World, in brief

Ukraine's drones set fire to an oil refinery in Ryazan, about 300km south-east of Moscow, early on Thursday. [1] Russia also reported an attack on a second refinery, in Saratov. [2]

Zelensky, Ukraine's president, said he had held off such strikes for three days at the US request, while Russia kept hitting Ukraine's power stations. [3] 'We're done,' he told the Financial Times, a London newspaper. [3]

Trump had declared an 'energy ceasefire' on social media and wrote that both sides had agreed. [4] Neither Russia nor Ukraine had said they agreed to it. [4]

Russian strikes on Wednesday cut power to 600,000 Ukrainians. [2] Overnight into Thursday, Zelensky said, Russia launched more than 850 drones at Ukraine. [1]

On Thursday Trump said the new strikes push up the world oil price and called them 'a disgrace'. [5] He said he found Zelensky 'more difficult to deal with than Putin'. [5]

Zelensky says US officials told Ukraine they would block intelligence on Russian missile launches unless the strikes stopped. [3] Trump denies stopping the intelligence. [3]

Ukraine says the Starlink satellite internet its drones use was slowed without warning this week. [3] Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX runs it, said limits on the military version are decided by the US military and Trump. [3]

Dmitry Peskov, the Russian president's spokesman, said Ukraine was now in 'serious conflict' with US peace efforts. [2] He also said Russian diesel from the deal with Trump has begun reaching world markets. [6]

Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, called the refinery strikes self-defence, because oil pays for most of Russia's war. [7] Donald Tusk, Poland's prime minister, wrote to Zelensky: 'YOU ARE NOT ALONE.' [8]

According to reports cited by Euronews, US negotiators asked European governments to move 210 billion euros of frozen Russian money into a fund the US would control. [9] Friedrich Merz, Germany's chancellor, said no. [9]

The US also extended, to April 2027, a waiver that lets Lukoil, a big Russian oil company, keep its petrol stations abroad open. [10] Ukraine says it is already in talks with European countries on their own air defence and satellite links. [11]

Why it matters. Watch whether US missile warnings and satellite links for Ukraine keep working now that the refinery strikes have restarted, and what EU leaders put towards Ukraine's $78bn budget gap at their summit on Friday. [3][9]

Two US officials and a Western official told Reuters that the order to slow Starshield for Ukraine came from inside Trump's own office. [12] Starshield is the military version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet, and the US defence department is its biggest customer. [12] The officials did not say who gave the order, and a senior US official said Trump never asked for it. [12] Ukraine says its drone links now work only below 100mph. [12]

Why it matters. Ukraine says the slowdown made drone strikes harder and slowed the drones that shoot down Russian attack drones. [12] Britain's defence secretary, Wes Streeting, said his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, told him the link had been restored. [13]

The roof of an upper classroom at Al Khair, a private school in Peshawar, a city in north-west Pakistan, fell during lessons on Thursday morning. [27] It crushed the classrooms below, where 110 pupils were sitting, and at least 34 children and a teacher died. [24] Police said the weak building had been loaded with extra building work on its roof, and the owner was arrested. [24] Pupils had warned staff that morning that the building showed signs of collapse, a father told AFP, a French news agency. [28]

Why it matters. Pakistan spends less than 1% of its economy on schools, so many poor families use cheap private ones in rented houses. [24] A Lahore tutoring centre's roof killed 14 children in June, and the province has now ordered checks on private school buildings. [29]

A drone attack set the Wine Trader, an empty chemical tanker, on fire 24km off the mouth of the River Danube on Thursday. [16] Seven of its 12 crew are missing, and a second tanker nearby, the Yara J, was hit the day before. [16] Romania's president, Nicusor Dan, said it was too early to say for sure who sent the drones. [17] Russia said it had hit two ships carrying military cargo to Odesa, Ukraine's main port. [16]

Why it matters. Romania and Bulgaria are members of NATO, the Western military alliance, and NATO will hold a special meeting on the Black Sea attacks. [17] Drones have killed at least 23 sailors near their coasts in ten days. [17]

Russia has nearly finished a large new base for launching jet-powered drones in its Rostov region, near Ukraine, Reuters found from satellite pictures. [30] The site was an empty field on 31 August and is now the size of about 126 football pitches. [30] An expert from DroneSec, a private intelligence company, said it could launch Russia's newest jet drones, which fly at up to 600km an hour. [30] Ukraine finds these faster drones hard to shoot down. [30]

Why it matters. Ukraine expects more jet-drone and missile attacks this winter, aimed at its power and heating. [30] The expert said the base could fire 100 or more drones in a day. [30]

Russia's FSB, its main security service, said on Thursday it had detained a 35-year-old Swedish man near Pskov, close to Russia's borders with Latvia and Belarus. [31] It said he entered Russia saying he wanted to join its army, but planned sabotage for Ukraine. [31] In a video released by the FSB, the man, who gave his name as Freddy Lindholm, said he had trained to fly drones for a Ukrainian unit. [31] Sweden said it knew of the reports. [31]

Why it matters. The FSB said it is looking at terrorism charges on behalf of Ukraine or Western spy services. [32] Two days earlier it detained a Japanese journalist on suspicion of spying. [31]

Leaders of the 27 EU countries talked for 14 hours in Brussels on Thursday without agreeing the EU's next seven-year budget. [33] Antonio Costa, who chairs their summits, called an extra meeting for 26 November and will put forward new figures. [34] He wants a deal by December, before elections in France, Italy and Poland in 2027. [34] Emmanuel Macron, France's president, said he would not have the power to sign a deal close to France's election in April 2027. [34]

Why it matters. If there is no deal, EU payments to farmers and researchers could be held up after 1 January 2028, when the new budget is due to start. [34]

Zelensky was due to hold his first formal meeting with Peter Magyar, Hungary's prime minister, at the EU summit on Friday morning. [35] Under Magyar's predecessor, Viktor Orban, Hungary used its veto to block Ukraine's talks to join the EU. [35] This week Ukraine passed a law on schooling for minorities, including ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine. [35] Magyar called it a historic breakthrough, and Zelensky has been invited to Budapest on 23 October. [35]

Why it matters. A friendlier Hungary removes one of the biggest blocks on Ukraine's path into the EU. [35] The 23 October event marks 70 years since Hungary's uprising against Soviet rule. [35]

The Houthis, an armed group backed by Iran that holds Yemen's capital, fired five ballistic missiles at al-Maashiq palace in Aden on Thursday. [36] Aden, a port in the south, is the seat of Yemen's government, which Saudi Arabia backs. [36] Five people were killed and 16 hurt, and the prime minister was unhurt. [36] It was the first attack on the palace in this round of fighting, which reignited in July. [37][38] The Houthis said they hit a Saudi command centre. [37]

Why it matters. The UN Security Council condemned the Houthis' attacks on Saudi Arabia the same day. [37] More than 200,000 people in Yemen have fled their homes since the fighting resumed. [39]

The Saudi-led coalition said the Houthis attacked King Khalid airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital, 20 times this month, killing 17 people and wounding 333. [40] Its spokesman said the coalition has destroyed 127 Houthi weapons stores and launch sites in Yemen's mountains. [38] It also said it shot down a cruise missile over the region of Medina, one of Islam's holiest cities, and the Houthis denied firing one. [41]

Why it matters. A Saudi official accused Iran of encouraging the Houthis, while saying Saudi Arabia still talks to Iran directly. [38] Iran has said it backs the Houthis only politically. [36]

A meeting of EU and Gulf leaders, due in Riyadh on 24 October, has been postponed because of the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. [42][43] The head of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a group of six Gulf states, cited the safety of delegations and the closed airport. [42] France said it has started sending military help to protect Saudi oil sites. [43] Britain has sent a refuelling plane, and Italy has supplied radars and anti-missile batteries. [43]

Why it matters. European governments are wary of being drawn into the war, but high energy prices weigh on them too. [43] Bulgaria is pushing a railway to carry Saudi oil to Europe around the Strait of Hormuz. [42]

No trucks of goods for sale entered Gaza for two days, said COGAT, the Israeli military body that runs crossings into the strip. [44] It blamed traders, who it said stopped shipments over a fee of 10,000 shekels ($3,220) a truck charged by Hamas. [45] Hamas called the fee a voluntary gift for widows and orphans. [45] The head of Gaza's truckers' union said Israel made the decision itself. [44] Traders bring in fruit, meat and winter clothes, while aid groups bring flour. [46]

Why it matters. Gaza's 2.1 million people rely entirely on crossings Israel controls, and aid alone cannot meet their needs, the Norwegian Refugee Council said. [44] Under the ceasefire, Israel must let in at least 600 aid trucks a day, but about 300 a day get in. [45]

Nachala, an Israeli group that wants Jewish settlements in Gaza, said more than 700 people built a new community overnight next to the border fence, facing Gaza City. [47] It asked Israel's government to let it move into the north of the strip. [47] Israel removed its settlements from Gaza in 2005. [47] In the West Bank the same night, settlers threw stones at Palestinian cars and stole a farmer's tractor and olive harvest, Wafa, the Palestinian news agency, reported. [48]

Why it matters. The move would put Israeli homes back inside the strip for the first time since 2005. [47] Israeli forces now hold about 70% of Gaza, against the 53% the ceasefire allowed. [49]

Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief who is Benjamin Netanyahu's main rival in Israel's 27 October election, promised on Thursday that Hamas would stop ruling Gaza within 18 months of his taking office. [49] He said he would do it through Trump's ceasefire plan or by 'creative' army operations. [49] The plan says Hamas must disarm and hand Gaza to a committee of Palestinian experts, which is not yet allowed inside. [49]

Why it matters. It is the first Israeli election since Hamas's attack of 7 October 2023. [49] The ceasefire is stuck, because Hamas has not disarmed and Israel has not pulled its forces back. [49]

A Hezbollah member of Lebanon's parliament said on Thursday that a truck of explosives stopped by Lebanese police last week belonged to the armed group. [50] He said the explosives were meant for use against Israel and asked for them back. [51] Lebanon's government banned Hezbollah's military activity in March. [51] Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, phoned Lebanon's president, Joseph Aoun, and said returning them should be out of the question. [52]

Why it matters. Hezbollah's MP called the Lebanese government's ban 'null and void', so the case tests whether Lebanon's state can take its weapons. [50] Aoun asked Rubio to press Israel to stop its attacks in south Lebanon. [51]

Israel has stopped journalists from entering the part of south Lebanon it occupies since late September, UN peacekeepers told The National, a newspaper in the UAE. [53] Israel took a strip 10 to 12km deep during its war with Hezbollah, which restarted in March. [53] Reporters had gone in with the UN force, which says it cannot arrange visits and does not know when they will resume. [53] Reporters Without Borders, a press freedom group, condemned the ban. [53]

Why it matters. Without reporters, the few villages still lived in and the destroyed ones nearby cannot be checked by anyone outside. [53]

BBC Verify, the BBC's fact-checking team, found 300 cases where Israel's army said it was looking into killings or injuries since the Gaza war began. [54] Only 28 had an outcome published on the army's website. [54] Most of the open cases happened in Gaza, and one is a strike on a school in August 2024 that reportedly killed at least 93 people. [54] The army said it takes every allegation with the utmost seriousness. [54]

Why it matters. The International Committee of the Red Cross says such investigations should be as open as possible. [54] Some of the cases without an outcome date back to late 2023. [54]

Iraq's parliament completed Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's government on Thursday, five months after he took office. [55] It approved 11 ministers and three deputy prime ministers. [56] One is Laith al-Khazali, a leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, an armed group backed by Iran. [56] The US calls the group a terrorist organisation and has sanctioned him and his brother since 2019. [57]

Why it matters. Reining in armed groups allied with Iran is one of the hardest jobs facing al-Zaidi's government, Reuters reported. [57] A leader of one of those groups is now his deputy. [57]

The US Treasury put sanctions on the Iraq Development Bank on Thursday, saying it has ties to Iran's government and armed groups in Iraq. [19] It was one of 10 companies and 16 people hit in a campaign the US Treasury calls 'Economic Outcast'. [19] The US Treasury also told banks to watch for Iran using Shia religious donations to move money. [58] Iraq's oil money is held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which gives the US a strong hold over Iraq's banks. [19]

Why it matters. The US says the campaign aims to cut off Iran's money until it reopens the Strait of Hormuz. [19] An Iraqi analyst said Iraq's government does not control every institution in the country. [19]

In late September a direct flight from Iran's capital to Dubai took under three hours and cost $100 to $200. [20] It can now take up to 18 hours and cost more than $1,000. [20] The US put sanctions on 27 airlines in Iran and threatened foreign firms that serve them. [20] The UAE, Azerbaijan and Georgia then stopped Iranian flights, and flights to Oman and Baghdad stopped too. [20]

Why it matters. The flights that remain run mostly to Russia, China, Turkey, Armenia and Iraq. [20] Most foreign airlines have still not returned to Iran since the war began. [20]

The US military has made plans to use the MOAB, its biggest non-nuclear bomb, on Iran's energy sites and nuclear sites if Trump restarts the war, CNN reported. [59] Asked about it on Newsmax, a US TV channel, Trump said the bomb is 'not nuclear at all' and that no ground troops would go in. [60] He said talks with Iran are going on and the war 'will be over very soon'. [60]

Why it matters. The war that began with US and Israeli strikes in February has stalled, and polls show it is hurting Trump's party before the vote. [59]

Gholamhossein Karbaschi, a reformist politician and former mayor of Iran's capital, said on Iranian state television that Iran should make a deal with the US. [61] 'We cannot take on America's power,' he said. [61] He blamed Iran's attacks on three tankers in June for breaking an interim deal signed with the US in Islamabad. [61] Iran's Revolutionary Guards, its most powerful military force, have said those attacks were authorised. [61]

Why it matters. Iran's people face rising prices and petrol queues, and the remarks show a split inside Iran over the war. [61]

A court in Hamburg, Germany, jailed two men on Thursday for plotting attacks on Jewish leaders in Germany for Iran's secret service. [62] A 54-year-old Dane of Afghan origin got eight and a half years as the leader, and a 43-year-old Afghan man got four and a half. [62] Prosecutors said the leader took orders from the Quds Force, the foreign arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. [62] He also planned to set fire to a kosher deli in Berlin. [62]

Why it matters. Both men were found guilty of spying and attempted murder. [62]

Youssef al-Manasif faces execution in Saudi Arabia for going to protests and funerals when he was 15 to 17, human rights groups say. [63] He was arrested in 2017 and sentenced to death by a secret court set up for terrorism cases. [63] Reprieve, a rights charity, says he was tortured into a false confession and first met his lawyer five years after his arrest. [63] Saudi Arabia's supreme court has reportedly upheld the sentence. [63]

Why it matters. Rights groups say Saudi Arabia is using the death penalty more and more for crimes that harmed nobody. [63]

Two pipelines in Syria were damaged on Thursday, the state-owned Syrian Petroleum Company said. [15] An explosion hit the Jbessa gas pipeline in Hasakah province, which the company called a sabotage attack. [15] Hours earlier, a pipeline carrying fuel from the coastal city of Baniyas to Homs began leaking. [15] Neither the company nor state media named a suspect. [15]

Why it matters. They are the latest of several attacks on Syria's oil and gas network in recent months, as Syria's government tries to restart its energy industry. [15]

A military court in Aleppo sentenced two men to death on Thursday over sectarian violence on Syria's coast in March 2025, state media reported. [64] The court found they had tried to start a civil war and led armed gangs against government forces. [64] Three other men were jailed for between three and 20 years, and two were cleared. [64] The public trials began in November 2025. [64]

Why it matters. In that violence, pro-government fighters killed hundreds of members of the Alawite minority. [64] At an earlier hearing in September, one of four men accused of abuses was sentenced to death. [64]