Iranian-backed Houthi rebels detained around two dozen United Nations employees in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Sunday, in what UN officials described as a serious escalation of the rebels’ crackdown on international organisations operating in areas under their control.
from www.france24.com
Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an “immediate ceasefire” after a week of deadly clashes along their border, as the ties between the two South Asian neighbours plunged to their lowest point since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Both countries agreed to stop fighting and work towards “lasting peace and stability” after peace talks in Doha, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday, about the deal it mediated alongside Turkiye.
Roads were seen with moving tanks as intense clashes continued between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with both sides claiming damage and casualties. This latest confrontation left 15 Afghan civilians dead, officials in Kabul told AFP on Wednesday.The fighting broke out overnight in Spin Boldak, a southern Afghan district.Ali Mohammad Haqmal, a local spokesman, confirmed the casualties to AFP, while Abdul Jan Barak, an official at Spin Boldak district hospital, verified that dozens had been injured.
According to the Pakistan Army, its forces killed at least 15–20 Taliban fighters in the Spin Boldak area, stating that “the attack was effectively repulsed by Pakistani forces.”
Commerce has ground to a halt at a key border checkpoint between Pakistan and Afghanistan following deadly clashes between the two countries. RFE/RL spoke to truckers who have been stuck at the Torkham crossing. Deadly clashes erupted on October 11 at several locations along the frontier, resulting in dozens of deaths, according to officials.
Syria holds its first parliamentary election since ousting of Bashar al-Assad– www.euronews.com Source Link Excerpt:
Syria held its first parliamentary election on Sunday, nearly a year after a surprise rebellion toppled longtime President Bashar al-Assad in December.
Security forces were deployed around polling stations nationwide. Electoral college members entered polling booths to fill our their ballots, which were then placed in a sealed box until they were pulled out and counted in front of candidates, journalists and observers from the Syrian bar association.
The election however did not feature a direct vote by Syrian citizens.
The new People’s Assembly features 210 seats, 40 less than under al-Assad. Members of the new assembly will also serve two-and-a-half year terms.
Incumbent President Ahmed al-Sharaa will appoint 70 members to the assembly, the remaining 140 will be voted on by subcommittees, overseen by 11-person Supreme Committees, who were appointed by al-Sharaa.
Officials say this election was not a direct vote as they lacked “reliable census data” after millions of people were displaced by 14-years of brutal civil war.
Palestine recognition must come with action: to save lives, States must stop Israel’s crimes and ensure Palestinian agency – Statement by independent NGOs and civil society organizations – ReliefWeb Source Link
Federal judge rules Trump unconstitutionally targeted foreign pro-Palestinian students
A U.S. District Court judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration’s policy of targeting foreign students and faculty for deportation based on their pro-Palestinian advocacy is unconstitutional.
Israel is increasingly ostracised – and no matter how strong its army, it’s not a good place to be | World News– news.sky.com Source Link Excerpt:
Emmanuel Macron was in his element. Touring the UN’s main hall, hugging fellow leaders before taking to the podium.
He was here to make history. France, the country that carved up the Middle East over a hundred years ago along with Britain, finally giving the Palestinians what they believe is long overdue.
Yvette Cooper witnessed the event looking on. Her prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, did the same over the weekend. Foregoing such hallowed surroundings, he beat the French to it by a day.
“Peace is much more demanding, much more difficult than all wars,” said Macron, “but the time has come.”
There were cheers as he recognised the state of Palestine.
The time for what? Not for peace that is for sure. The war in Gaza rages and the West Bank simmers with settler violence against Palestinians.
US envoy Tom Barrack says interests ‘not aligned’ with Israel– www.washingtonexaminer.com Source Link Excerpt:
The United States special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said America’s interests weren’t aligned with any country in the Middle East, including Israel.
Barrack gave a pessimistic assessment of the Middle East, saying there would probably never be peace in the region during an interview with the National News’s On the Record with Hadley Gamble. He then made a surprising statement, saying his mistrust of all powers in the region extends to longtime U.S. ally Israel.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, right, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, left, and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al Shibani pose for a photograph after signing a road map to restore security in southern Syria, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
“If we’ve talked about trust, quite honestly, in this business, I don’t trust any of them. Our interests are not aligned. ‘Ally’ is a mistaken word; our interests are not aligned,” he said.
When Gamble interjected to ask if he was referring to the Syrian regime, he said he was referring to the whole region generally. She then asked if that included Israel, to which he responded, “Absolutely.”
Barrack voiced further disenchantment with Israel and its effect on the region elsewhere in the interview, particularly regarding Lebanon. He said that due to Israel’s actions, Hezbollah had no incentive to disarm.
France recognises state of Palestine, Macron tells UN; Abbas says Hamas must ‘surrender their weapons’ – Middle East crisis live | Palestinian territories– www.theguardian.com Source Link Excerpt:
Emmanuel Macron announces that France has formally recognized the Palestinian state.
“We must do everything within our power to preserve the very possibility of a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security,” he says.
The time has come.
This is why, true to the historic commitment of my country to the Middle East, to peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
This is why I declare that today, France recognises the state of Palestine.
Israel to close border crossing between West Bank and Jordan, officials say– www.euronews.com Source Link Excerpt:
Israel will close the Allenby border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan on Wednesday, the Palestinian General Authority for Borders and Crossings said in a statement on Tuesday.
It was not immediately clear why Israel was closing the only checkpoint between the two, but it is reportedly to remain shut until further notice.
The Israel Airports Authority, which manages the crossing, said on Monday that it had reopened for passenger traffic days after a truck driver from Jordan killed two Israeli soldiers in a gun and knife attack.
Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said the crossing, known in Jordan as the King Hussein Bridge, was closed to passenger and freight traffic coming from the Israeli-occupied West Bank until further notice.
The Allenby Crossing is the primary route for transporting commercial goods between Jordan and the West Bank, serving as the sole entry and exit point for Palestinians from the West Bank travelling by land.
Store in Germany declares Jews banned to protest Israel actions in Gaza– www.foxnews.com Source Link Excerpt:
A German shop owner in the northern city of Flensburg posted a sign on Wednesday that Jews are banned from entering his store, sparking outrage among state officials in Schleswig-Holstein.
Hans-Velten Reisch, the 60-year-old owner of the store that sells Gothic-Utensils and technical literature, posted a sign that reads, “Jews are banned from entering here! Nothing personal. No antisemitism. Just can’t stand you.”
Germany’s largest daily newspaper, Bild, reported on Thursday that Reisch defended his anti-Jewish sign. He told the paper that “I watch the news every evening. And when I saw what the Jews were doing in the Gaza Strip, I lost my temper and printed out the poster.”
UK to push peace plan at UN summit after recognising Palestinian state – but Netanyahu says Palestine ‘will not happen’ | UK News– news.sky.com Source Link Excerpt:
The UK is set to push for a peace plan for the Middle East at the UN General Assembly after recognising the state of Palestine.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to use the summit to address civilian suffering in war-torn Gaza and aim to strengthen “the international consensus on our pathway for peace in the Middle East”.
She will hold bilateral meetings to advance elements of the peace plan, including security measures to ensure Hamas has no role in the future governance of Gaza, according to the Foreign Office.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who won’t attend the summit, announced on Sunday that the UK recognises Palestine as an independent state, to “revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution”.
Challenges the UN faces in pushing for a 2-state solution in Israel – National– globalnews.ca Source Link Excerpt:
France and Saudi Arabia hope to use this year’s gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly and the increasingly horrific war in the Gaza Strip to inject new urgency into the quest for a two-state solution to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Those efforts include a new road map for eventual Palestinian statehood in territories Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war, and moves by several Western countries to join a global majority in recognizing such a state before it has been established.
But the efforts to push a two-state solution face major obstacles, beginning with vehement opposition from the United States and Israel. The U.S. has blocked Palestinian officials from even attending the General Assembly. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is opposed to Palestinian statehood, has threatened to take unilateral action in response — possibly including the annexation of parts of the West Bank.
Video. Thousands march in Paris for recognition of Palestinian state– www.euronews.com Source Link Excerpt:
Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags ahead of France’s expected formal recognition of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday.
In Malakoff, a suburb of Paris, the Palestinian flag has flown from the town hall since Friday despite government orders to remove it. Mayor Jacqueline Belhomme, who joined the Paris demonstration, said the display was a symbolic gesture of solidarity similar to the Ukrainian flag raised during Russia’s invasion.
Other towns have also raised flags, though some have taken them down following legal challenges. Socialist leader Olivier Faure has encouraged more municipalities to join the initiative despite warnings from the Interior Ministry. French leaders are expected to place the Gaza war and the wider conflict high on the agenda at the UN General Assembly this week.
Trump ‘grateful beyond words’ for second state visit to UK but key differences remain– www.euronews.com Source Link Excerpt:
US President Donald Trump wrapped up his historic second state visit to the United Kingdom on Thursday saying he was “tremendously thankful” for the pomp and pageantry but some key differences between him and Prime Minister Keir Starmer remain.
When asked about the lack of progress in brokering a deal to end Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “let me down.”
Starmer said he and Trump had discussed how to “decisively increase the pressure on Putin” and that Trump had “led the way here.”
Trump has also not made good on threats to impose new sanctions on Russia and King Charles, in his state banquet speech Wednesday night, offered Trump a gentle nudge, noting “as tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine, to deter aggression and secure peace.”
While Starmer has played a major part in European efforts to shore up US support for Ukraine, Trump’s visit offered few major advancements,
The British government has also grown increasingly critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the suffering of Palestinian civilians.
China’s Gap Between Rhetoric and Action Perpetuates Status Quo in Gaza– chinadigitaltimes.net Source Link Excerpt:
On Monday, Reuters reported on the story of a man who tried to flee Gaza by crossing the border into Egypt and then flying to China in order to seek asylum, only to be denied and sent back. As his case illustrates, China’s well-known rhetorical support for Gaza has in many ways not translated into concrete action. In fact, China has appeared to soften its stance towards Israel over the past year. Its criticism over what a U.N. Commission of Inquiry described this week as genocide is directed more at the U.S. and other Western states that undergird Israel’s campaign, rather than at Israel itself. This selectivity serves to undermine the U.S.’ standing relative to China in the eyes of some other countries, while preserving China’s interests in Israel. However, Israel’s increasingly aggressive actions—including recently bombing Qatar’s capital—risk finally pushing Beijing to adopt a more confrontational stance backed by material consequences.
UK, Canada and Australia formally recognise Palestine, backing two-state solution– www.arabianbusiness.com Source Link Excerpt:
The UK, Canada and Australia have formally recognised the State of Palestine, moves framed by all three governments as essential to preserving the prospect of a two-state solution and lasting peace in the Middle East.
US mediation: Israeli proposal for a security deal with Syria – Enab Baladi – Enab Baladi Source Link Excerpt:
The American news site Axios reported, citing “two informed sources,” that Israel submitted a detailed proposal to Syria several weeks ago for a new security agreement, including a “map of demilitarized zones” stretching “from Damascus to the border with Israel.”
According to Axios on Tuesday, September 16, Syria has not yet responded to the Israeli proposal, as Damascus has been working in recent weeks to prepare a counteroffer.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer are scheduled to discuss the proposal today, Wednesday, in London, alongside US envoy Thomas Barrack, who is mediating between the two countries.
This will be the third such trilateral meeting. Sources familiar with the talks said progress is being made, though no imminent agreement appears likely.
Iran executes man for alleged spying for Israel, activists say he was tortured into false confession– abcnews.go.com Source Link Excerpt:
Iran says it executed a man accused of spying for Israel, but activists dispute the claim, saying he was tortured into a false confession
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran said Wednesday it executed a man it alleges spied for Israel, something disputed by activists who say he was tortured into a false confession.
The judiciary’s Mizan news agency identified the executed man as Babak Shahbazi, who it claimed had gathered and sold sensitive information about Iranian data centers and security installations to Israeli handlers.
Activists however said Shahbazi was detained over writing a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offering his help.
Iran has supplied Russia with drones that Moscow has used to attack Ukraine.
The group Iran Human Rights had warned Shahbazi could be executed.
“Babak’s message to President Zelenskyy offering to help in the war against Russia was used as an example of espionage for Israel who they claim taught Babak to use Microsoft Word,” the group said. Iran did not acknowledge that claim.
