WORLD

 WASHINGTON, 13 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): US President Donald Trump has condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia following a telephone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as the Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting a missile over Riyadh. The developments have heightened regional tensions, with Houthi rebels threatening a “swift and painful” response against US interests across the Middle East if Washington joins Saudi military operations against the group in Yemen. Houthi political bureau member Mohammed Al Bukhaiti told AFP that any US involvement in what he described as aggression against Yemen would prompt an immediate response targeting the United States and its interests in the region. He also warned employees and workers at Saudi oil facilities ...

Yarkon, 12 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): At least one boy was killed and around 19 others were injured in an explosion during a school trip in northern Israel near the Lebanese border on Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said. The explosion occurred while a group of Israeli high school students was hiking in the area, with officials suspecting that unexploded ordnance may have caused the incident. Katz expressed condolences to the family of the deceased boy and wished a speedy recovery to those injured, adding that an investigation had been launched. According to Israeli police, approximately 20 people sustained injuries of varying severity. The municipality of Maalot-Tarshiha said the victims included students and staff members from a religious high school who were on an outing....

Seoul, 12 October, 2026 (Nosheen): North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Monday, further escalating regional tensions amid a prolonged suspension of diplomatic efforts. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from an area near the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. One missile reportedly travelled more than 900 kilometers before falling into the sea, while Japan confirmed detecting at least two launches conducted 17 minutes apart. Japanese Deputy Defense Minister Takashi Koyari said the missiles landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone and followed flight paths that included an irregular trajectory, with no damage reported to aircraft or vessels. The latest launches come as North Korea continues expanding its arsenal of n...

Riyadh, 12 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Saudi Arabia has launched an investigation into how its air defense systems failed to intercept missiles and drones fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, including an attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300, according to regional officials. Initial findings suggest the Houthis deployed multiple drones before launching cruise and ballistic missiles toward the airport. The investigation will also examine why Saudi defense systems failed to issue an early warning, as the weapons reportedly travelled more than 1,000 kilometers to reach the Saudi capital. The attack, part of a series of Houthi strikes targeting Saudi airports, has raised serious concerns about the country’s air defense capabi...

DUBAI, 12 October, 2026 (Nosheen): Iran has described the United States’ response to its seven conditions for reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz as insufficient, saying key issues remain unresolved and negotiations have stalled. According to Iranian state media, Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran had presented a proposal during the United Nations General Assembly under which the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and normal maritime traffic restored within seven days if its conditions were met. The United States subsequently responded through Qatari intermediaries. Rezaei said Washington needed to clarify the points that remained unclear to Tehran, stressing that Iran would not reopen the waterway to the United States or engage in negoti...

KHARKIV, 12 October, 2026 (Nosheen): Russian attacks killed six people in two Ukrainian cities on Sunday, including a strike on a grocery store in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, officials said. According to regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov, three people were killed and 20 others injured in the attack on the grocery store, with two children among the wounded. In a statement posted on Telegram, the governor shared details of the casualties as emergency crews responded to the scene. Images circulated online showed rescue workers operating around severely damaged buildings and burned-out vehicles following the strike. In a separate attack in western Ukraine, officials reported that three people were killed in a Russian strike. The attacks added to the continuing civilian toll of the ...

RIYADH, 12 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, to discuss the recent escalation in the region and efforts to address the deteriorating security situation. The discussion comes amid a series of attacks attributed to Yemen’s Houthi movement targeting Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities reported that one person was killed and nearly a dozen others were injured in an attack on Riyadh’s international airport on Sunday. The incident followed a strike claimed by the Houthis a day earlier that reportedly killed 13 people and injured more than 300. According to Saudi authorities, an unidentified projectile targeted Terminal 4 of King Khalid International Airport, triggering a fi...

RAMALLAH, 11 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed legislative elections until September 11, 2027, with presidential and parliamentary polls now scheduled to take place on the same day, according to official media. The elections were originally planned for November 28 this year, while the presidential vote had been expected in early 2027. In a presidential decree reported by the Palestinian Wafa news agency, Abbas attributed the delay to Israeli-imposed obstacles and the need to establish appropriate political and security conditions to ensure free, fair and inclusive elections. The Palestinian Authority has also alleged that Israel refused to allow Palestinian election officials access to East Jerusalem and Gaza to prepare for the polls. Israel’s F...

Islamabad, 11 October, 2026 (Nosheen): The European Union is facing growing criticism over its engagement with Afghanistan’s Taliban administration, with concerns that efforts to secure the deportation of Afghan migrants could undermine the bloc’s commitments to human rights, counterterrorism and inclusive governance. The debate intensified following talks between European officials and a five-member Taliban delegation in Brussels in June 2026. The meeting, reportedly supported by several EU member states, including Belgium, Germany and Sweden, aimed to facilitate the return of Afghan nationals from Europe to Afghanistan. However, critics warned that such cooperation could gradually legitimise the Taliban administration without securing meaningful concessions. EU officials described the di...

 Islamabad, 11 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Hurricane Simon has intensified into a powerful Category 4 storm off Mexico’s Pacific coast, threatening destructive winds, heavy rainfall, storm surges and life-threatening flooding. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Simon was located about 185 kilometres south-southwest of Manzanillo on Saturday, with maximum sustained winds of 240 kilometres per hour. The storm is expected to approach Mexico’s west-central coast late Saturday or early Sunday. Authorities have issued hurricane warnings for coastal areas south of Puerto Vallarta, including Manzanillo, while a tropical storm watch remains in effect farther south toward Lazaro Cardenas. Residents have been urged to complete emergency preparations to protect lives and proper...