Ethiopia's army retakes Mekelle's airport as Tigray's rebel leaders leave the city

The rest of the day

40 more stories on this beat.

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

1. 02

   Yemen's war reaches Sanaa and Riyadh

   Houthi television said Saudi aircraft hit Sanaa, Yemen's capital, with 26 strikes on Saturday. [10] Yemen's own army, which Saudi Arabia backs, said it carried out 257 strikes that day on Sanaa and other Houthi areas, killing at least 700 fighters. [17] The Houthis, an Iran-aligned movement that has held Sanaa since 2014, said they fired missiles and drones at an Aramco oil site near Riyadh, and AFP saw it burning. [9][10] A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition called the claim misleading. [9] The UN says at least 150,000 people have fled their homes since the fighting restarted. [19]

   Why it matters — Before this round, more than 5.2 million Yemenis already lived away from their homes. [19] Aid workers say the newly displaced are in places they can hardly reach. [19]

2. 03

   Brazil votes in a close race for president

   Brazilians vote on Sunday in the first round of a presidential election. [20] Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the 80-year-old left-wing president, wants a fourth term. [20] His main rival is Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, whose father Jair, the former president, is serving 27 years for plotting a coup. [21] Datafolha's last poll had Lula on 45% and Bolsonaro on 42% of valid votes. [14] If nobody wins more than half, the top two meet again on 25 October. [14]

   123

   0%30%60%

   1. 1Bolsonaro42%
   2. 2Lula45%
   3. 3Needed to win outright50%

   Why it matters — One poll has Bolsonaro winning that runoff by two points and another has Lula winning it by one. [14] Lula has warned against 'meddling' by the US government, which has backed closer ties with Brazil's right wing. [20][22]

3. 04

   Russia hits a second bridge in Kyiv

   A Russian strike damaged the Northern Bridge in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, early on Saturday, and traffic was stopped. [23] The day before, Russian attacks had closed fully or partly three of the city's six road bridges over the Dnipro river. [23] Russia's defence ministry said the bridges carry troops and military cargo. [23] Russian attacks killed at least six people across Ukraine that day. [24] President Volodymyr Zelensky told Reuters that Russia wants to push people out of cities before winter, and that Ukraine will answer by hitting Russian oil refineries. [11]

   Why it matters — The Dnipro runs through the middle of Kyiv, and these bridges join its east and west halves. [11] This is the first week Russia has aimed at them. [11]

4. 05

   Three tankers hit near Hormuz in three days

   At least three tankers were hit by unidentified projectiles in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow way out of the Gulf, from Thursday to Saturday. [18] That is the count of UKMTO, a British navy agency that tracks attacks on ships. [18] On Thursday a supertanker carrying 2.5 million barrels caught fire after being hit off Oman, Iran's Fars news agency said. [18] UKMTO has counted 91 cases of damage to ships since February. [18] US defence secretary Pete Hegseth called the US blockade of the strait 'ironclad'. [25]

   Why it matters — Iran and the US have fought since US and Israeli attacks on 28 February. [26] A truce in April ended 40 days of war, but attacks have not stopped. [26]

5. 06

   Iran trains civilians for a ground war

   Iran opened a military training centre for civilians in Tehran, its capital, on Saturday. [26] An official of the Basij, Iran's volunteer militia, said 1,000 battalions are ready to train, to face a US or Israeli ground attack. [26] A source in Tehran told The National that Iran is preparing for 'a major round of fighting' with the US. [27] Talks in New York last month ended with no breakthrough, and a third US aircraft carrier group is heading to the region. [27]

   Why it matters — Iran has also offered to send its stock of 60% enriched uranium to another country, as part of a step-by-step plan. [27] The same source said the door to talks is still open. [27]

6. 07

   Latvia's prime minister wins his first election

   Andris Kulbergs's party, United List, won about 35.6% in Latvia's parliamentary election on Saturday, an exit poll by the public broadcaster LSM showed. [15] Kulbergs has been prime minister only since May, after Latvia's last government fell over stray Ukrainian drones. [15][28] Latvia First, a populist party that courts the country's large ethnic Russian minority, came second with 11.3%, nearly double its 2022 share. [15] Kulbergs ruled out governing with it. [29]

   United List35.6%

   Latvia First11.3%

   Why it matters — Latvia borders Russia and Belarus, and by law it spends at least 5% of its economy on defence. [15] It is one of Ukraine's closest partners. [15] Official results are due on Sunday. [29]

7. 08

   Spaniards march over rents after bills fail

   Marches took place in about 50 Spanish cities on Saturday, a day after parliament voted down two emergency housing bills. [30][31] The bills would have widened protection from eviction and renewed rental contracts automatically. [16] The protests began after an investment firm evicted Maricarmen Abascal, 87, from the flat she had lived in since 1956. [16] Spain's government counted 70,000 marchers in Madrid, and the tenants' union that organised them said 500,000. [16] In Valencia, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas. [31]

   70,000Government's count

   vsvs

   500,000Organisers' count

   Why it matters — Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is weighing an early election, which is not due until next summer. [16][30] Protesters blamed the conservatives who blocked the bills, and also his own eight years in office. [16]

8. 09

   Report: an oil deal inside US-Russia talks

   US talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine have grown to include a multibillion-dollar oil deal, the New York Times reported on Saturday. [32] It would sell oil fields, refineries and petrol stations around the world owned by Lukoil, a big Russian oil company. [32] The buyers include US billionaire Todd Boehly, an arm of the US government and two Middle Eastern groups that have done business with negotiator Jared Kushner or with Steve Witkoff's family. [32] Putin raised the deal with Witkoff and Kushner on 5 September, the paper said. [32]

   Why it matters — The sale needs approval from both the US and the Russian governments. [32] The US president's office, the US Treasury and Lukoil did not comment. [32]

9. 10

   Ukraine open to India's ceasefire idea

   Ukraine has four ceasefire proposals, from India, Turkey, Egypt and the US, and India's is the broadest, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Friday. [33] He said Ukraine is ready for a pause in attacks on energy and in the Black Sea, but only the two together. [33] A day earlier, Russia's president Vladimir Putin said India's prime minister Narendra Modi has 'very good ideas' for a settlement. [33]

   Why it matters — Sybiha said any deal must cover the fighting, the attacks on power plants and ports, and the Black Sea. [33] Putin said Modi raises ending the war at every meeting between them. [33]

10. 11

    Germany's leader brings more aid to Kyiv

    Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, arrived in Kyiv by train on Sunday morning with business leaders. [34] German media say he will announce another billion euros of military aid, and 350 million euros to repair Ukraine's energy system. [34] He is also expected to set out joint production of drones that shoot down Russia's fast jet drones, and of missiles that fly more than 1,000 km. [34] Ukraine said this week it is 24 billion euros short of what it needs to buy weapons. [35]

    Why it matters — Germany is the biggest giver of money and weapons to Ukraine, Politico reports. [35] Merz has warned that the war's fifth winter will likely be its hardest. [35]

11. 12

    Poland and Romania refuse to move more Ukrainian grain

    Ukraine's farm minister, Taras Vysotskyi, asked EU countries this week to help move millions of tonnes of grain held up by attacks on Black Sea ports and ships. [36] He also asked for 1.1 billion euros to cover higher shipping costs. [36] Poland and Romania, which have the most useful routes and storage, said they can or will do no more. [36] Romania's farm minister said its own farmers come first, because Ukrainian grain is already crowding its ports. [36]

    Why it matters — Less than half of Ukraine's exports get out by European rail and road. [36] Farmers who cannot sell cannot pay to plant next season's crop. [36]

12. 13

    Russian missile debris falls in Moldova

    Three Russian missiles and two drones flew over Moldova, Ukraine's neighbour with a pro-EU government, on Saturday morning, President Maia Sandu said. [13] Their debris exploded in three eastern districts and started a fire, but hurt nobody. [13] The same morning, Lithuania closed Vilnius airport for about an hour after an object was seen in the sky, possibly from Belarus. [13] Moldova had three separate airspace violations on one day last week. [13]

    Why it matters — 'Its war is dangerously reaching Moldova,' Sandu wrote. [13] Europe has seen more airspace violations, sabotage attempts and hybrid attacks as tension with Russia climbs. [13]

13. 14

    UAE calls the flydubai cockpit attack terrorism

    The co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 used the cockpit's crash axe to attack his captain, in an attempted terrorist attack, a UAE prosecutor said on Saturday. [37] The plane, flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 182 people on board, dropped 16,625 feet in about 30 seconds on Wednesday before passengers and crew stopped him. [37] Media name him as Hammam al-Hammami, from Oman. [37] Australian counter-terrorism police are looking into the two years he spent there as a student. [38]

    Why it matters — Oman had barred him from flying over his views, the Wall Street Journal reported, and it is not clear how far flydubai checked him before hiring him. [37] A deleted account in his name posted pictures of al-Qaida figures after the attack, CNN reported. [39]

14. 15

    Israel says it aimed at Hamas's Gaza chief

    The Israeli strike that killed five people in a Gaza City building overnight on Friday was aimed at Ali al-Amoudi, Hamas's de facto leader in Gaza, a security source said. [40] It was not clear whether he was killed. [40] The dead included Maisaa Abu Dawood and her daughter Mary, members of Gaza's Greek Orthodox church. [40] Amoudi was freed from an Israeli prison in a 2011 prisoner swap and later ran the office of the slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. [40]

    Why it matters — Amoudi now runs Hamas's affairs in Gaza after the killing of more senior leaders. [40] Rescuers were still searching for missing people on Saturday. [40]

15. 16

    France's school protests: 5,000 arrests

    About 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been arrested across France since Monday in protests over missing teachers and crowded classrooms, Reuters reported. [41] More than 600 police officers have been injured, a police spokeswoman said. [41] On Friday alone 1,747 people were arrested, and 735 of 3,700 schools were affected, ministers said. [42] Paris police chief Patrice Faure said on Saturday the movement was 'out of control'. [41]

    Why it matters — More protests are planned from Tuesday, and teachers' unions have called for a strike. [41] Damage to property is put at tens of millions of euros. [41]

16. 17

    North Korea says its missile flew 1,000 km

    North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile on Saturday, in a test watched by leader Kim Jong Un, state media said. [43] South Korea's military said it flew more than 700 km. North Korea said it hit a target 1,000 km away. [44][43] Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, said the missile uses AI and can change course at low altitude, and that South Korea and Japan failed to track it. [45][43] The launch followed a row over a landmine blast that wounded South Korean soldiers. [44]

    700 km+South Korea's tracking

    vsvs

    1,000 kmNorth Korea's claim

    Why it matters — If the claim is true, the missile was built to slip past the radars South Korea and Japan use to give warning. [43] South Korea's president, Lee Jae Myung, had asked North Korea on Thursday to return to talks. [44]

17. 18

    Pakistan's talks with Imran Khan's party fail

    Talks between Pakistan's government and the opposition ended in 'deadlock' at about 3am on Sunday, after some 11 hours. [46] They were meant to calm a march on Islamabad, the capital, that Imran Khan's party, PTI, planned from 4 October. [46][47] An opposition negotiator said they split over visits to Khan, including by his own doctors. [46] Tallal Chaudhry, a junior interior minister, blamed PTI's government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province for not promising to help fight militants. [46]

    Why it matters — Islamabad's officials have put hundreds of shipping containers on the roads to keep marchers out. [47] They have asked for 3,000 paramilitary Rangers to stay in the city until 15 October. [47]

18. 19

    Haftar's son tied to Libya's drone attacks

    Saddam Haftar, deputy commander of the force that rules eastern Libya, is accused of running a 'terror cell' that sent drones against fuel depots and power stations in the west, the Guardian reports. [12] The attacks in August deepened blackouts in the west, which Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah's government runs from Tripoli. [12] Libya has been split in two since Muammar Gaddafi fell in 2011. [12] A US plan would make Saddam's father, Khalifa Haftar, president, and a Dbeibah family member prime minister. [12]

    Why it matters — The claims have upended the Tripoli government's plan to keep working with Haftar on joining the country back together. [12] The US plan is the work of Massad Boulos, Trump's Africa adviser. [12]

19. 20

    Sudan runs short of fuel

    Sudan is short of fuel, which has hit buses, lorries and factories and pushed up food prices, Africanews reports. [48] The shortage comes from oil disruption caused by the war in the Middle East, and from Sudan's own import rules. [48] Importers must deposit the value of 200 kilograms of gold with Sudan's central bank. [48] Prime Minister Kamil Idriss has ordered more fuel sent to petrol stations. [48]

    Why it matters — The al-Jaili refinery has been shut for a long time, and black-market fuel is spreading in areas held by Sudan's government. [48] Sudan is also fighting a civil war. [48]

20. 21

    Iraq ships its own oil past Hormuz

    Iraq's state tanker company carried two million barrels of its own crude beyond the Strait of Hormuz on a giant tanker, the first such voyage in decades, its director said. [49] Iraq used to sell its oil at Basra, its southern port, and leave buyers to ship it. [49] The war with Iran has disrupted Iraq's exports and forced it to offer discounts. [49] Oil pays for at least 90% of Iraq's state income. [49]

    Why it matters — Selling oil that is already outside the strait gets Iraq better prices, its director said. [49] The company now wants to buy tankers of its own. [49]

21. 22

    China opens a trade probe before EU talks

    China opened an anti-dumping investigation on Saturday into p-nitrotoluene, a chemical from the EU used to make dyes, medicines and pesticides. [50] Dumping means selling abroad for less than at home, or for less than it costs to make. [50] Chinese producers asked for the probe, which can last up to 18 months. [50] The EU's trade commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, meets China's commerce minister Wang Wentao in Beijing on Thursday. [51]

    Why it matters — The EU opened its own probe into Chinese PVC, a common plastic, in September. [50] Each side now goes into the talks holding a case against the other. [51]

22. 23

    US expels two Iranian UN delegates

    The US expelled two members of Iran's delegation to the UN General Assembly who stayed in New York after being told to leave, the US State Department said on Saturday. [52] US media said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation had been told to leave by Monday. [52] One of the two left on Friday night and the other on Saturday morning, Axios reported. [52]

    Why it matters — A US official said Secretary of State Marco Rubio 'means business'. [52] The expulsions come as both countries prepare for a possible new round of war. [27]

23. 24

    Iran warns the UAE over three Gulf islands

    Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, warned the UAE over its claim to three islands in the Gulf. [53] The UAE raised its claim to Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa at the UN General Assembly. [53] Velayati said the islands will stay Iranian forever, and mocked the UAE as a country not yet 50 years old. [53]

    Why it matters — He told the UAE not to rely on foreign powers for its security, saying 'imported security has an expiration date'. [53]

24. 25

    Azerbaijan, Turkey and Uzbekistan drill together

    More than 3,500 troops from Azerbaijan, Turkey and Uzbekistan held their first joint exercise, in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region. [54] They practised stopping swarms of drones, cyberattacks and an attempt to seize a ship, using more than 130 unmanned vehicles. [54] Turkey's defence minister, Yasar Guler, praised its planning. [54]

    Why it matters — The drill was built around drone swarms, hacking and false information, the threats these armies now face, Euronews reports. [54]

25. 26

    Iran hangs a man from the January protests

    Iran executed Siavash Jamshidi on Saturday, its judiciary said. [55] He was convicted of firing a military-grade weapon at police during the protests that peaked in January, in which thousands of people were killed. [55] The charge was moharebeh, a legal term meaning 'waging war against God'. [55] The judiciary said he was also convicted of crimes not linked to the protests. [55]

    Why it matters — Iran has stepped up executions of people convicted over the January unrest. [55] Others held over those protests face the same risk. [55]

26. 27

    Vucic starts his campaign to run Serbia's government

    Aleksandar Vucic, who resigned as Serbia's president on 27 September, launched his campaign to become prime minister at Belgrade's biggest indoor arena on Saturday. [56] He has led Serbia as president or prime minister since 2014, and could not run for a third term as president. [56] Polls suggest a tight race on 25 October between his party and candidates put up by a student-led protest movement. [56]

    Why it matters — The students have protested against his government for almost two years. [56] Dozens of TV channels carried Saturday's rally live. [56]

27. 28

    Britain's Conservatives meet, still third

    Britain's Conservative Party opens its conference in Birmingham on Sunday, still a distant third in the polls, one of its MPs said. [57] Leader Kemi Badenoch promised free childcare for families where a parent earns over 100,000 pounds, at about 700 million pounds a year. [58] Leaked remarks show shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith told members the party would cut spending beyond the 47 billion pounds it has already promised. [59]

    Why it matters — The childcare plan and the party's plan to scrap most stamp duty, a tax on buying homes, help better-off families most. [58] The party says it would pay for childcare by cutting jobs at bodies such as the Environment Agency. [58]

28. 29

    Widdecombe suspect charged over a plot on Farage

    British police charged Joshua Kerry, 28, already accused of murdering former minister Anne Widdecombe, with preparing a terror attack on Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. [60] Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister and Reform spokesperson, died on 9 July after being hit with a hammer 21 times, prosecutors said. [60] Kerry appears in court in London on Wednesday. [60]

    Why it matters — In August, counter-terrorism police reopened an investigation into an alleged firebomb attack on Farage's home. [60] Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called it an attack on everyone in politics. [60]

29. 30

    Tennessee's prisons chief quits after failed execution

    Tennessee's prisons chief, Frank Strada, will resign this month after the failed execution of Christa Pike, Governor Bill Lee said on Saturday. [61] Pike survived two doses of the drug pentobarbital on Wednesday, the first US prisoner known to live through such an attempt. [61][62] It was the second execution Tennessee had to halt this year. [62] The state has stopped all executions until an independent review is done. [62]

    Why it matters — Pike's lawyer, who watched from inside the death chamber, called what happened 'cruel and torturous'. [61] The review will decide what went wrong with a method the state chose in 2024. [62]

30. 31

    Cornell's president speaks on a fraternity rape case

    Cornell University's president, Michael Kotlikoff, called the alleged 2024 gang rape of a student at a fraternity house 'deeply disturbing', and promised more openness. [63] The woman, named in court papers as Jane Doe, is suing the university and seven former students. [63] New York's governor, Kathy Hochul, has handed the criminal case to the state attorney general, Letitia James, after the local prosecutor declined to bring charges. [63]

    Why it matters — The anger is about how Cornell handled the case, as well as the attack itself. [63] Hochul said new information had undermined her confidence in the local prosecutor. [63]

31. 32

    Florida jury clears deputy who shot an airman

    A Florida jury found former sheriff's deputy Eddie Duran not guilty of manslaughter on Thursday, over the 2024 killing of Roger Fortson, a Black US air force airman. [64] Duran had been sent to Fortson's flat after a false report of a domestic fight. [64] Fortson opened the door holding a gun pointed at the ground, and Duran fired several times before telling him to drop it, body-camera video showed. [64]

    Why it matters — Fortson's family will now sue in civil court, their lawyer Ben Crump said. [64] Duran had faced up to 30 years in prison. [64]

32. 33

    Air ambulance lost off Nantucket

    The US Coast Guard found debris from an air ambulance that vanished on a flight from Bermuda to Boston early on Saturday. [65] Six people were on board: four Canadian crew, two pilots and two medical staff, and two Bermudians. [65][66] The Gulfstream G-100, run by Latitude Air Ambulance, lost contact with US aviation authorities just after 1am. [65] Searchers kept looking off Nantucket, an island off Massachusetts, through the night. [66]

    Why it matters — The crew had flown to Bermuda to bring a patient and a relative home, the operator told CBC. [65]

33. 34

    Car hits rugby fans in Newcastle, Australia

    A car drove into a crowd of rugby league fans in Newcastle, Australia, on Saturday morning, injuring ten people. [67] They had gathered to cheer the Newcastle Knights' bus leaving for the NRL grand final in Sydney. [68] A five-year-old girl is in an induced coma. [67] Police charged the 18-year-old driver with nine offences and said they did not think it was deliberate. [67]

    Why it matters — The city's mayor said the driver was a fan who lost control while revving his car. [68] Police said early inquiries showed it was not terrorism. [68]

34. 35

    Floods kill a 102-year-old woman in Spain

    Floods killed a 102-year-old woman in Madrigueras, a town of about 4,000 people in south-eastern Spain, and 90 people had to be rescued. [69] About 140 litres of rain per square metre fell on the town on Friday. [69] More heavy rain is forecast for eastern Spain through Sunday. [69]

    Why it matters — Spain had its hottest summer on record this year, with deadly wildfires in the north and south. [69] Now autumn rain is flooding the south-east. [69]

35. 36

    Fire near the road to Machu Picchu kills one

    A fire near the main road to Machu Picchu, Peru's most famous site, killed one elderly person and burned two others, officials said on Saturday. [70] It started on Friday in the Sacred Valley, near Ollantaytambo, the busiest station for visitors. [70] Officials said it began when farmers burned scrub to clear land, and hot, windy weather spread it. [70]

    Why it matters — Machu Picchu, built by the Incas in the 15th century, draws about three million visitors a year. [70]

36. 37

    Gold mine collapse kills five in Afghanistan

    A gold mine collapsed in Afghanistan's northern Takhar province, killing five miners, police said on Saturday. [71] Earlier in the week, ten miners were rescued after two days trapped in another gold mine in the same district. [71] Mine collapses are frequent in Afghanistan, which is rich in gold, copper, coal and other minerals. [71]

    Why it matters — Police gave no other details of how either mine failed. [71]

37. 38

    Bulgaria's medieval tsar comes home from Greece

    Greece gave Bulgaria remains believed to be those of Tsar Samuel, a medieval Bulgarian ruler, and Bulgaria returned religious objects taken from Greece during the First World War. [72] The swap ended 50 years of talks. [72] Samuel ruled the First Bulgarian Empire from 997 to 1014, and his bones were found in a Greek border area 60 years ago. [73] Thousands of people filled a square in Sofia, Bulgaria's capital, to receive them. [74]

    Why it matters — Greece's prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said the deal should push Britain to return the Parthenon sculptures. [72]

38. 39

    Lebanon sends a former minister to trial

    A Beirut judge sent Lebanon's former economy minister, Amin Salam, to trial on charges including embezzlement, bribery and illegal enrichment. [75] Salam, minister from 2021 to 2025, is accused along with his brother and a former head of the accountants' union, and all three deny it. [75] A parliamentary committee says he gave overpriced contracts to foreign firms and took money from an insurance fund his ministry oversaw. [75]

    Why it matters — The head of parliament's economy committee called it an important step towards holding officials to account. [75]

39. 40

    Abortion pills by parcel locker in Warsaw

    Polish campaigners opened a locker in Warsaw where women can collect abortion pills with a six-digit code. [76] The groups behind it, Women Help Women and the Abortion Dream Team, call it the world's first parcel locker for abortion pills. [76] Poland's abortion law is among Europe's strictest, close to a total ban. [76]

    Why it matters — Mass protests in 2020 helped bring Donald Tusk to power in 2023, with a promise to change the law. [76] Tusk said last year there is 'simply no majority' in parliament to do it. [76]

40. 41

    Iranian pilgrims can fly to Najaf

    Iraq will let Iranian airlines, except the sanctioned Mahan Air, fly 40 times a day to and from Najaf, the prime minister's office said on Friday. [77] The US, which put sanctions on Iranian air travel last month, approved an exemption for pilgrims and people seeking medical care. [77] The UAE has stopped all Iranian flights. [77]

    Why it matters — Pilgrims and patients from Iran get a route while Gulf neighbours close theirs. [77] Iraq's prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, thanked the US government for the exemption. [77]