Ethiopia and Eritrea accuse each other of launching war as border tensions deepen
Ethiopia and Eritrea have accused each other of launching a war as tensions between the two neighbours escalate into a direct interstate confrontation. Ethiopia told the United Nations Security Council that Eritrean forces carried out an "all-out invasion" of northern Ethiopia, while Eritrea said it is facing a "war of aggression" from its neighbour. The exchange comes just days after the two countries cut diplomatic ties.In a letter shared with news agencies, Ethiopia's foreign minister, Gedion Timothewos, said Eritrean troops had advanced up to 60 kilometres into northern Tigray and demanded their withdrawal. Eritrea's information minister, Yemane Gebremeskel, rejected the... [Continue Reading]
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UN extends Darfur arms embargo as Russia and China block wider Sudan sanctions
The United Nations Security Council has extended the arms embargo on Sudan's Darfur region for two months, while rejecting a United States proposal to widen the restrictions to the whole country. The decision was taken in New York on Thursday and keeps the current sanctions framework in place until 11 December. Council members also renewed the mandate of the panel of experts that monitors the measures until 11 January 2027.The 15-member council unanimously adopted Resolution 2830, which officials described as a short-term technical rollover. The sanctions regime was last renewed for only one month on 11 September, and the latest... [Continue Reading]
Syria calls for probe as Black Sea cargo ship sinks after reported attack
Syria has called for an independent and transparent investigation into the sinking of the Togolese-flagged cargo ship Alfa Watan in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. The appeal comes as 10 crew members remain unaccounted for, including nine Syrians and one Egyptian. Syrian authorities also questioned why search and rescue operations were halted before the sailors were found.Mazen Aloush, from Syria's port authority, asked the International Maritime Organization and Bulgarian authorities to establish why the search was called off. He said the fate of the missing crew was still unknown and urged officials to use all available technical means to locate and... [Continue Reading]
Siberia plague scare deepens as hospital observation and surveillance widen
A plague scare in the Siberian town of Shelekhov has widened after a woman died last week and local residents were kept under observation in hospital. The case has centred on a 28-year-old laboratory worker, Darya Shipilova, who was reported to have died after falling ill in the same town. Russian authorities have continued to downplay the episode, saying she died of pneumonia of unknown cause and denying any link to her work at the Irkutsk anti-plague institute.People in the town described being kept inside for days while officials monitored contacts and restricted movement in some parts of the community.... [Continue Reading]
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Malaysia says it will back Myanmar's ASEAN reintegration after talks in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia's prime minister has said his government will do "whatever is possible" to help Myanmar return to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, after hosting talks in Kuala Lumpur with Myanmar's military-backed leader Min Aung Hlaing. The meeting took place during a two-day visit, the first by Min Aung Hlaing to Malaysia since he became president in April. It comes as Malaysia continues to engage directly with Myanmar despite long-running criticism over the country's political and human rights situation.Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia would work to strengthen cooperation and eventually bring Myanmar back into the regional bloc "without prejudice", according to... [Continue Reading]
Kenya tightens Ebola screening after first death linked to cross-border travel
The World Health Organization says Kenya is strengthening disease surveillance and introducing more targeted screening at high-risk points of entry after the country reported its first death from Ebola. The case is linked to a patient who first became ill in the Democratic Republic of Congo, then travelled over land through Uganda before flying to Nairobi. The development has raised concern that the outbreak, which began in eastern Congo earlier this year, may be moving further across borders than previously understood.According to the WHO, the patient had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was treated there before... [Continue Reading]
Day News Recap: Ukraine toll rises as Middle East tensions, Iran pressure and global probes widen
Ukraine said at least 20 people were killed in overnight Russian strikes that spread across central and eastern parts of the country, with rescue work continuing after the attacks. ๐In the Middle East, Yemen's conflict escalated again as Houthi missiles and drones targeted Aden International Airport, forcing a passenger flight diversion, while Saudi forces said they intercepted a missile near Riyadh and no casualties were reported. ๐ ๐ ๐Yemen's internationally recognised government also said it had launched Operation Dawn of Yemen and pushed a renewed offensive on the Red Sea coast, including moves near Bab al Mandeb and an assault... [Continue Reading]
Breakfast News Recap: Russia widens strikes as Yemen front heats up and Sudan rejects talks
Russia carried out a wide overnight strike on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, with Ukrainian officials confirming at least two deaths as Moscow described the assault as a massive strike. ๐In Sudan, army chief Abdel Fattah al Burhan rejected negotiations and vowed to retake every area held by the Rapid Support Forces, as the conflict widened further. ๐Yemen saw a sharp escalation on several fronts. The internationally recognised government said Houthi missiles and drones targeted Aden International Airport, forcing the diversion of a passenger flight, while another report said two missiles hit the airport early Wednesday with no casualties... [Continue Reading]
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New Zealand probes alleged flydubai hijacker's flight training history
New Zealand police have opened an investigation into the background of the flydubai co-pilot accused of trying to hijack an Israel-bound flight, after confirming he spent 175 days in the country for flight training. The move adds a new country to the widening international inquiry into Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, following the alleged mid-air attack on 30 September. The flight was carrying 182 people when passengers and crew intervened to stop the incident.Police assistant commissioner Michael Johnson said the man was in New Zealand on a student visa from 30 November 2018 to 23 May 2019. He said police... [Continue Reading]
Russia plague case under close US monitoring as hospital quarantine continues in Irkutsk
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is aware of and closely monitoring a suspected pneumonic plague case in Russia, after the unexplained death of a 28-year-old laboratory worker in Siberia. Russian authorities have quarantined a hospital in the Irkutsk region and are tracing the woman's contacts. Local media reports also say nearly 200 people have been placed under medical observation.The CDC said the reported case remains unconfirmed, but stressed that plague is a serious bacterial disease that can be treated with antibiotics if recognised early. It said rapid identification and treatment of infected people are... [Continue Reading]
Russia responds as questions continue over Siberian plague lab death
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has again urged people not to "listen to various rumours" after the death of a laboratory technician at a plague research centre in Siberia. He said the public should rely only on information from Russia's public health watchdog, which has given the official cause of death as pneumonia of unknown origin. The comments came as Russian officials continued to face questions over the case and its handling.The latest remarks follow renewed attention on the death at the anti-plague institute in Siberia, which has prompted concern because of the sensitive nature of the work carried out there.... [Continue Reading]
UN rights council condemns attacks on civilians in Sudan and calls for immediate truce
The United Nations Human Rights Council has condemned drone strikes and other attacks on civilians in Sudan and called for an immediate ceasefire in the country's war. The resolution was adopted in Geneva as fighting intensified in North Kordofan, where the World Food Programme said an air attack hit a truck carrying food supplies and killed one person. The council also extended the mandate of its independent fact-finding mission, keeping international scrutiny on alleged abuses by both sides.The 47-member council voted 28 to 10, with nine abstentions, to renew the mission investigating violations in Sudan. The resolution demanded an immediate... [Continue Reading]
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US monitoring suspected plague case in Siberia as Russian officials report no wider spread
US officials said they were continuing to watch the death of a Russian laboratory technician at a plague research centre in Siberia, after new details emerged from Russian authorities. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was monitoring the case closely, while President Donald Trump said the US had not discussed it with the Kremlin but would help if needed. The comments came as Russian officials repeated that they had found no sign of an emergency at the institute.Irkutsk governor Igor Kobzev said the woman's cause of death had been listed as pneumonia of undetermined etiology and that no micro-organisms... [Continue Reading]
Dozens quarantined in Siberia after plague-related death at research institute
Authorities in Russia's Irkutsk region have quarantined dozens of people after the death of a laboratory worker at an anti-plague research institute in Siberia. The case has prompted an official inspection and renewed public concern about a disease that remains present in parts of the region. Officials said the situation was under control, while local media identified the woman as Darya Shipilova, an employee at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East.Regional governor Igor Kobzev said a special expert commission had found that the cause of death was pneumonia of undetermined origin. He added that the... [Continue Reading]
North Korea says missile test was designed to evade defences as tensions with South Korea rise
North Korea said it test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile from the eastern coastal Wonsan area, describing the launch as a demonstration of a weapon it says can manoeuvre in flight to evade missile defences. The announcement came as tensions with South Korea remained elevated over landmine explosions near the border. South Korean and Japanese authorities both tracked the launch, which was reported on Saturday morning.Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said he oversaw the test and called the missile "strategic", a term that suggests it is intended to carry nuclear warheads. She also claimed... [Continue Reading]


