The Rest of the World Podcast

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ICE SHOOTING IN MARBLE HILL

U.S. immigration agents shot and wounded a man in his car on Thursday with a 5-year-old child present.

The shooting happened at around 4 p.m. Eastern in the Marble Hill neighborhood of New York City. The Department of Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were conducting a targeted enforcement operation in the Bronx. Their alleged aim was to arrest a man from the Dominican Republic with a prior criminal conviction. The department said an ICE officer discharged his weapon and the man was injured. It said he is alive at a local hospital.

Mayor Mamdani said early reports indicate agents surrounded the man and the child before firing multiple rounds. He said the child was believed to be physically unharmed. He called it an “unconscionable and incredibly serious situation.” He wants all ICE enforcement actions in the city to end.

A witness said he heard shots and went outside. He saw three or four cars and several officers in ICE attire. He said the man appeared to be between 20 and 30 years old. He said police arrived about ten minutes later. He said the man was removed from the car only after an ambulance arrived.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Federal immigration agents have shot at least 21 people since President Donald Trump returned to office. Seven of them died.

Sources: Spokesman-Review (U.S. regional newspaper; Reuters copy; location, DHS statement, Mamdani, witness, shooting count)

81 AIRCRAFT LOST IN IRAN WAR

A Congressional Research Service report says 81 U.S. aircraft have been destroyed or damaged in the war with Iran.

The report was released this week. It puts the total cost of the aircraft between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion. It cites figures from the Congressional Budget Office for the cost.

The MQ-9 Reaper drone accounts for more than half of the losses. The list also includes an F-35A fighter jet and an E-3 Sentry, the radar-domed surveillance plane.

Some of the aircraft in the count may have been returned to service.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: The Congressional Budget Office put the top of that range, $3.3 billion, at the cost of replacing all the lost equipment. That assumes the Pentagon sought emergency funding.

Sources: NewsChannel 5 (U.S. local television; CNN Wire copy; aircraft count, cost range, MQ-9 share, return to service); Military Times (U.S. defense trade publication; CBO range and emergency-funding condition)

FIRING SQUAD, LIVESTREAMED

The Pentagon said Thursday that the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan will be livestreamed.

Hasan is a former Army psychiatrist. He killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. A military jury sentenced him to death in 2013. The Army says the execution will take place at Fort Hood on December 3.

It would be the first execution by firing squad in the U.S. military since 1945. The last U.S. military execution of any kind was in 1961, by hanging.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the firing squad. He told a conservative media outlet this week that he wants the public to be able to watch. Asked about any final requests from Hasan, he said, “We’ll see him on Dec. 3.”

Eugene Fidell is a military law expert who lectures at Yale Law School. He said that as far as he knew, livestreaming an execution would be unprecedented. He said Hasan would need to sue in federal court to block it.

Amnesty International knew of at least 17 public executions in 2025. Eleven were in Iran and six were in Afghanistan.

🌍 Translator’s Note: RTÉ, Ireland’s public broadcaster, framed the story by what other countries do. It reported that experts know of no other internationally recognised state that televises or livestreams a legal execution. It named Iran and Taliban-run Afghanistan as countries known to have held public executions in recent years. It also set the plan against Ireland’s own record. Executions there were carried out on prison grounds, and the last was in 1954.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Experts say the last legally sanctioned public execution in the United States was in 1936.

Sources: MPR News (U.S. public radio; AP copy; livestream, date, Amnesty count, 1961 execution, Hegseth); RTÉ (Ireland, public broadcaster; Fidell, 1945 and 1936 dates, other countries, Irish record)

BRIEFS

Saudi Arabia says three died in Thursday’s Houthi attacks. Saudi authorities said Friday that three people were killed, one of them a Saudia Airlines employee. Many airlines canceled flights to Riyadh, and air traffic has since returned to normal. The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed three missile launch platforms used by the Houthis. Sources: Investing.com (U.S.-based financial site; Reuters copy; toll, Saudia employee, flights, coalition)

Most of Kyiv lost power Thursday night. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Thursday’s Russian drone strikes killed four people and injured at least 19 in Kyiv, up from earlier reports. Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said an energy facility important to the city was attacked. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Ukrainian delegation will meet U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the United States on Friday. They will discuss an energy and Black Sea ceasefire. Sources: Kyiv Independent (Ukraine; outages, Shmyhal, Klitschko toll); Kyiv Independent (Ukraine; delegation, Witkoff and Kushner)

Witnesses report Eritrean soldiers in Tigray. Two residents of Adigrat, in Tigray, said they saw trucks carrying dozens of Eritrean soldiers drive through the town on Wednesday morning. The accounts could not be independently verified. Eritrea’s information minister, Yemane Gebremeskel, denied Eritrean forces were there. He called the accounts “part of an Ethiopian plan to justify a war of aggression against its smaller neighbour.” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Monday that landlocked Ethiopia must have access to the Red Sea. Sources: The Star (Malaysia; Reuters copy; Adigrat witnesses, Eritrean denial); ABC News (U.S. television network; AP copy; Abiy on Red Sea)

New York Fed: tariffs added 2.9 points to goods inflation. By February 2026, tariffs had added 2.9 percentage points to goods price inflation. Without them, goods prices would have fallen slightly, the authors wrote. Economists Mary Amiti, Sebastian Heise and David Weinstein published the analysis this week. Their sample is 67 non-oil goods categories. Sources: Liberty Street Economics (U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of New York research blog; Amiti, Heise, Weinstein)

NUMBERS AT PUBLICATION

🇮🇷 Iran: 3,684 killed 🇱🇧 Lebanon: 4,386 killed, 12,413 wounded 🇮🇱 Israel: 1,200+ killed, ~5,400 wounded 🇺🇸 US military: 23 killed, 861 wounded 🇵🇸 Gaza: 74,412+ killed, 5,060+ wounded (since ceasefire) 🇵🇸 West Bank: 322 killed (incl. 74 children), 5,927 wounded (incl. 946 children) since January 2025 🛢️ Brent crude: $102.80/barrel ⛽ US gas: $4.37/gallon

Sources: Lebanon MOPH; gazacasualties.org (Gaza total); oilprice.com (Brent); AAA (US gas).

“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1789

The Rest of the World Report | October 8, 2026 — Evening Edition

The View From Everywhere Else

Weekday morning and evening editions. Saturdays once. Good news on Sundays. All sources labeled.

STUDENTS RETURN TO BASTILLE

Tens of thousands of people filled Place de la Bastille in Paris on Thursday. They demanded better schools and an end to police violence.

A wire-service journalist at the square counted “several tens of thousands.” The Interior Ministry counted 71,500 demonstrators nationwide. More than 500 people were detained.

Editor’s note, from Paris: ROTWR’s editor was in the march. At least ten thousand people filled the mile from République to Bastille, in the editor’s account. Teachers and union members walked on the outer edge. The crowd sang La Marseillaise. The demands were more resources, safer buildings and more teachers. At Bastille, thousands more arrived from many directions. Students swarmed Bally Bagayoko when he arrived.

Bagayoko is the mayor of Saint-Denis. He was tear-gassed on Tuesday. Videos showed him standing between students and riot police. He told RTL that France risked a “serious human tragedy” if tensions kept rising. He called for de-escalation and negotiation.

The Paris police prefecture described the afternoon. At about 4:20 p.m., it said, paving stones and fireworks mortars were thrown at police on rue de la Bastille. No one was hurt. Half an hour later, about twenty people it called black bloc threw street furniture. Police answered with a water cannon and tear gas. The square was cleared by early evening.

The movement has already moved the government. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 3,000 replacement teachers are not currently in front of students. They are to be deployed in the coming hours and days. He said 114 high schools are rated red and 400 orange. He promised an emergency plan within hours or days.

It is one of several moves this week. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu set out five workstreams, including teacher absences and building conditions. He said the government’s student platform has collected more than 40,000 contributions. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez suspended the use of stun grenades in policing protests.

The Education Ministry’s morning projection counted 375 of France’s 3,700 schools suspended in whole or in part. It said 224 were fully closed. That is 30 percent fewer than at the same hour Wednesday. Ryad Rani, president of the National Union of High School Students, said 2,000 high schools were shut.

Unions and students called a new strike and march for Tuesday, October 13. The FSU, the leading education federation, asked all education and university staff to strike. Sabrine Kharbach, a spokesperson for Union Étudiante, said the mobilization will continue until 10 billion euros are on the table.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: French students and teachers marched in Paris on Thursday. The Interior Ministry counted 71,500 demonstrators nationwide. The government promised 3,000 replacement teachers. A new strike and march is set for October 13.

Sources: 20 Minuten (Switzerland; live blog; Geffray’s announcements, ministry school counts); BFMTV (France, commercial news channel; Lecornu’s address from Matignon, October 7); TRT World (Türkiye, state-funded; AFP copy; Bastille crowd, police tear gas); IBTimes Singapore (Singapore; Bagayoko tear-gassed Tuesday, RTL remarks); Sortiraparis (France; October 13 strike and march, FSU call, Kharbach)

KRAMATORSK

A Russian glide bomb killed at least 33 people in Kramatorsk on Thursday morning, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said.

The bomb hit two minibuses. Fire broke out in both. Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin said 18 more people were injured. He said Russians are targeting civilians. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the toll could rise. He said the strike will not go without a response.

Russia launched 142 Shahed-type drones overnight into Thursday, Ukraine’s air force said. Eighty-two were jet-powered. Air defenses downed or suppressed 126.

Kyiv was hit again. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported three killed and at least 13 injured in the morning attacks. The Kyiv City Military Administration reported four killed and 21 injured across four districts overnight. DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, announced emergency power shutdowns in the Brovary, Buchanskyi, Vyshgorod and Boryspil districts. The administration warned of water interruptions on the right bank of the city.

The attack followed Wednesday’s mass strike on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 74th birthday. At least 30 people were killed and 117 injured across Ukraine. Russia launched 48 cruise missiles and 130 drones. The air force said 39 missiles and 117 drones were shot down or suppressed. Strikes hit 18 locations.

Pryluky, in Chernihiv region, took the heaviest toll. A cruise missile hit a residential building. At least 22 people were killed, five of them children. At least 54 were injured, including seven children. Four of the dead children were named as Oleksandr, Kyrylo, Serhiy and Maksym, who was eight.

Kremenchuk had two killed and 47 injured. Oleksandriya had two killed, three injured and one man missing. Kyiv had at least four killed and 13 injured.

Diplomacy has not moved. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Kathimerini, a Greek newspaper, on Thursday that no negotiated settlement is in prospect. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters, “There are currently no plans to hold talks in this format.”

U.S. envoys traveled to Kyiv and Moscow in early September. That produced an agreement in principle on a trilateral meeting of Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. A month later, the meeting remains uncertain.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Roger Wicker wrote to the administration. They urged it to enforce the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. It was signed September 18. Most provisions take effect October 18. The EU and UK have designated more than 600 shadow-fleet vessels. The U.S. has designated 216.

Sources: Kyiv Independent (Ukraine; Kramatorsk toll, Filashkin, Zelenskyy); Kyiv Independent (Ukraine; overnight drones, Klitschko and city administration tolls, DTEK, water); Kyiv Independent (Ukraine; October 7 strikes, tolls by city, children named); Kyiv Independent (Ukraine; Rubio’s Kathimerini remarks, Ryabkov, envoy trips); Kyiv Independent (Ukraine; Shaheen and Wicker letter, sanctions act, vessel counts)

THREE DEAD AT SAUDI AIRPORTS

Three people were killed and 36 injured in attacks on two Saudi airports, Saudi civil aviation authorities said.

Two women, a Moroccan and an Algerian, were killed at Abha airport. Twenty-eight people were injured there. A Sudanese man was killed at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Eight people were injured there.

On Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh. A third missile was aimed at Khamis Mushayt. Saudi Civil Defense said debris from a Houthi missile intercepted over Riyadh damaged a kindergarten and a medical clinic complex. It did not say whether anyone was hurt.

Pakistan’s Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed Pakistani forces are in Saudi Arabia. He said they are there “in multiple capabilities and domains.” Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement on August 7. Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye is assessing its help under the pact, particularly on air defenses. He said work on sending the pact’s text to the Turkish parliament for ratification is finalized.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Three people died in attacks on two Saudi airports. Pakistan has confirmed forces in the kingdom. Türkiye says it is assessing its help under a three-nation defense pact signed in August.

Sources: Arab News (Saudi Arabia; airport casualty figures); Arab News (Saudi Arabia; Thursday interceptions, kindergarten and clinic); Arab News (Saudi Arabia; Pakistan, Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, Fidan)

BRITAIN’S JERUSALEM CONSULATE

Britain’s consulate in Jerusalem will stay open as a UK Mission, British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband said.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the British consul general and 20 diplomats will leave Israel. Operations in Jerusalem would be limited to seven staff members. Sources said the order affects around 30 British diplomats and their family members.

Britain will take no reciprocal action while the two sides engage in talks. The Foreign Office reaffirmed its position that East Jerusalem is occupied territory. The mission will remain independent, operational and serving the Palestinian people.

Britain’s presence in the city dates back almost 200 years, before Israel was established in 1948.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Britain is keeping its Jerusalem consulate open as a UK Mission. Israel says the consul general and 20 diplomats must leave. Britain says it will not retaliate.

Source: Arab News (Saudi Arabia; Reuters copy; Miliband, Israeli Foreign Ministry, East Jerusalem position, consulate history)

DEPORTED TO COUNTRIES NOT THEIR OWN

Human Rights Watch reported Thursday that the U.S. has sent more than 500 people to African countries where they have no connections.

The group interviewed 24 third-country nationals. They were sent to Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini and South Sudan. Interviews ran from February to July. People described flights on which they were shackled, sometimes for 18 hours or more. They had no meaningful chance to contest their removals.

At least a dozen of those sent identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. They went to states that criminalize same-sex relations or public same-sex romantic conduct.

An Ethiopian man deported to Cameroon described the flight. “We were chained and handcuffed, legs, hands, stomach,” he said.

An unnamed U.S. official told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, “The point is to scare people.” Michael Garcia Bochenek, Human Rights Watch’s interim U.S. program director, said the policy is designed to cause human suffering. He urged African governments to terminate or suspend the agreements.

Burundi became the 15th African country to conclude such a deal. Forbidden Stories, a journalism consortium, estimates 25,000 people have been expelled worldwide under the program. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in December on whether the policy violates due process. For now, it has allowed the removals to continue.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Human Rights Watch says the U.S. has sent more than 500 people to African countries that are not their own. Many were shackled, sometimes for 18 hours or more. The Supreme Court hears arguments in December.

Sources: Human Rights Watch (U.S.-based rights group; report; interviews, shackling, LGBT deportees, Senate testimony, Bochenek, Supreme Court); Arab News (Saudi Arabia; AFP copy; Burundi, Forbidden Stories estimate)

THE OCTOBER 7 CALL RECORDS

An Israeli major general says someone tried to alter records of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s calls. They were from the morning of October 7, 2023.

Maj. Gen. Avi Gil made the claim to Israel Hayom. He said the attempt was allegedly made by Netanyahu’s chief of staff. He said he reported it to the attorney general. Gil suggested the aim may have been to move blame for that morning’s failures onto advisers.

Gil confirmed that a senior Egyptian intelligence official visited Israel shortly before the attack. Asked about a warning, he said he did not know what message was relayed. “Whoever met with someone or received something is still concealing it today,” he said.

Likud told Israel Hayom that Gil’s comments are part of an attempt to oust Netanyahu from power.

Excerpts ran Thursday. The full interview is expected over the weekend. Netanyahu is seeking re-election on October 27.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: An Israeli major general says someone tried to alter records of Netanyahu’s October 7 calls. Likud calls the claim an attempt to oust him. Israel votes October 27.

Source: Arab News (Saudi Arabia; AP copy; Gil interview excerpts, Likud response)

BRIEFS

Trump says the U.S. will not attack Iran before the midterms. He wrote Thursday that the U.S. will not attack Iran before the November 3 midterm elections. He said his team is having productive discussions with Iran. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that Iran is reviewing Washington’s response to its proposal and could reply within days, according to Tasnim. U.S. officials said Wednesday that the Pentagon instructed U.S. Central Command several days ago to conclude preparations. The directive did not include a date for strikes. Sources: Arab News (Saudi Arabia; AP copy; Trump post); Arab News (Saudi Arabia; Reuters copy; Araghchi, Tasnim); Axios (U.S.; Central Command directive)

NUMBERS AT PUBLICATION

🇮🇷 Iran: 3,684 killed 🇱🇧 Lebanon: 4,386 killed, 12,413 wounded 🇮🇱 Israel: 1,200+ killed, ~5,400 wounded 🇺🇸 US military: 23 killed, 861 wounded 🇵🇸 Gaza: 74,372+ killed, 5,060+ wounded (since ceasefire) 🇵🇸 West Bank: 322 killed (incl. 74 children), 5,927 wounded (incl. 946 children) since January 2025 🛢️ Brent crude: $103.90/barrel ⛽ US gas: $4.36/gallon

Sources: Lebanon MOPH; gazacasualties.org (Gaza total).

“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1789

Weekday morning and evening editions. Saturdays once. Good news on Sundays. All sources labeled.

HOUTHIS CLAIM SAUDI AIRPORT ATTACKS

The Houthis say they attacked airports in Riyadh and Abha overnight into Wednesday.

The group named King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha airport. It also named military facilities in the southwest. The airport claims have not been independently verified.

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile north of Riyadh. A coalition spokesman said it was tracking the launch platform over Sanaa and would destroy it.

In Yemen, the government says the Houthis fired ballistic missiles and drones at Aden International Airport. The transport ministry said at least two ballistic missiles and several drones targeted the runway and the terminal. One missile landed near the runway minutes before a flight from Cairo was due to land. The flight was diverted to Jeddah. The terminal was evacuated, and two planes were moved off the tarmac.

The Houthis said they struck Saudi military supplies arriving at the Badr camp near the airport.

On the ground, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have launched a counteroffensive. They are trying to retake the Red Sea port of Mocha and areas around the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The fighting is concentrated in Taiz province.

The U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia issued a security alert Wednesday. It cites the Houthis’ public threats against airports and airspace across the kingdom. It says “The military conflict has the potential to escalate.”

The Mission told U.S. citizens to exercise heightened vigilance. It said to expect possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions. It told them to check flight status with their airline and the airport. It advised against travel near the Yemen border. It told them to follow Saudi Civil Defense alerts.

U.S. government employees may not travel within 20 miles of the Yemen border. They need special authorization to travel to Jizan, Asir and Najran provinces. They need it for Qatif, Yanbu and Taif as well.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: The U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia has warned Americans in the kingdom that the conflict could escalate. Flights could be disrupted. The Houthis say they hit Riyadh and Abha airports. The claim has not been independently verified. U.S. government employees are barred from travel near the Yemen border.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Reuters copy; Houthi claims on Riyadh and Abha, Aden airport attack, coalition interception, counteroffensive); People Daily (Kenya; U.S. Mission alert text, travel restrictions, Houthi airport claims, Saudi authorities’ statement); Gulf News (UAE; U.S. Mission alert, advice to citizens, travel restrictions)

RUBIO’S HORMUZ CLAIM

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Iran has “lost complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz.

He spoke at a press conference in Athens. He said the strait is open and that oil flows are nearly back to prewar levels. He said Iran’s economy is in freefall under sanctions. He said Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

Kpler, a maritime intelligence firm, says Gulf oil flows excluding Iran passed 81 percent of prewar levels in September. Three maritime security sources counted at least 12 attacks on tankers around the strait from September 28 to October 5. That was the highest weekly level since the war began, they said. The International Maritime Organization recorded nine incidents that week.

On Tuesday, 12 crew members were injured on a Panama-flagged tanker crossing the strait. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said an unknown projectile hit it.

Late Wednesday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported a strike on a tanker. The tanker was 51 nautical miles (94 km) off Qatar’s north coast. It reported being hit by “multiple projectiles.” The agency did not give a casualty figure. Authorities are investigating. The origin of the projectiles was not identified.

Vice President JD Vance said in an interview that Iran should make a “meaningful” reduction in its enrichment capacity. Experts read that as a possible softening of the earlier U.S. demand that Iran give up enrichment entirely.

The International Atomic Energy Agency reports Iran has enriched uranium to 60 percent. Weapons-grade is roughly 90 percent.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called negotiations “futile.” He cited attacks that followed earlier talks. The war began February 28, two days after a third round of U.S.-Iran talks ended in Geneva. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on October 4 that only talks based on “justice and fairness” can end the war.

President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s late-September proposal to reopen the strait after seven days.

The war is in its eighth month.

🌍 Translator’s Note: Al Jazeera’s explainer on the new U.S. demands reads Vance’s remark as a possible opening. It cites experts who see a softer line on enrichment. It quotes Simon Mabon, a professor of international relations at Lancaster University. He says the prospect of Iran seeking a nuclear weapon has remained remote. He says Tehran’s priorities are sanctions, the blockade, frozen assets and regional conflicts, not enrichment. The explainer sets Iran’s September proposal beside the U.S. position.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Rubio says Iran has lost control of the strait. Shipping sources counted at least 12 tanker attacks around it in the week to October 5. That is the most since the war began. A tanker off Qatar reported being hit Wednesday. Vance has called for a cut in enrichment capacity, not an end to it.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; explainer by Caolán Magee; Vance, IAEA enrichment levels, Pezeshkian, Araghchi, Iran’s proposal, Kpler figure, Panama-flagged tanker, Mabon); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; timeline of talks before the February 28 strikes); The Times of Israel (Israel, right-centre; agency copy; Rubio’s remarks in Athens, tanker attack counts, IMO incidents); The Times of Israel (Israel, right-centre; AFP copy; UKMTO report of tanker off Qatar)

LECORNU SETS A DEADLINE

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Wednesday that first decisions on the school protests come at the end of October.

He spoke from Matignon, the prime minister’s office, on the student movement, fuel prices and the budget. This story covers the school portion.

Lecornu said the government has launched five workstreams. The first is classes when a teacher is absent. The second is building conditions, especially in heat. The third is the organization of the school year. The fourth is transparency in Parcoursup, the university admissions platform. The fifth is a clearer, renewed framework for lycée students to express themselves. He said that last item may be the students’ main demand.

He said the government’s consultation platform for students has collected more than 40,000 contributions. They concern mainly the organization of school time and the material conditions in schools. He said all of them will be published. Answers will be worked out with the regional councils. Dialogue sessions in each lycée continue from Thursday.

He said security forces have no instruction to confront students. Their mission is to protect people and property and to keep schools accessible. He said investigations into serious injuries to young people must establish the facts in full transparency.

He condemned the violence of recent days. He listed pupils and staff assaulted, police and gendarmes injured, and schools burned or damaged. He said politicians who use the anger for electoral battles take a grave responsibility.

On money, Lecornu said the 2027 budget raises education credits to 64 billion euros. That is 1.2 billion euros more than this year. He called education one of the few ministries whose credits rise. The National Assembly debates the education budget on November 12. That leaves a month, he said, to turn the students’ proposals into amendments.

He said he wants answers that are concrete, fast and funded. He said the government has eight months before the presidential election and will act pragmatically.

Students and unions are not waiting. A new day of student blockades and demonstrations is called for Thursday. Secondary teachers’ unions in the FSU federation have called teachers to strike and march alongside students. The CGT, Unsa, FO and Sud have joined the strike call. The education ministry counted 459 schools disrupted Wednesday, down from 891 the day before.

Editor’s note, from Paris: ROTWR’s editor will be at the Thursday protest. Based on the last three days, the editor expects tens of thousands of people in Paris. In the editor’s account, French television coverage watched Wednesday expected a similar turnout. It also said the movement is not going away soon.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: France’s prime minister said first decisions on the school protests come at the end of October. He set out five areas of work, including teacher absences and heat in school buildings. He said the education budget rises 1.2 billion euros next year.

Sources: BFMTV (France, commercial news channel; Lecornu’s full address from Matignon, October 7); Orange (France, portal; L’Express copy; Thursday strike call, unions joining, ministry school counts); Entrevue (France; teachers’ unions’ strike and march call for October 8)

KILLING IN BURQA

A Palestinian man was killed Wednesday in Burqa, north of Nablus, during a settler raid. Israeli troops accompanied the settlers.

The Palestinian Authority’s health ministry named him as Ali Al-Bazari, 44. It said nine others were injured “as a result of an assault by occupation forces and settlers.” An obituary identified Al-Bazari as a member of the Palestinian security forces.

The Israeli military gave a different account. It said troops and Border Police went to Burqa after reports of stones thrown at an Israeli civilian. The civilian was injured. It said a security officer and another civilian opened fire during the confrontation. It said a commander “neutralized” a man running toward him with a suspicious object. Several Palestinians were detained on suspicion of stone-throwing.

An Israeli newspaper reported that Palestinians attacked settlers from a nearby farm. One settler was hospitalized with a head injury. It said settlers then attacked Palestinians harvesting olives.

Burqa’s mayor, Ammar Salah, told reporters that young men clashed with settlers before forces opened live fire. The Palestinian Red Crescent said it treated three people wounded by live fire, one seriously, and five injured by beatings. It said Israeli forces beat ambulance crews and detained staff.

Other incidents were reported across the West Bank. In Deir Nidham, near Ramallah, settlers burned a car belonging to Andrey Khrzhanovskiy, a Russian-Israeli pro-Palestinian activist. No one was hurt. Settlers also spray-painted threats against the army’s Central Command chief and the head of the Shin Bet.

The Israeli military destroyed memorials to Palestinians it calls martyrs in Jenin, Yaabad and Nablus. Nablus’s deputy mayor said five were destroyed. In Biddu, it demolished the home of the man who killed Netanel Shukrun near Neve Tzuf last month. In Beit Duqqu, it demolished the home of Qadri Samara, a detainee accused of killing an Israeli settler last month. Troops also evacuated an outpost near Susya. Honenu, a legal aid group for settlers, said six people were arrested and police fired rubber bullets.

Schools and universities across the West Bank suspended classes, rescheduled them or moved online. The reason given was fear of settler attacks and military tension on the anniversary of October 7. Education directorates in most areas moved Wednesday’s classes to Tuesday, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The United Nations humanitarian office, OCHA, recorded more than 1,600 settler attacks by mid-September. They caused casualties, property damage or both across 275 Palestinian communities. That averages 6.7 a day, up from five a day in 2025. The Israeli military recorded 867 incidents of nationalistic crime and settler violence in 2025, up from 682 in 2024. The two counts use different definitions.

🌍 Translator’s Note: The Times of Israel reports Burqa through the Israeli military’s account and an Israel Hayom report that Palestinians attacked first. It also carries the Palestinian health ministry’s count. The New Arab tells the same day through the classrooms. It reports schools and universities closing, and it leads with OCHA’s count of settler attacks.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: A Palestinian man was killed in a West Bank village during a settler raid. Israeli troops were present. The Israeli military says there was a confrontation. The Palestinian Authority says he died in an assault by troops and settlers. The UN counts 6.7 settler attacks a day this year.

Sources: The Times of Israel (Israel, right-centre; AFP and ToI staff; Burqa killing, Israeli military account, Israel Hayom, mayor, Red Crescent, other incidents, 2025 and 2024 incident counts); The New Arab (UK-based; school and university closures, Wafa, OCHA settler-attack count)

BRIEFS

Christa Pike woke Tuesday as plans were being made to remove her from life support, her lawyer says. Randy Spivey said Pike is “angry and confused.” She cannot move her arms or swallow. She has pneumonia and a blood clot, and she is cognitively confused. Chancery Judge I’Ashea Myles in Nashville told the state to preserve evidence. Her lawyers want Gov. Bill Lee to commute her sentence. He has not said how he will respond. Source: Associated Press (wire; Pike’s condition, lawyer’s statement, court order, clemency request)

Maria del Carmen Abascal, 87, the woman whose eviction shook Spain, has died. She died Wednesday in a Madrid hospital. Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, confirmed it to a Spanish radio network and gave no cause. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez offered condolences. Protesters held a minute of silence at Puerta del Sol. The investment fund had agreed to let her return. The Madrid Tenants’ Union said the solution came too late. Unions have announced a general strike next month. Sánchez has called an early election for November 29. Source: Associated Press (wire; Abascal’s death, lawyer’s confirmation, political reaction, strike and election)

NUMBERS AT PUBLICATION

🇮🇷 Iran: 3,684 killed 🇱🇧 Lebanon: 4,386 killed, 12,413 wounded 🇮🇱 Israel: 1,200+ killed, ~5,400 wounded 🇺🇸 US military: 23 killed, 861 wounded 🇵🇸 Gaza: 74,372+ killed, 5,060+ wounded (since ceasefire) 🇵🇸 West Bank: 322 killed (incl. 74 children), 5,927 wounded (incl. 946 children) since January 2025 🇷🇺 Russia: 1.4 million total casualties (killed, wounded, missing)🇺🇦 Ukraine: 50,000 killed, 400,000 injured🛢️ Brent crude: $101.20/barrel ⛽ US gas: $4.37/gallon

Sources: Lebanon MOPH; gazacasualties.org (Gaza total); CSIS.

“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1789

I will never put the news behind a paywall. If you want to support keeping it free for everyone else, there’s a paid option. That’s all it is.

Weekday morning and evening editions. Saturdays once. Good news on Sundays. All sources labeled.

I will never put the news behind a paywall. If you want to support keeping it free for everyone else, there’s a paid option. That’s all it is.

STUN GRENADES SUSPENDED

France has suspended police use of stun grenades against student protesters.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced it Wednesday on RTL radio. A 15-year-old lost a hand on Monday after police fired a stun grenade. Police have opened 18 internal investigations into misconduct since the protests began, Nuñez said.

A police officer was charged Tuesday over the case of a 14-year-old in northwest Paris. A tear gas grenade hit the boy in the face at close range. He lost several teeth.

The interior ministry counted about 266,000 marchers across France on Tuesday, 56,000 of them in Paris. Student organisers said 450,000, with 100,000 in Paris. Police made 488 arrests, and 43 members of the security forces were wounded. More than 6,500 people have been arrested since the movement began. Most are minors.

Students in Lille, Marseille, Lyon, Paris, Clermont-Ferrand and Rennes joined the march in large numbers. Many had only gathered inside their schools before. Many were protesting for the first time. The mood was mostly good-natured. Clashes broke out at the end of the Paris march.

Students have blocked hundreds of schools since mid-September. They cite too few teachers, harsh timetables and run-down buildings that cannot cope with summer heatwaves.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has suspended high school classes across France for the rest of the week. He has ordered ministers to answer the students’ demands by the end of October. He will address the country Wednesday on the protests and public finances, his office said.

President Donald Trump wrote Tuesday that what is happening in France is “out of control mass migration.” He said it is not about schools. He tied it to Islam.

Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said open borders and unchecked immigration had helped fuel the frustration. He condemned the violence. Theo Wold, a former White House domestic policy official under Trump, said the violence is a consequence of mass immigration. Both spoke to Fox News. The same Fox report notes that Reuters and AP described a movement that began over school conditions.

In 2023, Fox paid Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million to settle a defamation suit over false claims about the 2020 election. Fox acknowledged the court’s rulings that those claims were false. The settlement came as the trial was about to open. A second suit, from Smartmatic, seeks $2.7 billion and remains pending.

Iran summoned France’s ambassador, Pierre Cochard, on Tuesday. Tehran accused France of “violent treatment” of protesters. The two countries expelled each other’s diplomats in August. Iran’s own protests in January left more than 3,000 dead, according to Iranian authorities. Those authorities blamed the United States and Israel.

Editor’s note, from Paris: ROTWR’s editor is in Paris. In the editor’s account, the unions, students, teachers and city officials on the front lines are asking for one thing. They want better conditions for learning. That means better schools, more teachers and more resources. The immigration and Islam framing in this story comes from Trump’s post and the U.S. officials quoted above.

🌍 Translator’s Note: Le Monde opens with the marchers, not the arrests. Its report draws on correspondents in Paris, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Nîmes, Rennes, Clermont-Ferrand and Tours. It describes students from all backgrounds, joined by parents, elected officials and union activists, in a mostly good-natured march. France 24 reports from a Marais barricade as well as the suburbs. Neither frames the protests around immigration. In both, the people interviewed talk about staffing, class sizes and buildings.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Trump says the French protests are not about schools and ties them to Islam. The students, teachers, unions and officials in the reporting describe a protest over school conditions. France has suspended stun grenades after a 15-year-old lost a hand.

Sources: France 24 (France, state-funded public broadcaster; stun grenade suspension, 18 investigations, student and teacher accounts, school blockades); Le Monde (France, centre-left; interior ministry and organiser counts, 488 arrests, first-time marchers, mood of the march); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Reuters copy; class suspension, Lecornu orders and statement, Trump post); Dawn (Pakistan, editorially independent; AFP copy; wounded officers, officer charged, AFP on Trump); Arab News (Saudi Arabia, note Gulf editorial environment; AFP copy; suspension, 15-year-old, 6,500 arrests, Lecornu address); Arab News (Saudi Arabia; AFP copy; Iran summons ambassador); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; 2023 Dominion settlement); ABC News (US; Smartmatic suit, $2.7 billion); Fox News (US, Tier 1 advocacy outlet, maximum caution; Waltz and Wold statements, Reuters and AP caveat)

OCTOBER 7, THREE YEARS ON

Three years ago today, Hamas-led fighters killed 1,221 people in Israel.

That figure comes from official Israeli tallies. The fighters took 251 hostages into Gaza. Forty-four were already dead.

Israel’s war in Gaza has since killed more than 74,200 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The ministry is under Hamas authority. The United Nations considers its figures reliable.

A ceasefire took effect last October. Israeli forces have killed more than 1,430 people in Gaza since, the ministry says. Israel says it controls more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of people still live in tents and temporary structures.

A United Nations commission of inquiry found in September 2025 that Israel’s military operations in Gaza constitute genocide. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, chaired by Navi Pillay, found genocidal intent. It held Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and President Isaac Herzog individually responsible. Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected the findings and called for the commission’s abolition.

The International Court of Justice has not ruled. South Africa’s genocide case against Israel is in written pleadings. Israel filed its counter-memorial in March 2026 and raised jurisdictional objections. South Africa’s reply is due November 22, 2027. Israel’s rejoinder is due May 22, 2029.

An Israeli strike in Gaza City overnight killed two people, Al-Shifa hospital reported. Gaza’s civil defence agency named one of them as Mohamed Tamous, a volunteer.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said Monday that Israeli operations damaged an estimated 82 percent of all buildings in Gaza between late 2023 and June 2026. It counted 201,290 buildings targeted and 134,422 destroyed. It said about 90 percent of water and sanitation infrastructure was damaged. About 90 percent of the 2.1 million residents have been displaced.

Defense Minister Israel Katz put the military on high alert Tuesday. He cited intelligence that Hamas intends to attack troops in Gaza on the anniversary. He warned Hamas and Gaza’s civilians would pay a price if troops were harmed. At Monday’s state memorial, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be no Hamas rule in Gaza. He vowed to keep targeting anyone involved in the attack or who held hostages.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday, “It is time for the ceasefire to become permanent.” He said the ceasefire has yet to deliver security, adequate humanitarian assistance or a credible path to recovery. Israel refuses to withdraw its troops until Hamas disarmament is verified. Hamas favors gradual disarmament.

In the West Bank, the olive harvest has begun under attack. On Tuesday Palestinians said a settler opened fire on people harvesting near Aqraba. Several were wounded and others were beaten. Among the wounded was AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh. The Israeli military did not immediately respond. No arrests were made.

In the Hebron Hills, a Palestinian family says settlers have besieged their home since Monday and set up a tent blocking the only road to it. In Burqa, near Ramallah, a house was burned overnight. Arrests for settler violence are highly rare and convictions less common.

Netanyahu has described the settler violence as the work of a small number of delinquents. Shin Bet chief David Zini told a cabinet meeting Sunday that he may reinstate administrative detention for violent Jewish extremists.

More than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since October 7, according to the Palestinian Authority’s health ministry. The Israeli military says the vast majority were gunmen, rioters or attackers. Sixty-seven civilians and Israeli security personnel have been killed in attacks in Israel and the West Bank in the same period.

On Tuesday, Israeli bulldozers demolished a five-story building in East Jerusalem’s At-Tur neighborhood. About 70 people lived there. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir oversaw the demolition and said the building had no permit. “I love hearing this noise. We demolish what is illegal,” he said in a video. The Jerusalem Governorate, a Palestinian local authority, called it forcible transfer.

Israel votes October 27.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Israel puts its dead at 1,221 and Gaza’s health ministry puts Gaza’s at more than 74,200. A ceasefire began last October, and the ministry says Israeli forces have killed more than 1,430 people in Gaza since. In the West Bank, Israeli reporting says arrests for settler attacks are rare.

Sources: Malay Mail (Malaysia; AFP copy; 1,221, hostages, Gaza ministry figures, Katz alert, Netanyahu); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; September 2025 commission finding, individual responsibility, Israel’s response); Government of South Africa (South Africa, Presidency statement, party to the case; May 2026 ICJ order, filing deadlines); Arab News (Saudi Arabia, note Gulf editorial environment; AFP copy; Guterres statement, disarmament positions); Arab News (Saudi Arabia; AFP copy; Gaza City strike); Arab News (Saudi Arabia; Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics figures); ElectionGuide (US, IFES election database; Knesset election date); The Times of Israel (Israel, right-centre; West Bank deaths and Israeli casualties since October 7, IDF characterization, Netanyahu); The Times of Israel (Israel, right-centre; Aqraba, Hebron Hills, Burqa, At-Tur demolition, Zini, Katz warning)

TRUMP’S LOS ANGELES REMARK

President Donald Trump said Monday, “Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego.”

He was speaking at a midterm rally in Grand Island, Nebraska. He had told the crowd that Americans should accept sacrifices to deny Iran a nuclear weapon. He called the cost very small and said the war would be over soon.

The remark seemed to refer to the war’s knock-on effects, including rising fuel and fertiliser prices.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said Trump was saying U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran had not been stopped. He called the criticism a “media freakout.” The White House rapid response account said Trump was saying the United States is fighting to stop Iran from being able to take out the two cities with a nuclear weapon.

California Governor Gavin Newsom called Trump deranged and dangerous. He cited the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles last year. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the nuclear annihilation of an American city is no laughing matter.

Jim Desmond, a Republican running for a House seat near San Diego, said he vehemently disagreed and that no American city is expendable. Representative Kevin Kiley, an independent who caucuses with Republicans, called the remarks “unhelpful.”

Los Angeles County has the largest Iranian-American community in the United States. The 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey counts 86,430 people of Iranian ancestry there. San Diego County has 17,138. The Migration Policy Institute found that 29 percent of Iranian immigrants in the United States lived in Los Angeles County in 2015 to 2019.

California has 52 House seats, the most of any state. The war began February 28 and is in its eighth month. No lasting ceasefire has been reached, and polls show the war is widely unpopular in the United States.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: The president said Monday that Iran could take out two California cities. The White House says he meant a nuclear Iran would threaten them. Democrats and some Republicans criticized the remark.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Reuters copy; Trump remarks, reading of the remark, White House response, Newsom, Desmond, Kiley, rally location); Social Explorer (US, data provider; 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey ancestry counts for Los Angeles and San Diego counties); Migration Policy Institute (US, nonpartisan research institute, analyst orientation noted; Iranian immigrant share in Los Angeles County, 2015 to 2019 census data); Al-Monitor (US-based, Middle East specialist, centrist; AFP copy; Cheung, rapid response account, Jeffries)

THE HORMUZ FOOD WARNING

The International Chamber of Commerce warns that cereal prices may rise by as much as 80 percent if there is no progress on unblocking the Strait of Hormuz.

John Denton, the group’s secretary-general, said available fertilizer capacity has fallen by nearly 40 percent since the strait was disrupted. That removed 2.7 million tons from the market. About one-third of global fertilizer shipments pass through the strait.

Developing and emerging economies will feel the hit first. The Philippines imports roughly 90 percent of its fertilizer.

Denton sits on the U.N. Task Force for the Strait of Hormuz. The task force has worked with U.N. agencies and the International Maritime Organization on a framework that would temporarily hand governance of the waterway to the U.N. Secretary-General. It was proposed in July. It would set up monitoring, inspections, maritime insurance and protocols for safe transit.

Denton said the mechanism is stalled by the gridlock between the United States and Iran. It cannot be deployed without a political agreement between them, he said.

Recurring Black Sea disruptions add to the pressure. So does severe El Niño weather, which is expected to disrupt harvests and drive up consumer inflation.

The war began February 28, when the United States and Israel struck Iran.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization measures prices as they stand. Its food price index rose 1.5 percent in September to 136.0. That is the highest reading since November 2022. The index remains 15.1 percent below its March 2022 peak.

The cereal index rose 5.1 percent on the month and 17.2 percent on the year. The agency tied the wheat rise largely to Black Sea shipping constraints and dry weather in North America. It said uncertainty over shipping through Hormuz kept concerns about fuel, fertilizer and freight costs elevated.

FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero said that if the pressures are sustained, they will soon pass through to consumer food prices, especially in countries that depend on imported food and energy.

President Donald Trump told a rally in Nebraska on Monday that high gas prices from the war are “a small price to pay.”

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: The International Chamber of Commerce says cereal prices may rise up to 80 percent if there is no progress on the strait. A U.N. plan to govern the waterway is stalled until the United States and Iran agree. The UN food agency’s cereal index is already up 17.2 percent on the year, with Black Sea disruption and weather also cited. The president has called high gas prices from the war a small price to pay.

Sources: Democracy Now! (US, independent nonprofit; relays the Wall Street Journal interview with Denton; Trump rally remark); The Wall Street Journal (US, centre-right, Tier 2 label; Kimberley Kao interview with Denton; 80 percent cereal estimate, fertilizer capacity down nearly 40 percent, 2.7 million tons removed, one-third of global fertilizer shipments, Philippines, U.N. task force and stalled mechanism, Black Sea, El Niño); Food and Agriculture Organization (UN agency, primary; September index, cereal index, causes cited); Reuters (wire, via bdnews24, Bangladesh; Torero statement, highest since November 2022)

NUMBERS AT PUBLICATION

🇮🇷 Iran: 3,684 killed 🇱🇧 Lebanon: 4,386 killed, 12,413 wounded 🇮🇱 Israel: 1,200+ killed, ~5,400 wounded 🇺🇸 US military: 23 killed, 861 wounded 🇵🇸 Gaza: 74,372+ killed, 5,060+ wounded (since ceasefire) 🇵🇸 West Bank: 322 killed (incl. 74 children), 5,927 wounded (incl. 946 children) since January 2025 🛢️ Brent crude: $101.80/barrel ⛽ US gas: $4.37/gallon

Sources: Lebanon MOPH; gazacasualties.org (Gaza total).

“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1789

Weekday morning and evening editions. Saturdays once. Good news on Sundays. All sources labeled.

INDIA’S TRADE PLATEAU

India’s finance minister says trade talks with Washington may have reached a plateau.

Nirmala Sitharaman said in remarks reported Monday that the negotiations are still ongoing. She said India would like to believe both sides have reached a plateau “beyond which giving or taking might be very very difficult.” The trade balance is very much in India’s favour, she said. Washington is trying to address its imbalance through other means, and tariffs have become a weapon.

Indian officials have asked Washington for two assurances. They want a tariff rate that compares favourably with India’s peers. They want no additional penalties after a deal is signed.

On Friday, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said he does not see a deal as imminent. He said both sides “truly have identified the universe of items that are sticking points.” He called his meeting with India’s commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, in Milwaukee very constructive.

A second clock sits behind the talks. President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on September 18, the White House said. Section 113 of the bill text says the president shall raise duties on all goods from a covered country. The rate is up to 100 percent. The deadline is 30 days after enactment. Thirty days from September 18 is October 18.

A country is covered if it knowingly makes new purchases after the 30-day mark. It must also be among the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas over the prior 12 months. The top five facilitators of sanctions evasion are covered too. The text names no countries. Section 115 lets the president waive the duties by certifying that doing so serves the national interest.

India is among the biggest buyers of Russian oil. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and India’s foreign minister, S. Jaishankar, discussed the law in talks reported September 24. Jaishankar said he reiterated India’s interests and concerns. Trump put tariffs of as much as 50 percent on Indian goods in August 2025. He rolled them back in February.

🌍 Translator’s Note: American coverage of the Graham Act treated India as a name in a list. Reuters’s signing story led with the pressure on Russia and never mentioned India. It carried the tariffs as the part critics said could herald trouble for other countries. Sinclair’s National News Desk led with Lindsey Graham’s work for Ukraine and named India once, in the phrase “namely China and India.” Neither report mentions a deadline, or what the tariffs mean for a trade deal India has not signed.

Business Today starts from India’s side. It treats the law as a complication in the talks and says New Delhi has warned it could hurt ties with Washington and disrupt global energy markets. The Kyiv Independent starts from the text. It reports that the law requires the president to impose duties of up to 100 percent within 30 days of enactment. Reuters used the same word on September 24, in its report on talks between Rubio and Jaishankar. Thirty days from the September 18 signing is October 18.

Each account follows what its readers have at stake. For Sinclair’s audience, it is a sanctions law with a waiver for the president. In Delhi, it is a deal. In Kyiv, it is enforcement.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: A law Trump signed on September 18 directs tariffs of up to 100 percent on the top buyers of Russian oil and gas. India is among them. The 30-day mark is October 18. The president can waive the duties by certifying the national interest, and India’s trade deal with the United States remains unsigned.

Sources: Business Today (India, commercial; Sitharaman remarks, Bloomberg assurances, New Delhi’s warning); Business Today (India, commercial; Greer statements); Reuters (wire, via Internazionale; Rubio–Jaishankar talks, India’s Russian oil purchases, tariff history, Sept. 24 wording); Reuters (wire, via GV Wire; signing, critics’ concern); Sinclair National News Desk (US, Sinclair Broadcast Group, via CBS Austin; Senate vote framing); Kyiv Independent (Ukraine, independent; reading of the 30-day requirement); White House (US government, primary; signing); GovInfo (US Government Publishing Office, primary; H.R. 5334 text)

STRIKE NEAR MOSCOW

Ukrainian drones hit an oil depot about 40 kilometers from central Moscow overnight, according to a monitoring channel.

The channel, Exilenova Plus, said the target was the Volodarsk Linear Production and Dispatch Center near Konstantinovo. The claim could not be immediately verified. The outlet Astra described it as the largest oil depot in the Moscow region, handling 3 million tons of petroleum products a year.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said at least 650 drones flew toward the capital. He said 105 were destroyed on approach. Russian state media called it the largest drone attack on the region in two years.

On Sunday, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said deep strikes have disabled more than 51 percent of Russia’s oil refining capacity.

Russia struck back across Ukraine. At least 13 people were killed and 104 injured over the past day, local authorities said. Oleksandr Vilkul, who chairs the Kryvyi Rih City Defense Council, said Russia hit a hospital in the city with missiles. The regional governor said four people were injured, including two medical workers.

The talks track has stalled. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff messaged President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on October 4 that Washington wants the three-way meeting held in late October. It was first expected in early October in the United Arab Emirates. Moscow shows little urgency. A Ukrainian official said Russia has rejected India’s proposal for a ceasefire on energy infrastructure with protection for Black Sea shipping.

Zelenskyy said he sees no pressure on Vladimir Putin from the United States.

The New York Times reported October 3 that the talks now include a possible multi-billion-dollar deal on Lukoil’s assets. According to the Times, Putin raised it with Jared Kushner and Witkoff on September 5. Lukoil has been under U.S. sanctions since October 2025. Sanctions relief on Lukoil could lower oil prices.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Ukraine says it has disabled more than half of Russia’s refining capacity. The strikes have now reached the Moscow region. Washington wants a three-way meeting in late October, and Moscow has not agreed to a date.

Sources: Kyiv Independent (Ukraine, independent; Moscow-region attack, Exilenova Plus, Astra, Sobyanin); Kyiv Independent (Ukraine, independent; Defense Ministry refining estimate); Kyiv Independent (Ukraine, independent; Russian strikes, Kryvyi Rih hospital); Kyiv Independent (Ukraine, independent; Witkoff message, India’s proposal, Zelenskyy); Kyiv Independent (Ukraine, independent; Lukoil reporting, relaying the New York Times)

FRANCE’S STUDENTS MARCH

Hundreds of thousands of people took part in student protests across France on Tuesday.

The interior ministry estimated about 250,000. Organisers said the figure was almost twice that. The High School Students Union said nearly 2,000 high schools were blockaded or closed for the day.

The movement began in mid-September. High schoolers have been blocking access to schools. They cite too few teachers, harsh timetables, and run-down buildings that cannot cope with worsening heatwaves.

A 17-year-old in Paris said that only 14 percent of high school buildings have been renovated or rebuilt in 10 years. Léa, a student at the Lycée Lamartine, said some classes have one teacher for 40 students. A teacher from the suburb of Saint-Denis said the shortage reaches education assistants, medical staff, and social services.

France’s interior ministry said it has arrested 6,100 people since the protests began, most of them under 18.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said burning down a high school does not improve the state of school buildings.

In Paris, police cleared barricades from the Lycée Hélène Boucher and pushed protesters toward Place de la République. Léa said one protester lost a hand, another an eye, and another his teeth. No one has been held accountable, she said.

President Donald Trump posted that what is happening in France is “out of control mass migration.” He wrote that it is not about schools, but about Islam wanting to take over the country.

🌍 Translator’s Note: France 24 opened with the failure of the government’s policing, writing that tear gas had not driven the students back to class. Al Jazeera opened with the clashes and the closures. Of the two reports, only Al Jazeera carries Trump’s post, which calls the protests “out of control mass migration” and says they are not about schools. France 24’s piece does not mention it.

France 24 filed from the barricades. Its piece is labeled “On the ground,” and its account is built from what students and teachers said there: one teacher for 40 students, buildings not renovated. In that reporting the protest is about classrooms. The president’s version is about migration.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Students, teachers, and a student union say the protests are about school conditions. More than 6,000 people have been arrested, most of them minors. The U.S. president has described the protests as being about migration.

Sources: France 24 (France, public broadcaster; protest grievances, estimates, student and teacher accounts); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; union figure, arrests, Lecornu statement, Trump post)

BRITAIN’S JERUSALEM CONSULATE

Israel has ordered the British consulate in East Jerusalem closed by Thursday.

Israel’s order sets October 8 as the date. The consulate is separate from the British embassy. It handles East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.

Britain has threatened to expel 27 Israeli diplomats in response, according to Israel’s Ynet. The claim has not been verified. Ynet reported that UK Ambassador Simon Walters conveyed the threat. It said Britain would expel one Israeli diplomat for each of 27 British diplomats who lose their status. The British embassy declined to comment.

Britain’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, traveled to Israel last week. No agreement was reached, and talks are continuing.

The United Kingdom and other allies could impose further sanctions if Israel closes the consulate on October 8, a Jewish community outlet reported September 29. It cited sources it did not name.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Israel has ordered a British diplomatic mission closed in Jerusalem. Israel’s Ynet says Britain has threatened to expel 27 Israeli diplomats in return. The deadline is Thursday, and talks have not produced a deal.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; expulsion threat via Ynet, consulate role, Powell visit via Reuters); Jewish News (UK, Jewish community outlet; further sanctions, unnamed sources)

KENYA CONFIRMS EBOLA DEATH

A patient who traveled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo through Uganda died at The Nairobi Hospital on Monday evening after testing positive for Ebola.

Hospital chief executive Dr. Felix Osano said the patient died two days after being admitted to the hospital’s isolation facility. He said the facility has a dedicated entrance and dedicated staff. Identified contacts will be monitored for 21 days with the Ministry of Health, he said.

The World Health Organization said the patient tested positive after traveling from the DRC through Uganda. The agency advises against travel or trade restrictions. WHO’s Dr. Mohamed Janabi praised Kenya’s transparency under the International Health Regulations.

The Kenya Red Cross said, “With this confirmation, our response is now fully underway.”

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: A traveler from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has died of Ebola in Nairobi. WHO advises against travel or trade restrictions.

Sources: The Standard (Kenya, commercial; hospital statement, isolation facility, contact monitoring, Red Cross); The Standard (Kenya, commercial; WHO position, travel advice)

FLYDUBAI CO-PILOT

Israeli officials say the flydubai co-pilot planned the attack before the airline hired him.

The co-pilot is an Omani national. He applied to the Dubai state-owned airline after searching for airlines that fly to Tel Aviv, Israeli officials said.

A third source briefed on the UAE investigation said he planned to crash the aircraft into Ben-Gurion airport near Tel Aviv. The source said he flew to Tel Aviv earlier this year intending to hijack and crash that plane, but did not.

The UAE prosecutor general called it a “terrorist attack.” He said the co-pilot attacked the pilot with an emergency crash axe.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Monday he has not seen anything conclusive yet on an Iranian role. The UAE and flydubai have not disclosed his identity.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: The UAE calls the flydubai incident a terrorist attack. Investigators have not tied it to Iran, and the U.S. vice president says nothing conclusive has been seen.

Sources: Dawn (Pakistan, editorially independent; Reuters-based report on the co-pilot, UAE prosecutor, Vance)

BRIEFS

Pakistan says its army is in a supporting role. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the Turkish and Pakistani armies are playing “a supportive role” in Saudi Arabia, and that Pakistan is engaged in reconnaissance. The Makkah Defence Alliance also named Lt. Gen. (Retd) Nauman Mahmood its first secretary general for a three-year term. Source: Dawn (Pakistan, editorially independent; Asif statement, Foreign Office announcement)

NUMBERS AT PUBLICATION

🇮🇷 Iran: 3,684 killed 🇱🇧 Lebanon: 4,386 killed, 12,413 wounded 🇮🇱 Israel: 1,200+ killed, ~5,400 wounded 🇺🇸 US military: 23 killed, 861 wounded 🇵🇸 Gaza: 74,372+ killed, 5,060+ wounded (since ceasefire) 🇵🇸 West Bank: 322 killed (incl. 74 children), 5,927 wounded (incl. 946 children) since January 2025 🛢️ Brent crude: $100.60/barrel ⛽ US gas: $4.37/gallon

Sources: Lebanon MOPH; gazacasualties.org (Gaza total).

“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1789

Weekday morning and evening editions. Saturdays once. Good news on Sundays. All sources labeled.

BOLSONARO LEADS LULA

Flavio Bolsonaro won the first round of Brazil’s presidential election.

He finished two points ahead of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Neither cleared 50 percent. The runoff is October 25.

Bolsonaro took 47 percent of the vote. Lula took 45.1 percent. Polls before Sunday had Lula winning the round by about three points.

Bolsonaro is a 45-year-old right-wing senator. His father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup. Flavio has said he will seek an amnesty for his father if elected. He told reporters Brazil “wants change.”

His Liberal Party won 121 of 513 seats in the Chamber of Deputies. Lula’s Workers’ Party won 70. Bolsonaro’s stepmother, Michelle, and his brother Carlos won Senate seats.

The other candidates took nearly eight percent. Most are right-leaning. About one in five registered voters, 21 percent, stayed home.

Since 1989, every first-round leader in a Brazilian presidential election has gone on to win.

Donald Trump called the result a “big victory.” The United States has imposed steep tariffs on Brazil and sanctioned officials. Lula has accused the Trump administration of using tariffs and other means to interfere in Brazilian affairs.

🌍 Translator’s Note: Foreign coverage splits on what the United States had to do with this vote. Al Jazeera’s Sao Paulo correspondent, Lucia Newman, reads Brazil as a prize in a contest between Washington and Beijing. China is its largest trade partner, and she puts Lula on a collision course with Trump. In that frame, the result is a test of American reach. AFP reads it the other way. It quotes the analyst Thomas Traumann on voters worried about prices, crime and debt. It says Lula’s sovereignty campaign against Trump’s pressure may have been a miscalculation. If AFP is right, US tariffs did not decide the first round. Running against Washington did not win Lula votes.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Brazil’s runoff is October 25. Flavio Bolsonaro leads Lula by two points. Trump welcomed the result. The US has tariffs on Brazil, and Lula has accused Washington of interference.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; percentages, seat counts, Stuenkel, Newman, Lula’s interference claim); Kuwait Times (Kuwait; AFP wire copy; two-point margin, Trump reaction, tariffs, Traumann, 1989 pattern)

QUEBEC ELECTS SEPARATISTS

Quebec has elected a separatist government.

The Parti Quebecois won the most seats on Monday and will govern in a minority. It fell short of the 64 seats needed for a majority in the 127-seat National Assembly. Its leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, becomes premier.

The PQ promised a third independence referendum in its first term. St-Pierre Plamondon says it will not come while Donald Trump is president. Trump’s term ends in January 2029. He said a decision on independence needs conditions that are not “hijacked by the theatrics of an unpredictable president.”

The Liberals and the Conservatives have both said they will never support a referendum. A minority government needs opposition votes to pass major laws and survive confidence votes.

Support for independence is about 30 percent. Daniel Beland, a political scientist at McGill University, said the result reflects a divided multiparty system. He did not read it as a surge in separatism.

The PQ ends eight years of rule by the Coalition Avenir Quebec. The CAQ was wiped out, and Premier Christine Fréchette lost her own seat. The Liberals won 40 seats and become the official opposition. The Conservatives won 19. Quebec solidaire won nine.

Prime Minister Mark Carney congratulated St-Pierre Plamondon. He said building a stronger Quebec is core to building a stronger Canada.

Alberta votes in two weeks. On October 19, Albertans decide whether to stay in Canada. The alternative is a legal process toward a second, binding separation referendum. Premier Danielle Smith has said she will vote to stay. Polls in early September showed the stay side with a large lead.

As of early September, leaders of the separatist Alberta Prosperity Project said they had met US government officials three times. They claimed those officials have a direct line to the White House. US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra brushed the meetings aside as routine contacts and said no commitments were made. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Alberta a “natural partner for the US.” Trump had not declared support for a united Canada.

🌍 Translator’s Note: Quebec’s coverage makes Trump the reason for the timing. AFP sets the PQ win against a trade war and annexation threats from Washington. It reports that the PQ leader will wait for Trump to leave office before any referendum. Noovo, a Quebec broadcaster, finds the brake closer to home. A minority government can be stopped by the opposition. For Quebec, independence is on hold for reasons that run through both Washington and the National Assembly. Alberta shows the same pull from the other side. India’s Hans India, running PTI copy, frames the October 19 vote around one question: whether Trump will back separation.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: A separatist party now governs Quebec without a majority. Its leader says there will be no referendum while Trump is in office. Alberta votes October 19 on whether to start down a path toward separation.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; AP and Reuters copy; seat threshold, Beland, minority rules); Kuwait Times (Kuwait; AFP wire copy; referendum timing, opposition stance, Carney); Noovo Info (Canada, Bell Media, French-language; seat counts for Liberals, Conservatives and Quebec solidaire, CAQ result, Fréchette); The Hans India (India; PTI wire copy of a Conversation essay dated September 4; Alberta vote, Alberta Prosperity Project meetings, Hoekstra, Bessent)

GUNFIRE ON THE RIO GRANDE

The United States says its Coast Guard took gunfire from Mexico. Mexico says it has found no sign of it.

On Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico has no evidence of shots fired from its territory. She said no member of the National Guard, the Army or the Navy detected any. Mexico has asked Washington for all of its evidence.

The Coast Guard has said its personnel took gunfire from the Mexican side near Garceno, Texas, on September 26. It said they returned fire. No one was hurt and no equipment was damaged. It has not said who fired.

US Ambassador Ronald Johnson wrote on X on Sunday about the border area “where U.S. Coast Guardsmen were fired upon.” Sheinbaum said Washington also sent its account in writing.

About 500 US troops have gone to the border since the incident.

Mexico announced Operation Mirror on Sunday night. It puts 500 Mexican soldiers, with helicopters and drones, along the Tamaulipas border. Sheinbaum said mirror operations put Mexican forces on the river alongside US Northern Command elements and the Coast Guard. Her defense and navy secretaries proposed them to prevent incidents, she said. She said Mexico acted to avoid any situation even though it has been given no proof the shots happened.

The dispute sits inside older ones. On Monday, Sheinbaum objected to Johnson announcing an international police academy in Queretaro without her government’s knowledge. Under Mexico’s constitution, the federal government must approve the activities of foreign forces on Mexican soil. In April, reports said two CIA agents died in a car crash in Chihuahua. Sheinbaum said neither she nor her cabinet knew of any CIA activity there.

Trump has said he may order military strikes inside Mexico against cartels. Sheinbaum has said that would violate Mexico’s sovereignty.

🌍 Translator’s Note: Mexico reads this as a sovereignty case, not a shooting. El Heraldo de Mexico carries the president’s daily press conference. Sheinbaum has seen no evidence, wants Washington’s proof and answers with mirror operations meant to head off any incident. Forbes Mexico’s Reuters-based copy reports the same demand. Al Jazeera lines the shooting up with the Queretaro police academy and the April CIA crash. It adds Trump’s threats to strike cartels. Mexico’s constitution requires federal approval for foreign forces on its soil. Each episode raises the same question of who approves US activity there. The Coast Guard statement describes one incident. Mexican officials and Al Jazeera place it on a longer list.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: US and Mexican troops now patrol the Rio Grande. The Coast Guard says it was fired on and fired back. Mexico says it has seen no evidence and wants Washington’s proof.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Johnson’s post, US deployment, Queretaro academy, CIA crash, Trump’s strike threats); El Heraldo de Mexico (Mexico; Sheinbaum’s statements, mirror operations, Johnson’s post); Forbes Mexico (Mexico; Reuters-based; Operation Mirror announcement, Sheinbaum on proof); Stars and Stripes (US military newspaper, Defense Department-funded, editorially independent; October 2; Coast Guard account, Garceno location, no injuries)

FRANCE’S LYCÉE PROTESTS

French police have held 5,060 people since the school protests turned violent. 87 percent were minors.

The Justice Ministry gave the figure Monday. Prosecutors have charged 1,802 people, 319 adults and 1,483 minors. Fourteen are in pretrial detention, four of them minors. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin told prosecutors to seek civil liability from the parents of arrested minors.

Students have blocked high schools since late September over missing teachers, overloaded timetables and run-down buildings. The government counts 215 students, 715 police officers and 85 teaching staff injured. Twenty-four schools have been burned or ransacked. On Monday, 589 of France’s 3,700 high schools and 32 universities were disrupted.

Several of the injured students are children.

On September 28 in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumone, north of Paris, a police officer fired a grenade launcher at a 14-year-old’s face. Video shows the boy facing three officers. One strikes him with a launcher. He kicks at the officer’s legs. A second officer fires a “Cougar” launcher at his face, and he falls. A tear-gas grenade burns on the ground in front of him. His upper teeth are broken and his jaw is immobilized.

The prosecutor in Pontoise says the first images show the boy hitting a policewoman who was pushing him back. His mother says he was outside the scuffles, filming. His family’s lawyer says the shot came from about 1.5 meters. His parents are filing a complaint for attempted homicide. The national police inspectorate, the IGPN, is examining the officer’s use of the weapon. A second inquiry covers violence against police. The Défenseur des droits has also taken up the case.

In Tours on September 30, a 16-year-old lost the use of his right eye. The city’s prosecutor said the injuries were compatible with an LBD rubber-ball launcher. The prefecture said officers were being hit with projectiles while they dealt with several fires. In Lens on Monday, a 15-year-old lost a hand to a police “de-encirclement” grenade. Prosecutors have not established whether he picked it up or it landed on him.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police have opened 10 internal investigations into allegations of brutality. Amnesty International France says police used disproportionate force on minors.

The next day of action is Tuesday. Tens of thousands are expected in Paris. A coalition of education unions urged staff to join, including by striking. It includes the FSU, CGT, FO, CFDT, Unsa, Sud and Solidaires. CGT leader Sophie Binet said members would join to “protect high-school students.”

The government says it is trying to answer the grievances. It also accuses hard-left activists of hijacking the movement. It is pushing a bill to make people who damage public property pay for repairs. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has said the money could be recovered from family allowances and housing benefits. Binet said that would hit the most vulnerable families. The unrest comes months before the 2027 presidential election.

A separate bill is waiting in the Senate. It would presume that police acted lawfully when they fire their weapons. The National Assembly adopted it on July 7. Under its text, officers who fire are “presumed to have acted” within the cases the law allows. The standards are absolute necessity and strict proportionality. The presumption can be overturned at any time by contrary evidence. The Senate’s agenda through October 29 does not list the bill.

Laurent Frajerman, a researcher at the Cerlis social-research center, said any link with other protests is likelier over violence.

🌍 Translator’s Note: French coverage treats the injuries as a turning point. A protest over school conditions becomes a question about policing. Public Sénat compares the movement with the 1990 lycée protests. It doubts talk of a convergence with other causes. Its source, Laurent Frajerman, says any link is likelier to come over violence. Bondy Blog and Le Nouvel Obs report the case that could supply it. A 14-year-old was shot in the face on video. The family’s lawyer alleges attempted homicide, and the prosecutor tells a different story. Who is believed will shape what the video means. Reuters and AFP lead with injuries and arrests. Those are the numbers that travel across borders.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: French police have held 5,060 people in the school protests. Most are minors. Several teenagers have been seriously injured, and prosecutors and the Défenseur des droits are investigating. Separately, a bill that would presume police shots lawful is waiting in the French Senate with no date set.

Sources: Ministère de la Justice (France, primary; October 5 press release; custody, charges, detention, instructions to prosecutors); Kuwait Times (Kuwait; AFP wire copy; injury counts, 10 investigations, unions, Binet, government stance); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Reuters copy; Lens injury, Amnesty France); Public Sénat (France, parliamentary public broadcaster; 1990 precedent, Frajerman, education unions); Le Nouvel Obs via Yahoo (France, centre-left weekly; Saint-Ouen-l’Aumone video, prosecutor and mother); Bondy Blog (France, independent, suburbs-focused; the boy’s injuries, the family’s lawyer, IGPN, Défenseur des droits); lematin.ch (Switzerland; AFP wire copy; Tours prosecutor, prefecture); Sénat (France, primary; text of the bill); Sénat, ordre du jour (France, primary; agenda through October 29)

SIBERIA’S PLAGUE QUESTION

A technician at a Russian plague research institute has died, and Russia has not said of what.

Darya Shipilova, 28, worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia. Local media identified her. She was hospitalized with severe pneumonia and died days later.

Russia’s health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, calls the cause “pneumonia of unknown etiology.” Lab tests found no microorganisms tied to her work, it says. The institute’s commission and the watchdog concluded no emergency or security breach occurred. Earlier reports that she broke a test tube of live bacteria have not been confirmed.

Alexei Tsydenov, who heads the neighboring republic of Buryatia, first said she died of plague. He then added the word “maybe.”

About 200 people are under medical observation, and a hospital has been quarantined. Contacts are tested daily. The tests found two cases of Covid-19 and two of rhinovirus, and no other infections. Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said relatives in quarantine could be discharged next week. The Kremlin referred all questions to Rospotrebnadzor.

The World Health Organization said, based on unofficial information, that the risk to the general public is low. Plague is endemic in Siberia, and it is rare for Russians to fall ill with it.

Trump said Monday the US is ready to help. “We are looking at it very strongly,” he said. He said he had not spoken to Vladimir Putin about it. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “I don’t think it’s cause for alarm.” He called it a matter to watch closely. A State Department official urged Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly. The European Commission said it is watching closely too.

🌍 Translator’s Note: The AP and Reuters report is built around Washington. It leads with Trump’s offer of aid and carries a State Department call for openness. Trump says he has not spoken to Putin about it, so the offer is a public statement, not a channel. The story becomes what the US will do if Russia asks. The Moscow Times is built around Moscow. Its headline is that officials are seeking to reassure the public. It sets each official assurance against what is still unknown. The outlet works from exile, and Russian prosecutors have designated it “undesirable.” That gives it little reason to take Moscow’s account as settled. One frame asks how Washington should respond. The other asks whether Moscow’s account can be trusted.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Trump says the US will help Russia if asked. Russia says the death was pneumonia of unknown cause and denies a lab accident. The WHO says the risk to the public is low.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; AP and Reuters copy; Trump, Rubio, WHO, State Department, Rospotrebnadzor via TASS); The Moscow Times (Russia-founded exiled outlet, designated “undesirable” by Russian authorities; commission finding, contact testing, Kobzev, Kremlin, European Commission)

NEW YORK’S MEASLES EMERGENCY

New York has declared a disaster emergency over measles.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced it Monday. It lets more health workers give the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. It runs through November 4. It is the first such declaration since measles cases began rising in 2025.

New York has 108 cases this year as of October 3. Seven are in New York City and 101 are elsewhere in the state. Ninety-two have come since July 15 in a handful of rural communities with low vaccination rates. “No one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease,” Hochul said.

Pennsylvania has passed 1,000 cases this year. That is the largest outbreak in the US in three decades. Outbreaks have also been recorded in Texas, Utah, Ohio and South Carolina.

Health experts attribute the resurgence to vaccination rates below the 95 percent they say is needed to prevent outbreaks. Critics say an anti-vaccination movement has gained advocates inside the Trump administration, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The US eliminated domestic spread of measles in 2000. The last outbreak above 1,000 cases was in New York City in the early 1990s.

In November, the Pan American Health Organization reviews whether the US and Mexico keep their measles elimination status. The test is whether the same virus lineage circulated without a break for 12 months or more. The clock started on January 20, 2025 for the US and February 1, 2025 for Mexico. US health authorities are running full viral genome sequencing as part of the analysis. The region lost its status in November 2025, when PAHO found endemic measles in Canada.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: New York’s measles emergency runs through November 4. Pennsylvania has more than 1,000 cases. In November, an international body reviews whether the US keeps its measles-free status.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Reuters and AP copy; New York figures, Pennsylvania, vaccination rates, Kennedy); Pan American Health Organization (WHO regional office, primary; March 2 statement; November review, analysis dates, endemic definition, Canada)

FORTY DENATURALIZATION CASES

The Justice Department has filed 40 new cases to strip naturalized Americans of their citizenship.

It announced them Monday. The complaints were filed between August 21 and October 2. The department said they are the largest volume of complaints submitted in a single period under Trump. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the announcement marks “the largest denaturalization effort in modern history.”

The department says the defendants are accused of serious offenses. These include acting as an agent for a foreign government, voluntary manslaughter and child sexual abuse. Others include money laundering, visa fraud and tax fraud. The defendants come from countries including Mexico, Pakistan, China and Sierra Leone. Two cases involve the Chinese government. One defendant, a Navy enlistee, is accused of conspiring to sell military secrets to China. Another is accused of working at the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security.

Prosecutors can ask a court to strip citizenship from someone born abroad. They must show the person willfully concealed a material fact in the application. The laws have been used for decades but were reserved for serious crimes. After World War II, the government moved against dozens accused of hiding involvement in the Holocaust or war crimes. The practice became much less frequent after the Cold War.

Human rights groups say Trump’s push to widen denaturalization could leave people stateless. Critics say he has aimed it at political rivals. Last year the administration said it would seek to denaturalize many Somali Americans. That followed a fraud case in Minnesota. Representative Andy Ogles has floated taking citizenship from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Trump once floated the idea for Elon Musk.

In June, the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship. A second executive order seeking to restrict it is in litigation.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: The Justice Department has filed 40 denaturalization cases since August 21. It calls this the largest effort of its kind. Each case goes to a federal court. Critics warn of statelessness and political targeting.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; history of the law, critics, birthright citizenship); Department of Justice (US, primary; October 5 press release; case count, filing dates, Blanche, offenses, countries, China cases)

BRIEFS

US says blockade has redirected 130 ships. US Central Command said US forces have redirected 130 commercial vessels while enforcing the naval blockade of Iran. It said forces disabled three ships that refused to comply. Over 12 weeks, it said, forces destroyed 13 vessels that were breaking the blockade or were part of the IRGC’s “multibillion-dollar shadow network.” CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said US forces helped secure passage of more than one billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz over two months. The figures are CENTCOM’s. Source: Kuwait Times (Kuwait; KUNA wire copy; CENTCOM statement)

Saudi airports hit, Sanaa struck. Two airports in Saudi Arabia were attacked, with injuries and damage reported. The Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes on Houthi weapons facilities in Sanaa. Yemen’s government military says it has recaptured the port city of Mocha and launched a counteroffensive near the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Source: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; live blog summary)

Grain ship sinks off Romania. A Turkish-owned grain ship sank in the Black Sea on Monday inside Romania’s exclusive economic zone, about 20 nautical miles from the coast. Romania’s Interior Ministry said two people died and 11 crew were rescued. It did not name a cause. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed two Russian drones and said the captain was killed. He said the crew were from Azerbaijan and India. Romania is a NATO member. Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; AP copy; Zelenskyy, Romanian ministry); The Kyiv Independent (Ukraine, independent; location, deaths, rescue, Zelenskyy)

A claim that Gulf states pay Iran a Hormuz toll. Michelle Brohard, head of policy and geopolitical risk at Kpler, said she suspects a toll is being paid for safe passage through the strait, perhaps 10 or 20 percent of cargo. She presented it as speculation. It has not been independently verified. Abdul Khalique of Liverpool John Moores University said no public proof confirms a systematic Iranian toll system. The Trump administration has said Iran will not be allowed to charge a toll under any agreement. Kpler data show Middle East crude exports passed pre-war levels on four days in the last week of September. Source: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Brohard, Khalique, Kpler data)

NUMBERS AT PUBLICATION

🇮🇷 Iran: 3,684 killed 🇱🇧 Lebanon: 4,386 killed, 12,413 wounded 🇮🇱 Israel: 1,200+ killed, ~5,400 wounded 🇺🇸 US military: 23 killed, 861 wounded 🇵🇸 Gaza: 74,332+ killed, 5,060+ wounded (since ceasefire) 🇵🇸 West Bank: 322 killed (incl. 74 children), 5,927 wounded (incl. 946 children) since January 2025 🛢️ Brent crude: $98.63/barrel ⛽ US gas: $4.37/gallon

Sources: Lebanon MOPH; gazacasualties.org (Gaza total).

“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1789

Weekday morning and evening editions. Saturdays once. Good news on Sundays. All sources labeled.

SAUDI DEFENCE PACT ACTIVATES

Pakistan and Türkiye will send forces to Saudi Arabia. The two countries and Saudi Arabia agreed Monday to activate the collective defence commitments of their Mecca Alliance.

The decision came at an emergency meeting of the alliance’s Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Riyadh. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the three countries decided to “provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment” to the kingdom. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said members agreed to trigger deployment. He said it responds “to the attacks and all those responsible for them.” A joint statement said the three agreed to move immediately to practical implementation. The commitments run under approved arrangements and each country’s laws.

No troop numbers, units or arrival date have been reported. Coverage ties the decision to Houthi attacks on the kingdom.

The three states signed the pact on August 7. It says an attack on one is an attack on all. It gave no details of members’ obligations at signing. After the Houthi missile barrage in early September, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said spillover could activate it. No action followed until now.

Analysts say Pakistan and Türkiye also remain keen to mediate in the US-Iran conflict. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Asif, Army Chief Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar attended the Riyadh talks. Dar said last week the talks would address a proposal for political engagement with the Houthis. He called it an alternative to military action. He said it followed an approach by Tehran.

The fighting in Yemen moved on the same day. The Yemeni government’s Presidential Leadership Council chairman, Rashad al-Alimi, ordered operations on Sunday. Government forces now say they have retaken the port city of Mocha. They also claim positions near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, including Dhubab district. They announced a “strategic” offensive on Sanaa. The Houthis denied the Dhubab claim.

The Houthis seized Mocha and strategic islands in mid-September. That choked a second key oil passageway while Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis took about 150km of Red Sea coastline last month. The 2022 truce collapsed in July.

The government army says it “neutralised” 1,747 Houthi fighters in 1,122 operations. It names Saada, al-Jawf, Taiz and the west coast. Spokesman Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili said 364 vehicles were destroyed or disabled. The figures are unverified. A military source said fighting has also escalated on the Marib front near Raghwan.

Coalition Spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said 100 fighter jets are supporting Yemeni forces. He said the coalition has secured “air protection” of Bab al-Mandeb.

🌍 Translator’s Note: Gulf News, the UAE paper, ran AFP’s report beside its coverage of Houthi strikes on Saudi territory. Those include a drone hit on a power station in Medina and missile debris that injured an expatriate. In that frame the pact is a defence of Saudi civilian infrastructure, and Iran does not appear in the story. Al Jazeera placed the same meeting inside the US-Iran conflict. It reported that analysts see Pakistan and Türkiye as would-be mediators. It also reported that Dar said the Riyadh talks would take up political engagement with the Houthis, after an approach from Tehran. The meeting that activated a military pact was also, in Al Jazeera’s account, a venue for a diplomatic proposal.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Pakistan and Türkiye have committed forces to Saudi Arabia under a pact signed in August. Analysts say both also want to mediate in the US-Iran conflict. Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb are both disrupted.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Pakistani Foreign Ministry and Khalid bin Salman statements, pact background, Asif and Dar); Gulf News (UAE; AFP report of the joint statement); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Mocha and Dhubab claims, al-Maliki, Dar); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; 1,747 claim, al-Nuzaili, Marib front)

TAKAICHI PROMISES FOOD TAX CUT

Japan’s prime minister promised to cut the food tax without borrowing more. Sanae Takaichi spoke to the Diet on Monday. She said the consumption tax on food and beverages will fall from 8% to 1% for two years from April.

She paired the cut with cash benefits for middle- and low-income earners. She said it would be funded without deficit-covering bonds. Japan’s fiscal health is already the worst among G7 economies. Opposition parties said the plan brings no immediate relief.

The speech opened a 69-day extraordinary Diet session that runs through December 12. Takaichi promised a five-year investment plan by year-end covering economic security, cyber defense, AI and semiconductors. The government has submitted 21 bills. They include measures to diversify oil supplies amid the Middle East conflict and rules on land acquisition near national-security areas. A separate bill would cut 45 seats from the lower house.

She called China an important neighbor and said she wants a constructive and stable relationship. She said Tokyo will “say what must be said and strongly urge responsible actions.” She also spoke about constitutional revision.

Her ruling bloc of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party won a landslide in February. It holds far more than two-thirds of the 465 lower-house seats. It is a minority in the Senate. Farm Minister Kazuo Yana and Education Minister Yoshihiro Seki face questions over discipline in a slush-fund scandal.

Background: Takaichi told a parliamentary committee in early November 2025 about Taiwan. Beijing summoned Japan’s ambassador and demanded she withdraw the remarks. Relations have been at a low since. Last week China’s top diplomat said ties with Tokyo were “waiting to be normalized again.” China warned its citizens against travel to Japan last year and imposed trade restrictions.

🌍 Translator’s Note: The Korea Times and the Taipei Times both ran AFP’s account of the speech under headlines about China. They led with the diplomatic freeze that began with Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks in November. The copy carries context that Kyodo’s report does not. China’s top diplomat said last week that ties with Tokyo were waiting to be normalized, and Beijing warned its citizens against travel to Japan and imposed trade restrictions last year. For these two outlets, the tax cut is a later paragraph. The question the speech answers is whether Tokyo and Beijing are moving toward a thaw. Kyodo reports the same China passage but carries no Chinese response.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Japan plans a two-year food tax cut without new deficit bonds. Its fiscal health is already the worst in the G7. Takaichi also set out her China approach, which Beijing has met with demands over her Taiwan remarks.

Sources: Kyodo News via Japan Today (Japan; speech content, session length, bills, China language, coalition seat figures); Korea Times (South Korea; AFP wire copy; China passage, Beijing context); Taipei Times (Taiwan; AFP wire copy; China passage, “normalized” remark, travel warning); The Independent via AOL (UK; November 2025 Taiwan remarks and Beijing’s response)

MARINE ARRESTED IN OKINAWA MURDER

A US Marine is in Japanese custody on suspicion of robbing and killing a woman in Naha. Devin Ballard, 20, is stationed at Futenma. Police arrested him Sunday in the killing of Anna Yagi, 39, early Saturday at a Naha hotel.

Police say he was seen entering the hotel with her. She died of suffocation. Her wallet and backpack were taken. An officer detained him walking alone in Naha’s entertainment district late Saturday. He denies the allegations. On Monday police sent him to prosecutors.

The Status of Forces Agreement gives Japan primary jurisdiction over off-duty offenses. He was arrested off base and remains in Japanese custody. The Marine Corps says it is cooperating.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned US Ambassador George Glass and lodged a strong protest. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi protested to Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost, the senior US commander. Takaichi called the case extremely regrettable on X. She told parliament Monday that Japan wants full US cooperation and strict discipline. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Tokyo and Washington will work together to prevent a recurrence.

Okinawa Gov. Genta Koja called the killing “utterly unacceptable and extremely outrageous.” Koja took office last week with LDP backing. He plans to travel to Tokyo this week. The relocation of Futenma continues despite local opposition.

🌍 Translator’s Note: Xinhua, China’s state news agency, headlined the case as an alleged murder that “sparks outrage.” Its second paragraph turns to Okinawan residents. It says they blame the presence of US bases and the Japanese government’s inaction for letting such crimes recur. The report never mentions the Status of Forces Agreement or Futenma. Kyodo, the Japanese wire, reports the same arrest as a jurisdiction question. Japan has primary jurisdiction over off-duty offenses, the suspect is in Japanese custody, and Tokyo has protested to Washington. Kyodo also reports that the Futenma relocation continues despite local opposition. Xinhua’s version centers the bases themselves.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: A US Marine is in Japanese custody over a killing in Naha. Tokyo and Okinawa’s new governor are both demanding US cooperation and discipline. The Futenma relocation continues despite local opposition.

Sources: Kyodo News via Japan Today (Japan; arrest, case details, protests, Koja); Kyodo News via Japan Today (Japan; prosecutor referral, Takaichi and Kihara statements); Xinhua (China, state news agency; residents’ reaction, protests)

ABIY SWORN IN, WANTS PORT

Abiy Ahmed was sworn in for another five-year term as Ethiopia’s prime minister on Monday. He told Parliament that Ethiopia will secure a port on the Red Sea. He said it will proceed on the principle of “give and take.”

Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry answered the same day. It said any discussion of the Red Sea must account for Ethiopia’s legitimate interests and its enduring connection to the sea. The statement responds to Sunday’s New Alamein declaration. Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan are four of the five states on the Red Sea. Their leaders reserved oversight of the coastline for bordering states. Egypt and Sudan also warned against unilateral measures that harm downstream states.

Somalia’s president said Mogadishu does not object to Ethiopian access through Somali territory. He said the two countries would need to negotiate formally.

Ethiopia accuses Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan of backing the rebel alliance. Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, said Sunday that Cairo is not party to Ethiopia’s domestic crisis. Eritrea and Sudan also deny it. Sudan accuses Ethiopia of training and supporting the Rapid Support Forces. Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel said Sunday that Addis Ababa was creating a pretext to attack Eritrea.

The fighting has spread into Afar and Amhara. Militias allied with the TPLF claim some gains there. The army’s counteroffensive has advanced into Tigray. TPLF chair Debretsion Gebremichael said Thursday that the movement will not hold fixed positions. It will choose where to strike. “We know where and when to hit,” he said in his first televised statement since the fighting began. Analysts say divisions among former Tigrayan commanders, some now aligned with the government, may have weakened the TPLF.

Diplomatic sources report explosions in several parts of Addis Ababa. They include the area near the military’s headquarters. A source linked to the opposition alliance claimed drone strikes on the capital, including on military facilities. The claim is unverified.

The Pretoria agreement ended the 2020 to 2022 war in November 2022. The TPLF said in July that the agreement had effectively collapsed. The federal government rejected that and said it remains committed to the peace process. Clashes between the army and the TPLF began in August. Estimates put deaths in the earlier war at up to 600,000.

🌍 Translator’s Note: Al Jazeera’s reporting from Mekelle, Shire and Addis Ababa runs through residents. One Addis Ababa student told its reporter he fears seeing another Sudan. Its swearing-in report ties Abiy’s Red Sea demand to Eritrea’s 1993 independence, which cut Ethiopia off from the coast. That report also describes the Tigray forces as Eritrea-backed in its own voice, while its other coverage this week carries Eritrea’s denial. The Irish Times frames the same week as an economic and regional risk. It notes that Ethiopia’s economy has grown between 5 and 10 percent a year for a decade. It says renewed war threatens that growth and could draw in regional powers.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Abiy has begun a new term with Red Sea access as a stated goal. Four of the five Red Sea states have publicly reserved the coast for themselves. The earlier war killed up to 600,000 people by some estimates. Washington’s public position, as of Saturday, is a State Department call for Ethiopia and Eritrea to show restraint and return to dialogue.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Abiy swearing-in, Foreign Ministry response, Somalia’s president); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Addis Ababa explosions, Pretoria background, resident accounts); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Red Sea and downstream clauses, Yemane Gebremeskel); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; US State Department statement); Irish Times (Ireland, centrist; Debretsion statement, Egypt’s denial, fighting in Afar and Amhara, economic context)

BRIEFS

EU trade chief heads to Beijing. European Commission trade chief Maroš Šefčovič meets Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Beijing on Thursday. The agenda is China’s trade surplus with the EU. It reached a record €360.6bn in 2025, up 15%. It widened another 10% in January through April. A June meeting in Brussels set up working groups on the trade balance, export controls, intellectual property and WTO reform. It set a goal of tangible results by October. What to expect: Brussels wants assurances on rare earths. A one-year moratorium on new Chinese export restrictions, which also applies to the US, expires in coming weeks. Some German firms are stockpiling. The EU’s 2024 electric-vehicle tariffs do not cover hybrids. Chinese hybrid exports rose from 3,800 vehicles in October 2024 to about 50,000 in July 2026. If talks fail, Germany and France could push at the October 15-16 EU summit for a hybrid cap, a European preference in public procurement, and limits on Chinese takeovers. China has said it would respond firmly. Source: EUobserver (EU; surplus figures, June working groups, rare-earth moratorium, hybrid exports, summit options)

US bombers leave RAF Fairford. The US Air Force has removed all bombers from RAF Fairford in England, a Pentagon official said Sunday. The official spoke anonymously. Observers watched B-1 bombers fly out Sunday. Dozens of B-52 and B-1 bombers have operated from the base since the Iran war began, according to the Military Air Tracking Alliance. Last week a dual British-Iranian national was arrested in central London on suspicion of plotting a terror attack. It followed a late-September security incident at the base. Six people were taken into custody and released on bail. British authorities linked the case to Tehran. Iran denies it. Source: AP via Japan Today (US wire; Pentagon official, flight observers, London arrest, Iran denial)

NUMBERS AT PUBLICATION

🇮🇷 Iran: 3,684 killed 🇱🇧 Lebanon: 4,386 killed, 12,413 wounded 🇮🇱 Israel: 1,200+ killed, ~5,400 wounded 🇺🇸 US military: 23 killed, 861 wounded 🇵🇸 Gaza: 74,332+ killed, 5,060+ wounded (since ceasefire) 🇵🇸 West Bank: 322 killed (incl. 74 children), 5,927 wounded (incl. 946 children) since January 2025 🛢️ Brent crude: $100.30/barrel ⛽ US gas: $4.37/gallon

Sources: HRANA (Iran); Lebanon MOPH; INSS (Israel); DCAS (US); OCHA (West Bank); gazacasualties.org (Gaza total); The National (Gaza since ceasefire); OilPrice.com (Brent); AAA (US gas).

“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1789

Weekday morning and evening editions. Saturdays once. Good news on Sundays. All sources labeled.

GOLANI LEAVES SOUTHERN LEBANON

Israel’s Golani Brigade is out of southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military announced the withdrawal on Wednesday, September 30. It posted footage of troops leaving. The brigade belongs to the 36th Division. It spent seven months in what Israel calls a security zone. The zone ran around Beaufort Ridge, the Shqif Heights and the Litani River. The military said the troops are leaving for a period of rest. It said more than 900 sites used by Hezbollah were destroyed during the deployment. That figure is the military’s own.

It is not clear what replaces the brigade.

Golani’s exit appeared in a report six days earlier. On September 24, the Israeli military’s force in southern Lebanon went from eight brigades to six. Four units left. They were the Commando Brigade, the Golani Brigade, the 55th Paratroopers Reserve Brigade and the 4th Armored Reserve Brigade. Two replacements arrived, the 188th Armored Brigade and the Ground Forces Training School Brigade. That is a net cut of two. A military source said the cut would ease the manpower burden and let reservists go home.

The deployment began in March. On March 11, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir moved a Golani combat team from Southern Command to Northern Command, which covers the Lebanese border. The order followed a situational assessment during Operation Roaring Lion, the Israeli operation then under way against Hezbollah.

In late May, Golani soldiers were among the forces that captured Beaufort Castle. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they raised the flag of Israel and the flag of the brigade over it. He called the capture a “dramatic shift” in Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah.

Israeli air strikes continued through September. On October 1, the Israeli military gave its September total. Its air force hit more than 370 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, it said. It said it hit more than 500 targets across Lebanon and Gaza combined.

Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, visited the south. It was his fourth visit to Nabatieh and Tyre. He called on Israel to withdraw and stop its attacks. He said the ceasefire with Israel must be consolidated and captives released. He told southerners the state’s means do not match their needs. “You are not alone,” he said.

A new round of Lebanese-Israeli talks is scheduled for the second half of October in Tampa, Florida. The date is potentially October 20. Military delegations from both sides will attend. The agenda is military matters and security arrangements. Lebanon’s ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, thanked Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of the talks.

🌍 Translator’s Note: The Israeli military described the departure as a rest after seven months and 900 destroyed sites. The Jerusalem Post gave a different reason in its September 24 report. It cited manpower strain and getting reservists home. The same report carried a warning from Oren Zini, a reserve colonel and former commander. He said giving up those areas would let the enemy escape with its forces and munitions. Naharnet (Lebanon) carried Salam’s call for Israel to withdraw and for the ceasefire to be consolidated. The New Arab (UK-based) headlined the withdrawal together with the resumption of Lebanon-Israel talks.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Israel has pulled the Golani Brigade out of southern Lebanon after seven months. The military calls it a rest, and a military source cited manpower. Lebanon and Israel are due to hold talks in Tampa, Florida, in the second half of October. Lebanon’s ambassador thanked Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of them.

Sources: APA (Azerbaijan news agency; September 30 announcement, Division 36, rest period, 900 sites claim); The New Arab (UK-based; seven-month deployment, locations, Tampa talks); Jerusalem Post (Israel, centre-right; September 24 brigade reduction, units, manpower reason, Zini); Israel Hayom (Israel, right-leaning; March 11 redeployment, Zamir); Ynet (Israel; Beaufort capture, Netanyahu statement); Naharnet (Lebanon; Salam’s visit and statements); Naharnet (Lebanon; Israeli military claim of 370 targets); Naharnet (Lebanon; Tampa talks, Moawad, Rubio)

ISRAEL SEALS WEST BANK AND GAZA

Israel closed every crossing into the West Bank and Gaza on Monday.

Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the closure on Sunday, following military recommendations. It covers October 5 and October 7, the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Aid does not enter Gaza on those days. Only the Kerem Shalom crossing lets aid in, the World Health Organization said Saturday. Rafah allows limited movement of patients. Four other crossings are closed under Israeli control. COGAT is the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories. It said aid collection on the Gazan side of Kerem Shalom continues as usual. It said the closure is not expected to have any impact on the humanitarian situation.

Israelis using West Bank checkpoints are exempt. Palestinian healthcare workers may cross. Other Palestinians may cross only in cases covered by commitments the state has made to Israel’s High Court of Justice. Every other case needs COGAT approval. The closure includes the crossings around Bethlehem.

The World Health Organization warned on Saturday that repeated delays risk devastating consequences. The warning covered medicines, prosthetics and other supplies coming into Gaza from Israel. Medicines move relatively well by contrast, it said. Almost 87 percent were approved and just over 1 percent rejected. One shipment of prosthetics and assistive devices has been rejected four times in six months. In Gaza, nearly 2 million people need shelter protection as winter approaches. Reinhilde Van De Weerdt, a WHO representative, called on Israeli authorities to ease the pressure on medical supplies. She said essential medicines should not be treated as dual use, meaning goods with both civilian and military uses. They are standard items any hospital or clinic needs, she said. She also said supplies that arrive too late do not save lives.

Israeli strikes continued in Gaza over the weekend. On Saturday, a strike on an apartment in Gaza City’s Remal neighborhood killed five. On Sunday, one Palestinian was killed when a vehicle was hit in Deir al-Balah. Ten were injured. The Israeli military said a Hamas official was killed in an overnight apartment strike. It is not clear whether that was the Remal strike. The military has not commented on the Sunday strike. Since the Gaza ceasefire began in October 2025, more than 1,440 Palestinians have been killed and more than 5,000 wounded.

In the West Bank on Saturday, Israeli settlers attacked about 50 olive pickers in villages near Nablus. They burned olive trees and smashed vehicles. Israeli forces detained dozens of people, including activists and journalists. Palestinian authorities say settlers have killed 30 Palestinians in 2026. They say it is the most since 2022.

The closure follows a week of restrictions for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. From September 27 through October 4, Palestinians were barred from Jewish areas of the West Bank. The Israeli military raised its West Bank deployment to 24 battalions, more than double the usual 11. The increase followed three recent terror incidents.

🌍 Translator’s Note: Al-Ahram (Egypt, state-affiliated) reported the order as a shutdown of all West Bank and Gaza crossings. It stressed that no exceptions would be granted except in cases with prior approval. The Times of Israel led with COGAT’s statement. The closure, it said, is not expected to have any impact on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Both reports describe the same order. Each puts a different part of it first.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Israel has sealed every crossing into the West Bank and Gaza for October 5 and October 7. No aid enters Gaza then.

Sources: Times of Israel (Israel, right-centre; October 4 order, dates, exceptions, COGAT aid statement); Al-Ahram (Egypt, state-affiliated; Katz order, Bethlehem crossings, approval requirement); Jerusalem Post (Israel, centre-right; Sukkot restrictions, 24 battalions); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; WHO warning, crossings, medicine and prosthetics figures, Van De Weerdt); The National (UAE; weekend Gaza strikes, Israeli military statement, ministry toll since ceasefire); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; olive-picker attack, detentions, settler killings figure); TRT World, citing Anadolu Agency (Türkiye, state broadcaster and state-affiliated agency; US-led ceasefire description)

SÁNCHEZ CALLS A SNAP ELECTION

Spain votes on Sunday, November 29.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the election on Monday. Elections were not due until 2027.

On Friday, Congress rejected two housing decrees. One protected vulnerable tenants from eviction and gave landlords tax incentives. The other renewed leases automatically and compensated tenants. The conservative People’s Party, the far-right Vox and the Catalan separatist party Junts voted against. Together they denied the government the majority it needed.

Junts had said it would oppose both decrees unless they were withdrawn. It said they did not protect small landlords enough. The government refused to withdraw them.

Earlier on Monday, before Sánchez spoke, People’s Party secretary general Miguel Tellado posted a video. He urged Sánchez to call elections as soon as possible.

On Saturday, more than 70,000 people demonstrated in Madrid over the housing crisis. The anger had deepened after an 87-year-old woman was evicted from the home she had lived in for 70 years. An investment fund had bought her building and raised the rent.

The government faced other pressure. In late July, tens of thousands of migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. The People’s Party and Vox called the government’s response too slow. Sánchez defended the security forces. Corruption investigations have reached figures close to the Socialist Party. Sánchez himself faces no charges. The government has lost a string of votes in Congress.

Sánchez leads a minority government. He has been prime minister since 2018, when he removed his predecessor in a no-confidence vote. He said he wants to “renew people’s support” and win a much larger progressive majority for social reforms.

A 40dB poll taken August 31 to September 2 put the People’s Party at 32.4 percent. It put the Socialists at 27.6, Vox at 17.8 and Sumar at 5.7. The People’s Party and Vox together reach just over 50 percent.

People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called the vote a choice between corruption and decency. He said, “Finally we will be able to choose.” His party posted a video captioned with one word, “FINALLY.” Vox leader Santiago Abascal urged prudence about the polls. Yolanda Díaz, from the left coalition, blamed Feijóo, Abascal and others for the decrees’ defeat. She said the left is ready.

🌍 Translator’s Note: Euronews (Europe, multilingual, broadly centrist) framed the housing defeat as one of several blows. It listed the Ceuta crossings, the corruption cases and the lost votes alongside it. Al Jazeera framed the call as a response to the housing crisis. It led with the Madrid march and the eviction.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Spain votes on November 29, earlier than scheduled. Sánchez called it after Congress rejected his housing decrees. The People’s Party leads in the polls. It and Vox could win a majority together.

Sources: Euronews (Europe, multilingual, broadly centrist; election date, Friday vote, parties, Ceuta, corruption cases, minority government); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Monday announcement, Madrid protest figure, eviction); NewsDrum (India; decrees, 2027 schedule, Sánchez statement, 2018 background); Ara (Catalonia; decree contents, Junts position, government refusal to withdraw); Infobae (Argentina-based; Tellado video); Politpro (Europe; 40dB poll figures and fieldwork dates); El Constitucional (Spain; Feijóo, Abascal and Díaz reactions)

HOUTHIS CUT THE TAIZ ROAD

Houthi forces have cut the main road between Taiz and Aden.

The Houthis are an Iran-backed movement that captured the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. They took the town of Turbah on Sunday. It sits on the road between Taiz and Aden, the government’s interim capital. Government forces had used it as a defensive position. The loss isolates Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, and disrupts resupply for the troops defending Taiz governorate. The Houthis already hold villages on the city’s outskirts.

Taiz governorate has 4.5 million people. Heavy fighting centers on Jabal Han, the mountain that overlooks Taiz city. Government forces say they have captured several areas, including Samaa Fort. Neither side has a decisive gain.

On Friday, Yemen’s army said it killed or wounded 1,540 Houthi fighters in 24 hours. Army spokesman Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili announced the figure. He said government forces carried out nearly 500 operations. He called the numbers initial estimates. The claim has not been independently verified. No Houthi response was reported.

The fighting has displaced people across Yemen. The International Organization for Migration counts more than 149,000 displaced, many of them more than once. The World Food Programme said displaced families are arriving outside Aden and around Taiz with no food or water. In accessible government-held areas, 74 percent of households cannot meet basic food needs. That is a record for this year. Across the country, 2.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished.

On Sunday, Rashad al-Alimi announced an offensive. He is chairman of the Yemeni government’s Presidential Leadership Council. In a televised address, he called it “the battle for the state.” He ordered the armed forces to retake the remaining Houthi-held territory. The operations include the Taiz front.

A researcher at Chatham House, a UK think tank (non-partisan), called the offensive “meaningless” given current military realities.

The Saudi-led coalition, which backs the government, said it carried out 97 targeting operations on Sunday. Saudi Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki pledged “full operational support” to the government.

A Houthi spokesman, Yahya Saree, claimed the group fired ballistic missiles and drones at two Saudi Aramco facilities. Aramco is the Saudi state oil company. One is in Riyadh. The other is near Khurais. He said the strikes caused large fires. The claim is the Houthis’ own.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Iran-backed Houthi forces cut the road between Taiz and Aden by taking Turbah. Yemen’s government has announced an offensive to retake all Houthi-held territory. The Saudi-led coalition says it is backing the effort with air operations.

Sources: Business Standard (India; Turbah capture, road to Aden, Taiz outskirts, al-Malki); Dawn (Pakistan, editorially independent; supply corridor, Chatham House researcher, Saree claim); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; al-Alimi address, fronts, 97 coalition operations, Aramco sites); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Taiz governorate population, Jabal Han, Samaa Fort); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; army casualty claim); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; IOM, WFP and food-insecurity figures); Ynet (Israel; al-Alimi statement)

BRIEFS

Mekelle changes hands. Ethiopian federal forces and the pro-government Tigray Peace Forces took Mekelle, the Tigray regional capital, on Sunday, October 4. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front said it had “temporarily moved out of Mekelle.” No casualty figures have been reported. Ethiopian officials plan a temporary regional administration and regional elections within months. Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Eritrea’s Isaias Afwerki, Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan issued a joint declaration. It called for political and peaceful solutions to regional conflicts and backed Sudan’s military-led government. Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Mekelle seizure, TPLF statement); Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; joint declaration, temporary administration)

500 French schools shut. France’s Education Minister Édouard Geffray ordered 400 to 500 high schools fully or partly closed on Monday as a security precaution. The closures follow weeks of student protests. He said 24 schools have been burned or ransacked. Organizers have called large demonstrations for Tuesday. Source: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; closures, Geffray statement, Tuesday protests)

NUMBERS AT PUBLICATION

🇮🇷 Iran: 3,684 killed 🇱🇧 Lebanon: 4,386 killed, 12,413 wounded 🇮🇱 Israel: 1,200+ killed, ~5,400 wounded 🇺🇸 US military: 23 killed, 861 wounded 🇵🇸 Gaza: 74,332+ killed, 5,060+ wounded (since ceasefire) 🇵🇸 West Bank: 322 killed (incl. 74 children), 5,927 wounded (incl. 946 children) since January 2025 🛢️ Brent crude: $102/barrel ⛽ US gas: $4.37/gallon

Sources: HRANA (Iran); Lebanon MOPH; INSS (Israel); DCAS (US); OCHA (West Bank); gazacasualties.org (Gaza total); The National (Gaza since ceasefire); OilPrice.com (Brent); AAA (US gas).

“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1789

Five real stories this week. Here’s what went right.

A KIDNEY TURNS 100

Betty Vetuskey offered her son a kidney. Ray Vetuskey does not think she gave it two thoughts.

He was a teenager when his kidneys stopped working. Doctors put him on dialysis. Betty was 52. “She’s right by my side, all the time,” Ray says of her now.

The surgery was in March 1978 at Strong Hospital. Ray was 16. He still has the calendar from that month. The surgery date is circled. So is the date of a Genesis concert.

On surgery day, mother and son lay on gurneys, holding hands. Betty was crying. The transplant was a success. Ray made the concert. He still has the ticket stub.

Forty-eight years later, the kidney still works. Ray lives in Webster, New York. He is the longest surviving kidney transplant recipient in Strong Hospital’s history.

Dr. Miklos Molnar, the hospital’s director of transplant medical services, said a living-donor kidney typically lasts 15 to 20 years. Molnar was asked about the record. “In our program for sure, and I think in my life too,” he said. He added that the biological match between a mother and son matters. So does the emotional bond.

Betty has since died. This year she would have turned 100. Ray had a star named after her in the national star registry. He now visits Strong Hospital once a year for a check-up. His doctors believe the kidney could last him the rest of his life.

About 500 people in the region are waiting for a kidney. Anyone older than 16 can sign up to be a donor.

Sources: WHEC (Vetuskey transplant, calendar and concert, hospital record, Molnar statements, star registry, donor figures)

MILT WINDLER, 94

When Apollo 13 went wrong, Milt Windler asked the room.

Apollo 13 was supposed to be the third crewed moon landing. Instead, Windler and Gold Flight director Gerry Griffin polled the flight controllers in the room. They developed three options for when, where and how long to fire the lunar module’s engine. The goal was to put the spacecraft on a path back to Earth.

Windler was one of the four leaders of Mission Control in 1970. They directed the round-the-clock effort to bring the Apollo 13 astronauts home. The Apollo 13 team received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Richard Nixon that year.

Windler died Thursday, October 1, at 94, surrounded by his family, according to a brief notice posted online. A memorial service is planned in Friendswood, Texas.

He was born January 10, 1932, in Hampton, Virginia. He earned an aeronautical engineering degree from Virginia Tech in 1954. He worked for NACA, served four years in the Air Force, then returned to NACA at Langley Research Center. He stayed as it became NASA and moved to Houston as the Manned Spacecraft Center was being built.

NASA named him a flight director in 1968, after recovery work on the Mercury and Gemini programs. He led a shift of flight controllers on Apollo 8 and on the Apollo 10 lunar landing dress rehearsal. He led one on the second, third and fourth moon landings. He then served as a flight director on all three crewed Skylab missions. Later he worked on the space shuttle, the Canadarm and International Space Station operations. NASA awarded him its Exceptional Service Medal.

Looking back, Windler said Apollo moved so fast that few people had time to think about it. He said he might have tried to pay more attention.

Sources: collectSPACE (death notice, Apollo 13 role, early life, career timeline, honors, memorial, Windler’s reflection)

FRIENDS GET MORSE CODE BUZZES

A blogger who writes as liquidbrain enjoys getting texts out of the blue. So he made sure he would know who they were from.

His phone sits in his pocket with notifications on. He can feel every buzz. A buzz said a text had arrived. It did not say from whom. He wrote that texts are the highest signal-to-noise notification on his phone. Most come from friends or colleagues. At any moment, he figures, there is maybe a 40 percent chance a text is relevant. So he either pulls out the phone or wonders who wrote.

An iPhone can give each contact a custom vibration. He had already done it for his family. He wanted to reach more of the people in his life.

He got fed up and made custom tones for about 25 of them. To stay systematic, he used the Morse code of each person’s initials. He could not automate it. He recorded each pattern by hand in the phone’s settings. The whole project took about 45 minutes. Each tone took between one and five attempts.

Then he went contact by contact and assigned the pattern, one friend at a time.

He added a note to those friends. If something is urgent, call. Calls go through on Do Not Disturb. If he misses a call, he asks them to leave a message saying why they called. “(If it’s just a social call, I appreciate hearing that it is!)” he wrote.

Sources: liquidbrain.net (Morse vibration project, September 30 post)

TOMLIN’S 12-YEAR MINECRAFT CITY

“I started playing Minecraft, man, when my kids were young,” Mike Tomlin said.

That was about 12 years ago. He has been building the same city ever since.

Tomlin was the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL before he stepped down following the 2025 season. He described the project in a television interview with Craig Melvin. He did not build it alone. He said he lacks the technical knowledge to move a game world from one console to the next. His children did that for him. The world has gone from the PlayStation 3 to the PlayStation 4 to the PlayStation 5.

His oldest son is now the one pushing to show it off. Tomlin said the son told him to share the city with the world. The family has been discussing how.

That son is Dino Tomlin. He posted that his father wants him to record the city and put it on YouTube. Uncut, the video would run two hours, so he would break it into sections. He asked his followers whether they wanted it. He also wrote that the world file itself cannot simply be released.

No release date has been announced.

Sources: Bleacher Report (Tomlin interview, tenure, his son’s encouragement, sharing plans); EssentiallySports (Dino Tomlin’s posts, console history, YouTube plan)

A MATHEMATICIAN’S CASE FOR OPTIMISM

Kevin Buzzard says he wakes up every morning excited about the future of his field.

Buzzard runs the Xena Project. His essay, published October 1, is about colleagues who feel grief over AI. He does not share it.

He writes that machines are now answering questions humans could plausibly have answered themselves. The change is the speed. In his view, mathematics is about proving theorems, building theory and seeing where to go next. Understanding is a nebulous concept, he writes. The number of theorems correctly proved can be measured.

His case for optimism rests on infinity. Mathematics is infinite, he argues, and infinity beats exponential growth.

He also expects people to keep up. In every case but Navier-Stokes, he writes, humans have reverse-engineered mathematics produced by AI. He expects the Navier-Stokes result and OpenAI’s unreleased theorems to be no different. If humans want to understand, he writes, they will.

That is why he signed an open letter urging OpenAI to publish its data. He wants mathematicians to see exactly what the company claims to have done.

He writes that he cannot fail to be excited by the powerful new tools. He closes with Hilbert’s motto, “we must know, we will know.”

Sources: Xena Project (Buzzard essay “To grieve, or not to grieve?”, October 1)

“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1789

Weekday morning and evening editions. Saturdays once. Good news on Sundays. All sources labeled.

400 FRENCH SCHOOLS CLOSED

At least 400 of France’s 3,700 high schools were closed on Friday. The Ministry of National Education said another 560 reported protests or disruption.

The protests began at lycées in the Paris area last week. They have spread nationwide. On Friday, students blockaded schools, lit fires in the street and faced police lines. Fire damaged the entrances of two Paris lycées, Léonard de Vinci and Gaston-Bachelard.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said about 2,000 people have been detained, the vast majority of them children. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 170 students and 65 school staff have been wounded, including 40 principals. More than 100 high schools have sustained severe damage, he said. Amnesty International said that students “must be protected, not beaten with batons.”

Students cite classes of 32 to 35 pupils. Teachers who are absent and not replaced. Buildings with poor insulation and no air conditioning. Ryad Rani, president of the Union Syndicale Lycéenne, said the government’s only answer is repression. A 15-year-old named Kesia said in Pantin that “we are 35 per class” and that there are not enough chairs.

The protests coincide with a public-sector strike. The government’s draft budget includes 54 billion euros in cuts and savings. It would also freeze state employees’ base salaries in 2027. Unions say that would be the fourth freeze in a row.

The government blames the hard-left France Unbowed party for commandeering the protests. Manuel Bompard, a senior party official, called that a “conspiracy theory.” Party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused the government of ordering a crackdown on teenagers. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said exploiting the students’ anger for partisan purposes is wrong. He rejected the accusation of racism as an insult.

On Tuesday, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 440 people had been detained nationwide. Authorities said 48 law enforcement officers had been injured. Vincent Latour teaches British studies at Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès. He said the number of schools involved had doubled over a couple of days.

Geffray planned to meet education unions and student associations on Friday. The protests are unfolding against the backdrop of a presidential election next spring.

🌍 Translator’s Note: Two French outlets put the police response at the center. Euronews France reported on September 29 that a student was wounded in the face by a projectile fired by a police officer, and that the IGPN, the police oversight body, opened an investigation. CGT head Sophie Binet called on the government to stop sending police against the students. LCP, the National Assembly’s channel (far right), reported that Mélenchon told France Unbowed officials and activists to interpose themselves between students and police.

Editor’s Note - I live here, walking distance to two high schools and I pass at least one every time I walk my dog. Whatever social media or US News is screaming about the city burning is nonsense. The kids have a legit concern and are protesting passionately. I suppose burning trashbins and snarky signs may make some think it is end times here in Paris, but I assure you the city overall is safe (and most are behind the kids).

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Friday closures, detention and injury figures, Darmanin and Geffray statements, Amnesty statement, Kesia quote); Al Jazeera (Tuesday detentions, grievances, strike and budget figures, party exchange, Latour); Euronews France (Europe, multilingual, broadly centrist; injured student, IGPN investigation, Binet, Geffray statement); LCP (France, National Assembly channel; Mélenchon’s call)

FIVE KILLED IN REMAL

An Israeli air strike on an apartment building in western Gaza City killed at least five people early Saturday. Six others were wounded. Medical staff at al-Shifa Hospital gave the toll.

The strike hit the al-Asala building in the Remal neighborhood without warning, according to reporter Hani al-Shaer in Khan Younis. Remal is one of the most crowded areas of Gaza City. Thousands of displaced people shelter there in makeshift camps. The strike tore through the targeted apartment and the floors below it.

The accounts differ on how. Al-Shaer heard fighter jets, then three strikes. Local sources said aircraft fired at least two missiles. Reporter Hind Khoudary described two explosions around 2am and said the Israeli army targeted a building with two explosive drones.

The accounts also differ on who died. A medical source at al-Shifa said the dead were four women and a young man. Khoudary counted three women, a child and a young man.

Fires burned for at least an hour before Civil Defence crews put them out. The crews were still searching the site for missing people and bodies.

The reporting carries no statement from the Israeli military.

As of Thursday, before this strike, the Gaza health ministry counted at least 1,439 Palestinians killed and 5,052 wounded since the October 2025 “ceasefire.”

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: The “ceasefire” is the US-led arrangement in place since October 2025, as the Turkish state broadcaster described it. The ministry’s count of the dead since it began was 1,439 before today.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; toll, al-Shaer and Khoudary accounts, Remal setting, Civil Defence search); TRT World, citing Anadolu Agency (Türkiye, state broadcaster and state-affiliated agency; wounded count, al-Shifa victim breakdown, missiles account, ministry figures)

THE TAIZ FRONT

Yemen’s army says it killed or wounded 1,540 Houthi fighters in 24 hours. Army spokesman Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili announced the figure Friday evening. He said government forces carried out nearly 500 operations using warplanes, drones, artillery, missiles and rocket launchers. Most of the casualties came in Taiz governorate, he said.

He mentioned no government casualties. The figure is the army’s alone.

On Saturday, army media official Ammar al-Sami’i said the government had closed the al-Houban crossing in Taiz. The road links Houthi-held al-Houban to government-held Taiz city. It was closed for nine years and reopened to civilians in 2024 for humanitarian reasons. Al-Sami’i said the closure followed a Houthi attempt to infiltrate Taiz by that road, attacks nearby and a military buildup.

The fighting follows the collapse in July of a 2022 truce. In mid-September, the Houthis seized the port city of Mocha and islands in the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Since then, anti-Houthi forces have largely held the front lines.

Analysis of the front points to terrain and firepower. The Houthis need the high ground over Bab al-Mandeb and the roads inland to keep their coastal gains. Their attempts to take that ground have failed so far. Neither side has repeated the speed of the coastal advance. Ahmed al-Shalafi covers Yemen. He said Taiz is tied to Lahj, Aden and Hodeidah. He said the Houthis lack a strong base of support in the city.

The World Food Programme said Friday that 74 percent of households in accessible government-held areas cannot meet basic food needs. That is a record for this year. About 10 million people live in those areas. Yemen imports about 90 percent of its food.

Across the country, 18.3 million people face severe food insecurity. That includes 2.2 million acutely malnourished children under five. The International Organization for Migration counts more than 149,000 people displaced, many of them more than once. Displaced families are arriving outside Aden and around Taiz with no food or water, the WFP said.

The WFP is scaling up to reach up to 1.5 million people. It needs $109 million to do it. Matthew Hollingworth, its assistant executive director for programme operations, said the fighting “threatens to be absolutely devastating” for food security. He warned that disruption around Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz could push up food and fuel prices worldwide.

🌍 Translator’s Note: Two Gulf outlets describe the Houthis as Iran-backed and add an Iran thread to the fighting. Arab News (Saudi Arabia) reported on October 1 that Yemeni forces said a mobile air-defense system in Mokha was developed by experts from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The report rests on Yemeni military claims and carries no Houthi comment. The National (UAE) reported that the Saudi-led coalition intercepted a ballistic missile launched toward Khamis Mushait on Friday morning. It also reported that UN envoy Hans Grundberg was alarmed by the intensified fighting in Taiz.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: The US and Israel’s war on Iran is in its eighth month. It has disrupted global energy supplies and raised fuel costs. The WFP’s warning about food and fuel prices concerns the same chokepoints.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; army casualty claim, al-Houban crossing, truce and September timeline); Al Jazeera (front-line analysis, al-Shalafi); Al Jazeera (WFP, IOM and funding figures, Hollingworth); Arab News (Saudi Arabia; Yemeni forces’ claims, air-defense claim, no Houthi comment); The National (UAE; Grundberg statement, Khamis Mushait interception)

NORTH KOREA FIRES FROM WONSAN

North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile toward the sea off its east coast on Saturday morning, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. It was launched from Wonsan. Japan issued an emergency alert for a suspected ballistic missile launch. The missile flew more than 700 kilometers. Japan’s Defense Ministry said it landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. South Korea’s presidential national security office called the launch a violation of UN Security Council sanctions.

The launch came after Kim Yo Jong called Seoul’s demand for an apology “utterly pathetic.” She is the sister of leader Kim Jong Un. Seoul wants the apology over landmine blasts on September 21. Two explosions near the military demarcation line in the western Demilitarized Zone wounded three South Korean soldiers.

The United Nations Command is the US-led force that oversees the armistice. It said a joint investigation with Seoul’s military identified an active North Korean anti-personnel mine on the South Korean side of the line. It determined that an armistice violation occurred.

North Korea denies it. Kim Yo Jong dismissed the South Korean assessment as a groundless pretext for provocation. She said North Korean soldiers have never crossed the border. She also objected to Seoul’s warning broadcasts and warning shots at North Korean troops doing fortification work at the front line.

The launch follows weeks of hypersonic missile tests, live-fire exercises and the commissioning of a new warship.

🌍 Translator’s Note: The Seoul Economic Daily (South Korea, business daily) reported Kim Yo Jong’s October 2 statement in her own words. She said the South had “hastily reached the absurd conclusion” that North Korea laid the mines. The report makes no reference to Trump or the United States.

🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: On Tuesday in Washington, a reporter asked President Trump why North Korea can have nuclear weapons and Iran cannot. Trump said Kim is “a friend of mine.” He said North Korea’s nuclear capacity is large but not comparable to America’s. He said Kim will be fine as long as he is around.

South Korea’s defence minister said last week that North Korea holds between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads. Trump has put the number at 57. Trump has said he plans to meet Kim in person before the end of the year. North Korea has not formally committed to a meeting. U.S. Pacific Command said the launch does not pose an immediate threat to US personnel, territory or allies. The two leaders held summits in 2018 and 2019. Diplomacy broke down over US demands that Pyongyang give up its weapons.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; launch, Joint Chiefs statement, Japan alert, Kim Yo Jong statement); Al Jazeera (September 21 blasts, UN Command finding, Kim Yo Jong denial); Al Jazeera (Trump remarks, warhead estimates, summit history); Associated Press via The Manila Times (US wire; distance, landing zone, Seoul sanctions statement, US military statement); Seoul Economic Daily (South Korea; Kim Yo Jong statement)

FEDERAL FORCES CLOSE ON MEKELLE

Forces loyal to Ethiopia’s federal government have taken several towns in Tigray and are closing on the regional capital, Mekelle. Mohammed Taha Tawakel, reporting from Ethiopia, described the advance. Residents say government forces are closing on Mekelle.

The commander of the Tigray Peace Forces, a government-aligned armed group, said late Thursday that Tigray People’s Liberation Front forces had been wiped out. The claim has not been verified. TPLF chair Debretsion Gebremichael acknowledged that federal forces occupy parts of the region. He said his forces would counterattack “in due course.”

The fighting has spread to Amhara and Afar. A pro-government group in Afar said Thursday it had retaken the town of Erebti, which rebel forces had seized earlier in the week. It thanked the Ethiopian military for air support. Tawakel reported that rebel forces still hold a rear link with Eritrea along the border. He also reported fear that the fighting will reach Adwa, Axum, Shire and Mekelle. Some residents have begun fleeing to Amhara and Afar.

An explosion hit the Ministry of Defence in Addis Ababa early Thursday. A diplomatic source said small drones were the most probable cause. A source linked to the TPLF claimed responsibility. Tigray, home to between six and seven million people, has electricity cuts and an internet blackout.

Seven armed and political groups announced an alliance on September 20 to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. The TPLF leads it. The clashes are the most severe in Ethiopia since the 2020-2022 civil war, which killed hundreds of thousands of people.

The diplomatic breakdown runs alongside. Eritrea cut ties on Thursday after Addis Ababa said it would close its embassy in Asmara and expel 10 Eritrean diplomats. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of backing the TPLF-led alliance. It also accuses Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia and Egypt have each expelled a diplomat. Eritrea and Ethiopia reject each other’s accusations, and Ethiopia rejects Sudan’s.

Laura Hammond is a professor of development studies at SOAS University of London. She said there is a “strong possibility that Eritrea will become more involved” if the fighting continues. Ahmed Soliman works at Chatham House, a UK think tank (non-partisan). He said the conflicts in Ethiopia and Sudan have become more interconnected. Both governments accuse each other of harboring and arming the other’s opposition forces.

🌍 Translator’s Note: Democracy Now (US, independent progressive) put the diplomatic break and the drone claim under one headline on October 2. It called the rupture the worst confrontation between the two countries since the 2018 peace agreement that ended 20 years of war.

Sources: Al Jazeera (Qatar, state-funded/editorially independent; Tigray Peace Forces claim, residents’ account to Reuters, Debretsion statement, alliance, blackout); Al Jazeera (Tawakel reporting, Afar, Addis Ababa explosion, diplomatic expulsions, Hammond and Soliman analysis); Democracy Now (US; TPLF-linked drone claim via Reuters, 2018 comparison)

BRIEFS

Pike on a ventilator. Christa Pike is unconscious and intubated at a Nashville hospital, her lawyers said in a court filing Friday. Both of her arms were “swollen, burned, and blistered” when she arrived, they wrote. The lawyers argue the IV lines were not correctly placed, so the pentobarbital entered her body and not her bloodstream. They allege staff prepared a backup set of syringes and administered another lethal dose. Pike was sentenced to death at 18 for the 1995 torture and murder of another young woman. She would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years. Her lawyers want her sentence commuted to life. Governor Bill Lee has suspended all executions for the rest of the year while the state investigates. Source: Al Jazeera (court filing, lawyers’ allegations, suspension)

Sudan’s army claims al-Mazroub. The Sudanese Armed Forces said Friday they took al-Mazroub in North Kordofan after heavy fighting with the Rapid Support Forces. An army source called it the RSF’s largest stronghold in the state. Army Special Forces spokesman Mohammed Deidan said the town links North and West Kordofan, and that its capture advances the goal of cutting RSF supply lines. The claim comes from the army alone. Kordofan sits between army-held central Sudan and RSF-held Darfur. One in five recorded attacks in Sudan since April 2023 has occurred there. Source: Al Jazeera, citing Anadolu Agency (Türkiye, state-affiliated) (army statement, Deidan, Kordofan context)

NUMBERS AT PUBLICATION

🇮🇷 Iran: 3,684 killed 🇱🇧 Lebanon: 4,386 killed, 12,413 wounded 🇮🇱 Israel: 1,200+ killed, ~5,400 wounded 🇺🇸 US military: 23 killed, 861 wounded 🇵🇸 Gaza: 74,139+ killed, 5,052 wounded (since ceasefire) 🇵🇸 West Bank: 322 killed (incl. 74 children), 5,927 wounded (incl. 946 children) since January 2025 🛢️ Brent crude: $102.30/barrel ⛽ US gas: $4.38/gallon

Sources: HRANA (Iran); Lebanon MOPH; INSS (Israel); DCAS (US); OCHA (West Bank); gazacasualties.org (Gaza total); Al Jazeera (Gaza since ceasefire); OilPrice.com (Brent); AAA (US gas).

“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1789