Ethiopia's Tigray fighting deepens as UAE backs government and Saudi role comes under scrutiny
Renewed fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region is drawing in wider regional interests, with the United Arab Emirates publicly backing the federal government and Saudi Arabia's diplomatic role coming under fresh scrutiny. The escalation has raised concern that the conflict could spread beyond Tigray into neighbouring Afar and Amhara, while tensions with Eritrea add to fears of a broader confrontation. The developments also put renewed pressure on the November 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, which was intended to end the war between Ethiopia's government and Tigrayan forces.On 25 September, the UAE condemned attacks by the Tigray People's Liberation Front and allied armed... [Continue Reading]
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EU adds three people and four entities to DPRK sanctions list over Russia ties
The Council today adopted additional restrictive measures against three individuals and four entities under its autonomous sanctions list on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). They are responsible for supporting, promoting or facilitating activities that contribute to the DPRK's programmes related to nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles or other weapons of mass destruction, as well as for violating and evading United Nations sanctions. The new listings target activities linked to the growing military and economic cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including the deployment of DPRK workers in Russia, commercial and industrial cooperation and the 'arms-for-oil' trade, all in violation... [Continue Reading]
Heavy fighting on Yemen desert front lines against Houthis in Lahj governorate
Pro-government forces in Yemen say they have recently pushed Houthi fighters out of part of a desert battlefield in Lahj governorate, as fighting continues near the front line at Shaab-al-Jinn. Commanders described the area as a shifting line of sandbagged positions where progress is difficult to measure, even after days of combat. The account comes from a front that sits close to the Bab al-Mandab corridor, a strategic waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.A commander with the Southern Forces, Tawfiq Al Haboun, said there had been heavy fighting and described the Houthis as having snipers, artillery... [Continue Reading]
Diesel prices surge as Iran war and Ukraine refinery strikes squeeze global supply
Global diesel markets are under renewed pressure as supply disruptions linked to the war involving Iran and Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities continue to reduce exports. The latest reporting says the fall in diesel shipments has helped push prices higher in the United States, the United Kingdom and other markets. The issue has become a wider economic concern because diesel is central to road freight, shipping and other parts of the supply chain.The supplied material says United States President Donald Trump has blamed Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries for part of the global reduction in diesel exports, while... [Continue Reading]
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Iran threatens US-UAE oil shuttle operations in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran has signalled that it intends to disrupt a shuttle system moving crude oil beyond the Strait of Hormuz, escalating pressure on a maritime route that remains central to global energy flows. Iranian authorities said the system, which they described as Arab-operated and assisted by the United States, is now an explicit target. The warning comes as the Strait has been largely closed to shipping after earlier attacks, with exports rerouted through a route reportedly opened by the US Navy.Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei said on Sunday night that the shuttle operation involved smaller vessels transferring oil to larger tankers.... [Continue Reading]
Saudi Arabia vows serious response after Houthi airport attacks as conflict widens
Yemen's Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for an attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others. The strike came a day after another attack that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, according to the supplied reporting. The attacks have been described as one of the most significant disruptions to Saudi civil aviation in years and the deadliest assault on Saudi soil in more than a decade.The latest violence comes as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have also struck Sanaa airport and other areas in Houthi-held territory. Houthi-run media reported... [Continue Reading]
Global energy crisis deepens as IEA warns of prolonged strain from Iran-US war
The head of the International Energy Agency has said the world is facing the biggest energy crisis ever, with the disruption now stretching beyond seven months and little sign of relief. Fatih Birol said the US-Israel war on Iran has helped drive the crisis by disrupting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carries about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. He said the result has been higher fuel prices, interrupted supply chains and growing concern about a serious energy shortage.Birol said global oil stocks are falling fast, while governments have already been forced to... [Continue Reading]
One killed and 11 injured in latest projectile strike on Riyadh airport
A projectile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, killing one person and injuring 11, according to Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority. The strike hit terminals 3 and 4, which serve domestic flights, and prompted immediate damage assessments and safety inspections. The airport has now been hit four times in five days, underscoring the repeated targeting of a major aviation hub.The General Authority of Civil Aviation said the person who died was a Pakistani resident. It said the injured were taken to several hospitals for treatment. A witness on board a taxiing aircraft said the projectile landed near... [Continue Reading]
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Day News Recap: Deadly Gulf attacks, Ukraine strikes and global unrest dominate a grim day
Repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and wounded 309, leaving Riyadh's airport shut as the fallout widened and Donald Trump said the United States may join Saudi strikes on the Houthis. π πSecurity in the Gulf deteriorated further as attacks and warnings spread around the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, where an Iranian Guard report said a petrol tanker hit a naval mine and exploded, and US forces later disabled a cargo ship that allegedly ignored repeated warnings. π π π Shipping firms were also said to be offering captains... [Continue Reading]
Strait of Hormuz attacks intensify as vessel incidents spread across Gulf of Oman
Attacks and warnings involving commercial shipping have intensified around the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, according to reports from the area on Sunday. An unnamed crude oil supertanker was said to have hit a naval mine and suffered a major fire while using an unauthorised route with its navigation systems turned off. Separate reports also described an unidentified projectile striking a tanker heading outbound through the Strait of Hormuz, while another vessel was disabled in the Gulf of Oman.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said the supertanker had ignored the "security and rules" of the strategic waterway... [Continue Reading]
Breakfast News Recap: Saudi airport strike deepens Gulf tensions as storms, conflict and disease spread
Saudi Arabia has vowed a decisive response after a Houthi strike on Riyadh's international airport killed at least a dozen people and wounded more than 300, with authorities later saying the airport was hit again and operations were briefly suspended. π πIn the wider Gulf, a petrol tanker exploded after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, while US forces disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after it allegedly ignored repeated warnings, underlining the pressure on shipping routes linked to the Iran blockade dispute. π πShipping firms are now reportedly offering captains premiums of... [Continue Reading]
Yemen's Taiz hospitals near collapse as siege deepens
Yemen's Ministry of Public Health and Population says hospitals in Taiz are at risk of shutting down as fuel, medicines and other supplies run critically low under the Houthi siege. The warning comes as the city in southwestern Yemen faces what the ministry called an imminent health and humanitarian catastrophe. It said emergency care, surgery, intensive care, dialysis and neonatal services could stop if the blockade continues.The ministry said medicines, intravenous fluids, medical supplies and fuel at health facilities in Taiz are nearing depletion. It added that shortages could affect electricity generators, ambulances and the cold chains needed to keep... [Continue Reading]
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US forces disable cargo ship in Gulf of Oman amid Iran blockade enforcement
United States forces have disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after its crew allegedly ignored repeated warnings and tried to continue through regional waters after leaving an Iranian port. The US military said a fighter jet struck the stern of the Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica, also known as the Arika Sun, with a precision munition. According to the statement, the strike fully disabled the ship's propulsion without harming the crew.The incident was described as part of an ongoing naval blockade enforcement campaign against ships entering or leaving Iranian ports. US Central Command said its forces resumed... [Continue Reading]
Tanker explodes after hitting mine in Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Guard says
A petrol tanker exploded and caught fire after striking a naval mine while crossing the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The incident was reported on Saturday and involved one of the world's most important oil transit routes. No independent confirmation of the circumstances has been provided so far.The Guard did not disclose the vessel's name, flag or origin. It also gave no details on possible casualties or the extent of the damage. Iranian state media carried the account, but the available information remains limited and unverified by outside sources.The reported blast comes amid a sharp rise in... [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]
Iran strikes tankers outside Hormuz in signs of expanding campaign
Iran's armed forces struck two commercial tankers outside the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours this week, in what appeared to be a deliberate widening of attacks beyond the narrow waterway. The incidents took place in waters off Qatar and near Fujairah in the Gulf of Oman, both outside the strait that is central to global energy shipping. The reported attacks have raised concern that maritime insecurity in the region may be spreading into a broader area.The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said several projectiles hit the oil and chemical tanker Acers, which was flagged in Antigua and Barbuda, 51... [Continue Reading]
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G7 to release 100 million barrels of emergency oil and diesel stocks amid shortage
The Group of Seven has agreed to release 100 million barrels of oil and diesel from emergency stockpiles over four months in response to tightening fuel supply. The move is aimed at easing diesel shortages that are pushing up transport costs and putting pressure on household budgets. Diesel is used widely in freight, farming and other parts of the economy, so shortages can quickly spread beyond fuel markets.The confirmed release was reported on 8 October 2026 and is intended to help stabilise supply as market conditions worsen. The amount involved is equivalent to about one day of global oil demand,... [Continue Reading]
Tanker hit by multiple projectiles off Qatar coast, UKMTO says
A tanker sailing off the north coast of Qatar was struck by multiple projectiles on Wednesday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency. The incident took place about 94 kilometres north of Madinat ash Shamal, within Qatar's exclusive economic zone. UKMTO said casualties were reported and that authorities were investigating the attack.The agency did not say how many people were killed or injured, and it did not identify the vessel or say where it was registered. It also did not give any indication of who may have carried out the attack. Qatar has not publicly commented on the... [Continue Reading]
Oil and stocks swing on renewed Iran war fears and Middle East supply concerns
Oil prices moved sharply on Wednesday as traders reacted to renewed fears of disruption to Middle East supply routes. Prices rose after reports that Iran appeared to be stepping up attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, then fell later in the session after officials signalled that more reserves could be released if needed. The swings also fed through to US financial markets, where stocks weakened and government bond yields climbed to their highest levels in more than two decades.The immediate trigger was a warning cited in the supplied material that tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz may... [Continue Reading]
Hardline Iranian MPs move to impeach foreign minister over UN talks
Hardline lawmakers in Iran have filed a motion to impeach Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over his talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month. The move has exposed a public split inside the Islamic Republic over whether to pursue negotiations with Washington. Parliamentary officials said the request has been registered, but it has not yet been referred for further consideration or placed on the agenda.The motion centres on a meeting held on 22 September, which the lawmakers behind it say took place without authorisation from Iran's top... [Continue Reading]
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Yemeni government forces launch offensive to retake strategic al-Waziiya district in Taiz
Forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognised government have launched an operation to capture the mountainous district of al-Waziiya in Taiz governorate from the Houthis. The fighting is part of a wider push to regain territory along Yemen's Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The district is seen as strategically important because of its position west of Taiz and east of the port of Mocha.The army media centre said the Homeland Shield Forces, a pro-government military faction, had begun a large-scale operation to retake al-Waziiya. It said government forces had secured strategic hills overlooking the al-Mansoura area and described... [Continue Reading]
Russian oil tanker explodes off Sochi, sending smoke over Black Sea coast
A Russian oil tanker has exploded off the coast of Sochi, with smoke visible for miles over the Black Sea holiday resort. The incident was reported on Tuesday night, according to the supplied material, but no cause was given. Ukraine had not claimed responsibility at the time of reporting.The explosion comes as Ukraine's president announced new sanctions packages targeting the supply of critical components and equipment used in weapons production to Russia. The same briefing also included details on electronic warfare systems intended to help protect infrastructure. The supplied material says the president described this part of the defence effort... [Continue Reading]
Pakistan and Turkiye move to support Saudi deterrence against Houthis as pact takes effect
The defence arrangement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye has now been activated, with the three countries agreeing to move agreed forces and capabilities into Saudi Arabia. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Monday, according to a joint statement shared by Pakistan's Foreign Office. The statement said the committee had decided to begin practical implementation of collective-defence commitments and to ensure rapid deployment in line with approved arrangements and national legislation.The latest reporting adds that the pact, signed in August and sometimes referred to as the Mecca pact, is now in force for the first... [Continue Reading]



