Trump says the US will not strike Iran before the 3 November midterms, as Iran's attacks on tankers spread beyond Hormuz

The rest of the day

63 more stories on this beat.

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

1. 02

   Ethiopian drones hit Eritrean troops in Tigray

   Eritrean soldiers crossed into Tigray, Ethiopia's northern region, on Wednesday and reached the area around Adigrat, a town near the border. [16][26] Ethiopian drones struck them that evening and on Thursday morning, said Acled, a conflict monitor. [16][27] Ethiopia told all foreign forces to leave at once. [26] Federal forces are also fighting a seven-group rebel coalition led by Tigray's TPLF in the Afar and Amhara regions. [28] Eritrea did not deny crossing, and called Ethiopia's self-defence claim a cover for war. [26] The two countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000 and cut diplomatic ties last week. [27]

   Why it matters — Eritrea fears Ethiopia wants to seize a route to the Red Sea through its land, and Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of backing Tigray's rebels. [27] A fight between the two armies would turn Ethiopia's civil war into a war between two countries. [16][29]

2. 03

   Russian bomb kills 30 at a bus stop in Kramatorsk

   A Russian guided bomb exploded beside two buses full of passengers in Kramatorsk, a front-line city in eastern Ukraine, on Thursday morning. [15][30] At least 30 people were killed and 18 wounded, and three more died in the nearby village of Bilenke. [30][31] More Russian drones slowed the rescuers, and all public transport in Kramatorsk and nearby Sloviansk was stopped. [15][32] Russia is trying to capture both cities, part of a belt of fortified towns in the Donetsk region. [30]

   Why it matters — It was one of the deadliest Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians this year. [31] Russian strikes killed more than 70 people in two days, President Volodymyr Zelensky said; 22 of them died when a missile hit a block of flats in the Chernihiv region. [33]

3. 04

   Houthi missiles shut Riyadh's airport again

   The Houthis, an armed group that rules much of Yemen and is allied with Iran, said they fired missiles at Riyadh's King Khalid airport for a third time. [34] People briefed on it told Reuters a parked Saudia plane caught fire and was badly damaged, with no passengers on board. [13] More than 275 flights were cancelled on Thursday, the tracker FlightAware said. [14] Lufthansa stopped flying to Riyadh until 16 October, KLM and Air France until 24 October, and Air India until 10 October. [14][35][36] Debris from an intercepted missile damaged a kindergarten and a medical centre. [37]

   Arrivals cancelled40%

   Departures cancelled30%

   Why it matters — The Houthis had warned airlines 'for the last time' to keep out of Saudi airspace. [37] The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed 82 Houthi targets in Yemen and promised the attacks would not go 'unpunished'. [38]

4. 05

   Saudi Arabia's allies argue over joining its war

   Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed the Makkah defence pact on 7 August, which treats an attack on one as an attack on all. [17] On Thursday Pakistan's defence minister, Khawaja Asif, said nothing in it stops members joining a fight 'directly'. [17] Turkey's foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said Turkey is working out what it can send, mainly air defence, but will not attack anyone. [39] Pakistan called a New York Times report that its jets were being used against the Houthis 'fake and fabricated'. [40]

   Why it matters — Syria denied reports that Saudi Arabia had asked it for troops. [41] France, which has about 2,000 troops in the Gulf, said it is studying how to protect Yanbu, Saudi Arabia's Red Sea oil port. [18]

5. 06

   A year of truce, and 1,450 dead in Gaza

   Islamic Relief, a British charity, said Israeli attacks have killed or wounded a Palestinian in Gaza every 90 minutes on average since the ceasefire of 10 October last year. [42][43] It counted at least 1,454 killed, 320 of them children, and more than 5,000 wounded. [42] Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry gives 1,471 killed, and the UN considers its figures reliable. [42][43] Islamic Relief says Israel's army controls 65% of Gaza, leaving about 2.1 million people in the other 35%. [42]

   • Under Israeli army control65%
   • Where 2.1 million people live35%

   Why it matters — The ceasefire freed all the remaining hostages and stopped the large-scale bombing, but the peace deal meant to follow it has stalled. [43] Palestinian officials say more than 20,000 students and school and university staff have been killed since October 2023. [44]

6. 07

   Ukraine, Europe and US envoys meet in Miami

   Ukrainian officials are due to meet Trump's envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in Miami on Friday for two days of talks on ending the war, President Zelensky said. [33] Ukraine hopes a European team will join them. [33] Ukraine's team includes Zelensky's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, as well as Rustem Umerov and David Arakhamia. [33] Zelensky announced the meeting hours after the bus attack in Kramatorsk. [33]

   Why it matters — Efforts to end Russia's war look deadlocked, even as both sides step up their attacks. [45] Russia has escalated its air war in recent weeks, while the front line barely moves. [15]

7. 08

   Maduro charged with ordering torture

   US prosecutors charged Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's former president, and his wife Cilia Flores with conspiracy to commit torture, in court papers unsealed in New York on Thursday. [24][46] Prosecutors say he authorised torture against named people and ran a system of torture and arbitrary arrest to keep power. [47] The couple have been jailed in New York since US special forces seized them in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, in January. [46][24] Their trial is set for June 2027, and a judge refused Flores's request for release. [24]

   Why it matters — Until now the case was about drugs and weapons; it now also covers human rights abuses while he ruled. [47] Maduro's lawyer said he denies the new charges. [24]

8. 09

   UN extends the Darfur arms ban by two months

   The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Thursday to extend the arms embargo on Darfur, Sudan's western region, until 11 December. [48][49] The US wanted it widened to the whole of Sudan, but Russia and China opposed that. [48] The UN called the vote a short 'technical rollover' to allow more time for talks. [48] Sudan's civil war is now in its fourth year. [49]

   Why it matters — The embargo has not stopped weapons reaching Darfur, but it lets UN experts trace shipments and name who broke it. [49]

9. 10

   Anti-migrant riots in Durban and Soweto

   Protests against foreign migrants turned violent in Durban and in Soweto, part of Johannesburg, on Thursday. [50][51] Crowds set about two dozen cars on fire, foreign-run shops were looted or forced to close, and gunshots were heard in Soweto. [50][51] Protesters blocked the Durban refugee centre, where foreigners were queuing to apply for asylum. [52] The anger followed a court order that made South Africa's government start processing asylum claims again. [51][53]

   Why it matters — South Africa's government blamed false rumours about the ruling. [50] Its migration ministers say the five refugee offices are overwhelmed, and a panel will review the ruling on 29 October. [53]

10. 11

    Hurricane Isaias heads for the US Gulf coast

    Isaias became the first hurricane of this year's Atlantic season on Wednesday night, and had winds of 100mph (160km/h) by Thursday evening. [54] Millions of people from Louisiana to Florida were under hurricane warnings. [54] Florida, Alabama and Georgia declared emergencies, and some Florida counties ordered evacuations and closed schools. [54] It is expected to reach land on the northern Gulf coast late Friday or early Saturday. [54]

    Why it matters — Forecasters said it should grow stronger before landfall and push a dangerous surge of seawater onto the coast. [54]

11. 12

    Italy changes how it votes, a year before the election

    Italy's parliament passed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's new election law by 227 votes to 164 in a secret ballot on Thursday. [20][55] It replaces a mixed system, where about a third of seats are won seat by seat, with a fully proportional one. [20] Any coalition that wins at least 42% of the vote gets bonus seats. [55] Meloni says this will bring stable government, and opposition MPs held up signs calling it a 'scam'. [55]

    Why it matters — The opposition says the rules are built to keep her coalition in power and will challenge them in the constitutional court. [55] The election is due next year. [20]

12. 13

    The G7's oil pledge is mostly oil already promised

    The G7's offer to release up to 100 million barrels of oil mostly finishes a 400-million-barrel release agreed in March, says an internal document seen by Euronews. [56] Only 326 million of the March barrels have been released so far. [56] On 7 October members of the IEA, the group of oil-using countries that holds emergency stocks, agreed to finish the March release 'as soon as possible'. [56] This followed a US threat to stop selling diesel abroad unless Europe released more. [56]

    Why it matters — So the new pledge adds little oil that had not already been promised. [56] Brent oil traded at $105 a barrel on Thursday. [56]

13. 14

    Europe could run 15% short of gas in a hard winter

    Europe could be short of 12% to 15% of the gas it needs if a severe cold snap hits this winter, said ENTSOG, the body of Europe's gas pipeline operators, on Thursday. [57] EU gas stores were 72% full on 1 October, against 83% a year earlier. [57] The report assumes no Russian gas arrives by pipeline, since the EU has mostly stopped buying it. [57] It warns that losing Europe's biggest undersea gas link and Algeria's pipelines together would be a serious threat. [57]

    1 October last year83%

    1 October this year72%

    Why it matters — Stores are lower because filling them over the summer was hard, the report says. [57] The EU has urged its countries to fill their stores as much as they can in early winter. [57]

14. 15

    US bars Microsoft and Indian IT firms from a green-card route

    The US Labor Department suspended Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe from PERM, a programme firms use to sponsor foreign workers to live in the US for good. [58][59] Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling cited federal investigations into the firms. [59] Vice-President JD Vance accused them of advertising jobs where Americans would not see them, then hiring foreign staff. [59] No new or pending applications from these firms will be processed. [58]

    Why it matters — Many of the firms are Indian or employ thousands of Indian professionals who moved to the US. [59] Microsoft said most of its workers are American. [59]

15. 16

    Smoke from Indonesian fires shuts Malaysian schools

    Smoke from forest fires that have burned in Indonesia for months covered Singapore and Malaysia this week. [60] All schools in the Malaysian states of Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Selangor were told to close on Friday, and Johor's schools were shut on Thursday and Friday. [61] Thick haze stopped planes landing at Senai airport in Johor, and five flights were affected. [62] Indonesia recorded more than 50,000 breathing infections linked to the fires in July and August. [60]

    Why it matters — Experts blame a very strong El Nino, a shift in Pacific weather that has dried out parts of Indonesia. [60] In Johor, three siblings died in a road crash after going to see their closed school. [63]

16. 17

    Ukraine says it hit Russia's biggest oil refinery

    Ukraine's military said it struck Russia's largest oil refinery, at Omsk in Siberia, about 2,500km from Ukraine. [64] The refinery is run by Gazprom Neft, a Russian oil company, and had to stop work after an earlier strike in July. [64] The region's governor said a drone hit an industrial zone but gave no details. [64]

    Why it matters — Ukraine is hitting Russian energy and military sites far from the front to raise the cost of the war for Russia. [64]

17. 18

    Netanyahu's former aide disputes his 7 October account

    Avi Gil, a retired general who was Benjamin Netanyahu's military secretary on 7 October 2023, said the prime minister's account of the failures before Hamas's attack does not show 'what really happened'. [65] Netanyahu gave a 55-page account to Israel's state comptroller, the official who audits government, in February. [65] Gil confirmed reports that Netanyahu's chief of staff tried to change an official record from that morning. [66] He said he kept quiet hoping to testify to a state inquiry, which Netanyahu has resisted. [66]

    Why it matters — Haaretz had already reported that minutes of many meetings in Netanyahu's account pointed to half-truths and omissions. [65] Israel holds an election on 27 October. [67]

18. 19

    Britain keeps a smaller Jerusalem mission

    Israel carried out its order to shut Britain's consulate in East Jerusalem, which handles UK ties with Palestinians, but the building stays open as a 'UK Mission'. [68][69] Twenty diplomats and the consul general will leave, and seven staff may stay. [68] Israel ordered the closure in September to punish Britain for sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. [68] Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband dropped a plan to expel Israeli diplomats in return. [19]

    Why it matters — Miliband said expulsions would be unwise during Israel's election campaign, and some in his government feared tough steps could help Netanyahu. [19] The consulate, founded in 1838, is separate from the UK embassy in Tel Aviv. [68]

19. 20

    Palestinian election likely to be delayed

    Talks are under way to postpone next month's Palestinian parliamentary election, sources told The National, with a decision due in days. [70] The last such vote, in 2006, was won by Hamas and led to its split with Fatah, the party that runs the Palestinian Authority. [70] President Mahmoud Abbas, 90, was elected in 2005 and now rules by decree. [70] He called off a vote in 2021, saying Israel would not let Palestinians in East Jerusalem take part. [70]

    Why it matters — The vote was meant to answer pressure from Palestinians and other governments for reform of the Palestinian Authority. [70]

20. 21

    US embassy aide accused of hiding reports on Israel

    A top aide to Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, repeatedly blocked, rewrote or delayed embassy reports critical of Israel, a New York Times investigation found. [71] The reports covered illegal settlement building in the West Bank, settler violence, and the killings of nine Palestinian Americans. [71] The paper spoke to 15 US officials and nine former diplomats and read dozens of internal papers. [71] It named the aide as David Milstein, 36. [71]

    Why it matters — Officials told the paper they feared the information reaching the US government was being bent. [71]

21. 22

    Wanted Syrian general sheltered with US help

    Bassam al-Hassan, who ran Syria's chemical weapons programme under Bashar al-Assad, is living in Lebanon under US protection, a joint BBC and NPR investigation found. [72] He is wanted for crimes against humanity. [72] The FBI backs his stay because he gave information about Austin Tice, an American journalist kidnapped in Syria in 2012. [72]

    Why it matters — Hassan had told US officials that Assad ordered Tice killed, the BBC reported in June 2025. [72]

22. 23

    France sends 3,000 extra teachers as school protests go on

    French high school students blocked schools and marched in cities across France on Thursday, the tenth day of protests over crowded, understaffed schools. [73] About 25,000 filled Paris's Place de la Bastille, and riot police later fired tear gas and charged the crowd. [73] Education Minister Edouard Geffray said 3,000 substitute teachers will go to schools with the worst shortages. [74] The movement began on 17 September in the Paris suburbs. [74]

    Why it matters — Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon called a new day of protest for 13 October. [74] Marchers also demanded less police violence. [75]

23. 24

    20,000 march in Madrid for an evicted pensioner

    About 20,000 people marched through Madrid on Thursday for Maria del Carmen Abascal, the 87-year-old whose eviction set off protests over Spain's housing crisis. [76] She died in hospital on Wednesday, two weeks after being carried from her home on a stretcher. [77][76] An investment firm had bought her flat and tried to raise her rent by 230%. [76] Thousands also protested outside parliament, where MPs accused each other of using her case for votes. [77]

    Why it matters — Her eviction led to emergency rent rules, which right-wing parties voted down, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez then called an election for 29 November. [76]

24. 25

    EU to train Lebanon's army

    Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, said in Beirut that the EU will set up a mission to train and advise Lebanon's army and police. [78] EU foreign ministers are due to approve it on 12 October. [78] Unifil, the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, ends its mission at the end of the year. [78] Israel occupies about 65 towns and villages in the south. [78]

    Why it matters — Kallas said Lebanon must control all its land so no gap opens when Unifil leaves, but the EU mission will not replace it. [78]

25. 26

    Iraq refuses to hand back 4,000 Syrian IS suspects

    Iraq has refused Syria's request to return about 4,000 Syrian prisoners suspected of belonging to Islamic State, Iraq's national security adviser Qasim al-Aboudi told AP. [79] They were among more than 5,700 suspects moved from north-east Syria to Iraq after fighting broke out there in January. [79] Iraq says about 400 were not IS members and can go home, and about 50 already have. [79] The rest will be tried under Iraqi law if found to have committed crimes in Iraq. [79]

    Why it matters — Hundreds of them are believed to be senior IS members, and the US took part in the talks on their fate. [79]

26. 27

    Ultra-Orthodox protests block Israel's roads

    Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from the Jerusalem Faction, a hardline group, blocked major roads in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak on Thursday. [67] They oppose being drafted into the army, which religious students were long excused from. [67] Police used stun grenades and clubs on them, and other protesters broke into an event of Shas, a religious party, so senior lawmakers had to be led out. [67]

    Why it matters — Channel 12 reported Netanyahu tried and failed to get religious parties to call off the protests, less than three weeks before the 27 October election. [67]

27. 28

    EU presses Russia over a plague case

    The European Commission asked Russia for the third time in a week to share details of a suspected plague case in Siberia. [80] Its health spokesperson said the EU lacks the information to judge the risk to other countries. [80] The US and the World Health Organization have made the same call, and Russia says there is no risk of an epidemic. [80] A committee of all 27 EU countries met on Wednesday to coordinate. [80]

    Why it matters — Russia, and the Soviet Union before it, has a record of playing down disasters, from Chernobyl in 1986 on. [81]

28. 29

    South Korea tests its first hypersonic weapon

    South Korea test-fired its first home-built hypersonic weapon on Thursday, with President Lee Jae Myung watching. [82][83] Hypersonic weapons fly at least five times the speed of sound and can change course to dodge missile defences. [82] South Korea's government said the weapon steered up, down and sideways before hitting its target. [82] North Korea tested its own hypersonic missile last week. [82]

    Why it matters — Tension on the border has grown since mines that investigators say North Korea planted wounded three South Korean soldiers last month; the North denies it. [82]

29. 30

    South Korea recalls its envoy from Ukraine

    South Korea said it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine over two captured North Korean soldiers. [84][85] Ukraine sent the two men to South Korea, as they had asked, and President Zelensky made the transfer public last month. [84] South Korea says Ukraine broke a deal to keep it secret, and Zelensky's office says there was no such deal. [84] South Korea's foreign minister said Ukraine's apology fell short. [84]

    Why it matters — The two were among thousands of North Korean soldiers sent to fight for Russia. [84] Ukraine's foreign ministry said 'diplomacy should prevail over emotions'. [84]

30. 31

    South Korea may act over fuel shipped to Russia

    South Korea's government said it will take legal action if fuel shipments from its ports to Russia broke its laws. [86] A Guardian analysis found that in July and August more than 176,000 tonnes of fuel, mostly diesel, was loaded in South Korea onto seven tankers. [86] They made 14 trips to Russia's far east, and three of them were under UK and EU sanctions. [86]

    Why it matters — An analyst at CREA, a Finnish research group, said the trade weakens the sanctions meant to cut Russia's income. [86]

31. 32

    China names a candidate to run the WHO

    China nominated Song Li, a senior health official and expert on mothers' and children's health, to lead the World Health Organization. [87][88] The World Health Assembly elects the next head in May, to replace Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who cannot run again. [87] The US left the WHO after Trump returned to office in January 2025. [88]

    Why it matters — China has been seeking more top jobs in UN bodies, and questions remain about how open it was during Covid-19. [87][88]

32. 33

    Myanmar's army ruler wins talks and a welcome

    The US has begun direct talks with Myanmar's government, which the army installed after its 2021 coup, Reuters reported. [89] A senior US State Department official met Min Aung Hlaing, the coup leader who is now president, on 15 and 16 September. [89] The talks focus on closing scam centres that target Americans and could widen to Myanmar's rare-earth minerals. [89] On Thursday Malaysia's prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, gave Min Aung Hlaing an official welcome and promised to bring Myanmar fully back into Asean, the south-east Asian group. [90]

    Why it matters — Both moves break with years of keeping Myanmar's generals at arm's length during its civil war. [89] Critics said Anwar gave up leverage he needs to send thousands of Myanmar nationals home. [90]

33. 34

    India detains youth protesters before a Delhi march

    The Cockroach Janta Party, a youth movement that began as a joke, said police detained at least 10,000 people across India before a protest in Delhi on Saturday. [22] Young people and opposition parties have held near-daily rallies demanding that the chief election commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, resign. [22][91] They object to a disputed revision of India's lists of voters. [22] A spokesperson of the movement, Deepak Baliyan, was among those held. [91]

    Why it matters — Thousands are expected at Jantar Mantar, Delhi's official protest site, on Saturday. [22] Police did not reply to questions from Reuters. [22]

34. 35

    India's driest monsoon in 11 years

    India got 759mm of rain between June and September, 12.6% below the long-term average of 869mm. [92] It was the driest monsoon in 11 years and the fourth driest this century. [92] India's reservoirs ended the season with less water than usual, leaving farms and power plants with a smaller reserve. [92] A climate scientist blamed a severe El Nino. [92]

    Usual monsoon rain869 mm

    This year's monsoon759 mm

    Why it matters — Nearly half of India's workers depend on farming. [92] A tomato farmer in Karnataka told DW he lost his whole crop and is looking for work as a security guard. [92]

35. 36

    UN says Afghan women are arrested over clothes

    At least 52 women and one girl were arrested or held in Herat and Kabul between July and September for breaking dress rules, the UN mission in Afghanistan said. [23] Reasons included not wearing a full-body cloak, showing hair, wearing colourful scarves or make-up, or going out without a male guardian. [23] They were released after several hours, and the UN said the real number may be higher. [23]

    Why it matters — In June Afghan authorities fired on a rare protest in Herat against such arrests, killing at least one person. [23] The Taliban have barred girls from school beyond primary level since taking power in 2021. [23]

36. 37

    Duterte is fit to stand trial, ICC judges rule

    Judges at the International Criminal Court ruled that Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines' former president, is fit to stand trial for crimes against humanity. [25] He is charged with murder over killings in his 'war on drugs'. [25] His lawyers said his memory was failing, but an expert panel found he can understand the charges. [25] The trial is set to begin on 30 November. [25]

    Why it matters — He faces life in prison if convicted. [25]

37. 38

    Imran Khan's party marches into Peshawar

    A convoy led by Sohail Afridi, chief minister of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, entered Peshawar on Thursday, the fifth day of a long march by the PTI party. [93] The march demands the release of PTI's founder, Imran Khan, who is in jail. [93] Its route has changed several times, and where it ends is still unclear. [93]

    Why it matters — The party first vowed to march on Islamabad, the capital, and says it will become the largest long march in Pakistan's history. [93]

38. 39

    EU governments expect a smaller long-term budget

    EU governments expect the next seven-year EU budget plan to be cut by 100 to 200 billion euros from the one proposed in June, 12 EU diplomats told Politico. [94] Ireland, which is chairing EU talks, will publish its proposal on Saturday. [94] Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and others want several hundred billion euros cut from the almost 2 trillion euro plan. [94] A group of southern and eastern countries opposes the cuts. [94]

    Why it matters — Ireland plans to protect farm and regional spending from big cuts, and EU leaders argue over it at a summit next week. [94]

39. 40

    EU auditors find more spending broke the rules

    The European Court of Auditors, which checks EU spending, estimated that 3.8% of last year's EU budget spending broke EU or national rules. [95] That is up from 3.6% the year before and well above the 2% it accepts. [95] It also reported 17 suspected fraud cases. [95] EU borrowing rose by more than 20% to 738.9 billion euros last year and could reach 1 trillion euros by 2027, mostly because of the pandemic recovery fund. [95]

    Why it matters — The auditors urged governments planning the 2028-2034 budget not to copy the recovery fund's weak points. [95]

40. 41

    EU pulls out of a disinformation conference

    The EU's diplomatic service withdrew its sponsorship of Disinfo2026, a conference on false information in Lithuania, at short notice, and so did Canada and Lithuania's government. [96] Several outlets, including the Guardian, reported this followed pressure from the US State Department. [96] An EU spokesperson did not mention the US and said some sessions were framed in a way that did not match EU positions. [97][96] Sponsors' logos at the event were covered with strips of paper. [96]

    Why it matters — EU lawmakers and civil groups said the move goes against the EU's own plan to protect groups that fight false information. [97]

41. 42

    European Parliament backs listing Muslim Brotherhood backers

    The European Parliament voted 381 to 167 for a resolution asking EU countries to add people and groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist political movement, to the EU's list of terrorists. [98] It asks for checks on 'front organisations', money networks and youth groups, not only formal bodies. [98] It also asks the European Commission to report any EU money given to people linked to the group. [98]

    Why it matters — The resolution only asks; EU governments would have to supply the information and decide any listings. [98]

42. 43

    Europe covers Ukraine's gap, with conditions

    In August Ukraine's president warned of a 27-billion-euro hole in this year's defence budget. [99] On 1 October the European Commission said Ukraine's needs for 2026 are now 'fully covered'. [99] But it refused to pay out early from existing 90-billion-euro funds and is tightening anti-corruption conditions on the money. [99] The IMF puts Ukraine's total needs at about 137 billion euros across 2026 and 2027. [99]

    Why it matters — EU countries almost all agree Ukraine cannot be allowed to run out of money, but they want more control over how it is spent. [99]

43. 44

    Two Latvians arrested inside a US-run base in England

    Counter-terrorism police arrested two Latvian men, aged 36 and 32, after they got through the fence at RAF Molesworth in England early on Thursday. [100][101] The base is run by the US Air Force and houses a NATO intelligence centre that briefs NATO's top commander in Europe. [100] They are held on suspicion of entering a prohibited place for a purpose that harms the UK. [100]

    Why it matters — It comes weeks after arrests over an alleged plot at another UK air base. [100]

44. 45

    Royal Navy sailor charged with spying for Russia

    Teddy Young, a 24-year-old Royal Navy sailor, appeared in a London court charged with spying for Russia. [102] He is accused under the National Security Act of preparing to pass on protected information between November 2024 and May 2025. [102] He was arrested at his home on Tuesday. [102]

    Why it matters — Police say he did it while working in Royal Navy warfare intelligence. [102]

45. 46

    Labour holds Starmer's old London seat

    Labour's Sagal Abdi-Wali won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election in London with 12,292 votes, against 8,928 for Green Party leader Zack Polanski. [103][104] The vote was called after former prime minister Keir Starmer gave up the seat in September. [103] Turnout was 38.7%, the lowest for any by-election in England in this parliament. [103]

    Why it matters — It was the first big vote test for Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has moved Labour to the left and toughened Britain's stance on Israel. [104][103]

46. 47

    Izmir's opposition mayor joins Erdogan's party

    Cemil Tugay, mayor of Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city and a long-time opposition stronghold, joined President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP party on Wednesday. [105] The AKP has never won a mayoral election in Izmir, a province of 4.5 million people. [105] The switch set off protests and criticism about the state of Turkey's democracy. [105]

    Why it matters — Erdogan promised to back Tugay 'with all our resources'. [105]

47. 48

    PKK says Turkey is slow on peace

    The PKK, a Kurdish armed group that fought the Turkish state for decades, said it has pulled all its fighters out of Turkey and away from its border. [106] It accused the Turkish state of doing little to move the peace process forward. [106] Turkey's parliament passed a law in August offering limited amnesty to PKK fighters, the first legal step towards ending the conflict. [106] The fighting has killed about 50,000 people. [106]

    Why it matters — The group said its pullback leaves Turkey's government no excuse for moving slowly. [106]

48. 49

    Floods kill one in Albania and swamp Montenegro towns

    The Vjosa river burst its banks in southern Albania, and rescuers used boats to reach trapped people. [107] A 54-year-old man was found dead in a canal in Durres after being swept away. [107] About 300 people were given shelter, and crews pumped water from around 800 buildings. [107] In Montenegro the Zeta river flooded about 30 homes, and soldiers built a temporary bridge near Podgorica, the capital. [107]

    Why it matters — Parts of Albania had more than 100mm of rain in 24 hours. [107]

49. 50

    Santiago's wettest October in 76 years

    Police in central Chile used helicopters to rescue people trapped when the Mapocho river flooded Talagante, a town 35km south-west of Santiago. [108] Santiago had 74mm of rain in the first seven days of October, its wettest October in 76 years. [108] One person was found dead in a flooded underpass in San Bernardo. [108]

    Why it matters — Forecasters say this year's strong El Nino will likely keep bringing wet, stormy weather through the southern spring. [108]

50. 51

    Zambia signs a US health deal after a row over data

    Zambia signed a five-year health funding deal with the US on Thursday, under which the US will give about $1.5bn. [109] Campaigners had attacked a leaked draft, saying it shared too much medical data and was linked to US access to minerals. [109] The health minister said clauses requiring Zambia to send biological samples to the US were removed, and no individual patient records will be shared. [109][110]

    Why it matters — Since closing its aid agency, USAID, the US has signed such deals with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, while Ghana and Zimbabwe turned them down over data terms. [109]

51. 52

    Rights group says US deportations to Africa break the law

    Human Rights Watch said the US has sent more than 500 people to African countries where they are not citizens since Trump returned to office in 2025. [111] It called this unlawful, saying many deportees end up sent on to home countries where they face harm. [111] It says deportees in Eswatini, Ghana and South Sudan were held without good reason. [111] The US Department of Homeland Security called such removals an essential tool against dangerous criminals. [111]

    Why it matters — Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Ghana sent some deportees home despite the risk of persecution or torture, HRW said. [111]

52. 53

    Egypt charges a whole fact-checking newsroom

    Egyptian prosecutors accused six journalists from Matsadaash, a website that checks what officials say, of terrorism offences. [21] They say the six worked for the banned Muslim Brotherhood and took foreign money to spread 'false news'. [21] The six are the site's entire newsroom and were arrested in raids on 28 and 29 September. [21] Their lawyers say they reported torture, which the interior ministry denies. [21]

    Why it matters — Matsadaash, 'don't believe it' in Arabic, has checked official claims since 2018. [21]

53. 54

    Guinea-Bissau's December vote in doubt

    Guinea-Bissau's electoral commission said conditions to hold December's parliamentary and presidential elections have not been met. [112] The vote is meant to restore civilian rule after a coup last November, one day before election results were due. [112] The commission's deputy head said any delay is up to General Horta N'Tam, the military leader. [112]

    Why it matters — N'Tam's prime minister said no party is ready to run, and the ousted president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, was barred from returning last week. [112]

54. 55

    Food for Congolese refugees in Burundi may run out

    The World Food Programme said it needs more than $30 million to keep feeding Congolese refugees in Burundi, and supplies could run out as soon as this month. [113] It needs about $5 million a month. [113] Each refugee now gets about $12 a month. [113] Busuma camp in eastern Burundi holds about 33,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo. [113]

    Why it matters — The UN refugee agency says 22,463 refugees have already gone back to Congo. [113]

55. 56

    Kenya's second Ebola suspect tests negative

    A 20-year-old man in Kenya's Wajir county, suspected of having Ebola, tested negative in early laboratory results. [114] He had travelled from Congo through Uganda, the same route as the Kenyan who died of Ebola in Nairobi this week. [114] That death was Kenya's first Ebola case. [114]

    Why it matters — The outbreak in eastern Congo has killed at least 4,205 people out of more than 8,700 cases, the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record. [114]

56. 57

    Immigration agent shoots a man in New York

    An officer of ICE, the US immigration agency, shot and wounded a man during an arrest in the Marble Hill area of New York on Thursday. [115][116] Mayor Zohran Mamdani said a five-year-old child was in the man's car and was not physically hurt. [115] The Department of Homeland Security called the man a Dominican national with a criminal conviction, and said the shooting is under investigation. [115][117]

    Why it matters — Mamdani said he called Trump to demand an end to all ICE raids in the city. [116]

57. 58

    US will livestream a firing-squad execution

    The US Defense Department said the execution of Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, a US army base in Texas, in 2009, will be livestreamed. [118][119] Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said soldiers will carry it out by firing squad at Fort Hood on 3 December. [119] It would be the first US military execution in more than 60 years. [119]

    Why it matters — A lawyer who works with death-row prisoners called the livestream 'unprecedented in the modern era' and legally uncertain. [118] It is believed it would be the first public US execution in almost a century. [118]

58. 59

    1,800 missing in Yemen's war since July

    The International Committee of the Red Cross said families have asked it to find more than 1,800 missing people in Yemen since fighting flared again in July. [120] The head of its Yemen team, Christine Cipolla, said families have a right to know what happened to their relatives. [120]

    Why it matters — The count comes as the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition widen their attacks on each other. [38]

59. 60

    US carrier home after a record 265 days at sea

    The USS Abraham Lincoln, a US aircraft carrier, returned to San Diego on Thursday after a 322-day deployment in the war on Iran. [121] It spent a record 265 days in a row at sea. [121][122] Reports during the trip described food shortages, stress and suicide attempts among the crew. [121][122] Defence Secretary Hegseth gave the crew the Presidential Unit Citation and rejected claims of low morale. [122]

    Why it matters — Another carrier group is due in the region by the end of November, the Wall Street Journal reported. [3]

60. 61

    WTO doubles its trade growth forecast

    The World Trade Organization raised its forecast for growth in world goods trade this year to 3.9%, from 1.9% in March. [123] It expects 4.1% in 2027. [123] It said spending on AI equipment, and more fuel and fertiliser from outside the Middle East, kept trade going despite the war. [123] Pakistan's exports of sea freight services rose 73% in the first half of the year as ships were rerouted. [123]

    Forecast in March1.9%

    Forecast now3.9%

    Why it matters — Rerouting has also crowded South Asian ports, and one big shipping line added a $500 charge per container to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. [123]

61. 62

    Anne Carson wins the Nobel prize for literature

    Anne Carson, a 76-year-old Canadian poet and essayist, won this year's Nobel prize in literature. [124][125] The Swedish Academy praised her 'bold and inventive' work in 'playful dialogue' with the classical tradition. [125] She was in Iceland, 'listening to the wind', when she was told. [125] The prize is worth 12 million Swedish kronor, about $1.2m. [124]

    Why it matters — Her work moves between poetry, prose and translation and draws heavily on ancient Greek writing. [125] She joked that the judges were 'crazy' to pick her. [124]

62. 63

    180,000 giant tortoises counted on one atoll

    A survey found about 180,000 Aldabra giant tortoises on Aldabra Atoll, a ring of islands in the Seychelles. [126] It is the highest number ever recorded for the species, and more than the Seychelles' human population. [126] The last widely used count, from the late 1990s, was 100,000. [126] The Seychelles Islands Foundation and the University of Exeter analysed counts made from 2018 to 2022. [126]

    Why it matters — The species was once endangered, and the atoll is one of only two places where giant tortoises live in the wild; the other is the Galapagos. [126]

63. 64

    Scientists build the first nuclear clocks

    Teams at TU Wien in Austria and at Tsinghua University and other institutions in China separately built the first clocks that keep time using the core of an atom. [127] Today's best atomic clocks use electrons jumping between energy levels. [127] The new clocks use thorium-229, the only atomic core known to switch states with laser light. [127] The two papers were published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. [127]

    Why it matters — The scientists say such clocks could help test the basic laws of physics. [127]