Arab Republic in the Nile, a strategic crossroads of Africa and Asia.
A US-backed Board of Peace has presented a six-month, $2.45bn, 66-project plan to begin Gaza's reconstruction, but implementation has not started. The plan depends on Hamas disarming, Israeli cooperation and major donor funding that remains unpaid. Israeli forces continue to control much of the Strip and aid and movement restrictions are persisting.
Ottolenghi Edinburgh has opened at 92 George Street, transforming a former Ragu site. The launch featured Yotam Ottolenghi and Neil Campbell, a renovated space, and a private events area. Guests included Ian Rankin and Kirsty Wark as the restaurant showcases a global-to-Mediterranean menu and a vibrant crowd in a transformed venue.
Libya’s eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) faces intensified scrutiny amid August drone strikes targeting oil and electricity infrastructure. Reports link Saddam Haftar to the attacks, complicating Washington’s unification efforts and UN-backed processes amid a prolonged east–west split.
Lenacapavir, branded Yeztugo in the US, has a twice-yearly injection form of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. Its introduction in parts of the Middle East and North Africa comes with cheaper generics set to be available in 2027, while many countries in the region face barriers to testing and treatment.
The U.S. has told Iran’s UN delegation to depart New York ahead of scheduled talks. The move follows limited progress in weekend diplomacy as mediators seek a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease sanctions.
Senior researchers and executives have warned that frontier artificial intelligence could escape human control and pose existential risks. Anthropic staffers and former employees have raised the possibility of human extinction; Anthropic and OpenAI have proposed independent evaluators and coordination to pause development while regulators and politicians debate responses.
Israel has demolished a vast Hezbollah tunnel complex beneath the Ali al‑Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, using more than 1,000 tonnes of explosives to collapse tunnels that extended over 2km. The blast has registered as a 4.1‑magnitude tremor, Israeli forces say they have established operational control and will hold a security zone while continuing strikes when needed.
Saudi authorities have said they have intercepted a Houthi-launched drone south of Mecca and have called the attempt a "red line" because it targeted Islam's holiest sites. Regional capitals and Muslim organisations have condemned the strikes on Saudi cities and infrastructure, and analysts warn the attacks will raise pressure on shipping routes and global energy supplies.
The Supreme Court has put on hold a lower‑court order that required migrants facing removal to third countries receive notice and a meaningful chance to raise fear‑of‑persecution claims. The court has granted the administration’s emergency request, will hear arguments in December, and three liberal justices have dissented.
Four Global Sumud Flotilla activists remain in pre-trial detention in Tunisia. All four have been on hunger strikes to protest charges of misusing funds raised for Gaza relief. Health of Wael Naouar and Ghassen Henchiri is deteriorating;Naouar in hospital, others experiencing weight loss and fainting. Protests and international attention continue as authorities defend legal processes.
Divers are revisiting Tyre’s underwater Phoenician and Roman ruins after a shaky ceasefire. UNESCO notes submerged remains; authorities fear land and underwater sites face threats while plans for underwater parks seek to boost tourism.
Saudi Arabia has faced an intensified campaign of drone and missile attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis since July, and the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed in August has prompted Pakistan and Turkiye to discuss defensive support. Britain has approved time-limited refuelling for Saudi jets and the three allies are meeting to decide collective steps as attacks continue.
Libya’s oil pipeline is back online after valve seven was opened, restoring crude flow from Sharara to Zawiya. The restart follows protests and blockades that had disrupted output, causing millions in losses and threatening state revenues. Authorities warn disruptions could recur if grievances persist, emphasizing the need for security and governance reforms to secure energy cash for broader reform.
More than 100 Israeli settlers have attacked the West Bank village of Jalud while Israeli forces were attempting to escort a displaced Palestinian family back to their home. Settlers set fire to houses and vehicles, injured three security officers and blocked the family's return; police have detained a small number of suspects and court rulings had ordered the family's return.
US ambassador David Perdue has said President Donald Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping whether China would like to buy US weapons. The State Department has clarified that US law prohibits arms sales to China and there is no plan to do so. The comments come as Washington has paused a roughly $14bn arms package to Taiwan and Taipei continues to press allies for defence supplies.
Sudan faces renewed international pressure as talks on ending the civil war show shifting positions. Sudanese authorities advocate a Sudanese-led path, with external support framed as monitoring rather than directing the process. Diplomatic tensions surface over visa access to UN events and ceasefire strategies, with attention turning to security reform and civilian protection.
Fighting between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and the Ethiopian government has intensified, with the TPLF and its allied groups seizing airports and moving across Afar and Amhara. The conflict risks a return to the 2020–22 civil war, prompting international concern over civilian harm and humanitarian access.
Kremlin and White House officials have signalled ongoing dialogue on ending the Ukraine war, with discussions focusing on energy initiatives, potential prisoner exchanges, and trilateral talks that could bring Ukraine, Russia, and the United States to the negotiating table. Western mediation efforts continue ahead of winter.
Bangladesh is battling a large measles outbreak with over 1,087 deaths and nearly 187,000 suspected cases since March. Emergency vaccination campaigns have expanded to reach children 6 months to 59 months, while authorities confront immunity gaps from earlier disruptions in routine immunization.
German foreign minister Johann Wadephul has met Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, the first bilateral talks since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Wadephul has urged Russia to abandon escalation, pressed for a ceasefire and a Black Sea grain deal; Lavrov has said he heard "nothing new."
Israeli voters confront a tightly balanced race three years after the Hamas attack. Polls show blocs short of a majority, with Arab parties potentially pivotal. Opposition leaders are coordinating but face internal tensions about coalition partners and prime ministerial leadership as the October 27 vote nears.
Police have arrested five men after residents reported three suspicious vehicles moving toward RAF Fairford overnight. Bomb-disposal teams are examining the vehicles under a 400-metre cordon; about 85 households were evacuated. Counter Terrorism Policing and Gloucestershire police have opened an investigation and the men remain in custody on terrorism-related suspicions.
The MT Honour 25, carrying 18,500 barrels of oil, was seized by pirates off Puntland in April. Puntland forces have rescued the vessel, arrested 16 suspects, and say five crew members — three Pakistanis, one Indian, and one Myanmar national — were killed during the hijacking. Several crew members were injured; the vessel is under government protection as authorities pursue remaining suspects.
Arab warnings from Egypt and the UAE are now corroborated by multiple outlets, including The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal. The reports describe Israeli leaders receiving cautions about Gaza's volatility in the weeks before the October 7, 2023 assault, with Egypt’s Abbas Kamel and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed reportedly warning of imminent danger.
An Italian court has handed 10-year sentences to three Egyptian officers and acquitted one, in a landmark but contentious ruling over Giulio Regeni's 2016 death. The case has strained Italy–Egypt relations, with prosecutors arguing state involvement and Egypt denying it.
A Rome court has convicted three Egyptian officials in absentia for the abduction of Giulio Regeni, a Cambridge PhD student tortured before his death in 2016. A fourth defendant is acquitted; murder charges were dropped for the others. The ruling preserves diplomatic ties but could strain bilateral relations with Cairo.
A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv has diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after an altercation on the flight deck. The airline has said all passengers are safe and accounted for. Israeli officials have said a pilot stabbed the co-pilot and tried to sabotage the aircraft; Israeli warplanes monitored the diversion and passengers restrained the assailant.
Israel’s prime minister faces defamation lawsuits as Haaretz and other outlets are accused of publishing false reports about warnings to Netanyahu before the October 7, 2023 attacks. The stories persist as other outlets report related warnings from Egypt and the UAE, while Netanyahu denies having been warned.
The Gaza conflict has intensified since Oct. 2023, with widespread destruction across Gaza and the displacement of more than 2.1 million people. Recent satellite imagery and UN assessments show 82% of structures damaged and about two-thirds destroyed, including major landmarks and the port. International bodies have raised alarms over humanitarian crisis while ceasefire conditions remain fragile.
Independent Moray councillor Neil McLennan continues representing Buckie ward while living in Cairo, raising questions about constituency access. He remains entitled to a Moray Council salary as he works remotely, while official guidance suggests attendees should spend time with constituents.
Fighting in northern Ethiopia has intensified as federal forces push into Tigray, while opposition groups allied with the TPLF strike Addis Ababa with reported drone activity. Civilians flee and aid access tightens amid regional tensions and accusations of external involvement.
Israeli air strikes on Gaza City target a residential building, killing multiple civilians including women and a Christian mother and daughter. Hospitals report casualties as officials say the strikes hit a seven-storey block in Remal and another apartment in the Rimal area; authorities warn the violence continues despite recent ceasefire talks.
Ukraine is facing intensified Russian air and missile attacks across Kyiv and other regions. The latest reports describe damage to energy infrastructure, civilian casualties in Pryluky and Kharkiv, and Ukraine's calls for more ammunition for Patriot systems as Moscow's strikes push into winter.
The Tigray conflict has intensified as federal forces retake Mekelle’s airport and push into the city center, while the TPLF withdraws from Mekelle to operate from another location. Regional and international actors warn of a potential wider war in the Horn of Africa.
Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan are coordinating on regional issues in New Alamein as tensions around the GERD and cross-border conflicts in the Horn of Africa intensify. The four leaders reaffirm international law, reject unilateral moves, and seek to align water, security and Red Sea governance with stability.
Palestinian children displaced by the Gaza war are studying in El-Arish, Egypt. A volunteer teacher has set up a free school that now serves nearly 400 students, with support from Misr El Kheir Foundation. The effort aims to preserve Palestinian curriculum and provide stability and healing for the children.
A re-examination of 46 skulls from Abydos suggests 18 show signs of lethal trauma, indicating retainer sacrifice around the death of First Dynasty rulers. The study, using modern forensic techniques, reopens debate about whether these officials were killed or died naturally, with some possibly volunteering for an afterlife service.
An Israeli mathematics lecturer at Bar-Ilan University has been indicted for preparing to carry out mass terrorist attacks against Palestinian communities in Israel, East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The plan envisaged 72 attackers in 12 cells, with potential support from inside the Israeli military, and aimed to drive Palestinians to flee to neighboring states.
Six Matsadaash journalists have been detained in a state security probe, with authorities accusing them of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and publishing false news. Rights groups say the newsroom has been dismantled and journalists report torture; the platform denies the allegations. Dozens have rallied in support of press freedom as international observers call for transparency.
Gaza remains under strain as displacement, injuries, and psychological trauma persist for millions. UN and NGO assessments highlight vast needs, with hundreds of thousands of children affected by violence, loss, and disrupted services amid ongoing humanitarian challenges.
Satellite and on-the-ground reports show widespread destruction across Gaza, with neighborhoods leveled, thousands killed or injured, and essential services collapsing. A ceasefire has not halted the humanitarian catastrophe, and reconstruction remains blocked by broader conflict and political stalemate. Palestinians are enduring displacement, food and water shortages, and a collapse of daily life.
Saudi civil aviation authorities have said Abha and Riyadh’s King Khalid airports have been struck by missiles and drones on 6–7 October, killing at least three foreign residents and injuring dozens. Houthi forces have claimed responsibility and Saudi-led coalition spokesmen have said they intercepted missiles and launched strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen.