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Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan pledged temporary immunity and legal protections for participants in a national dialogue process. Al-Burhan firmly ruled out any return to the process for rival Rapid Support Forces leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Al Jazeera that the recently signed defence agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is open to new members, as he pledged continued support for the pact. The comments fuelled speculation that Egypt could be next to join.
China has published ecological assessment reports on nine disputed South China Sea features, amid an escalating row with Washington over Beijing's establishment of a "national nature reserve" in the contested waters. The Ministry of Natural Resources' South China Sea Bureau issued a marine ecological monitoring bulletin and a separate protection report on Friday.
Taiwan's push to build a modern counter-drone shield has come under renewed scrutiny after an official audit uncovered technical shortcomings and a key procurement programme collapsed following repeated testing failures. The findings have fuelled concerns that Taipei's efforts to match Beijing's rapidly evolving drone technology are being undermined by capability gaps and procurement delays.
Zambia resumed vote counting Friday after a nationwide suspension over alleged attacks on polling staff and stolen marked ballot papers. The halt came a day after presidential and parliamentary elections, with opposition leader Brian Mundubile already claiming victory.
The Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo is now the second-largest on record, with more than 2,100 deaths and the virus spreading to a sixth province. Health workers are struggling to contain the rapidly growing outbreak amid community resistance, misinformation, unpaid staff strikes and threats from armed groups.
Ukraine struck industrial infrastructure in Russia's Samara region on Saturday, local authorities said. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the attack, saying a rocket plant and an air base were hit deep inside Russian territory.
Venezuela's government released 131 detained prisoners on Friday, with human rights groups hailing the freeing of people they say were held unjustly or for political reasons. Families described emotional reunions after months of uncertainty.
Iran's deputy foreign minister said the Strait of Hormuz "will remain Iranian" after President Trump claimed the U.S. would soon control the waterway. The rebuff came alongside reports of another vessel being struck in the strait, deepening tensions in the strategically vital oil corridor.
US President Donald Trump said he will 'soon' declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory, an announcement made amid continued tension in the waterway and concerns over the troubled carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Iran responded that the strait 'will remain Iranian'.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung proposed talks with North Korea to formally end the long-running Korean War, as Pyongyang deepens ties with Russia and asserts its status as an 'irreversible' nuclear state. He made the proposal at a ceremony marking liberation from Japanese rule.
A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake off Indonesia's coast killed at least 20 people, collapsed buildings and sparked panic in a quake-prone region. Authorities issued a tsunami warning but later lifted it after monitoring showed no significant sea-level change.
At least 46 people died when a ferry sank on Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba. The boat, a vital link for villagers and fish traders around the vast lake, was reportedly overloaded when it ran into trouble; hundreds have since attended a memorial service for the victims.
A presidential pardon in Chad paves the way for the release of opposition leader Succès Masra, who had been sentenced to 20 years in prison. The move is being viewed as an attempt to ease political tension in the country.
A Quaest poll shows Senator Flávio Bolsonaro's rejection rate at 54%, two points above President Lula's 52%. The figures were released two days before campaigning officially opens for Brazil's October 4 elections.
Deivi Delfín and his brother, who lost their mother in an earlier Venezuelan quake, moved to Colombia seeking safety, only to be caught in the deadly earthquake that struck the Cali region. Their story highlights the human toll of the region's back-to-back disasters.
Two families have been trapped in their homes in the occupied West Bank for several days after being besieged by Israeli settlers. Activists have been attempting to deliver basic supplies to the families as tensions in the area continue.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to visit India for the BRICS summit even as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continue. The trip is seen as part of Tehran's effort to reinforce regional partnerships amid its ongoing standoff with Washington.
Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Déby has pardoned jailed former prime minister and main opposition leader Succès Masra along with eight other party leaders. Masra had been serving a 20-year sentence for hate speech, xenophobia and inciting a massacre in a trial Human Rights Watch called politically motivated.
Zambia's presidential election entered a tense phase after opposition leader Brian Mundubile claimed victory, while incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema stopped short of declaring a win, saying his camp was receiving "encouraging results" as official counting continued amid reports of violence at some polling stations.
Morocco and Spain have deployed additional security forces along their shared border after online calls circulated for a new mass crossing attempt into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Spanish authorities are also working to speed up the removal of roughly 5,000 irregular migrants still in the city following a July 30-31 influx.
Russia has acknowledged fresh petrol shortages across the country following months of Ukrainian drone and missile strikes on its energy infrastructure. Ukraine has been targeting Russia's refineries and fuel depots, hoping to squeeze a vital source of revenue for the Russian army.
Rescue teams in Colombia rushed on Friday to free a survivor trapped under rubble left by a powerful earthquake nearly four days earlier that has killed at least 285 people and injured 4,000. About 400 people remain missing and tens of thousands of homes were damaged.
Jared Kushner's visit to Israel aims to address Israeli opposition to a plan under which Hamas would disarm and Israel would withdraw from Gaza, a board official said. The trip follows Netanyahu's rejection of the proposal.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil chokepoints, slowed further after Washington threatened additional economic pressure on Iran. The pullback is the latest sign of how regional tensions are weighing on global energy flows.
The United States has sent a team of coastguards to train their Taiwanese counterparts as Beijing steps up its presence east of the island. Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration said its personnel are taking part in a two-week training programme led by US instructors, focused on small-boat operations and team coordination.
A recent flare-up in tensions in Ethiopia's Tigray region, including reports of heavy artillery battles and drone strikes, has raised fears of a return to war in the northern state — a conflict potentially stoked by foreign nations.
Zambia's electoral commission suspended vote counting nationwide on Friday following reports of violence in some districts. The decision came amid an election already marked by a string of disputes.
Ukrainian forces have retaken 26 settlements and more than 600 square kilometers of territory in the southeast, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Analysts framed the operation as evidence Kyiv can still mount coordinated, mechanized counterattacks after more than four years of largely static fighting.
Fighter jets on a NATO air-policing mission shot down a drone that entered Latvia's airspace early Friday, the country's defense ministry confirmed. The incident is the latest in a string of airspace violations along NATO's eastern flank.
Brazil's Liberal Party was unable to file Senator Flávio Bolsonaro's presidential candidacy with the Superior Electoral Court, after the electoral system recorded him as a member of a different party. The deadline for submitting candidacies expires Saturday evening.
Hopes of finding survivors are fading in Colombia after Monday's powerful earthquake, with hundreds of people still unaccounted for. Rescue teams near the epicenter city of Cali are increasingly focused on recovering bodies, even as some families continue searching on their own.
The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to lift a lower court order halting construction of a White House ballroom, after the historic East Wing was demolished to make way for the project. The filing argues the pause is causing costly delays.
The Chinese Embassy has rejected a report by New Zealand's top spy agency, saying it contains what it calls multiple 'false allegations' against China.
Taiwan has increased the realism of its defense drills this year, incorporating measures such as internet throttling to simulate wartime conditions. The move is seen as a deterrence signal amid heightened regional tension.
Humanitarian activist Huweida Abdelrahman Saleh described how hunger has driven some families in Ed Daein, West Kordofan, to eat animal feed. A sharp rise in grain prices and the disappearance of income sources have deepened the crisis.
President Hakainde Hichilema wants five more years in office, but continued cost of living pressures have dented his appeal. Results are being awaited across the country.
Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage won as expected on Friday, beating opponent Count Binface to regain the parliamentary seat he quit a month ago to trigger the by-election in the seaside town of Clacton.
President Donald Trump on Thursday imposed tariffs of up to 100% on imported drones and their components, including from key US allies, citing national security concerns and a need to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. The measures are set to take effect in 21 days.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella declared an economic emergency on Wednesday to address the consequences of Monday's magnitude 7.4 earthquake in the west of the country. The move comes against a backdrop of fiscal constraints that will shape how reconstruction is financed.
A new US report said China had moved goods through nations with lower tariffs to dodge higher levies imposed by the Trump administration. The report alleges dozens of countries served as transshipment points in the process.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would impose economic isolation on Iran unlike anything the world has seen before. The statement came as the US Navy works to relieve the troubled carrier USS Abraham Lincoln while maintaining its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Israeli strikes killed police official Jamal Abu Kamil in Gaza City and another person in Khan Younis, according to Al Jazeera, as Israel continued military operations in the territory. The deaths add to the mounting toll from the ongoing conflict.
The United States has signaled a deepening economic and diplomatic relationship with Morocco since late July, building on its 2020 recognition of Moroccan autonomy claims over Western Sahara. Washington now appears ready to back Rabat's position on the Spanish-held enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
Civilians on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war are facing an escalating human cost, according to El País, as strikes and prolonged fighting take a growing toll on non-combatants. Casualty and displacement figures continue to climb as the conflict extends into its fifth year.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said authorities detained a Russian national accused of plotting to "execute" a Ukrainian-American citizen in Warsaw. The case follows earlier warnings about Russian-linked plots targeting individuals inside NATO countries.
A senior US official issued a pointed warning to Argentina, saying that deepening economic ties with China would not help the country attract foreign investment. The comments come as Buenos Aires weighs closer commercial relations with Beijing.
Venezuela's interim government and opposition negotiators reached an agreement to renew the country's Supreme Court and jointly pursue the recovery of Venezuelan gold reserves held in the Bank of England. The deal marks a step in the post-Maduro political transition talks.
President Donald Trump has ordered the US Navy to scrap its electromagnetic aircraft launch system on future carriers and return to older steam catapults. Trump cited reliability concerns with the newer technology used on the Gerald R. Ford-class carriers.
Russian sources say Robert Shageyev, a former Ukrainian naval officer who defected to Russia in 2014, has been killed in a bomb attack. The same day, Ukrainian forces struck an oil refinery inside Russia.
Chinese researchers say they have developed a missile AI system that can distinguish stealth fighter heat signatures with over 90% accuracy, even when aircraft deploy flares meant to confuse infrared sensors.
Rising unrest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir is posing one of Islamabad's toughest domestic security and political tests in recent years, as protests and security crackdowns in the region pile pressure on the government.
Rebel authorities in Ethiopia's Tigray state accused the federal government of carrying out deadly drone strikes in southern Tigray and condemned the move as a 'serious escalation,' amid fears of a new war.
Mali President Assimi Goïta pardoned French national Yann Vézilier, who had been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Mali's military-led government had accused the French embassy official last year of involvement in a plot to destabilize the country.
UN monitors say civilian casualties in Ukraine have hit their highest monthly level since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022. The latest attacks included a Russian drone strike on a train that killed two workers.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's lead over Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in a potential runoff has narrowed to 8.9 points, according to a CNT/MDA poll released Tuesday. The gap stood at 12.5 points in June.
Iran's central bank chief said the country is set to join the BRICS New Development Bank, part of Tehran's push to deepen economic ties with non-Western powers as its war with the United States continues.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam rejected Israel's claim that villages destroyed in southern Lebanon were military sites, describing the strikes as a clear violation of international law. The statement comes amid continuing tension in the region.
New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service said a Chinese state-linked observatory organization sought to install infrastructure at a site in the country. The disclosure has reignited concerns about Beijing's scientific and strategic footprint across the Pacific.
The US military campaign against Iran has so far failed to force Tehran to capitulate. Facing a shortfall of munitions and reluctance to prolong an unpopular war, the Trump administration is returning to a familiar playbook of escalating sanctions and a naval blockade on oil exports.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril Islands for the first time, according to state media. Japan lodged a strong protest over the visit to the islands, which it claims sovereignty over.
Zambians are voting Thursday in a general election widely expected to give President Hakainde Hichilema a second term, as his economic record faces a test from voters frustrated by the cost of living and opposition parties seeking to capitalize on discontent despite deep internal divisions.
EU enlargement is set to face its moment of truth in the coming months as Montenegro and Albania near membership, Ukraine and Moldova advance, and Brussels weighs the reforms needed to absorb a bigger, more complex Union.
Russia struck the area around Ukraine's largest Danube port of Izmail overnight, causing damage and setting off a fire, regional authorities said. Moscow said it downed 362 Ukrainian drones overnight as a separate attack in Russia's Salavat area triggered a blaze at an oil refinery.
Venezuela's interim government and opposition wrapped up their first round of talks with agreements to reform the Supreme Tribunal of Justice and pursue access to the country's frozen reserves at the Bank of England. The funds are meant to help finance recovery from June's devastating earthquakes.
An Iran-linked Persian Gulf authority said the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and will not reopen until Tehran's conditions are met, directly contradicting President Trump's claims that the US controls the strait. Shipping traffic through the corridor has fallen to its lowest level in three months.
Israeli security forces have reportedly withdrawn from a West Bank village where about a dozen settlers are said to still be besieging two Palestinian families since Sunday. The incident has renewed concerns over settler violence in the occupied territory.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel will "under no circumstances" withdraw its troops from Lebanon, Gaza and Syria. The statement deepens uncertainty over ongoing ceasefire and de-escalation efforts across the region.
NATO members met to discuss recent incursions into Polish and Romanian airspace and concluded that Russia bears full responsibility for the incidents. The meeting comes amid rising tension along the alliance's eastern flank.
The United States announced $2 million in funding to boost Guyana's air surveillance and drone capabilities, deepening security ties as its long-running dispute with Venezuela over the oil-rich Essequibo region simmers. The move signals growing US engagement in the tense border standoff.
President Trump announced that Karoline Leavitt, the youngest White House press secretary in history, will leave her post at the end of the month. Leavitt gave birth to her second child in May.
Senior Iranian commander Esmail Qaani held meetings in Iraq over the Iraqi government's plan to disarm armed groups and bring weapons under state control, a source told Al Jazeera. The visit points to a sensitive stage in talks over the future of Iran-aligned militias in Iraq.
Taipei is seeking clarification from Indonesia after China's defence ministry announced a planned naval exercise near Taiwan's coast. The move has stirred concern in Taiwan amid already elevated tensions with Beijing over the island's status.
Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, who steered China's entry into the World Trade Organization and championed market reforms that fueled decades of growth, has died at 97. He is widely regarded as one of the principal architects of China's economic opening.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday threatened retaliation for Western seizures of Russian-linked commercial vessels, describing the moves as 'piracy.' He made the remarks during a visit to a Russian warship participating in a naval exercise in the Pacific.
A drone strike in northern Ethiopia killed three people, according to sources in the Tigray region, who said a school on holiday break was hit. Ethiopia's federal government has not commented on the reported strike as of publication.
The Libyan National Army, which controls eastern Libya and parts of the south, said its military intelligence chief Fawzi al-Mansouri was killed by a car bomb in Benghazi. The assassination raises fresh security questions in the stronghold of commander Khalifa Haftar as efforts to reunify the divided country continue.
Russia has intensified pressure on Ukraine with ballistic missile strikes, but Kyiv faces a shortage of interceptors for its US-made Patriot air-defense batteries. Ukraine is now weighing domestic production and European alternatives to reduce its reliance on Washington.
A drone struck a power station in the western Libyan city of Zawiya, located near the country's largest oil refinery. The attack has renewed concerns about the security of Libya's energy infrastructure.
Israeli settlers demolished homes in a village near Jericho in the occupied West Bank, leaving rubble and fear among displaced Palestinian families. Palestinian officials and rights groups accused the Israeli government of failing to intervene.
The US and more than 40 other nations called for at least 24 hours' notice before long-range ballistic missile launches, following a rare Chinese missile test in the Pacific. The joint statement said the step is meant to reduce the risk of accidents and military miscalculation.
The explosion of a Ukrainian decoy drone in Bulgaria near the Romanian border has exposed gaps in the country's defenses and raised fresh questions about its readiness. The incident also highlights a shift in Bulgaria's stance on the war in Ukraine.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 10 people overnight and wounded dozens, Kyiv said, accusing Moscow of using North Korean missiles in the strikes. The attack adds to mounting civilian casualties as the war grinds on.
The death toll from Colombia's earthquake climbed to 180 as aftershocks continued through Tuesday. Rescue crews are still working to free survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings, particularly in the city of Cali.
A Houthi attack in the Red Sea killed six people on Tuesday, the first fatalities there in more than a year, as the US separately struck a container ship it said was trying to break an Iran blockade near the Gulf of Oman. The twin incidents mark a sharp escalation for global shipping lanes already strained by the US-Iran standoff.
Lebanon's parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty. The new law, which next goes to the cabinet for approval, would make Lebanon the first country in the Middle East to end capital punishment.
US Central Command says a helicopter fired at the engine room of the Panama-flagged vessel Vela Nova as it sought to break a blockade on Iranian ports. The incident comes as US-Iran diplomacy remains stalled.
Meta Platforms is set to fully unwind its acquisition of Chinese-founded AI platform Manus, more than three months after Beijing blocked the deal on national security grounds. It caps another high-profile decoupling between the US and China in AI.
North Korea fired a possible ballistic missile toward the sea, Japan's Defence Ministry said, marking the second such weapons launch in less than a week. South Korea's military reported the projectile was fired off North Korea's east coast.
Hungary's parliament has overwhelmingly confirmed Andras Baka, formerly the head of the Supreme Court, to the largely ceremonial role of president. New Prime Minister Peter Magyar had controversially removed his predecessor from the post.
Russia and Ukraine traded fresh strikes overnight, with Moscow targeting Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk. Ukraine retaliated with a drone attack on Russia's Voronezh region, and its military said it also struck a Russian oil refinery in Orsk.
Brazil's navy entered Argentina for a joint military exercise despite ongoing diplomatic tension between the two countries. The move comes just after President Lula da Silva's decision to withdraw his ambassador from Buenos Aires.
President Donald Trump took a secret military flight from Turkey last month in an operation that involved moving him between aircraft in a catering truck, the Washington Post reported. The extraordinary deception was reportedly prompted by an Iranian assassination threat.
Voters in Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Carolina cast primary ballots on Tuesday, in contests seen as a gauge of Democratic momentum ahead of November. Progressive candidates are hoping to extend a recent string of primary wins in the two Midwestern states.
A court in Syria sentenced former president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia, convicting him of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country's civil war. Assad, who fled the country in 2024, remains in exile in Moscow.
Yemeni authorities said four people were killed when Houthi forces attacked a small cargo ship, in what officials described as the group's first deadly strike since the start of the Iran war. The attack was reportedly carried out by an Iranian proxy as regional tensions over the US-Iran conflict remain high.
Russia freed a former US marine jailed since 2022 after President Vladimir Putin approved a pardon for the ailing American on humanitarian grounds, US officials said. The White House and State Department had pressed Moscow for his release so he could receive medical treatment.
Libyan authorities are battling a major blaze at the Zawiya oil refinery after it was struck for the third time in two days. The repeated attacks on the country's energy infrastructure have raised concern among officials and market observers.
Greenland's government issued a strong warning after a Texas oil company linked to US President Donald Trump moved drilling equipment ashore without required approval. The episode has reignited tensions between Washington and Nuuk over the Arctic territory.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order limiting the recommended childhood vaccination schedule to 11 immunizations. The move comes as the country grapples with its worst measles outbreak in decades.
Houthi forces launched fresh ballistic missile attacks on al-Makha and Marib, a day after previous strikes on al-Makha and its port killed seven people.
US President Donald Trump left on a secret military flight from Türkiye last month when the White House said he was flying aboard Air Force One, in an extraordinary move that involved hiding him in an airport catering truck, the Washington Post reports.
Hakainde Hichilema was widely seen as a shoo-in for a second term, but the controversy following former president Edgar Lungu's death has dented his standing ahead of Zambia's election.
Ongoing conflict, displacement and funding shortages continue to deepen needs in Sudan, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Monday, underscoring the need for greater civilian protection.
Russia's Supreme Court has ruled to bar Yabloko, the country's only officially registered party opposing the war in Ukraine, from September's parliamentary elections. The ruling came after the pro-Kremlin nationalist Rodina party filed a lawsuit on 7 August seeking to remove Yabloko from the ballot.
Russia said it intercepted 456 Ukrainian drones in overnight attacks targeting around 15 regions, including Tatarstan in central Russia and annexed Crimea. The strikes hit industrial and civilian sites, leaving at least 13 people dead and 75 wounded, according to local authorities.
Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado congratulated Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, saying Venezuela would 'very soon' undertake a similar process of institutional and democratic strengthening. De la Espriella thanked her for the support in a reply on Sunday.
Rescuers in western Colombia worked through the night and into Tuesday searching for survivors beneath the wreckage after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake devastated parts of the country's coffee-growing region on Monday. At least 164 people have been killed, and authorities warn the toll could still climb.
US President Donald Trump claimed total control of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and demanded Iran pay reparations, as the diplomatic standoff over the vital oil-shipping route deepened. The dueling positions from Washington and Tehran showed how far apart the two sides remain even as both sides talked of winding down regional hostilities.
US President Donald Trump said his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains good, days after Netanyahu rejected Trump's 15-point plan for Gaza. Netanyahu had indicated the rejection was not necessarily the final word on the proposal. The comments suggest the diplomatic relationship is holding despite the disagreement over the plan's terms.
China has asked to join World Trade Organization consultations that Brazil opened against US tariffs of up to 37.5 percent. Beijing filed the request in Geneva, telling the trade body it holds a substantial commercial interest in the case. The move reflects concern that Washington could apply comparable measures to Chinese goods.
The BBC has gained access to evidence indicating that members of South Africa's special forces were responsible for the killing of senior detective Frans Mathipa, who was shot while driving. Prosecutors have brought a case against eight accused men, and the BBC was given special access to the case file. The killing has raised questions about accountability within state security structures.
The German government said it will strengthen the police's anti-drone unit following an incident at an airport involving an unauthorized drone. Germany and other European countries have repeatedly observed drones flying over sensitive sites such as airports, military bases and industrial plants. The move is one of the most concrete measures yet in response to growing drone-security concerns across the continent.
Russian forces launched missile attacks on Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia early Tuesday, sparking fires in the Ukrainian capital and damaging buildings in the southeastern city, officials said. At least three people were injured in the strikes. The attack is the latest escalation in the war that has continued despite periodic diplomatic efforts.
A man identified as Hernando Forero Mosquera, an alleged armed-group leader, was killed in a Colombian military operation carried out just days after the country's new president was sworn in. The operation is being seen as an early signal of the government's tougher approach toward armed groups. Colombia has struggled for decades with multiple non-state armed factions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of a US-led roadmap for Gaza threatens to entrench continued conflict, analysts told Al Jazeera. Some analysts describe the move as an internal political maneuver against the plan, warning it could prolong instability rather than help resolve it.
China's People's Liberation Army has fitted an advanced anti-drone laser weapon to a Type 071 amphibious landing ship operating in the South China Sea, according to analysts. The system was observed during a joint air and naval drill near Scarborough Shoal on August 1, adding near-shore counter-drone capability to a class of vessel seen as important in potential regional conflicts. Analysts said the ship is now among the largest surface vessels equipped with such a system.
Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual-defense pact in Mecca last week, agreeing to treat an attack on one as an attack on all. The agreement adds a new variable to the long-standing nuclear dynamic between China, India and Pakistan, analysts said. Analysts said the pact's significance for India lies less in whether it would ever be invoked than in how it reshapes regional calculations.
A Nigerian army colonel has given a detailed account of an alleged plot to stage a coup against President Bola Tinubu in 2025, according to a report by Premium Times. Colonel Ma'aji is described as the architect of the failed plan, though his account has not been independently corroborated. The report marks the first time the alleged plotter's own version of events has been published.
Mali's army said dozens of Islamist militants were killed during fierce fighting for control of a military base. The army disputed claims that the fighters had captured the garrison, saying its forces repelled the attack. The competing claims from the battle could not be independently verified.
Ukraine's drone commander says Russia is working to nearly triple its ballistic missile firepower, preparing to fire as many as 200 missiles in a single wave. He said the buildup strengthens the case for striking Russian missile factories and cutting off Crimea's use as a military base.
U.S. crude oil prices climbed above $80 a barrel as traders weighed mixed signals from Washington and Tehran over a potential deal to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Concerns that talks between the United States and Iran could stall pushed prices higher, with analysts noting the strait remains a critical corridor for global oil shipments. Markets are watching for further signals from both governments in the coming days.
The Trump administration has signaled a shift toward economic pressure on Iran, favoring sanctions and a naval presence over further military strikes, Al Jazeera reported. Officials cite stabilizing oil prices as easing the strain on American consumers even as tensions with Tehran continue. The shift follows a recent period of heightened military activity in the region.