News

India and Pakistan exchanged diplomatic protests after a border incident that left two people dead. Islamabad said they were unarmed civilians and called for a transparent investigation, while New Delhi said they had crossed the border illegally and posed an imminent security threat.

North Korea announced that it had conducted a drill involving the launch of an intermediate-range strategic missile towards the sea off its east coast, under the supervision of Kim Jong-un. Pyongyang said the training tested troop readiness and the reliability of a hypersonic system, while South Korea’s military said the ballistic missile travelled more than 700 kilometres.

Three sources said Ethiopia’s federal army had recaptured Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle, the capital of Tigray region, after clashes described as the most serious since the 2020-2022 war. Washington urged Ethiopia and Eritrea to show restraint and return to dialogue, amid fears that the fighting could expand into a regional conflict.

Ethiopian federal forces entered Mekelle, the capital of Tigray region, after it was largely vacated by forces loyal to the regional authorities, while a government-aligned group announced that it had taken control of the main airport. The advance followed a counter-offensive that pushed Tigray People’s Liberation Front forces back from Afar and Amhara.

The Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen rejected Houthi claims that Riyadh had been targeted, saying the group was attempting to divert attention from its losses in Taiz and on other fronts, as Yemeni forces fought battles on the western coast and carried out air and ground operations in several areas.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country would expand attacks on Russian oil refineries in response to what he described as a new aerial policy aimed at pressuring residents of Ukrainian cities, while stressing that Kyiv would not target civilians. He also discussed battlefield developments and plans to strengthen air defences and domestically produced missiles.

Swiss glaciers recorded their second-largest annual loss on record after losing around 5.5% of their volume during the 2025–2026 hydrological year. Accelerating melting threatens freshwater reserves, energy production, agriculture and navigation, while also increasing the risk of lakes forming that could cause flash floods.

Ethiopia's federal forces and their allies entered Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region, after Tigray People's Liberation Front fighters withdrew from most of their positions. The move followed a counter-offensive on three fronts, amid residents' fears of chaos, looting and a worsening humanitarian crisis in the north of the country.

Yemeni government forces announced 257 targeting operations against Houthi positions, movements and military capabilities in several governorates. They said preliminary field estimates indicated that at least 700 personnel had been neutralised and 170 combat vehicles and assets destroyed, amid continuing battles on fronts in Taiz governorate.

Moscow renewed its call for diplomats and foreign nationals to leave Kyiv, vowing to continue its strikes, as Russian attacks killed at least 6 people and damaged the Northern Bridge, suspending traffic and causing vehicle congestion for the third consecutive day.

The latest round of escalating clashes in Yemen has killed or injured 610 civilians, according to an initial government toll, and forced tens of thousands to flee their areas. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme warned that food security could collapse in a country where 18.3 million people face acute food insecurity.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud reaffirmed his country’s rejection of an Israeli base in Berbera or the use of its airport, and said Mogadishu was ready to allow Ethiopia to use two or three Somali ports for trade under economic agreements and international rules, while security cooperation with the United States continues.

The Yemeni armed forces announced that they had taken control of Sam'a Fort south-east of Taiz governorate following clashes with Houthi forces, backed by local popular resistance fighters. A military source said the fighting left dozens of Houthis dead or wounded, as the forces carried out strikes in several areas of the governorate.

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Pyongyang used an intermediate-range strategic missile in a training exercise towards the East Sea of Korea, while Seoul said it had detected a ballistic missile launch from the coastal area of Wonsan on Saturday morning.

British counter-terrorism police released on bail a British-Iranian man detained on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts linked to a security incident near Fairford air base. He is the sixth suspect to be released on bail in the case, as investigations continue into a possible connection to a foreign state.

The Russian Foreign Ministry urged foreign nationals and diplomatic mission staff to avoid travelling to Ukraine, and called on those in Kyiv to leave and stay away from military and administrative facilities, stressing that Russian forces would continue striking military targets in the capital and other Ukrainian cities.

Authorities in Aden have temporarily suspended the expansion of a security campaign targeting African migrants in the Sheikh Othman and Mansoura districts after finding that detention facilities could not accommodate the number of detainees. The campaign coincides with tighter monitoring of the city’s entry points, as international data shows that migrants from the Horn of Africa continue to arrive in Yemen.

Israeli media reported that the Israeli army attempted to assassinate Ali al-Amoudi, deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau and the movement’s leader in the Gaza Strip, in a strike on a residential building west of Gaza City. Palestinian sources said the strike killed at least five people and injured more than five others, while al-Amoudi’s fate remained unclear.

Kyiv authorities closed the North Bridge over the Dnipro River after Russian strikes damaged the road and trolleybus cables, while Moscow said it had targeted a cargo ship in the Black Sea and a supply depot. The attacks coincided with an intense exchange of drone strikes and injuries in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.

Fighters and leaders of the Tigray People's Liberation Front left Mekelle as federal forces and their allies advanced towards the regional capital, while the government-aligned Tigray Peace Forces announced that they had taken control of the main airport. The absence of security personnel from police stations and government offices raised residents' fears of looting and chaos.

An informed source said the co-pilot suspected of involvement in the FZ1073 flight incident was Omani national Humam al-Hamami. The UAE authorities said preliminary investigations indicated that the co-pilot had begun carrying out what they described as a terrorist act by attacking the pilot and attempting to take control of the aircraft, before it was secured and landed in Tabuk.

Senior national security officials in Donald Trump’s administration held an unannounced meeting lasting several hours at Camp David to discuss options for dealing with Iran and support for possible action against the Houthis in Yemen, amid reports of additional US military deployments and preparations for a major Yemeni operation backed by Saudi air support.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had targeted a dry cargo vessel carrying dual-use materials to the port of Odesa, and announced that 218 Ukrainian drones had been downed over 12 hours. The developments come amid reports of a document outlining a Russian plan to strike Ukrainian energy facilities during the winter.