Why it matters — A Kristersson win could put the Sweden Democrats, a party founded by people from neo-Nazi groups, in government for the first time. [35] Their leaders blamed tactical voting for the loss. [34]

11. 12

    US says it has a weapon in orbit

    The US Air Force secretary, Troy Meink, said on Monday that the US has deployed a weapon in orbit around Earth. [37] It is the first time the US has said it has such an offensive capability. [37] He gave no details of what it does or when it was launched. [37] A Space Force statement said the weapons can be used to attack or to defend. [38] A 1967 treaty bans weapons of mass destruction in orbit, and other kinds of weapon fall outside it. [37]

    Why it matters — The US says Russia and China are building ways to attack satellites, which armies use to talk, watch and navigate. [37] The Trump administration wants space-based defences for its planned Golden Dome shield against missiles. [37]

12. 13

    Russia supplies its Syrian bases under a new deal

    A four-ship Russian convoy delivered supplies to the port of Tartous in Syria on 7 September, satellite images checked by Reuters show. [26] It is the first delivery since Syria and Russia agreed in August on the future of Russia's two bases there, the Tartous port and the Hmeimim air base. [26] Under the deal they become joint training centres, with Syria running civilian operations. [26] Russia had propped up the former ruler, Bashar al-Assad, who now shelters in Russia. [26]

    Why it matters — They are Russia's only military bases outside the former Soviet Union. [26] Syria's new government still demands that Russia hand Assad over. [26]

13. 14

    China can now stop some citizens leaving

    New Chinese rules took effect on Tuesday that let the authorities stop citizens they see as a threat to technology security from leaving the country. [39] The rules target people who break export controls or technology trade rules. [39] People who commit crimes abroad that harm China's security can be barred from leaving for six months to three years. [39] Foreigners who lie on visa applications can be refused entry for one to five years. [39]

    Why it matters — Taiwan's government has warned its people to take extra care when visiting China, which counts people from Taiwan as Chinese citizens. [39] Travel limits already applied to senior officials. [39]

14. 15

    China pushes back on AI danger talk

    China's foreign ministry said on Monday that talk of AI threats and malicious competition only disrupts global rules for AI. [40] It followed calls by Dario Amodei, head of the US AI company Anthropic, to slow AI in a way that stops China pulling ahead. [40] China's state security minister, Chen Yixin, wrote on Sunday that advanced US models could threaten China's critical computer systems. [41] Xi Jinping proposed a group for open AI at the BRICS summit in India. [40]

    Why it matters — AI is expected to be a big subject in talks between the US and China later this month. [41] A Singapore scholar told the BBC that a US-China deal to slow AI is next to impossible. [40]

15. 16

    Congo and Rwanda meet to test their peace deal

    Officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda meet in Geneva on 16 and 17 September to check progress on their US-backed peace deal, signed in June 2025. [47] Congo promised to disarm the FDLR, a militia rooted in forces that fled Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. [47] Rwanda promised to pull back its forces. [47] Neither has been declared done. [47] Fighting continues in eastern Congo between the army and the M23 rebels, who took the cities of Goma and Bukavu in 2025. [47]

    Why it matters — Congo accuses Rwanda of backing M23, which Rwanda denies. [47] M23 is not part of this deal, and a separate process led by Qatar deals with it. [47]

16. 17

    Measles has killed more than 1,000 in Bangladesh

    Bangladesh had recorded 1,009 measles deaths by 9 September, 100 of them confirmed by lab tests and 909 suspected. [45] Last year it had 132 measles cases and no deaths. [45] Bangladesh's government says it has vaccinated 19.75 million children since April, above its target of 18 million. [45] Experts say the target was set too low, because a later health campaign counted about 24 million children in the same age group. [45]

    Why it matters — Vaccination fell after the Covid pandemic and during the upheaval after Sheikh Hasina was forced from power in 2024, causing vaccine shortages. [45] Measles only stops spreading when about 95% of children are protected. [45]

17. 18

    Japanese nuclear bosses quit over faked quake data

    Chubu Electric, a Japanese power company, says its president and chair will step down on 30 September. [44] An outside panel found the company had for years manipulated earthquake data for two reactors at its Hamaoka nuclear plant, so the figures met safety rules. [44] Japan's nuclear regulator suspended its review last December after a tip from a whistleblower. [44] The company has dropped its request to restart the reactors for now. [44]

    Why it matters — Hamaoka is about 200km west of Tokyo, on a coast at risk from very large earthquakes. [44] The panel said bosses pressed staff hard for a quick restart, which may have pushed them to cheat. [44]

18. 19

    India's prices rise faster

    India's yearly inflation, the rate at which prices rise, reached 4.82% in August, up from 4.45% in July. [46] Food prices rose 5.95%, pushed up by weak monsoon rains. [46] India imports nearly 85% of its oil, more than half of it from the Middle East. [46] Government-owned fuel sellers have not raised petrol and diesel prices lately. [46]

    Why it matters — Economists say the Reserve Bank of India, which sets the country's interest rates, is now more likely to raise them. [46] Indonesia and the Philippines have already done so because of higher energy prices. [46]

19. 20

    Cambodia and Thailand take their sea border to a UN panel

    The foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand met in Singapore on Tuesday for the first session of a UN conciliation process on their sea border. [43] Both claim about 26,000 square km of the Gulf of Thailand, thought to hold gas and oil worth about $300 billion. [43] Thailand ended a 2001 deal to share those resources in May, after deadly border clashes last year. [43] A panel of independent experts will make recommendations, which neither side has to accept. [43]

    Why it matters — The same process helped East Timor settle a decades-old sea border dispute with Australia. [43] Cambodia says it would accept a shared development deal instead of a fixed line. [43]

20. 21

    Kim promises Putin closer ties

    North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, said he would expand and deepen work with Russia, in a reply to Vladimir Putin published on Tuesday. [42] Putin had congratulated North Korea on its 78th founding anniversary. [42] Kim said he was sure Russia would win what he called a sacred war, which appeared to mean the war in Ukraine. [42] North Korea sent troops to fight for Russia in 2024, under a mutual defence pact. [42]

    Why it matters — Kim sent a similar message to China's president, Xi Jinping, published on Sunday. [42] Both of North Korea's big neighbours got the same kind of pledge within two days. [42]

21. 22

    Three UK first ministers who want to leave meet

    Northern Ireland's first minister, Michelle O'Neill of Sinn Fein, was due to meet the first ministers of Scotland and Wales in Cardiff on Monday. [48] For the first time, all three have first ministers who want to leave the United Kingdom. [48] Before the meeting, their parties agreed a memorandum calling on the British government to prepare for constitutional change in each place. [48] Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, said O'Neill had not asked her permission to attend or sign anything as first minister. [48]

    Why it matters — In Northern Ireland the first and deputy first minister share identical powers, so neither can speak for the whole government alone. [48] The meeting came two days after Trump said he would love to see a united Ireland. [48]

22. 23

    Belgium's universities fight for 13 Gaza students

    The heads of Belgium's ten leading universities condemned Belgium's government on Monday for refusing to help 13 students from Gaza reach Belgium. [32] The students won scholarships to study there. [32] Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot wants them evacuated. [32] He said one party in the five-party coalition demanded new migration measures, including deportation centres, in return. [32] About 1,500 people in Gaza have been granted the right to come to Belgium, mostly to join family. [32]

    Why it matters — The rectors accused Belgium's government of using the students as bargaining chips. [32] Evacuations from Gaza to Belgium are moving at a trickle. [32]

23. 24

    Homes razed in three West Bank villages

    Israeli authorities demolished homes, farm buildings and other structures in three Palestinian villages in the South Hebron Hills, in the occupied West Bank, over six days earlier this month. [30] The demolitions left 109 people without shelter. [30] The villages lie in an area the Israeli army treats as a firing zone. [30]

    Why it matters — The firing-zone rules also apply to Israeli settler outposts. [30] Activists say the army enforces them only against Palestinians. [30]

24. 25

    Israeli and Lebanese envoys to meet in the US

    Israel's ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, is expected to meet Lebanon's ambassador, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, in Washington this week, an Israeli source told Haaretz. [31] Israel is frustrated that Lebanon's army will not confront Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group, in the zones already under its control. [31] Lebanon has been more reluctant since Israel's army blew up Hezbollah tunnels under the Ali Taher ridge. [31]

    Why it matters — Israel wants Lebanon's army to confront Hezbollah directly, and Lebanon has held back. [31] That gap is what the two ambassadors have to work on. [31]

25. 26

    Von der Leyen turns back for Canada's leader

    Mark Carney, Canada's prime minister, will speak to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday. [50] He wants closer ties with the EU while Canada fights a trade war with the US. [50] The European Commission first said its president, Ursula von der Leyen, would not attend. [49] After some lawmakers objected, one calling it unacceptable, she said on Monday evening she would be there. [50]

    Why it matters — Carney is setting out what he wants before a Canada-EU summit in October. [49] He then meets France's president and the UK's prime minister. [50]

26. 27

    Germany resets ties with Hungary

    Germany's foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, visited Budapest on Monday, the first visit by a German foreign minister in nearly seven years. [51] Peter Magyar became Hungary's prime minister this year, ending Viktor Orban's 16 years in power. [51] Germany has welcomed a new start in relations under him. [51]

    Why it matters — Wadephul said Hungary's change of government offers a chance to restore relations quickly, on a basis of trust. [51] He also said there is much ground to make up. [51]

27. 28

    Ukraine's post office keeps going under drones

    Ukraine's state postal service, Ukrposhta, pays pensions in cash and brings food and medicine to remote villages. [54] Its head, Igor Smelyansky, decides each morning where it is safe enough to send vans near the front line. [54] Russia has stepped up attacks on postal workers, sorting offices and depots in recent months. [54] Russia's government says the strikes answer Ukrainian attacks on Russian online retailers. [54]

    Why it matters — Millions of poor and elderly Ukrainians in villages rely on it. [54] If the vans stop coming, some villages lose food and medicine. [54]

28. 29

    Spain demands justice for a student killed in Mexico

    Claudia Tacoronte, a 21-year-old student from the University of Granada in Spain, was found dead late on Saturday in Cuautla, about 100km from Mexico City. [52] Local media said she died of stab wounds. [52] She was on an exchange at a university in Morelos state. [52] The state prosecutor is investigating it as a femicide, the killing of a woman because she is a woman. [52]

    Why it matters — Spain's foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said Spain wants to get to the bottom of it. [52] Mexico has long had high rates of such killings. [52]

29. 30

    Iceland's last whaler says a ban will fail

    Iceland's government said last week it will put forward a bill in February that could ban whaling for good. [53] Hvalur, the only whaling company still working, said on Monday it expects to survive, because earlier bans failed. [53] It has caught 85 fin whales this season, against a quota of 150. [53] A June poll found 41% of Icelanders oppose whaling and a third support it. [53]

    Why it matters — Only Iceland, Norway and Japan still allow commercial whaling. [53] Fin whales are the second-largest animal on Earth. [53]