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2026-10-30 04:46:28 UTC

GOP’s Corporate Funders Target Minnesota Attorney General
The article below is part of Drop Site’s ongoing collaboration with Barn Raiser t[o put a focus on rural politics][1], with a newsletter running through November.
[SIGN UP HERE][2]
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks at the NAACP National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on July 19, 2026. Photo by Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is running for a third term against Republican challenger Ron Schutz (not to be confused with his last opponent, [Jim Schultz][3]). While a Republican has [not held the office in Minnesota since 1971][4], Ellison’s last bid for re-election was a [nail-biter][5]: He won 50.4% to 49.5% by just over 20,000 votes. This year’s contest is just as close; a [mid-September poll][6] had Schutz slightly ahead with 45% of the likely vote to Ellison’s 43%.
Across the nation, elections for state attorneys general can be some of the most consequential in shaping a state’s posture toward the federal government, which is [top of mind][7] for Minnesotans in the wake of Operation Metro Surge.
State attorneys general are [increasingly][8] banding together to challenge federal law breaking, including [illegal federal funding cuts][9] by the Trump administration. Bipartisan coalitions of state attorneys general also serve as key cops on the beat in areas where federal enforcers are stepping back, such as in antitrust, consumer protection, and environmental protection.
But the office can play a harmful role as well. Since 1999, dark money and special interest groups have funneled tens of millions of dollars toward the [Republican Attorneys General Association][10] (RAGA). RAGA has [been criticized][11] as a “pay to play” organization helping elect GOP attorneys general to support corporate interests and, in some cases, [undermine democracy][12]. According to the Center for Media and Democracy, top RAGA donors in 2026 include Elon Musk, OpenAI, Koch Industries, FanDuel (an online prediction market and sportsbook), and Bayer (the chemical giant that manufactures RoundUp).
Attorneys general are up for election in 30 states this year. According to [The Center for Politics][13] at the University of Virginia, eight of these races are competitive, three of which lean Democrat (Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona), while three lean Republican (Kansas, Iowa and Georgia), and two are toss-ups (Michigan and Minnesota).
## **Ellison’s Track Record**
During and after the influx of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in 2025—not just in Minneapolis but in [rural][14] [communities][15] [across the state][16]—Ellison sued the federal government for [violating Minnesotans’ constitutional rights][17] and [withholding evidence from the state’s investigations][18] into the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Both cases are ongoing.
Ellison has a track record of fighting to protect Minnesotans against federal and corporate bullying. Schutz claims he’ll do the same, though like most Minnesota Republicans this election cycle his campaign focuses a lot more on fraud than challenging corporate power or the Trump administration. Republicans are [hammering][19] Minnesota Democrats for failing to prevent hundreds of millions of dollars stolen in [food, housing, and health care][20] [programs][21] over the past five years. As one of the only incumbents on the ballot, Ellison is particularly vulnerable to this narrative.
Ellison was first elected attorney general in 2018, when he [gave up his safe seat][22] representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. [While in Congress, he][23] founded the House Antitrust and Consumer Justice Caucuses. Ellison [told ][24]*[Minn Post][25]* at the time that he believed he could do more to hold power to account and protect working people as the state attorney general than as a member of Congress.
Over his past two terms, Ellison has defended Minnesotans against historic injustices in the national spotlight, including convicting Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for killing George Floyd. Ellison also joined with other state attorneys general in [80 lawsuits][26] to challenge Trump administration policies that threaten birthright citizenship, gender-affirming care, voting rights, and public programs. This includes challenging, and in some cases preventing, federal funding freezes for critical programs supporting low-income families including the [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program][27] (SNAP), [Medicaid][28], and [child care funding][29], which rural communities depend on.
Ellison has [sued][30] [hospital systems][31] [for their debt collection practices][32], in one instance forgiving [$184,000 in medical debt][33] for patients of Hutchinson Health, a rural hospital 60 miles west of the Twin Cities. Minnesota has also joined multiple bipartisan, multi-state suits challenging [opioid manufacturers][34], [other drug companies][35], [Ticketmaster][36], [Amazon][37], [Google][38], and numerous other dominant corporations.
Minnesota and Illinois [were the first states to join][39] the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit against John Deere’s monopolization of farm equipment repair. Minnesota also led the state coalition on the Department of Justice’s [lawsuit against AgriStats][40], a data-sharing corporation accused of facilitating price-fixing by meatpackers. Since May, Minnesota has joined the feds in settling both cases. While some [antitrust][41] [advocates][42] would have preferred that these cases go to trial for [a chance at a stronger remedy][43], the states likely pushed to improve both settlements.
This work has made Ellison a target for corporations. As of the latest public reports from mid-September, dark money PACs had spent [a record $6.8 million][44] on attack ads against Ellison, far surpassing the $1.8 million spent against Schutz. According to [public filings][45], one anti-Ellison PAC, Minnesotans for Justice, has ties to the Minnesota Private Business Council, a political advocacy group [representing][46] Minnesota corporations including countertop maker Cambria and beef processor Rosen’s Diversified, led by Ellison’s last challenger, Jim Schultz. Ellison has benefited from $4.2 million in supportive outside PAC spending compared to just $423,000 spent supporting Schutz.
“I’m extremely concerned about the harm that corporate consolidation and monopolies are having on farmers and rural communities generally throughout our state,” Ellison said in a statement to Barn Raiser*.*
## **Schutz Eyes an Upset**
Ellison’s Achilles heel is public discontent over pandemic-era fraud scandals, which [Republicans blame on Minnesota Democrats][47]. Most notably, a non-profit called Feeding Our Future stole [$250 million][48] from a public program meant to feed children during the Covid-19 pandemic. While the ringleader of this scheme was a white woman, the majority of convicted Feeding Our Future fraudsters are [Somali Americans][49]. PAC-funded attack ads against [Ellison and other Minnesota Democrats][50] emphasize this fact to vilify Minnesota’s Somali community and advance an “us-versus-them” narrative. Since the Feeding Our Future scandal, the state has found fraud in other public programs meant to provide addiction services, housing for people with disabilities, services for children with autism, and home health care.
Different state agencies are responsible for identifying and challenging fraud in different state and federal programs (in the case of Feeding Our Future, the Minnesota Department of Education was technically responsible). Attorneys general oversee Medicaid fraud, specifically, plus they [represent state agencies in legal disputes][51].
Schutz, Ellison’s challenger, [says][52] he will do more to prevent fraud. He [accuses][53] Ellison of accepting too many plea deals in fraud cases. In a debate broadcast by Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), Schutz said he would allocate more resources to prosecute fraud and refuse to enter into plea agreements to bring more fraudsters to trial.
“For the vast majority of fraud cases that Keith Ellison’s office has prosecuted, almost no one goes to jail, almost no one ends up with a felony on their record, and the fraudsters pay at most just pennies on the dollars of what they’ve stolen,” Schutz said in a statement to Barn Raiser*.*
Ellison has maintained that his office [held the Feeding Our Future fraudsters accountable][54] to the extent they had jurisdiction to, [increased staff][55] to prosecute fraud in the future, won [over 300][56] Medicaid fraud convictions, and [advocated][57] for state-level legislation to increase Medicaid fraud penalties and aid enforcement (legislation that Schutz [opposed][58]). Ellison [defended himself][59] by saying that it is the judge’s decision, not the attorney general’s, to determine if a crime rises to a felony-level sentence. Ellison told Barn Raiser that he oversees a top-performing Medicaid fraud unit, which ranked, on average, “fifth in fraud convictions across the entire country over the last six years.”
[Until recently][60], Schutz was a partner at a national law firm, [Robins Kaplan][61]. He chaired former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s judicial selection commission and served on the board of [the Center for the American Experiment][62], a conservative Minnesota think tank with [ties to the Koch brothers][63]. The organization opposes [teachers’ unions][64] and [renewable energy][65], among other issues. In addition to fighting fraud, Schutz is [campaigning][66] on familiar conservative priorities such as combating crime, supporting law enforcement, and barring trans athletes from girls’ sports.
As a trial attorney, Schutz [specialized][67] [in][68] litigating environmental insurance conflicts and suing corporations for patent infringement. Schutz [says][69] he will “bring that same fight to protect Minnesota families and defend consumers.” When asked by MPR about the factors he’d consider for enforcing consumer protection laws or challenging harmful business practices, Schutz was vague.
“If they committed wrongdoing and Minnesotans were harmed, the attorney general should take action against that,” he said.
Barn Raiser asked Schutz how he would support rural communities.
“I grew up on a dairy farm in Southwestern Minnesota near the small town of Adrian,” he said. “I understand rural communities. These are my people and when I’m attorney general I will make sure that they are heard and their issues addressed.”
Ellison criticized Schutz for having [$1.74 million in personal stock holdings][70] in the very corporations he will be expected to prosecute. Schutz has [promised][71] that, if elected, he will put his investments under blind management and divest holdings from companies sued by the state.
When it comes to challenging the federal government, Schutz noted that he called for a joint state and federal investigation into the shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. On MPR, Schutz said he has no problem suing the Trump administration if they are “truly hurting Minnesotans.” However, he dismissed many of the multi-state cases brought against the federal government as “political theatre.” When asked by MPR if there was a specific case that Minnesota joined that Schutz had a problem with, Schutz admitted that he has not had the time to look at all of those cases.
Nearly 420,000 votes have been [cast in-person or by mail][72] during the first five weeks of early voting. How Minnesota responds to corporate power and an increasingly authoritarian federal government now lies in the hands of its voters.
*Full disclosure: The author works for the Open Markets Institute, which has provided subject area research to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and spoken at their legal education events.*
[Leave a comment][73]
[Share][74]
[1]: https://barnraisingmedia17744.activehosted.com/f/71
[2]: https://barnraisingmedia17744.activehosted.com/f/71
[3]: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/09/28/voter-guide-see-minnesota-attorney-general-candidates-stances
[4]: https://www.startribune.com/keep-an-eye-on-the-minnesota-ags-race-for-2026/601231474
[5]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-elections/minnesota-attorney-general-results/
[6]: https://www.newsweek.com/republican-leads-minnesota-poll-democrats-seat-decades-12454517
[7]: https://fox59.com/news/national-world/minnesota-democrats-lead-michelle-tafoya-mike-lindell-in-upcoming-elections/
[8]: https://attorneysgeneral.org/multistate-lawsuits-vs-the-federal-government/
[9]: https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-wins-case-blocking-trump-administrations-attacks
[10]: https://republicanags.com/
[11]: https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2026/10/23/elon-musk-koch-and-big-tobacco-bankroll-republican-ags-group/
[12]: https://www.propublica.org/article/raga-gop-jan6-amazon-walmart-comcast-contributions
[13]: https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/democratic-outlook-brightens-in-races-for-vital-state-ag-posts/
[14]: https://prospect.org/2026/03/30/apr-2026-magazine-when-ice-blows-through-rural-america-minnesota/
[15]: https://www.foodandpower.net/latest/operation-metro-surge-impact-on-rural-mn-meatpacking-towns-mar-26
[16]: https://www.startribune.com/with-ice-surge-spreading-across-state-rumors-and-anxiety-grow-in-greater-minnesota/601562255
[17]: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72132615/state-of-minnesota-v-noem/
[18]: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/23/trump-administration-stopped-sharing-evidence-in-good-pretti-killings-minnesota-officials-say
[19]: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/republicans-see-minnesota-fraud-scandal-as-a-chance-to-go-on-offense-in-a-blue-state
[20]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-fraud-schemes-what-we-know/
[21]: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2025/10/22_EvergreenRecovery.asp
[22]: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/06/08/politics-friday-kieth-ellison
[23]: https://www.naag.org/attorney-general/keith-ellison/
[24]: https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2018/06/why-keith-ellison-leaving-safe-seat-congress-make-risky-bid-minnesota-attorn/
[25]: https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2018/06/why-keith-ellison-leaving-safe-seat-congress-make-risky-bid-minnesota-attorn/
[26]: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Rule-Of-Law/Litigation/
[27]: https://www.jurist.org/news/2026/02/us-federal-court-blocks-snap-funding-cuts-over-states-refusal-to-share-recipient-data/
[28]: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72353395/state-of-minnesota-v-oz/
[29]: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/02/06_ACF_FundingFreeze.asp
[30]: https://www.startribune.com/ag-invites-minnesotans-struggling-with-medical-debt-collections-to-share-their-stories/600298148
[31]: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2025/03/14_MayoClinic.asp
[32]: https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-settlement-on-medical-debt-saves-hutchinson-health-patients-184000/600069199
[33]: https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-settlement-on-medical-debt-saves-hutchinson-health-patients-184000/600069199
[34]: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/opioids/
[35]: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/07/17_Glenmark.asp
[36]: https://www.axios.com/2026/03/10/live-nation-ticketmaster-state-antitrust
[37]: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2023/09/26_Amazon.asp
[38]: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2025/04/17_Google.asp
[39]: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-states-sue-deere-company-protect-farmers-unfair-corporate-tactics-high-repair-costs
[40]: https://www.foodandpower.net/latest/doj-agristats-suit-oct-23?rq=DOJ
[41]: https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/youll-own-nothing-and-be-happy-why
[42]: https://www.economicliberties.us/press-release/economic-liberties-condemns-doj-for-dropping-agri-stats-meatpacking-cartel-case/
[43]: https://www.foodandpower.net/latest/agri-stats-settlement-may-26
[44]: https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/record-pac-money-flowing-to-minnesota-attorney-general-race/
[45]: https://cfb.mn.gov/reports-and-data/viewers/campaign-finance/large-contribution-notices/
[46]: https://www.growthmn.com/here-s-what-jim-schultz-s-minnesota-private-business-council-is-up-to/
[47]: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/republicans-see-minnesota-fraud-scandal-as-a-chance-to-go-on-offense-in-a-blue-state
[48]: https://apnews.com/article/feeding-our-future-pandemic-fraud-trial-847f42be252ecd373c60125fd4fae6e9
[49]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/us/minnesota-welfare-fraud-scandal.html
[50]: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/10/16/campaign-ads-blame-fraud-violence-on-somali-minnesotans
[51]: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2022/09/26_FeedingOurFuture.asp
[52]: https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/ag-candidate-schutz-says-hes-ready-to-break-60-year-losing-streak-for-gop/
[53]: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/keith-ellison-defends-fraud-record-trump-lawsuits-in-tight-minnesota-attorney-general-race/?intcid=CNR-02-0623
[54]: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2022/09/26_FeedingOurFuture.asp
[55]: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/10/21/keith-ellison-running-for-minnesota-attorney-general-in-2026
[56]: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/02/25_MedicaidFraud.asp
[57]: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/02/25_MedicaidFraud.asp
[58]: https://ronformnag.com/Release.html
[59]: https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/in-minnesota-convicted-fraudsters-often-end-up-with-no-felonies-on-their-records/
[60]: https://hoodline.com/2026/03/top-twin-cities-trial-star-ditches-power-firm-to-take-on-keith-ellison/
[61]: https://www.robinskaplan.com/
[62]: https://www.americanexperiment.org/
[63]: https://www.desmog.com/center-american-experiment/
[64]: https://www.americanexperiment.org/news/?issue=unions
[65]: https://www.americanexperiment.org/reports/shattered-green-dreams
[66]: https://www.ronformnag.com/priorities.html
[67]: https://www.lawdragon.com/lawyer-limelights/2022-07-14-legends-limelight-ronald-j-schutz
[68]: https://tcbmag.com/notable/ronald-schutz/
[69]: https://www.ronformnag.com/home.html
[70]: https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/09/29/minnesota-republican-ag-candidates-stock-portfolio-presents-174-potential-conflicts-of-interest/
[71]: https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/10/02/at-ag-debate-republican-ron-schutz-commits-to-putting-stocks-in-blind-trust/
[72]: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/in-person-early-voting-minnesota-heres-what-to-know/
[73]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/minnesota-keith-ellison-ron-schutz-republicans/comments
[74]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/minnesota-keith-ellison-ron-schutz-republicans?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/minnesota-keith-ellison-ron-schutz-republicans

2026-10-30 04:46:23 UTC

Bolivian Attorney General Was Arrested After Investigating Trump-Aligned Operative
Drop Site is reader-funded — no corporate owners, no outside influence. Your support is what keeps this journalism independent and free. [Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our work][1].
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Fernando Cerimedo, a former adviser to Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, sits at his hearing in the Nadia Beller shooting, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, August 21, 2026. REUTERS/Ipa Ibanez
The day after Bolivian Attorney General Roger Mariaca was arrested in late September on drug-trafficking charges, presidential spokesperson José Luis Gálvez called a press conference to thank U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for his support. Then he delivered a warning.
“This has only just begun,” said Gálvez.
Since then Bolivian authorities have moved to [silence][3] a leftist news outlet, [jailed][4] an opposition lawmaker on terrorism charges, and announced an [investigation][5] into former President Evo Morales.
Before his arrest Mariaca had been investigating Fernando Cerimedo, the MAGA-affiliated Argentine political operative after allegedly hiring a hitman to kill his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Nadia Beller. Cerimedo, who was a [top aide][6] of President Rodrigo Paz, was also being investigated for drug trafficking.
Beller told Drop Site she expects to be arrested by Bolivian authorities as soon as Friday. She said government sources had warned her that she would be charged with failure to report Cerimedo’s drug trafficking and election interference. She said the Ministry of Government planned to “build a case against me to persecute me and intimidate me, and in this way exonerate [Cerimedo], dismiss all charges against him and absolve him of all responsibility.”
Mariaca’s ouster sidelines a figure who had become a political problem for the Paz government, and serves as an example of how the selective prosecution of individuals accused of links to organized crime works to advance U.S. interests in the region.
Bolivian activist Nadia Beller wears a bulletproof vest as Bolivian police escort her to testify as a witness, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, September 23, 2026. REUTERS/Ipa Ibanez.
On September 28, two days before Mariaca’s arrest, the United States [sanctioned][7] him and revoked his visa for “involvement in significant corruption,” including allegedly “soliciting and accepting bribes to facilitate narcotrafficking,” helping “violent criminals evade justice,” and “undermining” Bolivia’s democratic institutions.
“I think it is important that if crimes have been committed they must be investigated and sanctioned, but his arrest, as it has happened, ignores all legal procedures and guarantees of due process,” Canela Crespo, a Bolivian lawyer and political analyst, told Drop Site.
Galvéz later told CNN in an October 6 interview that the timing of Mariaca’s arrest was merely a “coincidence” and that the investigation had been ongoing since the March arrest of Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset.
The charges against Mariaca center on his association with Marset, whom the former attorney general is accused of protecting through high-level bribes and leaked intelligence. On the night of his arrest, an ambulance attempting to leave Mariaca’s residence was stopped with approximately $300,000, in both the local currency and U.S. dollars, and prosecutors claim they have financial intelligence linking him to drug trafficking networks.
Prior to his arrest, Mariaca vehemently denied U.S. allegations regarding ties to drug trafficking and claimed they were driven by political interests linked to his ongoing investigations.
Fernando Cerimedo (center left) is shown with Donald Trump Jr. (center right) and Brad Parscale (right), former campaign manager for President Donald Trump, in an undated photo posted to Nadia Beller’s Facebook page in September.
Beller, who has spoken out publicly about her former partner’s political activities throughout the region, told Drop Site that she believed the Trump administration was involved in the decision to arrest Mariaca due to his investigation into Cerimedo, who had ties to U.S. political figures such as Brad Parscale and Donald Trump Jr. In September, shortly before the Mariaca’s arrest, she posted a photo of Cerimedo, Trump Jr., and Parscale to her Facebook page.
Bolivian Vice President Edmand Lara Montaño—who has publicly broken with Paz—leaked audio that allegedly captures Cerimedo negotiating payments for aircraft linked to drug trafficking operations.
Beller alleges that the Paz government acted over concerns that Mariaca’s investigation could potentially reach the highest levels, including government ministers and even Paz’s wife, María Elena Urquidi.
Following Cerimedo’s arrest, Lara’s legal team accused Urquidi of involvement in drug trafficking offenses, but prosecutors eventually opted to exclude her from their investigation.
Beller accused Bolivian government authorities of deliberately stalling and derailing the investigation into the assasination plot after her scheduled testimony as a protected witness was abruptly suspended.
“They want to protect their allies, there is no other explanation,” Beller told Drop Site.
Crespo said the arrest of Mariaca is not only linked to an effort to impede investigations into Cerimedo’s alleged criminal activities but to gain control over the country’s prosecutor’s office.
“U.S. interference and the actions of the Rodrigo Paz government seek first to deconstruct the judicial system as it is and to put their own pawns,” said Crespo. “What you have to ask is what power structure is being disassembled, and above all, what power structure intends to be installed in its place.”
Bolivian Attorney General Roger Mariaca is shown in an undated file photo. Mariaca was arrested September 30, two days after the United States revoked their visas and accused Mariaca of corruption and aiding drug traffickers. REUTERS.
Mariaca, appointed in 2024 during the tenure of former president Luis Arce, had investigated politicians across the political spectrum, including supporters of Evo Morales, Paz’s political rivals.
Kathryn Ledebur, director of the Andean Information Network and an expert on Bolivian politics, told Drop Site that Mariaca had become a “problem” for the Paz government.
“He had been useful for a certain amount of time, but his arrest and prosecution of Fernando Cerimedo was very uncomfortable,” said Ledebur.
Bolivia’s Plurinational Legislative Assembly moved quickly to select Mariaca’s replacement, naming José Armando Urioste as acting attorney general. Urioste is behind the push to prosecute Morales and former Vice President Álvaro García Linera over the deaths of three European citizens at the hands of police in 2009.
Mariaca’s investigation into Cerimedo, who worked closely with the president, threatened to further destabilize an already weakened government that had been rocked by corruption allegations and intense protests in June and July over Paz’s neoliberal economic policies.
Ledebur told Drop Site that in addition to worries about what Mariaca’s investigation could reveal about high-level connections to drug trafficking, the Paz government was also motivated by their desire to secure stability ahead of a politically volatile time in Bolivia.
“They’ve illegally extended a state of emergency that limits freedoms guaranteed by the constitution, and we’re at a point in time where they’d need to push through some major legislation that could significantly affect land tenure rights, indigenous rights, and all sorts of guarantees that were provided in the 2009 constitution,” said Ledebur.
Social unrest in Bolivia tends to pick up in late October, after the planting season, when highly organized indigenous communities can turn their attention to their social demands, Ledebur explained.
The ouster of Mariaca and the derailment of his investigation into sensitive topics gives the Paz government room to operate as it attempts to push through unpopular reforms.
“I think what we’re seeing is they’re cleaning house to have a judiciary that responds to their interests and their needs, and to make sure that when gross human rights violations occur, when these violations of due process and the Constitution continue, that there is nothing in the judicial branch that would impede those actions or slow down this process that they seem to have planned in advance,” Ledebur told Drop Site.
## Selective Prosecutions
Following Mariaca’s arrest, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau issued statements of support. A total of 15 countries that form part of President Donald Trump’s Shield of the Americas initiative also [issued][8] a joint statement affirming their solidarity with Bolivia following the arrest of Mariaca.
The U.S.-led Shield of the Americas was launched in March, 2026 to coordinate counternarcotics activities in the region and has quickly evolved into a political alliance of countries allied with the U.S. agenda.
Since Trump’s return to office, U.S. policy in the region has been largely dictated by the stated U.S. interest in combating “narco-terrorism.” The kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was justified as a “law enforcement operation” in connection to a drug-trafficking indictment.
Yet the Trump administration has also sought closer ties to regional leaders who face credible allegations of ties to drug trafficking. As part of his efforts to help secure a win for the right-wing National Party in Honduras, Trump pardoned former President Juan Orlando Hernández after he was convicted by a New York court of trafficking drugs into the U.S. And Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa, whose family shipping business has been used by Balkan drug traffickers to [transport cocaine][9], has emerged as one of Washington’s closest allies. Noboa has used the fight against organized crime to justify a state of exception in his country and used this narrative to pursue his political opponents, including former presidential candidate Luisa González, who was recently jailed.
Crespo said the Paz government’s embrace of Washington’s drug trafficking narrative also serves similar ends.
“In the Bolivian case, very clearly, very evidently, it points to the leadership of Evo Morales, but not only his, but also that of social leaders, indigenous peasant leaders, and the political persecution against those of these leaders is based on this narrative of the presence of drug trafficking,” Crespo told Drop Site.
Benjamin Fogel, deputy director of the Alameda Institute, told Drop Site that the U.S. strategy of using the fight against drug trafficking to advance U.S. interests in Latin America has deep historical roots.
“This has been the pattern since [the Nixon administration] in Latin America: selective prosecution, selective use of threats, and selective application of ever-expanding laws to stop the threat of drug trafficking has been a means to manipulate, intimidate, and in effect, intimidate various governments and protect interest of the United States and its allies,” Fogel told Drop Site.
Since his election earlier this year, Colombia’s Abelardo de la Espriella, who once [served as lawyer][10] for notorious Colombian paramilitary leaders and drug traffickers, has sought to strengthen his country’s ties to Washington and invited U.S. troops into the country to directly participate in operations, a move that Fogel says would run afoul of the Colombian constitution.
Fogel points out that the U.S. strategy of selective application of counter-narcotics strategy has significant limitations, especially in the case of countries with greater state capacity like Mexico and Brazil.
In the case of Mexico, where President Claudia Sheinbaum has refused to accept U.S. operations, former Chihuahua Attorney General Cesar Jáuregui has been charged with treason for illegally permitting CIA agents to participate in an operation.
Most recently, the U.S. extended a visa to former Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro to allow his entry into the country after he fled fleeing Brazil to avoid a money-laundering investigation.
“This is security slop. None of these policies are actually coherent,” said Fogel.
*Joseph Bouchard and Camila Lourdes Galarza contributed to this report.*
[Leave a comment][11]
[Share][12]
[1]: https://givebutter.com/dsn-substack
[2]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe?
[3]: https://x.com/AndeanInfoNet/status/2108547367809036336
[4]: https://www.latintimes.com/bolivia-jails-opposition-lawmaker-six-months-over-calls-execute-political-enemies-600375
[5]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/12/bolivia-investigates-ex-president-evo-morales-2009-killings
[6]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/fernando-cerimedo-rodrigo-paz-trump-rubio
[7]: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/09/visa-restrictions-for-foreign-nationals-undermining-democratically-elected-governments-in-western-hemisphere-countries
[8]: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/10/joint-statement-in-support-of-bolivias-efforts-to-fight-corruption-and-narco-trafficking
[9]: https://www.occrp.org/en/project/the-crime-messenger/cocaine-and-bananas-how-balkan-traffickers-used-fruit-shipments-from-the-ecuadorian-presidents-family-firm-to-smuggle-drugs
[10]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/25/world/americas/colombia-president-de-la-espriella-trump-us-investigation.html
[11]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/bolivia-attorney-general-arrest-fernando-cerimedo/comments
[12]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/bolivia-attorney-general-arrest-fernando-cerimedo?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/bolivia-attorney-general-arrest-fernando-cerimedo

2026-10-29 00:29:14 UTC

“Mediacide”: Francesca Albanese on Israel’s War on Journalism
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese’s new report argues that the destruction of truth has become integral to the destruction of the Palestinian people. The report, “Truth Under the Rubble: Media in the Time of Genocide,” documents the killing of nearly 300 journalists and media workers in Gaza since October 2023, Israeli state censorship and incitement, and the role of Western media and digital platforms in reproducing Israeli narratives.
Drop Site’s Sharif Abdel Kouddous spoke with Albanese, an Italian international lawyer who has served as the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories since 2022. They discuss what she calls “mediacide,” Israel’s killing of journalists including Drop Site contributor Hossam Shabat, incitement on Israeli TV, bias in Western coverage, and the New York Times’ response to her report.
Albanese has faced sustained backlash for her work. When she presented the report to the UN General Assembly on Monday, the Israeli and US representatives called her a “liar,” a “fraud,” and a “lunatic,” and the chair asked speakers to focus on the report’s contents. The US, Israel, and several European governments opposed her reappointment last year. Soon afterward, Secretary of State Marco Rubio imposed economic and travel sanctions on her, citing her efforts to push the International Criminal Court to investigate US and Israeli officials and companies. Albanese, who is unpaid in her UN role, says the sanctions have cut her off from banking, and that her US-citizen daughter could commit a felony simply by having financial dealings with her. Her family is now suing the Trump administration.
Read the full UN report: [https://docs.un.org/A/81/249][1]
Subscribe on [YouTube][2] and wherever you get podcasts.
0:00 Intro: “Truth Under the Rubble”
1:15 Israeli and US reps attack Albanese at the UN
3:35 Why a report on the media?
8:30 What is “mediacide”?
10:10 Silencing the witnesses: Israel’s killing of journalists
14:00 Information as Israel’s “eighth front”: censorship and platforms
19:10 Why killing journalists is a war crime
22:40 Incitement on Israeli TV and international law
24:40 Western media bias in coverage of Gaza
28:20 The New York Times responds to the report
31:50 What US sanctions mean for Albanese and her family
36:05 Documenting Gaza as resistance against colonial erasure
_________
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[1]: https://docs.un.org/A/81/249
[2]: https://www.youtube.com/@DropSiteNews
[3]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe?
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/mediacide-francesca-albanese-on-israels

2026-10-28 20:49:32 UTC

Company Linked to Darline Graham’s Husband Was Sanctioned for Arming Russia Against Ukraine
Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) waits to speak during a press conference at the Graham campaign office on October 22, 2026, in Columbia, South Carolina. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.
Earlier this month, [The Washington Post][1] reported that Sen. Darline Graham’s husband, Larry Nordone, is a senior executive at a company that merged with a Chinese weapons maker. Graham, of course, is running for her late brother Sen. Lindsey Graham’s South Carolina Senate seat, and she opposes “depending on Communist China” for manufacturing.
It was an embarrassing enough revelation for the campaign, but the friction between her husband’s career and her stated politics, it turns out, goes significantly further than that. Graham’s husband’s company is also linked to a Chinese firm that the U.S. sanctioned in 2024 for heavily arming Russia in its war against Ukraine—in blatant contrast to the Graham family’s staunch support for Ukraine.
Nordone is a senior executive at Cosmox Outdoors’ subsidiary, Cosmox North America. Cosmox Outdoors, merged in 2021 with the Chinese weapons maker Zhongzhou Machinery Works (ZZM). Until recently, ZZM listed two major Chinese arms companies as “partners and clients.”
The two Chinese companies are Poly Technologies and Norinco; they have both been sanctioned by the U.S. Poly Technologies was hit with [U.S. sanctions][2] in 2024 for providing “sensitive military technologies” to Russia to facilitate its invasion of Ukraine, according to C4ADS, a U.S. intelligence-adjacent research outfit. Norinco is a military and aerospace conglomerate whose history of providing arms to Iran dates back to the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s and remains on the Treasury Department’s [restricted list.][3]
[Subscribe now][4]
Graham’s brother, Lindsey Graham, was the Senate’s most vocal champion of arming Ukraine against Russia. He died suddenly, according to his staff, shortly after returning from a visit to Ukraine, where he toured a drone factory. Darline Graham was appointed to replace her late brother and won the Republican nomination in South Carolina. She is facing Democrat Annie Andrews in a surprisingly close race.
Darline Graham was the lead sponsor on a bill, named for her brother and signed into law in September, that introduced a new set of sanctions on Russia and Iran. Though Trump signed the bill into law, he followed it with an executive order that rolled back its provisions.
“Lindsey believed this bill, which he worked on for well over a year, would help achieve [a peaceful resolution in Ukraine] through squeezing [Russian President Vladimir] Putin economically and forcing his customers to reevaluate the relationship with Russia,” Graham reportedly [said][5] at a press conference in September.
The Bush administration sanctioned Norinco in 2003 for [allegedly selling][6] missile-related goods and technology to Iran, although the sanctions were [lifted][7] in 2005.
In a [debate][8] with Andrews on October 11, Graham argued that President Donald Trump ought to continue pursuing the war on Iran. “Why in the world would we stop now when they’re still dangerous?” Graham said, adding that she believed the U.S. was close to winning the war. “Again, I think the president wants to end the war. I know he does. We all want the war to end. But I support a strong military. I believe in peace through strength.”
Graham’s campaign, Cosmox, and ZZM did not respond to questions from Drop Site. Nordone’s employer scrubbed the reference to Norinco as one of its “partners and clients” from its website after inquiries from the Post:
> After The Post reached out with questions about ZZM’s website touting its ties to the Chinese defense industry, a spokesperson for ZZM distanced the manufacturer from the defense companies, saying ZZM no longer does business with them. ZZM and Cosmox Outdoors’ websites were then taken down and replaced with a notice to users that the sites are undergoing maintenance.
>
> ZZM’s site reappeared days later with the mention of its own “military-grade” production capabilities removed, as well as mentions of Norinco and Poly Technologies. Cosmox Outdoors’s site removed a tile from its homepage about ZZM but still linked to ZZM’s site from Cosmox Outdoors’ “Firearms” tab.
Rachel Chen, a spokesperson for Cosmox, answered the Post’s questions on behalf of both ZZM and Cosmox, telling the paper, “Cosmox Outdoors has had no commercial dealings with CSGC [China South Industries Group Corporation], NORINCO, or Poly Technologies.” The websites saying otherwise, said Chen, were out of date.
**More on the midterms from Drop Site:**
[1]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/10/darline-graham-opposes-chinese-manufacturing-her-husbands-employers-rely-it/
[2]: https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/Details.aspx?id=49446
[3]: https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/Details.aspx?id=30957
[4]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe?
[5]: https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article317737054.html#storylink=cpy
[6]: https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/Details.aspx?id=30957
[7]: https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20050527
[8]: https://www.c-span.org/program/campaign-2026/south-carolina-us-senate-debate/686367
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/darline-graham-lindsey-husband-russia-ukraine-sanctions

2026-10-28 15:20:57 UTC

U.S. boat strike kills five; No clear winner in Israeli elections; 100+ killed in Sudan attack
Video released by U.S. Southern Command shows the U.S. military targeting a boat in the Pacific on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
**Wednesday, October 28, 2026 –***** ***
***Iran**: Qatar presents new proposal to end Iran war. Iran denies involvement in alleged assassination plot in Kuwait after three sentenced to death. U.S. military spending on Iran war surpasses $47 billion, up more than 25% since July. International Atomic Energy Agency says no evidence Iran has rebuilt nuclear facilities damaged in U.S.-Israeli strikes. Gulf states reportedly push diplomatic deal involving Iran, Yemen, and Hormuz. UAE closes all Sharjah beaches as tanker oil spill spreads across northern emirates.*
***Palestine**: Four Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza. Israeli forces demolish homes in the occupied West Bank as Hebron assault enters sixth day. Workers at nearly 50 ports worldwide plan Friday strikes in solidarity with Gaza. Netanyahu falls short of majority; no clear winner in Israeli elections.*
***Yemen**: Ansarallah missile hits Aden airport. Ansarallah-appointed governor claims most of Yemen’s Taiz is under its control.*
***Lebanon: **Israeli forces bombard southern Lebanon towns amid “ceasefire.”*
***U.S.**: Man dies in ICE facility in San Diego, the 30th death in ICE detention this year. UN Ambassador Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister argue on UN floor. President Donald Trump again calls for Venezuela to be 51st state. State Department official Jeremy Lewin leaves post ahead of midterms. Grand jury declines to indict former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. FBI raids billionaire Stephen Cloobeck’s Beverly Hills mansion in connection with Eric Swalwell probe. Hackers target FEC system, disrupting campaign finance filings a week before midterms. Hasan Piker sues Scott Jennings for defamation over edited lynching clip. Trump moves to loosen rules for oil and gas firms. Supreme Court lets Texas-Justice Department deal on deportation proceedings stand. NYPD cancels no-bid contract with Israeli surveillance firm.*
***International: **U.S. strike on boat in Pacific kills five people. Flávio Bolsonaro and family flee Brazil; U.S. to provide visas. Toll from Sudanese military strike on exceeds 100 deaths, rights group says. Strikes on Sudan gold mines kill five. Mada Masr chief editor released, faces another trial. Syria-Jordan border reopens amid probe into deadly strikes. Nigeria says 37 jailed miners died in their cells from overcrowding and neglect. Dozens of Somali soldiers killed in major al-Shabaab battle. Tanzania’s jailed opposition leader Tundu Lissu ends hunger strike. El Salvador rushes about 1,000 troops to Haiti after gang ambush. Spain deports migrants from Ceuta in move criticized by Amnesty. Iraq PM sacks intelligence chief and advisers.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Iran
* **Qatar presents new proposal to end Iran war: **Qatari mediators [presented][1] Iran with a new seven-day proposal to end the eight-month U.S.-Israeli war. A senior Iranian official said the proposal consisted of “unacceptable ideas” and that it was “not an offer,” according to Reuters.
* The proposal, reportedly approved by the U.S., outlined daily confidence-building measures by both sides, potentially beginning early next week, with several countries serving as guarantors, according to an official briefed on the negotiations. Qatari mediators presented it to Iran on Sunday, the official added.
* Washington insists that nuclear negotiations begin immediately, while Iran demands an end to the U.S. blockade and the lifting of oil sanctions before beginning those negotiations.
* The diplomatic push comes amid renewed threats of military escalation. The U.S. [warned][2] several Gulf Arab states to prepare for a “short, intense military campaign” following next week’s U.S. midterm elections, according to the Wall Street Journal.
* Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi [warned][3] that the “devastating impact on international markets of any Israel-instigated military misadventure” in the Persian Gulf remains a major concern for global energy producers and consumers.
* **Iran denies involvement in alleged assassination plot in Kuwait after three sentenced to death: **Iran’s embassy in Kuwait [rejected][4] accusations that an Iranian national was involved in a plot to assassinate senior Kuwaiti officials, saying on Wednesday that the individual had not been in Kuwait for the past decade.
* The statement came after a Kuwaiti court sentenced three defendants to death on Monday, including Iranian national Abdulreza Dehqani, and two Kuwaiti nationals, while eight others received five-year prison sentences. Kuwaiti prosecutors accused the defendants of espionage for Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah and of plotting to assassinate the First Deputy Prime Minister, the Interior Minister, and other senior officials.
* **U.S. military spending on Iran war surpasses $47 billion, up more than 25% since July: **The U.S. military has [spent][5] more than $47 billion on its war against Iran, over 25% higher than the Pentagon’s $37.5 billion estimate in July, according to internal War Department figures obtained by Reuters.
* The latest estimate includes more than $29 billion to replace expended munitions and over $6 billion to replace lost military equipment, including aircraft and drones.
* The figures do not clearly account for the potentially enormous cost of repairing U.S. military bases damaged by Iranian missile and drone attacks.
* **IAEA says no evidence Iran has rebuilt nuclear facilities damaged in U.S.-Israeli strikes: **The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) [said][6] that there was no activity suggesting Iran has attempted to repair or rebuild nuclear facilities damaged by U.S. and Israeli attacks in 2025 and 2026.
* “Since June 2025, we have not identified any activity to repair or reconstruct any of the facilities damaged in the military attacks of 2025 and 2026,” Director General Rafael Grossi told the UN Security Council on Tuesday. But he stressed that the agency still needs access to verify the facilities’ condition and account for previously declared nuclear material, including 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium.
* **Gulf states reportedly push diplomatic deal involving Iran, Yemen, and Hormuz:** Gulf states are [developing][7] a diplomatic deal to avert another U.S.-Iran war that involves the Strait of Hormuz, Yemen, and a new regional security framework, The Guardian reported.
* Iran’s Mohsen Rezaei met Ansarallah’s ambassador a day after senior Saudi, Turkish, and Pakistani officials visited Tehran.
* Iran could sway Ansarallah, potentially facilitating a settlement short of total military victory—expelling Saudi Arabia from the country. Ansarallah is demanding an end to Saudi Arabia’s air and naval blockade.
* According to The Guardian, Iran “successfully prevented discussion of its nuclear programme” at the Tehran meeting, instead steering talks toward a regional security arrangement that would include Iran and Gulf states while reducing or ending the U.S. military presence in the Middle East.
* **UAE closes all Sharjah beaches as tanker oil spill spreads across northern emirates: **Authorities in Sharjah closed all beaches across the city following an oil spill from a damaged tanker in nearby waters, describing the decision as a “proactive precautionary measure.”
* The closure comes after dozens of beaches and coastal areas across Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah have been shut down in recent days, with satellite imagery showing the spill stretching across the UAE’s northern coastline.
* Experts told Reuters the oil was leaking from the Panama-flagged Gem No. 2, a tanker reportedly struck by an unidentified projectile last month.
# Palestine
* **Four Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza: **An** **Israeli [airstrike][8] on the Mawasi area of Rafah, southern Gaza, killed three Palestinians and wounded at least 10 on Wednesday, according to WAFA. A** **drone strike in the Mawasi area of Al-Qarara, north of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, killed one Palestinian and wounded several others. Separately, a Palestinian man and his daughter were wounded in an Israeli strike on the Ard Al-Laymoun area south of Khan Younis.
* Over the past 24 hours, Israeli attacks killed three Palestinians—one in a new Israeli attack and two after succumbing to wounds sustained in earlier attacks—and injured 11 others across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023, is now 74,564 killed, with 175,770 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,568 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,649, while 845 bodies have been recovered.
* **Israeli forces demolish homes in the occupied West Bank as Hebron assault enters sixth day:**
* **Hebron:** Israeli forces [continued][9] their military assault for the sixth consecutive day on Wednesday, sealing off the neighborhoods of Al-Jalda and Deir Baha, raiding homes, destroying property, and converting residential buildings into military outposts, WAFA reported.
* Around 780 families have been affected by the siege, with nearly 5,000 Palestinians forcibly displaced or confined to their homes, according to Hebron Municipality.
* Israeli forces detained approximately 110 Palestinians, including seven children and three women, and subjected hundreds more to field interrogations, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society.
* **Nablus:** Israeli forces [demolished][10] one home and blew up another in Beita after forcing residents to evacuate the western part of the town. In Yasid, north of Nablus, Israeli soldiers beat a Palestinian and his son during a raid, leaving one with a fractured hand.
* **Bethlehem:** Israeli forces [maintained][11] road closures across the governorate for the sixth consecutive day, blocking access to several towns and villages.
* **Tulkarm:** Israeli forces [arrested][12] four Palestinians, including the journalist and former prisoner Hamza Salama and two of his brothers. An officer in the Palestinian General Intelligence Service, Mohammed Al-Qass, was arrested during a raid on his home.
* **Workers at nearly 50 ports worldwide plan Friday strikes in solidarity with Gaza**: Trade unions at nearly 50 ports worldwide, spanning Mexico, Europe, and India, are [planning][13] strikes and demonstrations on Friday in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, demanding an end to Israel’s genocide and unrestricted humanitarian aid access, according to Shaher Saad, secretary-general of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions. The actions are being coordinated with the International Transport Workers’ Federation.
* **Netanyahu falls short of majority; no clear winner in Israeli elections: **Neither of the two leading political camps have yet secured the 61 seats required to win a parliamentary majority in the 120-member Knesset. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc has secured 53 seats. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc stands at 48 seats. As of 12:34 p.m. local time on Wednesday, 84.5% of ballots were counted, according to preliminary results.
* Palestinian parties are projected to secure 19 seats. Although they have significant leverage given their electoral gains, it is unclear if any opposition bloc would be willing to form a coalition with them to form a majority. Netanyahu openly dismissed the idea, saying, “We must not endanger Israel and establish a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties.”
* Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that his endorsement of Netanyahu “helped him a lot.” “It’s looking like maybe a stalemate or a win,” Trump told reporters.
# Yemen
* **Ansarallah missile hits Aden airport: **An Ansarallah missile reportedly hit Aden International Airport in southern Yemen on Wednesday. Ansarallah military spokesperson Yahya Saree called for the immediate evacuation of the airport, claiming that a Saudi military cargo plane was transporting weapons intended for use against Yemenis.
* The group later repeated the [warning][14], describing it as its “final” call for everyone at the airport to leave immediately.
* The missile reportedly struck the airport before the group issued its warnings, according to a police source cited by AFP.
* **Ansarallah-appointed governor claims most of Yemen’s Taiz is under its control: **The province of Taiz is under the control of Ansarallah, except for parts of Taiz city, the Ansarallah-appointed governor of Taiz Ahmed Al-Masawa [claimed][15] Tuesday in an interview with Ansarallah’s Al-Masirah TV.
* Taiz city, the provincial capital, is still under siege and largely controlled by Saudi-backed government forces.
* Human Rights Watch [said][16] that roads into and out of Taiz city have been “largely blocked by government-affiliated and Houthi forces” since October 1. It also documents Ansarallah forces blowing up the Hayjat Al-Abd road on October 18, the main entry point for food, medicine and fuel.
# Lebanon
* **Israeli forces bombard southern Lebanon towns amid “ceasefire”:**
* **Nabatieh:** Israeli artillery shelling [targeted][17] the area between Mifdoun and Zawtar Al-Sharqieh on Wednesday morning, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
* **Tyre (Sour):** Israeli artillery shelled Mansouri, Majdal Zoun, and surrounding valleys.
* **Marjeyoun: **Israeli forces [caused][18] two large explosions, one near the cemetery in Khiam and another in the town of Tallouseh on Tuesday.
# U.S. News
* **Man dies in ICE facility in San Diego, the 30th death in ICE detention this year: Roberto Jimenez Gutierrez**, a detainee at ICE’s Otay Mesa facility in San Diego, [died][19] at the facility on Saturday, ICE said on Monday. Gutierrez, a 43-year-old Guatemalan national, was arrested in Escondido and had been in custody since October 9. ICE said that he was in an “assigned safety cell” at the Core Civic-run facility when he died.
* The agency also claimed that Gutierrez was detained in July 2024 after being convicted of selling liquor to a minor and several other arrests without apparent convictions. The local news outlet Daylight San Diego could not locate court records matching ICE’s claims. ICE said that a judge ordered him deported to Mexico in 2006.
* **Ambassador Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister argue on UN floor:** U.S. Ambassador to the UN **Mike Waltz** [clashed][20] with Cuban Foreign Minister **Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla** on Tuesday, after Waltz delivered an inflammatory speech criticizing the Cuban government. Rodríguez Parrilla approached the podium during the speech, and Waltz told him to back up, saying that Rodríguez was trying to “intimidate me in the United States of America like he tries to intimidate political prisoners” in Cuba. General Assembly President **Khalilur Rahman** requested that Waltz be allowed to finish his speech before hearing Cuba’s point of order. Decorum continued to break down, and Rahman suspended the meeting.
* **Trump again calls for Venezuela to be 51st state: **At an event in Texas on Tuesday, Trump [said][21] that Venezuela should be made part of the United States. “Maybe someday soon, it will become a prosperous 51st state,” he said, adding that “instead of a president, we’ll have an election for a governor.” Addressing the oil tycoon **Harold Hamm**, who was in the crowd, he said, “Let’s make it the 51st state.” Earlier this year, Trump said that he was “seriously considering” making Venezuela a state. The country’s acting president, **Delcy Rodríguez**, said in May that Venezuela had no plans to become a U.S. state and that it would defend its sovereignty.
* **Rubio adviser Jeremy Lewin leaves State Department ahead of midterms:** **Jeremy Lewin**, the 29-year-old under secretary and director of policy planning at the State Department, [announced][22] on Tuesday that he was leaving the administration for a job in the private sector. Lewin, a DOGE alum who helped dismantle USAID, led U.S. engagement with Venezuela’s **Delcy Rodríguez**, helped assemble Trump’s Venezuela oil deal, and led bilateral talks in Havana with **Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro**, grandson of **Raúl Castro**.
* Separately on Tuesday, WIRED reported on Lewin’s time at USAID, where for three weeks Lewin essentially ran the agency as if he was its director, canceling lifesaving aid programs and dismissing employees even though he had not signed the paperwork required to work at the agency. The full report from WIRED is available [here][23].
* **Grand jury declines to indict Cassidy Hutchinson: **A federal grand jury in Washington on Tuesday [returned][24] a “no true bill” on the Justice Department’s bid to indict **Cassidy Hutchinson**, the former White House aide who testified against the administration to Congress regarding the January 6 Capitol attack. The DOJ tried to charge Hutchinson with lying to Congress, the New York Times reported. Some DOJ prosecutors were reportedly skeptical of the case, which was led by Trump loyalist **Harmeet Dhillon**, head of the department’s civil rights division.
* **FBI raids billionaire Stephen Cloobeck’s Beverly Hills mansion in connection with Eric Swalwell probe:** FBI agents [executed][25] a sealed search warrant on Tuesday at the Beverly Hills home of **Stephen Cloobeck**, billionaire owner of the timeshare company Diamond Resorts. **Eric Swalwell** stayed at the home several times while campaigning, an FBI spokesperson said. Swalwell dropped out of the California governor’s race and resigned from Congress in April after allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer and acted inappropriately with other young women, which he denied.
* In August, federal agents seized Swalwell’s devices, raided his Washington home, and briefly held him at San Francisco International Airport. Earlier in the summer, they searched his Dublin home. Separately, authorities in New York and Los Angeles County are investigating the ex-congressman.
* **Hackers target FEC system, disrupting campaign finance filings a week before midterms: **The Federal Elections Commission [said][26] on Tuesday that its electronic filing system has been offline since Monday evening, forcing a shutdown of web-facing services. An FEC filings officer told compliance firms that “we have a bad actor attempting to breach FEC systems,” according to an email seen by Reuters. The outage blocks 24- and 48-hour spending reports, though past reports remain searchable and voters’ ability to cast ballots is unaffected.
* **Hasan Piker sues Scott Jennings for defamation over edited lynching clip: **The leftist Twitch streamer **Hasan Piker** [filed][27] a federal suit in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, alleging that the conservative commentator **Scott Jennings** aired manipulated footage of him. According to the 38-page filing, an August 11 episode of “The Scott Jennings Show” included footage of Piker that contained misleading quotations. Captions attributed to Piker the line “Let’s go back to a better time when lynchings were happening.” Jennings then accused him of “calling for Black voters to be lynched.”
* Jennings posted the edited segment on X, and tied Piker to the Michigan Senate nominee **Abdul El-Sayed**. Jennings described Piker as El-Sayed’s “best pal and campaign partner.” The X post drew about 2.5 million views. Piker’s suit said that Jennings refused to retract the post after receiving a written demand on August 31, and that Jennings harmed Piker’s reputation and his income from streaming, advertising, and sponsorship deals.
* **Trump moves to loosen rules for oil and gas firms: **On Tuesday, President Trump [announced][28] an Environmental Protection Agency plan to weaken federal rules governing methane emissions, calling the Biden-era rules “expensive and unnecessary.” The proposal would relax EPA requirements for hundreds of thousands of low-output “marginal” wells, end the agency’s Methane Super Emitter Program, and reverse a rule requiring operators to capture the additional gas that leaks from wells. Although “marginal” wells make up about 7% of U.S. oil and gas production, they account for roughly half of the industry’s methane emissions.
* **Supreme Court lets Texas-Justice Department deal on deportation proceedings stand:** On Tuesday, the Supreme Court [refused][29] to block an agreement ending immigration judges’ discretion to suspend deportation cases through “administrative closure.” The procedural tool allows judges to halt deportation proceedings under certain circumstances, such as when an immigrant seeks humanitarian protection to remain in the U.S. The plaintiffs in the case, several U.S. cities and the advocacy group Centro Legal, argued in favor of the legitimacy of administrative closure.
* **NYPD cancels no-bid contract with Israeli surveillance firm: **The New York Police Department will not pursue a “sole source procurement” deal with the Israeli firm Cognyte for AI-driven surveillance technology, an NYPD spokesperson [said][30] on Tuesday. According to the spokesperson, the firm “did not meet the criteria” for such an arrangement and that the NYPD would conduct “an open, competitive procurement process.” The decision comes after allies of Mayor **Zohran Mamdani **criticized the contract. The Israeli firm’s FalcoNet technology would allow police to intercept cell-phone communications. Similar technology is already used by the department, though experts say that the FalcoNet system would significantly increase police surveillance capacities.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **U.S. strike on boat in Pacific kills five people: **The U.S. military attacked what it [said][31] was a drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific on Tuesday, killing five people. U.S. Southern Command claimed that “intelligence revealed the vessel’s active involvement in narcotrafficking,” without providing any evidence underlying the intelligence. It published a [video on X][32] that shows a small boat enveloped by an explosion. Since the U.S. military began targeting what it calls “narcoterrorists” in September 2025, it has killed more than 240 people in more than 70 attacks.
* **Flávio Bolsonaro and family flee Brazil; U.S. to provide visas:** The United States will issue visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his family, the State Department [said][33] on Tuesday. Bolsonaro arrived in Miami on Wednesday morning, according to news reports. After losing the presidential election to the incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, police requested that Bolsonaro turn over his Brazilian and diplomatic passports. He has been under investigation for alleged corruption and money laundering.
* **Toll from Sudanese military strike on exceeds 100 deaths, rights group says:** The death toll from a Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) attack on a busy market in Nyala, South Darfur, [rose][34] to more than 100 deaths and 113 injuries, the rights group Emergency Lawyers said on Tuesday. Many of the victims were women and children. The SAF attacked the market on Monday evening.
* Separately, a drone strike on the Al-Markhiyat transformer station in Omdurman, which an official from the state-run Sudanese Electricity Distribution Company blamed on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), left large swaths of Khartoum without power for over 12 hours. Approximately 60% of the capital’s electrical supply was affected by the strike, forcing hospitals and bakeries to rely on back-up generators.
* **Strikes on Sudan gold mines kill five: **Drone strikes, likely carried out by the RSF, [killed][35] at least five people and injured several others at several artisanal mining sites in South Kordofan, Sudan, on Tuesday. The RSF has previously targeted South Kordofan mining areas. Artisanal mining, which is done under exacting conditions, employs more than two million people in Sudan and produces over 80% of the country’s gold.
* **Mada Masr chief editor released, faces another trial:** Mada Masr Editor-in-Chief Lina Attalah was released on Tuesday evening after paying a 3 million Egyptian pound fine ordered by a Cairo court that convicted her of running a news outlet without a license. The court also ordered the closure of Mada Masr and the seizure of its assets.
* On Wednesday, the outlet said in its newsletter: “Mada Masr is still considering its legal position following the conviction. As of yet, we don’t know where things stand, when you will hear from us next, or what we will say.”
* During release procedures, Attalah was informed for the first time that another court had sentenced her in absentia in 2024 to one year in prison on charges of publishing false news and managing an unlicensed website. Her lawyers have challenged that sentence. A retrial is scheduled for November 11.
* Over 120 rights organizations and independent media outlets, including Drop Site News, signed a [joint statement][36] condemning the conviction and calling on Egyptian authorities to allow Mada Masr to operate freely. In Congress, Rep. Don Beyer [described][37] the conviction as “a massive escalation” of Egyptian authorities’ “crackdown on independent media,” and “a brazen attack on press freedom and an attempt to silence one of the last major independent voices in Egypt.”
* **Syria-Jordan border reopens amid probe into deadly strikes: **Syria [reopened][38] the Nassib crossing, Jordan’s only border crossing with Syria, on Wednesday morning, with regular passenger and commercial traffic resuming, SANA reported. The crossing had briefly closed after Jordanian strikes on suspected ISIS hideouts in southern Syria on Monday, which killed at least seven people in Deraa and Suweyda. Jordan launched the attacks in response to a church shooting in Karak on Friday, for which ISIS claimed responsibility, that killed at least nine people and wounded 34 others.
* Also on Tuesday, the two countries’ foreign ministers agreed in a phone call to form a security committee to review the incidents and improve intelligence coordination. During the call, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi expressed “deep regret” over civilian deaths that occurred as a result of Monday’s Jordanian strikes.
* **Nigeria says 37 jailed miners died in their cells from overcrowding and neglect: **Thirty-seven miners, who were jailed on charges of illegal mining, died in detention last month. A Nigerian government investigation [found][39] that the deaths were the result of severe overcrowding and poor ventilation. The detainees also suffered from heat stress and dehydration, the report noted. The chairman of the investigation, Jonathan Kure, called the deaths “entirely preventable.” Last month, witnesses in the detention facility [told][40] Reuters that prison guards “sprayed an unidentified substance into a crowded cell where dozens of detainees died and kept the doors locked, ignoring cries for help.”
* The government panel overseeing the investigation recommended that each victim’s family receive 30 million naira (about $22,500), and that each of the 41 survivors receive 10 million naira. The panel advised a sweeping overhaul of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, which detained the miners.
* **Dozens of Somali soldiers killed in major al-Shabaab battle:** Dozens of Somali troops [died][41] in fighting against al-Shabaab Islamist insurgents in the Buurhakaba district of southern Somalia, Reuters reported on Tuesday. One soldier said that he helped carry 40 dead soldiers and over 100 wounded others to hospitals in Mogadishu. Another said that al-Shabaab deployed car bombs that wrecked five military vehicles. Government forces killed about 75 militants and wounded 56, the Defense Ministry said, adding that al-Shabaab militants used explosives-packed vehicles in their attacks. Somalia has fought al-Shabaab militants for nearly two decades.
* **Tanzania’s jailed opposition leader Tundu Lissu ends hunger strike: **Tundu Lissu, who [leads][42] the Tanzanian opposition party CHADEMA and came in second place in the 2020 presidential election, ended a brief hunger strike after prison authorities allowed him to meet privately with his lawyers on Tuesday. He began the strike on either Monday or Tuesday. Tanzania’s prison service denied that he went on hunger strike at all. Lissu was arrested in April 2025 and charged with treason over a speech that prosecutors said urged the public to rebel and disrupt the 2025 election. Violence following that election led to the deaths of at least 518 people. Lissu pleaded not guilty, calling the case political. A judgment in his case is due in early November.
* **El Salvador rushes about 1,000 troops to Haiti after gang ambush:** El Salvador has sent about 1,000 troops to Haiti since an October 18 gang ambush near Port-au-Prince that led to the disappearance of four Salvadoran soldiers with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, Reuters [reported][43]. It is unclear who will command the new deployment, how long the troops will remain on the ground, or whether more will follow. The U.S. provided C-130 aircraft to move the troops. The UN-backed force comprises about 2,000 personnel. Gangs have internally displaced almost 1.5 million people in Haiti.
* **Spain deports migrants from Ceuta in move criticized by Amnesty: **Spain deported migrants from Ceuta after their asylum applications were rejected and Morocco agreed to take them, Spain’s Interior Ministry [said][44] Tuesday. These are the first deportations of their kind since a mass crossing of migrants from Morocco to Ceuta in July. NGOs told Reuters that 16 people were deported; they hail from African, Middle Eastern, and Asian countries. Amnesty International criticized the Spanish government, warning that the human rights of deportees could be at risk. About 80,000 people entered Ceuta over 48 hours in July; at least 100 died swimming around marine barriers or in stampedes and about 8,000 migrants remain, some of whom are sleeping on the streets.
* **Iraq PM sacks intelligence chief and advisers: **Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi [fired][45] the head of the National Intelligence Service, Hamid al-Shatri, a post he held since December 2024. No reason for the firing was given, and al-Shatri’s successor has not been named, public broadcaster Iraqi News Agency reported. Through an official, the prime minister announced a campaign against “public-sector overstaffing.” He terminated the contracts of 69 advisers and staff in his office.
📖 **[READ][46] **The UAE Is Secretly Helping Ansarallah Fight Saudi Arabia in Yemen
📖 **[READ][47] **AIPAC-Aligned Groups Gift Doris Matsui a $785k Blitz of Last-Minute Attack Ads
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[1]: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/qatari-mediators-present-iran-with-new-deal-end-war-official-says-2026-10-28/
[2]: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-warns-gulf-of-possible-short-intense-renewal-of-iran-war-after-midterms-cd1a55e1?mod=e2tw
[3]: https://x.com/araghchi/status/2115355174604525953?s=46
[4]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86306018/Iran-embassy-in-Kuwait-rejects-allegation-linking-Iranian-national
[5]: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-costs-iran-war-rise-over-47-billion-according-pentagon-estimate-2026-10-28/
[6]: https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168682
[7]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2115354315686580524
[8]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/28/3-%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A8%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%AD-%D9%88%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%81%D9%8A
[9]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/28/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%84-%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87-%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%84
[10]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/28/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%A7-%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%AC%D8%B1-%D8%A2%D8%AE%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%A7
[11]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/28/%D9%84%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%84-%D8%A5%D8%BA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%82-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AE%D9%84
[12]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/28/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%8A
[13]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/28/%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%86%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%86%D8%AD%D9%88-50-%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%84
[14]: https://x.com/yah_saree/status/2115411599980925404?s=46
[15]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2115287268541837378
[16]: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/10/26/yemen-houthi-attack-on-taizz-road-threatens-lives-welfare
[17]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/570940/%D9%82%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%88%D8%B7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A9-2
[18]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/570891/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%88-%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B0-%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%B9%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%A7-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%85-2
[19]: https://www.daylightsandiego.org/ice-detainee-dies-at-otay-mesa-detention-center-in-san-diego/
[20]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/foreign-policy/mike-waltz-united-nations-cuban-official-shouting-match
[21]: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6176049-trump-venezuela-state-oil/
[22]: https://www.axios.com/2026/10/27/rubio-adviser-state-department-venezuela-departs
[23]: https://www.wired.com/story/a-28-year-old-doge-operative-gutted-usaid-hr-had-no-record-of-him-working-there/
[24]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/27/us/politics/cassidy-hutchinson-indicted-trump-testimony.html
[25]: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-27/beverly-hills-mansion-swalwell-raid
[26]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/hackers-target-fec-system-disrupting-campaign-finance-disclosures-rcna606029
[27]: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/6176566-piker-defamation-lawsuit-jennings/
[28]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/27/climate/trump-methane-rules-epa-greenhouse-gas.html
[29]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/27/us/politics/supreme-court-texas-immigration.html
[30]: https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/10/27/nypd-walks-back-contract-negotiations-with-ai-driven-cellphone-surveillance-company-amid-backlash/
[31]: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-military-says-5-were-killed-by-a-strike-on-an-alleged-drug-smuggling-boat-in-the-eastern-pacific
[32]: https://x.com/Southcom/status/2115116783199735980
[33]: https://www.afp.com/en/us-grant-flavio-bolsonaro-visa-he-flees-brazil-after-election-loss
[34]: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/africa/100-people-killed-sudanese-army-drone-attack-market-says-sudanese-righ-rcna606044
[35]: https://sudantribune.com/article/320541
[36]: https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Joint-statment-Mada-Masr-EN-1.pdf
[37]: https://x.com/RepDonBeyer/status/2115111525497127163
[38]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/28/syria-jordan-border-reopens-amid-probe-into-deadly-airstrikes
[39]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigeria-panel-says-37-detained-miners-died-overcrowding-and-neglect-2026-10-27/
[40]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/one-after-another-they-started-dying-survivors-recount-deaths-detention-nigeria-2026-09-22/
[41]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/dozens-somali-soldiers-killed-battle-with-al-shabaab-soldiers-say-2026-10-27/
[42]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/27/tanzanias-jailed-opposition-leader-tundu-lissu-ends-brief-hunger-strike
[43]: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/around-1000-soldiers-el-salvador-have-deployed-haiti-source-says-2026-10-27/
[44]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/27/spain-deports-migrants-from-ceuta-in-move-criticised-by-rights-group
[45]: https://www.newarab.com/news/iraq-pm-sacks-spy-chief-provincial-leader-faces-legal-action
[46]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/uae-yemen-ansarallah-houthis-saudi-arabia-covert
[47]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/aipac-aligned-groups-gift-doris-matsui
[48]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[49]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[50]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[51]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/us-boat-strike-pacific-israel-elections-netanyahu-sudan-market

2026-10-27 23:49:05 UTC

The UAE Is Secretly Helping Ansarallah Fight Saudi Arabia in Yemen
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A fighter loyal to Yemen's Saud-backed internationally-recognized government fires a turret from the back of a pickup truck at a position along the frontlines against Ansarallah around Mount al-Midan in Yemen's western Taiz province on October 26, 2026. Photo by Ahmad AL-BASHA / AFP via Getty Images.
The United Arab Emirates, a key American and Israeli ally in the Gulf, has been quietly assisting Ansarallah in its conflict against Saudi-backed forces inside Yemen, four sources with knowledge of the situation told Drop Site News.
Specifically, various UAE-aligned Yemeni forces have been providing targeting assistance to Ansarallah in their battle against Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen while Abu Dhabi has looked the other way, the sources said.
According to two sources with knowledge of the covert arrangement, the UAE’s assistance has also included direct sharing of intelligence by the UAE itself to Ansarallah for the purpose of targeting Saudi-backed forces.
A Yemeni source familiar with the Ansarallah backchannel confirmed that “the UAE has passed a significant amount of intelligence to the Sana’a-based government; the line of communication between the two sides remains open.” The Yemeni source told Drop Site that Ansarallah “established their own channels of communication internally with military commanders” who remain loyal to the UAE. The sources required anonymity as they are not authorized to speak publicly about the arrangement.
That the UAE is directly aiding one of its chief regional opponents is extraordinary. The UAE and Ansarallah are fierce ideological enemies with geopolitical goals that are in direct opposition to one another. The UAE is a close ally of Israel and the United States while Ansarallah is a close ally of Iran. However, when it comes to Yemen, their interests have come to overlap to some extent, producing a classic enemy-of-my enemy situation. The UAE was sidelined in Yemen earlier this year by Saudi Arabia, and stands to regain a strategic foothold in Yemen in the current conflict.
The assistance to Ansarallah from the UAE, some of the sources said, does not include help with intelligence and targeting inside Saudi Arabia, but is limited to help with targeting and intelligence inside Yemen. Ansarallah’s attacks on Saudi Arabia included strikes on Saudi’s main airport, one of which killed 12 people and wounded more than 300 others—and led to the cancellation of the Future Investment Initiative conference, otherwise known as the “Davos in the Desert.”
Recently, according to one source, a senior American official warned the Emirates that the U.S. had learned of the covert assistance being provided and urged that it be ended. Sources indicated the intelligence assistance was ongoing. UAE Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba did not respond to requests for comment.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Ansarallah official, denied that the UAE was assisting Ansarallah but insisted the Emirates were committed to neutrality. “The UAE has not provided any form of support to Yemen—neither against Saudi Arabia nor against its proxies within Yemen,” he told Drop Site. “According to our information, the UAE remains committed to neutrality and has refused to become re-involved in the aggression against Yemen alongside Saudi Arabia, despite persistent efforts by [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed] bin Salman to persuade it to join.”
Last month, the Iran-backed Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, launched a blitz to the Red Sea coast that stunned the region, routed Saudi-backed forces, and left Ansarallah in control of the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and an important alternative to the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. Saudi efforts to regain territory have largely been repelled. Since then, Saudi Arabia has increasingly bombed Sana’a and other Ansarallah-controlled areas, while Ansarallah have conducted multiple strikes on Saudi Arabia.
Beginning in 2015, the Emirates were allied with Saudi Arabia as part of a coalition backing the Yemeni government, after Ansarallah swept south from its stronghold in the northern highlands and took over Sana’a in 2014. The Yemeni government is commonly referred to as the internationally recognized government, or IRG, and it remains largely based in Riyadh. But, early in the conflict, the UAE’s aims and ambitions were at odds with the Saudis, causing division in the anti-Ansarallah side. In December of last year, that friction resulted in clashes between UAE-backed forces and Saudi-backed military units in the south and the UAE was effectively [expelled][3] from Yemen by force.
Earlier this month, [The Guardian reported][4] that the UAE was re-entering the Yemeni conflict on the side of Saudi Arabia by agreeing to resume some payments to some of the forces it had backed.
That backing would most likely come through supporting the Giants “Al Amaliqah” Brigades, a predominantly Salafi militia ideologically opposed to the Houthis with an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 largely southern fighters. The Southern Giants are[ currently battling][5] for control of the Kahboub mountain range overlooking the Bab al-Mandab.
This potential support has not been reflected on the battlefield, the Yemeni source said. Many commanders within the Giants Brigades have deceived the Saudi-backed forces, the source said, repeatedly abandoning their positions without any engagement or confrontation.
The source also told Drop Site that military unit commanders affiliated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) have refrained from fighting the Houthis, effectively stalling battlefronts—particularly in the southern governorates of Al-Dhale, and Lahj—bordering Taiz governorate, and frequently withdraw from their positions.
A UAE-based senior official categorically stated to Drop Site that “the STC has no channels of communication with the Houthis” and denied that STC were refusing to fight Ansarallah in the south.** **“The STC has publicly and consistently maintained that the Southern Armed Forces will not participate in military operations in the North,” Amr al-Beidh, special representative of the president of the STC, told Drop Site. “This should not be confused with an unwillingness to confront the Houthis. Quite the opposite. Any Houthi advance towards the South will be met with resistance.”
“It is important to distinguish between our policy of not engaging in military operations in the north and our firm commitment to defending the South against the Houthis,” he added.
The White House and a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition did not respond to requests for comment.
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More than 250,000 people have been displaced by the escalating violence since August 1, [according to][6] the International Organization for Migration. Almost half of those have fled Taiz governorate, which encompasses some of Yemen’s highest mountains and a large stretch of the western Red Sea coastal plain approaching the Bab al-Mandab, including the strategic port of Mokha. Aid agencies cannot reach more than 600,000 people in Taiz—where the capital city is currently besieged by Ansarallah—who depend on humanitarian assistance, according to the UN’s World Food Program (WFP), including more than 200,000 women and children.
[READ MORE: Encircled by War, Yemen’s Taiz Residents Brace for Fighting and a Renewed Siege][7]
## **A Web of War**
The UAE is Israel’s closest ally in the Gulf, and was previously allied with Saudi Arabia in its war against Ansarallah in Yemen. But the UAE’s interests in Yemen diverge from both Israel’s and Saudi Arabia’s.
As early as 2015 it became apparent that the Emirates’ priority in Yemen was to counter the perceived threat from the Muslim Brotherhood over and above the conflict with Ansarallah. The Islah Party—Yemen’s political Islamist party that includes factions of the Muslim Brotherhood—emerged as the UAE’s primary target despite their role within the IRG.
In 2015, UAE forces and Yemeni fighters it trained and funded pushed Houthi forces—that at the time included loyalists of Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh—out of the southern city of Aden. The UAE went on to consolidate its gains, establishing an array of fighting groups that they both funded and directed.
The STC represented the aspiration for renewed southern independence and animosity in the region toward being ruled by northern elites since the unification of Yemen in 1990. Unification resulted in land theft and the economic benefits of the south’s natural resources being captured by Saleh and his cronies. Islah was also viewed by southerners as part of this exploitative northern rule.
The UAE capitalized on this animosity and desire for self-determination, supporting the creation in May 2017 of the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) led by Aidarous al-Zubaidi. Islah was a common enemy.
Between 2015 and 2018 at least 160 assassinations were carried out in southern Yemen. The majority of those assassinated were members of Islah, many of them were imams, creating a climate of fear and paranoia in Aden and across the south. Widely held suspicion that the UAE was behind the deaths was confirmed in 2018 when American mercenaries told a[ BuzzFeed][8] journalist (and, later,[ the BBC][9]) that they had carried out assassinations on behalf of the UAE and trained Yemeni forces to carry on the killings.
Ansaf Ali Mayo, an Islah parliamentarian, survived an attempt on his life by the American assassins. Earlier this year he[ filed a lawsuit][10] against the two former U.S. special forces operators in a federal court in San Diego along with the Israeli-Hungarian founder of the private security firm Spear Operations Group that hired them.
The UAE’s hiring of foreign mercenaries didn’t stop at U.S. veterans. Thousands of Sudanese Rapid Support Force (RSF) were brought in by the UAE between 2015 and 2018 to help fight Ansarallah as the UAE-backed forces made gains up Yemen’s western Red Sea coast into the governorate of Hodeidah, home to Yemen’s second largest port and controlled by Ansarallah.
The rift between UAE-backed forces and those of the Saudi-backed IRG has not only considerably weakened efforts against the Houthis but, on several occasions over the past decade, spilled into direct infighting.
In August 2019, UAE fighter jets carried out up to 24 airstrikes [against IRG][11] and Islah-aligned government military units and positions in Aden, Abyan, and Marib[ in support of the STC][12] as the competing factions[ vied for control][13]. Al-Zubaidi was summoned to the Saudi capital and in November 2019, an agreement was signed between the Saudi-backed IRG and the STC.
The power-sharing deal, known as the Riyadh Agreement, should have meant an integration of STC forces into the IRG military in exchange for southern representation in a unity government. But implementation stalled.
The situation came to a head in December 2025 when STC forces swept east from their stronghold in Aden to take two large governorates bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman. Saudi Arabia responded by launching airstrikes targeting a large shipment of Emirati military equipment at the port of Mukalla and giving the UAE 24 hours to leave and end its “military or financial support to any party within Yemen.” The UAE heeded the warnings and STC forces were quickly routed by Yemeni government military units backed by Saudi air cover.
“Saudi Arabia was the one that forced the UAE out of the coalition waging war on Yemen in a humiliating manner, effectively shooting itself in the foot,” said al-Bukhaiti. “Given this experience, it is only natural that the UAE would refuse to rejoin the Saudi-led coalition in its aggression against Yemen [Ansarallah], despite pressure from Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Israel, particularly after Yemen demonstrated its remarkable ability to defend itself and impose a principle of blockade for blockade and escalation for escalation.”
Since this latest fissure between Saudi Arabia and the UAE in Yemen, not all of the formerly UAE-aligned forces have been fully integrated into the IRG military and security apparatus, partially because this process was disrupted due to the renewed fighting with Ansarallah. STC loyalists remain in the mountains of Al Dhale, the homeland of Al-Zubaidi who fled to the UAE in January. For months after the Saudi pushback in December 2025, surveillance drones were a constant presence and Saudi airstrikes killed at least six civilians in Al Dhale in January. A Yemeni source familiar with the STC-Ansarallah communications told Drop Site that channels were being facilitated by a senior STC figure in Al-Dhale.
In an indication of both how the UAE operates in Yemen and sentiment in the south towards the Saudi-backed IRG, when asked by Drop Site which of the fighting groups formerly funded and commanded by the UAE would likely provide intelligence to the Houthis for targeting IRG forces, an individual close to the STC quipped, “probably all of them.”
Ansarallah, in recent months, has been remarkably effective at targeting commanders among the Saudi-backed fighters and in anticipating the movements of their forces. Two rounds of precision strikes on October 2 and 7 at the coalition military base west of Aden put this on display. One hit the doorway to the office of the Saudi commander, though he was not present. Another hit brand new military vehicles that were brought to the base a few hours earlier.
The UAE has advanced intelligence gathering capabilities. Established in 2009, the UAE’s cybersurveillance Project Raven surveilled alleged militants while also monitoring foreign governments*,* human rights activists and those critical of the Emirati monarchy. Former U.S. intelligence operatives including former NSA employees were heavily involved in aiding and training the Emiratis, according to an investigation[ by Reuters.][14] By 2013, Reuters reported, the majority of Raven’s workforce were Americans. Beginning in 2016, the team used the spying platform Karam to hack into the iPhones of foreign leaders including Turkey’s Defense Minister, the Emir of Qatar and Yemeni Nobel Prize-winning political activist Tawakkol Karman.
The UAE is also known to have deployed sophisticated Israeli spyware. In 2021 Amnesty’s Pegasus Project investigation determined that the UAE had begun using NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware to target members of the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government for surveillance.
Bukhaiti said that the alignment of interests does not mean there is an official alliance between Ansarallah and the UAE. “However, this does not mean that an alliance exists between the UAE and Yemen out of spite toward Saudi Arabia or as a means of settling scores with it. As for reports circulating about an attempt by the UAE to contact us to form an alliance against Saudi Arabia, they are entirely baseless,” he said. “Saudi Arabia does not need to beg countries around the world to defend it, nor does it need to worry about the possibility of a future Yemeni-Emirati alliance against it. All it needs to do is agree to end the war and lift the blockade on both sides. This is the only genuine way out of this conflict.”
Al-Bukhaiti’s reference to “the possibility of a future Yemeni-Emirati alliance” contains a thinly veiled suggestion: Saudi Arabia, he said, need not worry about such an alliance, as long as they end the war and lift the blockade. If they do not do so, however, the potential of such an alliance hangs over the conflict.
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[1]: https://givebutter.com/dsn-substack
[2]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe?
[3]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/yemen-uae-saudi-southern-transitional-council
[4]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/17/uae-yemen-conflict-agreement-saudi-arabia-houthi-gains
[5]: https://alamalika.net/site/2026/10/23/%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%83%D8%B3%D8%B1-%D9%87%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A/
[6]: https://dtm.iom.int/reports/yemen-displacement-caused-escalation-western-yemen-update-15-21-october-2026?close=true
[7]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/yemen-taiz-ansarallah-siege-fuel-food-crisis
[8]: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/aramroston/mercenaries-assassination-us-yemen-uae-spear-golan-dahlan
[9]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z51MTI9sbFY
[10]: https://cja.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/001.Complaint.2025.12.23.pdf
[11]: https://mailchi.mp/7c6cd4284d06/september2019-yemen-data-project-update-563155?e=[UNIQID]
[12]: https://web.archive.org/web/20190923112017/https:/uk.reuters.com/article/uk-yemen-security-explainer/explainer-saudi-arabia-struggles-to-hold-yemen-coalition-together-as-allies-face-off-idUKKCN1VN0YD
[13]: https://web.archive.org/web/20190915090349/https:/www.gulf-times.com/story/640361/UAE-air-raids-raise-tensions-with-Yemen-govt
[14]: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-spying-raven/
[15]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/uae-yemen-ansarallah-houthis-saudi-arabia-covert/comments
[16]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/uae-yemen-ansarallah-houthis-saudi-arabia-covert?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/uae-yemen-ansarallah-houthis-saudi-arabia-covert

2026-10-27 23:48:48 UTC

AIPAC-Aligned Groups Gift Doris Matsui a $785k Blitz of Last-Minute Attack Ads
Rep. Doris Matsui on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on September 1, 2026. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images.
AIPAC and aligned groups are funding a surge in last-minute spending behind incumbent California Rep. Doris Matsui in an attempt to save the 82-year-old Democrat from being unseated by her progressive challenger Mai Vang.
AIPAC itself is funneling the money through Pro-Choice Majority Action. Pro-Choice Majority Action does not publicly associate with AIPAC, but it is [legally affiliated directly][1] with EDW Action, which has been established by Drop Site and others as a known AIPAC passthrough PAC. EDW Action has used Pro-Choice Majority in elections across the country, including the hotly contested primary to succeed Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco and against Melat Kiros before her landmark victory against 30-year incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette in Denver.
The [Pro-Choice Majority ad][2] against Mai Vang says the Sacramento city councilwoman is “all for herself” and accuses her of missing 40% of regional transit board meetings, saying, “When she showed up, she slashed public funds for affordable housing and homelessness”—a confusing accusation given Vang’s record. The Sacramento Regional Transit Board itself [formally commended][3] Vang in January 2025. Vang has also voted to [redirect city resources allocated for the police department to its homelessness response][4] efforts, and she has [proposed][5] both a $200 billion national affordable housing trust fund and expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which incentivizes private investors to subsidize the construction of affordable housing across the country.
The practice of using passthroughs to obscure its support has become common as AIPAC grapples with how toxic its pro-Israel bribery has turned with voters. This week, AIPAC announced it was ending endorsements and direct contributions to candidates after the midterms, opting to use its super PAC United Democracy Project and obfuscating passthrough PACs instead.
Pro-Choice Majority [reserved][6] $300,000 of negative ads against Vang on October 5, comprising roughly 40% of the total $785,000 being spent on Matsui’s behalf in the home stretch.
The remaining $485,000 is [coming from Affordable California][7], which lists a Dallas address and one donor. The American Foundation for Good Government [dumped][8] $500,000 into it on October 7. The PAC reserved its ads against Vang that same day. The American Foundation for Good Government, established in March, is a 501(c)(4), which means its donors do not need to be disclosed. Notably, it spent in Michigan this cycle, helping to bankroll Michigan Forward 2026, which in turn donated to A Stronger Michigan. Both organizations were key spenders among a network of AIPAC-aligned PACs that bled more than $17 million attacking Abdul El-Sayed and boosting Haley Stevens in the state’s Democratic Senate primary.
*Drop Site News is a reader-supported publication. Consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.*
[Affordable California’s ad][9] hits Vang for earning support from Hasan Piker and the Democratic Socialists of America. It also includes a clip of Vang facing away from the American flag as the pledge of allegiance is recited while her peers on the city council face toward it. Elsewhere in California, in another Democrat-against-Democrat general election that features a strong critic of Israel, Jimmy Gomez is similarly urging super PACs to run ads on Piker.
Neither Matsui nor her campaign could be reached for comment. An AIPAC spokesperson pointed to a [public statement][10] the organization released regarding Matsui spending, saying, “Despite conspiracy theories, not every dollar spent to defeat extremist candidates comes from AIPAC.”
Matsui’s position on Israel and Gaza has evolved to some extent since AIPAC included her on its list of endorsees in 2024. The congresswoman has begun referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and said she opposes sending “offensive dollars” to Israel. Matsui has not signed on as a co-sponsor to the Block the Bombs Act, the most basic legislative vehicle to restricting the transfer of these “offensive dollars,” a distinction without any functional meaning given that money is fungible, to Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. She declines to call Israel’s actions a “genocide” and backs a two-state solution.
Aside from the large sum of money Matsui’s campaign has received from AIPAC-aligned special interest groups, the congresswoman has also loaned herself a total of $6.9 million, most recently in installments of $2.59 million and $1.52 million on [Friday][11] and [Sunday][12], respectively.
Vang defeated Matsui in the June primary election by a margin of 31.2% to 29.2%, but because California has a “jungle primary” the top two vote receivers advance to the general election irrespective of party affiliation. Zacharia Wooden, the Republican candidate in the primary who came in third place, received 45,994 votes. The [only available public polling in the race][13], conducted by Data for Progress in mid-August, shows Vang widening her lead from 2 points to 4, boasting a 32% to 28% lead with 40% of voters either undecided or planning to sit out.
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[1]: https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00949248/1972138/
[2]: https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR17694564123288797185/creative/CR00380428317381099521?region=US&topic=political
[3]: https://www.sacrt.com/wp-content/uploads/board-documents/archived-board-documents/2025/SacRT%20Board%20of%20Directors%20-%20%20January%2027,%202025%20-%20%20Combined%20File.pdf
[4]: https://sacramento.newsreview.com/news/sacramento-city-council-oks-budget-rejects-proposal-to-move-police-funding-to-homeless-services-7aa92a75
[5]: https://statehornet.com/2026/10/mai-vang-doris-matsui-congress-california-politics-election-democrats-republicans-socialismi-dont-have-the-luxury-of-waiting-mai-vang-envisions-a-government-for-working-people/
[6]: https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202610159908916465
[7]: https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/263/202610089908583263/202610089908583263.pdf
[8]: https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/926/202610079908567926/202610079908567926.pdf
[9]: https://kpipolitical.com/alerts/db8586a0-0de5-42b3-97ac-542c850c9869
[10]: https://x.com/aipac/status/2114338633117221104?s=46
[11]: https://x.com/catargetbot0001/status/2113465759754293474?s=46
[12]: https://x.com/rpyers/status/2114480879108288625
[13]: https://x.com/daveweigel/status/2094893722127192118?s=20
[14]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/aipac-aligned-groups-gift-doris-matsui/comments
[15]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/aipac-aligned-groups-gift-doris-matsui?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/aipac-aligned-groups-gift-doris-matsui

2026-10-27 17:10:25 UTC

Egypt shuts down Mada Masr, convicts editor; Israelis vote as UN panel concludes genocide is ongoing; U.S. demands AI execs’ testimony
An armed Israeli man waits with others to cross an intersection near an electoral campaign billboard for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party in Jerusalem on October 20, 2026. Photo by Jewel Samad / AFP via Getty Images.
**Tuesday, October 27, 2026 –***** ***
***Iran:** Iran hails emerging regional order without foreign intervention after Tehran meeting. Oman says excluding Iran from Gulf security has been a fundamental mistake. Iran says oil tanker caught fire after striking naval mines east of Hormuz. UK charges two British men in Iran-linked investigation at U.S. bomber base.*
***Palestine:** Six-year-old girl dies of wounds from Israeli gunfire in Khan Younis. Israel bars delegates from Birzeit University conference as settlers attack olive harvesters across the occupied West Bank. UN commission finds Israel continuing genocide in Gaza despite ceasefire, committing crimes against humanity in West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud prepares election fraud claims as paid teams monitor Palestinian voters.*
***Yemen:** Ansarallah says Egypt’s pledge of military support for Saudi amounts to a “declaration of war.” Ansarallah claims strike on Saudi oil refinery, military aircraft.*
***Lebanon: **Israel shells towns across southern Lebanon despite ceasefire.*
***U.S.:** FTC orders Anthropic executives to testify in consumer-harm probe. DOJ charges former FBI director James Comey with leaking information. Court rejects DOJ attempt to cast doubt on 20,000 California ballots. AP: ICE detained mentally ill man for almost a year despite records showing he was born in the U.S.*
***International: **Right-wing presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro effectively concedes defeat in Brazil, lacking U.S. intervention and fearing prosecution. Egyptian court orders closure of leading news outlet Mada Masr, detains editor. Drone strike in RSF-held territory kills at least 21, injures 40; western nations warn of famine. Congo exceeds 10,000 Ebola cases. 89,000+ people evacuated in eastern India ahead of Cyclone Arnab. Attacks in Ethiopia kill at least 60 Orthodox Christians. Jordan strikes Syria in response to Karak church attack, killing at least seven. Romania accuses Russia-backed actors of sabotaging weapons factory. Colombia to withdraw from Hague Group coalition over stance on Israel.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Iran
* **Iran hails emerging regional order without foreign intervention after Tehran meeting: **Top officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey [met][1] Iranian leaders in Tehran on Monday for talks on regional security and escalating tensions, with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei declaring that “a new atmosphere is emerging in the region.”
* Rezaei said the sides held “very good” talks and agreed that West Asia’s security should be managed by regional states, without foreign intervention. The “results of the Iranian nation’s resistance” are becoming more tangible “day by day,” he said.
* The four countries said they would “continue the dialogue,” and officials called it the first in an expected series of meetings, though no date has been set.
* **Oman says excluding Iran from Gulf security has been a fundamental mistake: **Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi [criticized][2] decades of Gulf security arrangements built around excluding Iran and relying on foreign military powers, calling for a new regional security framework that includes Tehran. “Perhaps the most damaging of the priorities imposed on the region from the outside has been the requirement that Iran be excluded,” he said during a lecture at Cambridge University.
* This, he said, created an unstable system based on the “entirely false perception” of fundamental antagonism between Iran and Arab Gulf states. “There is no such fundamental antagonism,” he said, adding that any security architecture excluding Iran is “inherently unstable” and “structurally unsound.”
* He also said that Oman and Iran had developed the outline of a temporary arrangement to restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, but said implementation would require compromises by both Tehran and Washington.
* He maintained that a U.S.–Iran nuclear agreement had been within reach before the U.S.-Israeli war began on February 28, an assessment Oman continues to stand by.
* **Iran says oil tanker caught fire after striking naval mines east of Hormuz: **An oil tanker caught fire after striking naval mines east of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s navy said Tuesday. The vessel had entered a prohibited area with its tracking systems switched off, according to Iranian state media.
* Separately, Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority announced that all vessels belonging to South Korean shipping company Sinokor will face legal action beginning November 1, accusing the company of repeatedly violating passage regulations in the Strait.
* The authority, established by Tehran to manage vessel transit requests through the waterway, said Sinokor had recorded the highest number of crossing violations over the past three months and that “appropriate actions” had already been taken against at least seven of its vessels.
* **UK charges two British men in Iran-linked investigation at U.S. bomber base: **Two British nationals were [charged][3] under the UK’s National Security Act following an investigation into a September security incident at RAF Fairford, a British airbase used by U.S. bombers. One man is charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, while another is charged with entering a prohibited site for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.
* RAF Fairford has been used by the U.S. to deploy bombers to the Middle East, including after Britain authorized its use for strikes against Iran. The U.S. withdrew its bombers following the incident.
* British counterterrorism police said they believe several recent incidents were directed by the Iranian state. Iran has denied involvement.
# Palestine
* **Six-year-old girl dies of wounds from Israeli gunfire in Khan Younis:** A six-year-old Palestinian girl [died][4] Tuesday morning from wounds sustained after being shot by Israeli forces in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, WAFA reported.
* Over the past 24 hours, six Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks and 32 injured across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023, is now 74,561 killed, with 175,759 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,565 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,640, while 845 bodies have been recovered.
* **Israel bars delegates from Birzeit University conference as settlers attack olive harvesters across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Hebron:** Israeli forces [continued][5] their siege of the Al-Jalda and Deir Baha neighborhoods for a fifth consecutive day, raiding and damaging homes, restricting movement, and obstructing aid deliveries. Since Friday, 619 families have been affected, approximately 3,971 Palestinians forcibly displaced, and 85 arrested.
* Israeli forces also dispersed a protest against the siege with tear gas, causing several people to suffer from tear gas inhalation, and stormed al-Ahli Hospital, firing tear gas at its entrance and courtyard and seizing vehicles from its parking lot.
* **Ramallah and Al-Bireh:** Israeli settlers, protected by Israeli forces, [attacked][6] Palestinian olive harvesters and foreign solidarity activists in Beit Ur Al-Tahta, beating them and firing tear gas and live ammunition.
* In Deir Jarir, two Palestinians were injured in a settler attack. Settlers also established a new outpost with two mobile homes north of Al-Bireh.
* **Nablus: **A Palestinian man was [shot][7] in the foot near the Huwwara military checkpoint, where Israeli forces obstructed Palestinian Red Crescent medics from reaching him.
* In Burqa, settlers beat a 50-year-old Palestinian man, leaving him with injuries requiring hospitalization. Settlers also detained a Nablus municipal crew repairing a road and seized its equipment.
* **Tulkarm:** Israeli forces [forcibly evacuated][8] two Palestinian families from their homes in Faroun, converting both houses into military barracks and ordering the families not to return until Wednesday morning.
* **Jericho:** Israeli authorities detained, questioned, and [denied entry][9] to a 23-member international delegation through the Karama crossing, preventing them from attending a Birzeit University conference on Global South solidarity and resistance to imperialism.
* **UN commission finds Israel continuing genocide in Gaza despite ceasefire, committing crimes against humanity in West Bank: **Israel continues to commit genocidal acts in Gaza even after the “so-called ceasefire agreement,” with the intent to destroy Palestinians “in whole or in part,” according to a new [report][10] by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry.
* The commission also found that Israel has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including extermination, persecution, torture, rape, and other forms of sexual violence, across the occupied Palestinian territory.
* In Gaza, Israeli authorities and forces continue to intentionally kill and inflict serious bodily and mental harm on Palestinians despite the October 2025 ceasefire. Israel’s expanding territorial control also continues to endanger Palestinians approaching or crossing the Yellow Line.
* In the occupied West Bank, Israeli military operations and settler violence form part of a widespread, systematic and coordinated attack on Palestinians, the report said. Israeli military operations since January 2025 caused the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967, with 34,176 still displaced as of August 2026.
* Israeli forces also deliberately killed and injured Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank, the report found.
* **Netanyahu’s Likud prepares election fraud claims as paid teams monitor Palestinian voters: **Israel’s ruling Likud party [deployed][11] paid teams outside polling stations in Palestinian towns inside Israel to collect footage and testimony that could be used to challenge the results of Tuesday’s Knesset election if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc appears headed for defeat, according to a report published by Haaretz.
* The operation, estimated to cost millions of shekels, operates separately from official election monitors and is reportedly approaching coverage of nearly every polling station in Palestinian communities. Information gathered by the teams will be sent to a dedicated “election fraud operations room,” while party officials have discussed launching a campaign claiming the election was “stolen” or “rigged” if Netanyahu loses.
* Netanyahu called on Likud supporters to turn out in force on Tuesday. “The future of our Jewish state is at stake: a strong right-wing government or a left-wing government supported by the Arab parties,” he [wrote][12] in a post on X.
# Yemen
* **Ansarallah says Egypt’s pledge of military support for Saudi amounts to a “declaration of war”: **Yemen’s Ansarallah movement said Egypt’s decision to authorize defensive military support for Saudi Arabia against Ansarallah attacks amounts to a “declaration of war” on Yemen, according to AFP.
* “It is truly remarkable that while these parties are supposedly pursuing peace in the region, Egypt and its parliament announce their support for what they call the defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Mohammed Al-Houthi, a member of Ansarallah’s Supreme Political Council. “In doing so, Egypt is declaring war on the Republic of Yemen.”
* **Ansarallah claims strike on Saudi oil refinery, military aircraft: **Ansarallah’s armed forces [said][13] they struck Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery in the Eastern Province with a ballistic missile, claiming a direct hit that caused massive fires at the facility.
* The group also claimed to have targeted two military transport aircraft with ballistic missiles, one at Najran Airport and another at King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, saying both strikes successfully hit their targets.
* The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by Ansarallah toward Riyadh, the Saudi capital.
* Separately, Ansarallah claimed its forces repelled an attempted advance by Saudi-backed forces from the southern direction of the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The group said it targeted troop concentrations with ballistic missiles and heavy weapons, killing and wounding large numbers of fighters and destroying several military vehicles.
# Lebanon
* **Israel shells towns across southern Lebanon despite ceasefire:**
* **Hasbaya:** Israeli forces [fired][14] four artillery shells into Wadi Shebaa on Tuesday, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
* **Marjeyoun:** Forces [carried out][15] a demolition near the cemetery in Khiam, accompanied by heavy machine-gun fire.
* **Tyre (Sour):** Israeli forces shelled the towns of Mansouri and Majdal Zoun.
# U.S. News
* **FTC orders Anthropic executives to testify in consumer-harm probe: **The Federal Trade Commission sent testimony demands to Anthropic and other unnamed AI companies as part of a consumer-harm probe, Axios [reported][16] on Monday. The escalation of the probe, which has also involved OpenAI, came the same day that Anthropic began pitching investors on one of the largest IPOs ever. Anthropic said in its S-1 filing that the investigation could bring significant costs to the company, and force changes to its models and.
* **DOJ charges Comey with leaking information:** Federal prosecutors [charged][17] the former FBI director **James Comey** with transmitting national defense information and conspiracy, alleging that he “directed staff to speak” with the New York Times reporter **Charlie Savage **about an October 2016 news article. Comey’s lawyers said the charges are time-barred because the 10-year limit expired without an indictment. Comey cannot be tried without an indictment or waiver. In response to Monday’s announcement, he said, “I’m still innocent.”
* Separately, a judge ruled Monday that Comey’s daughter **Maurene Comey** was unlawfully fired from the Justice Department and ordered her reinstated.
* **DOJ orders Washington state to set aside ballots from 400+ supposed noncitizens:** The Justice Department** **[ordered][18] Washington’s secretary of state to set aside the ballots of more than 400 voters that the DOJ claims are “noncitizens.” The DOJ’s demand came with a 24-hour deadline. The office of the Washington Secretary of State said it is reviewing voting records, though the top agency official, **Steve Hobbs, **said that the timing, a week before midterms, is “no doubt intended to cast unfounded suspicion on the results.”
* **Court rejects DOJ attempt to cast doubt on 20,000 California ballots:** A federal appeals court [ruled][19] on Monday that the DOJ cannot order California to sequester the ballots of 20,000 voters that the Trump administration says are “likely noncitizens.” A panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 against the DOJ’s attempt to cast doubt on the ballots. The Trump-appointed judge **Mark Bennett** said that the Constitution gives California power over its voter rolls, and the Biden-appointed judge **Gabriel Sanchez** questioned the reliability of the DOJ’s claim that 20,000 California voters could be “noncitizens.” Voting is already underway in California, where every voter receives a mail-in ballot.
* **AP: ICE detained mentally ill man for almost a year despite records showing he was born in the U.S.:** ICE arrested **Phillip James**, a U.S. citizen, in January and has held him in detention ever since, according to an Associated Press [investigation][20]. James, who has paranoid schizophrenia, said that he was born in Jamaica, but a Florida birth certificate and a 1988 paternity case show that he was born in Orange County, Florida. He was also issued a U.S. passport. An immigration judge ordered James’ deportation to Jamaica in April, though Jamaica said that it has no record of his being born there. His lawyers have petitioned federal judge **Damon** **Leichty** for his release.
* **FT: Donald Trump Jr. attended hunting trip with Russian oligarch close to Putin: **In August, **Donald Trump Jr. **went on a hunting trip in western Mongolia with the Russian oligarch **Umar Kremlev**, who has personal ties to Russian President **Vladimir Putin**, the Financial Times [reported][21]. A spokesperson told the FT that Kremlev and Trump Jr. have a strictly “personal relationship, not a business relationship.” The exposé follows a ProPublica [investigation][22] that Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Trump Jr.’s ritzy Bahamas wedding. President Donald Trump said his son repaid Kremlev for the wedding funding.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Egyptian court orders closure of leading news outlet Mada Masr, detains editor: **An Egyptian court continued its attack on Mada Masr on Tuesday, convicting its editor-in-chief and co-founder Lina Attalah on the charge of running an unlicensed website. The court ordered the closure of the publication, took Attalah into custody, and fined her 3 million Egyptian pounds (about $50,000). Mada Masr is one of the country’s last remaining independent news organizations. The rulings followed a sham one-day trial in which Attalah’s legal requests to present documents and call witnesses were rejected, after which the court appointed an unknown attorney in place of her existing legal team. The outlet, which was founded in 2013, has repeatedly applied for licensure, but has received no response from Egyptian authorities. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the ruling, calling Mada Masr “a vital source of critical reporting” and the decision a “devastating blow to press freedom in
Egypt.”
* **Bolsonaro effectively concedes defeat in Brazil, lacking Trump intervention and fearing prosecution:** Flávio Bolsonaro [dropped][23] his demand that Sunday’s presidential election be annulled minutes after Trump said he “didn’t take sides” in the race. Bolsonaro said he would sue President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for abuse of incumbency, a routine challenge that his camp does not expect to succeed. A Brazilian Supreme Court justice ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passport amid a probe of possible corruption and money laundering. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing. One of his advisers said that he conceded the election, in part, out of fear of imprisonment.
* **Drone strike in RSF-held territory kills at least 21, injures 40; western nations warn of famine:** A drone strike [hit][24] a market in Ayala, the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) de facto capital, on Monday, killing at least 21 people and injuring at least 40 others. Sudanese Armed Forces regularly strike the city. Separately, RSF drone strikes hit a Khartoum transformer station on Tuesday.
* On Monday, the United States, the European Union, and 30 other countries [warned][25] that Sudan is undergoing an “alarming deterioration in its food security.” The countries called for “urgent action” to avoid famine.
* **Congo exceeds 10,000 Ebola cases:** The Democratic Republic of the Congo [surpassed][26] 10,000 confirmed Ebola cases, according to government data published on Tuesday. Almost 4,900 of these cases resulted in death. The Congo’s Ebola epidemic is the fastest-growing and deadliest outbreak in the country’s history, and the second-largest Ebola outbreak recorded. Around 80% of new cases have occurred outside the chains of transmission that health authorities are monitoring. Several treatment centers are reportedly overwhelmed by infections. At least half of people who died from Ebola were never admitted to a health facility.
* **89,000+ people evacuated in eastern India ahead of Cyclone Arnab:** Indian authorities [evacuated][27] at least 89,000 people from coastal areas in the eastern state of Andhra Pradesh, ahead of a “very severe” storm, Cyclone Arnab, that is expected to hit the region by Wednesday morning. More than 12 million people live along the storm’s projected path. Authorities in the area have opened over 2,000 shelters, secured 30,000 fishing boats, and deployed over 1,000 medical teams. The neighboring state of Odisha plans to evacuate almost 50,000 people.
* **Attacks in Ethiopia kill at least 60 Orthodox Christians:** Two attacks in the Oromia region of Ethiopia have killed at least 60 Orthodox Christians over the last week, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church [said][28]. Fourteen people were killed in Merti district on October 20, and 46 were killed in Shirka district on October 24. More than 20 people were seriously wounded in the attacks, and 20 homes were burned. A regional spokesperson accused the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) of the attacks, without presenting evidence. The OLA couldn’t be reached, and its leader has previously denied targeting civilians. The OLA belongs to an alliance formed in September to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed from power.
* **Jordan strikes Syria in response to Karak church attack, killing at least seven:** Jordan [attacked][29] four sites in the Syrian cities of Deraa and Suweyda on Monday, killing seven people, according to the Syrian Civil Defence. Among the victims was a family of five, including three children. Jordan’s military said the strikes came in response to last week’s attack on a church in Karak. A Jordanian spokesman acknowledged some civilian deaths, but said that the strikes killed 20 Islamic State fighters.
* **Romania accuses Russia-backed actors of sabotaging weapons factory: **The Romanian Intelligence Service [said][30] that it had “uncovered” a Russia-backed network responsible for setting fire to a state-owned weapons factory in September. The attack was “part of a wider campaign of sabotage operations coordinated” by Russia against arms makers and other military and industrial targets, the agency said. Romanian authorities have identified three suspects. Russia has not commented on the case.
* **Colombia to withdraw from Hague Group coalition over stance on Israel:** Colombia formally requested to leave The Hague Group, a group of states aiming to hold Israel accountable for war crimes, a Colombian government spokesperson [announced][31] on Tuesday. The spokesperson said that the group aims “to isolate and attack Israel.” The Hague Group was formed in 2025 by nine countries of the Global South to support the rulings of the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. It has sought to curtail weapons sales to Israel.
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[1]: https://x.com/dropsitenews/status/2114939375997837415?s=46
[2]: https://www.fm.gov.om/en/62165/
[3]: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqly3v5vz4kko
[4]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/27/%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%8A-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B3
[5]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/27/%D9%84%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A9
[6]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/27/%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%87%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%85
[7]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/27/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%8A-%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%B2-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9
[8]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/27/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%91%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B2%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AB%D9%83%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A
[9]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/27/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B9-%D9%88%D9%81%D8%AF%D8%A7-%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%AE%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B6%D9%81%D8%A9
[10]: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/coiopt/ga-81-430-auv.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[11]: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-10-27/ty-article/likud-to-film-arab-voters-near-polls-to-prepare-for-rigged-election-conspiracy/000001a1-79d1-d35c-a1ef-79dfa59d0000
[12]: https://x.com/netanyahu/status/2115038633484841394?s=46
[13]: https://x.com/yah_saree/status/2115034133978370053?s=46
[14]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/570801/%D8%B3%D9%82%D9%88%D8%B7-4-%D9%82%D8%B0%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%81-%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D8%B7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B6-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%B4%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%A7-2
[15]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/570747/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%81%D9%91%D8%B0-%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%8B-%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D8%AC%D8%A8%D9%91%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%A8%D8%B9%D9%87-%D8%A8%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%B7-%D9%83%D8%AB%D9%8A%D9%81-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%A9-2
[16]: https://www.axios.com/2026/10/26/ftc-ai-safety-probe-anthropic-openai
[17]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/former-fbi-james-comey-charged-third-time-trump-national-security-rcna342963
[18]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/doj-asks-washington-state-set-400-ballots-voters-says-may-noncitizens-rcna605836
[19]: https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/court-rejects-trump-administration-bid-to-set-aside-california-mail-in-ballots-0772b320
[20]: https://apnews.com/article/ice-immigration-wrongful-detention-indiana-3109797bea2b2102e130a82691d634af
[21]: https://www.ft.com/content/f41fc704-c9e6-42de-b800-d43cabe61947
[22]: https://www.propublica.org/article/donald-trump-jr-wedding-bankrolled-russian-oligarch-umar-kremlev-putin
[23]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/26/brazilian-challenger-effectively-concedes-defeat-day-after-election/
[24]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/27/drone-strike-kills-at-least-21-and-injures-40-in-sudans-nyala
[25]: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-dozens-countries-warn-sudan-famine-risk-urge-aid-2026-10-27/
[26]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/27/ebola-cases-in-dr-congo-surpass-10000-in-fastest-growing-outbreak
[27]: https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/india-evacuates-tens-thousands-cyclone-arnab-nears-eastern-137599506
[28]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/10/27/ethiopia-oromia-attacks-orthodox-christians/5090a3ee-d203-11f1-9931-2a41b76fc976_story.html
[29]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/26/jordan-launches-air-strikes-in-syria-in-response-to-a-fatal-church-shooting
[30]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/27/romania-says-russia-run-sabotage-network-set-fire-near-weapons-factory
[31]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/27/colombia-announces-withdrawal-from-hague-group-citing-body-s-actions-over-israel
[32]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/pakistan-imran-khan-emergency-rule-khyber-pakhtunkhwa
[33]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[34]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[35]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[36]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/egypt-mada-masr-journalism-israel-elections-gaza-genocide-us-ai

2026-10-27 00:41:43 UTC

Violent Crackdown in Northwest Pakistan Aims to Neutralize Party of Imran Khan
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Police officers detain a protester following a protest call by supporters of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a day after Pakistan imposed a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and suspended the provincial government led by Khan's party, in Peshawar, Pakistan, October 12, 2026. REUTERS
Two days after the imposition of emergency rule in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on October 11, Irfanullah, 27, and his three brothers joined hundreds of protesters in the town of Bara. The rally was one of a series of protests against the imposition of emergency rule and the removal of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s elected government, which was led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
More than a dozen people were injured and at least one person, a 13-year-old boy, was killed after police fired on the protesters October 13, according to witnesses interviewed by Drop Site, images, videos, and hospital records. Four police officers were injured and 50 people were arrested, [according to Dawn][3]. The political confrontation has brought protests, arrests of party leaders and workers, and communications disruptions across the province.
“It was a peaceful protest,” said Irfanullah, whose younger brother, Munir, 19, was shot in the left foot, according to hospital records obtained by Drop Site News. “The Khyber police fired at the protesters, and as a result, my brother and many others were injured.” Irfanullah, who like his brothers is a PTI party worker, remained at Munir’s bedside while he was in the hospital. “We didn’t cause any unrest nor did we have any intention of starting chaos,” Irfanullah said. “We are not planning to abandon PTI. … We are just demanding and raising our voice for our rights and for peace here, nothing else,” he added.
Habeel Khan, the 13-year-old boy who was killed, worked at an eatery in the bazaar, and was caught in the gunfire. His uncle told Drop Site that Habeel was taken to a hospital where he was unable to receive treatment before he was admitted to another hospital in Peshawar, where doctors operated on him. Habeel died in the hospital four days after the protest. According to the hospital death summary, Habeel was shot in the abdomen, sustaining severe injuries to his intestines and an exit wound in his lower back. His recorded causes of death included the gunshot wound, cardiac arrest, and septic shock.
“As a child, he worked to earn money only because of his poverty, otherwise at his age he should’ve been in school,” his uncle said.
An undated family photo of Habeel Khan, who was killed by police gunfire in Bara. Photo used by permission.
Another young boy, whom Drop Site was unable to contact, was selling bread in the bazaar when he was shot by police. In a video obtained by Drop Site, an adolescent boy can be seen lying on a hospital stretcher with a gushing, gunshot wound to his thigh. He says he was shot by local police, adding, “They are terrorists, they are oppressors.”
Many locals interviewed by Drop Site said injured protesters were unable to seek treatment at local health care facilities in Bara for fear of arrest, or were turned away because health care providers feared police raids. According to Irfanullah, Munir initially stayed home. On the two occasions he sought treatment at a local hospital, staff turned him away because they feared police would come to arrest him. He later received treatment for his gunshot wound at a hospital in Peshawar.
Maheen Pracha, the spokesperson for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent watchdog, said it has received reports of police raids in Peshawar, Swat and Khyber, the dispersal of smaller gatherings, as well as curfews and military deployments.
“Whether it's the PTI in power now or somebody else, the same laws being made now will come back to haunt the next government in power,” Pracha said.
Drop Site sent a list of questions to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police but did not receive a response before publication. The Embassy of Pakistan did not respond to a request for comment.
According to two “first information reports,” or FIRs, filed during the multiday protests, police allege that protesters attacked and injured police officers, held some officers hostage, and destroyed government property. One of the police documents, filed on October 12, calls for the arrest of local PTI leaders and approximately 85 unnamed individuals, describing alleged participants as “agitated and extremist workers of PTI” who were armed with “slingshots, wooden sticks, stones and firearms” and “attacked the police and fired upon them with the firearms and the intention to kill.”
A second FIR, filed on October 13, names PTI leaders and other local residents and alleges that a “mob” of approximately 300 PTI workers chanted provocative anti-state slogans and speeches, incited arson, set up roadblocks targeting government property, held police personnel hostage, and subjected them to violence. The FIR states that police responded with a baton charge and aerial firing to disperse the crowd.
PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan and his legal team are challenging the move in the Peshawar High Court, arguing that the imposition of emergency rule and the removal of the provincial government violate constitutional requirements.
## Federal Takeover
The violence in Bara unfolded amid a broader confrontation between the federal government and PTI, which had governed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the last 13 years. The arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in May 2023 sparked protests that escalated into attacks on government buildings and military installations, with thousands of people taken into custody. Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 and subjected to periods of solitary confinement, following a series of cases brought against him after his ouster from power in April 2022. In recent months, [reports][4] of Khan’s deteriorating health prompted leaders in his party, his family, supporters, and human rights organizations to call for improved prison conditions and access to medical care.
The party had been negotiating Khan’s access to health care and his release from prison with the federal government, but the talks stalled. On October 4, thousands of PTI supporters began marching from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa toward Islamabad to press those demands.
In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened an emergency cabinet meeting, and on October 11 President Asif Ali Zardari imposed a state of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, suspending its elected government on Sharif’s advice and citing a surge in terrorism and political unrest to justify the decisions. The Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, provincial PTI president Junaid Akbar, Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, and several other party leaders were detained. Pakistan’s Army was deployed to the province the same day and will remain there throughout the duration of emergency rule.
“The government is sort of willing to say [Afridi] is in protective custody, but isn’t willing to produce him before a court, or give any evidence of where he is. This is the chief executive of a province of 45 million people,” said a senior PTI leader, who was in hiding and spoke to Drop Site on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
Six days after assuming governor’s rule, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said the province would extract and sell its mineral resources, and specifically referred to mineral resources in districts including Lakki Marwat, Tank, and Bannu. He also called for joint ventures with domestic and foreign companies to develop its oil and gas reserves. The province is rich in natural resources, including natural gas, copper, chromite, lead, emeralds, marble, limestone, and coal, and produces up to 50% of Pakistan’s total daily domestic crude oil production.
## Constitutional Challenge
PTI leaders and constitutional experts are challenging the legality of the federal government’s imposition of emergency rule. Asad Jamal, a Lahore-based lawyer and constitutional law expert, said Zardari’s proclamation failed to meet the constitutional standards required to justify the measures. Citing terrorist incidents alone, he said, was not sufficient.
“I’m not a supporter of PTI,” Jamal said. “So it makes me reiterate that the constitutional provisions are being used in a very dishonest manner against one province, which violates the autonomy of a province. It is discriminatory in essence.”
Under Article 232 of the constitution, emergency rule can be imposed in response to a grave emergency involving internal disturbances beyond a provincial government’s power to control. Under governor’s rule, permitted under Article 234, the president can transfer the provincial government’s executive powers to the governor and allow Parliament to exercise the provincial assembly’s powers.
“The proclamation does not reach that threshold,” Jamal said. “They are alleging that the provincial government does not have the political will to fight terrorism. How do you empirically and objectively measure a government’s political will in order to exercise these powers?”
On October 15, Pakistan’s parliament approved the governor’s rule for an initial two-month period. Any continuation requires further parliamentary approval, and the measure cannot remain in force for more than six months in total.
Regarding the removal of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s government, Jamal said that there is “no provision in the constitution” that says “the provincial government is disbanded” during a state of emergency.
According to the constitution, Jamal said, the provincial government should only lose certain powers, but the chief minister and the elected government remain. “The chief minister was picked up … under which constitutional or legal provision has he been arrested?”
Jamal added that there’s no concept of a governing secretariat in the constitution or in any federal or provincial law.
“Where has this come from?” he asked. “The proclamation has come at a particular political moment when the provincial government was leading a protest march, which would enter the capital,” Jamal said, “That is what the federal government was afraid of.”
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party's chairman Gohar Ali Khan (C) speaks to media outside the Adiala prison in Rawalpindi on January 17, 2025. Photo by FAROOQ NAEEM/AFP via Getty Images.
On October 14, PTI’s legal team filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court on behalf of party chairman Gohar Ali Khan challenging the constitutionality of the emergency and governor’s rule.
“They can declare it unconstitutional, roll back everything done in the past 15 days or so,” Jamal said.
Sameer Khosa is representing Gohar in the case. He told Drop Site that PTI wants the government to disclose the evidence it relied on to justify the proclamation, including the governor’s report.
“One of the things that we are asking for in court is that the material relied upon by the president to issue the proclamation has to be brought before the court so that it can be reviewed as to what is the evidence on the basis of which the proclamation has been issued,” Khosa told Drop Site.
## High Stakes for Democracy
The consequences of the federal takeover extend beyond Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, raising broader concerns about human rights, civilian authority, and democracy across Pakistan.
The state of emergency and governor’s rule is a significant escalation in Pakistan’s longstanding struggle between civilian authority and the military, according to Aqil Shah, a political scientist at Georgetown University and author of “The Army and Democracy: Military Politics in Pakistan*.*”
“It’s an important setback because the PTI has been … disempowered and dismantled, pretty much at all levels,” Shah said.
The move has not only stripped the PTI from power but has deprived the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of political representation, leaving them ruled by a governor and technocrats who effectively act as military proxies, Shah said, adding that the military’s political ambitions extend beyond Munir’s personal grievances, including Khan’s removal of Munir as Inter-Services Intelligence chief. The military’s broader objective, he said, is to prevent civilian leaders from challenging its dominance over national security, internal security, and electoral politics.
Shah described Khan as “an existential threat” to the military’s rule.
“The only political challenge is Imran Khan and the sort of adjunct challenge of the PTI government KP, and so those have been contained,” he added.
The senior PTI leader told Drop Site the party would likely participate in the next elections, but Shah said the vote was unlikely to be free and fair.
The current federal coalition of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, or PML-N, and the Pakistan Peoples Party, or PPP, came to power after an election [marred][5] by [allegations of rigging][6]. Pakistan’s election commission has denied the allegations, but a senior official [admitted][7] to participating in efforts to manipulate the results.
The military has little incentive to rule directly, Shah said, because it can exercise power through civilian political allies without assuming direct responsibility for the country’s governance. The country’s most popular leader is imprisoned, while other parties are willing to cooperate with the military, allowing it to retain de facto power without accepting responsibility for governing.
Pakistan’s 27th Constitutional Amendment, passed last year, granted lifelong immunity to the president and the army chief, a provision that currently applies to Field Marshal and Army Chief Asim Munir and other top officers. Shah said this measure reflects the military’s broader interest in shielding itself from civilian accountability.
“Accountability is always reserved for civilians, and it’s punitive and vindictive accountability,” Shah said. “[Munir] wants to be immune from any sort of accountability for life till he dies. It’s not about being in uniform. It’s forever.”
*Ali Akhtar Afridi contributed reporting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.*
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[5]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/suppressed-pakistan-election-report-imran-khan-pti
[6]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/commonwealth-organization-pakistan-colluded-election-rigging-report-united-nations
[7]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/17/pakistan-official-admits-involvement-in-rigging-election-results
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2026-10-26 20:59:43 UTC

SAUDI QUAGMIRE: The War MBS Can't Win
Yemen’s war has reached Riyadh. Ansar Allah has repeatedly struck the Saudi capital’s main airport in the past week, killing 13 people in the deadliest attack on Saudi soil in over a decade, while Saudi jets pound northern Yemen and the ground offensive Riyadh backs stalls. Ryan Grim talks with Dr. Shireen Al-Adeimi, a Yemeni-American scholar at Michigan State University, and Dr. Annelle Sheline of the Quincy Institute, a former State Department official who resigned over US support for the genocide in Gaza. They discuss how Ansar Allah turned an 11-year war back on Saudi Arabia, a century of Saudi meddling in Yemen, why MBS is unwilling to walk away, what the war means for Vision 2030, Yemen’s north-south divide, the myth of Ansar Allah as an Iranian proxy, and whether Trump will join the fight.
Subscribe on [YouTube][1] and wherever you get podcasts.
00:00 Intro
2:32 How Ansar Allah Is Bringing the War to Saudi Arabia
7:33 A Century of Saudi Intervention in Yemen
12:19 MBS and Washington’s Role in the War
21:53 Why Ansar Allah Is Done With Truces
26:33 Why Saudi Arabia Is Unwilling to Walk Away
30:46 What the War Means for Vision 2030
36:26 Ansar Allah, the South and Yemen’s Ideological Divide
43:46 How the War Could End in Yemen’s South
46:20 The “Iranian Proxy” Myth
55:34 Will Trump Join the War?
58:55 Closing
_________
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https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/saudi-quagmire-the-war-mbs-cant-win

2026-10-26 15:29:23 UTC

Lula beats Bolsonaro; Israel expels 3,100+ Palestinians in Hebron; Student-led movement defeats Vučić in Serbia
Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva waves a Brazil flag during a rally on October 24, 2026 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images.
**Monday, October 26, 2026 –***** ***
***Palestine**: Seven Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Monday. 800 Palestinians forced to flee from Shujaiya after Israel set fire to camp. Israeli operation in Hebron forcibly displaces over 3,100 Palestinians as attacks continue across the occupied West Bank. Israel kills at least 14 Palestinians in Gaza over the weekend. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in tight race against Eisenkot in Israeli elections tomorrow.*
***Iran**: In unexpected diplomatic move, Saudi, Pakistani, and Turkish officials travel to Iran for talks. Iraq keeps borders closed to pressure Iran, orders arrest of Iraqi official opposing the closure. Oil spill off UAE coast widens, satellite images show.*
***Yemen**: Saudi-led coalition carries out strikes in Yemen as Ansarallah claims attacks on airport, military bases, and oil infrastructure. Egyptian parliament authorizes Sisi to send military reinforcements to Saudi Arabia if requested. Over half of Taiz’s hospitals and medical centers shut down amid Ansarallah siege. Saudi-coalition strikes kill 21, wound 30 in Yemen.*
***U.S.**: Former President Barack Obama, President Donald Trump attend dueling rallies in Michigan; Trump spouts Islamophobia to stir his base. U.S. military gives SpaceX access to precise space-tracking data, raising conflict-of-interest questions. NYC set to sign no-bid deal with Israeli tracking company. Trump says U.S. will “take care of Cuba”; Rubio urges Cubans to partner with CIA. White House considers mass pardons for junior staff, sources say. Attorney General Todd Blanche defends DOJ suit to block automatic certification of Alaska’s Senate result if Republican candidate loses. SNAP enrollment has fallen 13% since the One Big Beautiful Act, straining food banks and school meal programs. U.S. presses Mexico for deeper cooperation against cartels.*
***International: **Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva re-elected president of Brazil, defeating far-right Flávio Bolsonaro. Serbian student-led movement ousts right-wing leader Vučić, wins big in parliament. The Guardian: U.S. military “weaponizing” El Niño in Somalia. Remains located in Haiti during search for missing Salvadoran soldiers. North Korea accuses South Korea of fabricating demilitarized zone blast, places howitzers on border. Jordan arrests three suspected of deadly church attack. Opposition figure María Corina Machado returns to Venezuela after more than 10 months in exile. Rapid Support Forces attacks power stations, causes outages across southeastern Sudan. Amnesty: Gunmen kill at least 40 in Nigerian village. Algeria authorizes army deployment to Niger, first foreign troop mission since 1973.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Palestine
* **Seven Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Monday: **Israeli attacks on Khan Younis in southern Gaza killed at least four Palestinians, including a seven-year-old girl, and wounded more than ten, while one Palestinian was killed and several others wounded Monday in a drone [strike][1] in the Rimal neighborhood of western Gaza City, according to WAFA. A separate Israeli drone strike in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, killed two Palestinians and wounded two.
* Over the past 24 hours, eight Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks and 35 injured across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Three bodies were recovered from beneath the rubble.
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023, is now 74,555 killed, with 175,727 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,559 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,608, while 845 bodies have been recovered.
* **800 Palestinians forced to flee from Shujaiya after Israel set fire to camp:** Over 800 Palestinians have been forced to displace yet again from Shujaiya, an eastern neighborhood in Gaza City, after Israeli forces set fire to a displacement camp, according to Al Jazeera.
* Israeli quadcopter drones set the camp ablaze at around 8 p.m. local time on Sunday destroying tents housing men, women, children, and the elderly.
* **Israeli operation in Hebron forcibly displaces over 3,100 Palestinians as attacks continue across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Hebron:** Israeli forces [continued][2] their military operation in Hebron for a fourth consecutive day Monday, conducting raids, demolitions, and mass displacement in the city, WAFA reported. Israeli forces have forced 3,171 Palestinians—488 families—to displace, local officials said. More than 70 Palestinians were detained and over 500 homes searched, while Israeli forces have closed 128 gates and established 120 military checkpoints across the governorate.
* In Al-Samu, settlers [beat][3] a 58-year-old Palestinian woman outside her home, leaving her hospitalized with chest injuries. In Al-Dhahiriya, Israeli forces detained two brothers after settlers attacked them while they were grazing sheep.
* **Jenin:** Israeli forces began [bulldozing][4] Palestinian land for an approximately 11.5-kilometer settlement road linking settlements near Arraba to others south of Jenin. Israeli forces also began demolishing agricultural and commercial structures near Haddad Tourist Village, including greenhouses, agricultural rooms, a car showroom, and a recreational park.
* **Palestinian “doctor of the poor,” released after four months in Israeli detention: **Israeli authorities [released][5] Dr. Mazen Al-Rantisi, 71, from Ganot prison after more than four months in detention, with visible signs of physical assault, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society. Al-Rantisi, widely known in the occupied West Bank as the “doctor of the poor,” was arrested during a predawn raid on his Ramallah home on June 21, without his family being informed of the reason.
* Israeli media reports suggested his detention was linked to his role as chair of the Union of Health Work Committees, a Palestinian healthcare organization Israel designated an “unlawful association” in 2020.
* **Israel kills at least 14 Palestinians in Gaza over the weekend: **Six Palestinians, including two women and a girl, were [killed][6] by Israeli forces in Gaza on Saturday, according to Shehab News, while eight Palestinians were killed on Sunday.
* Israel carried out two airstrikes on the the Islamic University in Gaza City, killing three security guards. Several students were also wounded, some seriously.
* “Today, we were studying in class, minding our business, while the professor was explaining. Suddenly, an airstrike hit directly beneath us, a massive explosion,” Mohammed Qandil, an engineering student, told Drop Site’s Abdel Qader Sabbah.
* “We came here to learn and get an education. We came to rebuild our country, the country they destroyed and devastated. Why are they attacking us here too?” Qandil asked.
* “It’s a deceptive ceasefire. The war has not stopped. Israeli brutality has not stopped,” Umm Rami Deeb said. **Watch the dispatch from Sabbah [here][7] and [here][8].**
* In central Gaza, Israeli gunfire [killed][9] an eight-year-old girl, the sole survivor of her family following their killing in an Israeli strike in December 2023.
* **Netanyahu in tight race against Eisenkot in Israeli elections tomorrow: **Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of the Likud party, faces a tight race as Israelis head to the polls on Tuesday for legislative elections. Netanyahu’s chief rival in the campaign is former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, who heads a new party called Yashar. Eisenkot served in Netanyahu’s war cabinet in the opening months of the genocide in Gaza.
* While serving as chief of the Israeli military’s northern command, Eisenkot devised the so-called Dahiya doctrine, a military strategy of intentionally causing massive destruction to civilian life and infrastructure. It is named for the Dahiya neighborhood of southern Beirut, which the Israeli military routinely bombarded during its 2006 war in Lebanon. “What happened in the Dahiya quarter of Beirut in 2006 will happen in every village from which Israel is fired on,” he [said][10] in 2008. “We will apply disproportionate force on it and cause great damage and destruction there. From our standpoint, these are not civilian villages, they are military bases.”
* **Israeli army chief challenges Netanyahu order over Iran confrontation: **Israel’s top general [balked][11] at an order from Prime Minister Netanyahu that he feared could set off a sudden confrontation with Iran two days before Tuesday’s election, Israel’s Channel 12 reported. The directive is unspecified.
* According to sources who spoke to the channel, military officials fear Netanyahu is trying to exploit the Iran issue to generate political momentum.
* Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz dismissed the report as “completely baseless.”
# Iran
* **In unexpected diplomatic move, Saudi, Pakistani, and Turkish officials travel to Iran for talks: **Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey arrived in Tehran on Monday for [meetings][12] with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei to discuss regional security, including Israeli actions in Palestine and Lebanon and the consequences of U.S. military attacks on Iran. It marks the first talks between Iran and the three countries since they signed the Mecca defense pact in August.
* Saudi diplomat Rayed Krimly [said][13] the visit is in support of mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan and underscores the alliance’s role in “reinforcing regional security and stability.”
* Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the meeting could pave the way for a regional security framework independent of outside powers, adding that “regional security can only be ensured by relying on the will and security considerations of the countries in the region themselves.”
* Separately, Baghaei dismissed the significance of upcoming Israeli elections, calling them “a competition among different factions” to commit more crimes, aggression and killings. “It makes no difference to us who ultimately takes the helm of the Israeli regime,” he said, adding that Israel brought “nothing to the region but violence and killings.”
* **Iraq keeps borders closed to pressure Iran, orders arrest of Iraqi official opposing the closure: **An Iraqi court [issued][14] an arrest warrant Monday for Mustafa Al-Mohammadawi, head of the Maysan Provincial Council, over his threats to launch civil disobedience and block roads unless the government reopened the Al-Sheeb border crossing with Iran.
* Iraq indefinitely closed the Al-Sheeb crossing last Wednesday, citing security concerns and the need to install equipment to prevent smuggling. Pakistan also suspended trade through its Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan border crossings with Iran last week.
* The closures appear to signal growing U.S. pressure on Iran’s overland trade routes, following Washington’s naval blockade of the country, though neither government has publicly linked its decision to U.S. demands.
* **Oil spill off UAE coast widens, satellite images show: **An oil spill from a ‌damaged tanker off the coast of the United Arab Emirates is growing, according to Reuters citing satellite imagery, with dark layers of oil spreading at sea and along the coastline of the northern Umm Al Quwain emirate.
* The UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has announced that all beaches and coastal areas around the city of Umm Al Quwain have been temporarily ⁠closed, while access to Al Hamriyah Beach in neighboring Sharjah has also been shut down as a precaution.
* Authorities have not named the tanker involved in the incident or said what caused the spill. But experts told Reuters that the spill was coming from a tanker called the Gem No.2, which was reportedly hit by an unidentified projectile last month, causing a fire that was later extinguished.
# Yemen
* **Saudi-led coalition carries out strikes in Yemen as Ansarallah claims attacks on airport, military bases, and oil infrastructure: **The Saudi-led coalition has [carried out][15] a series of attacks targeting Ansarallah-controlled areas of Yemen, the coalition spokesperson said on Monday. The coalition claimed to have destroyed five tunnels used to store ballistic missiles, four missile launchers, and a missile storage facility. It also claimed its strikes destroyed two missile launchers in Sana’a, including one allegedly used in the attack on the Saudi capital. Sana’a-based media outlets said airstrikes hit a solar power system and a water well in the capital on Monday.
* Ansarallah targeted Riyadh’s airport Monday with a ballistic missile, the group’s spokesperson [said][16]—which Saudi forces said they intercepted. Ansarallah also claimed drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s East-West crude oil pumping stations.
* On Sunday, Ansarallah said it [launched][17] dozens of ballistic missiles in three operations on Sunday targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, and a Saudi border guard naval base in Jizan. The group also [targeted][18] Saudi-backed military positions and weapons depots in Aden and Lahj in Yemen with ballistic missiles, and claimed to have shot down a Saudi Wing Loong II reconnaissance and attack drone over Taiz.
* **Egyptian parliament authorizes Sisi to send military reinforcements to Saudi Arabia if requested:** Egypt’s parliament [approved][19] a request from President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to authorize the deployment of defensive military reinforcements to Saudi Arabia if requested by the kingdom, Al Arabiya reported.
* **Over half of Taiz’s hospitals and medical centers shut down amid Ansarallah siege:** Nearly 52% of hospitals and medical centers in Yemen’s Taiz have been forced out of service amid the Ansarallah siege and ongoing attacks, according to the Yemeni Women’s Empowerment Foundation.
* Six kidney dialysis patients have died, while 1,280 others face treatment interruptions. Twenty maternity clinics have closed, and shortages threaten 192 intensive care patients and 154 newborns in incubators.
* More than 250 civilians have been killed or wounded in recent shelling, sniper fire, and attacks on ambulances, according to Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.
* Young people in Taiz [told][20] Sky News they have received little military support from anti-Ansarallah factions as the group’s forces besiege the city. “They tell us to come with our own Kalashnikovs and give us 20 bullets in a plastic bag. And tell us to the go the front: go, kill, go!” a young resident told the outlet.
* **Saudi-coalition strikes kill 21, wound 30 in Yemen: **Saudi airstrikes [killed][21] 21 people and wounded 30 across five Yemeni areas—Sana’a, Hamdan, Taiz, Hodeidah, and Saada—in 24 hours, according to figures from Yemen’s Ansarallah-led government reported Saturday. The vast majority of the dead are women and children, with at least nine children killed and seven wounded.
# U.S. News
* **Obama, Trump attend dueling rallies in Michigan; Trump spouts Islamophobia to stir his base: **At a Port Huron rally in support of Republican Senate nominee **Mike Rogers** nine days before the midterms, President Donald Trump baselessly [called][22] the Democratic Senate nominee **Abdul El-Sayed** a Muslim Brotherhood member and warned that if “Abdul and the Democrats win, they will open the floodgates and invite hordes of jihadis to our shores.” He also said that anyone with El-Sayed’s background “would be screened and unable to get a seat on an airplane.” El-Sayed has repeatedly disavowed the Brotherhood, saying, “My name and my faith are not the reason you can’t afford your gas.”
* Former President **Barack Obama** [told][23] a crowd in Detroit on Saturday that El-Sayed is “fighting for change, real change, change that will bring an end to this war.” He added, “What is radical about that?”
* The Black vote has become a focus in the Senate campaigns: El-Sayed underperformed in Detroit, which is 75% Black, in the primary against Rep. **Haley Stevens**. A YouGov poll estimates that he will win 84% of Black voters and Mike Rogers will win 11%, while a late-September Fox News poll put Rogers’s Black support at 22%.
* On NBC’s Meet the Press, Rogers was confronted about his support for the Muslim Brotherhood in 2012, when he said he was open to working with its “moderate members.” He declined to directly answer the question.
* **U.S. military gives SpaceX access to precise space-tracking data, raising conflict-of-interest questions**: The Space Force [signed][24] a contract granting SpaceX “enhanced” access to Space Command’s High Accuracy Catalog, a first for a commercial company. The government gets access to Starlink’s Stargaze sensors in return for the access. The Department of Government Efficiency, under **Elon Musk**, attempted to gut the federal government’s nascent Traffic Coordination System for Space and to privatize the capacity to monitor space traffic.
* **NYC set to sign no-bid deal with Israeli tracking company:** New York City Mayor **Zohran Mamdani’s** police department is [poised][25] to sign a three-year, $750,500, no-bid contract with Israeli surveillance firm Cognyte for FalcoNet, an AI-driven device that mimics a cell tower to track phones and can be mounted on police cars and drones or hidden in a backpack, the New York Daily News reported. Though the software would ostensibly require a warrant for cell-phone interceptions, civil liberties advocates have warned about the potential for the technology to be used against people who are not targets.
* **Trump says U.S. will “take care of Cuba”; Rubio urges Cubans to partner with CIA: **President Trump told a Florida rally on Friday that the U.S. will deal with Cuba “on our way back from Iran” and then send Secretary of State **Marco Rubio** in “to finish up the deal.”
* Rubio urged those “who seek to create positive change” on the island to “seize this opportunity” through “a discrete [sic] partnership with the CIA,” he [said][26] on X.
* **White House considers mass pardons for junior staff, sources say**: White House attorneys are [evaluating][27] blanket pardons for junior staffers, possibly covering all employees in areas like deportations, war, and trade, The Washington Sun reported. The Heritage Foundation and American Moment have pressed White House counsel to prepare pardons or fund expected legal fees, and conservative activist **Mike Davis** urged “very broad preemptive pardons” after Sen. **Elissa Slotkin** said congressional probes should make young Republicans think twice about joining the administration.
* **Blanche defends DOJ suit to block automatic certification of Alaska’s Senate result if Republican candidate loses:** On CNN on Sunday, Attorney General **Todd Blanche** [said][28] “we’re not laying any groundwork for the president” to overturn the outcome of Alaska’s Senate election. He said that the Justice Department only seeks to “certify” that the law is not violated. The suit, filed Thursday and ordered by Trump, claims that two of the names on the ballot—Sen. **Dan Sullivan**, the Republican incumbent, and retired teacher **Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.**—could confuse voters. The DOJ hasn’t said how that could be determined, given the secret ballot. In August’s primary, Sen. Sullivan won over 68,000 votes to the other Sullivan’s 4,107.
* **SNAP enrollment has fallen 13% since the One Big Beautiful Act, straining food banks and meal programs**: Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) [dropped][29] from 41.6 million in July 2025 to 36.5 million in June 2026, after the program’s work requirements were expanded and its allowances for people without dependents contracted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Arizona’s enrollment is down 50%.
* Advocates note that work requirements converged with a tightening job market. The Food Bank Council of Michigan’s helpline calls more than tripled, forcing a temporary suspension, and Houston’s independent district lost free-meal eligibility at 26 schools because fewer students are on SNAP.
* **U.S. presses Mexico for deeper cooperation against cartels: **The U.S. recently laid out a path for U.S. security personnel to accompany Mexican forces in operations inside Mexico, the New York Times [reported][30]. The U.S. also requested closer intelligence-sharing with Mexico. Mexico has repeatedly said that joint operations and U.S. drone strikes within its borders are violations of its sovereignty, and officials said that Mexico remains “adamantly” opposed to U.S. forces operating on its soil. Mexican President **Claudia Sheinbaum** has also refused U.S. requests to arrest Mexican politicians.
* **AIPAC’s shell game: **AIPAC is funding elections to the tune of millions of dollars through shell PACs seemingly devoted to issues including women’s and reproductive rights, The Lever reported in a new investigation. [Read the full article here][31].
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Lula re-elected president of Brazil, defeating far-right Flávio Bolsonaro:** President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva** **was [re-elected][32] on Sunday in a tight runoff vote against Flávio Bolsonaro, a far-right challenger and the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Lula, who won by a margin of over four million votes, thanked Brazilians for their support. Bolsonaro said the election result was “inexplicable” and demanded its annulment.
* **Serbian student-led movement ousts right-wing leader Vučić, wins big in parliament:** The right-wing Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić was defeated in a Sunday election, ending his decade in power. A student-led movement against political corruption—which Vučić has described as foreign interference—was a decisive factor in his defeat. The Student List, an electoral slate connected to the protests, is expected to win at least 135 seats in the 250-seat parliament, displacing Vučić’s party as the majority.
* **The Guardian: U.S. military “weaponizing” El Niño in Somalia: **U.S. drone strikes in southern Somalia are driving civilians toward a floodplain just as a strengthening El Niño is forecast to intensify weather events this month, The Guardian [reported][33]. Residents described rising water levels in the River Juba, bodies in the streets, and flattened homes. A source monitoring the situation said the offensive is “exploiting El Niño as a weapon of war to push the population into flood-prone areas.” The U.S. military has denied wrongdoing.
* **Remains located in Haiti during search for missing Salvadoran soldiers: **Doctors [examined][34] human remains in Haiti to determine whether they were the bodies of the four Salvadoran soldiers who vanished after being ambushed by armed gangs last week, the New York Times reported. Three people familiar with the situation told the Times that the bodies were badly burned and not easily identifiable. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said that the remains were not those of the missing soldiers. Last week, he sent hundreds of special forces to Haiti to find the men and threatened to “finish the gangs off” if the country’s personnel were not returned alive.
* **North Korea accuses South Korea of fabricating DMZ blast, places howitzers on border:** On Monday, North Korea positioned three mobile howitzer units on the border, according to “a Reuters witness” on the scene, the newswire [reported][35]. In a letter sent to the UN Security Council on Sunday, North Korea blamed South Korea for a September landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone that wounded three South Korean soldiers. South Korea, which blames the attack on North Korean mines and sent a letter of its own to the UN last week, has proposed military talks to “mutually confirm the precise location” of their shared border.
* **Jordan arrests three suspected of deadly church attack:** Jordanian security forces [arrested][36] three suspects in connection with the attack on a Greek Orthodox church in western region of Karak that killed at least nine people and wounded 40 others during a funeral last week. The attack was carried out by three members of a single family that lives in the area, Maj. Gen. Obeidallah Al-Maaytah, director of the Jordanian Public Security Directorate, said Monday. The suspects were driven by “extremist ideology,” he said, but he added that the suspects did not plan the attack or have ties to “outside parties.”
* **Machado returns to Venezuela after more than 10 months in exile:** The Venezuelan opposition leader María Coria Machado returned to Venezuela after 10 months of exile, she [announced][37] on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that “U.S.-supported reconciliation talks” made her “safe return” possible. He called on all political actors to respect ongoing talks between the government and the opposition. Machado’s return could destabilize the U.S.-backed political order of interim leader Delcy Rodriguez.
* **RSF attacks power stations, causes outages across southeastern Sudan:** Rapid Support Forces (RSF) strikes on power stations in four southeastern states in Sudan have caused “severe damage” to them and cut power across the region, the state electricity company [said][38]. The outages stretch across about half of the territory held by the RSF.
* **Amnesty: Gunmen kill at least 40 in Nigerian village:** Gunmen [killed][39] at least 40 people in an attack on a village in the northeastern Nigerian state of Taraba, Amnesty International said. Armed gangs known as “bandits” have conducted numerous attacks in northern Nigeria, raiding villages, kidnapping people for ransom, and stealing livestock.
* **Algeria authorizes army deployment to Niger, first foreign troop mission since 1973**: Algerian lawmakers unanimously [approved][40] the deployment of National Army troops to northern Niger, near the Libyan border, on Sunday. It is not clear when the deployment will begin. It will be the first Algerian troop deployment outside of its borders since 1973, when it dispatched units to support Egypt’s war against Israel.
🎥 **[WATCH][41] **The War Brief | Ep. 6: Trump Threatens Global Economy, Iran Promises Broad Response, Israel Kills 29 Palestinians
📖 **[READ][42] **Sudanese Army Drone Strikes Kill Scores of Civilians in Crowded Market
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[10]: https://imeu.org/resources/resources/explainer-the-dahiya-doctrine-israels-use-of-disproportionate-force/175
[11]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2114444441708830978
[12]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86303695/Baqaei-Tehran-meeting-to-focus-on-endogenous-security
[13]: https://x.com/rayedkrimly/status/2114595239553860071?s=46
[14]: https://ina.iq/ar/local/277373-.html
[15]: https://x.com/cjfcspox/status/2114568356691169315?s=46
[16]: https://x.com/yah_saree/status/2114543447554326899?s=46
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[18]: https://x.com/yah_saree/status/2114550940959478112?s=46
[19]: https://x.com/alarabiya_brk/status/2114707635425431573?s=46
[20]: https://x.com/dropsitenews/status/2114538820385575360?s=46
[21]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2114174306708013155
[22]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/25/us/elections/trump-michigan-el-sayed-rogers.html
[23]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/obama-seeks-shore-abdul-el-sayed-black-voters-michigan-rally-rcna605457
[24]: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/oct/25/spacex-access-sensitive-tracking-data
[25]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2114563575951839361
[26]: https://x.com/SecRubio/status/2113731069518434519
[27]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/white-house-weighing-mass-pardons-for-junior-staff
[28]: https://www.npr.org/2026/10/25/nx-s1-6016212/blanche-defends-doj-lawsuit-blocking-alaska-senate-results-if-republican-loses
[29]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/25/trump-food-stamp-cuts
[30]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/24/world/americas/us-mexico-security-cartels.html
[31]: https://www.levernews.com/aipac-is-spending-millions-just-not-under-its-own-name/
[32]: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cmgelnrd4r3jt
[33]: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/oct/26/us-forces-accused-of-weaponising-somalia-flood-el-nino
[34]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/24/world/americas/salvadoran-soldiers-haiti-dead.html
[35]: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/north-korea-tells-un-south-fabricated-landmine-incident-kcna-says-2026-10-25/
[36]: https://abcnews.com/International/jordan-arrests-3-church-shooting-suspects-after-fierce/story?id=137565277
[37]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/25/venezuelas-opposition-leader-maria-corina-machado-returns-from-exile
[38]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/26/drone-strikes-cut-power-across-southeast-sudan-operator-says
[39]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/24/gunmen-kill-at-least-40-people-in-northeastern-nigeria-amnesty-international-says
[40]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/25/algeria-to-send-troops-to-niger-in-first-foreign-deployment-since-1973
[41]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtzX39vAoi4
[42]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/sudan-saf-army-drone-strikes-abyei-market-kordofan
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2026-10-25 20:20:13 UTC

Trump Threatens Global Economy, Iran Promises Broad Response, Israel Kills 29 Palestinians
In this week’s War Brief, Murtaza Hussain and Sarmad Jawad discuss Donald Trump’s renewed threats to attack Iran, the deployment of additional U.S. military assets to the region, and coordination with the Israeli military. Iran, meanwhile, is testing advanced ballistic missiles and has warned that it will respond forcefully to any attack, including by targeting energy infrastructure and cutting crucial undersea internet cables.
The team also looks at developments in Ukraine as well as Israel’s bloody week in Gaza, where Israeli forces are launching an average of 50 strikes a day. At least 29 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed.
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https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/trump-threatens-global-economy-iran

2026-10-23 20:10:00 UTC

Sudanese Army Drone Strikes Kill Scores of Civilians in Crowded Market
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Medical workers treat injured people at Ameth Bek hospital after a drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border between South Sudan and Sudan, October 19, 2026. REUTERS/Medecins Sans Frontieres/Handout via REUTERS.
Mubarak Musa Adam, a 44-year-old trader, had already left Al-Na’am, a market known locally as Amiet Common Market in Abyei town, the administrative center of the disputed oil-rich region between Sudan and South Sudan, on October 19 when he made the fateful decision to turn back.
“He had prepared his Land Cruiser, loaded it with fuel and goods, and they left the market,” his cousin, Al-Shafie Abdullah, 42, told Drop Site News. “But then he remembered that he still had to pay the rest of what he owed to a Somali trader he worked with in the fuel business. He went back with our cousin to the trader’s shop, and as soon as they got there, the market was hit by a drone.”
Adam was killed in the attack along with another cousin, Al-Fatih Daoud Adam, the Somali trader, and two of the trader’s brothers. The strikes, which occurred at approximately noon local time, killed at least 152 people and wounded 47, Murtada Ahmed, spokesperson for the Kordofan Observatory, a field monitoring and human rights group, told Drop Site. Ahmed blamed the attack on the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
The same toll was confirmed by Saif al-Din David, director of the Free Pens Human Rights Observatory, which also operates in the Kordovan region. He added that the strikes also burned around 500 shops. ACLED, an organization that monitors violence, put the toll even higher, at between 150 and 220 people and displacing around 8,000.
“Initial findings indicate that a military aircraft deployed an estimated 22 munitions directly into a heavily populated commercial area demonstrating a flagrant disregard for human life and international legal norms,” the Abyei Special Administrative Area (ABAA) said in a [statement][3] that also blamed the SAF.
Adam was one of many traders from Nyala, in South Darfur, who worked the route south to the border. “They carried onions and some local products to al-Na’am, and brought back food and fuel to Nyala, Ed Daein, El Geneina, Zalingei, and other localities,” Al-Shafie said. “To me, that moment sums up Mubarak’s honesty and decency,” Al-Shafie added. “He made sure to give people what they were owed before he left this life.”
Al-Shafie was elsewhere at the time of the attack. “Most of the survivors were people who were outside the market when the attack happened, and I was one of them,” he said. “I had malaria and went for tests at the hospital in Abyei. When we came back, we found the bodies of the victims burned and charred: Somalis, Sudanese from the north and from the south, and people from the Dinka and Misseriya, the two communities who share this area.”
## **Targeting a Vital Crossing**
Abyei is a disputed region between Sudan and South Sudan, and its administrative and political status remains contested. The market at Al-Na’am sits in a demilitarized zone that has been administered and monitored by the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei ([UNISFA][4]) since its formation in June 2011.
“Al-Na’am is one of the vital trade crossings that supply Darfur and Kordofan with food, medicine, fuel, and other basic needs. It is a lifeline for western Sudan,” Murtada Ahmed, spokesperson for the Kordofan Observatory, a field monitoring and human rights group, said. “Targeting it with drones threatens to cut that lifeline and besiege the people of Kordofan with hunger and disease.”
Darfur and Kordofan are under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, that has been locked in a brutal conflict for the past three and a half years with the SAF, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The war erupted in April 2023 when a long simmering rivalry between the two factions exploded into fighting four years after protesters toppled longtime president Omar al-Bashir following a 2019 popular uprising.
At least 150,000 people have been killed, with some estimates running far higher. Some 14 million have been forced from their homes, more than 4.5 million of them across Sudan’s borders, and the International Rescue Committee says more people face famine in Sudan than in the rest of the world combined.
The RSF and its allies, now organized in the Sudan Founding Alliance with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North and Darfuri armed groups, hold Darfur and large parts of Kordofan, the regions that depend on the border trade. The SAF, whose government is based in Port Sudan, is pushing back into Kordofan, recently capturing towns such as al-Mazroub.
The RSF has been accused in some of the worst atrocities of the conflict, with a UN fact-finding mission [concluding][5] earlier this year that the RSF takeover of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, in October 2025 “bore the hallmarks of genocide.”
However, the SAF has also committed atrocities of its own, and the UN has found it [responsible][6] for direct and large-scale attacks against civilians and other war crimes.
For the past two weeks, the SAF has been conducting a large-scale aerial operation—launching near-daily attacks on RSF-controlled cities in Darfur, Kordofan, and other parts of Sudan—that has killed scores of civilians.
“Although the attack is the first round of drone strikes recorded at Amieth Market since the Sudan war began in April 2023, ACLED data shows that it was not the first instance of political violence at the site during the conflict,” Kelvin Karingithi, South Sudan Analyst at ACLED told Drop Site.
“The region continues to experience intercommunal clashes, mainly involving the local Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities, with the most recent incidents occurring in and around Amieth Market on September 15 and 16, resulting in at least 40 killed and over 100 injuries,” he added.
The majority Ngok Dinka population has historically favored joining South Sudan, while the seasonal Misseriya pastoralists from Sudan, who are backed by the RSF, have not. The members of the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities agreed to reopen the Amiet joint border market on September 28, following its closure due to the two-day clash in mid-September.
“The rivalry between the two communities centers largely on land, grazing, and resources, as well as broader political issues. South Sudan plans to include Abyei in its first elections since independence scheduled for December 22, 2026, despite Sudan’s opposition and the area’s unresolved status,” Karingithi explained.
## **SAF Attacks in West Kordofan**
On October 18, the day before the strike on Al-Na’am market, a drone strike blamed on the SAF hit al-Debab, a town in RSF-controlled West Kordofan, south of Mujlad city. The strike hit a truck stop beside the market, where people gathered at the end of the market day to board trucks and private vehicles back to their villages.
The Sudan Founding Alliance, a political coalition headed by the RSF, described the attack that killed scores of people as a double-tap strike. “The drone first struck a gathering of people preparing to board a truck after attending a funeral gathering. It then waited for others to arrive to help the wounded and struck a second time. The double-tap attack killed 80 people and wounded many more, including children, women and men,” the coalition’s spokesperson Ahmed Tagad Lisan said in a [statement][7].
The same drone also fired a missile at the town of al-Muglad, which landed near a girls’ school and wounded at least two people, he added.
The death toll in the attack on Al-Debab increased to 120 three days later as dozens of critically wounded victims succumbed to their injuries, according to David of the Free Pens Human Rights Observatory, who noted that SAF drone strikes occur almost daily in the region.
Another drone strike in West Kordofan, also attributed to the SAF by the Kordovan Observatory, killed four people of the same family when their truck was hit on a road linking Abu Qalb, in Abu Zabad locality, and Al-Mazroub, a town the army recently captured.
Mustafa Kuku, 28, lost four of his relatives in the attack. His maternal aunt, Hajja Maryam Ali, 82, was sick and could not find treatment near home, so the family set out from Abu Qalb to Al-Mazroub. “The drone hit the vehicle while it was moving,” Kuku told Drop Site. His aunt, Maryam, was killed with her daughters, Um Khamisa Ali, 48, and Al-Tomah Ali, 46, along with her grandson, Fadl al-Sayed, 27. Two of the four other passengers were wounded.
“Fadl was a groom about to be married. His wedding was set for December,” Kuku said. “They were a simple family: two sisters who went with their mother and her grandson, and they were all killed together.”
The truck, a Nissan cargo vehicle known locally as a “lorry,” belonged to Al-Tomah’s husband, Habiballah Mohamed Ali, who is now left with their two sons, Mohamed, 16, and Ahmed, 8.
“In the first two years of the war we could still farm, but in the last two years the front lines reached us, and the drones fly over civilians’ heads day and night,” Kuku said. “The family went out looking for treatment and survival, and the journey ended with all of them dead.”
*This article is published in collaboration with [Egab][8].*
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[4]: https://unisfa.unmissions.org/en/factsheet
[5]: https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/02/1166997
[6]: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/war-atrocities-sudan-civilians-deliberately-targeted-un-fact-finding-mission
[7]: https://www.facebook.com/tasis.SFA/posts/pfbid02s2UeWYyHB1n2DRYGuJZt1Zm3SQgoAPqvubLAeRzzRFdk2VKzXaq1Rx2PEBt89265l
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2026-10-23 15:44:29 UTC

Netanyahu orders full lockdown of West Bank after shooting; Bombshell report on Kushner’s $2B slush fund; Brent crude hits $114
**Friday, October 23, 2026 –***** ***
***Iran**: President Donald Trump accuses Iran of driving up oil prices as Brent crude hits $114. Europe faces winter energy crisis, International Energy Agency chief warns. U.S. spent $11 billion in three years defending Israel, analysis finds. United Arab Emirates closes Umm Al Quwain beaches after oil spill from tanker. U.S. claims naval blockade prevented Iran from exporting $25 billion in oil over 100 days.*
***Palestine**: Three Palestinians killed, several wounded in Israeli strikes across Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders full closure of the occupied West Bank after Hebron shooting. Israeli settlers and soldiers rampage across the West Bank. Israeli settlers destroy late Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh memorial.*
***Yemen**: Ansarallah claims Saudi Arabia rejected five-day ceasefire proposal for talks. Saudi-led coalition launches strikes across Yemen as Saudi Arabia intercepts Ansarallah missiles.*
***Lebanon**: Israeli airstrikes, artillery shelling reported in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire.*
***U.S.**: Jared Kushner received $2 billion in dark money from Gulf States, new book excerpt alleges. CBS: Hegseth bans Pentagon personnel from using nonpublic information to bet on U.S. military operations. ProPublica: Postal Service cuts cause sharp rise in ballot rejections during midterms. Judge restricts DHS investigations of supposed noncitizen voting. Judge restricts DHS investigations of supposed noncitizen voting. WSJ: DOJ corruption probe examines Corey Lewandowski. DOJ charges 15 in health care fraud worth nearly $2 billion. Musk gives another $76 million to America PAC; his total midterm donations now $442+ million. Axios: Major U.S. banks discover third-party AI agents in customer accounts. Ohio governor’s race now “leans Democratic,” per analysis. Virginia state senator charged with conspiracy, bribery, racketeering.*
***International:** Egypt editor faces trial in escalated press crackdown. Six killed, 28 wounded in church funeral shooting in Jordan. Sudanese army strikes Darfur, Kordofan. Mob beats immigrant to death in South Africa. WHO says Ebola outbreak is becoming “more complex”; infections in three African countries. Syria security force raids suspected ISIS cell; seven dead. Hundreds flee Ethiopia fighting for Kenya. Tunisian police fire tear gas at protesters after detainee’s death. Major earthquake kills 16 in Tibet. Musk restores Ukraine’s Starlink access, Trump says. 10,000+ rally in student-led protest against Serbia’s ruling party on eve of election. Germany arrests Ukrainian national on suspicion of spying for Russia.*
Israeli forces patrol the area near the houses of two Palestinian gunmen who attacked an Israeli military checkpoint, killing two Israeli soldiers and injuring three others, earlier in the day in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Hebron on October 23, 2026. Photo by Hazem Bader / AFP via Getty Images.
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Iran
* **Trump accuses Iran of driving up oil prices as Brent crude hits $114:** President Donald Trump accused Iran of deliberately attempting to raise global oil prices ahead of the November midterm elections.
* “Iran is doing everything they can to drive up the price of Oil prior to the U.S. Midterm Election,” Trump [wrote][1] on Truth Social. “They are even making up fake hits, mines, and everything else,” he claimed, insisting that more oil is now passing through the Strait of Hormuz than before the war began.
* Middle East Gulf and Gulf of Oman oil and petroleum product exports, excluding Iran, [fell][2] to around 15 million barrels per day (bpd) on a seven-day moving average, down from a pre-war baseline of 20.5 million bpd, according to Kpler data. Kpler says data from the past two weeks may be revised upward.
* Brent crude [hit][3] a high of $114.72 overnight. The U.S. national average price for regular gasoline sits at $4.284 per gallon, a 5-cent drop from last week; diesel fuel now averages $6.276 per gallon, a 10-cent increase.
* **Europe faces winter energy crisis, IEA chief warns:** Europe is entering winter with historically low natural gas reserves and cannot withstand further supply disruptions caused by the U.S. war with Iran, the International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol [warned][4].
* EU gas storage is just 72% full, compared with the usual 90% ahead of winter, a shortfall equivalent to the energy needs of 10 to 12 million homes. Nearly 10% of Europe’s liquefied natural gas previously passed through the Strait of Hormuz, where attacks on vessels have disrupted shipping.
* “Life will not be easy for Europe this year and also next year,” Birol told Al Jazeera, adding that even an immediate ceasefire would not prevent higher energy costs in the coming months. Birol also warned of diesel shortages linked to Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries.
* “I have never ever seen the dark and long shadow of geopolitics so dominant in the energy sector,” Birol said. “Energy is not currently considered a business but a political leverage.”
* **U.S. spent $11 billion in three years defending Israel, analysis finds: **The U.S. fired an estimated 609 missile interceptors to defend Israeli territory between October 2023 and June 2026, costing approximately $11 billion in taxpayer money, according to an [analysis][5] by researcher Stephen Semler. The estimate excludes interceptors fired to defend U.S. forces in the region.
* “That is not a symbiotic relationship. It is a parasitic one,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi [wrote][6] on X, sharing the analysis.
* **UAE closes Umm Al Quwain beaches after oil spill from tanker:** The UAE [temporarily closed][7] all beaches and coastal areas in Umm Al Quwain after an oil spill from a tanker contaminated the shoreline.
* The spill comes amid escalating Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and oil tankers in and around the Strait of Hormuz. UAE authorities did not link the spill to the war. Other regional spills, including oil slicks near Iran’s Qeshm and Hengam islands and along Oman’s coastline, were caused by attacks on vessels in the region.
* **U.S. claims naval blockade prevented Iran from exporting $25 billion in oil over 100 days: **The naval blockade of Iran prevented at least $25 billion worth of Iranian crude oil exports since it resumed 100 days ago, CENTCOM claimed in a [post][8] on X. CENTCOM claimed that due to the blockade, dubbed “America’s steel wall,” no goods have entered or left Iran by sea, except for “humanitarian shipments U.S. forces have allowed.”
# Palestine
* **Three Palestinians killed, several wounded in Israeli strikes across Gaza: **Two Palestinians were killed and others wounded on Friday in an Israeli [airstrike][9] on the Al-Nasr neighborhood of western Gaza City, according to WAFA.
* In southern Gaza, an Israeli drone strike targeting a bicycle on Al-Qubba Street, west of Khan Younis, killed one Palestinian and wounded others.
* **Netanyahu orders full closure of West Bank after Hebron shooting:** Two Palestinian gunmen [opened fire][10] at an Israeli military checkpoint near Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday, killing two Israeli soldiers and wounding three others before being killed by Israeli forces. The gunfight lasted more than 20 minutes.
* Israeli forces then imposed a sweeping military lockdown on Hebron governorate, closing all entrances and exits, and preventing Palestinian movement. Troops raided homes and [detained][11] at least five Palestinians in raids, according to WAFA. Israeli forces also [critically wounded][12] a Palestinian driver after shooting him in the chest in Dura, southwest of Hebron, and closed the Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslim worshippers.
* During a subsequent visit to Hebron on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had instructed the army and security forces to “immediately impose a closure on the city of Hebron” and prepare for a “full lockdown” of the entire West Bank starting Friday.
* Netanyahu added that along with Defense Minister Israel Katz they were considering an extensive operation in the West Bank “such as has not been carried out since the Six Day War,” in reference to 1967.
* Netanyahu announced plans to apply the same “successful and aggressive model” used in the occupied West Bank refugee camps, where Israeli forces have displaced tens of thousands of residents and demolished large areas in what rights groups [have said][13] are crimes against humanity.
* **Israeli settlers and soldiers rampage across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Ramallah:** Settlers [burned and cut down][14] dozens of olive trees in the Al-Qibla area south of Burqa on Friday, WAFA reported. In Sinjil, settlers attacked olive harvesters and broke branches off fruit-bearing trees.
* **Nablus:** Israeli forces [fired][15] tear gas canisters toward Palestinians in the agricultural plains of Salem and Beit Furik, igniting fires. In Burin, settlers attempted to set fire to a Palestinian home and its surroundings under Israeli military protection.
* **Jenin:** Israeli forces gave families in Khirbet Suruj one week to evacuate their homes and agricultural structures. The community includes more than seven homes and ten livestock sheds, with families who have lived there since 1950 and hold land documents dating back to 1960.
* **East** **Jerusalem:** Israeli forces [arrested][16] Sheikh Khaled Abu Jumaa, the Al-Aqsa Mosque preacher, after he delivered the Friday sermon and led prayers at the mosque.
* **Israeli settlers destroy Shireen Abu Akleh memorial: **Armed settlers [destroyed][17] a memorial to Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh near the entrance to the village of Ajja south of Jenin city. The memorial was erected in 2022 to honor the Al Jazeera journalist, who was shot in the head and killed by Israeli forces while covering a military raid on Jenin refugee camp on May 11, 2022.
# Yemen
* **Ansarallah claims Saudi Arabia rejected five-day ceasefire proposal for talks:** Senior Ansarallah official Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti [said][18] that while Riyadh sought mediation through Oman during the initial escalation in July, Saudi Arabia did not accept a proposed five-day ceasefire for direct talks. In an interview with The Grayzone’s Max Blumenthal, Al-Bukhaiti said that Ansarallah had agreed to the proposal.
* Al-Bukhaiti claimed Ansarallah forces captured Mount Han overlooking Taiz, the major southwestern city under siege, while insisting that any future peace agreement end the war and blockades imposed by both sides.
* He also called on Saudi Arabia’s ruling family to oust Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying his continued rule threatens the kingdom itself. “We will support any move within the ruling family … to oust bin Salman,” he said, urging action by Saudi citizens and opposition groups.
* **Saudi-led coalition launches strikes across Yemen as Saudi Arabia intercepts Ansarallah missiles:** At least 18 airstrikes were reported across Yemen’s Saada, Hodeidah, Al-Jawf, Amran, and Taiz governorates, according to Ansarallah-affiliated media.
* **Saudi Arabia:** Air defenses intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles launched by Ansarallah toward Riyadh and Khamis Mushait, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said.
# Lebanon
* **Israeli airstrikes, artillery shelling reported in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire: **Israeli warplanes [carried out][19] an airstrike near Ali Al-Taher Hill, while intermittent Israeli artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of Zawtar Al-Sharqiya on Friday in the Nabatieh district, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
* In the Marjayoun district, Israeli forces reportedly [set fire][20] to wooded areas in the town of Qantara.
# U.S. News
* **Jared Kushner received $2 billion in dark money from Gulf States: **U.S. special envoy and Trump son-in-law **Jared Kushner** received $2 billion in a slush fund created by top Emirati and Saudi officials, according to an [excerpt][21] of a new book by investigative reporter **Matthew Cole**. Cole reports an extraordinary sequence of events that began with Russian intelligence infiltrating Kushner’s iPhone. According to Cole, Dutch intelligence captured a Russian agent, flipped him, and gained access to Kushner’s device themselves. As they began to monitor Kushner’s phone in real time, they observed suspicious transfers of huge amounts of money.
* According to Cole, UAE ruler **Mohamed bin Zayed **and** **Saudi Crown Prince **Mohammed bin Salman** sought to influence U.S. foreign policy during the first Trump term, and offered Kushner the money toward that end.
* The arrangement also involved Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who directed Kushner in 2018 to set up an account at the Israeli Central Bank. Netanyahu reportedly required Kushner to inform him before moving any money out of the account.
* Kushner denied Cole’s reporting as “categorically false” and “completely insane” in a [statement][22] on Thursday. Through his attorney, Kushner said he would [pursue][23] legal action against the publisher of Cole’s book, Simon & Schuster.
* The full excerpt from the book published in Vanity Fair is available [here][24]. Cole’s book, “Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed’s Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East,” will be released on October 27. It can be pre-ordered [here][25].
* **CBS: Hegseth bans Pentagon personnel from using nonpublic information to bet on U.S. military operations: **War Secretary **Pete Hegseth** barred department personnel from using classified or unclassified nonpublic information to bet on military operations, he wrote in an October 20 memo to senior Pentagon leaders and combatant commanders that was [obtained][26] by CBS News. The memo names prediction markets Polymarket and Kalshi, and says that violations could bring administrative discipline or criminal action under federal law or the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
* The directive follows scrutiny of military-related betting. In April, Army Master Sgt. **Gannon Ken Van Dyke**, a Special Forces soldier involved in the operation that captured **Nicolás Maduro**, was arrested for allegedly betting more than $33,000 on Polymarket on Maduro’s removal within hours of President Trump’s January announcement, winning more than $409,000. He pleaded not guilty in federal court in New York.
* **ProPublica: Postal Service cuts cause sharp rise in ballot rejections during midterms: **In counties where the Postal Service reduced pickups from twice a day to once a day in rural areas, late-ballot rejection rates were two or three times higher than they were in 2022, ProPublica [reported][27]. In 11 rural counties of Washington, for instance, nearly 2,000 ballots arrived late this year, compared to about 600 in 2022.
* **Judge restricts DHS investigations of supposed noncitizen voting:** U.S. District Judge **Araceli Martínez-Olguín** [halted][28] portions of the Department of Homeland Security’s aggressive investigations of supposed noncitizens. The order bars the DHS from stopping or interviewing suspects in nine states. The judge found the plaintiffs—including National Nurses United and Voto Latino—likely to succeed in their claim that the DHS investigations infringe upon the Voting Rights Act. “The public’s interest in safe elections, free from interference or intimidation,” she [wrote][29], “far exceed defendants’ purported interest in combating unlawful voting by non-U.S. citizens.”
* **WSJ: DOJ corruption probe examines Corey Lewandowski:** The Justice Department is [examining][30] whether **Corey Lewandowski**, top adviser to then-Homeland Security Secretary **Kristi Noem**, profited from his political position, the Wall Street Journal [reported][31]. The inquiry rests on a recent referral from the DHS inspector general. It focuses, in part, on contracting fraud. The review is the first publicly known instance of Trump’s second-term DOJ scrutinizing someone close to the president. Investigators found evidence Lewandowski may have been involved in improperly awarding contracts. He or his close associates approved almost all spending above $100,000, and he personally signed contracts despite serving as an unpaid Special Government Employee. Lewandowski, through a representative, denied wrongdoing.
* **DOJ charges 15 in health care fraud worth nearly $2 billion:** The Justice Department [charged][32] 15 defendants, including six medical professionals, with luring vulnerable patients into needless surgeries, sham treatment programs, and bogus hospice care. In one case, two people allegedly paid Texas “body brokers” to recruit homeless people and 12-step participants into sham California sober living homes, where they were signed up for pricey insurance and then left to languish in “decrepit squats.” In another case, three people allegedly pressured healthy seniors into hospice care.
* **Musk gives another $76 million to America PAC; his total midterm donations now $442+ million**: **Elon Musk** [gave][33] $76 million to his super PAC, America PAC, in the first two weeks of October, pushing his total donations above $442 million this election cycle. His giving in 2026 far exceeds the roughly $290 million he spent in 2024. Musk’s earlier spending includes $158 million to the campaign arm of Senate Republicans, which was then transferred to a super PAC boosting Texas AG **Ken Paxton** in his tight race against Democrat **James Talarico**. He has given to many other groups: the House Republicans super PAC, Trump’s MAGA Inc., a group seeking to repeal Alaska’s ranked-choice voting, and various GOP candidates. Musk has not campaigned with GOP candidates this fall, unlike in prior years, and Republicans privately acknowledge he could be politically toxic.
* **Axios: Major U.S. banks discover third-party AI agents in customer accounts**: Top U.S. banks are discovering unauthorized AI agents inside customer accounts, Axios [reported][34] on Thursday. Most cases involve an AI agent or assistant using a customer’s login credentials with their permission—which is still a violation of most banks’ rules. But some banks have also found AI agents that contact call centers or take actions that appear independent of user instructions.
* **Ohio governor’s race now “leans Democratic,” per analysis**: The nonpartisan election newsletter Sabato’s Crystal Ball [shifted][35] the Ohio governor’s race toward Democratic nominee **Amy Acton**, citing “an explosive—and desperate—attack ad” by Republican **Vivek Ramaswamy**. The ad features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who says, “She lies about her past. She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true. She’s lied her entire life.” Ramaswamy’s campaign confirmed that it was behind the ad and said it would spend $4 million to promote it. Acton has openly discussed her experience of childhood abuse, neglect, and homelessness.
* **Virginia state senator charged with conspiracy, bribery, racketeering: **Virginia state Senator **Louise Lucas**, 82, was [arrested][36] on charges related to marijuana distribution, bribery, and racketeering on Thursday. Six other co-defendants were charged, including her daughters **Lisa Lucas-Burke** and **Theresa Lucas-Lamb** and her grandson **Ryan Eichelberger**. Prosecutors say that since at least 2019, Lucas led a scheme that used her political influence to enact legislation and regulations benefiting herself and co-defendants and shielding a marijuana enterprise from state law enforcement. Federal agents searched her office and The Cannabis Outlet, a shop she co-owns, nearly six months ago, and the investigation reportedly began under President **Joe Biden**.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Egypt editor faces trial in escalated press crackdown:** Lina Attalah, the editor-in-chief of Mada Masr, one of Egypt’s last remaining independent media outlets, was referred to trial on Thursday. The escalation comes one day after prosecutors questioned her for more than six hours. Rights groups describe her case as an unprecedented attack on press freedoms in Egypt.
* The Supreme State Prosecution referred Attalah to trial on a charge of establishing and managing a website without a license. She was also questioned on a charge of publishing false news, but that charge was not included in her court referral.
* Atallah was released Wednesday evening on bail of 100,000 Egyptian pounds (around $1,800). She is due in court on October 27. If convicted, she faces a fine of one million to three million Egyptian pounds (roughly $18,000 to $54,000). The court may also order the closure of Mada Masr and the confiscation of its equipment.
* Over 100 independent media outlets and civil society organizations around the world, including Drop Site News, signed a joint [statement][37] condemning Attalah’s referral to trial, calling it “an unprecedented escalation that threatens the future of the entire independent media, knowledge production, and civil society space in Egypt.”
* Drop Site News and Mada Masr have co-published several articles over the past two years. Examples **[here][38]** and **[here][39]**.
* **Six killed, 28 wounded in church funeral shooting in Jordan:** Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan on Friday, [killing][40] six people and wounding 28 others. The church is located in Karak, home to a minority Christian population. King Abdullah II condemned the shooting as a terrorist attack. “Those who delude themselves into thinking that they can divide Jordanians with their bullets have no chance in the face of our unity,” he [said][41].
* **Sudanese army strikes Darfur, Kordofan: **Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) attacks [hit][42] Rapid Support Forces (RSF) positions and civilian infrastructure in El Fasher, in Sudan’s western region of Darfur. The strikes destroyed military equipment and civilian property, and damaged the Sultan Ali Dinar Mosque. In East Darfur, SAF strikes destroyed RSF military vehicles, gas trucks and civilian cars. The SAF attacks also reached Babanusa, a city in West Kordofan.
* **Mob beats immigrant to death in South Africa: **A mob of about 50 people [assaulted][43] and killed an immigrant during an anti-immigration protest in Durban, South Africa, on Thursday. Local officials did not share the victim’s nationality, or provide details of the protest. For months, Durban has been the center of xenophobic demonstrations. Tens of thousands of migrants have left South Africa in recent months in one of the largest mass exoduses in years.
* **WHO says Ebola outbreak is becoming “more complex”; infections in three African countries:** “We are facing a more complex outbreak landscape,” a World Health Organization official [said][44] of the spread of Ebola. Cases have been announced in Nigeria, Kenya, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. The outbreak originated in Congo in May. To date, it has killed more than 4,000 people there.
* **Syria security force raids suspected ISIS cell; seven dead**: A [raid][45] on a suspected ISIS cell near Damascus resulted in the deaths of two Syrian security force personnel and five suspected ISIS members, according to Syrian officials. Security forces arrested six other suspected members, and seized weapons and explosive belts. In recent weeks, the Interior Ministry has said it has stopped an ISIS plot in the Damascus countryside, dismantled an ISIS cell in Homs, and a top ISIS military commander.
* **Hundreds flee Ethiopia fighting for Kenya**: Hundreds of Ethiopians, mainly women and children, [fled][46] to Kenya after fighting erupted in an Ethiopian town near the Kenyan border on Wednesday. It was not clear what triggered the violence, and the Kenya Red Cross said it is assessing the number of refugees and their needs. One Red Cross official said, “No camp is ready to host those displaced but we shall most definitely work on it.” The fighting is hundreds of miles from the Tigray conflict between government forces and the rebel alliance.
* **Tunisian police fire tear gas at protesters after detainee’s death:** Police in Tunis [fired][47] tear gas to disperse protesters gathered to oppose the death of a man detained on suspicion of drug dealing. Protesters threw stones at police, obstructed roads, and burned tires. According to the detainee’s family, he died from police violence after his arrest. Local media said he died after swallowing drugs.
* **Major earthquake kills 16 in Tibet: **A magnitude 7 earthquake in northern Tibet on Thursday night killed 16 people and injured at least 76 others, Reuters [reported][48]. The epicenter was in a sparsely populated, high-altitude county in China’s southwestern region of Tibet. It is the strongest quake to hit the country since early 2024.
* **Musk restores Ukraine’s Starlink access, Trump says: **SpaceX CEO Elon Musk renewed Ukraine’s Starlink access, Trump [told][49] reporters on Thursday. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that Trump called Musk and asked him to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Starlink. Ukraine relies on the satellite technology for battlefield communications and drone operations.
* **10,000+ rally in student-led protest against Serbia’s ruling party on eve of election**: Tens of thousands of people [rallied][50] at a student-led protest in Belgrade on Thursday, as President Aleksandar Vucic held a rival rally at a sports hall across town. The Student List, a leaderless movement of student-backed candidates, is running a slate of 250 anti-corruption candidates for the 250-seat parliament, aiming to unseat Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party, which has held power for over 14 years. The election comes after almost two years of protests against political corruption.
* **Germany arrests Ukrainian national on suspicion of spying for Russia**: Germany arrested a Ukrainian man that prosecutors say was spying for Russia, officials [said][51] Thursday. According to federal prosecutors, the man had been in contact with Russian intelligence since at least July 2025, and gathered intelligence on military equipment and weaponry, and personnel and installations affiliated with NATO defenses. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the arrest on Thursday, telling reporters that he was “not surprised” by the arrest.
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[1]: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/117485314798987090
[2]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2113460339698278486
[3]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2113500628802478318
[4]: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/10/23/eu-entering-winter-with-lowest-gas-reserves-on-record-iea-boss-warns
[5]: https://www.stephensemler.com/p/us-fired-over-600-missile-interceptors
[6]: https://x.com/araghchi/status/2113506676946911570?s=46
[7]: https://x.com/moccaeuae/status/2113390299598721449?s=46
[8]: https://x.com/centcom/status/2113328696153215144?s=46
[9]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/23/%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9
[10]: https://www.timesofisrael.com/5-injured-2-critically-in-west-bank-shooting-idf-believes-gunmen-planned-larger-attack/
[11]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/23/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%AB%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%84
[12]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/23/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8-%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A8
[13]: https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/11/20/west-bank-israel-emptying-refugee-camps-a-crime-against-humanity
[14]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/23/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B9%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A3%D8%B4%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86
[15]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/23/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%82-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D9%87%D9%84%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85
[16]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/23/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AC%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%AE-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF
[17]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/23/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%B7%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%86%D8%B5%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D8%B0%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%88
[18]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2113481406009458964
[19]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/570090/%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%B7-%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%B1-2
[20]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/570029/%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%88-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A5%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AC-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%86%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%87%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%88%D9%82%D9%8A-2
[21]: https://www.vanityfair.com/story/jared-kushner-hacked-phone-secret-negotiations
[22]: https://x.com/jaredkushner/status/2113373330170368450
[23]: https://x.com/chad_mizelle/status/2113418286092194022
[24]: https://www.vanityfair.com/story/jared-kushner-hacked-phone-secret-negotiations?srsltid=AYCX9vLlmfavzNCoA0AFGzxfKo-jeY2mdYeXv5eDjieUn3x_BT04Krig
[25]: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Princes-and-Thieves/Matthew-Cole/9781668095324
[26]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hegseth-betting-ban-military-operations/
[27]: https://www.propublica.org/article/mail-ballot-delays-postal-service-midterms
[28]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/22/judge-blocks-dhs-investigations-noncitizen-voting-citing-flawed-data/
[29]: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.479338/gov.uscourts.cand.479338.87.0.pdf
[30]: https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/corey-lewandowski-doj-investigation-a6ccde19
[31]: https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/corey-lewandowski-doj-investigation-a6ccde19
[32]: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-22/california-federal-health-care-fraud-charges
[33]: https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/10/22/congress/more-musk-money-01133454
[34]: https://www.axios.com/2026/10/22/ai-agents-banks-unauthorized-accounts-access
[35]: https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/the-governors-ohio-to-leans-democratic-among-other-changes-as-dems-eye-gubernatorial-majority/
[36]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/l-louise-lucas-charged-indictment-arrested-virginia/
[37]: https://timep.org/2026/10/23/urgent-global-call-following-the-referral-of-mada-masr-editor-in-chief-lina-attalah-to-trial/
[38]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/egypt-israel-record-gas-export-deal-leviathan-gaza
[39]: https://www.madamasr.com/2025/11/27/feature/%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9/%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7-%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B9-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A8-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%BA%D8%B2/
[40]: https://petra.gov.jo/ar/url/ynwLH9YUu5
[41]: https://x.com/kingabdullahii/status/2113639672760967312?s=46
[42]: https://sudantribune.com/article/320326
[43]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/22/foreign-national-beaten-to-death-by-a-mob-in-south-africa
[44]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/22/who-warns-more-complex-ebola-outbreak-now-present-in-3-african-countries
[45]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/22/two-syrian-security-officers-killed-in-raid-on-isil-cell-near-damascus
[46]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/22/hundreds-of-ethiopians-flee-into-kenya-after-border-town-fighting
[47]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/23/tunisian-police-clash-with-protesters-in-capital-on-day-of-heightened-tensions
[48]: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/injuries-chinas-tibet-rise-65-after-earthquake-death-toll-remains-16-2026-10-23/
[49]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/22/trump-asks-musk-to-lift-ukraine-starlink-restrictions-wsj-reports
[50]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/22/thousands-gather-at-final-student-led-rally-ahead-of-serbia-election
[51]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/22/germany-arrests-ukrainian-man-accused-of-spying-for-russia
[52]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/uae-alp-services-facebook-crackdown
[53]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[54]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[55]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[56]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/netanyahu-west-bank-hebron-kushner-slush-fund-brent-crude-iran-trump

2026-10-23 00:07:03 UTC

UAE Paid Swiss Intelligence Firm to Compile Database of “Hostile” Facebook Users
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Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates at an event Villa on September 10, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. Photo by Omer Messinger/Getty Images.
A private intelligence firm working for the United Arab Emirates compiled a database of thousands of Facebook users living inside the country—using their social media activity, including likes of news outlets critical of the UAE—to identify what the firm described as “hostile” individuals during a broader crackdown on political expression in the country.
Information about the database comes from a leaked archive from Geneva-based Alp Services reviewed by Drop Site News. The social media mapping operation resulted in the creation of a series of spreadsheets with over 11,300 entries for Facebook users living in the UAE including their names, places of residence, employment, and other personal information.
The criteria for inclusion in the database—submitted to an Emirati client in January 2018—included liking Facebook pages published by news outlets and political groups deemed hostile to the UAE. Documents contained in the archive show that the firm received €55,000 for the work, carried out under the project code name “Arnica 2.”
The UAE has continued to aggressively monitor social media for any signs of dissent, with hundreds of individuals [detained][3] this year over their online posts related to the Iran war.
The archive was obtained by Mediapart and provided to the reporting consortium European Investigative Collaborations. Drop Site previously [reported][4] on Alp Services’ work for the UAE on a planned smear campaign targeting American Muslims. Other details from the archive were previously [reported][5] by the New Yorker.
Alp Services and the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to requests for comment.
The Facebook mapping project began during a particularly dangerous period for political expression inside the Emirates. In June 2017, amid an escalating confrontation with Qatar—which included a blockade against that country—the country’s general prosecutor [warned][6] that people expressing sympathy for Doha or objections to the government’s measures against it could face up to 15 years in prison. Initial work on the Alp project began one month after this warning.
The Arnica 2 project was proposed to help identify alleged political threats inside the UAE. In addition to cataloging critics of the UAE’s policy toward Qatar, the project also offered to help target alleged supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood—a fixation of the Emirati ruler Mohammed bin Zayed since the Arab Spring.
In a planning document produced by Alp, under the heading “Social media intelligence to identify hostile supporters in your jurisdiction,” the firm laid out the assistance it could offer to Abu Dhabi in its crackdown.
“Through our team of in-house social media intelligence analysts, we could identify hundreds of individuals based in your country that publicly ‘like’ hostile groups, especially the MB,” the firm wrote, offering to use its “proprietary tools and advanced mapping software,” to find “interesting intelligence and new leads.”
Alp identified approximately 1,000 Muslim Brotherhood “supporters” who lived in the UAE, claiming that many of them were employed at different levels of Emirati society or in its security services. “Amongst them, we notably find people who declare working for either the Dubai or the Abu Dhabi police, as well as numerous teachers, students and other employees,” Alp wrote in a July 2017 report. The document, which included personal information about these individuals, some of whose names were duplicated in the archive, did not provide evidence substantiating their affiliation beyond likes for Facebook pages affiliated with the Brotherhood or Arabic-language news outlets critical of UAE policies.
Alp appeared to treat this research as preliminary work that could be used to showcase the services it could offer Abu Dhabi in digging deeper to find possible dissent. “While we already have some preliminary ‘raw’ findings, should the topic be of interest to you, we could launch a full-scale analysis,” a representative of Alp wrote in an August 2017 message.
Thousands of ordinary individuals residing in the country are included in several spreadsheets compiled by Alp for its Emirati client. The lists include individuals identified by their employment as engineers, pharmacists, restaurant workers, and others whose only recorded connection to the investigation was membership in Facebook groups or liked pages.
“We cannot establish what happened to the 11,300 individuals without knowing whether the database was passed to Emirati State Security and subsequently used operationally. But given what we know about Abu Dhabi’s security apparatus, I would be very concerned about the potential consequences”, said Dr. Andreas Krieg, an academic focused on the Middle East at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London.
Krieg added that the UAE has an extensive internal security apparatus based on digital surveillance, intelligence gathering and political profiling. “Its principal objective is not simply to identify criminal activity but to detect and pre-empt any form of political mobilisation outside state control,” he said. “A database containing people’s names, workplaces, residences and alleged political associations would be extremely valuable to that apparatus.”
In addition to this mass sweep of alleged dissidents found on social media, some well-known individuals and organizations involved in political and human rights activism also seem to have been profiled. Among them was a profile belonging to Ahmed Mansoor, identifying his location as Dubai and past employment with the Gulf Center for Human Rights. Mansoor, a prominent Emirati human rights activist who served on the advisory board of the center, had already been arrested in March 2017, several months before the report was compiled. The following year he was sentenced to ten years in prison over Facebook and Twitter posts calling for political reform in the UAE.
## “Strictly Confidential”
An August 28, 2017 working document labeled “client request” listed ten Facebook pages for investigation, with its search links combining a filter for apparent UAE residents with one for people who liked each page. The pages included those for Arabic-language news outlets UAE71, Arabi21, Al Araby, Rassd, UAE Studies, Emirati Affairs, and Al Dabboor.
Three of those outlets—Arabi21, Rassd, and Al-Araby Al-Jadeed—had also appeared in the demands issued to Qatar that June by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt amid the standoff between Doha and those countries over the Arab Spring. The bloc sought their closure, along with Al Jazeera and other outlets it accused Qatar of funding.
Alp outsourced part of the Facebook mapping project to a subcontractor firm called Total Trust Investigations, based in Bucharest, Romania, according to documents in the archive. On August 31, 2017, Alp employee Lionel Badal sent a contact there seven search links and asked for names and profile information to be provided in Excel format.
Total Trust Investigations did not respond to a request for comment.
“Some will be so long that we cannot scroll down to see how many people there are,” he wrote. “Obviously, if your IT can develop a small software to do the job automatically, that would be even better,” he added. “Of course, and as always, this request is strictly confidential.”
Badal forwarded the correspondence to colleagues, including Alp chief Mario Brero, identifying the lists as Arnica 2 material.
In October 2017, Alp’s Emirati contact, Matar Humaid al-Neyadi, who currently serves as the UAE’s ambassador to Kuwait, requested and received a proposal from Alp that set out a 55,000 euro budget for analyzing 10 Facebook pages and their audiences. Internal records show Alp billed that amount to ARIAF Studies and Research LLC in Abu Dhabi in December, and delivered the data on a USB drive the following month.
## Chilled Speech
Alp’s internal documents do not establish what consequences followed from the lists it provided the UAE. But the mapping project came at a time when UAE authorities were increasingly seeking to prosecute online political expression.
The crackdown had roots in the Arab Spring. In 2011, with demands spreading across the region for political change, a group of 133 Emirati citizens signed a petition asking for the establishment of an elected Federal National Council that would enjoy some legislative powers. The request was denied and the government began repressing political dissent of all types, accusing critics of association with the Muslim Brotherhood and even [expanding][7] its efforts globally.
“The Brotherhood has become a catch-all category through which Abu Dhabi can delegitimize political opponents, independent Muslim organisations, journalists, academics and civil society actors. Some of these individuals have genuine connections to Islamist movements. Many do not,” said Krieg. “The underlying logic is guilt by association, where extremely tenuous relationships are transformed into evidence of a supposedly coordinated transnational conspiracy.”
In November 2012, the Emirati government passed a cybercrimes law that set out new offenses, effectively banning criticism of senior Emirati officials and advocacy of political reform. Human Rights Watch officials [described][8] the new law as an attempt to ban “even the most tempered criticism” of Abu Dhabi and its regional policies.
By the time Alp began compiling its Facebook lists, prison sentences for online expression had already become standard practice. In March 2017, a UAE court sentenced Jordanian journalist Tayseer al-Najjar to three years in prison and a large fine over Facebook posts criticizing Egypt, Israel, and Gulf countries. Later that month, academic Nasser bin Ghaith received a ten-year sentence on charges that included comments on Twitter about his treatment in an earlier prosecution. Amnesty International described bin Ghaith as a prisoner of conscience and [denounced][9] the allegations against him based on his social media posts as “ludicrous.”
In July 2024, dozens of defendants in a new mass trial received life sentences for their involvement in a political advocacy group called the Justice and Dignity Committee, which the Emirati government had classified as a terrorist organization. The evidence, and even the allegations against the group—which has been described as an independent advocacy group with no involvement in political violence by Human Rights Watch—has been kept under strict control by the Emirati government. In March 2025, the UAE’s Federal Supreme Court rejected appeals of the convictions.
The archive of Alp documents does not establish that the Arnica 2 project contributed to any of these prosecutions. But in its July 2017 report highlighting the tenuous online connections of teachers and police officers to human rights and civil society groups, the company promised to work harder to find evidence that could be used to determine that they were “hostile supporters” of causes at odds with the Emirati government.
“Of course, further enquiries would be required in order to confirm this initial intelligence,” an Alp representative wrote, “but work is ongoing.”
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[1]: https://givebutter.com/dsn-substack
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[3]: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/06/gulf-states-more-than-1000-arrested-in-sweeping-war-related-crackdown-on-expression/
[4]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/uae-alp-services-muslim-brotherhood
[5]: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/04/03/the-dirty-secrets-of-a-smear-campaign
[6]: https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/06/14/media-blocked-threatened-dispute-qatar
[7]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/uae-alp-services-muslim-brotherhood
[8]: https://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/28/uae-cybercrimes-decree-attacks-free-speech
[9]: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/03/uae-prominent-academic-jailed-for-10-years-over-tweets-in-outrageous-blow-to-freedom-of-expression-2/
[10]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/uae-alp-services-facebook-crackdown/comments
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2026-10-22 15:24:13 UTC

Exclusive: UN abandons Rafah crossing; PHP flaws expose websites; AIPAC ends endorsements
A group of Palestinians arrive at Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis, Gaza, crossing through the Rafah Border Crossing after Israel granted limited passage on February 27, 2026. Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images.
**Thursday, October 22, 2026 –***** ***
***Iran**: President Donald Trump says U.S. “not negotiating” with Iran, signals action “fairly soon.” Iran says seven vessels hit in Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. Israeli fighter jets flew toward Iranian border in provoking exercise. U.S. denies reports of ordered departures from embassies across Gulf.*
***Palestine**: Scoop: UN abandons Rafah crossing as Israel arrests Palestinians returning to Gaza. Gaza faces critical flour shortage as remaining bakeries risk closure within 48 hours. Israeli settlers and soldiers continue attacks on olive harvesters across the occupied West Bank. 409 Israeli attacks on Palestinian olive harvest in the occupied West Bank in three weeks.*
***Yemen**: Four killed in attacks on Saudi Arabia airport, oilfield. Two killed in Taiz as clashes continue. Yemen’s Saudi-backed forces declare gatherings in Ansarallah-held areas “legitimate military targets.” Ansarallah says Saudi Arabia struck vessel carrying 14 Indian nationals in Red Sea.*
***Lebanon**: Israeli ceasefire violations continue across southern Lebanon.*
***U.S.**: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg makes plans to pay California wealth tax. Shape and size of blue wave in House begins to clarify. In Michigan Senate debate, Republican candidate Mike Rogers resorts to Islamophobic talking points. U.S. accuses Canada of interfering in its elections. Trump administration releases heating oil reserves to northeast, aiming to lower consumer costs. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr threatens to punish broadcasters for airing “fake polls.” CBS: Federal agents knock on doors in search for noncitizen voters. DOJ weighs lawsuits against more states over alleged noncitizen voters, possibly before or after the midterms. AIPAC ends endorsements and direct PAC contributions, keeps super PAC and individual fundraising. SCOTUS refuses Trump administration attempt to restrict hormone treatment, surgery for transgender prisoners. TAP: Sen. Roger Marshall’s business partner and donor ran private equity empire behind hospital collapses.*
***International:** Cyber agencies worldwide urge organizations to take sites offline after OpenAI model finds critical PHP flaws. Russian strikes on Kyiv injure six; Ukrainian strikes on Russia kill one and wound 3. German military designates Russian sabotage a “significant” threat. MI5 spied on founder of Britain’s National Health Service for decades, newly declassified documents show. First Ebola case in Nigeria matches strain from Congo. Tunisia imprisons 10 people for protesting pollution. Egyptian authorities question co-founder of independent news outlet Mada Masr. North Korea to deploy border loudspeakers against South Korea. China accuses Philippines of “illegally” resupplying on disputed shoal; Philippines and Taiwan talk about deepening ties. Key opposition leader arrested in Ecuador. El Salvador launches operation to rescue missing personnel in Haiti. U.S. threatens sanctions for countries supporting Cuba at UN, Cuba diplomat says. Mexican prosecutors charge ex-official
with treason over U.S. collaboration.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Iran
* **Trump says U.S. “not negotiating” with Iran, signals action “fairly soon”: **President Donald Trump [said][1] the U.S. is “not negotiating” with Iran and that “something one way or the other” will happen “fairly soon,” pointing to the upcoming U.S. midterm elections.
* “Most people seem to think it’s after the election, and we’re going to see what happens,” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews. Asked whether he had finished negotiating with Tehran, he replied: “No, I think we’re not negotiating.”
* “We are going to have something one way or the other. It’ll happen fairly soon,” he added.
* **Iran says seven vessels hit in Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz:** Forces simultaneously [struck][2] four vessels conducting ship-to-ship oil transfers in the northern Persian Gulf, leaving all four burning, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy claimed Thursday.
* Three other vessels struck naval mines west of the Strait of Hormuz overnight, sustaining damage and catching fire before coming to a halt, according to the IRGC.
* The IRGC said the four vessels had previously used shipping routes it declared prohibited despite Iranian warnings. It accused the U.S. military of encouraging vessels to cross mined routes.
* The IRGC warned that further U.S. involvement in the maritime confrontation could prompt attacks on American military bases across the region.
* **Israeli fighter jets flew toward Iranian border in provoking exercise: **Dozens of Israeli fighter jets and refueling aircraft [flew][3] more than 800 miles through Syrian and Iraqi airspace toward Iran on Monday, following a route consistent with a potential strike before turning back near the Iranian border, according to Axios.
* Israel notified Washington in advance, describing the operation as a training exercise intended to project military power and deter Iranian attacks ahead of Israel’s October 27 elections. U.S. officials said Israel knew Iranian air defenses would detect the aircraft, while some suspected Israel hoped Iran would fire on the jets, providing justification for renewed strikes.
* On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei of allowing renewed nuclear weapons development, declaring that the only way to eliminate the alleged threat was to overthrow Iran’s government. He said he had issued that directive to the Israeli military, Mossad, and security agencies.
* **U.S. denies reports of ordered departures from embassies across Gulf: **State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott [denied][4] reports that Washington was preparing to order some personnel and family members to leave U.S. embassies across the Gulf, calling them “inaccurate,” amid reports of possible new escalation with Iran.
* Pigott said that the State Department had issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only, citing escalating Houthi attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure that have caused casualties and severe travel disruptions.
# Palestine
* **Scoop: UN abandons Rafah crossing as Israel arrests Palestinians returning to Gaza: **The UN informed Palestinian officials that it will stop receiving Palestinians returning from Egypt and coordinating their entry into Gaza starting in mid-November, citing the dangers facing returnees and repeated Israeli arrests, a senior Palestinian source involved in negotiations told Drop Site News.
* The decision follows Israel’s arrest of a Palestinian cancer patient and her daughter on Tuesday, the same day Rafah reopened after a roughly 10-day suspension triggered by the detention of another returnee.
* “The United Nations will ask the parties concerned to provide an alternative entity to assume this responsibility; however, its withdrawal will proceed regardless of whether an alternative is secured,” the source told Drop Site.
* Finding a replacement will be difficult, the source said, as transporting returnees requires coordination with Israel and passage through dangerous areas within the Yellow and Red Line zones. The Red Cross may be the only alternative, but its Gaza office previously declined, the source said, saying the task fell outside its mandate.
* Nearly all Palestinians who leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing are medical evacuees and their companions through a process that is facilitated by the UN. While the UN will continue to facilitate medical evacuations, its decision to stop receiving Palestinians entering Gaza could affect the entire operation of the crossing, the source said, as Egypt might not agree to accept medical evacuees leaving Gaza unless they are allowed to return. Under a negotiated agreement, the number of Palestinians allowed to return into Gaza must equal the number allowed to leave.
* “Maybe the Egyptians will say if no one is allowed to return, we will also not be part of, of receiving one from Gaza, which means at the end that the whole process is blocked,” the source said.
* Drop Site is reaching out to the UN and will update this story when we receive a response.
* **Killed and wounded in Gaza: **Four Palestinians, including a girl, were killed Thursday by Israeli attacks across Gaza. A strike on a vehicle southwest of Gaza City killed two Palestinians, while gunfire and shelling in Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza and west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza killed two other Palestinians, including a 17-year-old girl, Al Jazeera reported.
* Over the past 24 hours, four Palestinians were killed—three in new Israeli attacks and one due to wounds sustained in earlier attacks—and 12 injured across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023, is now 74,498 killed, with 175,616 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,538 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,498, while 841 bodies have been recovered.
* **Gaza faces critical flour shortage as remaining bakeries risk closure within 48 hours:** Flour stocks in Gaza’s warehouses are [completely depleted][5], leaving a 100% shortage and threatening to shut down the seven remaining operational bakeries within 48 hours unless new supplies enter, according to the head of Gaza’s Bakers Association.
* Only seven of Gaza’s 20 bakeries remain operational after Israel closed the crossings over the past week and continued blocking commercial flour imports despite partially reopening them.
* Flour currently available in Gaza’s markets comes from the World Food Programme (WFP), while commercial bakeries dependent on imports through the crossings have stopped operating. The WFP decided on Monday to cut food assistance to more than half a million Palestinians in Gaza due to funding shortages.
* **Israeli settlers and soldiers continue attacks on olive harvesters across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Jenin:** Israeli settlers [attacked][6] Palestinian farmers in Khirbet Al-Makhal on Thursday, forcing them to abandon their harvest before stealing 17 bags of olives and harvesting equipment, WAFA reported.
* Israeli forces [closed][7] roads and village entrances, prevented farmers from reaching their land, and continued bulldozing land for a settlement road, severing the main paved road between Silat Al-Dhahr and Al-Attara.
* **Salfit:** Israeli settlers [assaulted][8] Palestinian olive pickers and foreign solidarity activists in Wadi Yasuf, forcing them to abandon their harvested olives.
* **Qalqilya:** Israeli forces [raided][9] the Al-Wajh area, forcing Palestinian farmers off their land.
* **409 Israeli attacks on Palestinian olive harvest in the occupied West Bank in three weeks:** Israeli settlers and soldiers [carried out][10] 409 attacks against Palestinian olive farmers, their trees, land, and agricultural equipment between October 1 and 21, including 317 by settlers and 92 by Israeli forces, according to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission.
* The commission documented 287 incidents directly targeting farmers, including 50 physical assaults, 14 incidents involving pepper spray or projectiles, and 11 shootings. One Palestinian was killed by settler gunfire while harvesting olives near Burqa, northwest of Nablus, on October 7.
# Yemen
* **Four killed in attacks on Saudi Arabia airport, oilfield:** An attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday [killed][11] two and injured eight others, with injuries ranging from minor to critical, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation.
* Two other people were killed and two wounded when Saudi air defenses shot down a drone targeting Aramco’s Shaybah oilfield, southeast of the Kingdom.
* The Saudi-led coalition also claimed the interception and destruction of nine drones: four in the Eastern Province, one in Riyadh, and four across the Riyadh and Medina regions.
* Ansarallah [claimed][12] attacks targeting Saudi’s Defense Ministry in Riyadh, Aramco facilities in Yanbu, Abha International Airport, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam over the past 48 hours.
* **Two killed in Taiz as clashes continue:** Airstrikes targeted Ansarallah fighters and vehicles in Al-Maafer district, south of Taiz, according to Al Jazeera. Ansarallah-affiliated media also reported three airstrikes on the Al-Sarari area.
* Ansarallah rocket shelling and sniper fire killed two civilians, including a young girl, and wounded five others, including women, children, and elderly people, across several areas of Taiz on Wednesday, according to Saudi-backed forces.
* **Yemen’s Saudi-backed forces declare gatherings in Ansarallah-held areas “legitimate military targets”: **Yemen’s Saudi-backed government [declared][13] that tribal rallies and other civilian public gatherings in areas controlled by Ansarallah will be treated as “legitimate military targets.”
* In a statement, its Defense Ministry warned civilians not to attend gatherings like tribal mobilizations, mass rallies or “cultural courses,” which it said Ansarallah uses to recruit “children, young people” and send them “into the furnaces of death.”
* Under international law, civilians at such gatherings cannot be targeted unless they are directly taking part in hostilities. The Saudi-led coalition has hit civilian gatherings before. In one incident, in an October 2016 strike on a funeral hall in Sana’a, the Saudi coalition killed more than 140 Yemenis.
* **Ansarallah says Saudi Arabia struck vessel carrying 14 Indian nationals in Red Sea: **Saudi forces [targeted][14] an Indian yacht carrying 14 Indian nationals near Zuqar Island in the Red Sea, close to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to Ansarallah military spokesperson Yahya Saree. He claimed Ansarallah forces were conducting rescue operations.
* “This reckless act by the Saudi enemy threatens international navigation in the Red Sea, and the international community must stop the Saudi enemy from such irresponsible actions,” Saree said.
# Lebanon
* **Israeli ceasefire violations continue across southern Lebanon:**
* **Nabatieh:** Israeli forces [struck][15] Kfartibnit on Thursday, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
* **Marjayoun:** Israeli forces [carried out][16] large explosions in Bani Hayyan and Markaba, while warplanes struck Qantara.
* **Tyre (Sour):** Israeli artillery shelled Wadi Zibqin, while a drone dropped a stun grenade near a fishing boat off the coast of Al-Amriyeh.
* **Hasbaya: **An Israeli force of approximately 20 soldiers and four tanks advanced toward the Nabaa Al-Khoukh area, firing machine guns and conducting raids.
# U.S. News
* **Zuckerberg, Meta making plans to pay California wealth tax: **Economist **[Gabriel Zucman][17]**[ spotted][18] a revelation in Meta’s recent SEC filing that **Mark Zuckerberg** intends to pay the one-time 5% wealth tax that California is voting on in two weeks. ([Polls show the measure][19] losing narrowly.) Zuckerberg has threatened to leave California if the tax is approved, but the filing suggests he was bluffing. Meta [announced][20] a deal Wednesday that would allow him to sell non-voting shares to cover the wealth tax.
* **Shape and size of blue wave in House begins to clarify:** Republican polling analyst **Sean Trende** of Real Clear Politics has been among the loudest voices cautioning that the media may be overestimating the size of the Democratic wave that is forming. So he teamed up with Emerson to put 10 polls into the field to test key House races in Republican-leaning districts. What he found spells disaster for Republicans: Democrats are winning in nine of the 10.
* In Mighigan’s seventh district, **Will Lawrence**—who led the push against data centers and regularly condemned Israel’s genocide in Gaza—is up by a striking 8 points over incumbent Republican** Tom Barrett**.
* In western North Carolina, a seat currently held by Republicans, the Democrat, farmer **Jamie Ager**, is up by 13 (!) in a district that Republicans won by 13 points in 2024.
* Union smokejumper **Sam Forstag, **backed in the primary by **AOC** and other progressives, is up by 4 in Montana’s first district.
* The wave could also wash out prominent Republicans: **Ann Wagner **has represented Missouri’s St. Louis suburbs since 2012, serving as a powerful subcommittee chair on Financial Services, but is down five in Trende’s poll.
* Populist Scranton Mayor **Paige Cognetti**, meanwhile, is up four against lobbyist-turned-congressman **Rob Bresnahan**.
* The only race Trende found Republicans winning was in Arkansas.
* In another North Carolina race, antiwar Democrat **Richard Ojeda**, a retired Army Major, is in a [close race][21] to represent Ft. Bragg, a seat currently held by **Richard Hudson**, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee. In other words, the congressman who is leading the Republican effort to hold on to the majority may himself lose his seat—a fate that almost never befalls the chair of such a committee.
* On Friday, AOC will rally with **Randy Villegas** in Bakersfield, California, part of the left’s effort to prove their brand of populism can work not just in deep blue districts but against Republican incumbents.
* **In debate, Mike Rogers resorts to Islamophobic talking points:** Michigan Republican **Mike Rogers** threw an incoherent mad lib of Islamophobic talking points at **Abdul El-Sayed** in last night’s debate. “He asked the new Muslim Brotherhood head Morsi in Egypt to defund the police there too,” [Rogers said][22]. Otherwise, El-Sayed hammered Rogers repeatedly for his support of Trump’s war on Iran and for the resulting cost-of-living crisis.
* **U.S. accuses Canada of interfering in its elections: **The U.S. embassy in Ottawa [released][23] a “fact sheet” to journalists on Wednesday accusing several prominent Canadian politicians of interfering in its elections, including Industry Minister **Mélanie Joly**, Ontario Premier **Doug Ford**, Liberal MP **Anthony Housefather,** and **Bernadette Jordan**. Prime Minister **Mark Carney** brushed off the allegations at a Wednesday conference, and Ford, who was accused of interference, directly denied the charge.
* Separately on Wednesday, two ranking Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, **Mark Warner **(D-Va.) and **Jim Himes **(D-Conn.), [announced][24] that they were anticipating that Trump might attempt to undermine the midterm election results by claiming foreign election interference, and that they were ready to contest these claims should they surface on Election Day.
* **Trump administration releases heating oil reserves to northeast, aiming to lower consumer costs: **The Trump administration [announced][25] on Wednesday that it will release up to one-third of Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve in an effort to lower fuel costs in the area. The move also comes as Maine’s Republican Senator **Susan Collins **battles for re-election against **Troy Jackson**, a former logger and state senator. About 3% of U.S. households rely on heating oil, most of them in the Northeast; its price has more than doubled to $6.14 a gallon over the last year. Home heating oil is closely related to diesel, which has seen the biggest spike in price.
* **Carr threatens to punish broadcasters for airing “fake polls”: Brendan Carr**, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission, [warned][26] broadcasters on Wednesday they could be punished for sharing polls the administration believes deceive viewers. Echoing Trump, who frequently complains about poll numbers, he wrote on X that “During this election season, there has been a significant surge in entirely Fake Polls and Suppression Polls,” and “advised” them ”to avoid engaging in News Distortions or running Broadcast Hoaxes. ”
* **CBS: Federal agents knock on doors in search for noncitizen voters: **DHS agents, armed and in uniform, are [knocking on ][27]doors in several states to ask residents about their immigration status and to see if they have registered to vote, according to a CBS investigation published on Wednesday. The visits scaled up in September and continued over the weekend, the report notes, with one party descending on the home of a 72-year-old Belizean-American, who the administration alleges voted illegally and who the party seized from his home in his pajamas. In one video of such an operation published by the agency, agents are filmed holding a document that says, “Target List.”
* The deployments are highly unusual. “In my 23 years with HSI, I never engaged in or was aware of any incident or initiative that sent Special Agents to private residences to verify the eligibility of voters,” a former Homeland Security Investigations official told the outlet.
* **DOJ weighs lawsuits against more states over alleged noncitizen voters, possibly before or after the midterms**: After filing suit against California, a DOJ official [told][28] NBC News the department is considering suing additional states, focusing on those that automatically mail ballots to registered voters, though the official wouldn’t name them. California does so, as do seven other all-mail states (Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington) plus Washington, D.C. The official said DOJ will keep pressing California to segregate the disputed ballots and believes it can do so for 30 days after Election Day while counties certify results, but wouldn’t say whether DOJ would seek to delay certification there or elsewhere, which would be a major escalation.
* The California suit is under scrutiny over the list’s reliability. Los Angeles County’s sample review found nearly half the records were canceled or inactive registrations, over 70 percent had no voting history, and roughly one in four listed a U.S. birthplace.
* **AIPAC ends endorsements and direct PAC contributions, keeps super PAC and individual fundraising**: AIPAC [announced][29] Wednesday that after three cycles of direct political involvement through AIPAC PAC, it will no longer issue endorsements, make direct PAC contributions or earmark donations to candidates. It noted, however, that its United Democracy Project super PAC would continue. A letter to members, signed by President **Bernie Kaminetsky**, Board Chair **Michael Tuchin**, President-Elect **Yehuda Neuberger** and CEO **Elliot Brandt**, says the change follows a months-long board review and will let the group “prioritize increasing direct, organized contributions from individual Americans to candidates” and use “emerging political fundraising tools.” Staff and local leaders will still recommend candidates “worthy of your support.”
* Spokesperson** Deryn Sousa** said members gave over $90 million to candidates this cycle, including earmarked gifts, versus over $3 million in direct PAC donations, and PACs are capped at $10,000 per candidate per cycle. She called UDP “one of the most important tool” for defeating “anti-Israel candidates” and said AIPAC helped 290 candidates win this cycle.
* **SCOTUS refuses Trump administration attempt to restrict hormone treatment, surgery for transgender prisoners**: The Supreme Court on Wednesday [declined][30] to lift a lower judge’s block on a Bureau of Prisons policy that would restrict hormone treatments for prisoners now receiving them and stop providing accommodations like hair-removal devices. Justices **Clarence Thomas** and** Samuel Alito** publicly dissented.
* **Meta hit with $25 billion fine for deceiving users**: On Wednesday, Judge **Francis J. Mathew **of Santa Fe’s State District Court [issued][31] a $25 billion penalty against Meta for “purposefully” misleading users about its data-privacy policies. Last month, a jury found that Meta violated state consumer-protection laws 43 million times.
* **TAP: Sen. Roger Marshall’s business partner and donor ran private equity empire behind hospital collapses**: Kansas private equity magnate **Dan Tasset**, whose firm Nueterra says it has developed more than 150 surgical facilities across 38 states, has been Kansas Senator **Roger Marshall**’s business partner for nearly 30 years. Tasset and his employees have given Marshall’s campaigns over $218,000, and a Tasset-affiliated company gave $100,000 to a pro-Marshall super PAC in 2020. In addition, Marshall’s son Victor has worked for a Tasset-owned entity since 2019 and lives in a Washington property whose authorized agent is Tasset.
* Several hospitals owned by Nueterra have collapsed, The American Prospect reported. Two Noble Health hospitals that closed in Missouri in 2022 owed creditors an estimated $45 to $50 million. More than 440 employees went unpaid, and the Labor Department estimated worker damages at $5.4 million. Another hospital, Miami International Medical Center, closed in 2016 with $15.2 million in unpaid bills.
* Read the American Prospect report by David Dayen and Maureen Tkacik [here][32].
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Cyber agencies worldwide urge organizations to take sites offline after OpenAI model finds critical PHP flaws**: U.S., European, Australian, and Canadian cyber agencies [urged][33] organizations Wednesday to take websites offline immediately if they can’t patch “critical errors” in the PHP coding language, foundational for much of the web. The Israeli-American cloud computing firm Wiz estimates that up to 70 percent of the internet could be affected by the bug. The NSA said the flaws “often provide a direct path to the server’s file system or database” and advised taking systems offline if an update isn’t feasible. CISA said it had not observed exploitation.
* The PHP Foundation issued patches Wednesday. Sites already offline included Dutch and Belgian cyber agencies, several Finnish and Dutch government sites, a French domain name organization and the main page of the French tax portal.
* **Russian strikes on Kyiv injure six; Ukrainian strikes on Russia kill one and wound 3: **Russian forces [launched][34] ballistic missiles at Kyiv on Wednesday, injuring six people. The attacks also damaged homes, a gas station, and transport equipment.
* In the Russian border region of Belgorod, Ukrainian drone strikes [killed][35] one man and wounded another. Near Moscow, Ukrainian strikes wounded two people.
* **German military designates Russian sabotage a “significant” threat: **The German military [labeled][36] the threat of Russian sabotage against it “significant,” according to the German news outlets WDR and Sueddeutsche Zeitung. This is the second-highest designation on the country’s internal threat scale. The escalation was reportedly triggered in September by the discovery of a crashed drone carrying high explosives near an air base in northwestern Germany. This incident crossed a “red line of harmful intent involving kinetic and/or lethal effect,” an internal document said. Russia denies involvement in the episode.
* **MI5 spied on founder of Britain’s National Health Service for decades, newly declassified documents show: **Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, secretly [monitored][37] Nye Bevan, the architect of Britain’s National Health Service, for three decades because of his links to the Communist Party and his criticism of the British government during World War Two, according to newly declassified documents. MI5 spied on Bevan from 1933 until his death in 1960. The agency did not believe that he posed a threat to the country. An MI5 memo written in 1955 said, “What information we have on Bevan’s relations with the Communist Party since 1943 show that from time to time both the Communist Party and the Trotskyists have made attempts to get him to work with them without success.”
* **First Ebola case in Nigeria matches strain from Congo: **Nigeria’s first Ebola patient is infected with the Bundibugyo strain that has spread widely across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, news agencies [reported][38]. There is no vaccine or treatment for the strain. The Nigerian patient infected by Ebola is a diplomat who traveled to Uganda earlier this month. She is experiencing “multi-organ failure,” an unnamed official told AFP.
* **Tunisia imprisons 10 people for protesting pollution: **A Tunisian court [sentenced][39] 10 environmental activists to up to a year in prison on Tuesday. They were found guilty of a 2020 protest against a state-run phosphate processing factory, which can discharge radioactive waste and gases known to cause cancer. The 10 activists believed that the case against them had been dropped. In March, they learned that the state sentenced them in absentia.
* **Egyptian authorities question co-founder of independent news outlet Mada Masr: **Egyptian authorities [summoned][40] Lina Attalah, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Mada Masr, for questioning on Tuesday. The summons followed Mada Masr reporting on violations of Egyptian prisoners’ rights. “Prosecutors have been investigating Mada Masr Editor-in-Chief Lina Attalah for three hours at the headquarters of the Supreme State Security Prosecution in New Cairo,” Mada Masr wrote on X. “Her defence team has been present with her throughout the questioning. The investigation session is ongoing.”
* **North Korea to deploy border loudspeakers against South Korea: **Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, [announced][41] that North Korea would place loudspeakers on the border by the end of October, Reuters reported. Both countries have historically placed loudspeakers on their border to broadcast propaganda. Kim said that newly-repositioned troops would “mercilessly eliminate” South Korean forces if it harmed North Korean personnel or territory.
* **China accuses Philippines of “illegally” resupplying on disputed shoal; Philippines and Taiwan talk about deepening ties: **The Chinese Coast Guard [monitored][42] a Philippine ship conducting a resupply operation on the Second Thomas Shoal, and said that the Philippine vessel was “illegally grounded” there. China claims the shoal as its territory.
* Separately, the Philippines is engaging in “practical and more pragmatic approaches in cooperation” with Taiwan, a Philippine diplomat [said][43] on Wednesday. The talks focus on protecting submarine cables. Officially, the Philippines recognizes China’s sovereign control over Taiwan.
* **Key opposition leader arrested in Ecuador:** Ecuadorian authorities [detained][44] Luisa González, the left-wing Citizens’ Revolution movement’s two-time presidential candidate, on Thursday on charges related to alleged money laundering and irregular campaign financing. The arrest of a key opposition figure comes after González was prevented from running for political office in the province of Manabí and follows an earlier ban of her political party from contesting elections set to take place at the end of November. President Daniel Noboa, who defeated González in the 2025 runoff, has faced accusations that his government is using state institutions to target political opponents.
* **El Salvador launches operation to rescue missing personnel in Haiti: **The El Salvadoran military launched an operation to rescue four missing personnel in Haiti, Reuters [reported][45]. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele claimed that Haitian gangs kidnapped the four Salvadorans and are holding them hostage. The four Salvadorans, working for the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, went missing on Sunday after heavily armed gangs ambushed their vehicle near Port-au-Prince.
* **U.S. threatens sanctions for countries supporting Cuba at UN, Cuba diplomat says: **Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez [accused][46] the U.S. of threatening UN member states with sanctions if they vote next week to end the U.S. embargo of Cuba. Rodriguez said the U.S. threats comprise an “unprecedented” pressure campaign conducted in “a brazen manner.” U.S. punishments include visa denials, economic sanctions, and even “support for forces opposed to those governments,” Rodriguez told reporters. Earlier this week, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz publicly called on UN member states to oppose the resolution. The vote on the resolution, which is recorded annually, has passed by wide margins every year since 1992.
* **Mexican prosecutors charge ex-official with treason over U.S. collaboration: **Mexican federal prosecutors [imposed][47] a rarely used treason charge on Cesar Jauregui, a state prosecutor accused of allowing U.S. forces to take part in an April drug raid in Chihuahua without the federal government’s approval. Jauregui will be held in pretrial detention until the court decides if evidence is sufficient to proceed.
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[1]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2113128877245465041
[2]: https://en.mehrnews.com/news/248811/4-vessels-hit-by-IRGC-3-others-hit-mine-in-Strait-of-Hormuz
[3]: https://www.axios.com/2026/10/21/israel-military-training-sortie-iran-border
[4]: https://x.com/statedeptspox/status/2112988488379273237?s=46
[5]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/22/%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B2-%D8%B9%D8%AC%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D8%BA%D8%B2%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%B5%D9%84-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89
[6]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/22/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A3%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B3-%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%87-%D9%81%D9%8A
[7]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/22/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%BA%D9%84%D9%82-%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%82%D8%A7-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AE%D9%84-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%89-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82-%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86
[8]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/22/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%B6%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86
[9]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/22/%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A9
[10]: https://www.cwrc.ps/page-5165-ar.html
[11]: https://x.com/ksagaca/status/2113186026919473479?s=46
[12]: https://x.com/yah_saree/status/2113238947392291164?s=46
[13]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2113061542878937501
[14]: https://x.com/yah_saree/status/2113209931541143558?s=46
[15]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/569853/%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D9%83%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%AA-10
[16]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/569888/%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A8%D8%A7-2
[17]: https://x.com/gabriel_zucman/status/2113231350991921353?s=20
[18]: https://x.com/gabriel_zucman/status/2113231350991921353?s=20
[19]: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/19/california-billionaire-tax-poll-01125462
[20]: https://www.reuters.com/business/meta-strikes-deal-keep-zuckerberg-california-after-wealth-tax-concerns-2026-10-22/
[21]: https://x.com/cjwarnke/status/2112877300215910821?s=20
[22]: https://x.com/ryangrim/status/2113264351368909231?s=20
[23]: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/21/us-embassy-canada-election-meddling-01130763
[24]: https://www.npr.org/2026/10/21/nx-s1-6011170/democrats-election-interference-preparations-president-trump
[25]: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/21/trump-heating-oil-maine-senate-01129053
[26]: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/21/carr-broadcasters-political-polls-01129194
[27]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-agents-seek-noncitizen-voters/
[28]: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/report-trump-doj-considers-suing-more-states-to-control-ballot-counting-before-or-after-the-midterms/
[29]: https://jewishinsider.com/2026/10/aipac-end-candidate-endorsements-pac-contributions/
[30]: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/6162801-supreme-court-trump-transgender-inmate-treatment/
[31]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/21/technology/meta-penalty-new-mexico.html
[32]: https://prospect.org/2026/10/21/a-major-roger-marshall-donor-is-a-hospital-bandit/
[33]: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/21/php-cyber-vulnerability-openai-warning-01129058
[34]: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukrainian-capital-under-missile-attack-explosions-seen-city-2026-10-21/
[35]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/22/missiles-strike-ukraine-s-kyiv-reuters-witness-says
[36]: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/germanys-military-warns-significant-russian-sabotage-threat-2026-10-21/
[37]: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britains-mi5-spied-nhs-founder-bevan-secret-documents-show-2026-10-21/
[38]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/21/nigerias-first-ebola-case-matches-dr-congo-strain-health-officials-say
[39]: https://www.newarab.com/news/tunisia-sentences-10-anti-pollution-activists-over-protest
[40]: https://www.newarab.com/news/mada-masr-editor-chief-questioned-egyptian-prosecutors
[41]: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-koreas-kim-yo-jong-warns-south-korea-says-border-loudspeakers-be-ready-2026-10-21/
[42]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/21/china-s-coast-guard-monitors-the-philippines-resupplying-vessel-at-disputed-shoal
[43]: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/philippines-exploring-deeper-cooperation-with-taiwan-protect-cables-2026-10-21/
[44]: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/former-presidential-candidate-gonzalez-arrested-ecuador-2026-10-22/
[45]: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/el-salvador-says-haiti-gangs-holding-4-force-members-hostage-announces-new-2026-10-21/
[46]: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/top-cuban-diplomat-accuses-us-threatening-countries-that-vote-with-cuba-united-2026-10-21/
[47]: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-revives-rare-treason-charge-against-former-state-prosecutor-2026-10-21/
[48]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/iran-war-israel-netanyahu-trump-hormuz-mohsen-rezaei
[49]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/mike-rogers-puts-spotlight-on-failed-benghazi
[50]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[51]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[52]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[53]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/un-rafah-gaza-israel-php-flaws-websites-aipac-end-endorsements

2026-10-21 21:24:14 UTC

The War Tehran Believes Is Coming
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People walk past a banner depicting the portraits of Iran's former supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (L), Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (C), and slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) in Tehran on October 21, 2026. Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images.
The U.S. and Israel are preparing to resume attacks on Iran, according to senior Iranian officials and a U.S. official, and may even launch operations before next week’s Israeli elections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting for his political life, and the Israeli press is rife with reports that he is looking for a way to exploit the Iran standoff to his advantage. In the U.S., President Donald Trump’s approval ratings are at historic lows, and the midterm elections are less than two weeks away.
Iran’s top security official, Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and personal representative of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, told Drop Site that, in the event of an attack, Iran still has capacity to continue launching missiles and drones at various U.S. assets across the region in retaliation and that it would expand its range of targets.
“If the question is whether Iran still has the ability to continue missile and drone operations, the answer is yes,” Rezaei said in an exclusive written interview. “The United States has valuable assets in the region. In the event of war, cables, data centers and artificial intelligence facilities could also come within range. If the conflict begins again, we will have a broader plan.”
“Everyone must understand that action against Iran carries a cost,” he added. “If diplomacy can bring about that understanding, we prefer diplomacy. But if the war continues, Iran has the tools it needs to keep responding.”
A senior Iranian official told Drop Site that Tehran’s current internal intelligence assessment indicates a high likelihood that large-scale bombing may even begin before Tuesday’s Israeli elections. “Trump has sat on Iran’s proposed package for ending the war, and negotiations have stalled,” said the official, who is not authorized to speak publicly. “Contrary to the show he is putting on, Trump has no clear or actionable plan for [ending] the war with Iran. This has been the cause of a diplomatic deadlock.” He warned that Iran should not be underestimated, claiming, “Should another war against Iran begin, given our knowledge of the patterns of American force deployment in the countries of the region, their casualty figures will be ten times higher.”
The White House denied it was planning to strike Iran in the next two weeks. “The United States will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the midterm elections,” White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to Drop Site.
Tehran believes Israel would be tasked with firing the first shots, the senior Iranian official said, aimed at “destroying Iran’s newly deployed air defense systems, in order to open the path for American bombers.” The U.S., he said, would likely focus on attacking Iran’s southern defense systems along the Strait of Hormuz and potentially attempt to seize one of the islands off the Iranian mainland after heavy bombing. Trump, he said, is continuing his quest for a notable action that he can use to proclaim victory, adding that Iran believes he may seek to launch a “token” attack on one of Iran’s underground nuclear sites, such as Pickaxe Mountain, and subsequently portray it as a definitive blow. “Trump is flat-out lying about Iran’s nuclear program,” the official said.
A U.S. official confirmed to Drop Site that military assets are being moved rapidly into place in preparation for an expected green light from Trump. Among the American officials pushing for renewed attacks is U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Bradley Cooper, the official said. “CENTCOM is putting all the pieces into place to renew major combat operations,” added the official, who is not authorized to discuss war plans. He was skeptical the war would resume before the Israeli elections, but conceded, “We did start Epic Fury without all our assets in place.”
The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit are [heading][3] to the Middle East, bringing approximately 10,000 additional sailors and Marines to the region. The Roosevelt, which departed Japan on Monday, could reach the region by the end of next week ahead of its initially expected deployment slated for late November. It will join the USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington, both currently in the Arabian Sea.
While the U.S. official said the likelihood of new U.S.-Israeli attacks was high, he acknowledged that Trump has gone to the brink of military action and pulled back more times than is publicly known. “Trump has backed off major combat operations against Iran or the Houthis seven times since July,” the U.S. official said, referring to Ansarallah, who launched a major offensive against Saudi-backed groups in Yemen. “At the last minute, he calls it off.”
Netanyahu, who is behind in the polls, claimed Wednesday without evidence that Iran was actively working on the development of a nuclear weapon and said he had ordered the Israeli military to prepare for preemptive action. “The Iranian regime still has not learned its lesson. Mojtaba Khamenei decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. He has taken off the safety, and Iran is once again trying to develop its weapons of death,” Netanyahu said. “There is only one way to remove this threat once and for all, to topple the regime in Iran, and that is my directive to the IDF, the Mossad and the security agencies.”
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Analysts say that Trump is continuing to pursue an elusive clean victory narrative, while Netanyahu understands this may be his last chance at continuing the war he has agitated for his entire political career.
“This is Netanyahu’s last chance to do so. And he’s not going to leave until he turns every stone to be able to achieve it. Particularly knowing that either his career is going to end or the United States is going to go in a direction in which this no longer will be an option,” said Trita Parsi, a leading Iran expert and the executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute. “Trump, I suspect, has already made a decision that he’s going to go to war,” he added. “The Israelis have been very successful playing to his psychology, which is that he’s willing to take massive risks as long as he has the belief that it can get him a victory so that he avoids accepting defeat, which is so crucial for him. But it is a massive miscalculation that will make the situation 100 times worse.”
The intersection of Trump’s and Netanyahu’s political interests increases the chances that the war will resume, argues former senior U.S. Iran negotiator Robert Malley. “Netanyahu may want a longer campaign with broader objectives. Trump may want something shorter that he could quickly get out of. The overlap between the two might well be an intensive campaign that doesn’t last too long,” said Malley, a key figure in brokering the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. “President Trump may want a victory lap and an exit ramp. But as has been proven time and time again, the exit is not decided by him alone,” said Malley, who currently directs the Middle East Program at the International Crisis Group. “There is every reason to believe the Iranians are preparing all kinds of steps, whether by them or by their regional partners, whether in or out of theater, to ensure that however much he wants a victory lap and an exit ramp, he is deprived of both.”
## **“We Are Prepared for the Next Stage”**
Gen. Rezaei is one of the most prominent military figures in modern Iranian history. A former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, he was tapped to serve as the top military advisor to Khamenei in August. His comments are often viewed as reflecting the consensus at the top of Iran’s power structure. He told Drop Site that despite U.S. claims to have “obliterated” or “decimated” Iran’s military infrastructure, Iran spent decades preparing for a broader war waged by the U.S.
Gen. Mohsen Rezaei attends a ceremony at Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's shrine in southern Tehran, Iran, on June 4, 2026. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images.
“Iran has invested for years in building redundancy into these capabilities: dispersed production, underground facilities, different launch systems and the ability to repair damage and replace losses,” Rezaei told Drop Site. “More importantly, you should not assess our capacity solely by asking how many missiles remain in storage. In a prolonged war, the central question is whether a country can sustain a continuous cycle of production, deployment and response. We have shown that, even months after the war began, we can still impose costs on the other side.”
Rezaei also indicated that Tehran would deploy new capabilities in its retaliatory response. “We did not deploy all our capabilities in the previous stages. We brought more capabilities into operation in proportion to the intensity of the war, and we are also prepared for the next stage,” Rezaei said.
During the war, Iran carried out at least 135 drone and missile strikes on 84 critical infrastructure sites across seven countries—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, according to a [Reuters investigation][4]. While Gulf governments repeatedly attributed the damage to falling debris from intercepted Iranian missiles and drones, the investigation found evidence of deliberate, precision strikes targeting critical equipment. The attacks demonstrated “precision, targeting expertise, and patience,” Ryan Stevens, a former U.S. Marine Corps special operations airstrike coordinator, told Reuters.
Echoing Rezaei’s warning about communications infrastructure, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson, Hossein Mohebi, also threatened to target internet cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. launched renewed attacks. Mohebi further [warned][5] Monday that another U.S. military operation would trigger a global energy crisis. “If America takes a new action—even a limited one—the world will face a serious energy crisis,” he told the Tehran Times.
Rezaei did not rule out targeting energy infrastructure in Gulf states as a retaliatory measure. “If the U.S. strategy is to prolong the war while using neighboring countries’ energy infrastructure to offset the pressure arising from Hormuz and maintain the blockade of Iran, those governments should not assume they can participate in economic warfare against Iran without putting themselves at risk,” he said. “The message is not that Iran wants to destroy the Persian Gulf’s energy system. The message is that there can be no arrangement in which Iran’s economic lifelines come under attack while the economic architecture enabling those attacks is considered untouched and immune.”
The senior Iranian official said Trump’s approach to Iran has been focused on short-term objectives that are often disconnected from geopolitical realities or core U.S. interests, likening him to a day trader. “The wartime secrecy surrounding military operations has given him and his family exclusive and extraordinary access to information regarding forthcoming actions and the state of the markets—access that benefits only those closest to him,” he said. “Perpetuating the current situation will carry strategic consequences, not least that the energy markets will not find calm for the next three years. The continuation of this war has shifted the dynamics of relations in Iran’s favor, as the littoral states of the Persian Gulf are rapidly redefining their relationship with Iran, having become convinced that the U.S. military is incapable of defending its own bases, this at a time when those same states had expected America to defend their countries.”
Iranian officials have said repeatedly that Iran will not back away from its red lines in any negotiations, consistently pointing to Tehran’s acceptance of the June 17 Memorandum of Understanding, which was swiftly violated by the U.S., leading to a breakdown in the diplomatic process in early July.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he presented a “Seven-Day Plan” to the U.S. through mediators at last month’s UN General Assembly, outlining steps for an end to the war and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. “Under this proposal, the U.S. would not be expected to do anything that it has not already agreed to,” Araghchi [wrote][6] in an op-ed for the Financial Times on Wednesday. He said the framework’s steps and outcome were clear: “The Strait would reopen on Day 6, with the resumption of talks for a final deal commencing on Day 7.” Araghchi [claimed][7] in an interview with Iraqi television that the U.S. had accepted the seven-day proposal but requested the addition of a “few more clauses,” adding that diplomatic contacts through mediators remain ongoing.
“As President Trump stated, Iran is in very bad condition, both economically and militarily, and the blockade will remain in full force and effect, with oil flowing in record numbers of barrels through the Hormuz Strait,” Kelly told Drop Site in a statement.
Rezaei told Drop Site that Iran’s negotiating strategy has evolved as a result of Trump’s unreliability. “We will not return to our previous approach to diplomacy, but we will not abandon diplomacy either. We have presented seven new conditions through intermediaries. Until those conditions are fulfilled, Iran will neither reopen the strait nor return to negotiations,” Rezaei said. “The first memorandum failed because the commitments were implemented in the wrong order. We opened the strait and maritime traffic resumed, but the other side’s political and economic commitments were not implemented in a way that could sustain the agreement. Once the United States obtained what it immediately needed, the balance of leverage shifted. That experience matters to us.”
“If Washington honors its commitments, there is a path to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and continuing diplomacy,” he continued. “But Iran will not first give up the leverage that brought the other side to the negotiating table and then wait to see whether its promises are fulfilled.”
Parsi said that Iran is not eager to resume the war, but has recognized that the diplomatic track has been treated by the U.S. as an ultimatum operation masquerading as negotiations. “Their conclusion—based on extensive experience with Trump now—is that he simply won’t back off unless his policy is reaching a cost to him that is intolerable. And that it’s not concessions or face saving exits that will get Trump to back off, but simply that the policy becomes too costly.”
Attacks on ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz have surged to a record high in recent weeks, with more than two dozen vessels reporting attacks so far in October, according to data released Friday by the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency. The agency said the actual number was likely far higher, as the “majority of vessels attacked” were refusing to report incidents.
The IRGC reported further attacks over the weekend and into Tuesday, including a supertanker carrying two million barrels of oil struck Saturday, another tanker hit Sunday, and two tankers that it said caught fire Tuesday after striking naval mines south of the Strait. Iran says it is targeting vessels violating its maritime restrictions or using unauthorized shipping routes.
“Over the past two or three months, we have struck an average of five vessels belonging to these smugglers every night,” Rezaei said. “Smuggling is taking place along the southern edge of the strait at enormous cost and with considerable risk. Trump then says the Strait of Hormuz is open.”
Despite the escalating attacks, oil exports from the Middle East appear to have rebounded past prewar levels, primarily through tanker-to-tanker transfers in the Gulf of Oman, and expanded use of Saudi and Emirati pipelines bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. However, oil prices remain high, hovering well above $100 per barrel of Brent crude amid fears of the ongoing attacks and diminishing U.S. fuel stockpiles. “The current price of oil reflects the reality,” Rezaei said.
“The management of Hormuz is a national asset for us, and this is not simply about collecting tolls. The main issue is security,” he continued. “Charges can also be collected for security, insurance and environmental costs, but the importance of managing the strait goes far beyond the revenue it generates,” he said. “We will continue managing it to maintain peace and security in the region, and we will not back down from this position.”
The senior Iranian official said that the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz “has become the new pretext—the nuclear issue, previously, was a lie upon which the war was launched—for the United States to prolong the war.” Trump, he charged, “has fallen into the trap of prolonging what was advertised as the shortest of wars.” A “war of attrition,” he said, “will work to Iran’s advantage and to America’s detriment.”
The war has had a devastating impact on Iran’s economy. As part of its escalation over the summer, the U.S. reimposed a blockade on Iran’s southern ports and launched a new campaign of sanctions dubbed Operation Economic Outcast. The Iranian rial subsequently collapsed, falling to record lows, making imports dramatically more expensive and imposing even more scarcity on people in Iran.
“Iran will suffer from a prolonged blockade; anyone who says otherwise is not being realistic. Families will bear the costs, investment will suffer, and sustaining some sectors of the economy will become more difficult. But economic pain and strategic collapse are not the same thing,” Rezaei said. “Washington has repeatedly made the mistake of assuming that, if it can make life inside Iran difficult enough, Iran’s political system will consequently accept America’s strategic demands. These are two different calculations.”
“Our goal is not to make it to 2029. Our goal is to end the war on terms that reduce the likelihood of another war.”
*Sharif Abdel Kouddous contributed to this report. This article is published in collaboration with [Egab][8].*
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[1]: https://givebutter.com/dsn-substack
[2]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe?
[3]: https://x.com/jengriffinfnc/status/2112562701872283885?s=46
[4]: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/iran-crisis-infrastructure-attacks/
[5]: https://en.mehrnews.com/news/248723/World-to-face-serious-energy-crisis-if-US-resumes-war-on-Iran
[6]: https://www.ft.com/content/61bf9676-ea46-4956-b87f-6ab096accafa
[7]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86298957/US-accepted-Iran-s-seven-day-proposal-but-sought-additional-terms
[8]: http://www.egab.co/
[9]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/iran-war-israel-netanyahu-trump-hormuz-mohsen-rezaei/comments
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https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/iran-war-israel-netanyahu-trump-hormuz-mohsen-rezaei

2026-10-21 19:57:29 UTC

Mike Rogers Puts Spotlight on Failed Benghazi Probe in Final Weeks of Senate Race
In a legal threat issued to Drop Site News last week, attorneys representing former Rep. Mike Rogers and Kristi Rogers took issue [with our recent reporting][1] that Aegis, a security firm whose American subsidiary was run by Kristi Rogers, was the recipient of major U.S. contracts—in particular, a $1.017 billion contract to protect the Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan—including while Rogers was chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Rogers is the Republican candidate for Senate in Michigan. Drop Site reported that Aegis had done work in Libya and was pursuing further contracts at the same time that Rogers was overseeing an investigation into the 2012 attack on a U.S. compound that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.
The attorneys argued it was defamatory to report:
> **That Aegis, under Mrs. Rogers’s leadership, performed U.S. government work in Libya and was connected to the September 2012 attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi. **The Article’s section on Libya states that “[t]he pursuit of further contracts took Aegis to Libya,” describes Aegis’s presence in Tripoli, and then immediately recounts the tragic Benghazi terrorist attack, followed by a section titled “After Benghazi” that discusses Mrs. Rogers and her company. The clear implication is that Aegis, and Mrs. Rogers, held a U.S. government contract in Libya and bore some responsibility for the events in Benghazi. That is false. Neither Mrs. Rogers, Aegis LLC, nor any Aegis entity has ever entered into a contract with any department of the U.S. government to perform work in Libya, and none was involved in the Benghazi attack. [*Bold in the original.*]
In fact, Drop Site’s article does not assert, either directly or by implication, that Aegis performed “U.S. government work in Libya” under Kristi Rogers’s leadership, or that it “was connected to the September 2012 attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi.” Rather, [Drop Site reported the company ][2]was operating in Libya, [a fact about which the public record is clear,][3] and that it had assessed Benghazi in the summer before the attack on the U.S. compound. Aegis Advisory Services, an intelligence arm of Aegis, had boots on the ground in Libya.
The key reason to include Aegis’s Libya work in the article was to show that Aegis was doing work in an area where Rogers was investigating, yet Aegis was never called in for questioning. The source of funding for Aegis’s work in Libya, for the purposes of the article, is entirely irrelevant.
Kristi Rogers and her firm’s employees were covered by a “no interaction” policy with the committee her husband chaired at the time, according to [a HPSCI spokesperson][4] at the time. The same lawyerly prose was repeated in the legal threat to Drop Site News, which noted that the Rogers’ had a “strictly observed and enforced” policy of “no interaction with Mrs. Rogers on any matter relating to the official business of the House” and “no interaction between the Committee and any representative of Aegis.”
In the end, there was a firewall for the entire committee and employees of Aegis (as opposed to, for example, Rogers recusing himself) and nobody from Aegis Advisory testified, despite the intelligence firm having on-the-ground intelligence in Libya prior to the attack on the Benghazi outpost. Conservatives looking for a more far-reaching investigation criticized the decision to wall off Aegis from the investigation at the time. See, for instance, Micha Morrison’s “Unraveling Benghazi: Is Mike Rogers the Problem?” in Judicial Watch, republished by the Daily Caller.
The cover page from Aegis Advisory’s Libya Briefing, July 2011.
## **Aegis in Libya**
In July 2011, Aegis produced a briefing on Libya that was circulated by Stratfor, an elite private intelligence firm based in Austin, Texas. Stratfor’s work, as Morrison noted in Judicial Watch at the time, is used by corporate, military, and government clients, [including the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency][5], but also the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.
The Aegis Advisory Libya briefing from July 2011, along with Stratfor’s email communications, was [published by Wikileaks][6]. The Aegis report was sent to Stratfor’s so-called “Alpha List,” an elite circle of intelligence professionals.
Under a heading titled, “Libya: Preparing for Life After Qaddafi,” the [report by Aegis Advisory][7] begins: “Richard Ayton, director at Aegis Advisory, travelled to Benghazi in April and May 2011 to examine the situation in the rebel-held east of Libya at first hand. Here is his assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the National Transitional Council, the role of the revolutionary militias, the international presence in the region and the prospects for a post-Qaddafi government.”
In response to a request for comment about why Aegis’s intelligence briefing was not included, despite the fact that it circulated via Stratfor to the highest levels of the intelligence community, Abby Rosner, a spokesperson for the Mike Rogers campaign, said:
> Under Mike Rogers’ leadership, the House Intelligence Committee interviewed every single member of the intelligence community who was in the fight in Benghazi. Because it is not within its jurisdiction, the Committee did not interview Department of State or Department of Defense personnel. As our counsel mentioned in their October 15, 2026 letter demanding retraction of the false and defamatory statements made in your October 13, 2026 article, “Neither Mrs. Rogers, Aegis LLC, nor any Aegis entity has ever entered into a contract with any department of the U.S. government to perform work in Libya, and none was involved in the Benghazi attack.”
This statement from Rogers’ campaign to Drop Site is in line with comments by HPSCI in 2014. Committee spokesperson Susan Phalen specifically denied that Rogers a conflict of interest in the Benghazi investigation, claiming that HPSCI did not oversee State Department embassy security.
Full HPSCI statement on former Rep. Mike Rogers and the Benghazi investigation.
Yet whether in its jurisdiction or not, the final Rogers report quite explicitly targeted the State Department, criticizing then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for lapses that led to the deaths:
> “Finding #3: State Department security personnel, resources, and equipment were unable to counter the terrorist threat that day, and they required CIA assistance. Although HPSCI generally does not review State Department security capabilities, and this review did not set out to review those capabilities, evidence the Committee received related to the level of the State Department’s security capabilities in Benghazi. CIA security personnel testified that State Department DS agents repeatedly stated they felt ill-equipped and ill-trained to contend with the threat environment in Benghazi. According to eyewitnesses testifying before HPSCI, the DS agents knew well before the attacks that they could not defend the TMF against an armed assault. The DS agents also told CIA about their requests for additional resources.”
Chairman Rogers also mentioned the inadequacy of the ragtag local militias subcontracted by the State Department to defend the compound, including the February 17th Brigade. Aegis, in its 2011 Libya briefing, addressed the February 17th Brigade and its role in the Libyan uprising. “The State Department had contracted with the February 17th Brigade and the Blue Mountain Group to provide local security for the [compound],” the report states. “All available information indicates that the February 17th Brigade guards were inside the walls of the compound and did not detect or report information about the attackers before the attackers breached the gate.”
Why did the February 17th Brigade not detect or report such information? What else was known about them? Had the committee wanted to learn more about the February 17th Brigade in Benghazi, one avenue would have been to call Aegis officials.
Enmity against Gaddafi was unifying the opposition, Aegis reported, but that would fray once he was gone. “At present the February 17th militias are united by a common cause: the removal of Qaddafi and the unification of the country,” Aegis assessed. “However, once Qaddafi has gone—and the rebels have spilt too much blood to countenance a deal that would involve his maintaining any political role—this unity will be threatened.”
The committee did not call Richard Ayton, who was on the ground in Libya pre-attack; Sarah Keeling, Managing Director of Aegis Advisory Services; or Pandora Crawly, Business Development Manager for Aegis Advisory, whose contacts were listed on the Libya Briefing; nor were any employees of Aegis called in for Mike Rogers’s investigation.
Defend Drop Site from legal threats with a [donation][8] or by upgrading your subscription today.
*Nancy Skinner is a longtime radio and television commentator and was previously a Democratic candidate for office. She has made small campaign contributions to Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate campaign. She has made three contributions totaling $34.*
[Leave a comment][9]
[1]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/mike-rogers-wife-kristi-military-contracts-aegis-michigan-senate
[2]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/mike-rogers-wife-kristi-military-contracts-aegis-michigan-senate
[3]: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/protection_swiss-security-contractors-active-abroad/43041590
[4]: https://www.judicialwatch.org/unraveling-benghazi-mike-rogers-part-problem/
[5]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratfor_email_leak
[6]: https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/28/2897146_-alpha-fwd-fw-aegis-advisory-libya-briefing-.html
[7]: https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/28/2897146_-alpha-fwd-fw-aegis-advisory-libya-briefing-.html
[8]: https://givebutter.com/defend-drop-site?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
[9]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/mike-rogers-puts-spotlight-on-failed-benghazi/comments
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/mike-rogers-puts-spotlight-on-failed-benghazi

2026-10-21 15:25:15 UTC

Hospitals in Gaza face power shutdowns; U.S. polling firm admits fabricating data; Water crisis in Yemen
Displaced families, who fled escalating clashes between Saudi-backed forces and Ansarallah in Taiz province, at the Al-Firdaws refugee camp in Aden, Yemen on October 20, 2026. Photo by Abdulnasser Alseddik/Anadolu via Getty Images.
**Wednesday, October 21, 2026 –***** ***
***Iran**: Iran rules out transferring enriched uranium abroad, reiterates seven conditions for U.S. talks. “The U.S. must accept it has no military options.” Iraq closes major border crossing with Iran indefinitely, with more closures expected. Two tankers struck by projectiles near Oman and Iraq. UK re-arrests two men over alleged Iran-linked incident near U.S. base. WSJ: Middle East oil exports surpass prewar levels despite escalating tanker attacks near Hormuz.*
***Palestine**: Israeli forces and settlers attack olive harvesters across the occupied West Bank, demolish seven apartments near Jerusalem. UN urges protection of Palestinians as settler olive harvest attacks escalate. Gaza hospitals face power shutdowns as generator oil supplies run out.*
***Yemen**: Three million in Yemen’s Taiz risk losing water access, UN warns. Ansarallah claims attack on military base, airport.*
***Lebanon**: Israeli attacks hit four districts in southern Lebanon, sniper fires at journalists amid “ceasefire.” Israel and Lebanon resume U.S.-hosted military talks.*
***U.S.**: U.S. polling firm that weighed in on Michigan, Maine Senate races now says its data was fake. Anthropic records $80B net loss in first half of 2026. President Donald Trump announces $25 million program paying up to $30,000 for tips on government fraud. L.A. officials say DOJ’s purported noncitizen list includes “high percentage” of U.S. citizens. Attack ad featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother deepens ugliness of Ohio governor’s race. Cook Political Report updates two Senate projections in direction of Democrats, moves South Carolina to “lean Republican.” DHS says plane purchases under former Secretary Kristi Noem are tied to “ongoing criminal law enforcement investigation.” NYT: Billionaire’s family gave former Trump official $50 million deal while seeking pardon. Thousands of North Carolina voters likely disenfranchised under strict new rules, data shows.*
***International:** Nigeria confirms first Ebola case. Death toll in Sudan strike on market climbs to 150+. Twelve children killed in recent attacks in Sudan, UN says. Islamic State–linked militants kill at least 48 civilians in Mali. Tigray People’s Liberation Front says it has killed 1,500 Ethiopian government troops. Eastern Libya parliament approves maritime deal with Turkey. Bangladesh says Saudi Arabia is ignoring inquiries into execution of two Bangladeshi citizens. Russian strikes on Ukraine kill 2; hit apartment building, university, transit and energy infrastructure. NATO to send personnel to Black Sea after deadly drone attacks. South Korea to withdraw embassy staff from Ukraine over North Korean POW dispute. France deploying “massive” number of troops to quell protests. Italy sends 500 troops to Milan in crackdown on cost-of-living protests. Thousands protest housing legislation in Portugal.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Iran
* **Iran rules out transferring enriched uranium abroad, reiterates seven conditions for U.S. talks: **“Not even a particle” of Iran’s enriched uranium will leave the country, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei [told][1] Pakistani mediator and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir during talks in Tehran on Tuesday.
* Rezaei described the material as a “major national asset” reserved for domestic use—Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and that uranium enrichment is its sovereign right. He reiterated negotiations with Washington would not begin until the U.S. took steps to rebuild trust and meet Iran’s conditions.
* Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf [told][2] Munir that Iran had “nothing new” beyond the seven conditions previously presented in New York, accusing Washington of violating the Islamabad memorandum of understanding and deepening distrust through President Donald Trump’s repeated threats.
* **“The U.S. must accept it has no military options”: **Iran is prepared to negotiate a “just and honourable deal” with Washington, but diplomacy can only succeed once the U.S. accepts that “it has no military options,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a Financial Times [op-ed][3] Wednesday.
* Araghchi said he presented a plan through mediators at last month’s UN General Assembly to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Under its terms, the strait would fully reopen on Day 6, with negotiations toward a final agreement beginning on Day 7. He maintained that Washington would not be required to make concessions beyond those it had previously accepted.
* Separately, Araghchi [said][4] in an interview with Iraq’s Al Ekhbariya television network that Washington had agreed to the conditions in Iran’s seven-day proposal but requested additional clauses. “The Americans informed us that they agreed to these conditions, but they wanted to add a few more clauses,” he said, confirming that diplomatic contacts remain ongoing.
* U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed mediation efforts by countries including Qatar and Pakistan, but stressed that any agreement with Iran would ultimately require Trump’s approval. “At the end, any decision on what will be acceptable will be in the hands of the president,” Rubio told reporters.
* **Iraq closes major border crossing with Iran indefinitely, with more closures expected: **Iraq [indefinitely closed][5] the Sheeb border crossing with Iran, known on the Iranian side as Chazabeh, to passengers, vehicles, and commercial trucks, with several other crossings expected to close gradually in the coming days, Iraqi officials told Al Jazeera and Reuters on Wednesday.
* An Iraqi border official said the closure was intended to review security arrangements and install detection equipment to prevent the smuggling of prohibited materials.
* Iranian officials confirmed the closure, saying talks with Iraqi authorities were underway to reopen the crossing.
* **Two tankers struck by projectiles near Oman and Iraq: **Two oil tankers were struck by unidentified projectiles in separate incidents near Oman and Iraq on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. All crew members aboard both tankers were reported safe, with no environmental impact reported in either incident.
* **Near Oman:** A tanker was struck on Wednesday, 11 nautical miles west of Bukha, sparking a fire that was subsequently extinguished.
* **Near Iraq:** A tanker was struck Tuesday, 30 nautical miles southeast of Al Faw.
* **UK re-arrests two men over alleged Iran-linked incident near U.S. base: **British counter-terrorism police [re-arrested][6] two men on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service in connection with a September 27 incident near RAF Fairford, a British airbase used by U.S. bombers for operations against Iran. The suspects, one British and the other a dual British-Iranian national, are among seven men arrested in the investigation, according to the BBC.
* Counter-terrorism chief Laurence Taylor said investigators considered it “highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement,” while acknowledging that the extent and purpose of any involvement remained under investigation. Iran has denied involvement.
* Following the incident, Washington withdrew its bombers from the base, with Trump citing unspecified threats and Vice President JD Vance describing the move as an “abundance of caution.”
* **WSJ: Middle East oil exports surpass prewar levels despite escalating tanker attacks near Hormuz: **Middle East oil exports appear to have [surpassed][7] prewar levels despite escalating attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Kpler data cited by the Wall Street Journal.
* Regional oil shipments averaged more than 24 million barrels per day in the week through October 18, compared with 23.3 million before the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in February.
* The report said the recovery has been made possible by the improvised shipping system, including tanker-to-tanker transfers in the Gulf of Oman, and expanded use of Saudi and Emirati pipelines bypassing Hormuz. However oil prices [remain][8] high, around $110 per barrel of Brent crude, over the continued throttling of the Strait of Hormuz and falling U.S. fuel stockpiles.
* The Kpler chart below tracks Gulf and Gulf of Oman exports, excluding Red Sea shipments. Its latest 14 days of data remain subject to upward revision, but the seven-day average appears to have tagged 20 million barrels per day in regional exports.
# Palestine
* **Killed and wounded in Gaza:** An Israeli drone strike killed a Palestinian man in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported. A child also died from wounds sustained in an earlier Israeli airstrike on the Al-Jalaa area of Gaza City.
* Over the past 24 hours, seven Palestinians were killed and 24 injured across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023, is now 74,494 killed, with 175,604 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,534 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,486, while 841 bodies have been recovered.
* **Israeli forces and settlers attack olive harvesters across the occupied West Bank, demolish seven apartments near Jerusalem:**
* **Bethlehem:** Israeli forces detained U.S. congressional candidate Brad Lander, alongside Palestinian farmers and dozens of foreign and Israeli activists harvesting olives in Husan, west of Bethlehem. The group included 45 foreign and 25 Israeli activists from T’ruah, a Jewish human rights organization. Lander was subsequently [released][9] with a warning, while the others arrested alongside him remained in detention at the time of publication.
* Israeli forces raided two schools in Tuqu’ during morning classes, entering classrooms and threatening to close the schools, and confiscated Palestinian flags.
* **Jenin:** Israeli forces [expelled][10] farmers from their land in Deir Abu Daif despite prior authorization to harvest olives.
* **Hebron:** Armed Israeli settlers from a newly established settlement outpost [opened live fire][11] toward Palestinian olive harvesters in Birin.
* **Ramallah:** Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, [blocked][12] Palestinians from harvesting olives in Turmus Ayya.
* **Nablus:** Israeli settlers [set fire][13] to Palestinian agricultural land in Burqa.
* **East Jerusalem:** Israeli forces [demolished][14] seven apartments belonging near Qalandiya refugee camp, displacing 35 Palestinians. Soldiers also damaged a vehicle and physically assaulted homeowners.
* **UN urges protection of Palestinians as settler olive harvest attacks escalate:** The UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory [called][15] on member states and donors to press for the protection of Palestinian communities during the olive harvest season. At least 160 Israeli settler attacks related to the olive harvest were recorded in the first two weeks of October alone.
* The UN urged “member states to increase international and diplomatic field presence and engagement in high-risk communities, particularly during critical harvesting periods, complementing existing protective presence arrangements and focusing attention on locations facing recurrent violence and access restrictions.”
* **Gaza hospitals face power shutdowns as generator oil supplies run out: **Supplies of oil needed to operate hospital electricity generators have been exhausted, threatening the immediate mechanical breakdown of the remaining generators and power cuts to critical, life-saving departments, Gaza’s Health Ministry warned Wednesday.
* The ministry warned that limited emergency deliveries of oil were no longer sufficient to keep generators running, as extended operating hours have increased consumption and accelerated mechanical deterioration.
* The ministry called for immediate intervention to allow the entry of generator oil and spare parts as Israel continues to severely restrict the entry of aid and life essentials into Gaza.
* **Read Drop Site’s coverage of Gaza’s electricity crisis as a result of Israel’s restrictions on engine oil and spare parts for generators here.**
# Yemen
* **Three million in Yemen’s Taiz risk losing water access, UN warns: **Escalating fighting and fuel shortages in Yemen’s Taiz governorate threaten water systems serving three million people, including 1.6 million children, UNICEF [warned][16].
* More than 52,000 of the 168,000 children screened by UNICEF in Taiz this year were acutely malnourished—nearly one in three. The World Food Programme warned that wheat flour stocks in affected areas are nearly exhausted, with 10 of Taiz’s 16 districts previously classified at emergency levels of food insecurity.
* Suspected cholera cases across Yemen have tripled in three weeks, according to the WHO, raising fears that unsafe water and disease will further worsen child malnutrition.
* Ansarallah struck a residential area in Taiz on Tuesday, killing two teenage girls, according to Al Jazeera.
* **Ansarallah claims attack on military base, airport: **An explosion was reported near Aden airport on Wednesday, with smoke rising from the area, according to AFP. Ansarallah military spokesman Yahya Saree [said][17] the group targeted the Saudi-led coalition’s military operations room at Badr camp in Aden with a ballistic missile, claiming the strike was “precise and direct.”
* **Hadramaut:** Ansarallah claimed responsibility for an attack on military equipment at Riyan airport in Mukalla, eastern Yemen, alleging that Saudi Arabia had transported weapons and military supplies there aboard military cargo aircraft for use against Yemenis.
* **Taiz:** Three young women were wounded in Ansarallah shelling east of Taiz city and in the Al-Wehda neighborhood, according to the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
* **Saada:** Three Saudi-led coalition airstrikes destroyed a telecommunications network in the Maran district, according to Ansarallah-affiliated media.
* **Saudi Arabia:** The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed four drones over the Medina and Eastern regions. Ansarallah [denied][18] launching drones toward Medina, with Saree saying the group had carried out no military operations against Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
# Lebanon
* **Israeli attacks hit four districts in southern Lebanon, sniper fires at journalists amid “ceasefire”: **Israeli forces carried out multiple attacks across southern Lebanon on Wednesday, including a [large explosion][19] in Kfartibnit and a [drone strike][20] between Kfartibnit and Nabatieh Al-Fawqa, both in Nabatieh district, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. Israeli warplanes also struck Al-Hamra Farm on the outskirts of Zawtar in the same district.
* Journalist Courtney Bonneau [reported][21] that an Israeli sniper fired at her and her colleague Ali while they were working in Zawtar Al-Gharbiyeh, in Nabatieh district. “We were clearly marked press and standing with a member of the Lebanese army,” she said. Zawtar Al-Gharbiyeh is one of three southern Lebanese towns where the Lebanese army has deployed under a U.S.-brokered arrangement.
* In Hasbaya district, Israeli artillery shells struck near the Baathail pond, while shelling also targeted the outskirts of Khiam in Marjayoun district.
* **Israel and Lebanon resume U.S.-hosted military talks: **Military delegations from Lebanon, Israel, and the United States began three days of talks Tuesday at U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida. The talks, scheduled to conclude Thursday, are limited to military and security issues under a U.S.-brokered framework signed in June.
* Hours before the talks, the Israeli military [accused][22] Lebanese army personnel of coordinating with Hezbollah and failing to dismantle its military infrastructure, alleging that the group continued operating at a facility in Kafra. The Lebanese army [rejected][23] the accusations as false, saying Israeli threats had forced it to suspend work at the site in March and that Israel repeatedly blocked its return. The army said it completed the operation on October 16.
* Lebanon’s military also disputed Israeli footage allegedly showing Hezbollah weapons being transported from the Kafra facility, saying it was filmed in a different village in July.
# U.S. News
* **U.S. polling firm that weighed in on Michigan, Maine Senate races now says its data was fake: **Wedgewood Polling said it fabricated most of its election surveys, claiming the hoaxes were meant to test media scrutiny. Wedgewood Polling’s fake data was cited by numerous news outlets and entered major polling averages, including those of the New York Times. The firm’s admission came after FiftyPlusOne confronted it with evidence of fraudulent data.
* The New York Times [said ][24]it published 15 Wedgewood polls between June and October, which covered state and congressional races in Michigan, Georgia, Mississippi, Maine and Kansas. The Times says it vetted Wedgewood’s work before publishing its data.
* **Mallory McMorrow**, a candidate in Michigan’s Democratic primary, was the subject of a Wedgewood poll in June that suggested that her support was plummeting. She [said][25] on X that the poll cost her donor and volunteer support at a crucial moment. Other polls around the same time also showed McMorrow in third place.
* **Anthropic records $80B net loss in first half of 2026: **The artificial intelligence company Anthropic, known for its chatbot Claude, recorded a net loss of more than $80 billion in the first half of 2026, according to a draft prospectus for a massive initial public offering planned next month, the Wall Street Journal [reported][26].
* Anthropic also indicated it could spend up to $750 billion in the coming years to acquire additional computing capacity.
* **Trump announces $25 million program paying up to $30,000 for tips on government fraud**: On Tuesday, President Trump [announced][27] that the administration will pay individuals roughly $10,000 to $30,000 for tips on government fraud submitted through a government website. The program, run by the Justice Department, is part of Vice President **JD Vance’s** antifraud task force. Trump said he would be the ultimate arbitrator of award amounts. The White House said right-wing content creator **Nick Shirley**, who was in the Oval Office during the announcement, would receive $10,000 for his viral video last year that alleged fraud at daycare centers. Some of his allegations were debunked by Minnesota news outlets.
* **L.A. officials say DOJ’s purported noncitizen list includes “high percentage” of U.S. citizens:** Los Angeles election officials said the DOJ’s list of 20,000 suspected noncitizens includes a “high percentage” of people born in the U.S., according to court papers [filed][28] Tuesday. **Aman Bhullar** of the clerk and recorder’s office wrote in a declaration that 38.9% of a 200-record sample indicated a U.S. birth. He said 43% of the sampled voters had cancelled registrations, 71% had never voted, and 86 people had been mailed a ballot this year. The filing also alleged that only about 7,000 of the 20,000 names had a Los Angeles County address.
* The Department of Homeland Security compiled the list and has refused to share its matching methodology, and experts warn the method is error-prone. In July it accused Nevada of up to 16,000 noncitizens on the rolls, then sent a list of 185 names, all of whom Nevada found to be citizens.
* **Attack ad featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother deepens ugliness of Ohio governor’s race: **A new ad [released][29] online on Monday features **Donna Arthur**, mother of Democratic nominee **Amy Acton**, accusing the candidate of lying about her childhood abuse, poverty, and instability. Acton has said she was homeless as a child and molested by her stepfather. A 2019 newspaper report said he was charged with raping her in 1978, and her campaign has documents showing he pleaded not guilty, was indicted, fled the state before trial, and died in 2004. Arthur, who remained married to him and supported him rather than her daughter, publicly accused Acton, then the state’s director of health, of exaggerating in 2020. The mother and daughter have not spoken to each other since the 1978 trial. Acton’s brother, **Philip Stearns**, called the ad “a despicable low,” saying their mother “stayed married to Amy’s rapist until he died.” It is unclear whether Republican nominee **Vivek
Ramaswamy’s** campaign or an allied group made the ad, and the campaign did not say whether Arthur was paid for it.
* **Cook Political Report updates two Senate projections in direction of Democrats, moves South Carolina to “lean Republican”: **On Tuesday, Cook Political Report [moved][30] Minnesota’s open Senate seat, held by retiring Democrat **Tina Smith,** from likely to lean Democrat, South Carolina from likely Republican to lean Republican, and Mississippi from solid Republican to likely Republican.
* **DHS says Noem-era plane purchases are tied to “ongoing criminal law enforcement investigation”**: DHS’s Privacy Office [told][31] The Washington Sun that the aircraft bought in the final days of **Kristi Noem’s** tenure relate to an “ongoing criminal law enforcement investigation.” It said DHS “can neither confirm nor deny the existence of records” because doing so could interfere with ongoing or prospective enforcement proceedings.
* The acknowledgment follows a New York Times report that DHS bought five planes from donor-linked Daedalus Aviation at a “substantial markup.” Noem asked the Times to retract or correct its story and disputed its characterization of Daedalus a political donor to her, though its chair, **William Walters**, gave $10,000 to American Resolve, a super PAC founded for her benefit.
* **NYT: Billionaire’s family gave former Trump official $50 million deal while seeking pardon: **The Venezuelan banker **Julio Herrera Velutini **aggressively pursued a pardon after pleading guilty to felony bribery in 2025, according to a new report from the New York Times. To secure the pardon, he and his lawyer **Christopher Kise**, a former member of Trump’s personal legal team, pushed for clemency, and his daughter **Isabela Herrera**, 27, gave $3.5 million to a Trump-tied super PAC. When this didn’t work, the family hired **Alina Habba**, a former Trump lawyer then serving as a Justice Department adviser, offering her $10 million a year for four years, with bonuses guaranteeing a total sum of over $50 million. According to the offer, she would become general counsel at Concord Partners, a Florida company Herrera set up in late October 2025 with no public profile and an unclear business ambit. Habba agreed to the offer, and began working at the firm on January 1. Weeks later,
Trump granted Herrera a full, unconditional pardon. By then, Habba was a senior adviser to Attorney General **Pam Bondi**, working as a special government employee. Habba denies any impropriety and says her employment by Velutini had nothing to do with the pardon.
* **Thousands of North Carolina voters likely disenfranchised under strict new rules, data shows: **The overall rejection rate of mail-in ballots in North Carolina is around 3%, according to [analysis][32] by Common Cause North Carolina and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. In some Democratic strongholds, including Mecklenburg and Forsyth, the rejection rate reaches 7% or 8%. At 3% statewide, Democracy Docket estimates about 3,942 ballots would be rejected. Voters would be disenfranchised unless they correct for the errors identified, which few do. Absentee requests are down 32% from 2022, with voters citing fear of spoiled ballots.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Nigeria confirms first Ebola case: **A woman in the Nigerian capital of Abuja tested positive for Ebola, Reuters [reported][33]. “She is in isolation, and she is receiving quality medical care,” Nigerian Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said. “Contact tracing has been conducted, and it’s under way as we speak, with 44 contacts already identified.” He added that the patient had recently traveled to Democratic Republic of the Congo, the epicenter of an Ebola outbreak, and returned to Nigeria through Uganda.
* **Death toll in Sudan strike on market climbs to 150+:** The attack on a market near the disputed town of Abyei, near the border of Sudan and South Sudan, killed at least 153 people, Reuters reported. South Sudanese officials blamed the attack on the Sudanese military.
* **Twelve children killed in recent attacks in Sudan, UN says**: At least 12 children have been killed in two recent attacks, according to [UNICEF][34]. On Saturday, at least nine children between the ages of 5 and ten were killed in a strike on a camp for displaced families in West Kordofan. On Monday a drone struck a residential area in Khartoum, killing three children between the ages of 2 and 6, along with their father.
* **Islamic State–linked militants kill at least 48 civilians in Mali:** Islamic State Sahel Province fighters [killed][35] at least 48 civilians in eastern Mali over the weekend, Reuters reported. The attacks came after pro-government forces allegedly committed abuses last week.
* **TPLF says it has killed 1,500 Ethiopian government troops:** A spokesperson for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front [said][36] Tuesday that they killed more than 1,500 Ethiopian troops in two days of fighting in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region, citing an ambush in Mirena on Oct. 17 and 18. The government units were trying to push toward Adet, in central Tigray. The spokesperson said 1,511 Ethiopian soldiers were killed and 1,050 wounded, and that the Tigray Peace Force, a pro-government militia, suffered 11 casualties. The figures have not been independently verified, and the Ethiopian government has not responded to them.
* **Eastern Libya parliament approves maritime deal with Turkey: **Libya’s eastern parliament [agreed][37] to a maritime boundaries deal with Turkey on Tuesday. The outlines of the agreement have been in place since 2019, and were originally affirmed by Libya’s recognized government in Tripoli. But the quasi-government in eastern Libya, led by the military commander Khalifa Haftar, allowed the agreement to languish for years. Upon hearing of the eastern Libyan parliament’s approval, Greece strongly criticized it, calling the deal “illegal, null and void.” Egypt and Cyprus expressed similar objections.
* **Bangladesh says Saudi Arabia is ignoring inquiries into execution of two Bangladeshi citizens: **Saudi Arabia has not responded to Bangladesh’s requests for clarification of the Saudi execution of two Bangladeshi citizens, Reuters [reported][38]. The executions, carried out on October 14, were punishment for committing “indecent acts” in a Mecca mosque, the Saudi interior ministry claimed. Saudi officials never notified Bangladesh of the executions.
* **Russian strikes on Ukraine kill 2; hit apartment building, university, transit and energy infrastructure: **Russian [strikes][39] on Kharkiv killed two people on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Russian strikes hit a large apartment building in Kyiv and transport infrastructure. A Russian attack on a university in Kremenchuk, in central Ukraine, injured two people.
* Russian forces also [attacked][40] the Ukrainian port of Reni and two Odesa-bound vessels on Tuesday. Other Russian strikes hit logistics hubs in Volyn and the city of Khmelnitskiy, which the Russian defense ministry said were Ukrainian military targets.
* **NATO to send personnel to Black Sea after deadly drone attacks**: NATO is ramping up its deployment of “maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems, explosive exploitation teams, intelligence personnel, drones and more” to the Black Sea, the military alliance [said][41]. The announcement follows several lethal attacks in the Black Sea, which Ukraine and its allies have blamed on Russia. Russia denies responsibility. “Six attacks in 10 days by suspected Russian drones marks a dangerous and unacceptable escalation,” Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s lead diplomat, said Tuesday.
* **South Korea to withdraw embassy staff from Ukraine over North Korean POW dispute**: South Korea will withdraw an unspecified number of embassy staff working in Kyiv, Ukraine, the foreign ministry [said][42] Tuesday. South Korea said it had not received a “constructive response” from Ukraine over Ukraine’s transfer of two North Korean POWs to South Korea. A charge d’affaires and all consular staff will remain in Kyiv.
* In early October, South Korea recalled its ambassador over the dispute. It has said that Ukraine’s transfer of the POWs should have remained private, to protect the soldiers’ families.
* **France deploying “massive” number of troops to quell protests: **France is preparing for another weekend of large protests by deploying its military against demonstrators, Reuters [reported][43]. “The deployment next Saturday will be massive,” said Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu. He blamed the protests on the political left. More than half a million protesters have taken to the streets since September in objection to the rising cost of living and a public-welfare system degraded by austerity politics.
* **Italy sends 500 troops to Milan in crackdown on cost-of-living protests**: Italy’s cabinet [approved][44] the deployment of 500 troops to Milan on Tuesday. In citywide protests against a high cost of living and ineffective public services, demonstrators looted shops, smashed windows, and clashed with police over the weekend. According to the Defense Ministry, soldiers will reinforce security at key sites and conduct surveillance on the protests.
* The cabinet also passed new measures that immediately criminalize violent participation in a demonstration. Any individual found in a group of five or more people that “endangers public safety” will face up to five years’ imprisonment and a €20,000 ($22,460) fine.
* **Thousands protest housing legislation in Portugal**: Thousands of protesters returned to the streets in Lisbon and Porto to oppose legislation that would harm renters, Al Jazeera [reported][45]. Police in Portugal, which faces one of the worst housing crises in Europe, had earlier declared the protests illegal and cleared encampments in public squares. The protesters demanded Portugal’s center-right government withdraw a bill that makes evictions easier and ends rent caps on new leases.
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[1]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86298732/Rezaei-Enriched-uranium-will-not-exit-Iran-by-any-means
[2]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86298722/Ghalibaf-Iran-has-no-new-words-other-than-seven-conditions-for
[3]: https://www.ft.com/content/61bf9676-ea46-4956-b87f-6ab096accafa
[4]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86298957/US-accepted-Iran-s-seven-day-proposal-but-sought-additional-terms
[5]: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iraq-closes-sheeb-border-crossing-with-iran-urgent-security-reasons-sources-say-2026-10-21/
[6]: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqm26z110vzko
[7]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2112714103626350860
[8]: https://www.offshore-technology.com/news/oil-prices-climb-middle-east-shipping-risks/?cf-view
[9]: https://x.com/bradlander/status/2112900551646065073
[10]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/21/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%AC%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A%D9%87%D9%85
[11]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/21/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5-%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%A8-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82
[12]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/21/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%87-%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%82%D8%B7%D9%81
[13]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/21/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B6%D8%B1%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84
[14]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/21/%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%AB-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%85-7-%D8%B4%D9%82%D9%82-%D8%B3%D9%83%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%B7-%D9%85%D8%AE%D9%8A%D9%85
[15]: https://x.com/OHCHR_Palestine/status/2112880421889282091?s=20
[16]: https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/water-over-16-million-children-taiz-risk-fighting-intensifies-yemen
[17]: https://x.com/yah_saree/status/2112818139100807581?s=46
[18]: https://x.com/yah_saree/status/2112829289884422473?s=46
[19]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/569694/%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%83%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D9%83%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%AA-2
[20]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/569631/%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%AA%D9%8A-%D9%83%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%88%D9%82%D8%A7-2
[21]: https://x.com/cbonneauimages/status/2112858003401482686?s=46
[22]: https://x.com/idf/status/2112451750623891528?s=46
[23]: https://x.com/lebarmyofficial/status/2112582576716001727?s=46
[24]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2112799136634265661?s=20
[25]: https://x.com/MalloryMcMorrow/status/2112710136921784323
[26]: https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anthropic-revenue-growth-ipo-accaf0f1
[27]: https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-to-offer-up-to-30-000-for-tips-that-expose-government-fraud-3a1bcb30
[28]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/20/doj-non-citizens-la
[29]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/politics/ramaswamy-campaign-ad-acton-estranged-mother-donna-arthur.html
[30]: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6160752-cook-political-report-moves-races/
[31]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/legal/kristi-noem-dhs-airplanes-foia
[32]: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/exclusive-thousands-of-mail-ballots-set-to-be-rejected-after-gop-imposed-strict-new-rules-data-shows/
[33]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/21/nigeria-confirms-an-ebola-case-health-minister-says
[34]: https://sudantribune.com/article/320216
[35]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/20/islamic-state-linked-militants-kill-at-least-48-civilians-in-eastern-mali-sources-say
[36]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2112671820348379310
[37]: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eastern-libya-parliament-approves-maritime-deal-with-turkey-lifts-2020-boycott-2026-10-20/
[38]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/21/bangladesh-yet-to-receive-saudi-response-on-execution-of-two-nationals
[39]: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-drones-kill-two-people-near-ukraines-kharkiv-overnight-governor-says-2026-10-21/
[40]: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-hits-cargo-vessels-logistics-hubs-ukraine-russian-defence-ministry-says-2026-10-20/
[41]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/20/nato-to-send-additional-patrol-planes-to-black-sea-after-drone-attacks
[42]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/20/south-korea-to-pull-more-embassy-staff-from-ukraine-after-pow-row
[43]: https://www.reuters.com/world/targeted-curfews-helped-keep-peace-overnight-france-pm-says-2026-10-20/
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[46]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[47]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[48]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[49]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/hospitals-gaza-shutdowns-us-polling-wedgewood-yemen-ansarallah-water-crisis

2026-10-19 19:19:40 UTC

Israel-Backed Palestinian Militias Terrorize Displaced Families in Gaza
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Youssef Al-Sheikh in his home in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza describes a raid by an Israel-backed Palestinian militia last month. September 26, 2026. Screenshot from video by Abdel Qader Sabbah.
JABALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip—Youssef Al-Sheikh was asleep with his wife and eight young children in a room on the ground floor of a badly damaged building in the wasteland of northern Gaza’s Jabaliya refugee camp when the group of masked, heavily armed members of an Israeli-backed Palestinian militia broke down the door and stormed inside. It was around 2 a.m. on the night of September 24. Decked out in tactical gear and with their assault rifles pointing menacingly down at his family, they began shouting at Al-Sheikh to get up. The light from their military headlamps pierced the darkness, blinding Al-Sheikh.
“They came inside, and as soon as they entered, one of them raised his Kalashnikov and aimed it at me while I was here,” Al-Sheikh told Drop Site News, pointing to the only bed in the room, made up of thin mattress laid on a thin piece of wood propped up on concrete blocks.
“About seven people came in. They all had flashlights on them—bright white lights, extremely powerful flashlights,” he said. “With all the white light, I couldn’t see who was in front of me.”
The lead gunman started yelling “Qassam,” Al-Sheikh said, a reference to the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. “He said, ‘Why are you staying here? Where are the explosive devices you have? Where are the weapons you have?’” Al-Sheikh recalled. “I told him, ‘I’m a peaceful citizen. I don’t have anything.’” When Al-Sheikh asked if could put some clothes on, the militiamen grabbed him and began savagely beating him in front of his wife and children.
“I couldn’t process what was happening and didn’t know what to do,” Al-Sheikh said. “Three of them came at me, punching and slapping me and beating me. They beat me in the most brutal ways.” Angry red bruises were still visible on his neck and back two days later.
They bound Al-Sheikh’s hands behind his back and left him on the ground. Amid the commotion, one of Al-Sheikh’s brothers-in-law entered from the room next door, pleading with the men to have mercy. “They grabbed him by his hair. Three of them attacked him, threw him to the ground, and beat him with their Kalashnikovs,” Al-Sheikh said. When a second brother-in-law arrived, they also grabbed him and beat him with their rifle butts.
The militiamen took the three men into an adjacent room and made them kneel on the floor. What appeared to be the lead gunman pulled up a chair and sat in front of them. One of Al-Sheikh’s brothers-in-law, Muatasim Al-Aja, had his hands bound and his mouth gagged. The other, Hossam Tafesh, also had his hands bound. The militiamen pulled out a black T-shirt from Tafesh’s belongings and accused him of being a part of the resistance. When Tafesh said he had nothing to do with the resistance, they began beating him again and wrapped the T-shirt tightly around his face until he began to suffocate.
The other militiamen ransacked the rest of the house, going through and overturning the family’s scant belongings and confiscating all the phones they could find. “One of my children was inside the room while this was happening and he started slapping himself. He’s a little boy, a very young child,” Al-Sheikh said. “He kept slapping himself across the face, crying, ‘Dad, Dad, Dad! Where’s my dad?’ The officer told my wife, ‘Either you shut the children up—all of you be quiet—or I’ll shoot them all and kill them.’”
Youssef Al-Sheikh in his home in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza that an Israel-backed Palestinian militia raided last month, beating him and his relatives and detaining one of them. September 26, 2026. Video by Abdel Qader Sabbah.
Al-Sheikh said he later learned from eyewitnesses that an even larger militia force of close to 30 heavily armed men was surrounding the house outside. “It was as if an entire battalion had come to fight us,” he said.
Eventually, the lead militiaman made Al-Sheikh and both of his brothers-in-law look into his phone camera and photographed their faces. “He photographed us and sent the pictures over WhatsApp,” Al-Sheikh said. Several minutes later, the gunman received a call and announced they could be released.
At the same time, several gunmen went upstairs and detained a third brother-in-law, Said Okasha, who had gone up to the roof in fear. “They started beating him. We could hear the blows and the screaming. He was shouting, ‘Leave me! Leave me!’ They restrained him and took him away in his underwear,” Al-Sheikh said. “They took him and left.”
Two other residents in the area interviewed separately confirmed to Drop Site that a raid by a Palestinian militia had taken place that night.
## **“No One Comes to Help Us”**
Over the past year, since a “ceasefire” agreement went into effect, attacks by Israel-backed Palestinian militias have become increasingly frequent in Gaza, particularly targeting Palestinians living close to the “yellow line”—the demarcation of Israel’s line of control that runs north to south along the Gaza Strip roughly parallel to the coastline. Israel has also imposed another boundary called the orange line, which in some places encroaches more than 1 kilometer beyond the yellow line, taking over even more Palestinian land.
On the western side of these lines, virtually the entire Palestinian population of Gaza has been corralled into an ever shrinking space. On the eastern side, the Israeli military has violently reconfigured the landscape, razing the area to the ground and building dozens of fortified bases and roads—establishing a permanent presence instead of preparing for a phased withdrawal as outlined in the ceasefire agreement.
Israeli forces regularly bomb, shell, and shoot Palestinians on the western side in violation of the “ceasefire,” killing over 1,500 men, women, and children over the past 12 months. The Israeli military has also armed and equipped several Palestinian militias that operate on the ground, conducting raids and terrorizing people mostly living close to the yellow line. Large scale raids are conducted in coordination with the Israeli military, who have backed them up with artillery and aerial support.
Many of the militia leaders in Gaza who rose to power in collaboration with Israel during the genocide are former gang leaders with a history of criminal activity, were associated with jihadi groups, or are former Palestinian Authority security forces that were all sidelined after Hamas gained control of the enclave in 2007.
At least five of these militias are operating out of compounds in areas under Israeli military control across the Gaza Strip, [according][3] to satellite imagery and videos published online.
While Drop Site could not confirm which militia raided Al-Sheikh’s house last month, the location of the building in the Jabaliya refugee camp is geographically closest to the northernmost militia compound in Gaza, located in Beit Hanoun, that is run by the Northern Forces, also known or the Popular Army. According to a [report][4] by Al-Zaytouna Center for Consultations & Studies, the Northern Forces Forces/Popular Army was established in September 2025 and is led by Ashraf al-Mansi, who was previously accused of drug smuggling and other charges. The militia is made up of several dozen armed members and claims control over Jabaliya.
The building where Al-Sheikh and his family have been sheltering is next to the Jabaliya Services Club, a Palestinian sports club founded in the Jabaliya refugee camp by the UN Palestinian refugee agency—UNRWA—in the 1950s. The club was destroyed by Israeli occupation forces during the genocide and was briefly turned into a military barracks and interrogation center during Israel’s ground invasion of Jabaliya in October 2024. Israeli forces eventually withdrew to the nearby yellow line following the ceasefire a year later.
Now, a few dozen displaced Palestinian families have sought shelter in and around the badly damaged sports club. The area has been turned into a gray moonscape through intense Israeli bombing and demolition, with mounds of rubble and destroyed buildings where a densely crowded urban landscape once stood. At the yellow line in the near distance, Israeli bases perched atop a massive earthen berm are clearly visible, with tall red and white communication towers protruding into the sky and a large Israeli flag billowing in the wind. Residents of the area describe a complete lack of food and water or any services, combined with frequent attacks by Israeli forces and collaborating Palestinian militias.
The area near the Jabaliya Services Club in northern Gaza near the yellow line is completely destroyed with no access to food or water and frequently subject to attacks by Israeli forces and Palestinian militias. September 26, 2026. Video by Abdel Qader Sabbah.
“There is basically no life here. We don’t have enough water. There is indiscriminate gunfire 24 hours a day, as well as quadcopter fire and shelling. People are living with almost nothing,” Ahmad Hammad, a displaced resident in the area told Drop Site. As he spoke, the crackle of machine gun fire punctuated the air. “As you can see, everything is rubble and debris. Rodents are everywhere. Heavy gunfire is almost a daily occurrence. It’s a tragedy. No one comes to help us at all.”
It is in areas like this in Gaza, close to the Israeli line of control, where Palestinian militias operate most frequently.
“Water trucks can’t reach us, so we have to walk a long distance to get water,” Safaa Al-Basyouni, a local resident, told Drop Site. “No food from charity kitchens reaches us at all. Shrapnel from Israeli fire falls around us. So we face danger from the Israelis, and on top of that, danger from the militias.”
The majority of Palestinians in Gaza live in dense, squalid tent encampments that are infested with rodents and insects and provide little protection from the elements. Al-Basyouni and others came to the Jabaliya Services Club to try and find better shelter.
“We thought sheltering under concrete would be better than sheltering under a tent. That’s what brought us here,” she said. “But it was all for nothing. We still found insects here, and we found gunfire and shelling too. We don’t know where to go. We came here hoping it would be better, but in reality, it turned out to be worse.”
“Our situation here, so close to the yellow line, is tragic,” Al-Basyouni continued. “We can’t hide from the Israelis, and we can’t hide from the militias.”
While Israeli forces have taken to shooting, shelling, and bombing Palestinians from afar on a regular basis, the Palestinian militias are deployed to raid areas on the ground.
“The militias are constantly around here, and we’re afraid of them. Suddenly, you find them surrounding the area with quadcopters, opening fire at us, and storming inside,” Arafat Ali, who was displaced to the Jabaliya Services Club, told Drop Site. “Day and night, you find them coming in and attacking us. They recently beat four young men and detained one of them before leaving,” he said, referring to the raid on Al-Sheikh’s house. “Even the man they detained had nothing to do with any organization.”
“We don’t even understand how they operate. Suddenly, they open fire at us, fire shells, take young men captive, and then leave,” Ali continued. “They don’t come during the day. They come at three in the morning, like bandits.”
There is no reliable count of how many people have been detained by Palestinian militias. Like many others, Said Okasha, Al-Sheikh’s brother-in-law who was detained in the raid last month, is most likely imprisoned in one of Israel’s detention camps where torture and abuse is systemic.
Meanwhile, Al-Sheikh himself has struggled to come to terms with the violence of the raid. “It was truly horrific—more horrific than you can imagine. Even now, speaking personally, apart from what this has done to my wife and children, what happened to me has left me hysterical and hallucinating. I walk down the street and tears start falling on their own,” he said.
“No matter how much I describe the scene, I can’t truly convey what it was like.”
## **March of the Yellow Line**
The yellow line that Israeli troops initially withdrew to as part of the ceasefire agreement in October 2025 gave them control of 53% of the eastern side of the Gaza Strip, as outlined on Israel’s own military maps. In some places, the line is demarcated by yellow concrete blocks, but in most of Gaza the boundary is invisible. Since then, Israeli forces have steadily pushed in, driving Palestinians further west, and expanding their control to close to 70% of the enclave.
Last week, Israeli troops moved further into Shujaiya, once a vast, densely populated neighborhood in eastern Gaza City. On October 11, displaced Palestinians who sought shelter in the area woke up to shooting and shelling by Israeli forces as they moved the yellow blocks some 200 meters further inward, sparking panic and another round of displacement.
“The yellow line used to be approximately 200 meters away from us. This morning, it was only 10 meters away,” Osama Mushtaha, 50, told Drop Site.
Families in Shujaiya in eastern Gaza City are forced to flee following an attack by Israeli forces as they moved yellow blocks into the area, further expanding Israel’s line of control. October 11, 2026. Video by Mohamed Ahmed.
Throughout the day, exhausted families gathered their scant belongings, piling mattresses and bags on the dusty streets, forced to flee once again in a desperate search for shelter.
“We’re dying here every day because of the yellow line,” Anis Herzallah, 30, said. “At night we have shelling, quadcopters, tanks, Apaches and F-16s—all of them attacking us from the yellow line. We can’t live here anymore. “
The blocks in Shujaiya now lie close to Salah Al-Din street, a historic thoroughfare running north to south along the length of the Gaza Strip. Every encroachment of the yellow line brings Israel troops and the collaborating Palestinian militias ever closer.
“People are leaving, not knowing where they’re supposed to go,” a passerby said. “An Israeli tank and bulldozer advanced towards the area. They also have militias with them.”
Sara Al-Ramlawi, 33, has been displaced with her family repeatedly over the past three years, moving from one place to another every few months before arriving at Shujaiya several months ago, only to be driven away yet again.
“We were forced out because they moved the yellow line closer, we have suffered so much,” she told Drop Site. “We’re heading into the unknown. This is our situation, and the situation of every family from Shujaiya living here.”
“We’re not asking for a house. Just a piece of land where we can put up tents.”
*Mohamed Ahmed and Jawa Ahmad contributed to this report. Sami Vanderlip edited the video.*
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2026-10-19 14:44:57 UTC

UN cuts food aid to 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza; 7th ICE detainee found dead in Texas this year; France arrests 2,400 in mass protests
A protester waving a French flag walks past a fire during protests against the high cost of living, in Marseille, southern France, on October 17, 2026. Photo by Thibaud Moritz / AFP via Getty Images.
**Monday, October 19, 2026 –***** ***
***Yemen**: Ansarallah strike on military camp in Yemen’s Shabwa kills 53, wounds at least 200. Saudi airstrike on house in Yemen kills at least 10, including five children. Egypt seeks parliamentary approval for possible military intervention in support of Saudi Arabia. Saudis and Emiratis meet amid reports UAE will resume support in Yemen. U.S. warns Americans across Middle East of possible airspace closures.*
***Palestine**: UN food agency cuts Gaza aid for half a million Palestinians. Israeli forces uproot hundreds of trees as settlers attack Palestinians across the occupied West Bank. Israeli settlers attack European diplomats observing olive harvest in West Bank.*
***Iran**: Russian Foreign Minister visits Iran. Oil tanker hits naval mine near Hormuz, catches fire, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says. Pakistan suspends trade with Iran at two major border crossings.*
***Lebanon: **Israeli airstrikes, artillery, and machine-gun fire target southern Lebanon despite ceasefire.*
***U.S.**: President Donald Trump endorses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days before Israel’s Oct. 27 election. Trump puts newly signed Russia sanctions on hold, citing national interest. FAA bars unauthorized drones along U.S.-Mexico border. Mexican man found dead at Laredo ICE facility, seventh ICE detainee death in Texas this year. Former President Barack Obama condemns Trump administration’s investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar. Trump says California officials “will all go to jail” if state counts ballots of supposed noncitizens. Texas reportedly weighed selling Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX.*
***International:** Ukraine launches 1,000+ drones at Russia; Russian strikes on Ukraine kill two. 2,400+ arrested in French protests. Rapid Support Forces attack kills at least 11 displaced people in Sudan. Albanian police attack protesters, arrest 1,000+. 19 dead, 25 injured in stampede during Hindu religious festival in Kolkata. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi says his term ends in 2030, proposes military academy program to train future leaders. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro face off in debate. Mexico arrests former Chihuahua official, charges treason. Venezuelan opposition reaffirms support for exiled political figure Maria Corina Machado. Kenya reports eighth Ebola case. Fire at Canadian military base kills four, hospitalizes dozens.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Yemen
* **Ansarallah strike on military camp in Yemen’s Shabwa kills 53, wounds at least 200: **At least 53 soldiers were killed and over 200 injured in an Ansarallah [strike][1] targeting the Al-Alam military camp in the Shabwa governorate, according to the local government.
* Fighting is escalating across Yemen. Over the past 24 hours, the Ansarallah military spokesperson claimed Saudi forces carried out 110 airstrikes and missile attacks.
* Yemen’s Saudi-backed government says its forces recaptured Sanamat and advanced toward Misrakh, south of Taiz city, following a counteroffensive against Ansarallah. Ansarallah forces have been besieging Taiz, where the UN has warned of dwindling food supplies.
* **Saudi airstrike on house in Yemen kills at least 10, including five children: **An airstrike on a family home in Yemen’s Saada province blamed on Saudi-led forces killed at least 10 people on Sunday, including five children and three women, local media reported.
* Sana’a’s National Human Rights Commission put the toll at 10 killed and 23 wounded, most of them women and children.
* [Footage][2] shows men digging through the rubble with their hands. Saudi Arabia has not commented on the strike.
* **Egypt seeks parliamentary approval for possible military intervention in support of Saudi Arabia: **Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi [requested][3] an urgent parliamentary session to authorize military support for Saudi Arabia, as Ansarallah attacks on the kingdom intensify, Reuters reports.
* A parliamentary vote was initially expected Sunday, but discussions are set to continue Monday and Tuesday. Egypt previously joined the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in 2015 but played a limited combat role.
* **Saudis and Emiratis meet amid reports UAE will resume support in Yemen:** Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Bin Salman [said][4] the two sides discussed “developments in the regional situation and ways to enhance cooperation and joint Gulf action.”
* The meetings come amid [reports][5] that the UAE has agreed to resume funding anti-Ansarallah forces in Yemen, with Saudi Arabia providing air cover.
* **U.S. warns Americans across Middle East of possible airspace closures: **The United States issued security alerts on October 18 warning Americans across the Middle East of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and rapidly escalating hostilities.The warnings cover Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman, Iran, Qatar, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, and Israel.
* The alerts also warned that Iran and groups aligned with Tehran could target U.S. interests abroad.
# Palestine
* **UN food agency cuts Gaza aid for half a million Palestinians: **The UN World Food Programme (WFP) [announced][6] major cuts in food assistance to Gaza cutting off half a million Palestinians from monthly food support, citing funding shortages.
* The agency is also halving food rations and reducing daily hot meals from 250,000 to 150,000. Those living in hard-to-reach areas, including near the Israeli military’s yellow line, will receive hot meals every other day instead of daily.
* An estimated 67% of Gaza’s population face acute food insecurity, including 200,000 experiencing emergency conditions requiring immediate assistance to prevent death from hunger.
* The cuts come as an Israeli blockade on commercial imports enters its fifth consecutive day, already causing a rise in the prices of basic goods, with sharp increases in the cost of flour, eggs, onions, and other staples.
* **Killed and wounded in Gaza:** Over the past 24 hours, five Palestinians were killed—four in new Israeli attacks and one due to wounds sustained in earlier attacks—and 22 injured across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
* Israel killed at least 12 Palestinians, including three children, and wounded 68 in attacks across the Strip over the weekend.
* An Israeli strike on Saturday killed 14-year-old Palestinian student Mohammed Abu Hammad in the south of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza shortly after he returned from school.
* “He hadn’t even been sitting in the chair for five minutes,” Ahmed Muhareb told Drop Site’s Mohamed Ahmed. “They fired a missile at the boy, while his schoolbag was still on his back.” **Watch the dispatch from Mohamed Ahmed [here.][7]**
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023, is now 74,480 killed, with 175,539 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,522 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,421, while 839 bodies have been recovered.
* **Israeli forces uproot hundreds of trees as settlers attack Palestinians across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Nablus: **Israeli settlers [attempted to storm][8] a Palestinian school in Jalud, forcing the evacuation of students, and attacked nearby olive harvesters on Monday, WAFA reported.
* In Qaryut, Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian in the shoulder following a settler attack.
* **Hebron:** Israeli forces [demolished][9] agricultural structures, uprooted more than 300 trees, and bulldozed over 2.5 acres of farmland north of Hebron. Forces also detained a Palestinian and two foreign activists documenting a settler attack in Masafer Yatta.
* Soldiers detained teachers heading to a school in Susiya, arresting one and confiscating their vehicle.
* **Ramallah: **Settlers [set a vehicle on fire][10] and attempted to burn two homes in Turmus Ayya, beating and injuring a Palestinian-American man. Another Palestinian was injured in a settler assault in Deir Abu Mashal.
* **Jenin:** Israeli forces [issued][11] more than 20 demolition notices targeting agricultural and commercial structures, while settlers expelled farmers from their land in Al-Arqa.
* **Israeli settlers attack European diplomats observing olive harvest in West Bank: **Masked Israeli settlers on all-terrain vehicles [attacked][12] European diplomats and Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest near Taybeh, a Palestinian Christian village northeast of Ramallah, on Saturday. Diplomats from France, including the French consul in Jerusalem, Belgium, and Poland were present.
* The settlers surrounded a diplomatic vehicle and demanded ID, then pelted it with stones and smashed a window of a Belgian consulate car, according to the Israeli Army Radio. Footage shows men carrying clubs approaching the diplomats and one diplomat lying on the ground.
* The attack came a day after settlers beat and shot Palestinians and brutally assaulted Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine also during the harvest. Reporter Jasper Nathaniel wrote an account of that assault [here][13].
* In the wake of international criticism following the two attacks, Israeli security forces said they arrested 10 suspects in connection with the violence. Israeli settlers are rarely arrested or prosecuted for attacks on Palestinians.
# Iran
* **Russian Foreign Minister visits Iran: **Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is [visiting][14] Tehran on Monday for talks on bilateral relations and regional and international developments, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said. Lavrov will outline Moscow’s efforts to “de-escalate regional tensions created by the United States and Israel,” according to the Russian state news agency.
* The visit follows consultations between Moscow and Washington and Lavrov’s participation in a ministerial meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
* In an October 9 call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, Putin conveyed Iran’s position on possible ways to resolve the conflict, according to the Kremlin.
* **Oil tanker hits naval mine near Hormuz, catches fire, IRGC says:** An oil tanker [struck][15] a naval mine south of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, causing an explosion and fire in its engine room, according to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy.
* The IRGC claimed the vessel had switched off its navigation and positioning systems and was attempting to exit the strait through an unauthorized southern route.
* **Pakistan suspends trade with Iran at two major border crossings: **Pakistan [temporarily suspended][16] trade with Iran through the Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan border crossings, leaving hundreds of trucks carrying liquefied petroleum gas, rice, fruit and other commodities stranded on both sides of the border.
* Pakistani officials cited security concerns, smuggling prevention and administrative improvements, while Iran’s Foreign Ministry attributed the disruption to “technical issues.” Both countries said consultations were underway to restore normal operations.
* Following the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, Islamabad and Tehran introduced measures to expand cross-border commerce, including streamlined customs procedures and new transit routes. In August, both governments agreed to work toward keeping border crossings open around the clock.
# Lebanon
* **Israeli airstrikes, artillery, and machine-gun fire target southern Lebanon despite ceasefire: **Israeli warplanes [struck][17] Kfar Tebnit in Nabatieh district overnight, while Israeli forces [carried out][18] a large demolition operation in Beit Yahoun and shelled the outskirts of Braashit, both in Bint Jbeil district.
* Israeli artillery also targeted Mansouri in Tyre (Sour) district, while troops opened machine-gun fire toward Beit al-Siyad and Mansouri, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
* On Monday morning, Israeli troops opened machine-gun fire toward Wadi Beit Lif and Srebbine in Bint Jbeil district.
# U.S. News
* **Trump endorses Netanyahu days before Israel’s Oct. 27 election: **President Donald Trump [endorsed][19] Prime Minister **Benjamin Netanyahu** on Sunday, calling him “a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combating the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Trump had held back on an endorsement for months, telling a Time interviewer as recently as this month that he’s “not involved in politics anymore.”
* In the same post, Trump again threatened to “soon finish the job” against Iran “unless they change their ways, rapidly,” but said that if Israel has “anyone other than Bibi,” then “America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so.”
* **Trump puts newly signed Russia sanctions on hold, citing national interest**: Trump [signed][20] an executive order Friday pausing a sweeping Russia sanctions package, telling Congress the delay was in the national interest. He signed the legislation last month, and the pause comes two days before the deadline for implementation. Named for the late Sen. **Lindsey Graham**, who died unexpectedly in July after returning from Ukraine, the bill was drafted with Sen. **Richard Blumenthal **(D-Conn.) and passed with bipartisan majorities.
* The package targeted Russian officials, banks, and the “shadow fleet” of tankers moving Russian energy. It also imposed tariffs of up to 100% on the top five importers of Russian oil or gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and are significantly cutting those imports.
* **FAA bars unauthorized drones along U.S.-Mexico border:** The FAA is [imposing][21] a temporary flight restriction that bars unauthorized drone activity up to 400 feet above ground level, extending one nautical mile north of the U.S.-Mexico border. In April, the FAA and Pentagon signed an agreement allowing the government to use a high-energy laser counter-drone system along the southern border. The Pentagon claimed more than 1,000 drone incursions along the border each month, and U.S. security officials have grown alarmed about cartels using drones to drop drugs or surveil trafficking routes.
* In February, the FAA briefly halted El Paso’s airport because Customs and Border Protection used the laser without a safety review. Days later, the military shot down a CBP drone with the laser, and the FAA expanded its restricted area around Fort Hancock, Texas.
* **Mexican man found dead at Laredo ICE facility, seventh ICE detainee death in Texas this year**: **Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias**, 56, was [found][22] unresponsive in his cell at the Rio Grande Processing Center around 10 a.m. on Saturday, his daughter and Rep. **Henry Cuellar** (D-Texas) told the Texas Tribune.
* He is the seventh person to die in ICE detention in Texas this year. The Rio Grande Processing Center is managed by GEO Group, which declined to comment on the story.
* The family learned of his death through the Webb County Medical Examiner and was not contacted by federal agencies. Andrade-Covarrubias had a heart condition, diabetes, and high blood pressure, but, his daughter alleged, staff wouldn’t administer his medication.
* **Obama condemns Trump administration’s investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar:** Former President **Barack Obama** [denounced][23] the investigation of Rep. **Ilhan Omar **(D-Minn.) in a statement on X on Sunday. He said, “the fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views.” He warned that “if this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won’t do the same.”
* Federal agents raided Omar’s Washington home last week and seized her phone as part of an investigation into whether she or her late father gave false information on immigration paperwork 26 years ago. The administration intends to build a case to strip her citizenship and ultimately deport her, the Wall Street Journal reported. The first Trump administration reviewed similar allegations in 2019 and found insufficient evidence for a full investigation, the Washington Post reported.
* **Trump says California officials “will all go to jail” if state counts ballots of supposed noncitizens**: Trump [wrote][24] on Truth Social Friday that California officials “will all go to jail for a long period of time!!!” if they include in their midterm count the mail-in ballots of people the federal government claims are noncitizens. On Thursday, the Justice Department announced that it was pursuing legal action against California, after DOJ gave officials 48 hours to review the citizenship status of about 20,000 voters.
* **Texas reportedly weighed selling Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX: **The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission [weighed][25] selling a 1,300-acre state park, the beachfront Boca Chica State Park in Cameron County, to SpaceX, Texas Monthly reported. According to a draft agenda, the commission planned to take up the sale in closed-door executive session on November 5, two days after the midterm election. After Texas Monthly inquired about the sale, a spokesperson for the commission said it “is not considering the sale of the Boca Chica property at its November meeting.” She did not answer follow-up questions about the talks, **Elon Musk**’s involvement, why the agenda changed, or whether the issue is shelved. Sources said the nine commissioners, all appointed by Gov. **Greg Abbott**, could take it up later.
* Lawmakers gave SpaceX partial control of Boca Chica’s beaches last year, and in 2024 the state agreed to a 43-acre swap that SpaceX later abandoned. This summer the US Fish and Wildlife Service approved giving SpaceX 715 acres of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge for 683 acres elsewhere.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Ukraine launches 1,000+ drones at Russia; Russian strikes on Ukraine kill two:** Russia’s Defense Ministry [said][26] it “neutralized” 1,015 Ukrainian drones overnight. St. Petersburg Gov. Alexander Beglov said a “massive” strike killed at least one person and injured five. Some of the Ukrainian strikes appeared to target energy and tech infrastructure. Several residential buildings and two houses were struck. About 20,000 people lost power in the Leningrad Oblast, the region’s governor said.
* In Kyiv, Russian strikes overnight killed a woman, hit a subway station, and damaged a residential building, injuring three people. Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia killed a woman and wounded at least two people, including a six-year-old girl.
* **2,400+ arrested in French protests:** Protests against education policies and the rising cost of living in France [continued][27] over the weekend with some of the largest turnouts since the demonstrations began last month, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets in some 140 cities and towns. Police have arrested at least 2,400 protesters since Saturday.
* French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said he has asked regional authorities to impose partial curfews in some cities. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez offered his resignation on Sunday but President Emmanuel Macron asked him to stay in his position to respond to the situation. Macron blamed much of Saturday’s violence on “insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals,” he said in a televised address on Sunday. “Those who looted will have to pay for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable,” he added.
* **RSF attack kills at least 11 displaced people: **A Rapid Support Forces attack near the Chad border [killed][28] at least 11 internally displaced people and wounded dozens more on Saturday, the Sudan Tribune reported. Most of the casualties were women and children, according to the Darfur Regional Government.
* **Albanian police attack protesters, arrest 1,000+: **Police in Tirana [fired][29] what appeared to be rubber bullets at protesters Saturday outside the education ministry. The protests are focused on perceived government corruption, lack of jobs, and poor education standards. Rounds hit several demonstrators and two Reuters journalists. The chief of police did not deny using rubber bullets, saying “all means that were used were employed in a limited manner.” He said that authorities have arrested 1,067 people and prosecuted 388.
* **19 dead, 25 injured in stampede during Hindu religious festival in Kolkata:** At least 19 people were killed and 25 were injured in a stampede at a Hindu religious festival in Kolkata, India, on Saturday. Police said a crowd outside a pavilion took cover from rain, and that some worshippers fell in the rush and were trampled. Victims were taken to Kolkata Medical College, according to Suvendu Adhikari, the head of West Bengal province. A seven-year-old girl was among the dead.
* **Sisi says his term ends in 2030, proposes military academy program to train future leaders: **Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pledged on Saturday at an Egyptian Military Academy graduation that he would leave office after his term ends in 2030, calling it “a matter that has been completely settled and will not be discussed,” and reiterated that the constitution will not be amended again.
* Sisi, 71, was reelected in December 2023 to a six-year term, after amending the constitution in 2019 to extend presidential terms from four to six years and permitted him to run for a third term. In the past two elections, several opposition candidates have been jailed or barred from running. A former army general, Sisi became president in 2014, a year after toppling elected president Mohamed Morsi.
* Sisi also announced a plan for his succession, saying that only candidates aged 40 to 50 with a doctorate should apply and would be required to spend 30 months at a military academy training program.
* **Lula and Bolsonaro face off in debate: **Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro [attended][30] their first face-to-face debate Sunday, a week before the October 25 runoff election. Bolsonaro finished nearly two points ahead of Lula in the first round of voting. According to a new [poll][31], Bolsonaro only leads Lula 46.5% to 45.9%—well within the poll’s margin of error.
* **Mexico arrests former Chihuahua official, charges treason: **Mexican authorities [arrested][32] Cesar Jauregui, Chihuahua’s former attorney general, on suspicion of treason, Attorney General Ernestina Godoy said Saturday. Prosecutors say that earlier this year, he allowed U.S. agents to take part in an “irregular” raid on a suspected drug laboratory in the border state without the required legal authorization. In April, the U.S. said that two embassy employees in Mexico City had died. Reuters reported that they were CIA officers.
* **Anti-corruption lawyer shot dead in Guatemala City: **Juan Francisco Solorzano Foppa, an anti-corruption lawyer and former prosecutor, was shot and [killed][33] at a sports center in Guatemala City on Saturday, Reuters reported. Police said that they detained two men and seized a carbine-style firearm and a motorcycle in connection with the case.
* Solorzano Foppa led criminal investigations in the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and later led the federal tax authority, prosecuting dozens of powerful business figures and recovering unpaid taxes. In 2025, he alleged links between the Barrio 18 gang and the right-wing political party National Unity of Hope. He also reported connections between criminal gangs and the judicial system.
* **Venezuelan opposition reaffirms support for exiled political figure Machado:** The Venezuelan opposition coalition known as the Unitary Democratic Platform [agreed][34] to “recognize and support the leadership of Maria Corina Machado” and renewed their demand for “free elections” in the country on Sunday. Machado has lived in exile since December, and her party says Venezuelan authorities have blocked her repeated attempts to come back. Machado told the Financial Times she wants elections to be held by July next year.
* **Kenya reports eighth Ebola case: **A middle-aged man tested positive for Ebola, Kenya’s Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth [said][35] Sunday, bringing the tally of infections to eight. Amoth added that the man was likely exposed to Ebola by Kenya’s patient zero, who had arrived from Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this month. Congo reports over 9,400 Ebola cases and over 4,500 deaths.
* **Fire at Canadian military base kills four, hospitalizes dozens: **A fast-moving grass fire [killed][36] four service members at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, Canada, on Saturday. At least 39 additional people had been hospitalized by Sunday, and at least 19 were in critical condition, according to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
🎥 **[WATCH][37] **War Brief: Trump Turns to Putin as Interests Align, Iran Forces Oil and Inflation up, Anasrallah Strikes Aramco
📖 **[READ][38] **“Win, Lose, or Draw,” Pearson Campaign Builds a Progressive Coalition in Rural Tennessee
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[1]: https://www.facebook.com/shabwagio/posts/pfbid0sA82UFnN5KWY4ymi2kpvQvHqRAFbWUL7NB6CEGqwyEsBnagfmLcscxSDTDZB7SeHl
[2]: https://x.com/dropsitenews/status/2111914827849314613?s=46
[3]: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/egypt-says-ready-give-saudi-arabia-necessary-support-amid-houthi-conflict-2026-10-18/
[4]: https://x.com/kbsalsaud/status/2111858047463174367?s=46
[5]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/17/uae-yemen-conflict-agreement-saudi-arabia-houthi-gains
[6]: https://www.wfp.org/news/funding-cuts-force-wfp-drastically-reduce-lifesaving-assistance-gaza?_gl=1*1rltko0*_up*MQ..*_gs*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAjw_9bWBhBGEiwAomyTIq_rSObgFXhvsZjiFt5WSHBKyMpjbJ8APLwOj1T0AMo9ua2Gw38-gBoCdIsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&gbraid=0AAAAACOf4HrTn8Sf3A-aPpbJwd45o-HpS
[7]: https://x.com/dropsitenews/status/2111539523595243806?s=46
[8]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/19/%D8%A5%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%A9-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%B3-%D8%B9%D9%82%D8%A8-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A9
[9]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/19/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%A2%D8%AA-%D8%B2%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%B9-%D9%85%D8%A6%D8%A7%D8%AA
[10]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/19/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A
[11]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/19/%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%AB%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86-20-%D8%A5%D8%AE%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%85
[12]: https://x.com/dropsitenews/status/2111477412827402386?s=46
[13]: https://www.infinitejaz.com/p/the-palestinians-who-rescued-heidi
[14]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86296438/Bilateral-ties-regional-developments-top-agenda-of-Lavrov-s
[15]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86296679/IRGC-Navy-Violating-oil-tanker-hits-mine-in-Strait-of-Hormuz
[16]: https://www.dawn.com/news/2037865
[17]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/569156/%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D9%83%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%AA-9
[18]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/569153/%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9%D9%8A-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF-2
[19]: https://apnews.com/article/trump-israel-netanyahu-reelection-prime-minister-ba88cdd728422d51e837231b2efbea81
[20]: https://apnews.com/article/russia-sanctions-trump-ukraine-e50c561ab805883bb4e484c092d8fadd
[21]: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/faa-bars-unauthorized-drones-along-us-mexico-border-citing-security-concerns-2026-10-16/
[22]: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/10/18/migrant-found-dead-ice-laredo/
[23]: https://www.axios.com/2026/10/18/obama-trump-ilhan-omar-citizenship-investigation-copy-package
[24]: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6155838-trump-california-doj-voter-rolls-jail/
[25]: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/boca-chica-spacex-elon-musk/
[26]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/19/ukrainian-drone-attack-on-russias-st-petersburg-kills-1-hits-energy-sites
[27]: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/frances-macron-vows-to-hold-accountable-those-who-sought-to-bring-down-the-republic
[28]: https://sudantribune.com/article/320124
[29]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/17/albanian-anti-government-protesters-clash-with-police-in-tirana
[30]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/18/brazil-s-bolsonaro-lula-head-into-first-debate-a-week-before-vote
[31]: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/bolsonaros-lead-over-lula-narrows-ahead-brazil-runoff-polls-show-2026-10-19/
[32]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/18/ex-chihuahua-attorney-general-accused-of-treason-for-allowing-us-participation-in-drug-raid
[33]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/17/prominent-guatemalan-anti-corruption-lawyer-killed-in-shooting
[34]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/18/venezuela-opposition-renews-support-for-maria-corina-machado-as-leader
[35]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/18/kenya-confirms-eighth-ebola-case-as-regional-outbreak-spreads
[36]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/18/deaths-injuries-after-fire-at-alberta-military-base-canada-minister
[37]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWhfskOogCc
[38]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/justin-pearson-tennessee-redistricting-data-centers
[39]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[40]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[41]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[42]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/un-food-aid-palestine-gaza-ice-texas-detainee-france-arrests-protests

2026-10-18 15:33:53 UTC

Trump Turns to Putin as Interests Align, Iran Forces Oil and Inflation up, Anasrallah Strikes Aramco
In this week’s episode of The War Brief Murtaza Hussain and Sarmad Jawad discuss how Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are looking to support each other in their respective wars of choice, how Saudi Arabia continues to face setbacks in its quest to dominate Yemen, and how Iran has successfully driven inflation to 4-year highs in the United States as it further controls the Strait of Hormuz.
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https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/trump-turns-to-putin-as-interests

2026-10-17 12:11:25 UTC

“Win, Lose, or Draw,” Pearson Campaign Builds a Progressive Coalition in Rural Tennessee
Tennessee state Rep. Justin J. Pearson stands for a photo with supporters at Campbell Chapel M.B. Church in Bolivar, Tennessee, on September 19, 2026. Photo by Brad Vest/MLK50.
*Story by Katherine Burgess*
Cherie Marceaux lives in Lawrence County, about three hours from Memphis. She and her husband run an animal rescue with horses, goats, pigs, dogs, ferrets, and more.
Marceaux says she’s not a Democrat or a Republican, but she knows who she wants to vote for in Tennessee’s newly redrawn 9th Congressional District: Memphis Democrat and State Rep. Justin J. Pearson.
In 2023 Pearson was expelled by Republicans from the state legislature as part of a protest for tighter gun safety laws with the “Tennessee Three.” Instead of silencing his cause, the expulsion drew national attention and rallied Memphians around his leadership.
When Tennessee Republicans redrew congressional district lines in May, they intended to make District 9 a safe Republican seat. In response, Pearson has focused on issues that appeal to urban and rural voters across the political spectrum: opposition to data centers, gun safety and the economy. And a recent poll has him within striking distance of his Republican opponent, State Sen. Brent Taylor.
“He doesn’t just have guts, and he doesn’t just call out what’s happening, but he’s got hope in his eyes. I can see it in his smile. I can see it in his face,” Marceaux said. “I don’t believe in the party system. I believe in people, and he’s a people person. And he’s for the environment. How can I not love him?”
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It’s unclear whether common ground on these issues will translate to victory for Pearson in a district that is now heavily Republican and predominantly white. But regardless of the outcome, Pearson and his supporters say the coalitions they’re creating across District 9 are the first steps to rebuilding progressive power in Tennessee.
The new District 9 voted for Donald Trump by [more than][3] 20 points in 2024. The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election-rating organization, [called][4] the redistricting intended to strip Tennessee of its last Democratic congressperson “a really effective gerrymander.”
But Pearson supporters think there’s a chance. In September, Pearson trailed Taylor 44% to 48% in a Hart Research poll commissioned by TN Rise PAC and Three Star PAC (both groups that support Pearson).
“The most powerful thing that’s going to come out of this campaign—a win, lose or draw—[is] that people are realizing their own power,” Pearson told MLK50: Justice Through Journalism in an interview.
“It’s been an overwhelming amount of support, overwhelming amount of just love and power building that I think can change the trajectory of Tennessee politics,” Pearson said. “I think that’s what we’re going to see not just after we win, but over the next several years as we continue to build power in these communities. We’re going to be on some county commissions, some school boards, some mayors. This momentum isn’t stopping.”
## Data Centers, Environmental Pollution at Core of Pearson Campaign
Marceaux’s home county of Lawrence is very different from Memphis. The county of about 46,000 people is 94% white and largely rural, while Memphis is a majority Black city of [more than 609,000 residents][5].
But both places are grappling with the rapid growth of data centers and concerns that they’ll worsen water, air, and noise pollution. Opposition to data centers is a unifying position across the 15 counties that form District 9. Voters oppose them by a 36-point margin, according to the Hart Research poll.
The Pearson campaign has leveraged that opposition to expand his base of support, stressing that Pearson’s record shows he’s on the side of the people, not corporations.
Marceaux said Pearson’s longstanding opposition to data centers and other industrial polluters gives him credibility as he challenges Taylor, who was an early supporter of Colossus 1 and received [$10,000 in campaign funding][6] from a political action committee associated with SpaceXAI.
After a 2025 public hearing regarding the data center’s gas turbine permits, Taylor [posted][7] on X, “I believe our community will unite to embrace this transformative opportunity.”
In 2025, Taylor [passed a bill][8] barring municipalities and utility companies from paying for new electrical infrastructure built to serve a data center. He argued that [the bill would force][9] data centers to pay for their own energy infrastructure, but [critics say][10] the law contains a loophole that allows the construction of unregulated gas-fired power plants.
Taylor’s campaign did not respond to multiple requests for an interview.
Just 45 days before the election, Pearson spoke in a small church in the town of Bolivar, just over an hour outside Memphis. The [town][11] has just 5,000 residents, about 64% of whom are Black.
“We know we need to stop these toxic data centers from being built in our communities,” he told the room, adding that 67% of future data centers are planned in rural America “in order to replace our jobs.”
Pearson told the room that this fight is personal: He lives three miles from Colossus 1, the first data center built by Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI in the Memphis area.
“People are either worried about the data center that’s currently in their backyard if you’re in Whitehaven, or they’re worried about what could be coming to them if you’re in Lawrenceburg,” Pearson said in an interview.
A protest sign near the site of a proposed data center in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Photo by Madison Thorn/MLK50.
Bolivar resident Wanda Robinson said she’s hopeful that focusing on data centers will help Pearson overcome the challenges of running in a whiter, more Republican district.
“If we don’t speak out against [data centers], they’re liable to do anything,” Robinson said. “Next thing you know, it may be at our back door. So we have to stand, speak truth to power.”
Pearson has launched two advertisements in the greater Nashville area. Both mention data centers: “Now I’m running for Congress to stop data centers from invading our state,” he says in one about how his parents taught him “[The Golden Rule][12].”
In the [second][13], Pearson says, “career politicians and the billionaires who control them want to convince us that the problem is each other: white folk or Black folk, city folk or country folk. Because as long as we’re questioning our neighbors, we’re not asking the questions that matter.”
“Why can’t working families afford healthcare or groceries?” he asks. “And why … are data centers being built in our backyards?”
Taylor’s first [campaign advertisement][14] focuses on how he’s “tired of violent criminals running around Tennessee like squirrels in a bait shop.”
Back in Lawrence County, Marceaux worries about a [data center][15] planned for a property near her home. She is concerned about the creek that runs near the data center’s planned location, the well water everyone in the area drinks and the swimming hole her grandchildren use. She also worries about the potential impact on the bald eagles and a protected species of heron found in the county. Previously, industries stripped a nearby property of pine trees, she says, leading to a loss of woodpeckers.
“My hope [is] that [Pearson] can get up there and, on a higher level, he can get us some protection, since our local governments don’t want to protect us,” she said.
## Gun Control, Affordability Cut Across Partisan Divisions
On a sunny Saturday in the town of Savannah, a group of six gathered underneath the town gazebo before heading out to knock on doors across Hardin County.
Kristina Richardson, volunteer lead for the county, said she first became aware of Pearson when he was [temporarily expelled][16] from the state legislature during the Covenant School protest. A disabled veteran, she said she and her husband “are very pro-Second Amendment,” but want “commonsense gun laws.” Pearson’s protest impressed her, she said.
Most Tennesseans—including Democrats, Republicans and a majority of self-described “MAGA Republicans”—support tougher background checks for firearm owners, according to a [2023 Vanderbilt University poll][17]. Pearson supporters across District 9 say his focus on gun control and affordability has helped him broaden his appeal to more conservative voters.
Jenna Gammill, who grew up in Savannah and now lives in the adjacent Wayne County, said the area is “bleeding red.”
“Slowly but surely, there’s people getting fed up, but they don’t want to crush their own ego and admit that they messed up,” she said. “I’m hoping that they’ll maybe start to vote for things that will help them and not harm them.”
Audience members at a Pearson rally in the Campbell Chapel M.B. Church in Bolivar, Tennessee, on September 19, 2026. Photo by Brad Vest/MLK50.
Major issues include the lack of access to healthcare and the high cost of diesel fuel for farmers, she said. She thinks more people will vote Democrat in this election—even if they won’t say so publicly.
Allie Stokes, who joined Richardson and Gammill to canvas, said when Pearson visited Savannah in June, she heard him answer questions about environmental concerns related to the Tennessee River, which flows through the town of [fewer than 8,000 people][18].
“We can’t even eat the fish out of the river here safely anymore on a regular basis, because there are signs at the river that say it gives you cancer,” Stokes said.
When someone brought that concern up to Pearson, he promised to look into it, she said. He also seemed in touch with people struggling with the cost of living, she said.
“I feel like he’s going to be a representative that doesn’t forget the people that put him there when he gets in office,” she said.
As the group knocked on doors around Hardin County, Stokes voiced surprise at how many Democrat-voting households she saw.
“I’m really passionate about Justin’s campaign,” Stokes said. “I’ve seen him speak, and it really seems like he cares about each part of the district that he wants to represent, not just one demographic or one side of it.”
## Pearson Supporters Say Coalition-Building Will Outlast Election
Now, Richardson is not only volunteering for Pearson’s campaign, but also joining a coalition of people from across the new District 9 who plan to support their neighbors in times of need and advocate for progressive causes even after the election.
Richardson sees some irony in it: Republicans meant to divide up Democrats in creating the new District 9, but instead people are organizing across the 15 counties. “And we’re willing to drive,” she said.
Regardless of the outcome of this election, “I think [Pearson has] shown us that we do have the power, even though they tried to take it by gerrymandering the district,” she said. “It’s backfired on them, and it’s brought us closer together. It’s got me talking to people two, three hours away from me and working with them on this campaign, for instance, but also on other things like the data center in Lawrenceburg.”
Pearson said in an interview that as he’s traveled the district, he’s found more commonality than differences, including among people who vote Independent or Republican.
“It was a concern of mine that folks may not be as receptive to us: that the racism that the state house was banking on, quite frankly, by rigging the district this way would disadvantage us to the point where it’d be impossible. But that’s not what we’re seeing,” Pearson said. “I think our message is reaching Republicans and conservative people because it is people-first policies, and for anybody with a good conscience or goodwill, I think that resonates.”
[Leave a comment][19]
[Share][20]
[1]: https://barnraisingmedia17744.activehosted.com/f/71
[2]: https://barnraisingmedia17744.activehosted.com/f/71
[3]: https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/485216
[4]: https://tennesseelookout.com/2026/09/21/democrats-face-uphill-battle-in-winning-any-tennessee-u-s-house-race/
[5]: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/memphiscitytennessee,US/PST045225
[6]: https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?data_type=processed&committee_id=C00949867&contributor_name=C00411116&two_year_transaction_period=2026
[7]: https://x.com/BrentTaylorTN/status/1916668829880537362
[8]: https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=HB1847&GA=114
[9]: https://www.facebook.com/BrentTaylorTN/posts/tennesseans-shouldnt-subsidize-big-techs-power-bill-i-wrote-and-passed-the-only-/1068768085770720/
[10]: https://tennesseelookout.com/2026/04/28/tennessee-bill-gives-data-centers-ability-to-self-power-with-limited-regulation/
[11]: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/bolivarcitytennessee/RHI825225
[12]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeuHQ-A1B34
[13]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7GCc3tgNoU
[14]: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=4108748886082960
[15]: https://www.tennessean.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2026/07/23/lawrenceburg-data-center-approved-resident-backlash/90923628007/
[16]: https://mlk50.com/2023/04/07/democracy-lost-but-justin-pearson-and-justin-jones-will-be-back/
[17]: https://wpln.org/post/latest-vanderbilt-poll-finds-jump-in-support-across-tennessee-for-more-gun-regulations/
[18]: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/savannahcitytennessee/BZA110223
[19]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/justin-pearson-tennessee-redistricting-data-centers/comments
[20]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/justin-pearson-tennessee-redistricting-data-centers?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/justin-pearson-tennessee-redistricting-data-centers

2026-10-16 15:31:59 UTC

Record Israeli attacks on Palestinian olive groves; Teen shooter kills children at Oregon school; Poland scrambles jets following Russian strikes
A Palestinian man stands next to a smouldering olive tree set alight by Israeli settlers, near the village of Turmus Ayya, north of Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on October 16, 2026. Photo by Ahmad Gharabli / AFP via Getty Images.
**Friday, October 16, 2026 –***** ***
***Yemen**: Ansarallah attack on presidential palace in Aden kills five, wounds 16. Saudi-led attacks kill at least 107, wound 278 across Yemen since September 3, 2026. UN Security Council condemns Ansarallah attacks on Saudi Arabia, demands cessation of Yemen hostilities.*
***Palestine**: Israeli attacks kill one Palestinian, wound five in Gaza. Israeli settlers tear through Palestinian olive groves, assault Washington Post journalist amid widespread attacks near Ramallah. Israeli settlers attack Palestinian olive harvesters across other areas of the occupied West Bank, injuring three. Record-breaking 200+ Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian olive harvest in West Bank, UN says. Israeli advertising firm helped place “zero-click” spyware on Al Jazeera devices.*
***Iran**: Iranian president accuses U.S. and Israel of “ecocide.” Iranian navy reports oil tanker on fire after entering “restricted” waters near Hormuz. Bloomberg: Pentagon to delay report on Iran school bombing until after midterms.*
***Lebanon: **Israeli forces strike residential building, school, and religious seminary across southern Lebanon amid “ceasefire.”*
***U.S.**: Teen gunman kills four, including three children, at Oregon elementary school. President Donald Trump cancels livestream of firing-squad execution, reversing War Secretary Pete Hegseth. AOC gives $1 million to El-Sayed’s Senate campaign.* *Democratic senators move to block U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation deal. Trump officials reviewed Rep. Ilhan Omar’s immigration file in 2019 and found no citizenship issues. DOJ sues California and LA County officials to stop counting ballots of 20,000+ alleged noncitizens. Rep. Andy Harris threatens reporter with prosecution for recording him after Maryland debate.*
***International:** Reuters: White House gave the order to limit Ukraine’s SpaceX satellite access. Philippines rebukes Chinese ambassador over “thinly veiled threat.” Poland scrambles jets as Russian strikes hit western Ukraine; Bulgaria asks NATO for military support. Ebola spreads to Congolese province bordering Central African Republic. Ethiopian forces deepen control over Tigray. Ethiopian PM announces temporary government for Tigray, promises election. Somalia announces 2027 elections. Two Syrian pipelines damaged; one attributed to sabotage. U.S. discussing “denuclearization” with Russia and China, Trump says. French police accused of excessive violence against youth protesters in multiple cases. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announces plan to release detainees.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Yemen
* **Ansarallah attack on presidential palace in Aden kills five, wounds 16: **Five people were killed and 16 wounded Thursday in a missile and drone attack on the Al-Maashiq presidential palace complex of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government in Aden, according to Yemeni officials.
* The casualties included guards and civilian employees, while Prime Minister Shaya Al-Zindani and cabinet members were unharmed.
* Ansarallah, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said it had targeted a Saudi military headquarters in Aden as part of its campaign against Saudi military reinforcements.
* **Saudi-led attacks kill at least 107, wound 278 across Yemen since September 3: **At least 107 people have been killed and 278 wounded in Saudi-led [attacks][1] across Yemen since September 3, according to the health ministry in Sana’a. Women and children account for more than 60% of casualties.
* Between October 3 and October 12, the death toll rose from 72 to 107, with Taiz, Saada and Al-Jawf the hardest-hit of 13 affected governorates.
* **UN Security Council condemns Ansarallah attacks on Saudi Arabia, demands cessation of Yemen hostilities: **The UN Security Council condemned Ansarallah’s escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia in a presidential [statement][2] Thursday, pointing to strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and attacks on other airports and Saudi Aramco facilities. The Council also affirmed Saudi Arabia’s “right to self-defense.”
* Ansarallah must “immediately cease their military escalation and their attacks impacting civilians and civilian objects,” the Council said, reiterating its support for a negotiated, inclusive, Yemeni-led political settlement. Saudi Arabia welcomed the statement, while calling for international cooperation to prevent Ansarallah from obtaining weapons and other forms of support.
# Palestine
* **Israeli attacks kill one Palestinian, wound five in Gaza: **One Palestinian [died][3] Friday after sustaining injuries in an Israeli attack on the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City Thursday night, according to WAFA. Five others were injured in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip.
* Israeli forces continued shelling and gunfire across the Strip. In Shujaiya and eastern Gaza City, forces detonated explosive-laden robots to destroy remaining homes.
* **Israeli settlers tear through Palestinian olive groves, assault Washington Post journalist amid widespread attacks near Ramallah: **Israeli settlers severely beat Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, 63, during widespread attacks on Palestinian olive harvesters across villages east and north of Ramallah on Friday.
* The attacks left numerous Palestinians injured, including one shot with live ammunition, while settlers burned vehicles and olive trees, stole crops, and forced farmers off their land.
* Israeli soldiers also fired live ammunition and tear gas, causing dozens of cases of suffocation, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
* Levine suffered fractures and wounds after settlers repeatedly clubbed and kicked her, dragged her across the ground, and stole her equipment, [according][4] to journalist Jasper Nathaniel. Footage of the attack captured by journalist Andrey X can be seen **[here][5]**.
* Levine was hospitalized in Ramallah following the assault. “I don’t understand how parents can raise such monsters,” she said. “Yes, they are Jewish terrorists, and they’re giving everyone in this country [Israel] a horrible reputation… And they won’t be prosecuted. I’m sure of it.”
* The Washington Post condemned the attack on its photographer. “She was wearing visible markings clearly identifying her as a journalist,” the Post said in a [statement][6]. “We are outraged by this unwarranted attack on a journalist doing her job,” it added, calling for “a thorough investigation and follow-through from authorities.”
* Elsewhere, settlers attacked olive harvesters in Turmus Ayya, northeast of Ramallah, burning vehicles and olive trees, and injuring a Civil Defense volunteer, while Israeli forces fired tear gas.
* Four Palestinians were injured in Burqa and three in Deir Jarir, where Israeli forces also restricted access to farmland. Near Birzeit and Burham, a 70-year-old man suffered fractures and after being beaten by settlers.
* **Israeli settlers attack Palestinian olive harvesters across other areas of the occupied West Bank, injuring three:**
* **Nablus:** Three Palestinians were [injured][7] after settlers assaulted them while harvesting olives in Asira Al-Qibliya on Friday, WAFA reported. Settlers also stole olives from farmland in Aqraba and Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya, where Israeli soldiers separately expelled farmers and confiscated their harvest.
* **Salfit:** Settlers [attacked][8] olive harvesters west of Deir Ballut and seized a farmer’s vehicle key. Israeli forces subsequently ordered farmers to leave their land, threatening to shoot them if they returned.
* **Jenin:** Israeli forces and settlers [forced][9] farmers off their land in Jalbun, east of Jenin. Settlers also fired live ammunition and threw stun grenades toward homes.
* **Record-breaking 200+ Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian olive harvest in West Bank, UN says: **Israeli settlers [carried out][10] more than 200 attacks against Palestinians during the current olive harvest season in the occupied West Bank, surpassing the 185 recorded in the 2025 season, the UN said Thursday. Approximately 80% of incidents have occurred over the past two weeks.
* The attacks have killed at least four Palestinians since the harvest began, the Associated Press [reported][11]. More than 120 others have been wounded in the attacks, which have damaged over 2,500 olive trees and saplings.
* **Israeli advertising firm helped place “zero-click” spyware on Al Jazeera devices:** Israeli advertising technology company Discover-Tech helped place sophisticated spyware on dozens of devices used by Al Jazeera and other companies, [according][12] to an investigation by The Citizen Lab, a research unit at the University of Toronto.
* Spyware from Israeli firm Candiru was planted on journalists’ devices using the first-known instance of “zero-click” targeted advertising, according to the Citizen Lab investigation, which was prompted by an internal Al Jazeera probe.
* The spyware collects a wide range of data: files, documents, and browser data like cookies, bookmarks, and saved credentials. It also captures keystrokes, takes screenshots, records microphone and webcam input, and extracts emails and messages from popular communication platforms.
* Some of the Israeli spyware-ads were also discovered in critical networks used by the Pentagon, the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency, and the International Criminal Court, Al Jazeera said, citing a [report][13] by security firm Confiant.
# Iran
* **Iranian president accuses U.S. and Israel of “ecocide”: **U.S. and Israeli military campaigns in Iran and Gaza have caused widespread environmental destruction that amounts to “ecocide or environmental genocide,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday, during an address at the COP17 biodiversity summit in Armenia..
* Widespread U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian fuel storage facilities and related infrastructure have contaminated soil and water, Pezeshkian said,warning that the deterioration of Iran’s ecosystems could persist for decades. As for Israel’s obliteration of Gaza, he added, it “stands as a stark testament to ecocide, with devastation whose horrific impacts will endure for generations.”
* He called for international mechanisms to assess environmental damage, fund ecosystem restoration, and ensure that countries subjected to war and sanctions do not bear the recovery costs alone.
* **Iranian navy reports oil tanker on fire after entering “restricted” waters near Hormuz: **An oil tanker caught fire in a “restricted” area of the Sea of Oman after reportedly switching off its tracking systems and attempting to cross a prohibited route, Iran’s navy said Friday.
* The cause of the fire and the condition of the crew were not immediately clear.
* **Bloomberg:** **Pentagon to delay report on Iran school bombing until after midterms: **Senior Pentagon officials intend to delay the release of an internal report into the bombing of a school in southern Iran on the first day of the war until after the U.S. midterm elections, [according][14] to Bloomberg.
* The U.S. bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab on February 28 killed at least 156 people, including 120 children and 26 teachers, in one of the single worst massacres committed by the U.S. government since the Vietnam War.
* Several of War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s advisers conveyed to Pentagon personnel the plan to delay publication of the report, according to Bloomberg.
* New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said in a [statement][15]: “Withholding this report until after the election is not only disgraceful, it is cowardly. We have waited months—release the report. Congress and the American people deserve full transparency and accountability around this attack.”
* **Read Drop Site’s in-depth investigation into the Minab school bombing [here][16].**
* **U.S. sanctions Iraqi bank and 26 individuals, entities over Iran ties: **On Thursday, the U.S. [imposed][17] sanctions on the Iraq Development Bank, nine other entities, and 16 individuals over alleged financial ties to Iran, as part of the Trump administration’s “Economic Outcast” campaign that aims to sever Tehran’s remaining economic lifelines.
* The Treasury Department accused the bank, which Iraq barred from U.S. dollar transactions in 2024, of exploiting Iraq’s former dollar auction system and maintaining ties to Iranian government entities and Iran-aligned militias.
* Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent [said][18] the department “will not relent until the Iranian regime’s coffers are empty.” He added, “the noose is tightening around Iran’s economy, and not even Iran’s so-called allies can save it.”
* **Reuters: Iran conducted precision strikes on critical infrastructure in Gulf Arab countries:** Iran’s precision strikes on critical infrastructure in the Persian Gulf during the war included at least 135 drone and missile attacks on at least 84 infrastructure sites across seven countries—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain—according to a Reuters [investigation][19].
* Despite Gulf governments’ repeated statements that the damage was the result of falling debris from intercepted Iranian missiles or drones, Reuters found that the Iranian strikes were in fact pinpoint attacks on critical equipment.
* Some of the targets were hidden beneath rooftops and sunshades, and invisible to space satellites. Two Gulf officials and one Iranian official told Reuters that Iran relied on networks of informants to conduct the attacks.
* After reviewing Reuters’ findings, Ryan Stevens, a former U.S. Marine Corps special operations airstrike coordinator, said Iran’s strikes showed “precision, targeting expertise, and patience.”
# Lebanon
* **Israeli forces strike residential building, school, religious seminary across southern Lebanon amid “ceasefire”:**
* **Nabatieh:** An Israeli quadcopter [fired][20] two missiles at the roof of an inhabited residential building in Mefdoun, with the first failing to explode, on Friday, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. Emergency crews evacuated residents before the second strike, and no injuries were reported.
* Israeli forces also carried out two large, simultaneous explosions near a school in Kfar Tebnit and in Zawtar Al-Sharqiya at dawn.
* **Bint Jbeil:** An Israeli tank [fired][21] a shell directly at a religious seminary building on the outskirts of Aita Al-Jabal.
* **Tyre (Sour):** Israeli warplanes [carried out][22] an airstrike on Mansouri.
# U.S. News
* **Teen gunman kills four, including three children, at Oregon elementary school: **A 16-year-old [opened][23] fire Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, killing four children aged 5, 8 and 11, and one teacher, police said. A 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were hospitalized in critical condition. The shooter entered by firing through locked doors. An armed community member who saw him enter pursued him into the school and killed him, according to Gov. **Tina Kotek, **who** **thanked that individual for “heroically” intervening to stop further loss of life. Police have not made the identity of the shooter public, nor have they identified the community member.
* **Trump cancels livestream of firing-squad execution, reversing Hegseth: **Trump [said][24] Thursday on Truth Social that the government will not stream Fort Hood shooter **Nidal Hasan’s** Dec. 3 execution, canceling the plan War Secretary **Pete Hegseth **announced last week. Trump said streaming “might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan,” but that “many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device.” He said Hasan “will die, as scheduled, by firing squad,” and that family members of his victims will be able to view it in person.
* **AOC gives $1 million to El-Sayed’s Senate campaign: **On Friday, Rep. **Alexandria** **Ocasio-Cortez **(D-NY) transferred $1 million to the Senate campaign of Dr. **Abdul** **El-Syed**, the Democratic candidate in Michigan, the New York Times [reported][25]. “I’m not waking up on November 4th wishing I did more to combat the smears aimed at Abdul,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement to the Times. “I’m leaving everything I can on the field.”
* Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most influential Democrats in the country, joined El-Syed at campaign events across northern Michigan on Thursday. On Friday, she will hold her own rallies in the Detroit area.
* **Democratic senators move to block U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation deal: **Sens. **Jeff Merkley** of Oregon and **Edward Markey** of Massachusetts [filed][26] a resolution Thursday that would block the U.S.-Saudi “123 agreement,” invoking the Atomic Energy Act as their justification. The resolution will force a debate and a vote when lawmakers return next month. Both chambers would have to adopt it to block the deal, and it faces steep odds in the Republican-controlled House.
* **Trump officials reviewed Omar’s immigration file in 2019 and found no citizenship issues**: A political appointee in the first Trump administration [asked][27] immigration authorities in 2019 to review Rep. **Ilhan Omar’s** records for fraud, three former officials told the Washington Post. Career staffers found it highly unusual. Homeland Security Investigations concluded there was insufficient evidence of wrongdoing and dropped the idea of a full investigation. A USCIS officer’s one-page memo, printed and hand-delivered because of its sensitivity, found no issues. USCIS said then it couldn’t determine her age reliably because refugees often lack birth records, and examined her father’s file without finding problems.
* The marriage allegations were also reviewed: her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, withdrew a green card application after USCIS asked for more evidence. One former official said, “I think her citizenship is solid and there wasn’t any fraud there.”
* **DOJ sues California and LA County officials to stop counting ballots of 20,000+ alleged noncitizens: **The Justice Department [sued][28] California Secretary of State **Shirley Weber**, Los Angeles County Registrar **Dean Logan,** and the state on Thursday, asking a federal judge to block officials from counting ballots of voters it identified until their citizenship is verified. It claims officials plan to count ballots from more than 20,000 alleged noncitizens. The suit followed a Tuesday letter by Deputy Attorney General **R. Trent McCotter **demanding that Logan agree within 48 hours. Logan replied that he hadn’t opened a thumb drive containing the names of the alleged noncitizens because doing so would violate privacy and data-security protocols, and that canceling registrations requires verifiable information, “not assertions of unconfirmed data matching.”
* **Rep. Andy Harris threatens reporter with prosecution for recording him after Maryland debate: **Maryland Republican Rep. **Andy Harris** [told][29] a reporter Tuesday, “You do not have my permission to record. If you record, we will refer you to prosecutors,” in a gaggle after his debate with Democrat **Dan Schwartz **in Cambridge, Maryland, according to video shot by a Baltimore Banner photojournalist. The reporter, **Cat Murphy** of Capital News Service, said, “Everyone in here is recording. Why am I not allowed to?” Harris cited Maryland’s all-party consent wiretapping law, which carries up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He then called for an officer and left the room without waiting for one. The video shows at least eight journalists in the gaggle. Murphy said she is credentialed through a Capitol gallery and that the debate required no press registration.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Reuters: White House gave the order to limit Ukraine’s SpaceX satellite access:** An order to impose limitations on Ukraine’s access to SpaceX’s Starshield service, used for navigation by Ukrainian drones, came from inside the White House, Reuters [reported][30]. The sudden outage disrupted Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia as well as defensive interceptors used to shoot down Russian drones Ukrainian officials said. The outage came as President Donald Trump was pressuring Ukraine to limit its strikes on Russian refineries.
* **Philippines rebukes Chinese ambassador over “thinly veiled threat”:** The Philippines rebuked the Chinese ambassador Jing Quan for saying China could “easily win” a confrontation with the Philippines, Reuters [reported][31]. Quan, who added that China would not use force because “we love peace,” was responding to the Philippines defense secretary’s remark that China is a “troublemaker,” The Beijing envoy’s comments “very much sound like a threat,” said Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
* **Poland scrambles jets as Russian strikes hit western Ukraine; Bulgaria asks NATO for military support: **Poland’s armed forces [scrambled][32] fighter jets during overnight Russian attacks near the Polish border of Ukraine. No airspace violation was recorded. The Russian strikes injured two people and cut power to 370,000 others, the Volyn Oblast governor said.
* A Russian drone attack killed three people and injured five others in Kharkiv. Strikes in Uman injured several people..
* Also on Friday, Ukrainian attacks killed two people in Russian-occupied Luhansk, according to . Russian authorities In Russia, air defenses blocked a Ukrainian drone attack on a heating plant in the Vladimir region, officials said.
* **Ebola spreads to Congolese province bordering Central African Republic: **The Ebola outbreak has [reached][33] an eighth province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where two cases have been confirmed, Reuters reported. The province, North Ubangi, borders the Central African Republic, which has not yet recorded a case. The outbreak is the second-largest on record, with more than 9,000 confirmed cases and over 4,000 deaths.
* **Ethiopian forces deepen control over Tigray: **Ethiopian forces [extended][34] their control of Tigray, entering the historic city of Aksum, while rival Tigrayan fighters remain in mountains surrounding the city. Eritrean troops retreated toward the border after sustaining significant casualties, according to a spokesperson with the Ethiopia-aligned militia Tigray Peace Force. Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel denied the claims.
* **Ethiopian PM announces temporary government for Tigray, promises election: **Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed [appointed][35] a temporary administration for northern Tigray and announced elections would be held within six months, Reuters reported. Tigray’s ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, led an offensive last month against Abiy’s government, reigniting a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people from 2020 to 2022 Ethiopian forces have since taken control of large portions of Tigray, including the capital city of Mekelle.
* **Somalia announces 2027 elections: **Elections for both chambers of parliament will be held April 15, 2027, followed by a May 15 presidential vote, Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan, head of Somalia’s Independent National Elections and Boundaries Commission, [announced][36] Thursday. The ruling President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term, which began in 2022, ended earlier this year, but his government declared a “transition period,” despite an agreement with the opposition to hold elections.
* **Two Syrian pipelines damaged; one attributed to sabotage: **A gas pipeline in the southern Syrian province of Hasakah was struck and exploded on Thursday, the state-owned Syrian Petroleum Company [said,][37] The company called it a “sabotage attack.” Separately, a fuel leak was reported in the Baniyas-Homs oil pipeline. The leak is suspected to be the result of an attempted theft, according to state media.
* **U.S. discussing “denuclearization” with Russia and China, Trump says: **The U.S. has engaged Russia and China in “denuclearization” talks,” Trump [said][38] Thursday. The U.S. and Russia each possess about 4,000 nuclear warheads. China possesses about 620 warheads, but is expected to “catch up” within years, Trump said. “The whole thing is a shame because I’d love to denuclearise if possible,” he added.
* **French police accused of excessive violence against youth protesters in multiple cases: **Police in France have launched internal investigations into 36 allegations of officer violence against demonstrators, [according][39] to the interior minister, Laurent Nuñez.
* The accusations include four children allegedly being “mutilated” by explosive weapons, such as stun grenades, and six sustaining “significant injuries,” as well as other complaints, including physical beatings and sexual assault.
* An unprecedented number of children have been arrested since the protests began in mid-September, with a total of 6,773 children under 18 taken into police custody, according to the justice ministry.
* France is in the fourth week of its biggest youth protest movement in decades, launched by high school students demonstrating for better conditions and the replacement of absent teachers.
* **El Salvador’s Bukele announces plan to release detainees: **El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele unexpectedly announced plans to [potentially release][40] up to 50% of the more than 93,000 detained under El Salvador’s state of exception, framing the proposal as an amnesty for those accused of a lesser degree of “collaboration” with the country’s gangs. Bukele made the surprise announcement only after a journalist interrupted a carefully managed press conference to ask about comments made by the president’s brother, Ibrajim Bukele, about a commission to review cases. Bukele also floated the possibility of eventually lifting the state of exception, which has been in effect since March 27, 2022 and has been extended 55 times.
🎥 **[WATCH][41] **MBS TRAPPED: The War Saudi Arabia Can’t Win w/ Shireen Al-Adeimi & Annelle Sheline
📖 **[READ][42] **Encircled by War, Yemen's Taiz Residents Brace for Fighting and a Renewed Siege
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[1]: https://x.com/dropsitenews/status/2110526690870890941?s=46
[2]: https://press.un.org/en/2026/sc16479.doc.htm
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[9]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/16/%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8-%D9%88%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82-%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86
[10]: https://www.yaffaps.com/en/page-135787.html
[11]: https://apnews.com/article/mideast-israel-palestinians-houthis-october-16-2026-5da500114e070ccaa27d36837b095de5
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[13]: https://blog.confiant.com/p/adint-weaponized-ad-tech-for-zero-click-spyware-and-mass-identity-vacuuming
[14]: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-15/pentagon-intends-to-hold-iran-school-attack-report-past-midterms
[15]: https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/gillibrand-statement-on-trump-administration-withholding-iran-school-bombing-report-until-after-midterms/
[16]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/minab-school-massacre-iran-war-children-families
[17]: https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2026/10/15/us-imposes-iran-related-sanctions-on-iraq-development-bank/
[18]: https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/2110805394012405972
[19]: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/iran-crisis-infrastructure-attacks/
[20]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/568806/%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%91%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%84%D9%82%D9%8A-%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AE%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%B3%D8%B7%D8%AD-%D9%85%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%89-%D9%85%D8%A3%D9%87%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%82%D9%88%D8%B9-%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-2
[21]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/568803/%D8%AF%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%81-%D9%85%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%A3%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81-%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%A8%D9%82%D8%B0%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%A9-2
[22]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/568727/%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-30
[23]: https://www.reuters.com/world/shooter-is-killed-oregon-elementary-school-least-two-taken-away-ambulance-2026-10-15/
[24]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-no-livestream-execution-nidal-hasan-rcna603697
[25]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/us/politics/aoc-el-sayed-million-transfer-midterms.html
[26]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/15/us/politics/senators-saudi-nuclear-deal.html
[27]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/10/15/trump-officials-scrutinized-omar-2019-they-didnt-find-citizenship-issues/
[28]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/15/justice-dept-sues-california-officials-over-20k-alleged-noncitizen-voters/
[29]: https://abcnews.com/Politics/rep-andy-harris-threatens-journalist-potential-criminal-charges/story?id=137265769
[30]: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/order-limit-starshield-ukraine-came-inside-white-house-sources-say-2026-10-15/
[31]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/16/philippines-hits-back-at-chinese-envoy-over-thinly-veiled-threat-of-force
[32]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/16/poland-scrambles-fighter-jets-as-russia-strikes-western-ukraine
[33]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/15/congo-ebola-outbreak-spreads-to-new-province-bordering-central-african-republic
[34]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/15/ethiopian-forces-expand-control-in-tigray-as-militia-claims-eritrean-losses
[35]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/16/ethiopia-s-abiy-names-new-tigray-government-wants-polls-in-six-months
[36]: https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/somalia-says-hold-elections-2027-200402359.html
[37]: https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/two-syrian-pipelines-damaged-amid-233526018.html
[38]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/16/us-in-denuclearisation-talks-with-russia-and-china-trump
[39]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/16/french-police-injuries-teenagers-school-protests-arrests-custody
[40]: https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-state-of-exception-nayib-bukele-gangs-a78de06e47a1d540fb8e0f0b6039e06d
[41]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xd62jOBckY
[42]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/yemen-taiz-ansarallah-siege-fuel-food-crisis
[43]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/sudan-strike-civilians-rapid-support-forces-blue-nile
[44]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[45]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[46]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[47]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/israel-settlers-west-bank-olive-oregon-school-shooting-poland-russia-jets

2026-10-15 21:04:00 UTC

Encircled by War, Yemen's Taiz Residents Brace for Fighting and a Renewed Siege
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Ahmed Al-Issai, in his 60s, has resorted to living in the courtyard of Al-Thawrah Hospital in Taiz city, Yemen. October 15, 2026. Photo by Khalid Al-Banna.
TAIZ, Yemen—Like other residents of Taiz, Hael Mohammed is struggling to find food and other life essentials for his family as an escalating war between Ansarallah and a Saudi-led coalition draws in on the city.
“No one can imagine how difficult the journey is just to find a propane cylinder or a bag of wheat in this city,” the 41-year-old pharmacist and father of three told Drop Site News. “Many food traders told me their stores have run out of wheat, rice, and other essentials. When I finally found wheat, it was nearly double its normal price.”
Mohammed said that residents across Taiz are stockpiling food, fearing they could be trapped in their homes as the ground battles close in. The third largest city in Yemen, located in the southwestern highlands, Taiz has long been on the front line of Yemen’s civil war—and is now encircled by fighting.
Taiz governorate consists of 23 districts, 20 of which are now under Ansarallah control. Only three districts remain under control by the internationally recognized government—the three that comprise Taiz city itself.
Ansarallah now controls all entry points to Taiz city. These entrances have turned into active frontlines with only brief pauses in fighting. Drivers are forced to wait for the short lulls—which usually last no more than a few hours a day—to enter or leave the city.
The continuous fighting has sparked widespread terror among residents, who fear the conflict could reach their homes at any moment. The road blockades have also had severe economic consequences: fuel and basic commodities can no longer enter regularly, driving prices up to three times their normal cost for essential items like fuel.
While some food trucks have managed to enter the city in recent weeks, supply has fallen far short of demand, with residents scrambling to stock up on supplies as the fighting rages on the outskirts.
“The fighting is less than five kilometers (about 3 miles) from my home, and that is reason enough for me to be worried. I successfully purchased a 25-kilogram bag of wheat flour and I have cooking gas,” Mohammed said. But he has been forced to go into debt to afford food. “That was the only way to secure food for my family,” Mohammed said. “I went into debt even though I have a salary, so what about those who are unemployed or displaced? It must be much worse for them.”
For now he is buying bread from a local bakery, even though it costs 50% more than usual, preferring to preserve his cooking gas and flour rather than face another desperate search for supplies later on. “We won’t use the gas until we are completely unable to leave our home,” he said.
## **A Growing Humanitarian Crisis**
Last month, Ansarallah (also known as the Houthis) swept south from their northern stronghold in a lightning offensive, launching heavy attacks on Saudi-backed government forces in southern Hodeidah and western Taiz governorate. The Houthis quickly took control of the strategic city of Mocha and Yemen’s Red Sea coast to control the Bab al-Mandab strait, a vital waterway for global shipping.
At the beginning of October, Ansarallah launched another major offensive against government forces in southern and western Taiz governorate. By October 4, they had made significant advances, seizing the main road linking Taiz city to the governorate’s southern and western areas, as well as to Lahj governorate.
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) warned on Wednesday the fighting and road closures have cut off humanitarian assistance to some 800,000 people in Taiz and other affected areas. Wheat flour stocks are nearly exhausted, while remaining food supplies in local markets may last only a short time.
In May, even before the latest phase of fighting, the UN warned that more than 22 million people required humanitarian assistance and protection services across Yemen, including 5.2 million who were displaced. The recent escalation in the military conflict has forced an additional 201,217 people from their homes, according to data released last week by the International Organization for Migration. The number is continuing to rise every day.
Streets in Taiz city that used to be crowded late into the night are now largely deserted. As a result of the road closures into the city, the price of fuel has nearly tripled, with 20 liters (5.3 gallons) of petrol rising from 30,000 Yemeni riyals (around $19) to 90,000 riyals (around $57). Few cars and buses move through the streets by day, and almost none at night due to the security risks.
The normally bustling 26 September street in Taiz city is largely empty as residents stay indoors amid growing security concerns and a fuel crisis. October 2026. Photo by Khalid Al-Banna.
Aside from the huge rise in transportation costs, getting food and other goods into the city has become a harrowing ordeal.
“All the breadwinners went to the market at once to buy food, so it is only natural that our stores ran out,” a food trader told Drop Site News. He agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity for security concerns. Several food traders declined to be interviewed about the crisis, fearing accusations of price gouging and hoarding from local residents. “There are drivers who wait sometimes for days for the fighting to pause—even if for just a few minutes or an hour—so they can enter the city with wheat, rice, or other supplies.”
The food trader said that deliveries take significantly longer, fuel prices in the city have tripled, and drivers risk their lives entering Taiz—all factors driving up food prices.
“High prices are inevitable now, but even at these rates, some buyers are willing to purchase everything we have. That is why we resorted to dividing wheat into five-kilogram bags and capping sales at one bag per person,” the trader said.
Wheat and rice arriving at his store sell out the same day, he said, as residents gather in long queues the moment word spreads that a supply truck has reached the city.
The trader, who operates his own trucks, said that his drivers are reluctant to risk their lives crossing battle lines. “We only do this to help the people of Taiz, because everyone is terrified about what’s coming and just wants safety,” he said. “If not for that purpose, I would close my shop and stay home instead of risking my life to help others.”
Ansarallah previously controlled the main roads leading into Taiz city between 2015 and 2016, before government forces advanced and secured the southern entrance road.
## **Taiz on the Frontline**
Taiz has been a major frontline between Ansarallah and government forces since 2015—when street battles in the city left civilians dead and injured. It endured a brutal, yearslong siege until a UN-brokered truce in 2022. That truce held across much of the country, including Taiz, until last month.
“We can manage the fuel crisis by using firewood for cooking and walking on foot instead of taking a bus, but our main concern now is the danger of battles reaching every home, as happened in 2015,” Walid Saeed, a 51-year-old resident of Taiz city, told Drop Site.
Saeed lives with his wife, two children, and parents in Al-Moroor neighborhood of Taiz. Having lived through the 2015 battles in the city, he desperately wants to avoid repeating that nightmare and prefers to flee.
“I wish I could flee the city today, before tomorrow, but the roads aren’t safe and fighting is ongoing. Fleeing right now means risking our lives, which is no different from staying,” he said. “From a security standpoint, deciding to flee right now is not easy.”
Saeed, who works as a daily-wage electrician, noted that fleeing the city also requires money to hire a vehicle—an expense that many people like him simply cannot afford.
“Unfortunately, we missed the window to flee safely, so we have no choice now but to stay in our home, even if the battles reach our doorstep,” he said.
All public services in Taiz city have been impacted by the escalation: schools and universities are closed, and many public institutions have suspended operations until conditions stabilize. However, the most severe impact has been on health care, as the city serves as a critical medical hub for patients traveling from surrounding villages.
Ahmed Al-Issai, who is in his 60s, has suffered from kidney failure for more than five years. He used to travel twice a week from his village, 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) from Taiz city, for dialysis. But with the roads no longer safe, he has resorted to living in the courtyard of Al-Thawrah Hospital in Taiz city.
“There is no hospital outside the city that offers dialysis for my condition, and it isn’t safe to keep traveling back and forth between my village and the hospital,” Al-Issai told Drop Site. “I also cannot afford a hotel or a rented room because I am unemployed, so I resorted to sleeping on a piece of cardboard in this courtyard.”
Al-Issai knows that if he misses or delays his dialysis sessions, he faces life-threatening complications. As a result, his entire life is now spent between that piece of cardboard and the dialysis machine, stepping away from the hospital yard only to find food.
“I won’t leave the hospital courtyard until this escalation ends and the roads reopen,” he said.
*NOTE: The reporter for this story has been granted anonymity because of the security situation in Yemen.*
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https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/yemen-taiz-ansarallah-siege-fuel-food-crisis

2026-10-15 18:44:06 UTC

Displaced Civilians Sifting for Gold in Sudan Killed in Bloody Drone Strike
Survivors of the Abu Shandi drone strike at Ad-Damazin Teaching Hospital, in Blue Nile State, Sudan, on October 12, 2026. Photo by Eisa Dafalla.
AD-DAMAZIN, Sudan—On the morning of October 9, Ahmed Ragab Abu Shina, 39, joined dozens of other displaced people digging for gold in a seasonal riverbed, known locally as a *khor*, near the Abu Shandi shelter in Sudan’s Blue Nile State.
At around 9 a.m., a drone flew overhead from the south. No one knew whose it was, and no one thought it had come for them. Suddenly, an explosive shell landed in the middle of the *khor*, where men, women and children were working side by side.
“After the shell fell, dozens went down, and whoever could flee fled,” Ragab told Drop Site News. “In those moments, no one knew where their family members or relatives were.”
The strike killed 32 displaced people—26 women, four children and two elderly people—and wounded 43 others, according to Dr. Mustafa Jabrallah, Blue Nile State’s acting health minister.
Jabrallah blamed the drone strike on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group that has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023, engulfing the country in what the United Nations [calls][1] “the world’s worst health and humanitarian crisis.”
The strike on the *khor *in the Blue Nile State, in southeastern Sudan, is far from the RSF’s strongholds of Darfur and Kordofan, but it has become an active front of the war. Though the SAF holds the key administrative centers of the region, including the state capital, Ad-Damazin, that control is being challenged by the RSF and its allied rebel group, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N). A recent RSF and SPLM-N attack on al-Hijra, a neighborhood north of Ad-Damazin, killed four women and wounded 13 others, Jabrallah said. Elsewhere, RSF and SPLM-N fighters have seized southeastern border areas like Geissan and Kurmuk. And the SPLM-N has long held or contested other pockets of the region.
In recent months, the two sides have been fighting over strategic towns and bases in southeastern Sudan, near the Ethiopian border, according to the[ UN][2], and sustained attacks have displaced thousands of people. The RSF has also pushed further into army-held territory.
Drop Site News is a reader-funded publication. Please consider making a [tax-deductible donation][3] or becoming a paid subscriber.
The killing of 32 civilians at the Abu Shandi shelter last week was particularly devastating. In a [briefing][4] that same day, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric condemned the “horrifying reports” of that attack and others on civilians, and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
In attacking the Abu Shandi camp, the Sudan Doctors Network [said][5], the RSF committed “yet another crime in the ongoing pattern of violations against civilians in Sudan.”
“Targeting gatherings of displaced persons with drones constitutes a war crime and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” the organization added.
A coalition of RSF and allied forces, the Sudan Founding Alliance, [denied][6] carrying out the attack. In a statement on Facebook, a spokesperson said that blaming the RSF for the strike amounted to making “fabricated and booby-trapped statements.”
## **Violence Chasing the Displaced**
Like many others in the Abu Shandi camp, Ahmed Ragab fled Agro, an area in Geissan locality about 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of the town of Geissan and 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of Ad-Damazin, along with people displaced from Bakori, Geissan, Khor al-Dahab, and al-Jabalain to escape the RSF’s advance. They had lived in safety and peace until what he called “the cursed war” reached them.
Abu Shandi was supposed to be safe, but once they arrived they struggled to find food. So they turned to a *khor* near the shelter and began mining for gold in the traditional way, rinsing mud with water to recover grains of gold that they could sell to feed their families.
Buthaina Mohamed Teel Amer, 35, who is also from Agro, fled to Abu Shandi in August after fighting escalated when the RSF entered Kurmuk, a border town near Ad-Damazin.
Local aid workers gave plastic sheeting to the displaced people, so that they could build makeshift shelters, she said. They also handed out rations of a whole grain called sorghum—each ration weighed only about two kilograms. It was not enough to eat, so most of the displaced went to work in mining at the nearby riverbed to earn money for food.
On the day of the strike, Amer was in the *khor* with members of her family when the drone dropped a shell into the crowd. Some of the surviving victims were burned so badly that their relatives could not recognize them and had to ask for their names to identify them. About 30 people died on the spot, she said.
“Everyone was screaming,” Amer recalled. “As I searched for the wounded, I found human remains in the trees and in the water of the *khor*. Some of the injured lay in their own blood, crying out in pain.”
Residents of Abu Shandi rushed to the site when they heard the blast, helping rescue the wounded and bury the dead. No government officials or emergency workers were present, Ragab said. Civilians handled the rescue themselves.
## **A War in Its Fourth Year**
In April 2023, four years after a popular uprising ousted longtime president Omar al-Bashir, fighting erupted across Sudan, when a power struggle escalated into open war between the SAF, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.
At least 150,000 people have died since the war began, but some [estimates][7] are far higher. About 14 million people have been driven from their homes, including more than 4.5 million who have fled to neighboring countries—the single largest displacement crisis in the world. For those who have remained, starvation is acute. “More people are living in famine conditions in Sudan than the rest of the world combined,” [according][8] to the International Rescue Committee.
In Blue Nile, the fighting is pushing people out again, locals told Drop Site News.
The RSF recently destroyed the main water source in Area 6 of Wad Al-Mahi, said Mahjoub al-Sheikh Al-Khalifa, commissioner of the locality, and its fighters stormed the al-Kadalo administrative unit, driving more than 8,000 people toward Roseires, a town north of Ad-Damazin. On October 11, Al-Khalifa said, the RSF struck and destroyed Um Darfa hospital in the locality.
Drones are now a central weapon for both sides, with strikes killing more than 1,100 people in the first five months of the year, according to UN figures.
Some of the heaviest attacks have come in fiercely contested areas like El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan. The SAF maintains control of the city while RSF forces have seized areas to the north, west and south. Over the span of just one week, between September 25 and October 1, RSF drones hit El-Obeid at least five times, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) project. “Targets included a shelter at the Land Port, an events hall, the Sports City complex and Sheikan Dormitory. SAF air defenses intercepted drones on two of the days,” ACLED said in a statement.
The strike on Sheikhan dormitory in Kordofan University, on September 30, was a double-tap suicide drone attack which killed five people, including two women and a child, and wounded 26, according to local emergency responders, who blamed the RSF.
## **Aid Under Fire**
In Abu Shandi, the wounded were carried on donkey carts, farm tractors, and stretchers to Area 6 of Wad Al-Mahi locality, Ragab said, before the most critical cases were moved to Ad-Damazin Teaching Hospital.
The condition of the wounded has improved now that medicine is available, he added, but families are forced to buy whatever the hospital or local aid groups do not provide for free. A bill for antibiotics, painkillers, and gauze in private pharmacies can reach 290,000 Sudanese pounds (around $35).
The government has so far offered them nothing, Amer said. At a public hospital with her 13-year-old daughter, Halima, who was wounded in the strike, she saw patients contending with swarms of mosquitoes that can carry dangerous diseases, she said. The government had not supplied the hospital with any protective nets.
The strike on the Abu Shandi shelter is part of a pattern of RSF attacks on civilians, Dr. Mohamed Faisal of the Sudan Doctors Network said. Its forces have systematically targeted shelters, displacement camps, aid convoys, hospitals and service centers.
“Drone strikes on civilian sites have become a constant of the war,” he said. The RSF attacked a [kindergarten][9] in South Kordofan state in December 2025, and a [shelter][10] in El Fasher two months earlier. These attacks have severely disrupted relief efforts for the displaced and now threaten the lives of humanitarian workers. “Several organizations have lost staff, and recent attacks on trucks carrying aid and on Red Crescent [workers][11] show the dangers they face,” he said.
Conditions in the shelters and camps are dire, he added. They lack basic services like food and medicine, and epidemics and diseases are spreading.
“We don’t have accurate statistics, but we have no doubt that these epidemics and diseases, under the current conditions, will claim more lives,” he said.
Al-Khalifa, the commissioner of Wad Al-Mahi, called on the international community to condemn the RSF’s attacks, and asked for an independent, transparent investigation to identify those responsible for killing women and children in displacement shelters.
For Amer, the losses are counted in families. “Several girls were killed alongside their mothers,” she said. “An entire family of eight was wiped out in the strike.”
*This article is published in collaboration with [Egab][12].*
[Leave a comment][13]
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[1]: https://www.emro.who.int/media/news/sudan-1000-days-of-war-deepen-the-worlds-worst-health-and-humanitarian-crisis.html
[2]: https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168567
[3]: https://givebutter.com/dsn-substack
[4]: https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168567
[5]: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19x2Uwu41f/
[6]: https://www.facebook.com/tasis.SFA/posts/pfbid02447niSxRftQLdBnNMTDYfAd4Q2SmALVq7494QPMacwmPNkF4VCdmiy1LVezu957Hl
[7]: https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-crisis-situation-analysis-period-270426-030526
[8]: https://www.rescue.org/uk/article/crisis-sudan-what-happening-and-how-help
[9]: https://sudantribune.com/article/307774
[10]: https://www.geeska.com/en/deadly-strikes-el-fasher-shelter-kill-dozens
[11]: https://www.ifrc.org/statement/ifrc-five-sudanese-red-crescent-volunteers-killed-we-are-horrified
[12]: http://www.egab.co
[13]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/sudan-strike-civilians-rapid-support-forces-blue-nile/comments
[14]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/sudan-strike-civilians-rapid-support-forces-blue-nile?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/sudan-strike-civilians-rapid-support-forces-blue-nile

2026-10-15 15:24:59 UTC

Ukraine resumes Russian refinery strikes; U.S. sends troops to Latin America; EU-Gulf summit postponed amid Saudi airport strikes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to journalists in Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 4, 2026. Photo by Volodymyr Tarasov/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images.
**Thursday, October 15, 2026 –***** ***
***Yemen**: Saudi-led coalition claims missile intercepted over holy city; Ansarallah denies launching attack. Ansarallah claims direct hit on Saudi fighter jet. EU-Gulf summit postponed. UN urges Ansarallah to release 71 detained staff members in Yemen.*
***Palestine**: Israel suspends commercial goods from entering Gaza. Israeli drone strike kills Palestinian near school in Gaza City. Israel’s closure of Rafah blocks medical evacuations from Gaza for second week. Settlers attack Palestinians, damage farmland, and establish new outpost across the occupied West Bank. Israel has detained more than 2,000 Palestinian children since October 2023, with 350 still confined. Israeli guards shoot Palestinian prisoners with rubber bullets at close range.*
***Iran**: U.S. military develops plans to strike Iranian energy and nuclear sites with “mother of all bombs,” CNN reports. CENTCOM says it destroyed Iranian-linked surveillance vessel in Gulf of Oman. Iran must fight and negotiate simultaneously to deter future U.S. attacks, parliament speaker says. Iran vows further crackdown on Starlink.*
***Lebanon:** Israeli strikes wound two, including four-year-old, in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire. Hezbollah claims ownership of explosives seized in eastern Lebanon.*
***U.S.**: The U.S. is sending hundreds of troops to Latin America to fight drug traffickers. WSJ: Ilhan Omar investigation aims to strip her citizenship and deport her. Watchdog group sues to bar Jared Kushner from acting as envoy without Senate confirmation or financial disclosures. Illinois teen arrested over alleged mass shooting plot possibly targeting a Hindu temple. ICE rejects GAO recommendation for automatic body cameras. FTC sends civil subpoenas to OpenAI, Anthropic over consumer harms. Teamsters leader demands GOP super PAC pull Maine Senate ad that misattributes quote about Troy Jackson. Social Security benefits to rise 3.6% in 2027, an average of $75 a month.*
***International:** Five sentenced by Syrian court over mass sectarian violence. Ukraine strikes Russian oil refinery. Suspected Boko Haram fighters kill at least 10 soldiers in assault on Borno army base. North Korea test-fires cruise missiles. U.S. lifts sanctions on leading Venezuelan lawmaker. Guyana opposition leader arrested after gunfire outside home of officer testifying in his extradition case. Former British Army chef jailed for possession of weapons for “terrorist purposes.” India orders U.S. citizen, Bollywood actor Imran Khan to leave the country over protest. School roof collapse in Peshawar kills over 30 children.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Yemen
* **Saudi-led coalition claims missile intercepted over holy city; Ansarallah denies launching attack:** The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen [claimed][1] Thursday that its forces intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile over the Medina region of Saudi Arabia, according to the coalition spokesperson.
* Ansarallah said Yemeni forces had not carried out any attacks against Saudi territory on Thursday. A spokesperson described Saudi Arabia’s allegation of an attempted strike on the Islamic holy city as a “great and blatant fabrication.”
* **Ansarallah claims direct hit on Saudi fighter jet:** A Saudi Typhoon fighter jet was [targeted][2] with a surface-to-air missile over Saada governorate in northern Yemen, Ansarallah forces claimed. The aircraft had taken off from Taif Air Base in Saudi Arabia and sustained a direct hit, leaving it at risk of crashing. The claim has not been independently verified.
* **EU-Gulf summit postponed:** A summit of European Union and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders scheduled for next week in Riyadh was [postponed][3] following Ansarallah attacks on Saudi Arabia and the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport.
* The decision was made to ensure the safety of participating delegations, the GCC Secretary-General announced Thursday. A new date will be announced later, the European Council said, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening ties with Gulf states.
* Gulf states hope the summit will advance efforts towards Schengen visa exemptions. Bulgaria is also pushing for a railway corridor that can transport Saudi oil to Europe through Syria, Turkey, and Bulgaria, bypassing the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.
* **UN urges Ansarallah to release 71 detained staff members in Yemen:** The United Nations [called][4] on Ansarallah to release all detained personnel from the UN, NGOs, civil society organizations and diplomatic missions, following the release of UN staff member Sami Al-Kalabi, who had been held in Sana’a since 2024. A total of 71 UN staff members remain in Ansarallah detention, many without charge or trial.
* Ansarallah has accused some detained UN and humanitarian workers of espionage and collaboration with the U.S. and Israel. It has not provided evidence for those accusations.
* Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly called for Ansarallah to release “the dozens of arbitrarily detained members of Yemen’s civil society and UN staff,” and have documented Ansarallah’s use of torture and abuse in its detention facilities.
# Palestine
* **Israel suspends commercial goods from entering Gaza: **Israel has [suspended][5] the entry of private-sector goods into Gaza over allegations that Hamas threatened and coerced merchants, according to Nickolay Mladenov, High Representative President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace.”
* The decision further restricts essential supplies for more than two million Palestinians in the devastated enclave. Gaza relies on the entry of a combination of humanitarian aid and commercial goods that have both been subjected to heavy Israeli restrictions.
* Mladenov said he received a letter from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories informing him of the suspension. He condemned the alleged intimidation of merchants as “unacceptable” but did not call on Israel to reverse the decision or specify when commercial deliveries might resume.
* Hunger in Gaza remains at crisis levels following a full-blown famine declared in the summer, according to the world’s leading authority on food insecurity, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.
* **Israeli drone strike kills Palestinian near school in Gaza City:** A Palestinian was killed and several others were wounded by an Israeli drone [strike][6] near the Ibad Al-Rahman School, northwest of Gaza City, on Thursday, according to WAFA.
* Over the past 24 hours, four Palestinians were killed and nine injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023, is now 74,396 killed, with 175,449 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,505 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,332, while 838 bodies have been recovered.
* **Israel’s closure of Rafah blocks medical evacuations from Gaza for second week:** Israel has kept the Rafah border crossing closed for a second consecutive week, preventing sick and wounded Palestinians from leaving Gaza for medical treatment abroad, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Thursday.
* Medical-leave waitlists for ailing Palestinians are growing daily, as peoples’ needs far exceed the capacity of Gaza’s devastated and besieged hospitals to accommodate patients or provide even minimum levels of treatment, the ministry said.
* **Settlers attack Palestinians, damage farmland, and establish new outpost across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Ramallah:** Israeli settlers [attacked][7] Palestinian olive pickers in Burqa village, east of Ramallah, on Thursday, WAFA reported. Israeli forces blocked the village entrance, obstructing an ambulance for several hours.
* **Hebron:** Settlers [intercepted][8] vehicles carrying Palestinian Medical Relief Society teams and attempted to prevent them from reaching Khirbet Al-Majaz, in Masafer Yatta, to provide medical care. In Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, settlers destroyed crops and cut irrigation pipes belonging to a Palestinian farmer.
* **Salfit:** Settlers [established][9] a new pastoral settlement outpost in Wadi Yasuf, east of Salfit, erecting tents on Palestinian land.
* **Nablus:** Settlers [cut][10] electricity poles connected to a home in Burin, south of Nablus. The home, located near the Yitzhar settlement, has been repeatedly targeted by settlers.
* **Israel has detained more than 2,000 Palestinian children since October 2023, with 350 still confined:** Israeli forces have detained more than 2,000 Palestinian children since October 2023, with 350 currently held in “harsh conditions,” according to a report from the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society.
* Palestinian children face abuses ranging from “intimidation and arrest” to “torture, starvation and denial of healthcare,” the group said.
* **Israeli guards shoot Palestinian prisoners with rubber bullets at close range:** Israeli prison guards have shot rubber bullets at Palestinian inmates at close range, two Israeli rights groups warned, [according][11] to AP. The two groups documented nearly two dozen, most of which have occurred since last fall, compared to only a handful of incidents documented over the prior decade.
* According to the groups Physicians for Human Rights Israel and the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, prisoners have been struck by rubber bullets in the legs, knees, stomach and pelvic area, according to the reports, with many not being treated for their injuries.
* The Israel Prison Service’s legal adviser, in response to a letter from rights groups, said it saw no reason to stop using rubber bullets in “measured” and “appropriate” ways.
# Iran
* **U.S. military develops plans to strike Iranian energy and nuclear sites with “mother of all bombs,” CNN reports:** The U.S. military [developed][12] new strike plans that include deploying the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), the largest non-nuclear bomb in its arsenal, against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities, should President Donald Trump order renewed attacks before or after the November midterm elections, according to CNN.
* Officials questioned whether the MOAB could destroy deeply buried nuclear facilities. The bomb is designed primarily for massive surface-level destruction rather than deep penetration.
* Some military planners described potential strikes as a “fireworks show” intended to give Trump a symbolic victory and a way out of the war. Others suggested the MOAB could serve as a psychological weapon to pressure Tehran to make a deal.
* At a rally in Arizona, Trump claimed that the war on Iran would end “very soon” and predicted fuel prices would fall once the fighting stopped. “I knew gasoline would go high, but I had no idea,” he said. “I thought it was going to go much higher, to be honest with you.”
* **CENTCOM says it destroyed Iranian-linked surveillance vessel in Gulf of Oman:** U.S. forces [destroyed][13] an Iranian-affiliated dhow in the Gulf of Oman on October 6, claiming the vessel was conducting surveillance and targeting U.S. Navy warships, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
* At least 10 ships have been attacked in or near the Strait of Hormuz since Sunday, the highest number over such a period since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began. Six vessels were attacked Sunday and four Tuesday, while two sailors are reportedly missing and a cargo ship was reportedly sunk by an Iranian naval mine.
* **Iran must fight and negotiate simultaneously to deter future U.S. attacks, parliament speaker says:** Iran must combine military action with diplomacy to establish lasting deterrence, as neither negotiations nor military confrontation alone can guarantee the country’s security, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf [said][14] Wednesday.
* Ghalibaf argued that Washington’s pursuit of regional dominance meant military pressure alone would not force it to abandon its objectives. “Whenever we achieve a military victory on the battlefield, we must also turn that victory into a political victory, consolidate it and turn it into a document of defeat for the enemy,” he said.
* **Iran vows further crackdown on Starlink:** Iranian authorities pledged to intensify efforts to disrupt Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service, describing it as a “tool of war.” “It is a tool used for command and control by the enemy, for espionage and information gathering,” the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Cyberspace Council said.
* Iran has imposed two prolonged internet shutdowns this year, including an 88-day blackout following the start of the U.S.-Israeli war in February.
# Lebanon
* **Israeli strikes wound two, including four-year-old, in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire: **Israeli forces [struck][15] the town of Kfar Tebnit in the Nabatieh district on Thursday, while artillery shelling targeted Mansouri and Majdal Zoun in the Tyre (Sour) district, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
* Israeli troops [ordered][16] Lebanese farmers from Kfar Shouba to leave the Azrael and Bastara areas while they were harvesting olives.
* Two people, including a four-year-old, were [wounded][17] in an Israeli airstrike on Hadatha, Bint Jbeil on Wednesday.
* **Hezbollah claims ownership of explosives seized in eastern Lebanon:** Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah [confirmed][18] Thursday that a vehicle intercepted by Lebanese authorities at the Dahr Al-Baydar checkpoint in eastern Lebanon belonged to the group and was carrying materials used to fight Israeli forces. He demanded the release of those detained and the return of the vehicle and its contents, saying the explosives, including C-4, were intended exclusively for use against Israel.
* Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam pledged Monday to hold accountable those responsible for transporting the explosives toward Beirut, expressing concern that C-4 had been used in political assassinations in Lebanon’s recent history.
* Fadlallah rejected the suggestion of a connection to assassinations, accusing the government of fueling internal divisions and serving Israeli and American interests.
# U.S. News
* **The U.S. is sending hundreds of troops to Latin America to fight drug traffickers: **The Pentagon is [sending][19] a 600-soldier battalion from the 10th Mountain Division to train and exercise with local forces in Latin America, U.S. military officials told the New York Times on Wednesday.
* The first elements are deploying to a new jungle training facility in Panama. They will later train with forces in Colombia, taking part in the Southern Vanguard exercise later this month, and Honduras. They could also provide security for U.S. helicopters in raids against alleged traffickers.
* Gen. **Francis Donovan**, head of Southern Command, has said the U.S. plans to expand from boat strikes to land strikes against “narco-terrorists,” and only a handful of countries, including Colombia and Honduras, have agreed to joint operations on their soil.
* **WSJ: Ilhan Omar investigation aims to strip her citizenship and deport her**: The Trump administration’s probe of Rep. **Ilhan Omar** (D-Minn.) is aimed at building a case to revoke her U.S. citizenship and ultimately deport her, the Wall Street Journal [reports][20]. Agents searched her Washington home early Monday, taking her cellphone, notebooks, personal computers, and passport.
* At the center of the investigation is whether Omar or her father altered her age on her citizenship application to show 17 rather than 18, which would have qualified her automatically through his naturalization in 2000. More than a dozen subpoenas seek testimony before a Minnesota grand jury about the family’s immigration paperwork.
* Homeland Security Investigations examined a similar tip under Biden and declined to proceed for lack of evidence of fraud.
* **Watchdog group sues to bar Jared Kushner from acting as envoy without Senate confirmation or financial disclosures**: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics [filed][21] suit against special envoy **Jared Kushner** and the White House, arguing he “holds a continuing position and wields significant government authority” while running Affinity Partners, a Miami investment firm with over $6 billion under management, about 99% of it owned by foreign investors, mostly from the Gulf states.
* CREW asks the court to block the Trump administration from continuing his role until the Senate confirms him and he files all financial disclosures.
* **Illinois teen arrested over alleged mass shooting plot possibly targeting a Hindu temple**: Police from the town of Palatine, Illinois, [arrested][22] 19-year-old **Alexandros Paporakis** on Sunday. Detectives who searched his home recovered a rifle, multiple loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a tactical vest with body armor and a patch bearing white supremacist imagery. They also found a document titled “Why I fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto)” expressing white supremacist views and referencing violence toward South Asians, specifically Indians. Authorities are investigating whether he planned to attack a Hindu temple in Aurora, about 40 miles southwest of Palatine.
* **ICE rejects GAO recommendation for automatic body cameras**: A Government Accountability Office [report][23] recommended ICE use “automated camera activation” for unplanned use-of-force incidents, such as when an officer draws a weapon or turns on a siren. DHS rejected it, saying automatic activation could cause “the unauthorized recording of sensitive interactions with informants or victims.”
* DHS told GAO all ICE offices had received cameras by Aug. 5, but on Wednesday said required training was still ongoing and should finish “soon.” GAO also found officers at ICE and CBP were confused about when to activate cameras, such as during vehicle searches or detainee transport, and that one ICE office hadn’t begun using them even after training.
* **FTC sends civil subpoenas to OpenAI, Anthropic over consumer harms**: The Federal Trade Commission is [demanding][24] documents on security incidents and safeguarding practices, plus marketing materials and privacy policies, from Anthropic and Open AI, in a probe focused on potential consumer protection violations, Axios reports. Demands to third-party AI organizations will follow later, Axios reported, and the FTC plans to compel top AI executives to testify.
* **Teamsters leader demands GOP super PAC pull Maine Senate ad that misattributes quote about Troy Jackson**: Lawyers for **Gregory Floyd**, president of New York’s Teamsters Local 237, [sent][25] the Senate Leadership Fund a cease-and-desist letter, first obtained by NBC News, over an ad attacking Maine Democratic Senate candidate **Troy Jackson**’s “Medicare for All” support. The ad’s caption reads “Troy Jackson’s ‘plan is a disaster,’” attributed to Floyd. Floyd says he never commented on Jackson’s plan—his comment was about a 2019 version by presidential candidate **Elizabeth Warren**—and that the ad conveys a “false and defamatory” message.
* **Social Security benefits to rise 3.6% in 2027, an average of $75 a month**: The Social Security Administration announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, raising retirement benefits by an average of $75 a month. Nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries will see higher payments starting in January, and about 7.3 million SSI recipients will see increases starting December 31, 2026. It follows September inflation of 3.7%, up from 3.4% in August and the highest since a three-year peak of 4.2% in May.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Five sentenced by Syrian court over mass sectarian violence:** Two people were sentenced to death and three others to prison terms by a Syrian court on Thursday over their roles in a campaign of sectarian violence last year in the Alawite region of coastal Syria.
* In March 2025, an uprising by elements of the former Assad regime was followed by a much larger and violent backlash by militias and security forces affiliated with the current Syrian government that spiraled into widespread sectarian violence that killed over 1,500 people. Read Drop Site’s coverage of the massacre [here][26].
* Separately, Syrian intelligence officials [arrested][27] Ali Kayali, the state-owned news agency SANA reported. Kayali is the primary suspect in the 2013 killing of hundreds of civilians in western Syria. At the time, he was the leader of a pro-government militant group.
* **Ukraine strikes Russian oil refinery: **Ukraine conducted a “large-scale attack” on an oil refinery in Ryazan, an industrial hub south of Moscow, Russia’s defense ministry [said][28] Thursday. The drone strike set the site on fire, the ministry added.
* This week, Ukraine said strikes on Russian refineries would continue, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of an “energy ceasefire” on Sunday. Russia has also reportedly attacked Ukrainian energy sites since the ceasefire was called.
* **Suspected Boko Haram fighters kill at least 10 soldiers in assault on Borno army base**: Suspected Boko Haram fighters attacked a Nigerian army base in Borno state on Tuesday, killing at least 10 soldiers and wounding at least 20 others, Reuters [reported][29]. At least five civilians and a forest guard were also killed.
* **North Korea test-fires cruise missiles: **North Korea test-fired submarine-launched cruise missiles on Wednesday, the state-owned news agency KCNA [reported][30]. Among the test-fired missiles was a Pulhwasal-3-31, which North Korea reportedly fired from land last week. Its military is not believed to possess a fully operable missile submarine.
* **U.S. lifts sanctions on leading Venezuelan lawmaker**: Jorge Rodriguez, the president of the Venezuela federal legislature, was released from U.S. sanctions on Wednesday, Al Jazeera [reported][31]. Rodriguez, who is the brother of interim President Delcy Rodriguez, was sanctioned under the first Trump administration. The U.S. lifted the sanctions as it seeks closer relations with the Venezuelan government.
* Earlier this year, the U.S. dropped its sanctions on Delcy Rodriguez, and later on Venezuela’s central bank and state airline. Jorge Rodriguez has pushed legislation that opens the energy sectors to foreign investment.
* Nicolas Maduro and his wife, abducted by U.S. forces in January, [return][32] to court in Manhattan on Thursday to face a rewritten indictment accusing them of leading a state-sponsored campaign of repression that tortured scores of people. Maduro has denied the charges and is expected to plead not guilty.
* **Guyana opposition leader arrested after gunfire outside home of officer testifying in his extradition case**: Opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed and two other men were [arrested][33] overnight Tuesday following gunfire outside the home of Senior Superintendent of Police Prem Narine, who is testifying in the U.S. extradition case against Mohamed, Reuters reported. The government said that Mohamed and his companions had been filming Narine’s home, and that gunshots came from their vehicle. Mohamed’s office says he did not possess a weapon, and that police planted it on him.
* In 2025, U.S. prosecutors indicted Azruddin Mohamed and his father Nazar on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering, claiming that the two enriched themselves through gold exports and defrauded the Guyana government. The son and the father deny wrongdoing, and are contesting their extradition in court.
* **Former British Army chef jailed for possession of weapons for “terrorist purposes”: **Mark Broadhurst, a former UK Army chef, was [sentenced][34] to almost four years in prison on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported. He was arrested in 2024, after police found a cache of weapons in his home, including what authorities called “an improvised homemade cannon.” Police also discovered online messages in which he expressed racist views and an intention to sell homemade firearms to right-wing groups. He was a member of an online chat group with [three neo-Nazis][35] who were sentenced last year for planning a “terrorist” attack on mosques or synagogues in anticipation of a “race war.”
* **India orders U.S. citizen, Bollywood actor Imran Khan to leave the country over protest:** Indian authorities [told ][36]actor Imran Khan to leave India by the end of the month, saying he violated immigration laws by joining a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Khan is a U.S. citizen; under Indian law, foreigners can be punished for participating in protests.
* **School roof collapse in Peshawar kills over 30 children**: At least 32 schoolchildren and one teacher were [killed][37] Thursday when a roof collapsed at Al-Khair Education Center, a school in Peshawar, Reuters reported. At least 45 children were injured, and three remain in critical condition. Rescuers spent hours pulling children from the rubble.
📖 **[READ][38] **After Ashley Moody Epstein Probe, Donors Linked to Him Poured Money Into her Senate Campaign
📖 **[READ][39] **Pulling Out Teeth Just to Live: How Israel Has Devastated Dental Care in Gaza
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[1]: https://x.com/cjfcspox/status/2110654133938069888?s=46
[2]: https://x.com/yah_saree/status/2110479325669867777?s=46
[3]: https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/15/gulf-eu-summit-in-riyadh-postponed-amid-houthi-attacks-on-saudi-arabia/
[4]: https://x.com/UN_News_Centre/status/2110611631990321443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2110611631990321443%7Ctwgr%5E39a81c78b88f9e761b59dae23448f8af1af1581b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2Fliveblog%2F2026%2F10%2F15%2Firan-war-live-tehran-vows-to-fight-until-us-yields-as-ships-sink-in-hormuz
[5]: https://x.com/nmladenov/status/2110695043174404522?s=46
[6]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/15/%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%88%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A5%D8%AB%D8%B1-%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84
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[9]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/15/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A4%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82
[10]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/15/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B2%D9%84-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86
[11]: https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-prisoners-israel-rubber-bullets-gaza-detainees-f84c80feb8faaa7f372017bdf3bfb4f9
[12]: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/15/politics/us-considering-mother-of-all-bombs-iran
[13]: https://x.com/centcom/status/2110455930559086927?s=46
[14]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86293156/Iran-must-fight-and-negotiate-to-establish-lasting-deterrence
[15]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/568592/%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%83%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%AA-12
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[18]: https://aa.com.tr/ar/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9/%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AD%D8%B2%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D9%82%D9%88%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B2%D8%A8-%D9%88%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%87%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84/4089660
[19]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/us/politics/us-troops-latin-america.html
[20]: https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/ilhan-omar-investigation-aims-to-build-case-for-stripping-her-citizenship-6adf1edc
[21]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/legal/group-jared-kushners-role
[22]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/15/us-police-arrest-illinois-teen-in-alleged-hindu-temple-mass-shooting-plot
[23]: https://apnews.com/article/body-camera-immigration-trump-administration-us-immigration-customs-enforcement-us-customs-border-protection-8bfc73abea866f565c06e03cbf18a3dc
[24]: https://www.axios.com/2026/10/15/ftc-openai-anthropic-ai-safety-investigation
[25]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/republican-attack-ad-troy-jackson-maine-cease-desist-union-leader-rcna603526
[26]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/syria-alawite-massacre-sharaa-hts
[27]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/15/syrian-authorities-arrest-main-suspect-in-2013-baniyas-mass-killings
[28]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/15/russia-says-ukraine-resumes-attacks-on-oil-refineries
[29]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/15/islamist-fighters-kill-10-soldiers-in-attack-on-northeast-nigeria-army-base
[30]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/15/north-korea-tests-two-submarine-launched-missiles-state-media-reports
[31]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/14/us-lifts-sanctions-on-venezuelas-top-legislator
[32]: https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/venezuelan-president-nicols-maduro-returning-federal-court-face-137277780
[33]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/14/guyanese-opposition-leader-arrested-after-shots-fired-outside-home-of-police-official
[34]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/14/ex-uk-army-chef-jailed-for-terror-related-offence
[35]: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/three-british-neo-nazis-jailed-planning-attacks-mosques-synagogues-2025-10-17/
[36]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/15/bollywood-actor-imran-khan-asked-to-leave-india-after-participating-in-protest-media-says
[37]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/15/seventeen-students-one-teacher-killed-in-school-roof-collapse-in-pakistan
[38]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/ashley-moody-epstein-work-release-angie-nixon-florida-senate
[39]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/gaza-dentists-dental-care-israeli-siege
[40]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[41]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
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[43]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/ukraine-russia-refinery-us-troops-latin-america-eu-gulf-summit-saudi

2026-10-15 00:23:01 UTC

After Ashley Moody Epstein Probe, Donors Linked to Him Poured Money Into her Senate Campaign
Then-Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody looks on as Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference at the Lakeland, Florida Police Department in 2021. Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images.
During her tenure as Florida Attorney General, Sen. Ashley Moody led an investigation into the work-release program that allowed Jeffrey Epstein to engage in sexual encounters while imprisoned for soliciting underage girls for prostitution. After nearly two years of probing, she concluded no wrongdoing. Now Moody, a Republican, is up for reelection in a tight race for a Florida Senate seat against Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon, and she has received $50,000 from individuals connected to Epstein.
Douglas Band, a former Bill Clinton staffer who communicated with Ghislaine Maxwell to schedule meetings between the former president and Jeffrey Epstein, donated $14,000 to Moody’s victory fund on April 15. Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman and John Catsimatidis, two billionaires who appeared respectively in call logs and address books in the Epstein files, donated the next most to Moody’s fund at $12,000 and $10,000 a pop. Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, another billionaire who maintained a relationship with Epstein even after the disgraced financier had been jailed for solicitation of prostitution from a minor, and Ronald Lauder, the billionaire heir to the Estée Lauder companies who appeared in the Epstein files for meetings and joint purchasing agreements with Epstein, both chipped in $7,000.
Moody announced her probe on August 6, 2019, four days before Epstein’s death and shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered the transfer of an internal investigation being conducted by Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw to the Florida Department Of Law Enforcement. Two days later on August 8, Moody immediately found that the work release had not been authorized by a judge. (“We have not been able to locate any administrative order, nothing in the transcript, that would indicate that the judge was aware of ordered work release in this particular case,” she told local media.) Yet it took almost two years for her office to finish investigating how law enforcement allowed Epstein’s work release to go forward.
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NBC News has [since substantiated claims][2] that Epstein abused the Palm Beach work-release program, which allowed eligible inmates to leave detention for up to 16 hours a day, multiple days a week, to resume working their jobs or completing approved projects. They reported in June 2026 that, “At least five women say they had sexual encounters with Epstein while he was participating in the jail’s now-defunct work-release program, according to records released this year by the Justice Department as part of the agency’s Epstein investigation. The encounters occurred at his office in West Palm Beach and in a car parked outside the county jail, the women said in FBI interviews.”
Nevertheless, Moody’s FDLE investigation wrapped up in May 2021, concluding no noticeable misconduct by the sheriff’s office or state prosecutors in Palm Beach County in granting Epstein said work release. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, former FBI agent Stuart Kaplan criticized its lack of search warrants, subpoenas, or a grand jury. “It appears the FDLE solely depended upon the cooperation and memory of those involved,” Kaplan [told West Palm Beach TV][3].
Sarah Kellen, a former aide to Epstein, testified before the House Oversight Committee that Epstein paid Palm Beach County law enforcement officers for preferential treatment, though she did not specify how much.
Ashley Moody’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Florida’s U.S. Senate race has only recently come into play electorally as President Donald Trump’s abysmal approval ratings have dragged downballot GOP candidates underwater across the country. Amid his unpopular war in Iran, the president has seen his favorability in the sunshine state [shift from][4] +9 at the start of his second term to -14 with three weeks until election day, according to Civiqs.
Meanwhile, Nixon, an insurgent now endorsed by Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, overcame a roughly 17:1 fundraising disadvantage in the Democratic primary to upset the establishment’s pick, Alex Vindman, on August 18. Since then, [polls have shown][5] Nixon closing within as few as 2 percentage points of Moody.
Sanders recently announced four joint Fighting Oligarchy campaign events set to take place with Nixon on October 17 and 18 in Tampa, Melbourne, Gainesville, and Tallahassee. An ascendant national figure, Nixon has campaigned on a bold progressive agenda that includes Medicare for All, a federal jobs guarantee with inflation adjusted wages, universal childcare, and a national rent freeze and moratorium on evictions.
Moody, on the other hand, cast the deciding vote in July 2025 to table an NDAA amendment that would have directed the Attorney General to “make publicly available documents related to Jeffrey Epstein,” and has at every turn defended the Trump administration’s illegal war in Iran, voting 12 times against War Powers Resolutions.
Fast forward one year to July 2026, Moody positioned herself as a key defender of Attorney General Todd Blanche, a key architect of the Epstein files coverup, during his confirmation hearing to succeed Pam Bondi at the DOJ. While Democrats highlighted his role in burying the files and past as Trump’s personal attorney, Moody listed awards Blanche received while he “prosecuted drug traffickers and violent criminals” as a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York.
Trump has returned the favor for her loyalty, [offering][6] Moody his “Complete and Total Endorsement” and saying the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill “probably wouldn’t have happened” without her. Moody [accepted Trump’s endorsement][7] in stride, saying she’s “incredibly honored” to have his support.
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[2]: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/epstein-florida-jail-women-exploitation-work-release-palm-beach-rcna347186
[3]: https://www.wptv.com/news/epstein/fdle-investigation-finds-no-wrongdoing-by-pbso-state-attorneys-office-in-jeffrey-epstein-plea-deal
[4]: https://civiqs.com/results/approve_president_trump_2025?uncertainty=true&zoomIn=true&annotations=true&map=true
[5]: https://floridapolitics.com/archives/823921-new-st-pete-polls-survey-has-ashley-moody-at-47-angie-nixon-at-45-and-the-senate-race-still-inside-the-margin-of-error/
[6]: https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/2101031823622934637?s=20
[7]: https://x.com/ashleymoodyfl/status/1948548827621064912?s=42
[8]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/ashley-moody-epstein-work-release-angie-nixon-florida-senate/comments
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2026-10-14 21:08:53 UTC

Pulling Out Teeth Just to Live: How Israel Has Devastated Dental Care in Gaza
*Drop Site is a reader-funded, independent news outlet. Without your support, we can’t operate. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a [501(c)(3) tax-deductible donation today][1].*
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A Palestinian dental student checks a patient during a practical session at Al-Azhar University, Gaza on January 25, 2026. Photo by Eyad Azam / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip—At midnight, inside a tent in Deir al-Balah, Nour Abo Shamala put her head against the pillow with a plastic cup of salt water beside her. Sleep didn’t come. A bolt of pain ran from her front tooth to the top of her skull and across her head. The only sounds in the night were the wind outside and her groans. She felt around for the plastic cup in the darkness and rinsed her mouth with the water. It brought no relief to the ache in her upper jaw. She soaked a rag in cold water, pressed it against her mouth, and waited for dawn.
Abo Shamala, 22, has lived with this chronic pain since February. She graduated university with a teaching degree just before the genocide began in October 2023, and has never had the chance to work. The family lives on aid. They were displaced from their home in Jabaliya more than five times before reaching Deir al-Balah in May 2024.
This past May, three months after the pain in her tooth first began, she went to one of the few dentists still working in the area. The decay had reached the nerve, the dentist told her, and the tooth needed root canal treatment, or she would lose it. It would cost 300 shekels (about $100). She told him she couldn’t afford to pay it. The dentist said the only other option was to remove the tooth for 50 shekels (about $16).
“I can’t pay 300 shekels, and if I have them, it would go to things that matter more,” Abo Shamala told Drop Site News. “I’m a girl. Imagine me without a front tooth. How would I laugh or talk to people?” She also knew she wouldn’t be able to have the pulled tooth replaced any time soon. The dentist warned her that the infection would worsen, and that the tooth was eroding from the inside and could break at any moment.
The waiting has cost her. Months of painkillers left her with an inflamed stomach, diagnosed at a UNRWA clinic. She can no longer bite into bread or fruit, and cuts her food into small pieces to chew on her back teeth. “If the treatment was 80 shekels the way it used to be, I wouldn’t have waited a single day,” Abo Shamala said. Seven months on, her tooth is still salvageable but she is still waiting for the price for root canal treatment to come down.
Over the past three years, proper dental care in Gaza has been all but destroyed, along with the rest of the enclave’s health care system, devastated by sustained targeted attacks by the Israeli military and a crippling siege that includes vital medical supplies.
Israeli airstrikes have destroyed 80 percent of the dental clinics in Gaza, completely or partially, and more than 100 dentists have been killed since the genocide began, according to Irfan Eshtaiwi, the head of the dentists’ syndicate in Gaza’s southern governorates. The syndicate receives daily notices from dentists who are shutting down or scaling back to emergency care only. Beyond the blocked supplies, the clinics that remain are working without reliable electricity, running water, or sterilization materials.
Another patient with dental issues faced the same difficult choice as Abo Shamala but made a different decision.
Ahmed Abo Dan, 34, sells chocolate from a small street stand in Deir-al-Balah. He was displaced from his home in northern Gaza in October 2023, after the Israeli military issued sweeping displacement orders for the 1.1 million Palestinians living north of Wadi Gaza to move to the south. In March, Abo Dan began suffering from pain in his tooth. Painkillers were largely unavailable at the local government clinic, and he often could not afford to buy them himself, forcing him to endure the constant ache.
When he finally saw a dentist in June 2026, he was given two options for his molar: a root canal treatment for 450 shekels (around $145), or extraction for 30 shekels (around $10). “I’m displaced and can barely scrape together the price of a bag of bread for my children,” Abo Dan told Drop Site. He chose extraction, and borrowed the 30 shekels from a friend to pay for the procedure. The tooth was pulled in July.
“War has made us pull out our teeth just to live,” he said. Another tooth has started to hurt him. “I’m afraid to go and be told I need treatment I can’t pay for all over again and maybe lose another tooth.”
Hardly any dental supplies have entered Gaza since October 2023, according to both Eshtaiwi and Dr. Osama Jaber Al-Shanti, the former dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Palestine. Last month, Al-Shanti took part in a demonstration by dozens of dentists who gathered in their white coats outside the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross in western Gaza City to demand the entry of dental supplies into Gaza. The siege has continued in violation of a “ceasefire” that went into effect over a year ago.
“They claim these are dual-use materials,” Al-Shanti told Drop Site. “It’s a label used to evade and restrict, to keep useful materials out of Gaza.” Small quantities do get in, he said, through a limited number of private traders who pay very high fees to bring them through, and those black market costs are then built into the price of services offered by clinics.
Before the genocide, a syringe of resin used for fillings that cost 70 to 80 shekels (around $23–26), now costs 1,200 shekels (around $388), according to Al-Shanti, an increase of 1,500%. Root canal treatment, which cost 70 to 150 shekels before the genocide, now runs 500 to 700 shekels at most clinics, Al-Shanti said. He charges 300, because he is still working through inventory he purchased earlier at a lower price and in bulk. The 300 does not cover his costs, yet he maintains the price to avoid turning away patients.
At Al-Shanti’s clinic in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City earlier this month, three people sat waiting—a mother with her young son and a man resting his cheek in his hand. It’s the third clinic Al-Shanti has had to set up from scratch since October 2023, after Israel destroyed two of his previous clinics in strikes and displacement forced him to abandon another.
The clinic has none of the sharp anesthetic smell that usually permeates dental offices. In the treatment room, a scratched yellow chair with a rusted base stood against freshly painted walls, fitted with a new control board and basin. The chair is the only piece of equipment that survived his second clinic, bombed in early 2024. He pulled it from the rubble with a ruined control board and a broken basin. A technician managed to repair the chair by fitting parts from a chair destroyed in another Israeli strike. The repairs cost Al-Shanti more than a new unit would have with spare parts also skyrocketing in price, but he had no choice with no new dental equipment being allowed into Gaza.
A repaired dentist chair at the clinic of Dr. Osama Jaber Al-Shanti in Al-Rimal, Gaza City. October 2026. Photo by Mohanad El-Hemrawi.
At his clinic, Al-Shanti is still able to provide fillings, extractions and root canals. However he has been forced to stop implants, whitening, bridges, and dentures due to a lack of supplies. He said his was one of the few dental clinics still operational. Most of his colleagues have stopped working altogether.
Ayman al-Shabrawi, who owns a dental laboratory in the Al-Saha area of Gaza City, told Drop Site he has closed part of it and laid off two thirds of his staff, and expects to shut the rest if medical supplies continue to be blocked.
The Gaza Center for Human Rights said in August that Israel bars a wide range of purely therapeutic dental materials and equipment under the dual-use label, and that the resulting prices have pushed dentists toward tooth extraction as the only remaining option. In Khan Younis governorate, the center said, only one government dental clinic and two UNRWA clinics are still operating, alongside a small number of private practices.
In March 2025, Al-Shanti screened children in displacement camps in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis for a Save the Children Netherlands program, which also carried out medical screening for orphans. He found large numbers of children with untreated decay that no one was following up on, and whose families could not take them to a dentist. Malnutrition, he said, has made it worse. Most of the children in Gaza are not examined at all, he said.
Warda Shaath, a dentist in Khan Yunis, said most dental treatment has to be rationed because supplies are simply not available. Light-cured fillings, for example, have disappeared from the market, she said. Some procedures that cost around 50 shekels (around $16) before the genocide now cost close to 250 shekels (around $81).
About 90 percent of her patients now ask to have the tooth pulled rather than to receive treatment, she said, because they cannot pay for a filling or a root canal. If the supply shortage continues, she is considering closing down the clinic next month.
Shaath still does implants, with materials she buys on the black market at very high prices. One of her patients, a 32-year-old mother of four, lost several teeth when her house collapsed on her. She needs four implants. The full treatment would cost around 10,000 shekels (around $3,300), and the first stage alone would cost close to 5,000 shekels (around $1,615). Shaath said the clinic tried to find a way to cover the costs but they were unable to, and the woman left in tears.
Dentists say they want to help their patients but are left without any options with the ongoing Israeli siege.
“The moment supplies enter, the first thing I will do is message all my patients and drop my prices immediately,” Al-Shanti said. The profession has a human side, he said, and is not only about profit.
Back in her tent, Nour Abo Shamala’s front tooth is growing weaker and darker. A small piece broke off the edge of the tooth recently when she bit down on a piece of dry bread. She is still waiting for Israel to allow supplies to come in, so the prices can come down.
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2026-10-14 15:14:59 UTC

Iranian mine sinks tanker in Hormuz; Trump pardons two at Alaska rally; Congo Ebola cases top 9,000
A burial team stands by the coffin of a pregnant woman who died of Ebola at the morgue of the Kyaghala Hospital Centre, on October 5, in Butembo, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Reuters/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere.
**Wednesday, October 14, 2026 –***** ***
***Yemen**: Ansarallah claims missile and drone strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities and Riyadh airport. Saudi Aramco headquarters extensively damaged in Ansarallah attack. Saudi-led strikes hit oil facilities in Yemen’s Hodeidah and Sana’a, killing two. Yemen hospitals overwhelmed by war casualties as fighting cuts aid to 800,000 people. Cholera cases surge amid mass displacement in unsanitary camps.*
***Palestine**: Israeli strike on Gaza City apartment kills Palestinian woman. Israeli forces uproot olive trees, settlers attack Palestinians across the occupied West Bank. Over 2,000 Gaza patients die awaiting medical care. Israeli settlers torch mosque near Jerusalem amid 13 attacks on mosques in 2026. Gaza doctor beaten at prison in front of Israel’s Ben Gvir, Palestinian officials say.*
***Iran**: Three Iranian fishermen seriously injured in drone strike. Iran reports first ship sinking from naval mine in Strait of Hormuz. Iran carries out latest execution as UN experts call for halt.*
***Lebanon:** Israel strikes multiple towns across southern Lebanon in continued ceasefire violations. UN warns Israeli attacks and destruction in southern Lebanon may amount to war crimes despite ceasefire.*
***U.S.**: Top House Republicans privately concede House control is “all but gone,” shift focus to saving Senate majority. Federal probe of Rep. Ilhan Omar reportedly centers on birth date and citizenship papers. DOJ gives California 48 hours to act on alleged noncitizen voter list or face legal action. NYC Comptroller Mark Levine backs off campaign pledge to buy Israeli bonds. ICE seeks AI software to monitor detainees’ calls, video and movements. Trump pardons two Alaska mechanics on stage at Wasilla rally. CBS analysis: More than half of top bidders for Trump meme coin dinner appear to be overseas. CVS to pay $315 million in unlawful opioids settlement. Bank of America fined $1.2 billion over customer money laundering.*
***International:** Ethiopian troops reach Eritrea border, raising war concerns. India orders temporary jailing of two leaders of Cockroach Janta Party. Russian strikes kill three people in Kyiv, leave 600,000 without power. Ukraine hits Russia’s largest data center. Pakistan suspends provincial party of Imran Khan; police assail party supporters. DRC tops 9,000 Ebola cases, 4,300 deaths. U.S. recalls acting envoy to Nicaragua after Ortega government rejects ambassador nominee. Russia arrests Japanese journalist, claims “espionage.”*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Yemen
* **Ansarallah claims missile and drone strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities and Riyadh airport: **Yemen’s Ansarallah [said][1] Wednesday they launched a large-scale attack using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones against Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran, in the kingdom’s Eastern Province, King Khalid International Airport and an Aramco refinery in Riyadh.
* The group claimed the strikes caused destruction and fires, threatening further attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities in retaliation for Saudi-led attacks in Yemen. Saudi warplanes carried out 104 airstrikes and missile attacks over the past 24 hours across Sana’a, Dhamar, Taiz, Amran, Lahj, al-Jawf, Marib, Saada, and Hodeidah, causing civilian casualties, according to the group.
* Saudi Arabia’s military coalition separately [announced][2] it had intercepted and destroyed an Ansarallah ballistic missile targeting the capital, where authorities issued an air-raid alert urging residents to shelter indoors.
* Four people, including two women, a man, and a child, were [injured][3] in Riyadh by falling debris from two intercepted cruise missiles, which also caused minor damage to 15 homes, according to Saudi’s Civil Defense. A separate [interception][4] Wednesday led to the injury of one person and damage to a house and a vehicle.
* **Saudi Aramco headquarters extensively damaged in Ansarallah attack: **Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, eastern Saudi Arabia, [suffered][5] extensive damage in an attack Tuesday, with a fire spreading across several floors, according to Reuters. The top three floors, where CEO Amin Nasser’s office is located, were severely damaged, with collapsed ceilings and shattered windows and doors.
* The fire continued burning into early Wednesday, Reuters reported. Operations at the complex, which houses a control center overseeing oil rigs, refineries, export terminals, and pipelines, have reportedly continued, although some employees were instructed to work from home and certain functions were transferred to global offices. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry described the fire as limited.
* **Saudi-led strikes hit oil facilities in Yemen’s Hodeidah and Sana’a, killing two: **Two people were killed and two others wounded in a Tuesday [airstrike][6] on a state oil company facility in the Ras Isa port area of Hodeidah province, the Sana’a-based Health Ministry said Wednesday. The Saudi-led coalition also struck a Yemeni Oil Company facility in the Ansarallah-controlled capital, Sana’a, after issuing a warning ordering civilians to evacuate the site and nearby storage areas.
* The Yemeni Oil Company claimed its storage facilities were empty and that the strike would not affect fuel reserves or supplies.
* **Yemen hospitals overwhelmed by war casualties as fighting cuts aid to 800,000 people: **Hospitals in Marib, Taiz, and along Yemen’s Red Sea coast are [struggling][7] with unprecedented numbers of war casualties, with some admitting more than 700 wounded patients in a single week, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned Wednesday.
* Fighting and road closures also cut off humanitarian assistance to around 800,000 people in Taiz and other affected areas, according to the UN World Food Programme. Wheat flour stocks are nearly exhausted, while remaining food supplies in local markets may last only a short time.
* **Cholera cases surge amid mass displacement in unsanitary camps:** Suspected cholera cases in Yemen have tripled in the past three weeks, rising from 217 cases to 647, [according][8] to the World Health Organization (WHO). Yemen has reported 8,034 suspected cases of cholera and 27 deaths this year, with a quarter of cases occurring in the last four weeks.
* Five governorates hosting large numbers of displaced people in the southwest of Yemen—Abyan, Lahj, Al-Dhale’e, Taiz and Aden—accounted for 92% of reported cholera cases.
* “Escalating conflict and mass displacement in Yemen are increasing the risk of infectious disease outbreaks as overcrowding, inadequate access to safe water and disrupted health services expose growing numbers of people to cholera, measles and other preventable diseases,” the WHO said.
# Palestine
* **Israeli strike on Gaza City apartment kills Palestinian woman: **A Palestinian woman was [killed][9] in an Israeli airstrike on a residential apartment in the Rimal neighborhood, west of Gaza City, early Wednesday, according to WAFA. [Footage][10] showed a child in shock amid smoke and flames following the strike.
* Over the past 24 hours, three Palestinians were killed—two in new Israeli attacks and one due to wounds sustained in earlier attacks—and 17 injured across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is now 74,392 killed, with 175,440 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,501 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,323, while 838 bodies have been recovered.
* **Israeli forces uproot olive trees, settlers attack Palestinians across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Ramallah:** Israeli forces [uprooted][11] hundreds of productive olive trees and began leveling farmland in Kafr Malik on Wednesday, WAFA reported.
* Near Deir Dibwan and Burqa, Israeli soldiers assaulted a Palestinian man, confiscated his vehicle, and stole his olive harvest.
* **Nablus: **Israeli settlers attacked farmers harvesting olives in Beita, [beating and injuring][12] a 17-year-old boy. Settlers also bulldozed land in Beit Dajan to open new roads and around a family home in Burin, reportedly in preparation for a new settlement outpost.
* **Salfit:** Settlers [attacked][13] olive harvesters in Qarawat Bani Hassan with pepper spray, causing one farmer to suffer breathing difficulties.
* Israeli forces also raided the Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Commission’s office in Salfit, damaging its contents, tearing up photographs and interrogating employees.
* **Jenin: **Israeli forces [fired tear gas][14] at olive harvesters from Al-Fandaqumiya, Jaba, and Silat ad-Dhahr, forcing them off their land despite prior coordination allowing access.
* In Ya’bad, settlers assaulted farmers, stole their olive harvest and expelled them from their land, also despite prior coordination.
* **Bethlehem:** Israeli forces [kept][15] all seven entrances to Tuqu’ closed with iron gates for a second consecutive day, blocking other roads with earth mounds and restricting residents’ access to work and essential services.
* **Tubas:** Settlers [destroyed][16] irrigation networks and agricultural pipelines and stole water valves and meters belonging to farmers in the northern Yarza community.
* **Hebron:** Israeli forces [detained][17] eight Palestinians, including four children aged 14 and 15, during raids in Al-Burj, Sa’ir and Beit Ula, reportedly beating several detainees.
* **Over 2,000 Gaza patients die awaiting medical care:** At least 2,027 patients in Gaza have [died][18] while awaiting treatment or medical evacuation abroad, while more than 21,000 others need evacuation, according to Mohammed Abu Afash, director of Medical Relief in Gaza.
* Speaking to Voice of Palestine radio on Wednesday, Abu Afash said no patients had left through the Rafah crossing for more than five days, as Israel continues to close crossings and restrict medical supplies.
* Gaza’s functioning healthcare centers have fallen from more than 574 to just 227, operating with limited resources, he said.
* **Israeli settlers torch mosque near Jerusalem amid 13 attacks on mosques in 2026:** Dozens of Israeli settlers [attacked][19] the town of Mikhmas, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, after midnight Wednesday, setting fire to a mosque, burning a Palestinian vehicle and an olive tree, and damaging the mosque’s entrance, according to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.
* The commission documented 23 incidents of arson or attempted arson targeting Palestinian mosques between January 2023 and October 11, 2026, attributing 20 to Israeli settlers and three to the Israeli military—with 13 incidents so far in 2026, accounting for more than half of all recorded cases.
* Separately, Israeli authorities [demolished][20] more than 430 homes and structures in occupied East Jerusalem since the start of 2026, with 23,280 demolition orders outstanding and roughly 33% of Palestinian homes at risk.
* **Gaza doctor beaten at prison in front of Israel’s Ben Gvir, Palestinian officials say: **Doctor Marwan Al-Hams, director of Gaza’s field hospitals, [suffered][21] fractures after being restrained and beaten in front of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir at Ganot prison on October 7, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry and the Prisoners’ Media Office.
* The ministry said Al-Hams was restrained, dragged and severely beaten under Ben Gvir’s “direct supervision,” leaving him with fractures and acute back pain. The Prisoners’ Media Office called it the “harshest treatment recorded against Gaza detainees” and said he needs urgent medical care.
* Al-Hams, a Health Ministry spokesperson, was seized by armed men in civilian clothes in Al-Mawasi on July 21, 2025, shot in the leg, and taken. Photojournalist Tamer Al-Za’anin, who was filming him for a documentary, was killed in the attack.
# Iran
* **Three Iranian fishermen seriously injured in drone strike: **Three fishermen were seriously injured Wednesday when a fishing boat was [struck][22] by what local authorities described as an “enemy drone” about 18 nautical miles off Bondaran village in Sirik county, southern Iran, according to Mehr news agency.
* **Iran reports first ship sinking from naval mine in Strait of Hormuz:** A cargo ship carrying approximately 2,500 containers [sank][23] Wednesday after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said—marking the first reported sinking of a vessel caused by a mine during the war.
* The IRGC claimed the ship was “carrying contraband” and traveling along “an unauthorized and dangerous route” in the Strait.
* The sinking comes as Tehran reportedly [adopts][24] new tactics to increase attacks on vessels it considers in violation of its shipping restrictions, aiming to prevent Washington from lowering oil prices before November’s midterm elections, two senior Iranian officials told Reuters on Wednesday. Shipping attacks have reached their highest intensity since the war began, with 26 vessels hit in the last two weeks.
* Washington has also continued enforcing its naval blockade of Iranian ports, including a Saturday strike that disabled the cargo ship Ocean Molica in the Gulf of Oman, according to CENTCOM.
* **Iran carries out latest execution as UN experts call for halt:** Iran executed a man convicted of carrying out a series of shooting attacks in the southern city of Kerman that injured several civilians earlier this year, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB. Ali-Sina Mostafavi was hanged by Iranian authorities on Wednesday.
* Last week, UN experts [called on][25] Iranian authorities to immediately halt all executions, warning that Iran is among a shrinking group of countries that still carries out the death penalty.
# Lebanon
* **Israel strikes multiple towns across southern Lebanon in continued ceasefire violations: **Israeli warplanes [carried out][26] airstrikes on the outskirts of Hadatha in Bint Jbeil district and between Kfar Tebnit and Nabatieh Al-Fawqa in Nabatieh district on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
* Israeli forces also shelled the Jallahiya area of Khiam in Marjayoun district, the outskirts of Shaqra and Wadi Al-Salouqi in Bint Jbeil district.
* **UN warns Israeli attacks and destruction in southern Lebanon may amount to war crimes despite ceasefire:** The UN Human Rights Office [expressed][27] “grave concern” over continued Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire, citing recent airstrikes, drone attacks, shelling, and explosions across several districts.
* It warned that Israeli forces continue to destroy homes, schools, healthcare facilities, water networks, and farmland in occupied areas of southern Lebanon, leaving entire villages and towns nearly wiped out and preventing thousands of displaced residents from returning.
* The UN said these actions constitute widespread violations of international humanitarian law, some of which may amount to war crimes or other crimes under international law.
* At least 4,387 people, including at least 660 women and children and 135 healthcare workers, were killed between March 2 and October 11, 2026, with another 12,424 injured, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
# U.S. News
* **Top House Republicans privately concede House control is “all but gone,” shift focus to saving Senate majority**: Five senior Republican lawmakers speaking anonymously to Politico [said][28] that the House has all but slipped away from the GOP, and that the party’s goal is now to limit the scale of the defeat and hold the Senate. One senior House Republican said the aim is to “save as many Republican seats as we can,” adding that “President Trump has made this election all about himself. Now we have to survive that political storm.” A second lawmaker predicted Democrats would pick up about 10 seats, more than enough for a majority, and said even in newly redistricted Florida and Texas, Republican candidates are “hanging on with their fingernails.”
* **Federal probe of Rep. Ilhan Omar reportedly centers on birth date and citizenship papers**: The Department of Justice investigation that led agents to search the Washington residence of **Rep. Ilhan Omar** (D-Minn.) Monday [focuses][29] on claims that she or her late father may have lied on decades-old immigration paperwork to secure legal status and eventually citizenship, the Washington Post reported. Omar, whose family fled Somalia and immigrated to the U.S. in 1995, has repeatedly rejected the allegations, calling them “baseless lies and smear campaigns” and the latest attempt by the administration “to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement.”
* DOJ has filed at least 163 denaturalization cases since January 2025, including 40 since August, versus about 11 a year from 1990 to 2017. Such cases rarely reach decades-old conduct outside serious transnational crimes.
* **DOJ gives California 48 hours to act on alleged noncitizen voter list or face legal action**: In a Tuesday letter to California Secretary of State **Shirley Weber**, [reviewed][30] by Reuters, acting Deputy Attorney **General R. Trent McCotter** demanded the state take a series of actions related to a list of voters until their citizenship is confirmed, including segregating any returned ballots, or face legal action.
* The letter escalates the administration’s pressure on states and suggests DOJ may challenge ballots before the Nov. 3 election. DOJ has repeatedly claimed noncitizen voting is widespread despite studies showing it is rare. DOJ’s Civil Rights Division has sued 30 states that refused to hand over voter data and has lost 26 cases without a win.
* **NYC Comptroller Mark Levine backs off campaign pledge to buy Israeli bonds: **New York City Comptroller **Mark Levine** said on Wednesday he and his investment team decided not to buy bonds from the state of Israel, the New York Times [reported][31], reversing a campaign promise. He said the call was made “entirely on financial grounds,” citing “some technical challenges” and an “ongoing” analysis. Levine, a vocal supporter of Israel, said that, given regional instability and his office’s preference for shorter-term bonds, reinvesting made little sense.
* **ICE seeks AI software to monitor detainees’ calls, video and movements**: ICE [posted][32] a request for information Friday on a federal contracting website seeking AI software to use transcription and voice recognition to monitor detainees’ calls, along with data from detention-center cameras, the Washington Sun reported on Tuesday. The system would run 24/7 and store detainee profiles.
* ICE already monitors calls not related to detainees’ legal cases, but voice recognition would significantly expand its capacity. The software would track whether the person on a call matches the one associated with the dialed number, labeling mismatches “receiver-side deception.”
* **Trump pardons two Alaska mechanics on stage at Wasilla rally: **Trump [pardoned][33] Alaska mechanics **Zachary Czubak **and **Patrick Fleming** at a Tuesday rally in Wasilla, clearing them of guilty pleas for violating the Clean Air Act. Alaska’s congressional Republicans had lobbied for the pardons. Trump called them “unconditional,” telling the crowd, “That means you’re as clean as a newborn baby’s ass,” and said they were “worth the eight hours in a plane.” Following the live pardons, Czubak urged the crowd to reelect the state’s congressional Republicans.
* **CBS analysis: More than half of top bidders for Trump meme coin dinner appear to be overseas**: A CBS News analysis [found][34] that at least 52 of the 100 top holders on the public leaderboard for President Trump’s next $TRUMP meme coin gala moved funds through crypto exchanges that bar U.S. customers, including Binance, Bybit and MEXC, indicating many are based abroad. At least 44 used Binance before buying.
* The Nov. 22 dinner at Trump National Golf Club outside Washington will seat the 185 largest holders, with Trump as featured speaker alongside three unnamed “legends,” and the top 29 get front seating and a VIP reception.
* Trump earned at least $635 million in royalties from the coin last year, part of more than $1.4 billion in crypto-related income, and a Trump Organization affiliate earns revenue whenever it trades.
* **CVS to pay $315 million in unlawful opioids settlement**: CVS Pharmacy and its subsidiaries [agreed][35] to pay $315 million to resolve a Justice Department case alleging that it dispensed medically unnecessary prescriptions of highly addictive opioids,” the Associated Press reported Tuesday. The suit, filed by the Biden administration’s Justice Department in 2024, accused CVS of violating the Controlled Substances Act, filling illegitimate prescriptions for high doses of potent opioids “to fuel its own profits at the expense of public health and safety.”
* **Bank of America fined $1.2 billion over customer money laundering**: Bank of America has been fined a near-record $1.2 billion over its failures to monitor and report billions of dollars of suspicious transactions, the Treasury Department and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency [announced][36] on Tuesday.
* The OCC’s civil penalty of $750 million, a significant portion of the $1.2 billion total, is the largest it has imposed. The Treasury Department separately announced an $11.6 million sanctions settlement. The Bank of America admitted that it willfully violated the Bank Secrecy Act, failing to maintain an adequate anti-money-laundering program, conduct due diligence on foreign-correspondent accounts, and file suspicious-activity reports.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Ethiopian troops reach Eritrea border, raising war concerns**: Ethiopian government troops on Tuesday [advanced][37] to Zalambessa, a small town bordering Eritrea, Reuters reported. The advance was made against Tigrayan rebels who had controlled the town.
* Ethiopia and Eritrea are on the brink of war, with each lobbing accusations of aggression against the other. Last week, both countries appealed to the UN Security Council for assistance.
* **India orders temporary jailing of two leaders of Cockroach Janta Party**: An Indian court [ordered][38] the detention of two Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, for five days, the party said Wednesday. Alongside about a dozen protesters, they had “scaled barricades” to enter a Delhi observatory that has long been used as an official protest area, Reuters reported, and chanted slogans calling for Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Indian police announced this week that protests would no longer be permitted at the site.
* **Russian strikes kill three people in Kyiv, leave 600,000 without power:** Russian bombardments [struck][39] Kyiv and Kharkiv overnight, killing three people in Kyiv and damaging 30 energy facilities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The strikes caused power outages for at least 600,000 people. Russia’s defense ministry said it hit four power plants in and around Kyiv and two in Kharkiv, among other targets. Ukraine reported downing just four of 39 missiles launched on Wednesday.
* **Ukraine hits Russia’s largest data center:** Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s largest data center on Wednesday, Reuters [reported][40]. The firm that owns the data center, Sberbank, is the biggest bank in Russia. Over the last week, Ukraine launched a series of strikes on Russian data centers owned by the technology company Yandex.
* Ukrainian officials [said Wednesday ][41]that SpaceX had imposed limits on Starlink services that are used to control combat drones, resulting in the disruption of some missions.
* **Pakistan suspends provincial party of Imran Khan; police assail party supporters**: The Pakistan federal government imposed a state of emergency in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, and placed it under federal control. The move, which federal authorities said was made to combat “[terrorism][42],” suspended the provincial rule of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, previously led by Imran Khan, the jailed former prime minister. PTI officials accused the federal government of mounting a coup. Police [fired][43] tear gas and live rounds at party supporters on Tuesday, according to PTI officials.
* **DRC tops 9,000 Ebola cases, 4,300 deaths:** Democratic Republic of the Congo reached 9,066 confirmed Ebola cases on Tuesday, the health ministry [reported][44]. The outbreak has killed 4,381 people, and is the largest and deadliest in Congo’s history.
* The virus is beginning to spread across borders. Kenya and Uganda have reported Ebola infections originating in Congo.
* **U.S. recalls acting envoy to Nicaragua after Ortega government rejects ambassador nominee**: Acting U.S. envoy to Nicaragua Elias Baumann has [returned][45] to Washington “for critical consultations,” the State Department announced, after Nicaraguan co-Presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo rejected the U.S.’s pick for ambassador, Natasha Franceschi.
* Ortega has accused the U.S. of trying to intervene in Nicaragua’s affairs, including institutions like the Organization of American States, which has exerted diplomatic and economic pressure on the Ortega-Murillo government.
* **Russia arrests Japanese journalist, claims “espionage”**: Russia [arrested][46]** **Yuki Imai, a reporter for Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, the federal police agency FSB [said][47] Tuesday. The Russian foreign ministry accused Imai, who was based on the island of Sakhalin, of “conducting espionage activities on Russian territory.” Imai was arrested by masked agents and flown to Moscow, where a court ordered his detention for two months, the Associated Press reported.
📖 **[READ][48] **Mike Rogers’s Wife Raked in Lucrative Government Security Contracts While Rogers Served as Intel Chair
📖 **[READ][49] **Destruction of Gaza Court System Strips Women of Their Rights
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[1]: https://x.com/yah_saree/status/2110289506410676247?s=46
[2]: https://x.com/cjfcspox/status/2110274605768155532?s=46
[3]: https://x.com/saudidcd/status/2110125628129521900?s=46
[4]: https://x.com/saudidcd/status/2110354392927088672?s=46
[5]: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/aramcos-dhahran-hq-suffered-extensive-damage-tuesdays-attack-sources-say-2026-10-14/
[6]: https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-saudi-arabia-strikes-threats-307d49abfe63ff66c99c318d94ca3e15
[7]: https://www.icrc.org/en/article/yemen-health-system-faces-mounting-pressure-fighting-intensifies
[8]: https://www.emro.who.int/media/news/cholera-cases-surge-as-conflict-in-yemen-displaces-over-200-000-people.html
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[12]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/14/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%84-%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%87-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%A7
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[15]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/14/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%84-%D8%A5%D8%BA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B9-%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AE%D9%84-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%88%D8%B9
[16]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/14/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%84%D9%81%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B4%D8%A8%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%91-%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AA
[17]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/14/%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%AB-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84-8-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%87%D9%85-4-%D8%A3%D8%B7%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%84
[18]: https://menafn.com/arabic/1111806346/%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%88-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D9%88%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%A9-2027-%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B6%D8%A7-%D8%A3%D8%AB%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AC-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D8%BA%D8%B2%D8%A9
[19]: https://www.cwrc.ps/page-5132-ar.html
[20]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/14/%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%88-%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%85-%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%AB%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86-430-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%A7
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[22]: https://en.mehrnews.com/news/248584/Drone-hit-a-boat-off-southern-Iran-port-of-Sirik-3-injured
[23]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86292706/Ship-carrying-2-500-containers-hits-mine-sinks-south-of-Strait
[24]: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-shifting-tactics-step-up-attacks-shipping-before-us-vote-officials-say-2026-10-14/
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[28]: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/14/house-republicans-private-lost-cause-01117673
[29]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/13/rep-omar-investigation-focuses-birthdate-citizenship-papers-people-familiar-say/
[30]: https://www.reuters.com/world/us-justice-department-threatens-california-over-alleged-noncitizen-voters-letter-2026-10-14/
[31]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/nyregion/mark-levine-comptroller-israel.html
[32]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/immigration/ice-ai-monitor-detainees
[33]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/trump-alaska-pardons-mechanics
[34]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-meme-coin-dinner-foreign-top-bidders/
[35]: https://abcnews.com/Business/wireStory/cvs-agrees-pay-315-million-settle-justice-department-137231624
[36]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/13/business/bank-of-america-money-laundering-fine.html
[37]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ethiopian-troops-enter-town-border-with-eritrea-stoking-war-fears-2026-10-13/
[38]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/14/india-s-cockroach-movement-leaders-detained-in-jail-for-five-days-founder-says
[39]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/14/russian-strikes-kill-one-hit-energy-facilities-in-kyiv-mayor-says
[40]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/14/ukrainian-drones-hit-russia-s-biggest-data-centre
[41]: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spacex-limits-starlink-operations-ukraine-disrupting-military-missions-2026-10-14/
[42]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/13/imran-khans-pti-braces-to-fight-federal-takeover-of-khyber-pakhtunkhwa
[43]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/13/pakistan-police-fire-tear-gas-rounds-at-imran-khan-backers-party-says
[44]: https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/ebola-spreads-eastern-congo-mothers-090324104.html
[45]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/13/us-says-diplomat-to-nicaragua-returns-to-us-after-ambassador-choice-rejection
[46]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/14/russia-detains-japanese-journalist-suspicion-spying
[47]: https://apnews.com/article/russia-japan-sakhalin-island-journalist-arrested-spying-charges-9af00a424124dcbe398a97d90a7f40d9
[48]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/mike-rogers-wife-kristi-military-contracts-aegis-michigan-senate
[49]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/gaza-women-judiciary-sharia-courts-inheritance-rights
[50]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/democrats-mike-rogers-michigan
[51]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[52]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[53]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[54]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/iran-mine-tanker-hormuz-trump-pardon-alaska-congo-ebola

2026-10-13 20:56:05 UTC

Mike Rogers’s Wife Raked in Lucrative Government Security Contracts While Rogers Served as Intel Chair
Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers and his wife Kristi Rogers at a campaign event in Highland Township, Michigan on October 9, 2026. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
Mike Rogers and his second wife, Kristi, saw their wealth rise substantially after Rogers was elevated to chair of the House Intelligence Committee in 2011 and lucrative government contracts poured her way, a review of financial disclosures finds.
Rogers was first elected to Congress in 2000, in time to be a major backer of the Iraq war. With a background at the FBI, Rogers was encouraged by Speaker Dennis Hastert to get involved in foreign policy and national security matters. According to the [Rogers Archive at Oakland University,][1] he made seven trips to Iraq between 2001 and 2005 as a member of Congress. In 2005, he was appointed to the House Intelligence Committee. (Drop Site could not independently verify the number of trips, but taking seven trips to Iraq in the space of four years would be highly unusual for a member of Congress—and trips in 2001 or 2002, before the invasion, are unlikely.)
Kristi Clemens was a top press aide to L. Paul Bremer, who oversaw the U.S. occupation of Iraq as head of the Coalition Provisional Authority. Clemens turned heads in DC in 2006, when, following her role in Iraq, she successfully pitched the major British security contractor Aegis Defence Services to launch an American offshoot. Within three years, she rose to CEO and president. Rogers divorced his wife of 17 years in 2007 and married Clemens in 2010. By 2011, when Mike Rogers assumed his chairmanship, she was vice chair of Aegis LLC US.
After his divorce, according to Rogers’s financial disclosures, the congressman had few assets to his name and little wealth. That would soon change.
**READ MORE:** **[Democrats for Mike Rogers Coalition Is Powered by Right-Wingers][2]**
The Rogers family added at least hundreds of thousands of dollars to their net worth as Rogers was elevated to chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) and Kristi Rogers’s private military security company received increasingly large contracts from the U.S. government, according to Rogers’s financial disclosures. The couple added millions more after Rogers left the House and began working in the industry he had spent years overseeing.
While Rogers is not required to disclose his spouse’s income, their reported “Unearned Income,” including multiple investment funds, dividends, and interest income, soared over those years. They also acquired two mortgages in Maryland and Virginia—neither principal residences.
*The House only requires disclosures of “Unearned Income”—interest and Dividends on investments—not spouse’s salary or bonus amounts. SBSB refers to the couple’s brokerage. Source: Legistorm.*
In 2010, Aegis was named one of only eight private military contractors who were qualified to bid on $10 billion of contracts for the State Department’s Worldwide Protection (WWP) program. The biggest fish, the Kabul Afghanistan Embassy Security contract, first went to another firm but was re-competed and awarded to Aegis LLC.
Kristi Rogers claimed credit for this in a biography later scrubbed from the website of the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, which stated she led “a two-year pursuit and capture strategy to win a five-year, $10 billion contract.” Mike Rogers was appointed Chairman on January 3, 2011; the contract was awarded to Aegis seven months later, on July 29th, 2011.
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## **From Opioids to Intel**
Mike Rogers [spent his first eight years in Congress][4] as a lead advocate for the opioid industry in Congress, but as the resulting epidemic surged and his longtime patrons came under federal investigation, he pivoted fully to national security following the Tea Party wave of 2010 that swept Republicans to power.
As chair of HPSCI, Rogers had access to sensitive and top secret intelligence that is unavailable to rank-and-file lawmakers, and the position is one of the most powerful in Washington. (Technically, the Appropriations Committee is supposed to have more power over spending decisions in Congress, but legislation now is generally adopted through a so-called “continuing resolution” or an omnibus spending package, bypassing regular order.)
In 2007, Rogers got into a public battle with then-Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Penn.) when Rogers attempted to defund the National Intelligence Drug Center, based in Murtha’s district. Rogers [argued the money][5] “takes precious intelligence resources from spies on the ground catching terrorists in places like Fallujah, Iraq, and sends it to bureaucrats in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.” Aegis, of course, was a leading provider of security contracting in Iraq at the time.
Rogers and his wife rose in tandem. By her own account in Washington Exec, Kristi Clemens[ in 2006 made a pitch to start the U.S. branch of Aegis Defence Ltd][6], to the company’s board, which included a 5-Star UK Colonel and Winston Churchill’s grandson. It’s not clear whether he and Clemens had met yet. The company made her executive vice president, then president in 2008, chief executive in 2009, president in 2010, and vice chairman in 2011.
Aegis, a UK private military contractor, was founded by Tim Spicer, a controversial figure thanks to three international scandals involving his first company, Sandline. The Nation [reported in 2004][7] that Spicer had been caught “violating a UN Arms embargo in Sierra Leone and unwittingly triggering a coup in Papua New Guinea,” prompting its military to arrest Spicer. They found $400,000 in cash on him. It was a surprise to many in Iraq and D.C. that Spicer’s new firm, Aegis Defence Services,[ landed a major $293 million Pentagon contract][8] in 2004 to protect U.S. diplomats in Iraq. Five Democratic U.S. senators, led by Ted Kennedy, appealed to Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld to reconsider the award based on Spicer’s scandals, but were rebuffed. By 2007, with Kristi Rogers in place at Aegis U.S.,[ the largest single contract—for $475 million dollars][9]—was awarded to Aegis by the Defense Department; it included supporting the Army Corps of Engineers in reconstruction operations
in Iraq.
The 2004 contract made Aegis head of the regional operating centers and later the Contractor Operations Cell (CONOC), responsible for providing situational awareness and coordinating the movements of private security contractors. That put Aegis in charge of coordination of all the other private military contractors in Iraq, earning Aegis’s Spicer the moniker of[ “the general in charge of all of the private contractors,”][10]
Under Aegis ostensible oversight, Blackwater contractors were involved in the 2007 Nisour Square massacre, in which 17 innocent Iraqi civilians were killed. In 2005, [Aegis drew international attention ][11]when one of their gunmen posted a video of their vehicle wildly shooting at civilian vehicles en route from the Green Zone to the airport, set to the Elvis song, “Mystery Train.” At least one civilian was reported killed.
None of it stopped the company’s rise. Aegis was awarded the Armed Contractor Oversight Directorate, or ACOD, contract in 2009 for Afghanistan, which oversees contractors. That produced a glaring conflict of interest—overseeing other contractors while also bidding against them—and one former ACOD whistleblower ordered what’s called a “Cure Notice,” effectively calling out a conflict-of-interest and demanding it be fixed.
A congressional commission set up to root out waste and fraud in wartime contracting called Kristi Rogers to testify, but she begged off, citing her honeymoon in spring 2010. One commissioner at the hearing noted that he understood her board had advised her not to attend.
That summer, [on June 21, 2010, she testified as Aegis’s president.][12] Commissioner Charles Tiefer put it to her that Aegis personnel “currently operate the CONOC [the center coordinating other armed contractors] in Iraq.” “We support it, yes,” she said.
Kristi Rogers said the whistleblower who had flagged the conflicts of interest was a “disgruntled former employee,” but she admitted the company was forced to terminate its ACOD duties.
Despite the scandals, 20 months later, Aegis landed that $1.017 billion contract to secure the Kabul, Afghanistan Embassy. .
The pursuit of further contracts took Aegis to Libya, where NATO intervention had produced widespread violence with the overthrow of Moamar Gaddafi. Aegis had an intelligence arm called Aegis Advisory Services, in Libya, with a large team in Tripoli that boasted of top security clearance status, and clients which included the world’s elite private intelligence group, Stratfor.
In September 2012, a U.S. compound in Benghazi was sacked, killing four Americans: two private contractors, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, and a State Department official. Al Jazeera later reported that Aegis had been bidding for a $5 billion contract to secure all of Libya’s porous borders. In 2014, the conservative group Judicial Watch, relying in part on documents published by WikiLeaks, found that Aegis had been heavily active in Libya since early 2011 and that it had assessed Benghazi in the summer before the attack.
## **After Benghazi**
Republicans spent years investigating the lapses and policy decisions that led to the fatal attack, while Kristi Rogers and her company were walled off from the Intelligence Committee, a spokesperson said at the time. Through its spokesperson Susan Phalan, HPSCI announced a “no interaction policy with Mrs. Rogers or any Aegis employee.” (The no interaction policy presumably did not apply between husband and wife.)
Judicial Watch’s Micah Morrison [was unsparing ][13]in its criticism of Rogers in a report headlined “Unraveling Benghazi: Is Mike Rogers Part of the Problem?”:
> Sussing out the White House’s response to Benghazi is a critical step in clearing the shadows from the incident, but there are other players in the drama as well, including Rep. Rogers, and possibly also including a private military contracting firm that until recently was run by his wife, Kristi Rogers. Mike and Kristi Rogers are quintessential Washington insiders. A seven-term Republican from Michigan, Mike Rogers climbed the political ladder to become chairman of the Intelligence Committee in January 2011. Kristi Rogers, after years of government service in mid-level administrative positions, moved to the private sector, joining the British-based security contractor Aegis Defense Services to help open its U.S. subsidiary. The newsletter Intelligence Online noted that thanks to Ms. Rogers’ efforts, “Aegis won several major contracts with the U.S. administration.”
>
> A spokesperson for the House Intelligence Committee noted that “strictly observed and enforced” policies required “that there should be no interaction with Mrs. Rogers on any matter relating to the official business of the House” and “no interaction between the Committee and any representative of Aegis.” There is no evidence of wrong-doing by Rep. Rogers or Aegis. Indeed, the outlines of the story are more suggestive of “right-doing,” Washington-style: an insider’s game of covert operations and corporate profits played out in the gray areas of law and policy.
That spring—though, as Judicial Watch noted, there was no direct evidence of criminal wrongdoing—Rogers announced he would not be running for re-election, and his wife left Aegis. Rogers went into corporate and cyber security work, and was floated as CIA director in the first Trump administration.
Leading right-wing pollster and operative Dick Morris, who had questioned Mike Rogers’s oversight of Benghazi, wanted to make sure that conservatives never forgot about his work. Rogers had fought the formation of a special committee to investigate it, and conservatives believed he was slow-walking the probe to protect his wife’s company. “The first to go—and most deserving—is former Congressman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers,” Morris [wrote][14]. “Slated, some say, to be the new director of the CIA, Rogers was a key force in obstructing and delaying the Benghazi investigation in order to shield his wife, Kristi, from scrutiny.”
Morris went on: “Aegis had won several major contracts, likely through Mrs. Rogers’ influence as the wife of the House Intel Committee. Although not directly responsible for security at Benghazi, her firm had significant responsibilities in the area.”
The late Sen. Lindsey Graham called the HPSCI report on Benghazi[ “full of crap,”][15] while former U.S. Attorney Joe DiGenova [went on WMAL Radio in D.C. ][16]during the hearings and accused Mike Rogers of “sabotaging the Benghazi hearings” and went so far as to warn future Republicans to pay attention to the “dishonorable conduct of Mike Rogers.”
Judicial Watch’s Micah Morrison called the couple the “quintessential Washington insiders.” In November 2012, the Rogers family took a six-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, costing its sponsors, the Franklin Center and the Ripon Center, $23,540.
Rogers announced his departure on the Paul W. Smith morning drive show on WJR Radio in Detroit on March 28, 2014, saying that he would finish his term and become a talk radio host on Cumulus Radio, WJR’s syndicator. On the show, Rogers said he always believed in “a citizen legislature,” that he had a private-sector career before his public service, and that he intended to return to one.
After his years spent regulating the surveillance industry as chair of the Intelligence Committee, Rogers began working with multiple cybersecurity companies.
Rogers ran unsuccessfully for the Michigan Senate in 2024 and is running again in 2026. His Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, [has repeatedly attacked him][17] for making up to $14 million in the private sector from the types of companies he was tasked with regulating.
The Rogers campaign did not respond to requests for comment, but Rogers has previously insisted that his work in Congress and his wife’s work as head of Aegis U.S. were kept separate.
[Leave a comment][18]
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*Nancy Skinner is a longtime radio and television commentator and was previously a Democratic candidate for office. She has made small campaign contributions to Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate campaign.*
[1]: https://library.oakland.edu/MikeRogers/people.html
[2]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/democrats-mike-rogers-michigan
[3]: https://givebutter.com/support-dropsite
[4]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/mike-rogers-senate-opioids-oxycontin
[5]: https://www.congress.gov/110/crec/2007/05/21/CREC-2007-05-21.pdf
[6]: https://washingtonexec.com/exec-profiles/now-kristi-rogers
[7]: https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/tim-spicers-world/
[8]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgwUfdiFOFM
[9]: https://www.securityworldmarket.com/uk/Newsarchive/aegis-wins-usd475-million-contract-renewal-for-iraq
[10]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgwUfdiFOFM
[11]: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna10400255
[12]: https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/wartime-contracts-and-private-security-firms-executives-panel/226672
[13]: https://dailycaller.com/2014/06/17/unraveling-benghazi-is-mike-rogers-part-of-the-problem/
[14]: https://www.dickmorris.com/bravo-pence-ousts-mike-rogers-dick-morris-tv-lunch-alert/
[15]: https://www.cnn.com/2014/11/23/politics/lindsey-graham-benghazi-report
[16]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEHFuiXnVJU
[17]: https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/fact-check-abdul-el-sayed-and-mike-rogers-debate-trump-tariffs-war-more/
[18]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/mike-rogers-wife-kristi-military-contracts-aegis-michigan-senate/comments
[19]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/mike-rogers-wife-kristi-military-contracts-aegis-michigan-senate?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/mike-rogers-wife-kristi-military-contracts-aegis-michigan-senate

2026-10-13 20:48:44 UTC

Democrats for Mike Rogers Coalition Is Powered by Right-Wingers
Republican candidate for Senate Mike Rogers speaks at a campaign event in Detroit, Michigan, on August 20, 2026. Photo by Paul Sancya/AP Photo.
*Story by Tom Perkins*
In August, Michigan’s Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Mike Rogers, [stood at a podium][1] in a Detroit front yard with a small group of political and religious leaders who identified themselves as Democrats. Abdul El-Sayed, Rogers’s Democratic opponent, was too extreme, they said, compelling them to take the unprecedented step of supporting a Republican. Rogers called them “courageous.”
“I’m not asking you to be a Republican. I’m asking you for the opportunity to earn your trust,” Rogers reportedly said. “Michigan deserves a senator who will sit down, whether you voted for me or not, and will listen to you. Will treat you with respect. Will represent everybody.”
They are part of a group called Democrats for Mike Rogers, and among their leaders is Michigan State Rep. Karen Whitsett, the [treasurer][2] of the Democrats for Mike Rogers super PAC, which has spent about $4.4 million in support of Rogers or against El-Sayed, according to federal [filings][3], and helped fuel the narrative that Democrats are backing Rogers in meaningful numbers.
Whitsett is not a Democrat, however. She formally [left the party][4] in 2026 over [its support][5] for reproductive and LGBTQ rights. For several years beforehand, she actively worked against state Dems’ legislative agenda, and in early 2025 she [fundraised][6] with state GOP leadership.
Several other people affiliated with the Democrats for Mike Rogers coalition are not Democrats, Drop Site News found in a review of social media posts, news articles, Federal Election Commission records, and public statements. They either broke with the party long before El-Sayed was nominated, or have a verified history of supporting Republicans. In some cases, they have downplayed their involvement with the GOP; several Jewish donors who fundraised for Rogers said that they have never fundraised for Republicans, yet federal records show that they have donated thousands of dollars to multiple Republicans across multiple cycles.
Drop Site News is a reader-funded publication. Please consider making a [tax-deductible donation][7] or becoming a paid subscriber.
In [one campaign video][8], Rogers featured “loyal Democratic voter” Cynthia Haynes—a Trump supporter since at least 2024. Haynes has long been an active member of social media groups like “Southeast Michigan Conservative Grassroots Movement” and “Donald Trump Supporters.” In December 2025, Haynes praised Trump in a post of a YouTube video titled “Trump Chooses The Military And The Left Erupts” with a thumbnail text reading “Libs Hate This…”
Haynes added, “Thank you President Donald J. Trump ♥️.”
In September, a Drop Site News [investigation][9] of 430 self-proclaimed Democratic Michigan Jews who pledged to vote for Rogers found that many were members of the Republican Party, had donated to the party, or were otherwise aligned with it.
Taken together, the findings undercut the [narrative][10] that Democrats are abandoning El-Sayed and supporting Rogers in meaningful numbers.
“‘Astroturf’ is probably the word,” said Levi Teitel, a spokesperson for Progress Michigan, which has tracked the race.
“Rogers is basically relying on hearsay and vibes to say, ‘Here’s this thing that’s happening’ that he knows is going to get some attention, and if he just keeps pointing to it, it might become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I don’t know if that’s how you win an election,” Teitel added.
In the campaign video featuring Haynes, Rogers said that she had voted for Democrats for almost 40 years. “Cynthia from Flint was a loyal Democratic voter. But, something changed and she no longer feels the party represents her values,” he explained. “Like me, Cynthia knows that we have a state to save.”
Even if she once supported the Democratic Party, her social media activity in recent years includes praising Donald Trump, JD Vance, and other Republicans, while repeatedly referring to Democrats as “Demo-Rats.”
In a social media post in October 2024, Haynes thanked Vance “for listening and having a deep conversation with me, concerning Michigan Criminal Justices and Prison Reform Initiatives” during a town hall.
In an August 2024 post, she heaped praise on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had just ended his presidential campaign: “I truly appreciate your honesty and humble presence! You fought an extraordinary good battle against the evil powers to be, and I’m sooo extremely grateful for your respectful classy mannerisms that you have displayed throughout your whole campaign, and your heartfelt unconditional strength is absolutely touching & incredibly remarkable!!! #uprisekennedy #loyaltyiseverything #wereallinthistogether.”
Earlier this year, she declared in a post, “I STAND WITH U Robert F. Kennedy, Jr”.
Whitsett officially left the Democratic Party in March, but since 2023 she has regularly allied herself with the GOP and frequently made [media appearances][11] with the [controversial, far-right Republican][12] Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall. Her political shift includes a colorful history of torpedoing Democratic priorities and policymaking. She was described [by a local outlet][13] as “a thorn in the side of her Democratic state House caucus.”
In March 2026, she told [a local news station][14] that she could not remain within the Democratic Party because she opposed reproductive and LGBTQ rights, which did not align with her conservative religious values.
“For me, it is impossible to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ while remaining a member of the Democratic Party as it exists today,” Whitsett said. “That conviction includes the issues I cannot reconcile with Scripture: abortion, the normalization of the gay lifestyle, and the push to redefine gender.”
In 2024, she played a leading role in the GOP’s successful obstruction of the Democrats’ lame-duck legislative blitz. Lame-duck bills can pass with a simple majority, and Democrats, in control of the government for the first time in over 40 years, expected to move legislation that tackled a range of issues, from the environment to affordability and health care. But few of these priorities made it through, in part because Whitsett joined all 54 Republicans in skipping legislative sessions, and the House [failed to reach a quorum][15]. She told the media at the time that Democratic House Speaker Joe Tate, a pro-business, centrist Democrat, “would not negotiate in good faith” with Republicans.
In 2023, Whitsett was [the lone Democratic committee vote][16] against the [Reproductive Health Act][17], a package of 11 bills that significantly bolstered reproductive rights, primarily by expanding access to abortion. It narrowly passed into law (she supported it during the full House vote).
Earlier this year, the Democratic Jewish fundraisers Hannan Lis and Rob Orley, who both signed the “Michigan Jews Against Extremism” pledge and have been presented as Democrats for Mike Rogers, [said][18] they were first-time fundraisers to a Republican. FEC records show that both made thousands of dollars in donations to multiple GOP candidates.
“This is something that none of us has ever done,” Lis told Jewish Insider of bundling for a Republican. “But we feel this is a departure in the direction of the Democratic Party.”
[Leave a comment][19]
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[1]: https://michiganadvance.com/2026/08/20/mike-rogers-touts-democratic-defectors-as-he-seeks-to-exploit-divisions-over-abdul-el-sayed/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[2]: https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/721/202610059908527721/202610059908527721.pdf
[3]: https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/851/202610119908628851/202610119908628851.pdf
[4]: https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2025/01/10/detroit-house-democrat-says-she-wont-caucus-with-party/77584573007/
[5]: https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2026/03/03/michigan-state-rep-karen-whitsett-says-she-wont-run-for-office-again-due-to-christian-faith/
[6]: https://x.com/DNBethLeBlanc/status/1894473339697041849?s=20
[7]: https://givebutter.com/dsn-substack
[8]: https://x.com/MikeRogersForMI/status/2091883923844288889
[9]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/michigan-jewish-democrats-mike-rogers
[10]: https://youtu.be/zLjWWnh-IgI?si=Q3oFkYK5_5qJLCQ8
[11]: https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2024/12/21/internal-divisions-doom-michigan-democrats-their-final-days-legislative-control/
[12]: https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/matt-hall-storms-lansing-insulting-unapologetic-and-winning-every-week/
[13]: https://michiganadvance.com/2026/08/20/mike-rogers-touts-democratic-defectors-as-he-seeks-to-exploit-divisions-over-abdul-el-sayed/
[14]: https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2026/03/03/michigan-state-rep-karen-whitsett-says-she-wont-run-for-office-again-due-to-christian-faith/
[15]: https://michiganadvance.com/2024/12/19/michigan-house-adjourns-after-second-day-of-failing-to-get-a-quorum-stranding-legislative-priorities/
[16]: https://wdet.org/2023/10/05/democrat-karen-whitsett-facing-backlash-over-abortion-stance/
[17]: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/publicact/htm/2023-PA-0286.htm
[18]: https://jewishinsider.com/2026/08/abdul-el-sayed-mike-rogers-michigan-senate-jewish-outreach/
[19]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/democrats-mike-rogers-michigan/comments
[20]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/democrats-mike-rogers-michigan?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/democrats-mike-rogers-michigan

2026-10-13 18:31:48 UTC

Destruction of Gaza Court System Strips Women of Their Rights
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Salma Abdel Hadi (left) inside her tent speaking to journalist Rasha Abou Jalal (right) in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central the Gaza Strip on September 25, 2026. Photo by Saida Al-Torkmani.
GAZA CITY—Standing before the rubble of the Palace of Justice in central Gaza, Salma Abdel Hadi was overwhelmed by a profound sense of helplessness. Since her husband’s killing last year, the 38-year-old mother of six has been unable to secure inheritance rights for herself and her children to help provide food and clothing in the midst of a genocide.
The Israeli military deliberately destroyed the Palace of Justice in Al-Zahra City early in the war, rigging the court complex with explosives and [demolishing][3] the entire structure on December 4, 2023. Abdel Hadi’s husband was killed in an Israeli airstrike in August 2025, leaving her alone to raise and feed their children in the Nuseirat refugee camp—and with no functioning court system, accessing any of her late husband’s money or property has been all but impossible.
“My children need their rights more than ever,” Abdel Hadi told Drop Site News, clasping her hands together in anguish. “But today I find myself facing a question to which I have no answer: How can I protect my children’s right to inherit from their father if the place that is supposed to provide me with a document proving that right has been reduced to rubble?”
In the three years of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the military has systematically destroyed most of the enclave, including residential neighborhoods, hospitals, schools and universities, bakeries, water systems, electrical grids, along with most of Gaza’s governmental, judicial, and bureaucratic infrastructure. The lack of a functioning judicial system in Gaza has particularly affected Palestinian women, who face a series of seemingly insurmountable legal and bureaucratic obstacles to secure legal rights like inheritance, divorce, alimony, property rights, and more.
Abdel Hadi said she is entitled to an inheritance of approximately $5,000 held in her late husband’s bank account, yet she cannot access the funds without an inheritance certificate issued by the court. The delays in establishing inheritance rights from her husband for herself and her children also allowed members of his family to take control of some of his property. “My husband’s brother seized my husband’s car without any legal right, and I was unable to recover it through the judicial process because the courts are not functioning,” she said.
She estimates recovering ownership of the car and selling it could fetch as much as $20,000. For a family that has lost its breadwinner and sole source of income, the funds are critical and could make it possible to move out of the tent where they are living and into a rented home, afford more food, and even set aside whatever they can for the children’s future.
Abdel Hadi also needs official documentation in order to obtain any assistance or financial rights connected to their father, and prevent their property from being disposed of without legal oversight. Aside from the car, the family owns a 300-meter plot of land located near the Nuseirat camp where Abdel Hadi has pitched a tent. In the absence of any documents, Abdel Hadi is unable as a widow to safeguard her own social and economic rights or those of her children.
“I want to get my children out of the tents and provide them with a home where we can live, food to satisfy their hunger, and savings that will help them continue their education when they reach university age,” Abdel Hadi said.
In Gaza, the Sharia court is the authority that handles divorce, alimony, custody, and guardianship cases, and issues documents establishing inheritance, widowhood, death, and marriage. When these procedures are suspended or become inaccessible, legal rights become pending claims that are difficult to prove or enforce. Women in Gaza are bearing the brunt of Israel’s attack on the court system, particularly widows, divorced women, and women caring for minors. The war has killed husbands and breadwinners, separated families, and destroyed marriage documents and other files. In this vacuum, women find themselves forced to negotiate with other parties and bargain over their rights.
[A December 2025 report][4] by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights found that “the suspension of Sharia courts and the halt in receiving new cases as a result of the Israeli attack have devastating effects on the situation of women in the Gaza Strip, in the absence of any institutional alternatives capable of addressing personal status cases. Women have become unable to pursue cases involving separation, alimony or custody, leaving them in a legally suspended and unstable situation.”
The report noted that these circumstances have “exacerbated women’s psychological, social and economic suffering, made them more vulnerable to marginalization and exploitation, and even pushed many of them to relinquish their rights involuntarily as a result of the lack of avenues for legal redress and the collapse of the formal protection system.” It added, “women have paid the highest price for the disruption of the judiciary, losing their Sharia, economic and social rights and being subjected to continuous legal and psychological injustice in the absence of institutional protection and support.”
Aida Hamid (center in red) sits on the coast in Gaza City on September 26. Photo by Rasha Abou Jalal.
In August 2023, two months before Israel’s genocidal assault began, Aida Hamid’s husband left her. He offered to grant her a divorce in exchange for her giving up her financial rights, including her deferred dowry, and other rights she was legally entitled to.
“I refused to give up my Sharia rights in order to obtain the divorce so I decided to file a lawsuit that would guarantee me a divorce while preserving my legal rights,” Hamid, 32, told Drop Site. “However, the outbreak of war, the destruction of the courts and the disruption of judicial work left my case unresolved and suspended.”
Without any recourse in court, Hamid, who lives in Gaza City, has been left in limbo. Not only has she been denied financial rights, such as a deferred dowry and alimony, which she estimates at some 7,000 Jordanian dinars (about $9,900), she has remained legally married, preventing her from finding a new partner and marrying again.
“More than three years have passed without my case being resolved, leaving me trapped in an unresolved social and legal situation,” she said. “I have been abandoned by my husband, and I do not have a court ruling ending the marriage, which has turned my life into complete chaos.”
Financial rights are more than just abstract legal entitlements for Hamid, but instead are a vital resource that would help her secure basic needs and cost of living as the genocide enters its fourth year.
“Receiving my deferred dowry and alimony would grant me a degree of financial independence and reduce my dependence on others for my living expenses, especially since I have been living in a state of legal and social limbo for over three years due to the courts being closed,” Halid said.
Mohammad Shehadeh, a lawyer who specializes in civil and Sharia cases, told Drop Site that the effective incapacitation of the Sharia judiciary in Gaza has “disrupted the lives of thousands of women and left them facing a legal and social vacuum that threatens their rights and the rights of their children.”
Widows need a series of documents to establish their rights, such as proof of the husband’s death or filing a missing person claim, followed by obtaining an inheritance certificate and proof of widowhood, and guardianship or legal authority over any children.
“When the court is absent or the document is lost, the rights of women and children are no longer protected by law, but instead become vulnerable to family pressure, seizure or forced relinquishment,” Shehadeh said. He added that child custody cases are becoming increasingly complicated, particularly when a husband is killed or goes missing, leading to disputes between the wife and the husband’s relatives over the care of the children and the management of their inheritance. Abandoned women also face difficulties obtaining rulings on separation and divorce, alimony, child custody or visitation rights. Existing judgments are also difficult to enforce with no authority capable of compelling payments or handing over documents.
There may also be unforeseen long term consequences of a nonfunctioning judiciary that are not immediately apparent, Shehadeh warned. “A judicial file that is lost today may turn tomorrow into a prolonged dispute over a home, land, inheritance or custody, and proving the right may become more difficult as time passes,” he said, adding that some women may be compelled to accept unfair settlements or relinquish their rights in exchange for a quick resolution to a legal issue.
As with much else in Gaza, the damage to the Sharia judicial system in Israel’s assault has been devastating. Around half of all court premises have been completely destroyed, according to Dr. Omar Nofal, the head of the Sharia Court of Appeal in Gaza. Three of 30 judges have been killed along with 20 judicial staff members. A large part of the courts’ paper archives, including historical records and documents, has been burned or destroyed.
And as with nearly all Palestinians in Gaza, most judicial staff have been displaced, forcing them to work from their places of shelter or temporary locations, turning even simple bureaucratic procedures into an ordeal.
“We established three temporary locations in the Gaza Strip that operate as courts, though their role is limited to receiving and registering lawsuits,” Nofal said. “Because of the difficult circumstances resulting from the war, judges have completed only a very small fraction of these cases, while most cases have yet to be heard. Some of them have been registered for more than a year without being considered.”
Nofal also stressed that women face particular obstacles in cases involving separation or divorce, spousal and child alimony, custody, guardianship, and inheritance.
“When documents are lost or access to the court becomes impossible, the children’s money and the family’s rights remain suspended, and the woman may be forced to relinquish her rights,” Nofal said. He also highlighted that even if women obtain court rulings establishing their rights, they face major obstacles in securing those rights in practice.
“Even if a woman obtains a court ruling establishing her right—for example, if a divorced woman obtains her right to alimony or custody of her children—there are no executive bodies to enforce the court order because the Israeli army is pursuing the police authorities in Gaza,” he said.
Police authorities in Gaza that are responsible for law enforcement have been targeted by Israel in repeated attacks. Between January and August 2026, the UN recorded at least 18 Israeli attacks against police personnel in Gaza, resulting in the killing of at least 77 Palestinians, including 57 police personnel, six children and four women. The attacks have targeted police headquarters, posts, and vehicles, and appear to be escalating, with six of them being carried out since June.
On August 19, an Israeli airstrike targeted a temporary municipal police headquarters in Gaza City, killing eight police officers, including Fatena Al-Sahhar, the head of the Women’s Police in Gaza Governorate, as well as a 13-year-old girl.
“Under international humanitarian law, police personnel are civilians protected against attacks. Targeting them is a war crime,” the UN said in a statement.
One year into the so-called “ceasefire,” Israel continues to violate the agreement on a daily basis, continuing its attacks on Palestinians and preventing any reconstruction, including of Gaza’s social, governmental, and judicial institutions.
“With the absence of the judiciary, I have been left without a ruling to end my marriage and without any means of claiming my rights,” Abdel Hadi said. “I feel as though my life has completely stopped along with the suspension of the courts’ work.”
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2026-10-13 15:21:05 UTC

Ansarallah threatens to strike Aramco; Elon Musk pours $276 million into midterms; Russia violated Trump’s “energy ceasefire,” Zelenskyy says
Fighters loyal to Ansarallah take part in a rally to recruit more fighters in Sana’a on October 7, 2026. Photo by Mohammed Huwais / AFP via Getty Images.
**Tuesday, October 13, 2026 –***** ***
***Yemen**: Saudi-led coalition threatens Sana’a oil site strikes; Ansarallah warns it will hit Aramco in retaliation. Riyadh airport still closed after Ansarallah attacks. Iran offers to mediate Saudi-Ansarallah talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly seeking Saudi approval to join war against Ansarallah; Riyadh opposes move.*
***Palestine**: Israeli forces storm medical complex in Ramallah, raid prominent rights groups. Israeli strike kills Palestinian in Gaza City as four-year-old dies of earlier injuries. Israeli forces and settlers attack olive harvesters across the occupied West Bank. Israel demolishes Palestinian homes inside of Israel a day after displacing 300 residents. Netanyahu orders prosecution of soldiers interviewed in NAZA.*
***Iran**: U.S. President Donald Trump dismisses reports of Chinese and Russian assistance to Iran. International Monetary Fund forecasts economic contraction in Middle East and Central Asia. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham blames Iran for alleged plot targeting U.S.-used airbase. Attacks on ships near Strait of Hormuz reach highest intensity since war began.*
***Lebanon:** Israeli warplanes launch airstrikes across southern Lebanon despite ceasefire. EU to establish mission to train Lebanese military and security forces. 13-year-old killed, 24 wounded by unexploded munition.*
***U.S.**: Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton celebrated New Year’s in Dubai with two indicted fugitives. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani orders first NYPD use-of-force review in a decade. Federal agents raid Ilhan Omar’s D.C. home in immigration probe. ICE agents ran over fleeing man in Texas, surveillance video shows. Judge orders Trump administration to pull taxpayer-funded promotional ad. Justice Department opens antitrust probe of TV networks over Trump pool blackout. Trump asks U.S. ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign. Shawn Fain wins second term as United Auto Workers president. Elon Musk pours $276 million into Republican midterm effort. Pro-AI super PAC network routes millions through Nevada shell companies.*
***International:** Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia violated Trump’s “energy ceasefire,” vows to respond if attacks continue. NATO warns of counter-attack if alliance is attacked. At least 139 migrants dead, 84 missing after boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN’s International Organization for Migration says. China sanctions Paraguay’s communications minister and Belize’s foreign minister over Taiwan ties. Dozens of gold miners killed in airstrike near Sudan-Egypt border. Cuba denies connection to biodiesel shipments seized in U.S. blockade. Spanish PM acknowledges Moroccan naval incursion, calls it an “isolated” incident. Eritrea and Ethiopia trade accusations of aggression, both appeal to UN for assistance. Gunmen kill at least 20 in Nigeria convoy ambush. Rahul Gandhi leads march to India’s Supreme Court demanding election chief’s resignation; 30,000+ police block the route. North Korea test-fires multiple ballistic missiles, one flies over 900 km.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Yemen
* **Saudi-led coalition threatens Sana’a oil site strikes; Ansarallah warns it will hit Aramco in retaliation:**
* **Sana’a:** Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki announced plans for a “special operation” in the Ansarallah-held capital, and [issued][1] a displacement order near the Yemen Petroleum Company’s central Al-Sabaha station.
* Any Saudi-led strikes on the capital would be met with a “harsh and painful response” in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Ansarallah military spokesperson Yahya Saree [warned][2]. Saree specifically [listed][3] the retaliatory targets as: the Dammam headquarters of Aramco, the national petroleum and natural gas company of Saudi Arabia; Khalid Airport in Riyadh; and Aramco’s refinery in Riyadh.
* **Taiz:** Ansarallah attacks on Taiz reportedly killed five and wounded 17, according to the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms. The attacks reportedly damaged several homes, Al-Safwa Hospital, and Al-Saeed Mosque. Yemen’s Saudi-backed forces reported nine airstrikes targeting Ansarallah positions—five in Dhubab district and four in Al-Misrakh.
* Shortages of medicine, fuel, and medical supplies threaten approximately 1,110 kidney failure patients and more than 190 intensive care patients, Taiz’s local health office warned.
* **Hodeidah:** Three airstrikes, including two on Kamaran Island and one in Al-Qanawis district were reported by Ansarallah-run Al Masirah TV, without immediate reports of casualties.
* **Saada: **Saree claimed the group shot down a Saudi Wing Loong II armed reconnaissance drone while it was conducting “hostile missions.”
* **Riyadh airport still closed after Ansarallah attacks: **Operations are [still suspended][4] at Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport following a series of Ansarallah attacks over the weekend that killed 14 people and injured at least 320. The closure was extended until October 17, affecting nearly 700 flights per day, according to Flightradar24.
* On Saturday, an Ansarallah attack struck a passenger terminal, killing 13 and injuring 309, while a separate projectile hit Terminal 4 on Sunday, killing one and injuring 11 others.
* Qatar Airways, Etihad, IndiGo, Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, and Air India have all cancelled flights to Riyadh. Cathay Pacific and Delta have postponed planned Riyadh services until 2027.
* **Iran offers to mediate Saudi-Ansarallah talks:** Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi [offered][5] to broker talks between Saudi Arabia and Ansarallah, in a call Sunday with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
* Iran was ready to help start a dialogue and reach a political solution, Araghchi reportedly said. He warned that “insisting on a military approach and disregarding a political solution would only further complicate the situation.”
* Riyadh hasn’t publicly responded to the offer. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the two discussed “the recent escalation in the region and the efforts being made to address it,” and that Araghchi initiated the call.
* **Netanyahu is reportedly seeking Saudi approval to join war against Ansarallah; Riyadh opposes move:** Netanyahu is [seeking][6] Saudi approval, through U.S. mediation, for Israel to join the fight against Ansarallah, Haaretz reported, but Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opposes the move.
* The crown prince fears a domestic backlash if Israel enters the fight, according to Haaretz, while Netanyahu is hoping to strengthen ties with Riyadh and advance normalization. Saudi officials have said normalization depends on a path to a Palestinian state.
* Last month, Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar reported that he had offered “Israel’s services” in a “comprehensive war” against Ansarallah.
# Palestine
* **Israeli forces storm medical complex in Ramallah, raid prominent rights groups:** Israeli forces [raided][7] the offices of prominent Palestinian rights groups—the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees—in central Ramallah on Tuesday, and stormed the courtyard of the Palestine Medical Complex.
* Israeli forces confiscated equipment and files and arrested at least one employee from Addameer. Video obtained by Drop Site News shows the employee, who is seen on video being made to kneel outside the building with his hands behind his head in front of an Israeli army vehicle.
* Troops stormed the Palestine Medical Complex, the largest government medical facility in the West Bank, deploying snipers at its entrances and preventing entry or exit.
* Israeli forces [shot and critically wounded][8] a Palestinian man and injured a 14-year-old boy during the raids, and injured two journalists covering the raids.
* **Israeli strike kills Palestinian in Gaza City as four-year-old dies of earlier injuries:** One Palestinian was killed and several others wounded Tuesday when an Israeli drone [struck][9] a vehicle in the Tuffah neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City, according to WAFA. Two Palestinians were also wounded by Israeli gunfire in the Al-Amal neighborhood and near Hamad City, north of Khan Younis.
* Earlier Tuesday, a four-year-old Palestinian boy died of wounds sustained in an Israeli strike on Al-Zawayda in central Gaza nearly three weeks ago.
* **Killed and wounded in Gaza: **Over the past 24 hours, six Palestinians were killed—three in new Israeli attacks and three due to wounds sustained in earlier attacks—and seven injured across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. One body was recovered from beneath the rubble.
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is now 74,389 killed, with 175,423 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,498 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,306, while 838 bodies have been recovered.
* **Israeli forces and settlers attack olive harvesters across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Ramallah: **Dozens of Israeli settlers blocked Palestinians farmers from reaching their olive groves in Turmus Ayya, Ramallah, on Tuesday, WAFA reported, while settlers stole olives in Atara.
* **Tulkarm:** Armed settlers [attacked][10] olive harvesters in Beit Lid, beating and injuring two women, including an elderly woman struck in the head. Settlers also forced farmers from their olive groves in Wadi Al-Jameh and the Ramin plain at gunpoint.
* **Nablus:** Settlers disguised in Israeli military uniforms [assaulted][11] a Palestinian family inside their home in Talfit, leaving several injured. In Beit Imrin, armed settlers forced olive harvesters from their land in the Al-Naqab area.
* **Salfit:** Israeli forces [detained][12] a farmer harvesting olives north of Salfit, fired tear gas toward other farmers, and forced them to leave.
* **Hebron: **Settlers [assaulted][13] olive harvesters in Masafer Yatta, stole crops, damaged farmland and fences, and smashed the windows of a vehicle transporting students to Al-Fakhit school.
* Israeli forces demolished an agricultural room and water tank and uprooted fruit trees in Khirbet Soba. In Idhna, Israeli forces detained four journalists covering settler attacks on olive harvesters.
* **Israel demolishes Palestinian homes inside of Israel a day after displacing 300 residents:** Israeli authorities [demolished][14] homes and agricultural structures made of metal sheeting in the southern part of Rahat in the Naqab on Tuesday, according to Arab48. The homes housed dozens of people. On Monday, Israeli authorities destroyed all homes in the village of Al-Dahiya, north of Rahat, displacing approximately 300 Palestinians of the Abu Wadi family.
* **Netanyahu orders prosecution of soldiers interviewed in NAZA: **Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has [ordered][15] the country’s authorities to uncover the identities of the Israeli soldiers and officers interviewed in the documentary “NAZA” and prosecute them.
* Netanyahu demanded the Israeli attorney general, the military chief of staff, and the head of Shin Bet “act urgently to uncover the identity of all those who are involved or appear in the libel film” and called for “the opening of a criminal investigation and prosecution.”
* The documentary by filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor details Israel’s mass killing of civilians in Gaza. Netanyahu has also said he would seek new laws allowing Israel to strip citizenship from people who “smear” Israeli soldiers as part of a campaign targeting Abraham and Szor.
# Iran
* **Trump dismisses reports of Chinese and Russian assistance to Iran: **President Donald Trump said Monday he does not believe China or Russia are helping Iran in its war with the United States, dismissing reports they have provided intelligence and military assistance.
* “If they are, it’s at a very low level, but I don’t believe they are at all,” Trump [wrote][16] on Truth Social. “They have too much to lose, and we would know about it, and know about it very fast!”
* CNN [reported][17] that Chinese entities supplied satellite imagery of a U.S. base in Jordan before an Iranian attack that killed three American troops in July, as well as allegations that Russia shared intelligence on U.S. warships and aircraft. Moscow and Beijing have denied the reports.
* At a campaign rally, Trump suggested the U.S. may have gone too far in targeting Iran’s leadership, saying Washington is struggling to identify officials with whom to negotiate.
* “We might have gone too far with the leaders because we don’t know who the hell we’re dealing with any more,” Trump said at a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio. “Nobody wants to be the president of Iran,” he claimed.
* **IMF forecasts economic contraction in Middle East and Central Asia: **The International Monetary Fund (IMF) [projected][18] Tuesday that the Middle East and Central Asia economy will shrink by 0.3% in 2026, a sharp downgrade from the 1.9% growth forecast in April, citing prolonged disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
* Kuwait is expected to suffer the steepest contraction at 16.7%, followed by Iraq (16%), Qatar (15.6%), Bahrain (11.3%), Iran (7.6%) and Saudi Arabia (3.3%).
* The region is the only one globally projected to experience contraction this year; global GDP is forecast to expand by 3.1%.
* **UK PM blames Iran for alleged plot targeting U.S.-used airbase: **A suspected plot targeting RAF Fairford, a British airbase used by the U.S. military in its war against Iran, was “almost certainly” directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), British Prime Minister Andy Burnham [said][19] Monday.
* The UK announced sanctions on two Iranian nationals over alleged “hostile activity,” with Burnham pledging further measures.
* Iran’s Foreign Ministry [rejected][20] the allegations, calling them an “ugly conspiracy” aimed at advancing an anti-Iran campaign and deflecting responsibility for Britain’s role in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The ministry accused Britain of relying on vague language without presenting evidence.
* **Attacks on ships near Strait of Hormuz reach highest intensity since war began:** Missile and drone attacks on shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz [reached][21] their highest intensity since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began seven months ago, according to the Financial Times. Six vessels were attacked on Sunday alone, while 24 ships were hit in the two weeks ending October 11.
* Oil shipments through Hormuz fell to just 2.9 million barrels on October 11, the lowest daily volume this month, according to Kpler.
* The escalation comes amid increased Iranian attacks on vessels transiting through the southern route, as well as U.S. military operations to enforce its naval blockade of Iran.
* On Saturday, a U.S. fighter jet disabled the cargo ship Ocean Molica in the Gulf of Oman for trying to break the U.S. naval blockade of Iran, CENTCOM said.
# Lebanon
* **Israeli warplanes launch airstrikes across southern Lebanon despite ceasefire: **Israeli warplanes [struck][22] in Wadi Al-Salouqi near the town of Shaqra in Bint Jbeil district on Tuesday, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
* Israeli forces carried out an airstrike on Kfar Tebnit in Nabatieh district, followed by another strike on Wadi Al-Hujeir in Marjayoun district.
* **EU to establish mission to train Lebanese military and security forces: **More than ten European Union foreign ministers [agreed][23] Monday to establish a new mission in Lebanon to advise and train the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces, with an initial three-year mandate.
* The EU is making an effort to strengthen Lebanese security forces and free up the army to focus on disarming Hezbollah, as part of the framework agreement signed between the Lebanese government and Israel.
* **13-year-old killed, 24 wounded by unexploded munition:** A 13-year-old Israeli student was killed and 24 others wounded Monday when an unexploded cluster submunition [detonated][24] during a school hiking trip in the Ramim Ridge area of northern Israel, near the Lebanese border, The Times of Israel reported. Students had found the munition, authorities said, picking it up and potentially placing it in a bag before the explosion.
# U.S. News
* **Ken Paxton celebrated New Year’s in Dubai with two indicted fugitives**: Texas Attorney General **Ken Paxton**, the Republican nominee for Senate, rang in 2025 on a Dubai balcony with girlfriend **Tracy Duhon** and two Americans who [left][25] the United States after being indicted on federal health care fraud charges, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
* **Anosh Ahmed **and **Sameer Suhail** are accused of embezzling $15 million from a Chicago hospital where Ahmed was the CFO; Ahmed is also implicated in a separate $195 million scheme involving fraudulent COVID-19 tests. He donated $190,000 to Paxton, including $25,000 days after his indictment. Both men have since returned to the U.S. to face charges.
* Paxton also [received][26] campaign money from staff or political arms of five organizations with interests in matters his office weighed in on, the Washington Post reported.
* Executives at slot-machine-style game maker Pace-O-Matic, for example, gave more than $100,000 while his office reviewed what counts as gambling. Texas Tech regents chair **Cody Campbell **gave $247,300 to Paxton’s fundraising committee the day before Paxton threatened the Big 12 with a lawsuit over a disciplined Texas Tech player.
* **Zohran Mamdani orders first NYPD use-of-force review in a decade**: New York City Mayor** Zohran Mamdani** [ordered][27] the first review of the New York Police Department’s use of force in a decade, alongside reforms including $2.6 million in new funding for the Office of the Inspector General and a system to ensure disciplinary hearings finish before accused officers retire.
* Reported use-of-force incidents tripled from 4,087 in 2016 to 12,348 in 2025 even as shootings and murders hit record lows.
* Mamdani-endorsed congressional candidates **Claire Valdez** and **Darializa Avila Chevalier** have called for disbanding the department’s Strategic Response Group. The group was controversially deployed at protests last week, following ICE’s October 8 shooting of Oscar Belgal in Marble Hill. City Hall said the review was planned before the Marble Hill shooting.
* **Federal agents raid Ilhan Omar’s D.C. home in immigration probe**: Homeland Security Investigations agents [searched][28] the Washington home of **Rep. Ilhan Omar** (D-Minn.) before dawn on Monday under a judge-signed warrant tied to an ongoing criminal investigation, the Justice Department said.
* Omar is being targeted based on immigration paperwork filed in 1995 when Omar entered the United States as a 12-year-old refugee from Somalia in 1995. Omar became a U.S. citizen in 2000 when she was 17 years old.
* President Donald Trump [told][29] reporters he had “nothing to do with” the search, after weeks of attacks in which he urged her deportation.
* Omar called the raid an attempt to “weaponize law enforcement” against political enemies, and House Democrats condemned the incursion as “deeply disturbing.”
* **ICE agents ran over fleeing man in Texas, surveillance video shows**: An unmarked SUV [carrying][30] ICE agents struck **Miguel Parra-Hernandez** in a west Harris County, Texas, shopping center parking lot on Saturday, as agents pursued another man they were trying to arrest, according to video footage obtained by the local ABC affiliate.
* ICE claimed Parra-Hernandez ran in front of the vehicle, but the footage appears to show the SUV veering through empty parking spaces before hitting him. Parra-Hernandez was hospitalized and was reportedly in stable condition as of Sunday.
* **Judge orders Trump administration to pull taxpayer-funded promotional ads**: U.S. District Judge **Jennifer Rochon **in New York on Sunday night [ordered][31] President Donald Trump’s administration to cancel any remaining television ads paid for with $20 million in Department of Homeland Security funds. The ads, which began airing in late September, glorify Trump and echo his midterm messaging, with one touting the capture of Venezuelan leader **Nicolás Maduro**.
* **Justice Department opens antitrust probe of TV networks over Trump pool blackout**: The Justice Department is [investigating][32] whether ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News violated antitrust law when they jointly suspended pooled coverage of President Donald Trump last month after he barred CNN from the White House, sending the networks letters on Friday demanding communications about the pool and CNN’s lost access, The New York Times reported.
* **Trump asks Guilfoyle to resign:** The U.S. ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, has been [asked][33] to resign from her post amid allegations of improper conduct, White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said Tuesday, according to the AP. President Donald Trump, who appointed Guilfoyle, [told][34] reporters on Monday he is “looking at” firing her, saying “we’re not happy,” after businessman Eric Deters alleged she asked him to wire $100,000 to cover her American Express bill in exchange for help with the administration ahead of her 2025 Senate confirmation.
* The Wall Street Journal, which broke the Deters story, also reported that Guilfoyle boasted in audio recordings about Greek businessmen paying for her travel and encouraged foreign governments to do business with one of them.
* **Shawn Fain wins second term as United Auto Workers president**: United Auto Workers President **Shawn Fain **won reelection with 68% of the vote against five challengers, according to unofficial tallies, with his nearest rival, Vice President **Rich Boyer**, taking 14%; challenged ballots remain to be counted, and results are not yet certified.
* Fain’s United UAW slate also won the secretary-treasurer and all three vice president posts and will hold every seat on the union’s International Executive Board but one.
* Members interviewed credited the contracts won since the 2023 Stand Up Strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.
* Read more on Fain’s election at Labor Notes, [here][35].
* **Elon Musk pours $276 million into Republican midterm effort: Elon Musk **has [given][36] more than $276 million to Republican groups and his own super PAC since July, making him by far the largest known donor of the midterms, according to figures provided to The New York Times ahead of a federal filing deadline on Thursday.
* The total includes $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, one of the largest political donations in American history, which preceded that group’s $149 million ad campaign for Texas Attorney General **Ken Paxton,** plus more than $76 million to his America PAC, which has deployed thousands of paid canvassers and spent over a third of its disclosed money on the Texas Senate race.
* **Pro-AI super PAC network routes millions through Nevada shell companies**: Super PACs in the Leading the Future network, which has raised more than $140 million from backers including **Marc Andreessen**, **Ben Horowitz** and OpenAI President **Greg Brockman**, have paid tens of millions of dollars to four Nevada companies whose listed addresses include a post office box, a mail center and a Staples store, Wired [reported][37] on Tuesday, indicating they are shells used to hide strategists and vendors working with the coalition in potential violation of federal law.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Zelenskyy says Russia violated Trump’s “energy ceasefire,” vows to respond if attacks continue**: Speaking by video to the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy [said][38] there have already been “Russian violations of the energy ceasefire announced by President Trump” over the weekend, including strikes on several energy facilities, among them a power plant in Kharkiv.
* He said Ukraine was “horribly surprised” and urged the U.S. to “make sure Russians respect it,” adding, “If Russia does not agree to an energy ceasefire, we will respond.”
* Trump announced the truce Sunday, two days after declaring a temporary easing of U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel, which angered European allies and Kyiv. Zelenskyy initially said the announcement was “news to him,” per Axios, and said a ceasefire was needed “in reality, not just on Truth Social.” A day earlier he had said Ukraine would halt attacks on Russian refineries if Moscow stopped hitting Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
* Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said talks on a possible energy ceasefire are ongoing but rejected Zelenskyy’s proposal for a 60-day truce to allow elections, saying “we do not want a ceasefire” but “long-term peace.”
* **NATO warns of counter-attack if alliance is attacked**: U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, [told][39] the Warsaw Security Forum that “we will block [any] initial attack” on the alliance. He also said NATO’s response would target not only the attacking force but “anything and everything that supports, sustains and controls that force.” The comments come amid Russian threats over access to the Kaliningrad exclave.
* **At least 139 migrants dead, 84 missing after boat capsizes off Djibouti, IOM says**: At least 139 people, including 15 children, [died][40] after a boat carrying 305 migrants capsized off Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration said Sunday. The boat was traveling from Djibouti to Yemen when it sank Thursday night or Friday morning. The vessel sank soon after embarking, close to shore, “mainly because it was overcrowded,” said IOM’s chief of mission in Djibouti.
* The recovered dead include nine girls and six boys. At least 84 people remain missing. More than 80 survivors are Ethiopian nationals. It is one of the deadliest shipwrecks recorded on the route from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. The toll is likely to rise.
* **China sanctions Paraguay’s communications minister and Belize’s foreign minister over Taiwan ties**: China’s Foreign Ministry announced Monday that it was [sanctioning][41] Paraguayan Communications Minister Gustavo Villate and Belizean Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca, citing their participation in “Taiwan separatist activities.” China accused the two officials of “egregious actions and statements” that damage China’s “core interests.”
* Paraguay and Belize are two of Taiwan’s 12 formal diplomatic partners. Chinese sanctions will freeze the ministers’ assets in China, deny their entry visas to Hong Kong and Macau, and bar Chinese organizations and individuals from transactions or cooperation with them.
* **Dozens of gold miners killed in airstrike near Sudan-Egypt border**: Warplanes [bombed][42] an open-air gold mine in Sudan’s Red Sea State, about 25 miles from the Egyptian border, on Saturday, killing dozens of workers, according to Sudanese rights groups, graphic video footage and eyewitnesses interviewed by The New York Times. The strikes killed an estimated 72 people, according to the rights group Emergency Lawyers. Two eyewitnesses told the Times that at least 65 were killed and 120 were wounded. The strike hit an area controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces largely untouched by the war.
* Sudanese media and several rights groups blamed Egypt, a staunch ally of Sudan’s army, for the attacks. Video footage appeared to show an unexploded Egyptian NASR 400 bomb, former U.S. Army ordnance technician Trevor Ball told the Times. Egypt’s military spokesman said its forces were fighting the third phase of “a major campaign to combat illegal gold prospecting in the Eastern Desert,” but insisted they acted inside Egypt’s borders.
* Two Egyptian citizens were [killed][43] and a third wounded Monday when a gunman opened fire on them south of Khartoum, Egypt’s foreign ministry said. The shooter reportedly belonged to the Joint Force allied with the Sudanese army and opened fire in retaliation.
* **Cuba denies connection to biodiesel shipments seized in U.S. blockade**: Following the U.S.’s seizure of almost $3 million of biodiesel bound for Cuba, a senior Cuban official denied that the state had any links to the shipments. “There was no contract of any kind” with the sanctioned Cuban state energy trader ENETEC, Cuban Minister of Energy and Mines Vicente de la O Levy [told][44] Reuters on Monday. He added, “No Cuban state-owned company has managed to secure a fuel contract, whether for small or large quantities.”
* As part of its blockade on Cuba, the U.S. has seized 90 shipments of what it calls “illegal” oil bound for the island nation. The U.S. has allowed Cuban companies to import fuel since early this year, but it bars oil shipments to the communist government. “The amount entering the country doesn’t even cover 3% of its fuel needs,” De la O Levy said.
* **Spanish PM acknowledges Moroccan naval incursion, calls it an “isolated” incident**: Moroccan naval vessels entered Spanish waters near Ceuta without permission after the mass-migrant crossing in July, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez [said][45] Monday. “Between two neighboring countries, such isolated incidents do occur,” he added. “Those were intense days, but cooperation between the navies remains smooth, regardless of that incident.”
* Sánchez did not mention details reported earlier by El País. At least one frigate and several patrol boats of the Royal Moroccan Navy sailed through Spanish waters without seeking authorization, the Spanish newspaper reported on Monday, citing anonymous sources. A Spanish frigate had to intercept and repel them.
* More than 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta at the end of July. Most, but not all, of the migrants who crossed into Ceuta were expelled or voluntarily returned to Morocco weeks afterward.
* **Eritrea and Ethiopia trade accusations of aggression, both appeal to UN for assistance**: Eritrea [asked][46] UN Security Council for “deterrent measures” against Ethiopia on Saturday, accusing the state of making a “declaration of war” He asked the council to “forcefully condemn Ethiopia’s deplorable declaration of war against Eritrea.” On Friday, Ethiopia told the UN Security Council that Eritrean troops advanced up to 37 miles into Tigray, and that it was prepared to defend itself.
* **Gunmen kill at least 20 in Nigeria convoy ambush**: Gunmen [ambushed][47] a convoy of traders traveling under military escort in Zamfara state on Saturday, killing at least 20 people. A local resident who helped retrieve the bodies told Reuters the dead included four soldiers, three policemen, a civil defense corps officer and 12 civilians. A military source also confirmed the attack, saying that 19 people were wounded.
* On Saturday, Nigerian airstrikes in the northeastern state of Borno killed over 40 militants of the Islamic State West Africa Province. A military spokesperson claimed that the group was planning an attack on the military.
* **Rahul Gandhi leads march to India’s Supreme Court demanding election chief’s resignation; 30,000+ police block the route: **Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi [led thousands][48] of protesters on a truck-led march toward the Supreme Court in New Delhi on Monday, demanding the resignation of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
* Drop Site News contributors Biplob Kumar Das and Fatima Khan reported on the Indian government’s crackdown on protesters. “In almost 50 years of being in India, I have never seen such use of force to quell protests,” one demonstrator said. **Read the story [here][49].**
* **North Korea test-fires multiple ballistic missiles, one flies over 900 km**: South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea [launched][50] multiple ballistic missiles Monday, and that one flew more than 900 km.
* The launch comes days after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung oversaw South Korea’s first test-firing of a hypersonic missile on Thursday. Earlier this month, North Korea tested its own hypersonic, intermediate-range missiles.
📖 **[READ][51] **India Uses Overwhelming Force to Quell Delhi Protests
📖 **[READ][52] **Drones and Death: Families Reel from the UAE’s “Catastrophic” Strikes in War on ISIS
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[1]: https://x.com/cjfcspox/status/2109983110402019342?s=46
[2]: https://x.com/yah_saree/status/2109980197013565630?s=46
[3]: http://t.me/army21ye
[4]: https://x.com/ksagaca/status/2109564392455250075?s=46
[5]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2109802713617756521
[6]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2109806974057521485
[7]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/13/israeli-forces-raid-palestinian-ngos-and-hospital-in-occupied-west-bank
[8]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/13/%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%AB-%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A5%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%82
[9]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/13/%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AD%D9%8A
[10]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/13/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%AA%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A3%D8%AB%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%82%D8%B7%D9%81
[11]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/13/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B5%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84
[12]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/13/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%A7-%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86
[13]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/13/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%B7%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A9
[14]: https://www.arab48.com/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9/2026/10/13/%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%84-%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%88-%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%B4%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%B7
[15]: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/oct/12/naza-netanyahu-orders-identification-prosecution-interviewees-documentary-film
[16]: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/117431307261297275
[17]: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/25/politics/china-intelligence-iran-targeting-hormuz
[18]: https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/economy/2026/10/13/imf-cuts-2026-growth-forecasts-for-gulf-economies-due-to-prolonged-hormuz-closure/
[19]: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6gr82ekqewyo
[20]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86291010/Iran-condemns-UK-s-baseless-claims-over-Fairford-air-base-incident
[21]: https://www.ft.com/content/a4ab83d4-81b5-4336-9569-a0708b41e894?syn-25a6b1a6=1
[22]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/568180/%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%88%D9%82%D9%8A-5
[23]: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/eu-establishes-new-lebanon-support-mission-2026-10-12/
[24]: https://www.timesofisrael.com/student-killed-in-blast-near-lebanon-border-idd-as-9th-grader-elazar-yair-wilensky/
[25]: https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/ken-paxton-texas-senate-dubai-trip-b54292c3
[26]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/11/texas-gop-senate-candidate-ken-paxton-wrote-legal-opinions-that-benefited-large-donors/
[27]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/12/zohran-mamdani-orders-use-of-force-review-for-new-york-city-police
[28]: https://www.axios.com/2026/10/12/ilhan-omar-search-immigration
[29]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/trump-raid-ilhan-omar-dc-washington-home-dhs-homeland-security-criminal-investigation
[30]: https://abc7.com/story/ice-runs-man-agent-caught-surveillance-video-hitting-miguel-parra-hernandez-car-during-chase-shopping-center-harris-county-texas-officials-say/19930189/
[31]: https://apnews.com/article/trump-tv-ads-f845554063cea0b4b41275d32abd3633
[32]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/10/business/media/trump-justice-department-tv-networks.html
[33]: https://apnews.com/article/trump-ambassador-greece-guilfoyle-9da9d2e50e18bccc38946404c1ca756f
[34]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-says-hes-looking-at-firing-kimberly-guilfoyle/
[35]: https://labornotes.org/2026/10/uaw-president-shawn-fain-wins-reelection-victory
[36]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/12/us/politics/elon-musk-midterms.html?unlocked_article_code=1.IFE.F83I.6X1oUI1HHSDT&smid=nytcore-ios-share
[37]: https://www.wired.com/story/the-biggest-pro-ai-super-pac-network-has-poured-millions-into-nevada-shell-companies/
[38]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/12/ukraines-zelenskyy-accuses-russia-of-violating-trumps-energy-ceasefire
[39]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/12/nato-says-will-do-anything-and-everything-if-alliance-is-attacked
[40]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/migrant-boat-capsizes-djibouti-over-100-dead/
[41]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/12/china-sanctions-paraguay-belize-ministers-over-taiwan-ties
[42]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/12/world/africa/egypt-sudan-goldmine-strike.html
[43]: https://sudantribune.com/article/319882
[44]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/12/cuba-denies-involvement-with-island-bound-fuel-shipments-seized-by-us
[45]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/moroccan-navy-vessels-entered-spanish-waters-during-ceuta-crisis-sanchez-says-2026-10-12/
[46]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/10/ethiopian-forces-regain-control-of-border-city-after-reported-eritrean-incursion
[47]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/12/gunmen-in-nigeria-kill-20-people-heading-to-market
[48]: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/10/12/delhi-braces-for-more-protests-against-election-chief-amid-crackdown
[49]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/india-delhi-protests-voter-purge
[50]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/12/north-korea-fires-multiple-ballistic-missiles-towards-the-sea
[51]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/india-delhi-protests-voter-purge
[52]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/uae-somalia-isis-strikes-bedouin-bosasso-united-states-base
[53]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[54]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[55]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[56]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/ansarallah-aramco-yemen-saudi-elon-musk-republican-midterms-russia-ukraine-energy

2026-10-12 16:04:48 UTC

Trump’s Tough Week, Ansarallah Advances Again, Iran Tightens Control on Strait Of Hormuz
In this week’s episode of The War Brief, we discuss U.S. President Donald Trump considering new strikes on Iran and how that highlights the numerous setbacks he is facing in the region, from Iran increasing imposing its will on the Strait of Hormuz, to the Ansarallah (Houthis) in Yemens consolidating their control on Bab al-Mandab, and the emergency withdrawal of American B1B bombers from the UK.
We are then joined by Drop Site contributor [Bonzer Barry][1] to break down the latest in military developments in Yemen.
Later on I am joined by [Dr. Shahryar Pasandideh][2], who argues that the withdrawal of the bombers from the UK is more consequential than it appears. And with the bombers now stationed in the continental United States, their capacity to bomb Iran will be reduced.
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[2]: https://x.com/shahpas
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https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/trumps-tough-week-ansarallah-advances

2026-10-11 17:53:10 UTC

India Uses Overwhelming Force to Quell Delhi Protests
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Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest demanding the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged voter roll irregularities, near Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on October 11, 2026. Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP via Getty Images.
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DELHI, India—Indian authorities enforced an unprecedented crackdown on demonstrations across Delhi on Saturday and Sunday, as student groups and citizen networks, including lawyers and doctors organized to provide support for people protesting a massive purge of voter lists. The government deployed over 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel to prevent protestors from gathering in the city, pulling forces from border areas, including Kashmir, into Delhi.
For the past two weeks, protestors across India have been demanding the resignation of India’s chief election commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, after an investigation by The Indian Express,* *a prominent daily, revealed that the country’s election commission had deleted more than 130 million people from voter rolls without due process.
The call for large demonstrations on Saturday was made by the [Cockroach Janata Party][3] (CJP), which in July led widespread protests against the education minister Dharmendra Pradhan for irregularities in nationwide examinations, leading to his resignation. On Saturday, Delhi police detained Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of CJP, along with several other leaders of the group, on their airplane when they arrived at the Delhi airport, holding them until Sunday morning.
The mobilization was supposed to be held at the designated protest site of Jantar Mantar, but it was entirely barricaded by the police, and most of central Delhi was under police lockdown.
Police barricades in Delhi. Photo by Biplob Kumar Das for Drop Site News.
Many of those who responded to the CJP’s call to action were out on the streets on their way to Jantar Mantar when Dipke and others were detained in the flight. Unable to reach the protest site, they wandered around the city. “Everytime the police stopped us on our way here, we told them we are tourists who are lost, so they let us pass by,” said Shubham Sharma, 22, who was there with his 20-year-old cousin, Harsh.
Multiple journalists were detained, despite wearing their press badges. Lawyers were detained as well, including senior Supreme Court advocate Shadan Farasat, who was carried by his arms and legs to a police station. Overall, police detained over 2,000 protestors on Saturday, reported [Reuters][4]. Among those detained was the distinguished welfare economist Jean Drèze, who is originally from Belgium but has lived in India for nearly five decades, working on issues of poverty. “In almost 50 years of being in India, I have never seen such use of force to quell protests,” Drèze told Drop Site from the police station.
Another protestor, 40-year-old Maalvi Mishra said that even as she was entering the lane to get to the protest site, she was told by the police that “Jantar Mantar is not in Delhi,” and that she should go home. “I managed to come here but so many others couldn’t,” she said, as she held up a copy of the constitution in her hands, surrounded by cops and border security forces all around.
As protesters began entering the neighboring areas, police detained anyone who appeared to be heading towards the protest site.
“I reached Delhi from Punjab early in the morning and have been here since,” said Karan Singh, who had travelled alone to attend the protests. “It was incredibly difficult to reach here, I had to walk for almost an hour. The police presence in the area makes it feel like it’s fully a dictatorship,” he said.
Drop Site saw protestors being detained within minutes of chanting slogans, or as soon as they merely came close to the barricaded roads outside Jantar Mantar. It wasn’t just protestors—many were picked up from far beyond the protest premises, from arbitrary spots in the city, without explanation. “I didn’t know anything about the protest, I am in the city for some work with my wife. The police just whisked me away without informing me why,” said Mohammad Rahim, who was detained along with nearly 40 others in front of the New Delhi Railway Station.
In addition to the brute force applied by security forces, members of the right-wing Hindu Raksha Dal (Hindu Protection Force), who mobilized in support of the Narendra Modi government, were seen harassing some protestors. In a video that’s now gone viral, four men were seen attacking a man and a woman, beating them up, with the police not intervening to stop them. The four were [arrested][5] on Sunday.
Security personnel detain demonstrators during a protest demanding the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged voter roll irregularities, near Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October 11, 2026. Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP via Getty Images.
## Protests Despite Crackdown
As crackdowns against protestors continued unabated, spontaneous demonstrations erupted in other parts of the city. A popular market for tourists called Dilli Haat suddenly emerged as the go-to spot as left wing student leader Neha Bora announced that as their choice of protest ground. A few hours later, the Safdarjung flyover, an extremely busy overpass in the heart of South Delhi, became another hot spot. The protests, however, could only occur in bursts, as people were being detained within minutes.
“Till the time there is even one person protesting on the street, this movement will continue,” said Bora in a video message on social media. Bora pleaded with supporters to protest wherever the police tried to detain them.
Even as the largely young, Gen Z protestors were being bundled into police buses and vans, some from the older generations came to show solidarity and support.
Hansraj Bhutani, 82, came out into the street with food and water in his bag. “I am here to support the protestors,” he said. “I have lived through the Emergency under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Even then, things weren’t this bad. I am requesting Modi to stop troubling the public like this.”
In Connaught Place, a central market in Delhi, hundreds of protestors trying to make their way to Jantar Mantar were detained. The police presence in the area heavily outnumbered the protestors. The government prohibited the gathering of more than five people in central Delhi.
Many protestors, who had walked in alone, found solidarity with the few others who managed to make it past the barricades.
Papri Das, Pavneet Kaur, and Rosy met each other at the Connaught Place market while heading towards the protest site. “It is disheartening to see how the government is seeking to silence our voices. But what is heartening is that people are still showing up, despite the crackdowns and despite the police brutality,” said Das, 34.
For Kaur, 35, the solidarity she found among each other gave her hope that this movement could be successful. “We just realized that the three of us belong to different religions. I am Sikh, Papri is Hindu, and Rosy is Muslim. This is exactly what the government fears—people becoming united to fight its tyranny,” she said.
Not far from Connaught Place, police entered a Sikh temple, the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, and detained people en masse. “I witnessed at least a dozen people being brutalized while the Delhi police tried to detain them. One 75-year-old woman was brutalized by the police so badly, one of her fingers was dangling off, we had to get her a plastic surgery,” said a doctor who was offering medical relief to the injured inside the Gurudwara and did not want to be named out of fear of retaliation.
He said that the police entered the temple premises in their boots and without wearing a head scarf—as required of men entering Sikh places of worship. “Most people were injured due to the police twisting their fingers while trying to detain them. I saw a lot of pinching and nail marks on injured protestors. They are not using batons, but using these other means to brutalize protestors,” he said.
The protests continued on Sunday, with spontaneous marches emerging in Connaught Place multiple times throughout the day and the police detaining hundreds of protestors. “I have been detained almost every day since October 2. I will continue to protest this regime and I will continue to show up on protest sites every day, there is no fear anymore,” one protester told Drop Site through a window of a police bus.
## Support Networks
In response to the July protests, a citizen-led volunteer group began to take shape. The group, which calls itself the Protest Support Initiative, has multiple wings, each catering to a different aspect of providing aid and support, with about 150 volunteers. One wing is in charge of driving people home after they are let go from their detention centers, often in far-flung places. Another, led by doctors, is in charge of providing first-aid. There’s also a wing of therapists who help people who’ve undergone trauma during the detention or during confrontation with the police.
For Meghnad, a popular journalist and content creator, forming the group seemed like the most natural thing to do. “No one else was doing it, but someone had to. So might as well be us,” he said. “Eighteen year olds would come up to me asking how do we get home after the police leave us in random parts of the city after detention, I had to help them. I also realized many of these young protesters come from extremely repressive environments at home. They’ve found a space to express themselves through these protests, so we have to be there for them.”
Until October 9, the group had 20 people who had volunteered to drive detainees home. After the October 10 protests, that number has risen to 93. But along with all the support, they now also face the scrutiny and intimidation that comes from the authorities. “Three people were following me throughout the protests on 10th. I routinely get a call from Delhi police checking on me,” said Meghnad.
Satvik Soni, a filmmaker co-leading the Protest Support Initiative, said he had over 140,000 followers on Instagram before the government banned his account in India.
Soni said there was an “organizational gap” in how the protests were being mobilized, and that he and Meghnad have spent over 2 lakh rupees, or $2,600, from their own savings to provide aid to protesters.
“Two things need to happen for people to join the protests in large numbers,” said Soni. “The CJP and other activists have made it cool to attend the protest. But someone needs to make it safe as well, and I think that’s where we come in.”
He said the last round of CJP-led protests, which led to the resignation of the Education Minister, left many protestors detained or injured in its wake. “The protestors had been stranded, and they were chased by right-wing goons and Delhi police,” Soni said. “The leaders left, so we had to step in.”
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2026-10-09 21:37:04 UTC

Drones and Death: Families Reel from the UAE’s “Catastrophic” Strikes in War on ISIS
Puntland security forces patrol after capturing ISIS bases in Cal Miskaad mountain range in Bari, east of the Gulf of Aden in the city of Bosasso, Puntland region, Somalia on January 25, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar.
MOGADISHU, Somalia—Drones had been hovering over Togga-Xarago—a mountainous settlement in northeastern Somalia all day. The Reer Yusuf Mohamud Salah family was used to the noise; it was a regular occurrence in the Al-Miskaad mountains, where the Puntland security forces are waging an on-going war against ISIS militants, supported by the UAE and now the U.S.
On the evening of January 26, 2025, as her family gathered for dinner in their traditional Somali style hut known as an *Caqil Soomaali*, 38-year-old Khadra Abdi Ismael went to a neighbor’s home to retrieve an item for her relatives. Moments later, Khadra heard the large engine roars of an aircraft hovering above.
A large explosion followed. Thick smoke billowed through the sky as screams could be heard from the ruins of the hut, Khadra told Drop Site.
“The Caqil Soomaali was engulfed in flames, and smoke was everywhere,” Khadra said.
“Once the smoke cleared, the true horrors emerged: I saw shrapnel from the missile and body parts strewn everywhere,” she said. “Even the livestock were ripped to pieces.”
Four of her family members were killed and five were wounded. Khadra’s older sister, Ladan Abdi Ismael, and her 13-year-old son Abdisamad Yusuf Mohamud were both killed alongside seven-year-old Mohamed Abdiqani Mohamed and 17-year-old Hawa Ahmed Salah, who was four months pregnant. Salah was holding her 8-month-old child on her lap—who miraculously survived the drone strike.
“The child survived but she didn’t,” Khadra tells Drop Site.
Four separate security officials from the semi-autonomous Puntland region confirmed to Drop Site that the strike on January 26, 2025 targeting the Reer Yusuf Mohamud Salah family in the vicinity of Togga-Xarago was carried out by the United Arab Emirates. They were granted anonymity to speak about sensitive issues.
Drop Site reached out to the UAE embassy in Mogadishu and the UAE Ministry for Foreign Affairs for comment on the airstrike, as well as their operations from the military base in Bosasso. The Emirati diplomatic mission in Mogadishu or UAE foreign affairs did not respond to our queries.
There is currently no official, comprehensive data available on the exact number of civilian casualties in the war on ISIS. The airstrikes and clashes take place in remote, mountainous areas inhabited by small, isolated Bedouin communities. These areas are difficult for journalists, human rights organizations, and media outlets to access, making it extremely challenging to establish the full human cost of the conflict.
Puntland security officials add that the drones used in the strike set off from a UAE military base on the grounds of the airport in Bosasso. Those drones, the security officials say, are used for the sole purpose of counter terrorism operations in the Puntland region, targeting fighters of the Islamic State active in the Al-Miskaad mountains, with the UAE carrying out numerous strikes targeting militants during the first quarter of 2025, which picked back up during the last quarter of 2025.
A second Puntland security official interviewed by Drop Site stated that the UAE military base at Bosasso was more expansive than the current U.S. presence at the airport, which is limited to an intelligence command center where AFRICOM and CIA personnel are stationed, aligning with [recent findings][1] by Drop Site.
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Just weeks before the January 26 strike, the Reer Yusuf Mohamud Salah family had been living in the settlement of Dhadaar in the Al-Miskaad mountains, which they have called home for generations.
In early December, government forces had informed the Bedouin family and others in Dhadaar that this was an area where ISIS was present, and ordered them to leave. Ahmed Abdi Ismael, the brother of Khadra similarly told Drop Site that his family was ordered by government forces to leave the area and relocate to a designated “safe zone” to be spared from the fighting against ISIS.
“My family was among many people that fled after being ordered to move by the government,” Ahmed said. “They were told to move and that this new area would be safe from the fighting, but they were bombed anyway.”
The family is still devastated by the effects of the strike. Habibo Yusuf Mohamud, who was pregnant at the time, “lost movement in her arm and still has shrapnel lodged in her neck,” Khadra told Drop Site. “Every time she tries to turn her neck, she feels excruciating pain.”
The Reer Yusuf Mohamud Salah family also lost six camels and 400 goats, destroying the family’s livelihood by eliminating their only source of income.
Following the UAE drone strike, the wounded survivors were moved on their neighbors’ camels, eventually reaching the government-controlled town of Balidhidin. In 2021, ISIS militants assassinated the mayor of Balidhidin, and fighters loyal to the group are still believed to be active in the area. From there, those with more serious injuries were transported to the port city of Bosasso for better medical treatment.
In January 2025 during the start of the war against ISIS in the Al-Miskaad mountains in the Puntland region, the UAE was not only carrying out drone strikes but air dropping supplies to Puntland ground forces with large cargo planes in areas of the Al-Miskaad mountains, where reliable road access was non existent.
Since November 2025, the UAE has not carried out a drone strike in the Puntland region of Somalia and since the start of this year, their anti terror operations have lessened, despite ISIS remaining an active threat in the Al-Miskaad mountains of Somalia. According to Puntland security officials, the U.S. has taken the lead and is currently spearheading the war against ISIS in the Puntland region.
As UAE drone strikes have halted in 2026, the Emirates are still remain actively involved in security operations in Puntland in support of local forces, in particular the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF), tasked with combating armed non-state Islamist actors and anti-piracy operations.
The United Arab Emirates supports the PMPF with training, pays their salaries, and collaborates with them in intelligence gathering. The extensive Emirati support has transformed the PMPF into the most powerful state security apparatus in Puntland.
The current director general of the PMPF is a close family member of Puntland’s ruling leader Said Deni; as of October 9, the Puntland regional president is currently in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Puntland security officials privy to his itinerary told Drop Site.
The Puntland security officials that spoke with Drop Site declined to go into further details about the purpose of the Puntland’s president’s trip to the UAE, with one Puntland security official simply saying, “He traveled alone.”
“Our family hasn’t returned to the area [Togga-Xarago] because there isn’t anything to return to because we lost all our livestock in the strike,” Khadra said. “Even here in Balidhidan, we still see planes flying over, and it reminds us of what happened to our family that night.”
Four Puntland security officials with intricate knowledge on UAE military operations in Puntland have told Drop Site that UAE drone strikes have been “catastrophic” and at times “reckless.”
“When the US carries out a strike, their is a lot of surveillance that takes place beforehand. Oftentimes, the US surveillance drones will carry out reconnaissance on a target in the mountains for a lengthy period of time, then carry out a lethal strike but the Emirates fire on anything that moves,” a Puntland security official tells Drop Site.
“With the Emirates, there is no level of accountability. If they see a group of people burning wood somewhere in the [Al-Miskaad] mountains, they won’t even care to verify if these individuals are nomads or Daesh [ISIS],” a second Puntland security official said.
“It’s like target practice for them,” he said.
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2026-10-09 15:16:17 UTC

Child killed in Gaza every 71 min for 3 years; Pentagon to livestream firing squad; Human rights jurist Navi Pillay wins Nobel Peace Prize
South African lawyer Navanethem "Navi" Pillay speaks at the Nuremberg Forum in Nuremberg following the announcement that she will be awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Photo by Daniel Karmann/picture alliance via Getty Images.
**Friday, October 9, 2026 –***** ***
***Palestine**: Israeli attacks kill nine Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday and Friday. Israeli settlers carry out at least 19 attacks across the occupied West Bank, targeting olive harvesters and property. Palestinian Authority plans to postpone November elections until September 2027. Nearly 22,000 Palestinian children killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza over three years, with more than 71,000 orphaned. Israeli military actions linked to deaths of at least 24 captives in Gaza, CNN investigation finds. Colombia to open Israel embassy in Jerusalem next week.*
***Yemen**: Three killed in Ansarallah attacks on Saudi airport. Saudi-led coalition destroys three Ansarallah missile launchers as airstrikes reported in Sana’a.*
***Iran**: President Donald Trump says U.S. will not attack Iran before the November 3 midterms. Russian President Vladimir Putin tells Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian Russia will “do everything” to help end the U.S.-led war. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps strikes LPG tanker, threatens to target vessels beyond Strait of Hormuz. At least 81 U.S. military aircraft lost or damaged in war against Iran, costing up to $3.3 billion. U.S. sanctions 17 more vessels carrying Iranian oil.*
***Lebanon:** Israeli forces uproot olive trees in southern Lebanon amid airstrikes and artillery shelling.*
***U.S.**: ICE agent shoots and wounds man in New York City with 5-year-old in car. Trump disclosed 517 securities trades in August, including up to $25 million in Meta and SpaceX debt bought two days before a space policy signing. Pentagon to livestream firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter. FBI deletes video attacking Democrats. Trump administration suspends Microsoft, seven other firms from green card program, alleging fraud. Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers leaves door open to AIPAC support in Michigan Senate race.*
***International:** Navi Pillay, who led UN inquiry finding Israel committed genocide in Gaza, wins Nobel Peace Prize. Ukrainian strikes kill two in Russia’s Belgorod; Russian bombs kill one in Zaporizhzhia. No survivors from sunken ship off Bulgaria. Ethiopia tells UN Security Council it will defend itself against Eritrean “all-out invasion.” Drone strikes hit Eritrean forces inside northern Ethiopia, conflict monitor says. Brazilian justice issues arrest warrant for Eduardo Bolsonaro weeks before runoff. France pledges 3,000 extra teachers as student protests continue; stun grenades banned from marches. Prison fight in Sinaloa kills 10, including a minor. U.S. judge orders Trump administration to facilitate return of Egyptian man deported to Equatorial Guinea. UN Security Council extends Sudan sanctions by two months. South Africa withdraws asylum intake directive after anti-migrant protests turn violent. International Criminal Court judges rule former Philippine President Rodrigo
Duterte fit to stand trial; trial opens November 30.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Palestine
* **Israeli attacks kill nine Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday and Friday: **Israeli forces killed at least nine Palestinians and wounded several others across the Gaza Strip on Thursday and Friday, according to WAFA.
* On Friday, Israeli troops [opened fire][1] on Palestinians east of the Maghazi and Bureij refugee camps in central Gaza, killing one man who was shot in the neck and wounding others.
* On Thursday, eight Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks, including two men in a drone strike on a vehicle near the Jordanian field hospital in southwest Gaza City, a woman in artillery shelling northwest of the city, and two people, including a child, in a drone strike on a home in the Sabra neighborhood.
* **Israeli settlers carry out at least 19 attacks across the occupied West Bank, targeting olive harvesters and property: **Israeli settlers [carried out][2] at least 19 attacks across the occupied West Bank on Friday, assaulting olive harvesters, burning vehicles and trees, stealing livestock, and forcing farmers off their land, according to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission. Israeli forces also fired live ammunition and tear gas at farmers, confiscated agricultural equipment, and conducted raids and arrests.
* **Nablus:** Settlers [attacked][3] olive harvesters across several villages, including Tal, Jamma’in, Qusra, Beita, Sebastia, Beit Furik, and Deir Sharaf, forcing farmers off their land. They burned a vehicle in Tal and uprooted more than 50 olive trees in Qusra, where Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and stun grenades, sparking fires.
* **Ramallah:** Settlers [attacked][4] farmers in Deir Sudan and Deir Ibzi, stealing crops and forcing them off their land. Armed settlers stole 20 sheep in Ein Qiniya under Israeli military protection, while a man and his child were assaulted and their vehicle stolen in Yabroud. Two people were injured in settler attacks in Deir Ibzi.
* **Salfit:** Israeli soldiers and settlers [fired][5] live ammunition to drive farmers from their land in Deir Ballut, while settlers injured a farmer in Kafr ad-Dik. Settlers also burned olive trees in Wadi Al-Shaer.
* **Hebron:** A 79-year-old woman was [injured][6] after settlers unleashed dogs on olive harvesters in Birin. Israeli forces confiscated a school transport vehicle, two tractors and animal feed in Masafer Yatta, and arrested nine Palestinians in Hebron, including the director of the Ibrahimi Mosque.
* **Jenin:** Settlers [cut down][7] 100 olive trees in Al-Mughayyir village overnight Thursday.
* **Palestinian Authority plans to postpone November elections until September 2027: **Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh [informed][8] France that legislative elections scheduled for November 28 will be postponed, potentially until September 2027, citing worsening political, security and economic conditions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, according to an October 8 letter seen by Reuters.
* The letter pointed to a number of causes for the postponement, including expectations of an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the deployment of international forces and Palestinian police, curbs on Israeli annexation and settler violence, and the release of nearly $7 billion in Palestinian funds withheld by Israel, that had not materialized.
* Palestinians have not held legislative elections since 2006 or presidential elections since 2005, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has ruled by decree since his presidential mandate expired in 2009. Hamas won a majority over Fatah in the January 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, prompting severe Israeli economic and military measures against the Hamas-led government.
* **Nearly 22,000 Palestinian children killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza over three years, with more than 71,000 orphaned: **Israeli attacks killed at least 21,976 Palestinian children in Gaza over the past three years, an average of one child every 71 minutes, according to a report by Gaza’s Health Ministry.
* Among those killed were 5,444 children under five and 1,125 infants under one year old. Another 45,569 children have been injured, including 1,134 who have undergone amputations, while 71,846 have been orphaned.
* The ministry also reported 612 children killed while seeking food or medicine, 466 deaths from malnutrition, including 157 children, and 2,027 patients who died while awaiting medical evacuation, including 264 children.
* The report found that all 38 hospitals and 158 primary healthcare centers in Gaza have been targeted, with 19 hospitals and 64 healthcare centers out of service. It also documented 1,723 healthcare workers killed and 216 ambulances targeted.
* **Israeli military actions linked to deaths of at least 24 captives in Gaza, CNN investigation finds: **At least 24 of the 40 Israeli captives who died in captivity in Gaza had [deaths linked to Israeli military actions][9], including airstrikes and ground operations, as well as military advances that prompted their captors to kill them, a CNN investigation found. At least 11 were killed directly by Israeli military operations.
* The investigation, based on interviews with captive families and Israeli officials, also found that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly delayed ceasefire negotiations, including a potential deal in July 2024 that officials said could have saved lives.
* **Colombia to open Israel embassy in Jerusalem next week: **Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar [said][10] Thursday that Colombia will inaugurate its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem “next Wednesday,” as he touted expanding ties with Latin America. A Colombian Foreign Ministry official told AFP that Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar will travel to Jerusalem on Sunday ahead of the opening.
* Abelardo De la Espriella, Colombia’s new right-wing president, promised close relations with Israel during his campaign. Once elected, he restored diplomatic ties with Israel that left-wing President Gustavo Petro had severed as a result of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
* Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and annexed it in 1980 in a move largely unrecognized internationally, claiming the entire city as its capital, while Palestinians seek Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
# Yemen
* **Three killed in Ansarallah attacks on Saudi airport: **Three Saudi citizens were killed and several others injured in two Ansarallah [attacks][11] on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday, according to Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority.
* One attack targeted airport facilities, while the other struck a Saudi Airlines aircraft on the ground, killing an airline employee and damaging the plane, which had no passengers aboard.
* Hundreds of flights to Riyadh were cancelled, though flight cancellations fell from 335 on Thursday to at least 103 on Friday as the airport worked to restore normal operations. The EU Aviation Safety Agency also expanded its warning against flying over parts of Saudi Arabia, citing Ansarallah’ demonstrated ability to strike targets deeper inside the kingdom, including Riyadh.
* **Saudi-led coalition destroys three Ansarallah missile launchers as airstrikes reported in Sana’a: **The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed three missile launch platforms used by Ansarallah, releasing [footage][12] of the strikes.
* Separately, Ansarallah-affiliated Al-Masira [reported][13] airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, without immediately providing details on casualties or damage.
# Iran
* **Trump says U.S. will not attack Iran before the Nov. 3 midterms**: President Donald Trump [wrote][14] on Truth Social Thursday that “we will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd.”
* He justified this further in the post by claiming that Iran is “in very bad condition, both Economically and Militarily.”
* He has repeatedly tied the war to the midterms, saying he believes Iran’s leaders are trying to hold out through November to hurt Republicans, and that he expects to win the war after the vote.
* **Putin tells Iran’s Pezeshkian Russia will “do everything” to help end the U.S.-led war: **Russian President Vladimir** **Putin [met][15] Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Turkmenistan on Thursday, ahead of the Commonwealth of Independent States summit, and said, “On our part, we are ready to do everything we can to help you resolve this situation,” according to the Interfax news service.
* The Russian president commended Iran for making “real efforts to end the conflict, which broke out through no fault of its own,” and noted a “positive evolution” in Iran-Russia ties.
* On Wednesday, Putin told Pezeshkian in a call that Moscow is ready to mediate between the U.S. and Iran, Iran’s IRNA reported.
* Pezeshkian said talks with the U.S. to end the war could succeed only if based on “mutual respect and reciprocal commitments” and free from “pressure and threats,” speaking at the summit on Friday.
* **Iran’s IRGC strikes LPG tanker, threatens to target vessels beyond Strait of Hormuz: **Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) [said][16] it struck a large LPG tanker named NV Sunshine attempting to transit an “illegal route” south of the Strait of Hormuz, causing a major fire in its engine room and propulsion system, according to Tasnim news agency.
* The IRGC subsequently warned that vessels using unauthorized routes would face “punitive measures” even outside the strait, threatening to pursue them “throughout the region” and warning against following “deception of the American aggressors.”
* **At least 81 U.S. military aircraft lost or damaged in war against Iran, costing up to $3.3 billion: **At least 81 U.S. military aircraft were lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, Washington’s military campaign against Iran launched on February 28, according to a Congressional Budget Office report.
* The report estimated losses of $1.9 billion to $3.3 billion as of August 1, including 12 F-15E fighter jets, one F-35A, seven KC-135 refueling aircraft and 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones.
* **U.S. sanctions 17 more vessels carrying Iranian oil: **The U.S. Treasury Department [announced][17] sanctions on 17 additional vessels linked to Iran’s so-called “shadow fleet” as part of its “Operation Economic Outcast” campaign to cut Tehran’s oil revenues amid the ongoing war.
* The vessels, registered across more than a dozen jurisdictions, have transported millions of barrels of Iranian crude and petroleum products, according to the Treasury.
* A U.S. official said Iran has stopped loading and unloading oil because of the American blockade of its ports, while shipping data firm Kpler reported no Iranian crude loaded for export since August 25.
# Lebanon
* **Israeli forces uproot olive trees in southern Lebanon amid airstrikes and artillery shelling:**
* **Nabatieh:** Israeli infantry accompanied by a D9 bulldozer advanced to within 50 meters of a Lebanese army position in Zawtar Al-Gharbiyeh, continuing to [uproot olive trees][18] in an operation that began Thursday, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
* Israeli warplanes also struck the outskirts of Kfar Tebnit, following overnight shelling near Nabatieh Al-Fawqa, Kfar Tebnit and Mayfadoun.
* **Marjayoun: **An Israeli Merkava tank advanced from Khiam toward the Ibl al-Saqi spring, with Israeli forces firing machine guns toward the surrounding area. Artillery also struck Wadi Al-Salouqi.
* **Tyre (Sour):** Israeli forces shelled Mansouri, Majdal Zoun and surrounding valleys overnight.
* **Bint Jbeil:** Israeli shelling [targeted][19] Wadi Zibqin and areas near Baraachit and Hadatha.
# U.S. News
* **ICE agent shoots and wounds man in New York City with 5-year-old in car:** An ICE agent [fired][20] seven rounds into a car around 4 p.m. Thursday in New York City’s Marble Hill neighborhood, wounding **Oscar Belgal**, 28, in the neck below the left ear, according to New York City Police Commissioner **Jessica Tisch**. A 5-year-old boy believed to be his son was in the back seat and was not injured.
* Surveillance video of the incident showed a plainclothes officer approaching the driver’s window with his gun drawn before the car began to move, Tisch noted.
* DHS said agents were trying to arrest an undocumented Dominican immigrant with a grand larceny conviction, but did not name Belgal, explain why the agent fired, or whether the agent knew a child was in the car. The New York City Police Department said its officers were not involved.
* New York City Mayor **Zohran Mamdani** called the shooting “an outrage,” saying “there is no justification for what we have seen today.” Mamdani also claimed that during a two hour call with President **Donald Trump** and Homeland Security Secretary **Markwayne Mullin** they refused to release Belgal, whom ICE took away in an unmarked vehicle. New York Governor **Kathy Hochul** said she urged Trump and Mullin to halt ICE operations in New York and asked that any body-camera footage be released.
* Protesters gathered at the scene and outside Allen Hospital, where officers scuffled with them and at least one person was detained. Incoming Rep. Darializa Avila Chevalier [was on the frontlines of the protest and thrown to the ground][21].
* Immigration agents have shot at least two dozen people across the country since January 2025, killing six, including three U.S. citizens.
* **Trump disclosed 517 securities trades in August, including up to $25 million in Meta and SpaceX debt bought two days before a space policy signing:** Trump’s August financial disclosure [lists][22] 517 purchases and sales totaling roughly $74.3 million to $273.3 million, according to a CNBC analysis, with purchases of at least $44.2 million and sales of at least $30.1 million. The largest was an August 21 purchase of $5 million to $25 million in Meta stock.
* On August 18, Trump’s accounts bought $1 million to $5 million in senior unsecured SpaceX notes at 5.35 percent, maturing in 2031. Two days later, he signed a national space transportation policy calling for more than 1,000 launches and reentries a year by 2030. SpaceX is a major Pentagon contractor and NASA launch provider.
* On August 26, his portfolio bought $15,001 to $50,000 of Tyson Foods the same day he signed a proclamation expanding low-tariff imports of lean beef trimmings. The disclosure does not show whether the trade came before or after the signing.
* Trump’s 2025 annual disclosure showed more than 21,000 trades across eight accounts holding at least $858 million, which contrasts starkly with the 86 stock transactions he made during the first year of his first term, in 2017.
* **Pentagon to livestream firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter:** War Secretary **Pete Hegseth **[told][23] Real America’s Voice on Thursday that **Nidal Hasan**, convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, “is gonna get a firing squad of soldiers. As it should be.” He added, “We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it. That it’s public. Because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things.” Hasan is scheduled to be executed December 3 at Fort Hood.
* The Pentagon later released a statement confirming that the execution will be livestreamed.
* The U.S. hasn’t held a public execution since 1936, when **Rainey Bethea** was hanged in Kentucky. It would be the first US military execution since 1961. The last military firing-squad execution was in 1945.
* **FBI deletes video attacking Democrats**: An FBI video [posted][24] Tuesday on its rapid response X account labeled prominent Democrats, among them **Kamala Harris**, Reps. **Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez** and **Ilhan Omar**, former Rep.** Cori Bush** and Michigan Senate nominee **Abdul El-Sayed**, as part of “the DEFUND THE POLICE crowd,” and accused them of seeking to “let criminals run wild while cops take a backseat.” The FBI has since deleted the post and did not respond to a request for comment.
* Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel, which investigates violations of the Hatch Act, which limits the partisan political activities of federal executive branch employees (excluding the President).
* CREW CEO **Donald Sherman** said in an X post on Thursday that although the video does not tell viewers how to vote, its message that the candidates’ policies “failed” is “advocacy against their election.” He added that tagging El-Sayed as “Progressive Democrat, Senate Nominee” “clearly invokes the election.”
* **Trump administration suspends Microsoft, seven other firms from green card program, alleging fraud**: Vice President **JD Vance** [announced][25] Thursday that the administration is suspending Microsoft, Adobe and tech consulting firms Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini from the H-1B visa program that allows foreign workers to apply for green cards.
* Vance accused the firms of hiding the job offers they are required to first publicly announce in the U.S. in “small town newspapers.” He also claimed that Microsoft laid off 6,000 American workers last year while obtaining 6,300 H-1B visas and almost 3,000 green cards.
* Microsoft said about 80 percent of its roughly 6,000 H-1B filings last fiscal year were to extend or change the status of existing employees, and that the rest were for people already legally in the U.S.
* Vance also singled out nine universities for investigation over J-1 visa use: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, Pittsburgh, UC Davis, Caltech, Arizona State and MIT. MIT, Brown and Pitt said they had received subpoenas related to this investigation.
* The announcement came hours before Trump awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
* **Rogers leaves door open to AIPAC support in Michigan Senate race**: Michigan GOP Senate nominee **Mike Rogers** [signaled][26] at a Thursday debate that he would accept AIPAC’s backing against Democrat **Abdul El-Sayed**, saying “anybody that wants to help my campaign stop” El-Sayed, “I’ll take all of that help.”
* AIPAC’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, spent more than $30 million against El-Sayed in the Michigan Democratic primary. AdImpact data show the group does not appear to have bought TV ads since.
* An August Axios report said Rogers’ allies had asked AIPAC not to advertise for him, and that the group scrapped an anti-El-Sayed video a day after Rogers spoke with AIPAC board Chair Michael Tuchin. Rogers believed, according to Axios, that the group might be a liability to him in the general election, though around the time of his initial rupture with the group, he reportedly attended AIPAC-hosted fundraisers in California in August.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Ukrainian strikes kill two in Russia’s Belgorod; Russian bombs kill one in Zaporizhzhia**: A Ukrainian strike [killed][27] two people and injured four, including a child, in the Russian border region of Belgorod on Friday, the Russian news agency TASS reported.
* A separate drone attack on the central region of Kaluga injured nine.
* In Ukraine, Russian bombs reportedly killed one person and injured seven, including a child, in Zaporizhzhia, according to the region’s governor.
* **No survivors from sunken ship off Bulgaria: **Bulgarian authorities said they had found no survivors from the recently sunken Alfa Watan ship, one of two commercial vessels sunk by a drone in the Black Sea on Tuesday. Both of the sunken ships were managed by Turkey-based companies, according to Equasis.
* A Syrian customs official [told][28] AFP on Thursday nine of the ten missing crew members on the recently sunken Alfa Watan were Syrians and the tenth was Egyptian.
* **Navi Pillay, who led UN inquiry finding Israel committed genocide in Gaza, wins Nobel Peace Prize:** South African jurist Navi Pillay, 85, was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday as “as a driving force in the development of an international system of law and order.” A former UN human rights chief, ICC judge and anti-apartheid advocate, Pillay chaired the UN inquiry that concluded last year that Israel committed genocide in Gaza.
* Pillay learned of the award at a legal conference in Nuremberg, Germany, where Nazi leaders were tried after World War II. “The last thing I did is the delivery of the report on Gaza, naming what’s happening there as genocide,” she [said][29].
* In response to the award, Israel’s Foreign Ministry [accused][30] Pillay of spreading “lies, hatred, and blood libels” and promoting what it called the “genoLIE.” “Now that the Nobel commission has rewarded the biggest lie of the 21st century, Joseph Goebbels is certainly applauding from hell,” it added, invoking the Nazi propaganda minister.
* **Ethiopia tells UN Security Council it will defend itself against Eritrean “all-out invasion”**: Ethiopia [said][31] in a letter to the UN Security Council that it has no option but to defend itself against what it described as an “all out invasion” by Eritrea, in its first official statement on reported Eritrean incursions earlier this week, according to Reuters.
* Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos wrote that Eritrean forces, “including mechanized units,” have deployed up to 60 km (37 miles) into northern Ethiopia. He called the Eritrean incursions a “matter of public record” and “a blatant act of aggression that engages Ethiopia’s inherent right to self-defense.”
* Witnesses told Reuters this week they saw Eritrean soldiers in northern Ethiopia, days after the two countries severed diplomatic ties. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of backing a rebel alliance fighting federal troops since September 23 in Tigray, Amhara and Afar.
* **Drone strikes hit Eritrean forces inside northern Ethiopia, conflict monitor says**: Drone strikes, believed to have been carried out by Ethiopia’s military, [targeted][32] Eritrean military vehicles near Adigrat as they withdrew from positions in Tigray on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the U.S.-based conflict monitor ACLED.
* Eritrean soldiers crossed into Ethiopia on Wednesday, advanced dozens of kilometers, then pulled back under heavy bombardment, the conflict monitor added. Two sources, a diplomat and a conflict expert in contact with both sides, reported that Eritrean forces were moving north but said it was unclear whether they were leaving Ethiopia or redeploying within it.
* **Brazilian justice issues arrest warrant for Eduardo Bolsonaro weeks before runoff**: Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes [issued][33] an arrest warrant Thursday for Eduardo Bolsonaro, brother of presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, ordering him to begin serving a four-year sentence immediately. Moraes cancelled Bolsonaro’s passport and told federal police to arrest him should he return from Texas, where he currently resides,
* The Supreme Court convicted Eduardo in June of lobbying the U.S. to interfere in the trial of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, alleging that he lobbied for the U.S. to impose sanctions on Brazilian officials and tariffs on Brazilian exports.
* Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced in September 2025 to 27 years for plotting a coup, in an investigation chaired by de Moraes, whom the Bolsonaro family regards as a political enemy.
* The presidential election runoff between President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro is set for October 25.
* **France pledges 3,000 extra teachers as student protests continue; stun grenades banned from marches:** French Education Minister Edouard Geffray [announced][34] on Thursday that 3,000 teachers would be sent to high-priority schools by Tuesday, with a “few hundred more” to be recruited, after weeks of mass protests that have gripped the country. Nearly 71,500 people protested across France on Thursday, with 24,500 protesters reported in Paris alone, France’s Interior Ministry said. More than 500 people were arrested.
* Economy Minister Roland Lescure added, following the 1.4% increase in money allocated for education in France’s 2027 budget, that there was “room” to meet the demands of the protesters for more resources.
* The protests began September 21 at a school in a deprived Paris area. Initiated by high school students, the demonstrations have grown to include university students and trade unions. Demands have included more teachers, renovated buildings and fewer classroom hours.
* Police have been accused of using excessive force, with the use of stun grenades being banned after a teenager lost his hand to a police stun grenade earlier this week.
* **Prison fight in Sinaloa kills 10, including a minor:** A fight inside the El Castillo Penitentiary Centre in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, [left][35] nine prisoners and a family visitor dead and 16 prisoners injured, state authorities said Thursday. A state official also added that the family visitor killed in the fight was a minor.
* Mexican security forces reportedly moved into the prison, and officials report that the prison is now “under control.”
* Sinaloa is a battleground for warring factions of the Sinaloa drug cartel, and the State Department advises Americans not to visit it. Officials have not said whether the violence was linked to that conflict.
* **U.S. judge orders Trump administration to facilitate return of Egyptian man deported to Equatorial Guinea**: U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker [ruled][36] Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security must facilitate the release of Ahmed Soliman from custody in Equatorial Guinea and his return to the U.S., Reuters reported.
* Soliman was deported to the central African country this year under a third-country deportation deal. Last month he said Equatorial Guinean police treated him roughly, and video obtained by Reuters showed officers pulling firearms on migrants, including him. After Reuters published this story, he was taken into custody and has been held incommunicado at a gendarmerie station.
* Soliman told an immigration judge last year he feared being killed in Egypt because he is gay. Reuters has documented 40 cases of migrants granted U.S. protection over persecution for their LGBT status who were deported to African countries that criminalize same-sex relations or have been described by the State Department as hostile to LGBT people.
* **UN Security Council extends Sudan sanctions by two months: **The Security Council [voted][37] unanimously on Thursday to extend sanctions on arms sales to warring factions in Darfur until December 11, 2026, after the United States withdrew a draft that would have broadened the scope of the sanctions to cover the whole of Sudan and all of its warring parties.
* Several member states reportedly wanted a standard one-year renewal of the Darfur embargo, which date back to 2005, without changes. Russia, which holds a veto, notably opposed the U.S. proposal to widen the sanctions regime.
* **South Africa withdraws asylum intake directive after anti-migrant protests turn violent:** South Africa’s Home Affairs Department [said][38] Friday it had withdrawn a directive allowing it to resume processing asylum applications, a day after anti-migrant protests turned violent in Johannesburg and Durban.
* The directive would have implemented a July 7 Constitutional Court ruling that found that asylum seekers could not be denied access to the system solely on “procedural grounds,” meaning primarily that those who had entered the country illegally would not be automatically disqualified from asylum. The department said the proposed directive was withdrawn after the number of asylum applications overwhelmed refugee reception offices within days of its announcement, putting officials at risk and threatening public safety and order
* On Thursday, rioters torched 14 vehicles in Durban and 10 in Johannesburg’s Soweto township, and foreign-owned shops were looted. A months-long surge in anti-immigrant protests in South Africa has strained its relations with other African countries and forced thousands of foreign nationals to leave.
* **ICC judges rule Duterte fit to stand trial; trial opens Nov. 30:** International Criminal Court judges [ruled][39] in a September 28 decision, announced Thursday, that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, 81, is fit to stand trial on crimes against humanity charges tied to his drug war. An independent expert panel found he “has the capacity to understand the charges,” follow proceedings, understand the evidence, and discuss his defense with lawyers. He will be asked to enter a plea when the trial opens November 30.
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[1]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/9/%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7-%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D8%BA%D8%B2%D8%A9
[2]: https://www.cwrc.ps/page-5084-ar.html
[3]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/9/%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%B3-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%84
[4]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/9/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%B1
[5]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/9/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%86
[6]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/9/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%87%D8%A7-%D9%83%D9%84%D8%A8-%D8%A3%D8%B7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9
[7]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/9/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A3%D8%B4%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%B1
[8]: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/palestinians-set-delay-legislative-elections-due-worsening-conditions-letter-2026-10-09/
[9]: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/08/middleeast/october-7-israel-hostages-netanyahu-vis-intl
[10]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/8/colombian-embassy-to-open-in-jerusalem-israeli-fm-says
[11]: https://x.com/ksagaca/status/2108469086221123662?s=46
[12]: https://x.com/cjfcspox/status/2108470248181543063?s=46
[13]: https://x.com/almasirahbrk/status/2108498405177581749?s=46
[14]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/08/no-new-attack-iran-before-midterm-elections-trump-says/
[15]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/8/putin-pledges-russias-support-to-end-us-led-war-on-iran
[16]: https://www.tasnimnews.ir/fa/news/1405/07/17/3718523/%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%84-%DA%AF%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%BE%DB%8C-%D8%AC%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D9%86%DA%AF%D9%87-%D9%87%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%B2-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%AA%D8%B4-%DA%A9%D8%B4%DB%8C%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B4%D8%AF
[17]: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/08/iran-treasury-sanctions-shadow-fleet.html
[18]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/567506/%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%BA%D9%91%D9%84-%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B2%D9%88%D8%B7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%81-%D8%A3%D8%B4%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%AF%D9%91%D9%85-%D8%AF%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%87-%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%B9-%D8%A5%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%82%D9%8A-2
[19]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/567414/%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9%D9%8A-%D9%81%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%B2%D8%A8%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%A3%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%A7-2
[20]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/08/nyregion/ice-shooting-nyc-bronx.html
[21]: https://x.com/TimmyFacciola_/status/2108365541769629897?s=20
[22]: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/08/trump-august-trades-meta-spacex-financial-disclosure.html
[23]: https://www.axios.com/2026/10/08/hegseth-nidal-hasan-firing-squad-public-tv
[24]: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6135190-fbi-hatch-act-violation-complaint/
[25]: https://apnews.com/article/h1b-visa-program-vance-microsoft-e7b3a407f822702b269ee277d21343ea
[26]: https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/10/08/congress/aipac-and-the-michigan-senate-race-01113266
[27]: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-strike-kills-two-russias-belgorod-tass-says-2026-10-09/
[28]: https://www.newarab.com/news/syria-says-nine-nationals-missing-drone-sinks-black-sea-ship
[29]: https://www.reuters.com/world/navanethem-navi-pillay-wins-2026-nobel-peace-prize-2026-10-09/
[30]: https://x.com/israelmfa/status/2108512804273529007?s=46
[31]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ethiopia-says-it-must-defend-itself-against-eritreas-all-out-invasion-2026-10-09/
[32]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/drones-target-eritrean-troops-inside-ethiopia-conflict-monitor-says-2026-10-08/
[33]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/9/brazilian-supreme-court-judge-issues-arrest-warrant-for-eduardo-bolsonaro
[34]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/8/school-protests-blockades-resume-in-france-despite-pms-promise-to-act
[35]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/9/mexico-prison-clash-in-strife-torn-sinaloa-state-leaves-10-dead
[36]: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article317543187.html
[37]: https://sudantribune.com/article/319748
[38]: https://wtvbam.com/2026/10/09/south-africa-withdraws-asylum-directive-after-anti-migrant-violence/
[39]: https://apnews.com/article/international-court-philippines-duterte-trial-dfdcb1d01b2848e5337a0d1c1bee1b49
[40]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/yemen-sanaa-saudi-coalition-airstrikes-ansarallah-schoolgirl
[41]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[42]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[43]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[44]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/gaza-israel-genocide-pentagon-firing-squad-livestream-nobel-peace-navi-pillay

2026-10-09 06:42:50 UTC

Ansarallah attacks Saudi airports; Russia kills 33 in Ukraine bus attack; Americans are financially worse off than a year ago
Firefighters perform cooling and search operations on the burned shell of a passenger bus following a Russian attack in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine on October 8, 2026. Photo by State Emergency Service of Ukraine / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images.
**Thursday, October 8, 2026 –***** ***
***Palestine**: Israeli artillery fire kills woman, wounds several in Gaza City. Israeli forces detain dozens of Palestinians as settler attacks continue across the occupied West Bank. Israeli authorities demolish Palestinian-owned shop in northern Israel. Israel returns body of Palestinian prisoner, continues to withhold 99 others. Israel blocks Gaza crossings three years into the genocide. Israel forces out most UK diplomats from occupied East Jerusalem. New York Times: Top aide to U.S.’s Israel ambassador suppressed and rewrote U.S. Embassy reports critical of Israel.*
***Yemen**: Three killed, 36 injured in attacks on Saudi airports. Ansarallah warns workers to stay away from Saudi oil facilities it considers targets. Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and Ansarallah continue battle for territory around Bab al-Mandab. Turkey rules out troop deployment under Mecca defense pact. Syria says it stands with Saudi Arabia but does not seek to “open new fronts.”*
***Iran**: U.S.-Iran negotiations continue as Tehran weighs latest proposal. Pentagon ordered CENTCOM to prepare for possible resumption of major U.S. attacks on Iran, Axios reports. Multiple projectiles hit tanker off Qatar, casualties reported. International flights resume at Tehran airport after 40-day suspension. U.S. prepares release of last batch of Strategic Petroleum Reserve.*
***Lebanon:** Israeli attacks towns across three southern Lebanon districts in continued violation of “ceasefire.” Hezbollah receives $200 million from Iran for displaced Lebanese, Reuters reports.*
***U.S.**: NY Fed survey: Americans worse off than last year, expect higher inflation. Texas Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately blames Iran war, gas prices for campaign troubles. Emails show ICE cut training, dropped real-world scenarios. ICE amassed tens of millions of voter records in sweeping fraud hunt, documents show. Government Accountability Office finds President Donald Trump’s administration illegally withheld over $1 billion at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services. Wall Street Journal: U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle begged Trump donor to pay $100,000 credit card debt before confirmation. Arizona Democratic congressional candidate reports sexual assault while repairing campaign signs.*
***International:** Russian bomb attack kills at least 33 in Kramatorsk, one of the year’s deadliest single strikes. Witnesses report Eritrean troops in Ethiopian town of Adigrat, Eritrea denies. Nigerian troops kill more than 25 militants in Borno; gunmen kill over 25 soldiers, 100 miners in Zamfara. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, wife expected to face new U.S. charges over alleged torture of detained Americans. Trump administration opens direct talks with Myanmar’s military-installed government. Seventh man arrested over suspected RAF Fairford plot released on bail. UK charges Royal Navy member with National Security Act offenses over alleged foreign-power link. U.S. bars Fiji-based Chinese service center director over corruption tied to China.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Palestine
* **Killed and wounded in Gaza:** Over the past 24 hours, four Palestinians were killed and 28 injured across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is now 74,254 killed, with 175,306 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,471 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,189, while 836 bodies have been recovered.
* **Israeli artillery fire kills woman, wounds several in Gaza City: **A Palestinian woman was [killed][1] and several others wounded on Thursday by Israeli artillery fire northwest of Gaza City, WAFA reported.
* **Israeli forces detain dozens of Palestinians as settler attacks continue across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Detentions:** Israeli forces [detained][2] or subjected at least 95 Palestinians to field interrogations across the occupied West Bank overnight and Thursday morning. Nine former prisoners were arrested in Qalqilya and five in Jenin, while the mayor of Tuqu, Saqr Suleiman, was arrested after Israeli forces raided his home southeast of Bethlehem.
* **Jericho:** Israeli forces [demolished][3] a two-storey home in Al-Duyuk Al-Tahta, west of Jericho. The demolition came two days after settlers established an outpost in the same area, where 15 Palestinian families were displaced in February following demolitions and settler attacks.
* **Ramallah:** Israeli settlers, protected by Israeli soldiers, attacked Palestinian olive harvesters in Abwein and forced them from their land in the eastern and northern areas of the town. The attacks came a day after settler violence in Burqa and the Ramin plain killed 44-year-old Ali Al-Bazari and wounded 16 others.
* **Salfit:** Four Palestinians were injured, including with fractures, when settlers [attacked][4] farmers with sharp objects in Wadi Al-Shaer.
* **Hebron:** Israeli forces accompanied by settlers [raided and closed][5] the Freedom Center for Culture and Folk Arts in Ramadin, confiscating a Palestinian flag and searching books in its library.
* **Tulkarm:** Israeli forces [raided][6] the home of Muayyad Shaaban, head of the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, for the second time in two months, holding him, his wife and daughter in one room while searching the property. His two sons remain in Israeli detention, including one held for about a year and a half without trial.
* **East Jerusalem:** Israeli forces [raided][7] the home of Al-Eizariya municipal director Atta Jabr, beating him and leaving him requiring medical treatment, according to the Jerusalem governorate. Forces also extensively damaged four homes belonging to Jabr, his mother and his two brothers.
* **Israeli authorities demolish Palestinian-owned shop in northern Israel: **Israeli authorities [demolished][8] a Palestinian-owned commercial building in the Arab town of Daburiyya in northern Israel on Thursday.
* The demolition comes amid increasing demolition orders targeting buildings in Palestinian communities inside Israel, often on the grounds of lacking construction permits.
* Restrictive planning policies make obtaining permits extremely difficult in many Palestinian towns, while some families have been forced to demolish their own homes to avoid heavy fines and demolition costs imposed by Israeli authorities.
* **Israel returns body of Palestinian prisoner, continues to withhold 99 others: **Israeli authorities returned the body of Palestinian prisoner Marwan Harzallah, from Al-Ain refugee camp in Nablus, the occupied West Bank, on Thursday, more than six months after he died in Israel’s Megiddo Prison on March 28, 2026.
* Harzallah was arrested in January 2026 on allegations of “incitement.” Palestinian prisoners’ organizations [said][9] his death was a direct result of being denied necessary medical treatment and healthcare, holding Israeli authorities responsible.
* Following the return of Harzallah’s body, Israel continues to withhold the bodies of at least 99 Palestinians who died in its prisons, including 88 who have died since October 7, 2023.
* **Israel blocks Gaza crossings three years into the genocide: **Israel [marked][10] the anniversary of October 7 by halting aid and medical evacuations for more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, Eyad Amawi of the Gaza Relief Committee told Drop Site.
* Israel closed Gaza’s only crossing, Kerem Shalom, for “many days,” Amawi said. Israel’s COGAT acknowledged closing the crossings on October 5 and 7.
* The closures “leave us die by the tightening siege” as winter nears, Amawi said. “No one intervened to stop this.” Even when open, just 150 trucks enter daily, he said, far below the 600 trucks agreed upon in the ceasefire deal signed by Israel last year.
* More than 175,000 people have been injured, most needing long-term rehabilitation, Amawi said. Some 22,000 patients, including 5,600 children, are awaiting urgent medical evacuation, a Nasser Medical Complex doctor told Anadolu last week.
* **Israel forces out most UK diplomats from occupied East Jerusalem: **Most British diplomats are [leaving][11] the UK consulate in occupied East Jerusalem following an Israeli move to shut down its operations in retaliation for British sanctions last month on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
* Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a statement the consulate had “ceased to function as a consulate” and that the consul general and 19 other diplomats would leave Israel, while seven diplomats would be permitted to remain with what he called a “very limited scope of activity.”
* UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband denied the building was closed and said it will now be known as the U.K. Mission, Jerusalem instead. He said the staff had been “temporarily withdrawn” because Israel had not provided necessary security assurances.
* Miliband reiterated Britain’s position that East Jerusalem is occupied territory and said the remaining mission would continue to “work with the Palestinian people.”
* **NYT: Huckabee aide David Milstein suppressed and rewrote U.S. Embassy reports critical of Israel**: **David Milstein**, 36, a top aide to Ambassador Mike Huckabee, has [repeatedly][12] blocked or rewritten embassy actions critical of Israel since arriving in April 2025, according to a dozen people who work with him in Jerusalem and Washington, and 15 U.S. officials interviewed by the New York Times, which also reviewed dozens of cables and memos.
* The Times report highlights a late-March memo criticizing Israel’s approval of a record number of settlements in the occupied West Bank, which Milstein reportedly nixed. Milstein also reportedly stymied reporting that Israel was failing to curb settler violence, and authored a cable praising Israel’s “unprecedented new initiatives” under the title “Government Cracks Down on Escalating West Bank Violence.”
* Milstein also helped quash a report on the deaths of Palestinian Americans, following a push by lawmakers led by Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen. The report initially found little progress and no charges filed related to the deaths, yet Milstein instead pushed for a letter saying Israel was handling the cases properly, sources said.
* As dozens of Palestinians were being killed near aid distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in the summer of 2025, American diplomats in Israel drafted a cable warning against the GHF distribution system and said it risked more “mass casualty events.” According to the Times, Milstein rewrote the cable to declare GHF’s operation a success while overlooking the mass casualties.
# Yemen
* **Three killed, 36 injured in attacks on Saudi airports: **Three people were killed and 36 others injured in Ansarallah [attacks][13] targeting Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation. Both airports sustained material damage.
* The Saudi-led coalition claimed it destroyed the ballistic missile launch platform in Sana’a used in the Riyadh attack while it was being prepared for another imminent attack on Saudi Arabia.
* Loud explosions were reported in Riyadh on Thursday, according to AFP.
* **Ansarallah warns workers to stay away from Saudi oil facilities it considers targets: **Ansarallah [warned][14] workers on Thursday against remaining at Saudi oil facilities that the group considers potential military targets.
* “Our armed forces warn all employees, experts, engineers and workers at all Saudi oil facilities against being present in locations that represent targets for our forces, so as not to put their lives at risk, whether they have been targeted before or not,” military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement.
* Saree also renewed previous warnings to airlines, passengers and employees concerning airspace and airports that Ansarallah has threatened to target.
* **Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and Ansarallah continue battle for territory around Bab al-Mandab: **Fighting is continuing between Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and Ansarallah across southern and western Taiz as both sides make competing claims over control of strategic territory around the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
* Fighting was reported in Al-Shamayatayn, Al-Ma’afer and the southern and western Taiz countryside.
* Yemen’s Saudi-backed army separately claimed it has carried out at least 2,103 operations against Ansarallah across multiple fronts, killing 1,860 fighters and destroying hundreds of pieces of military equipment and positions. The casualty figures could not be independently verified.
* Ansarallah military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group targeted Saudi-backed forces and reinforcements near Bab al-Mandab with ballistic missiles, including at Al-Qawah camp in the Ras Al-Ara area, as well as positions south of Bab al-Mandab. He claimed the attacks killed and wounded dozens and caused fires at weapons storage sites. Ansarallah also claimed it shot down a Turkish-made Bayraktar Akinci armed reconnaissance drone belonging to Saudi Arabia over Taiz.
* The fighting displaced residents from rural areas of Taiz, while government authorities suspended classes and granted leave to public employees in districts they say have fallen under Ansarallah control, citing deteriorating security conditions.
* **Turkey rules out troop deployment under Mecca defense pact: **Turkey [will not deploy][15] troops to carry out offensive operations under its mutual defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Thursday.
* “The Mecca agreement requires parties to defend any member under attack. It is not an offensive pact,” Fidan said, stressing that Turkish forces would not be sent into another country to conduct attacks.
* Fidan said military officials were assessing possible contributions to Saudi Arabia’s defense, particularly air defence, electronic warfare and technical support.
* The three countries agreed Monday to activate their collective defense commitments and facilitate the rapid deployment of military capabilities to Saudi Arabia following Ansarallah attacks.
* **Syria says it stands with Saudi Arabia but does not seek to “open new fronts”: **Syria [said][16] it “stands firmly alongside Saudi Arabia against threats to its security and stability,” while stressing that its policy is based on “stability, peace and cooperation, not opening new fronts,” according to the Syrian Information Ministry.
* The statement came after reports that Damascus was considering providing military assistance to Saudi Arabia as fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and Ansarallah escalated.
# Iran
* **U.S.-Iran negotiations continue as Tehran weighs latest proposal: **Iran said it would respond to U.S. proposals on the war after the two sides reportedly discussed Tehran’s nuclear program through indirect negotiations in New York this month, according to NBC News.
* Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi [said][17] “messages are being exchanged through mediators” and that Tehran was reviewing U.S. positions after presenting its seven-day plan. “We are currently reviewing the American perspectives, and I believe we will provide our response within the next few days,” he said.
* Iran’s proposal calls for the U.S. to begin lifting sanctions and unfreezing Iranian funds in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with nuclear negotiations taking place separately later. The Trump administration, however, wants any agreement to address Iran’s nuclear program and is not interested in an interim arrangement focused solely on Hormuz.
* Trump said his special envoy Steve Witkoff was working on an agreement but suggested a deal was not his preferred outcome. “I think the deal isn’t really something that I want to do, but they’re willing to offer us anything to stop,” Trump said, while reiterating that Iran would “never have a nuclear weapon.”
* **Pentagon ordered CENTCOM to prepare for possible resumption of major U.S. attacks on Iran, Axios reports: **The Pentagon [instructed][18] U.S. Central Command several days ago to complete preparations for a possible resumption of major combat operations against Iran, Axios reported. The directive did not set a date for strikes, and President Donald Trump has not made a final decision.
* If operations resume, U.S. and Israeli sources said they are expected to involve large-scale strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites.
* A Pentagon official said the department’s role was to “develop and present military options to the President,” while a White House official said Trump continued to have “all options available at any time.”
* Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, their second call in a matter of days, following an Israeli national security meeting focused on Iran.
* **Multiple projectiles hit tanker off Qatar, casualties reported: **A tanker was struck by multiple projectiles off Qatar’s northern coast on Wednesday, causing an unspecified number of casualties, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency.
* The vessel was hit about 94km (58 miles) north of Madinat Al-Shamal.
* **International flights resume at Tehran airport after 40-day suspension: **International flights [resumed][19] at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport on Thursday following a 40-day suspension during the war, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported.
* The first international flight, operated by Iraqi Airways, arrived from Iraq’s Najaf airport, with the service set to operate in both directions.
* **U.S. prepares release of last batch of Strategic Petroleum Reserve: **The U.S. is [preparing to release][20] the last of the 172 million barrels it has pledged from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to offset oil lost to the war on Iran. The Energy Department said the final batch, up to 40 million barrels from storage sites on the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast, will ship in November and December.
* The reserve held about 283 million barrels as of October 5, the lowest level since 1982, according to the Energy Information Administration. The barrels are loaned to oil companies, which must later return them with extra barrels as a premium.
* Meanwhile, G7 countries agreed Friday to release up to 100 million barrels of diesel and crude. At a meeting on Wednesday, EU countries broadly agreed that the release will “just enact previous commitments rather than requiring additional volumes,” Bloomberg reported.
# Lebanon
* **Israeli attacks towns across three southern Lebanon districts in continued violation of “ceasefire”:**
* **Tyre (Sour):** Israeli artillery [targeted][21] Wadi Zibqin on Thursday and shelled Mansouri earlier in the morning. Wadi Zibqin was also shelled overnight, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. On Wednesday evening, Israeli warplanes struck Mansouri.
* **Bint Jbeil:** Israeli forces [shelled][22] the outskirts of Hadatha and Bra’shit overnight. On Wednesday, artillery and heavy machine-gun fire targeted Hadatha, while Israeli warplanes struck Bra’shit and the area between Bra’shit and Kounine.
* **Nabatieh:** Israeli warplanes [struck][23] Kfar Tibnit twice within less than 15 minutes on Wednesday evening.
* **Hezbollah receives $200 million from Iran for displaced Lebanese, Reuters reports: **Hezbollah [received][24] $200 million from Iran last month to provide assistance to Lebanese families displaced by Israel’s war on Lebanon, two people with direct knowledge of the transfer told Reuters, though the U.S. disputed that the transfer took place.
* A Hezbollah official confirmed that funds had been secured and said a distribution plan would be announced in the coming days, but did not identify the source. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said last month that the group would contribute to housing thousands of displaced people using “available resources and donations.”
* The U.S. rejected the account. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the money “is not there” and accused Hezbollah of “trying to save face with fake stories about cash influxes from Iran,” while the Treasury Department said Tehran was “running out of money and ways to move money.”
# U.S. News
* **NY Fed survey: Americans worse off than last year, expect higher inflation: **The New York Fed’s monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations, released Wednesday, found consumers [expect][25] inflation to be higher a year from now, and more households reported being worse off than a year ago. The survey polls a rotating panel of about 1,300 household heads.
* **Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately blames Iran war, gas prices for campaign troubles**: In audio from a closed-door Washington fundraiser last month, obtained by Axios, Texas Republican Senate nominee **Ken Paxton** [told][26] donors and lobbyists his campaign is being dragged down not by tariffs but by “the war, it’s gas prices, it’s diesel.” He complained that “when it’s over $6 per gallon for diesel... people are feeling the pinch,” that fuel costs drive up food prices, and that affordability is “by far our biggest problem” and why “we’re having a hard time with numbers.”
* Separate audio obtained by The New York Times and Politico had Paxton saying the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas last month headlined by Trump “dropped our numbers,” and that campaign control is “all coming... from D.C.”
* Recent polls show Democratic nominee **James Talarico **narrowly leading in the race.
* **Emails show ICE cut training, dropped real-world scenarios**: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) [shortened][27] training for local police making immigration arrests from four weeks in person to 40 hours of virtual instruction last year, according to emails obtained by watchdog group American Oversight through a FOIA request and reported by The Washington Post. A February email from an ICE official to current acting ICE head **David Venturella** and former acting ICE head **Todd Lyons** said instruction on immigrant classifications and removal charges would be “truncated” at the request of unnamed individuals, and that real-world scenario training was eliminated altogether.
* **ICE amassed tens of millions of voter records in sweeping fraud hunt, documents show**: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) [collected][28] tens of millions of voter records, explored undercover investigations of voter registration groups, and considered feeding state election data into a deportation-targeting system, Democracy Docket reported, citing documents obtained through a FOIA request by Democracy Forward.
* Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) reportedly obtained 48.4 million voter records from “independent sources of information” connected to **Heather Honey**, an ICE adviser who first came to public attention for denying the results of the 2020 election. The data was described as part of a “strategic line of effort” for fraud investigations.
* It separately got 50.6 million records from the Justice Department and more than 26,000 derived from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, prioritizing states including Texas, Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, Minnesota, Michigan, Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Ohio.
* **GAO finds Trump administration illegally withheld over $1 billion at EPA and HHS**: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) [sent][29] Congress two decisions Wednesday finding that the Trump administration illegally impounded funds in 2025 at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
* At the EPA, the agency impounded funds when it terminated more than $1 billion in Community Change Grants, created in the Inflation Reduction Act for climate resilience and pollution reduction in disadvantaged communities. Congress later voted to rescind the money, but the GAO found the initial termination was still an impoundment.
* At HHS, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality disbursed less than 60% of its fiscal 2025 funds, leaving more than $78 million unawarded. Over the summer, it terminated more than 150 grants across 32 states, citing new priorities such as nutrition, autism, and “overmedicalization of children,” likely following the lead and interests of HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
* **WSJ: Ambassador Guilfoyle begged Trump donor to pay $100,000 credit card debt before confirmation**: **Kimberly Guilfoyle**, the U.S. ambassador to Greece, [asked][30] Republican donor and lawyer **Eric Deters **to wire $100,000 to her American Express account days before her July 9, 2025 confirmation hearing, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing Signal messages between the two. Guilfoyle reportedly wrote, “It won’t show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express. Please,” and on July 3 texted, “Honey please I need you to get this done for me today.” Deters declined the request, saying he would lose his wife if he paid.
* The Journal said the two communicated for months as Deters sought help with tax and legal problems and promised her up to $1 million if she used her Trump connections to help. She reportedly relayed messages she had sent to the IRS on his behalf and said she was lobbying the Justice Department. Deters said Guilfoyle told him that if he came up with the money, “I will be your Trump ride or die, forever and ever,” but “she never came through on anything.”
* In one message, he wrote, “I have paid you $300,000 over the years... I have not received one favor.” Guilfoyle also told him to stop “papering all these things,” saying “you’ll literally cost me my ambassadorship.”
* **Arizona Democratic congressional candidate reports sexual assault while repairing campaign signs**: **Bernadette Greene-Placentia**, the Democratic candidate challenging Republican Rep. **Abe Hamadeh **in Arizona’s 8th District, told the Phoenix New Times she was struck on the head and [sexually assaulted][31] by two men in a parking lot around 2 a.m. on a Friday while fixing a damaged campaign sign.
* She reported the assault to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office a little over two weeks later, telling deputies it happened near 99th Avenue and Bell Road in Sun City. The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Russian bomb attack kills at least 33 in Kramatorsk, one of the year’s deadliest single strikes: **A Russian bomb attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk [killed][32] at least 33 people and wounded 18 on Thursday, authorities said, in one of the deadliest strikes this year.
* Police said two city buses were operating on the street at the time. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack targeted a bus stop. The region’s governor ordered the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk to halt public transport following the attack.
* Separately, on Thursday morning, drone strikes on Kyiv killed three people and wounded 14, according to the city’s mayor.
* **Witnesses report Eritrean troops in Ethiopian town of Adigrat, Eritrea denies: **Two residents of the northern Ethiopian town of Adigrat [told][33] Reuters they saw two trucks carrying dozens of Eritrean soldiers on Wednesday morning, identifying them by off-white camouflage uniforms; a third resident said relatives also saw them.
* If confirmed, it would be the first sign of Eritrean troops on Ethiopian soil during the conflict between the federal government and a rebel alliance that began on September 23.
* Eritrea’s Information Minister denied any military presence in Ethiopia, calling the accounts part of a plan to justify a “war of aggression” against Eritrea. Eritrean soldiers fought alongside Ethiopia in the 2020-2022 Tigray war. Last week, the two countries terminated diplomatic relations after Ethiopia accused Eritrea of backing the rebel alliance headed by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
* **Nigerian troops kill more than 25 militants in Borno; gunmen kill over 25 soldiers, 100 miners in Zamfara: **Nigerian special forces killed more than 25 Islamic State-aligned militants as they [repelled][34] an assault from four directions on Tuesday night at Kukawa, Borno State, near Lake Chad, a military official cited by Reuters said. 14 bodies of those militants were recovered, and six AK-47s seized.
* Military sources said some soldiers died without giving details, and a Civilian Joint Task Force member said more than three of its members were killed.
* Separately, heavily armed bandits on motorcycles overran a military camp in the Maru area of Zamfara State on Oct. 5, killing at least 25 soldiers, three eyewitnesses and a military source told Reuters, who each counted 25 bodies. The gunmen then attacked a gold mining pit on Tuesday where about 1,000 people were digging, killing at least 100, according to a village head and victims’ relatives.
* **Trump administration opens direct talks with Myanmar’s military-installed government**: The Trump administration has [begun][35] direct talks with Myanmar’s military-installed government, reversing Washington’s post-2021 coup policy of isolating the generals, Reuters reported.
* The Naypyidaw meeting reportedly aimed to secure the release of American businessman Adam Castillo, detained at Yangon airport on June 11 and later freed.
* The U.S. is seeking to shut down Myanmar-based “scam hubs” that have defrauded Americans of billions, and may also seek control over Myanmar’s rare-earth deposits, though those mostly lie in territory held by rebel ethnic militias fighting the military.
* House Democrats, including Rep. Gregory Meeks, who sits on the Foreign Affairs committee, condemned the rapprochement, calling it “contrary to both our values and our interests
* **U.S. intercepts biodiesel shipments headed to Cuba:** The U.S. intercepted 90 shipments of biodiesel, worth nearly $3 million, headed to ENETEC S.A., a Havana-based fuel wholesaler the Treasury sanctioned in July, [according][36] to officials from** **Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection (CPB) and the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security.
* CBP said that it spotted the shipments in early September leaving Port Everglades in Florida and from the Port of Houston. Authorities seized 71 storage tanks holding about 500,000 gallons at Port Everglades and 19 shipments of about 120,000 gallons in Houston, citing suspected violations of U.S. sanctions.
* The agencies did not name the exporters or say whether anyone has been charged.
* Cuba faces chronic fuel shortages and blackouts that have disrupted water pumping for roughly 3.5 million people, along with hospitals, transport and food storage.
* **Maduro, wife expected to face new U.S. charges over alleged torture of detained Americans: **Detained Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are [expected][37] to face new criminal charges in the U.S. over allegations that Americans detained in Venezuela were tortured, a U.S. official briefed on the investigation told Reuters, with the charges possibly coming as soon as Thursday.
* The couple was abducted by U.S. forces in Caracas on January 3 and brought to New York on drug trafficking charges, to which they have pleaded not guilty. The trial is set for June 1, 2027.
* Washington accused Maduro’s government of holding Americans as leverage for concessions such as sanctions relief, including five oil executives freed in 2022 and two former Special Forces members freed in 2023, both in prisoner swaps.
* **Seventh man arrested over suspected RAF Fairford plot released on bail: **A 22-year-old British man arrested on suspicion of preparing “terrorist acts” in connection with a suspected plot targeting RAF Fairford was r[eleased on bail][38], UK police said.
* Seven men have now been arrested and bailed in connection with the investigation, with no charges brought. U.S. officials alleged that Iran was behind a possible plot targeting the base, while British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” of Iranian involvement. Tehran has denied any role in the alleged plot.
* The U.S. used RAF Fairford to deploy B-1 and B-52 bombers to the Middle East, with the UK authorizing the base’s use for U.S. strikes against Iran. President Donald Trump said Sunday that U.S. bombers had been moved out of Fairford because of “some threats” to the base.
* **UK charges Royal Navy member with National Security Act offenses over alleged foreign-power link**: British police have [charged][39] Teddy Young, 24, a member of the Royal Navy, with two offenses under the National Security Act on accusations of working with a foreign power. Authorities allege that between November 2024 and May 2025 Young “obtained, copied, recorded or retained protected information, intending the conduct to benefit a foreign power,” contrary to section 1 of the National Security Act 2023, and prepared to transfer it for that power’s benefit. The foreign power has not been named, and UK police said the case is not related to the investigation into an incident near the RAF Fairford airbase last month.
* **U.S. bars Fiji-based Chinese service center director over corruption tied to China**: The State Department publicly [sanctioned][40] Zhao Fugang, director of the Overseas Chinese Service Center in Fiji, saying he “abused his public position by paying bribes to Fijian citizens to advance China-based government, business, and criminal interests.” The designation, announced Wednesday, makes Zhao and his immediate family “generally ineligible for entry into the United States,” and the department said his actions “adversely affected U.S. interests in Fiji.”
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[1]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/8/%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9%D9%8A-%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A-%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A8
[2]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/8/%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84-%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%82-%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D9%85%D8%B9
[3]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/8/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%A7-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%83-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%AA%D8%A7
[4]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/8/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89
[5]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/8/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%87-%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A
[6]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/8/%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%A6%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B2%D9%84-%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%B3%D9%87%D8%A7
[7]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/8/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%B2%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8
[8]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/8/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%89-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AF%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9
[9]: https://palinfo.com/news/2026/10/08/1120322/
[10]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2107964265885761719
[11]: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw33xd6vegnno
[12]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/08/world/middleeast/israel-embassy-milstein-huckabee.html
[13]: https://x.com/ksagaca/status/2107892314660012192?s=46
[14]: https://x.com/yah_saree/status/2108168756279038349?s=46
[15]: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-08/turkey-says-it-won-t-deploy-troops-for-attacks-under-mecca-pact
[16]: https://x.com/syrianresponse/status/2107880991289184366?s=46
[17]: https://wanaen.com/araghchi-iran-more-prepared-than-before-if-u-s-pursues-military-option/
[18]: https://www.axios.com/2026/10/07/trump-us-central-command-iran-israel-war-elections
[19]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86286907/Foreign-flights-resume-at-Imam-Khomeini-Airport
[20]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2108100041227280875
[21]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/567213/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%81-%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%B2%D8%A8%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%86-2
[22]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/567185/%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9%D9%8A-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%A7-%D9%88%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%B7-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A9-2
[23]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/567182/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%8E%D9%8A%D9%92%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%A7-%D9%83%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%AA-2
[24]: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/lebanons-hezbollah-gets-200-million-iran-help-displaced-sources-say-2026-10-07/
[25]: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/07/new-york-fed-financial-outlook-inflation.html
[26]: https://www.axios.com/2026/10/07/ken-paxton-iran-war-gas-prices-audio-trump-texas
[27]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/10/06/emails-show-how-ice-trimmed-training-deputized-officers/
[28]: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/ice-amassed-millions-of-voter-records-in-sweeping-fraud-hunt-documents-reveal/
[29]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/congress-watchdog-trump-illegally-withheld-1-billion-federal-funds
[30]: https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/guilfoyle-amex-donor-100-000-0e02cdc3
[31]: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/congressional-candidate-is-raped-while-repairing-her-campaign-signs-40705248/
[32]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/08/russian-bomb-kills-12-in-street-in-east-ukraine-stronghold
[33]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/eritrean-troops-drive-through-northern-ethiopian-town-witnesses-say-2026-10-07/
[34]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/dozens-soldiers-militants-miners-killed-nigeria-attacks-2026-10-07/
[35]: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-opens-direct-talks-with-myanmars-generals-reversing-years-isolation-2026-10-08/
[36]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cuba-intercepted-fuel-shipments-energy-blockade/
[37]: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/maduro-wife-expected-face-new-charges-over-alleged-torture-americans-cnn-says-2026-10-07/
[38]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c60qk0p043kdo
[39]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/8/uk-police-charge-royal-navy-member-accused-of-working-with-foreign-power
[40]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/8/us-bars-fiji-based-man-over-corruption-tied-to-china
[41]: https://youtu.be/Ba-RkbFVmhY?si=sfOGM40O1u-ui023
[42]: https://youtu.be/aTI2lxI2MnI?si=tvV_-uknZfeL0xSX
[43]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[44]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[45]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[46]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/ansarallah-saudi-airports-russia-ukraine-bus-attack-us-inflation

2026-10-09 06:42:45 UTC

Noura Erakat on Three Years of Genocide and the Board of Peace's "New World Order"
Three years into Israel's genocide in Gaza, Palestinian human rights lawyer and legal scholar Noura Erakat argues that Donald Trump's Board of Peace is about more than Gaza: it's a blueprint for a new world order.
Drop Site's Sharif Abdel Kouddous speaks with Erakat, a professor at Rutgers University, about her Boston Review essay, ["Exit and Exception."][1] Erakat argues that the Board of Peace matters less for whether it succeeds than for what it reveals: a political project, driven by market fundamentalists and a tech elite, to exit international law and popular democracy altogether. She traces that project from the charter cities and special economic zones championed by figures like Peter Thiel to Gaza, which the Board's charter designates as a special economic zone and where Palestinians are described as "Gazans" rather than a people with a right to self-determination.
Israel, she argues, has long been the model, claiming that Palestine is a legal exception where the rules that apply everywhere else do not. Erakat also traces the Board's roots in the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, whose militarized aid sites became death traps for starving Palestinians.
She also describes her arrest last month at a Palm Beach County public hearing, where she came to testify against the county's more than $1 billion investment in Israel bonds.
**[Read "Exit and Exception" in Boston Review here.][2]**
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[1]: https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/exit-and-exception/
[2]: https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/exit-and-exception/
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https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/noura-erakat-three-years-of-genocide-board-peace-gaza

2026-10-09 06:42:39 UTC

14-Year-Old Girl Riding Home on a School Bus Killed by Saudi Coalition Strike in Yemen
*Drop Site is a reader-funded, independent news outlet. Without your support, we can’t operate. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a [501(c)(3) tax-deductible donation today][1].*
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Melted foam inside a factory after a strike by a Saudi-led coalition in the Shamlan neighborhood of Yemen’s capital Sana’a on October 4, 2026. Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP via Getty Images.
*Story by Rachid Mohsen**
SANA’A, Yemen—On the afternoon of October 5, 14-year-old Athir al-Amri had just taken the last exam of her first semester. She was on a school bus going home when an airstrike hit next to the bus as it drove through the Saawan area of eastern Sana’a, Yemen’s capital. Shrapnel struck her in the head, killing her, witnesses and relatives said.
“She was planning to spend the holiday playing as all children do during school breaks,” her 35-year-old cousin, Mohammed Al-Lahida, told Drop Site News. “The shrapnel decapitated her. If her mother saw her body, she would die of grief.”
Two of her classmates were also wounded, one of them gravely, in the strike by the Saudi-led coalition.
Ansarallah, an armed group also known as the Houthis, seized the capital Sana’a in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 on the side of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. A civil war raged for eight years, killing tens of thousands and sparking one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, until a fragile ceasefire was brokered in 2022.
The civil war reignited in July when Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes to prevent an inbound Iranian passenger plane from landing in Ansarallah-controlled Sana’a. In response, Ansarallah declared a maritime blockade on all Saudi-linked vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
The fighting escalated sharply last month when Ansarallah swept down the Red Sea coast, overcoming Saudi-backed government forces and capturing the key port city of Mokha as well as islands in the Bab el-Mandab Strait, allowing them to tighten their declared blockade of Saudi shipping. Saudi Arabia and its allied forces in Yemen then embarked on a military offensive to retake the territory, launching airstrikes on Ansarallah along the Red Sea coast and other areas controlled by the group, including Sana’a. Ansarallah responded by escalating missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi-led coalition’s Colonel Turki Al-Maliki [said on October 5][3] that 100 fighter jets took part in [Operation Dawn of Yemen][4] and destroyed 324 “high-value targets,” including weapons depots, boat explosives storage and naval mines. He described them as “legitimate military targets belonging to the terrorist Houthi militia.”
Brigadier General Yahya Saree [said on X ][5]on October 7 that the Saudi coalition had carried out 1,798 airstrikes and missile attacks since the escalation began, concentrated on Sanaa, Taiz, Marib, and Al-Jawf. On October 6 and 7, Ansarallah [fired ballistic missiles][6] at Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s Asir region and at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing three people, wounding dozens, and disrupting operations, the coalition said, [accusing][7] the Houthis of “terrorist attacks on civilians and civilian objects in the kingdom.”
Almost 1,000 people have been killed in the latest fighting, most of them fighters, with over 200,000 displaced, according to the United Nations. Al-Amri is among 83 civilians killed and 146 wounded in Ansarallah-controlled areas since the escalation began in September, Dr. Anees Al-Asbahi, spokesperson for the Ansarallah health ministry, told Drop Site News, around 60% of them women and children.
## **“Shrapnel tore through the vehicle”**
Rehab Al-Jaafari and Reem Al-Wakedi, both also 14 years old, were on the bus with al-Amri. Al-Jaafari’s father, Bassem, told Drop Site News they were the only three girls left on the bus when the strike happened. Al-Jaafari told her father they had asked the driver to stop and wait when the first missile hit near the Atiya petrol station nearby.
“He told them not to worry and sped on to reach safety. As the bus passed a Houthi compound that was being targeted, a second missile struck and shrapnel tore through the vehicle. Rehab pulled the classmate beside her down beneath the seat. Athir was sitting in the back row,” the father said.
Al-Jaafari woke up later in the back of a Houthi military pickup truck, one of several military vehicles that carried the wounded to Al-Nubala Hospital. Al-Wakedi sustained moderate injuries to her arm and was in the emergency room having her wounds dressed. Before she went into intensive care, Al-Jaafari asked her father where the other girls were. Bassem told his daughter that al-Amri was being treated on another floor. He did not tell her she had been killed.
Al-Jaafari had shrapnel lodged in her back and lost the sight in her right eye. A wound to her face damaged her ear and left her unable to open her mouth properly. She remains on intravenous fluids and is vomiting whatever she eats. Doctors removed shrapnel from her right arm, and a wound to her right foot means it will be some time before she can walk. The hospital discharged her on October 6, according to her father, though she requires continued medical care.
## **No Shelter**
On October 3, a strike near al-Sabeen Hospital for Maternity and Childhood in Sana’a [damaged][8] the facility’s windows, medical equipment, and medicine supplies, and injured 10 staff and patients, the health ministry’s Al-Asbahi told Drop Site.
A nurse, Aisha Mohammed, said her right arm was broken when a door fell on her. Window glass shattered and breathing equipment flew across the room. “Premature babies and infants in incubators were among the most exposed,” Mohammed said. The next day, on October 6, warplanes flew over again, causing some patients to flee the hospital.
Only about 60% of Yemen’s health facilities are fully functioning, and comprehensive trauma and emergency care is available at about 6% of those assessed, [according][9] to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Our hospitals cannot withstand this kind of attack,” Al-Asbahi said, warning that hospitals rely on generators that need scarce fuel.
Residents say the launch of ballistic missiles from inside the city brings its own terror. At dawn on October 8, people woke to a huge blast that many thought was a strike. It was a missile launched from near Sana’a airport, residents said.
Wesam Ahmed, who works for a company delivering goods from Jeddah—Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city—to Sana’a, said strikes damaged its office in Attan, southwest of Sana’a. He said he has suspended work and lost hundreds of customers.
Tawfiq al-Hamidi, head of the Geneva-based SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, which documents violations in Yemen, said the Saudi-led strikes have hit populated areas in broad daylight. The internationally recognized government has [warned][10] residents to stay away from Ansarallah military sites.
“But in Sana’a, avoiding every site linked to the group could mean avoiding large parts of the city, which has no civil defense system or shelters to speak of,” al-Hamidi said.
** The reporter has been granted anonymity because of the security situation in Yemen. Rachid Mohsen is a pseudonym.*
*This article is published in collaboration with [Egab][11].*
[Leave a comment][12]
[Share][13]
[1]: https://givebutter.com/dsn-substack
[2]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe?
[3]: https://x.com/CJFCSpox/status/2107034669305004345
[4]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/saudi-yemen-ansarallah-us-strike-caribbean-boat-bolsonaro-brazil-election
[5]: https://x.com/Yah_Saree/status/2107876034137985392
[6]: https://x.com/Yah_Saree/status/2108027458796863609
[7]: https://x.com/CJFCSpox/status/2107937711009181749/photo/1
[8]: https://x.com/TvAlmasirah/status/2106413096961024386
[9]: https://www.emro.who.int/media/news/who-scales-up-health-response-in-yemen-as-escalating-conflict-strains-already-fragile-health-system.html
[10]: https://x.com/Yem_army_media/status/2107133287768490180
[11]: https://www.egab.co/
[12]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/yemen-sanaa-saudi-coalition-airstrikes-ansarallah-schoolgirl/comments
[13]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/yemen-sanaa-saudi-coalition-airstrikes-ansarallah-schoolgirl?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/yemen-sanaa-saudi-coalition-airstrikes-ansarallah-schoolgirl

2026-10-07 14:29:54 UTC

74,250 Palestinians in Gaza killed since Oct. 7, 2023; U.S. trade deficit top $100 billion; Kenya confirms first Ebola case
A general view of tents housing displaced Palestinians whose homes were destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on October 7, 2026 in Gaza City, Gaza. Photo by Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images.
**Wednesday, October 7, 2026 –***** ***
***Palestine**: Israel continues to kill Palestinians in Gaza three years into the genocide. Palestinian killed, dozens detained as Israeli forces and settlers attack across the occupied West Bank. More than 20,500 students killed in Gaza over three years of Israeli genocide. Palestinian female prisoner held in isolation for 46 days. Hamas marks third anniversary of October 7. Leading ultra-Orthodox rabbi makes comments critical of Zionism, sparking backlash. EU “ready to deploy” observers for Palestinian legislative elections in November.*
***Yemen**: Missiles strike near Aden airport; Ansarallah says it targeted Saudi military supplies. Ansarallah targets Saudi capital with ballistic missile. Saudi-backed Yemeni forces claim gains in Taiz highlands; Ansarallah repels advance in Al-Jawf. More than 201,000 displaced by fighting in Yemen.*
***Iran**: Iran says U.S. attacks damaged 111 petrochemical and pharmaceutical facilities. U.S. Vice President JD Vance demands Iran curb uranium enrichment to end war. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims Iran has lost “complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz. Three Iranian men on trial in London accused of spying on Iran International journalists for Tehran.*
***Lebanon:** Israeli drone pursues residents in southern Lebanon as ceasefire violations continue. Hezbollah marks third anniversary of October 7.*
***U.S.**: U.S. trade deficit tops $100 billion in August, first time since March 2025. President Donald Trump says he is weighing suspension of federal gas tax. Cook shifts three Senate races toward Democrats. Paramount closes Warner Bros. Discovery deal. Whistleblower says Trump demanded FBI probe of anti-ICE protesters over a TikTok video. Sen. Chris Murphy denied entry to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Christa Pike conscious and speaking after surviving botched Tennessee execution, lawyers say. Archdiocese of St. Louis sues ICE, Missouri county officials over blocked sacraments for detainees. 18-year Interior Department lawyer resigns, citing “assault on the rule of law. Six progressive House members take on Israeli campaign against Palestinian health workers.*
***International:** Kenya confirms first Ebola case after death of traveler from DR Congo. Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan vows to seize “every inch” of territory held by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, rejecting negotiations. RSF attack kills 10 in West Kordofan. Mali’s army retakes Kidal five months after separatists seized it. Ukraine launches 650-drone attack toward Moscow, killing two and igniting warehouse fire, Russian officials say. Another 105 Nigerians repatriated from South Africa, bringing total to 1,926 since June. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev says drones hit two commercial ships in Black Sea, sinking one. France suspends high school classes for the rest of the week as student protests spread. Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont to return to Spain after court ruling. Australia’s High Court blocks Mount Pleasant coal mine expansion over emissions. U.S. troops in Okinawa get month-long curfew, alcohol ban after Marine accused of murdering local
woman. Pacific climate ministers say world is “hurtling past” 1.5°C limit at pre-COP31 talks in Fiji.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Palestine
* **Killed and wounded in Gaza:** Over the past 24 hours, five Palestinians were killed—four in new Israeli attacks and one due to wounds sustained in an earlier attack—and 11 injured across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is now 74,250 killed, with 175,278 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,467 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,161, while 836 bodies have been recovered.
* **Israel continues to kill Palestinians in Gaza three years into the genocide: **Four Palestinians were [killed][1] by Israeli fire and strikes across the Gaza Strip since dawn on Wednesday, according to WAFA.
* A Palestinian Civil Defence member was shot and killed by Israeli forces during an attempt to evacuate people wounded in Jabalia.
* A young boy was shot and killed amid heavy Israeli fire east of Khan Younis.
* Another Palestinian was killed in an Israeli drone strike in Khan Younis, while a fourth was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp in the city.
* **Palestinian killed, dozens detained as Israeli forces and settlers attack across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Nablus:** A 44-year-old Palestinian was killed and nine others wounded, one seriously, after Israeli settlers accompanied by Israeli forces [attacked][2] olive harvesters from Burqa in the Ramin plain between Nablus and Tulkarm on Wednesday, according to WAFA.
* Seven other Palestinians were injured after being beaten by Israeli forces in Nablus. Israeli forces also imposed a curfew on Nablus city, raided homes and detained several Palestinians, including journalist Umair Staitiyeh, while turning Karman School into a field interrogation center.
* In Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya, settlers accompanied by Israeli forces erected dozens of Israeli flags between Palestinian homes and businesses.
* **Ramallah:** Israeli forces [imposed][3] a curfew on Burqa, east of Ramallah as settlers raided the village.
* In Al-Mughayyir, settlers attacked Palestinian homes and set fire to a vehicle belonging to foreign journalists who were in the village documenting Israeli and settler attacks.
* **Bethlehem:** Settlers accompanied by Israeli forces entered Palestinian farmland in Al-Minya, southeast of Bethlehem, and [stole][4] harvested olives. Landowners have reportedly been prevented from reaching their land for more than a month.
* **Jenin:** A Palestinian man was [shot and wounded][5] by Israeli forces during a raid in central Jenin. Israeli forces also closed several gates and roads across the governorate, raided homes, demolished a memorial in Ya’bad, and removed photographs of Palestinians killed by Israel.
* **East Jerusalem:** Israeli forces [carried out][6] a large-scale operation across Beit Anan, Beit Duqqu, Biddu, Qatanna, Al-Qubeiba, Beit Surik, and Beit Iksa northwest of East Jerusalem, detaining or arresting around 50 Palestinians, raiding homes and imposing closures.
* In Anata, Israeli forces and settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives, injuring several and arresting a number of people, while settlers uprooted around 100 productive olive trees.
* Settlers also cut down around 50 olive trees in Mikhmas, while Israeli Nature Authority crews uprooted trees on Palestinian land in Wadi Al-Rababa in Silwan.
* **More than 20,500 students killed in Gaza over three years of Israeli genocide: **More than 20,500 school and university students were [killed][7] in Gaza during three years of Israel’s war on the Strip since October 7, 2023, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Education.
* The ministry said more than 19,189 school students and 1,386 university students were killed, while 28,586 school students and 3,082 university students were injured.
* Israeli attacks also killed 805 school staff and 246 university lecturers and staff, and completely destroyed more than 179 government schools, more than 105 UNRWA schools and over 63 university buildings in Gaza.
* **Palestinian female prisoner held in isolation for 46 days: **Israeli prison authorities transferred 33-year-old Palestinian administrative detainee Bushra Al-Tawil to the isolation wing at Ohalei Oz Prison in Beersheba after 46 consecutive days in isolation, Palestinian prisoners’ organizations said Wednesday.
* Al-Tawil, who has been detained without charge or trial since February, was initially isolated at Damon Prison before being transferred to Neve Tirza and then Ohalei Oz.
* The groups said lawyers have repeatedly sought permission to visit her but have been denied access. Under the UN Nelson Mandela Rules, solitary confinement lasting more than 15 consecutive days is prohibited.
* **Hamas marks third anniversary of October 7: **Hamas marked the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, describing it as a “historic and honorable milestone in our ongoing struggle” and saying it brought the Palestinian cause back to global attention after “decades of neglect, acquiescence and complicity” with Israeli policies.
* The group described October 7 as a “natural response” to decades of Israeli occupation, siege, killings and denial of Palestinian rights, as well as efforts to assert Israeli control over Al-Aqsa Mosque. “The conflict with the enemy did not begin on that day, nor have its final chapters yet been written,” Hamas said.
* Hamas said it and other Palestinian factions remain committed to their obligations under the Gaza ceasefire agreement and called on the U.S. and mediators to compel Israel to implement its commitments, including “a comprehensive and complete end to all forms of aggression,” humanitarian relief, reconstruction and “the full withdrawal” of Israeli forces from Gaza.
* **Leading ultra-Orthodox rabbi makes comments critical of Zionism, sparking backlash: **Rabbi Dov Lando, the 96-year-old head of the Slabodka Yeshiva and a leading authority in Israel’s Lithuanian Haredi community, said in footage aired Monday by Israel’s Channel 12 that Jews “could live well with the Arabs without a state” and that “it would have been quite good if the Arabs ruled here.” The footage was recorded about a year and a half ago at his home in Bnei Brak.
* He also said Zionism “made the Arabs hate us” and brought “physical disasters, not only spiritual ones” on Jews.
* He is an important religious authority for Degel HaTorah, part of the United Torah Judaism alliance that has been central to Netanyahu’s governments.
* Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called Lando’s comments “shame and disgrace” and attempted to link them to his political rival, Netanyahu. Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot and Member of the Knesset Avigdor Liberman also condemned Lando’s comments.
* **EU “ready to deploy” observers for Palestinian legislative elections in November: **EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas [said][8] Tuesday the bloc is “ready to deploy” election observers for the Palestinian legislative elections Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has set for November 28.
* Kallas, who spoke with Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh on Tuesday, said Palestinians have the right to “credible, inclusive and transparent” elections and that, after nearly 20 years without a parliamentary vote, the polls would offer “a long-overdue opportunity to renew the legitimacy of Palestinian institutions.”
* Hamas won the last Palestinian parliamentary elections, held in January 2006, securing a massive and unexpected majority and defeating the long-ruling Fatah movement.
* At the time, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh attempted to reassure the international community that the group was a “mature movement” that was politically open. Yet the victory was followed almost immediately by severe Israeli economic and military measures against the Hamas-led government.
# Yemen
* **Missiles strike near Aden airport; Ansarallah says it targeted Saudi military supplies:** Two ballistic missiles and several explosive-laden drones targeted the area around Aden International Airport early Wednesday, according to Yemen’s Saudi-backed government. Ansarallah later [said][9] it launched ballistic missiles claiming to have been targeting Saudi military supplies that had arrived at Badr Camp, adjacent to the airport.
* Ansarallah’s military spokesperson claimed the attack killed and wounded a number of Saudi officers at Badr Camp and warned against using the civilian airport for “any military purposes.”
* Yemen’s Transport Ministry said one missile landed near the runway just “minutes” before Yemenia flight 603 from Cairo was due to land, forcing the aircraft to divert to Jeddah.
* Passengers and airport staff were evacuated, while two aircraft on the ground were moved after drones were detected over Aden. The airport later resumed flights.
* **Ansarallah targets Saudi capital with ballistic missile:** The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen [said][10] Wednesday that it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile north of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, which it said was launched by Ansarallah.
* Ansarallah later said its forces had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile, claiming it struck its target and disrupted air traffic.
* A coalition spokesperson said intelligence systems were tracking the missile’s launch platform over the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, and that the coalition intended to target and destroy it.
* **Saudi-backed Yemeni forces claim gains in Taiz highlands; Ansarallah repels advance in Al-Jawf:** Forces aligned with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said they had tightened control over the highest peak in Jabal Habashi district and launched an offensive to retake the mountainous Al-Wazi’iyah district from Ansarallah.
* The fighting is part of a broader battle for the high ground east of Mocha and Bab al-Mandab, where control of mountain positions provides a strategic advantage over routes toward the Red Sea coast.
* Ansarallah officials, meanwhile, maintain that the group remains in control of Mocha and Bab al-Mandab.
* Separately, Ansarallah’s military spokesperson said its forces repelled Saudi-backed forces attempting to advance on positions in eastern Al-Jawf governorate, claiming they targeted troop concentrations with ballistic missiles and drones.
* Ansarallah also claimed it shot down a Saudi CH-4 armed reconnaissance drone over Al-Jawf.
* **More than 201,000 displaced by fighting in Yemen: **More than 201,000 people were [forced][11] from their homes by the latest fighting in Yemen, with nearly all displaced since September 1, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Wednesday.
* The number has surged from 76,000 in mid-September to 201,217 people, or 33,776 households, and now spans 10 governorates.
* Taiz is the hardest hit, accounting for 57% of the total displaced. More than 3,700 people have also fled Yemen by sea to Djibouti, most of them women and children.
* “People are running for their lives and finding nowhere safe to go,” IOM Director General said, warning that Yemen’s humanitarian response plan is only 20% funded.
# Iran
* **Iran says U.S. attacks damaged 111 petrochemical and pharmaceutical facilities: **U.S. military attacks on Iran had [damaged][12] 111 petrochemical and pharmaceutical facilities, disrupting supply chains and affecting Tehran’s implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, Iran’s representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Tuesday.
* Farajvand told the OPCW Executive Council in The Hague that the attacks damaged 60 petrochemical complexes, 44 pharmaceutical factories and seven other pharmaceutical facilities.
* **Vance demands Iran curb uranium enrichment to end war: **U.S. Vice President JD Vance [said][13] Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its uranium enrichment capacity to secure an agreement with Washington.
* “If you don’t want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel?” Vance told Reuters, calling enrichment a “basic threshold issue.”
* He said Washington remained open to an agreement but would demand concrete steps: “We’re not going to trade words for actions.”
* Iran has reiterated that the nuclear file is not part of its current discussions with Washington and that it is not considering opening such negotiations while the war continues.
* Vance claimed the U.S. was in contact with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, but added that “it’s not totally clear how their country makes decisions.”
* **Rubio claims Iran has lost “complete control” of Strait of Hormuz: **U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed Wednesday that Iran has “lost complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz and said oil flows through the critical waterway had returned to pre-closure levels, despite continued attacks on commercial vessels.
* “The Strait of Hormuz is open and the quantities of oil exiting through it now are exactly the same as the quantities that were exiting before its closure,” Rubio said at a news conference in Athens.
* His comments came as IRGC adviser Mohammad Reza Naqdi said Iran would soon completely block transit routes in the Strait it considers illegal, including passages he said had been created by blasting through rocky areas and were being used by small boats smuggling oil.
* Rubio also said the U.S. has the military “ability to provide security” in the Middle East, while accusing Iran of seeking to drive U.S. forces from the region and build a conventional military capability “so massive that they would become untouchable.”
* **Three Iranian men on trial in London accused of spying on Iran International journalists for Tehran: **Prosecutors [told][14] a London jury Tuesday that three Iranian citizens surveilled British-based journalists at Iran International, a Persian-language station opposed to the Iranian government and based in London, on behalf of Iran’s foreign intelligence service between August 2024 and March 2025.
* Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones claimed these men were part of an effort to subject one or more of these journalists to “serious violence, no doubt as retribution for their criticism of the Iranian regime,” with one of the men allegedly planning to carry out the attack.
* The three allegedly researched at least two journalists, visited addresses linked to them and took photos and videos. Each denies the charges against them.
* Emlyn also said that two of the men told police they did not know they were helping Iranian intelligence, while one said he did know the purpose of the activities but clarified that he was “bullied or threatened into doing what he did.”
# Lebanon
* **Israeli drone pursues residents in southern Lebanon as ceasefire violations continue: **An Israeli drone [pursued][15] Lebanese residents to their homes in the town of Yater in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
* Israeli artillery also shelled Wadi Zibqin in the Tyre (Sour) district.
* **Hezbollah marks third anniversary of October 7: **Hezbollah said Wednesday that three years of Israel’s war on Gaza had failed to eliminate Hamas and other Palestinian factions or produce lasting security, in a statement marking the third anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack. Hezbollah opened a support front against Israel from southern Lebanon on October 8, 2023, a day after the attack.
* Hezbollah described the October 7 attack as a “justified and legitimate act of resistance,” arguing that it returned Palestine to the center of international attention and disrupted what it called the region’s “defeatist normalization trajectory.”
* The group reiterated its support for Palestinian factions, while issuing a warning to governments across the region. “Silence, accommodation and appeasement of the enemy and its allies will only lead to the undermining of their rule, their weakening, and enabling the enemy to determine the future of their countries and peoples,” Hezbollah said.
# U.S. News
* **U.S. trade deficit tops $100 billion in August, first time since March 2025: **The U.S. trade deficit [rose][16] $12.7 billion from July to $105.6 billion in August, a 17-month high, according to Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis data released Tuesday. Imports grew 2.9 percentage points faster than exports.
* Crude oil exports rose $2 billion, and imports of crude oil, nonmonetary gold, and semiconductors rose $3.3 billion, $3.1 billion, and $2.4 billion, respectively.
* **Trump says he is weighing suspension of federal gas tax**: President Donald Trump [said][17] Tuesday that his administration is “thinking about” suspending the federal gasoline tax. Any suspension would require an act of Congress, since the president cannot unilaterally suspend the tax.
* The national average for regular gas was $4.3685 a gallon Tuesday, according to AAA, more than a dollar above a year ago. The federal tax is 18.4 cents a gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents on diesel.
* Dropping it would cut about 4 percent from the price of a gallon of regular and cost the highway and public transit fund more than $23 billion a year.
* **Cook shifts three Senate races toward Democrats:** Cook Political Report [moved][18] three Senate races leftward Tuesday: Kansas from “Lean Republican” to “Toss Up,” New Hampshire from “Toss Up” to “Lean Democrat,” and North Carolina from “Lean Democrat” to “Likely Democrat.”
* The change raises Democrats’ possible pickups from two to six seats; they need a net gain of four for a majority in the chamber.
* **Paramount closes Warner Bros. Discovery deal: **Paramount [closed][19] its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday, giving **David Ellison** control of a combined company now called Skydance that owns Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures, CNN and CBS News, and HBO Max and Paramount+.
* Following the merger, the ratings agency Fitch downgraded the combined company, which owes a total of $82 billion to its creditors, citing higher debt and “significant execution and integration risks.”
* Ellison made nine offers to win the company over rival bidder Netflix and drew criticism for courting President Trump during the Justice Department review, including by hosting an April dinner “honoring the Trump White House.”
* A coalition of state attorneys general sued to block the deal on antitrust grounds but settled for concessions, including an editorial independence board for CNN and an extra $1.5 billion for movies over five years.
* **Whistleblower says Trump demanded FBI probe of anti-ICE protesters over a TikTok video: Jill Fields**, a former supervisory intelligence analyst in the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, [alleges][20] in a whistleblower complaint to the Senate Judiciary Committee that the bureau opened preliminary investigations into anti-ICE protesters in Southern California in early 2025 after demands from President Trump and other officials, in violation of law and FBI policy.
* In one case, after a February 2025 protest in Alhambra, her squad was ordered to run pre-assessment checks on two to four protesters seen in a TikTok video using bullhorns to warn neighbors about immigration agents, though FBI policy bars investigations based solely on First Amendment activity and there was no evidence of a crime. Her lawyers’ letter says FBI Director **Kash Patel** told senior leaders Trump “was angry about the incident, and he wanted those protesters investigated and arrested.”
* The complaint describes a second incident weeks earlier in which then-Acting Deputy Attorney General **Emil Bove **demanded an investigation of protesters outside a federal building in California. When Fields raised concerns, a superior told her it had to happen. She says she was later stripped of her team, lost leadership support, and resigned.
* **Sen. Chris Murphy denied entry to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar**: Sen.** Chris Murphy** (D-Conn.) [told][21] reporters Tuesday he was barred from entering Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. Air Force installation in the Middle East, during a congressional trip to the region, and that the Pentagon also refused to arrange a briefing on the Iran war. Murphy said that he wanted to see “the damage [the war has] caused to our facilities in the region and how it’s harmed our relationships with partners,” adding that his refusal was a part of “an active, unprecedented, unconstitutional effort underway to hide the costs” of the Iran war from Congress.
* A senior Defense Department official told The Washington Sun that Murphy’s office was informed before the trip that he would not get access, citing War Secretary **Pete Hegseth’s** March directive on travel restrictions in the area, which the official said the department “applies... evenly.”
* **Christa Pike conscious and speaking after surviving botched Tennessee execution, lawyers say**: **Christa Pike**, 50, who [survived][22] two doses of pentobarbital during the Sept. 30 execution attempt, is conscious and speaking, her lawyers said Tuesday. She remains in critical care at a Nashville hospital, they added, noting that they expect a long recovery for Pike.
* Her lawyers, who have pressed the courts to investigate the injection, said she sustained burns and other injuries to her arm and remains handcuffed and shackled to her bed. On Tuesday, they also renewed their plea for Gov. **Bill Lee** to commute her sentence to life in prison. Sen. **Marsha Blackburn**, the front-runner in next month’s governor’s race, has suggested using the electric chair on Pike following her failed execution.
* **Archdiocese of St. Louis sues ICE, Missouri county officials over blocked sacraments for detainees**: The Archdiocese of St. Louis [filed][23] a federal lawsuit Monday against Ste. Genevieve County officials and ICE leadership, alleging First Amendment violations over restrictions that keep Catholic priests from delivering communion, hearing confessions, and celebrating Mass for immigrant detainees at the Ste. Genevieve County Jail.
* The suit says priests need private, face-to-face contact for those sacraments, but jail policy allows only visits through glass barriers using a phone system. Visits are limited to a single four-hour window on Sundays, in 30-minute first-come, first-served blocks.
* Following the diocese’s requests for face-to-face visits, the jail’s administrator allegedly told the diocese that “the visitation policy was implemented by ICE” and that he could not change it.
* **18-year Interior Department lawyer resigns, citing “assault on the rule of law”**: **John Murdock**, an attorney and self-described conservative Christian who [joined][24] Interior’s legal office in 2002, stepped down Sept. 30, according to a resignation letter obtained by The Guardian.
* The letter cites “glaring legal flaws” and flouting of environmental rules under the Trump administration.
* Murdock cited an appearance by **Matt Giacona**, the director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, at a December conference, where he claimed the administration was “upholding the highest environmental standards” in relation to a sale of oil and gas leases in the Gulf called BBG1. That sale has been under intense legal scrutiny, with environmental groups claiming that the administration bypassed several environmental laws to see it through.
* In his letter, Murdock, who worked on the Deepwater Horizon cleanup effort, also noted his disagreement with the administration’s exemptions for Gulf oil and gas operations from the Endangered Species Act, with its recent shuttering of offshore wind projects, and with the payment of hundreds of millions of dollars to TotalEnergies to renounce its wind leases.
* **Six progressive House members take on Israeli campaign against Palestinian health workers: **Reps. **Rashida Tlaib** (Mich.), **Ilhan Omar** (Minn.), **Jesus “Chuy” Garcia **(Ill.), **Summer Lee** (Penn.), **Pramila Jayapal **(Wash.), and **Delia Ramirez** (Ill.) [issued][25] a statement Tuesday condemning Israel’s attacks on Palestinian health workers.
* The letter notes that Israeli forces have killed “at least 1,700 Palestinian doctors, nurses, paramedics and other healthcare workers,” destroyed dozens of hospitals, and arbitrarily detained hundreds of health workers, including at least 16 physicians still held in “inhumane conditions.” The statement called this an “intentional policy designed to further occupation, apartheid, and genocide against the Palestinian people.”
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Kenya confirms first Ebola case after death of traveler from DR Congo: **Kenya [confirmed][26] its first Ebola case on Tuesday, after a Kenyan national who had lived in the DRC for seven years died in Nairobi, according to Kenyan Health Secretary Aden Duale.
* The patient had been ill for about a month before traveling by road from the DRC to Kampala, Uganda, and flying to Nairobi on Saturday. Kenyan President William Ruto said at least eight family members and 21 healthcare workers have been quarantined and ordered an enhanced response. Duale also noted that his ministry had identified 28 contacts with the patient, and that it was tracing 23 passengers and four crew from the patient’s Uganda flight.
* The DRC outbreak, its 17th, was declared May 15 and has killed more than 4,000 people, with confirmed cases reaching 8,300 across seven provinces. The WHO has warned the epidemic is “far from over” and on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people.
* **Sudan’s Burhan vows to seize “every inch” of RSF territory, rejecting negotiations: **Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan [said][27] Tuesday at a gathering in Village 5, in the northern locality of Merowe, that the “military option” will continue until the Rapid Support Forces are removed from Sudan, according to the Sudan News Agency.
* **RSF attack kills 10 in West Kordofan:** An RSF attack [killed][28] 10 civilians in Abu Ajal village, in the southeastern countryside of En Nahud in West Kordofan, according to the Dar Hamar Emergency Committee.
* RSF forces have reportedly been massing in the state following advances by the Sudanese army toward En Nahud and Al Khuway and its recent gains in North Kordofan.
* **Ukraine launches 650-drone attack toward Moscow, killing two and igniting warehouse fire, Russian officials say:** Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin [said][29] on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces launched an overnight assault involving 650 drones heading toward the city, most of which he claimed were shot down. Two people were killed in nearby Radumlya and Barbybino, and seven were injured, according to a regional governor, who said the attacks also damaged 47 houses, four apartments and three cars.
* Russian war blogger Yuri Podolyaka said an oil storage tank was hit at the Volodarskaya facility, the biggest fuel depot in the Moscow region, which stores diesel, petrol and jet fuel and supplies all three of the capital’s large airports; there was no official confirmation.
* **Mali’s army retakes Kidal five months after separatists seized it:** Mali’s armed forces entered the northern city of Kidal on Tuesday, and the transitional government said troops had “consolidated their positions” after “intense air-ground neutralization operations” supported by “their Russian partners,” according to a statement aired on state television.
* The Tuareg separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said it carried out a “strategic and controlled withdrawal” from the city to “preserve human lives,” noting in its statement the “disproportionate use of aerial assets by Russian mercenaries from Africa Corps.” It called its exit “temporary,” and said the army entered Kidal without a fight.
* **Another 105 Nigerians repatriated from South Africa, bringing total to 1,926 since June:** A spokesperson for Nigeria’s foreign ministry [announced][30] on Tuesday that another 105 Nigerians arrived in Lagos from South Africa on Friday, bringing the number of Nigerians repatriated from South Africa since June to 1,926. The latest group included 26 men, 29 women, and 50 children and was the 14th consular evacuation flight since the program began on June 10, following a wave of attacks on immigrants in South Africa.
* **Indian police briefly detain opposition lawmakers, including Rahul Gandhi, at march demanding election chief’s resignation**: Police in New Delhi briefly [arrested][31] several opposition legislators on Tuesday, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, for trying to breach barricades during a march to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, AFP reported. Gandhi was released shortly after being arrested.
* The roughly 1 km march ran from parliament to the Election Commission headquarters. Protesters, urged to action by the Gen-Z-led “Cockroach Janta Party,” accuse the commission of manipulating voter registrations to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP.
* **Bulgaria’s Radev says drones hit two commercial ships in Black Sea, sinking one**: Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev [said][32] sea and aerial drones struck two commercial vessels at about 3 a.m. Tuesday, roughly 70 nautical miles off Bulgaria’s coast, calling it an “unacceptable attack in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone” and “a blatant violation of international law and maritime law.” He did not identify the source of the drone attacks.
* The Togo-flagged Alfa Watan suffered critical structural damage and sank, and Bulgarian authorities launched a major search for its missing crew, the Prime Minister said. The Palau-flagged Able, reportedly carrying wheat, also caught fire, with a Bulgarian ferry and naval boat evacuating all 18 crew.
* **France suspends high school classes for the rest of the week as student protests spread: **Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu [suspended][33] high school classes nationwide through the end of the week after protests demanding education reforms on Tuesday drew anywhere from a quarter to a half a million people.
* Lecornu framed this week’s suspension as a way to let schools pursue “internal democracy” and ordered ministers to address the students’ demands, which include replacing absent teachers and changing the school day, by the end of October.
* Unions for farmers, energy workers and teachers have joined the demonstrations. Police fired tear gas in several cities, and protests turned violent at times in Strasbourg, Lyon and Rennes, with protesters lighting fires and throwing projectiles.
* France’s interior ministry says 6,100 people have been arrested, mostly under 18, and the justice ministry says more than 1,800 will be prosecuted, including 1,483 minors.
* **Puigdemont to return to Spain after court ruling**: Following a ruling from Spain’s Constitutional Court that an amnesty law for Catalan separatists [covers][34] the embezzlement charges against self-exiled Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, a Supreme Court judge lifted an arrest warrant against him on Tuesday, clearing the way for his return without fear of arrest.
* Puigdemont fled to Belgium in 2017 after the Catalan independence referendum, which Madrid called illegal, and has since avoided several extradition attempts.
* **Australia’s High Court blocks Mount Pleasant coal mine expansion over emissions: **Three of five judges in Australia’s High Court [ruled][35] Wednesday that the expansion of the Mount Pleasant mine in New South Wales’s Hunter Valley must be halted, noting that planning authorities had failed to find that greenhouse gas emissions from the facility were “minimised to the greatest extent practicable.”
* Retired science teachers Wendy Wales and Tony Lonergan, who had fought for years against the facility’s expansion, brought the case before the court. Operator Mach Energy, owned by a subsidiary of Indonesia’s Salim Group, had sought to extend the open-cut mine’s life by more than 20 years, to 2048, and nearly double its annual output.
* Australian environmental activists called it the court’s first ruling on climate change and said it sets a “binding national precedent” requiring climate damage to be weighed when fossil fuel projects are considered.
* **U.S. troops in Okinawa get month-long curfew, alcohol ban after Marine accused of murdering local woman:** U.S. soldiers [stationed][36] in Okinawa have been given a month-long curfew and are banned from drinking alcohol while they undergo discipline training, according to a statement issued to service members on Tuesday, which also announced that U.S. military would pause its operations on the island for 48 hours to train soldiers on “standards and discipline.”
* The ban follows the Tuesday arrest of Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, was accused of murdering and robbing 39-year-old Anna Yagi in a Naha hotel on Saturday. Japanese Police told Stars and Stripes that Yagi died of asphyxiation after Ballard allegedly “pressed on her neck,” and that he took her wallet and backpack. Ballard denies the allegations.
* **Pacific climate ministers say world is “hurtling past” 1.5°C limit at pre-COP31 talks in Fiji**: On Tuesday, about 30 nations meeting in Fiji after a visit to Tuvalu [adopted][37] the Taku Pakasoa declaration calling for “deep, rapid and sustained emissions reductions.”
* Fijian climate minister Lynda Tabuya told representatives from more than 30 countries at a separate conference in Nadi on Wednesday that “we are hurtling past the 1.5-degree temperature limit,” adding that “overshoot is not a verdict we accept quietly” and that keeping 1.5 alive is “the primary legal obligation and duty we are here to uphold.”
* Pacific nations are trying to lock in priorities ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, in November, including better access to climate finance, ocean protection and honoring the 1.5°C goal, despite UN projections that it will soon be exceeded. UN Environment Programme regional director Dechen Tsering said exceeding 1.5°C is now unavoidable and that each additional 100 years above it would commit the world to about 40 cm of extra median sea level rise by 2300.
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[1]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/7/3-%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%82-%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%82%D8%A9
[2]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/7/%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%8816-%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%87%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%85-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%8A
[3]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/7/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86%D8%A7-%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%B6-%D8%AD%D8%B8%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%81%D9%8A
[4]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/7/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AB%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9
[5]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/7/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B7-%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86
[6]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/7/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84-%D9%86%D8%AD%D9%88-50-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86%D8%A7-%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%84-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89
[7]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/7/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-22-%D8%A3%D9%84%D9%81-%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B1
[8]: https://www.newarab.com/news/eu-ready-deploy-observers-palestinian-legislative-polls
[9]: https://x.com/yah_saree/status/2107691427753001433?s=46
[10]: https://www.spa.gov.sa/N2695152
[11]: https://www.iom.int/news/yemen-displacement-tops-200000-needs-soar-and-funding-alarmingly-dries
[12]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86285592/Iran-envoy-US-attacks-damaged-111-petrochemical-pharmaceutical
[13]: https://www.reuters.com/world/interview-us-vice-president-vance-says-iran-must-cut-enrichment-end-war-2026-10-06/
[14]: https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nation-world/world/article317508313.html
[15]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/567107/%D8%AF%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%84%D9%87%D9%85-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B7%D8%B1-2
[16]: https://thehill.com/business/6132688-august-trade-gap-exceeds-100b/
[17]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/06/trump-federal-gas-tax
[18]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/06/three-senate-races-shift-toward-democrats-cook-ratings/
[19]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/business/media/paramount-warner-bros-discovery-skydance.html
[20]: https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/06/politics/fbi-anti-ice-protesters-donald-trump
[21]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/congress/senate-chris-murphy-denied-entry-us-military-air-base-qatar-al-udeid
[22]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/us/christa-pike-condition.html
[23]: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/6132796-st-louis-archdiocese-ice-dhs/amp/
[24]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/06/veteran-conservative-quits-trumps-interior-department
[25]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/6/us-lawmakers-call-on-israel-to-release-imprisoned-doctor-hussam-abu-safia
[26]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/6/kenya-confirms-first-ebola-case-after-patient-from-dr-congo-dies-in-nairobi
[27]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/7/sudans-al-burhan-rejects-talks-vows-to-retake-all-territory-from-rsf
[28]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/7/sudans-al-burhan-rejects-talks-vows-to-retake-all-territory-from-rsf
[29]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/6/ukraine-launches-major-drone-attack-on-russias-moscow-region-killing-two
[30]: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-10-06/nigeria-nears-2-000-repatriations-from-south-africa-after-latest-evacuation-flight
[31]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/6/india-opposition-leaders-briefly-arrested-in-protest-against-election-chief
[32]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/6/bulgaria-says-two-commercial-vessels-were-hit-in-drone-attack-in-its-waters
[33]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/6/demonstrators-clash-with-riot-police-in-france-as-education-protests-mount
[34]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/6/catalan-separatist-leader-puigdemont-to-return-home-after-warrant-lifted
[35]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/7/australia-top-court-rules-against-coal-mine-expansion-citing-climate-harm
[36]: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-forces-face-curfew-alcohol-ban-japans-okinawa-after-murder-case-2026-10-07/
[37]: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/climate-summit-warns-stronger-action-needed-curb-global-warming-2026-10-07/
[38]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/bagram-airbase-afghanistan-taliban
[39]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[40]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
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https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/gaza-palestine-israel-us-trade-deficit-kenya-ebola

2026-10-06 20:04:21 UTC

Why Bagram Air Base Remains a Target Five Years After U.S. Exited Afghanistan
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Taliban military vehicles parade to celebrate the third anniversary of Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, at the Bagram Air Base, on August 14, 2024. Photo by Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP via Getty Images.
BAGRAM, Afghanistan— “They are back,” said Abdul Maroof, a 38-year-old resident of Kabul. “God knows what they are doing, but they are back and the Taliban are hiding it.”
Maroof had not been to Bagram himself. Like many in the capital, he heard the story from friends, relatives, and social media feeds insisting that foreign military vehicles and low-flying aircraft had been spotted near the perimeter. In Kabul, where political anxiety fuels a relentless rumor mill, the claim is repeated as settled fact. For months, viral videos and online commentary have alleged that U.S. forces quietly reclaimed the sprawling airfield north of the capital—or that the Taliban now manage it under a secret pact with Washington.
In Bagram itself, the story dissolves.
“I heard about these rumors,” said Abdul Latif, 60, a lifelong resident of the area. “Relatives called me from all over asking if the Americans were back. But it’s not true. I was here when the first Americans arrived in 2001. Nothing like that is happening now.”
Every local around the base’s perimeter and adjacent bazaars offered the same account: the only armed men entering and leaving are Taliban fighters. There are no foreign contractors and no Americans. Like Latif, residents report that their phones have been ringing continuously with calls from family members across Afghanistan and throughout the diaspora—all seeking confirmation of the same viral reports. The answer from the gates remains identical: nothing is happening here.
Yet while locals dismiss rumors of an American return, the skies over Bagram have not remained entirely quiet. In late February and early March 2026, amid a violent cross-border escalation between Islamabad and Kabul, Pakistani airstrikes targeted the facility. The Taliban regime claimed its air defense systems intercepted the attack, while local reporting and satellite imagery suggested strikes hit outer sections of the installation. For residents living at the base’s edge, the strikes were a sharp reminder that even without American boots on the ground, Bagram remains a target on the regional chessboard.
What was once the logistical heart of the U.S.-led War on Terror now sits under a heavy, precarious silence. Bagram Air Base’s military lineage runs deep. Built with Soviet assistance in the 1950s—when Washington and Moscow competed for influence in non-aligned Kabul—it became the primary staging hub for the Soviet Army’s brutal occupation in the 1980s, launching airstrikes and combat missions across the countryside. Following the Soviet withdrawal, the base was repeatedly contested during the civil war of the 1990s, eventually becoming a fortified front line between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance.
After late 2001, U.S. forces and their NATO allies transformed Bagram into a massive, heavily fortified garrison. At its peak, it housed tens of thousands of personnel, operating like an isolated American suburb complete with paved avenues, fitness centers, and fast-food chains like Burger King and Pizza Hut. A short distance from these amenities stood the Bagram theater internment facility, where thousands of Afghans were held without trial for years, and where severe prisoner abuse and torture were systematically documented. Bagram also served as a focal point for broader covert networks, linking into nearby CIA dark sites such as the Salt Pit, where detainees were subjected to brutal interrogation methods, including beatings, prolonged isolation, exposure to extreme cold, and other forms of torture.
## A Base Washington Wants Back
The persistence of the rumors of an American return relies partly on the base’s current opaqueness. Over the past two years, security and access around the facility have tightened significantly.
During my visit to Bagram, I was accompanied by an officer from the Taliban’s intelligence service, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. He dismissed claims of a foreign troop presence outright.
“It is all fake news,” he said. “We control the entire base. No Americans are here, and we would never tolerate a foreign military presence in Afghanistan. That is why we fought them for twenty years.”
Yet when he attempted to enter the base with me, guards turned us away. Even with his credentials, he could not cross the perimeter.
“Unfortunately, it is out of our hands,” he admitted. “The Ministry of Defense decides who enters.”
This compartmentalization of authority has continued to fuel domestic suspicions about the site.
Strategic interest in Bagram, meanwhile, remains active abroad. In September 2025, President Donald Trump stated publicly that the United States should seek to regain control of Bagram, citing its strategic proximity to Chinese and Iranian borders. Situated in Parwan Province, Bagram offers a prime location to carry out surveillance operations in Central Asia, Iran, Pakistan, and western China. Local residents noted that for years, many residents assumed Washington would never abandon an asset of such strategic value.
Food vendors outside the Bagram Air Base, on Sept. 10, 2026. Photo by Emran Feroz for Drop Site News.
## War Memories
For many living near the base, the departure of foreign forces marked the collapse of the local economy.
“Business was good when the Americans were here,” said Mohammad Musa, 18, who runs a shop with his family near the base gates. “There were so many people buying goods every day.”
Under the foreign military presence, a complex ecosystem of primary contractors, subcontractors, and service providers injected significant capital into the surrounding villages. While the political and human costs of the war were severe, the financial ecosystem provided livelihoods for thousands of local families.
“We worked and we could feed our families,” Abdul Latif said, speaking openly despite the presence of Taliban intelligence personnel nearby. “For us, that part was not bad.”
The accompanying officers listened to these statements without intervening or penalizing the speakers, though they occasionally countered with official regime rhetoric regarding national sovereignty and victory over foreign occupation.
These interactions reflect a nuanced reality of the conflict: for those living in its immediate radius, the foreign presence was not experienced solely through the lens of military occupation, but also as a commercial opportunity. Five years into Taliban governance, remnants of that economic dependence linger in local memory.
For others, Bagram remains defined by the systemic abuses that took place inside its prisons.
Throughout the war, the base’s detention center operated largely outside international legal oversight. Detainees were held for years without charge or legal representation. Notable instances of fatal abuse, including the 2002 deaths of Afghan detainees Dilawar and Habibullah at the hands of U.S. personnel, were documented in subsequent military investigations and investigative reports.
Mufti Abdul Ahad Hakimi, now a high-ranking Taliban official, spent several years imprisoned at Bagram during the war.
“I was tortured by both American soldiers and their Afghan counterparts,” Hakimi said, describing prolonged physical and psychological pressure aimed at forcing him to switch political loyalties. “They wanted us to accept their system. I refused.”
Hakimi was eventually released as part of the large-scale prisoner exchanges conducted under the administration of President Ashraf Ghani following the February 2020 U.S.-Taliban agreement signed in Doha. Many of those who served prison terms there during the war and suffered torture at the hands of U.S. and Afghan government troops had no ties to militant groups.
“The majority of the people detained in Bagram were not combatants,” he said. “They were ordinary civilians swept up in raids because they lived in active zones or had loose ties to prominent figures.”
For Hakimi, the collapse of the Afghan republic in August 2021 marked a complete reversal: “When August 15 came, we returned to Bagram not as prisoners, but as its liberators.”
## Who Is Inside Now?
Bagram’s legacy as a prison facility has generated a second set of rumors about its current role. Reports across Afghanistan suggest that the Taliban are utilizing the facility to hold criminal suspects, alleged members of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), and political dissidents.
Hakimi acknowledged that parts of the facility remain operational under the Ministry of Defense, though he declined to specify the number of detainees, their identities, or the legal standards governing their detention.
Outside the walls, daily routines around the Bagram bazaar continue uninterrupted between moments of tension. Convoys of Taliban vehicles occasionally pass through the outer gates, but the surrounding district remains quiet. For two decades, Bagram existed as a high-security enclave of foreign military power; today, those living beside it find themselves navigating both the legacy of that presence and the lingering threat of a new regional conflict.
“It was completely different back then,” said Mohammad Musa from his shop near the road. “Now, everything has gone quiet.”
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https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/bagram-airbase-afghanistan-taliban

2026-10-06 13:54:56 UTC

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan activate Mecca defense pact; Democrats predict House majority; 17 killed in Ethiopia fighting
Members of the Ethiopian pro-government Tigray Peace Force (TPF) inspect an empty Tigray police station abandoned by officers as Ethiopian federal and allied forces enter the Tigray capital, Mekelle, on October 4, 2026. Photo by AFP via Getty Images.
**Tuesday, October 6, 2026 –***** ***
***Yemen**: Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia activate Mecca defense pact, will deploy forces to Gulf kingdom against Houthis. Ansarallah strikes Saudi airport, Aramco refinery. Saudi-backed Yemeni forces claim capture of Mocha as coalition expands attacks on Ansarallah.*
***Iran**: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent celebrates collective economic punishment of Iranians. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian calls U.S. negotiations “futile.” U.S. President Donald Trump defends removal of U.S. bombers from UK base as seventh suspect arrested. Trump calls higher gas prices a “small price to pay” for war with Iran. Twelve sailors injured in attack on commercial vessel in Strait of Hormuz.*
***Palestine**: Israeli attacks kill three, wound several across Gaza. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir joins demolition of Jerusalem apartment building as settlers torch Palestinian home, vehicles across the occupied West Bank. UK threatens to expel up to 27 Israeli diplomats over planned closure of East Jerusalem consulate. 111 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza in September.*
***Lebanon:** Israeli airstrikes, artillery and gunfire target southern Lebanon amid “ceasefire.”*
***U.S.**: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee adds six deep-red districts to “Red to Blue” list, predicts House majority of up to 240 seats. Former President Barack Obama to campaign in Detroit with Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Soldiers wounded in March Iranian drone strike describe medical failures, red tape, AP reports. Supreme Court opens new term with Boulder climate case against Exxon, Suncor. Trump signs order allowing the use of untaxed off-road diesel on highways. Trump approves firing squad execution for Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. DOJ seeks to revoke citizenship of 40 naturalized Americans. Border agents raid Arizona protest camp, fell centuries-old cottonwood for Trump’s border wall. Chicago woman shot five times by Border Patrol agent sues federal government. Trump says New York Times, other outlets should be “arrested” over coverage of Ohio rally. Texas pediatricians face investigations from Attorney General and GOP Senate candidate Ken
Paxton over childhood vaccinations.*
***International:** Airstrikes, artillery hit northern Ethiopia as fighting continues. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, sworn in for a new term, insists Ethiopia must have Red Sea access. ISIS attack kills Iraqi federal policeman near Kirkuk, first since U.S. withdrawal. Russian bombs kill seven, injure over 60 in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia. Russia says Ukrainian drones struck Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, killing one. Ukraine blames Russian drones for sinking of grain ship in Romanian waters; two dead. Kuwait revokes citizenship of 415 more people, including billionaire Mahmoud Haider. Former German intelligence chief arrested on suspicion of buying classified documents for foreign spy agency. Police clash with Kosovo protesters over bid to curb Hague war crimes court. Hundreds flee RSF assaults in Sudan’s Blue Nile region. Cuba says it has “channels of communication” with the U.S. but no negotiations, and is preparing to defend itself. Mexico asks the U.S. for evidence of
alleged cross-border gunfire at Coast Guard personnel. Parti Québécois wins Quebec election. French teen loses hand in grenade blast as school protest clashes enter third week. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calls snap election for Nov. 29.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Yemen
* **Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia activate Mecca defense pact, will deploy forces to Gulf kingdom against Houthis: **Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia [agreed][1] Monday to activate “collective deterrence measures: under the Mecca Alliance for Defence after an emergency meeting of their defense and foreign ministers in Riyadh, the first time the pact, agreed to on August 7, has been invoked.
* Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman said the alliance was responding to “the heinous attacks against the Kingdom and holy sites.”
* A separate joint statement published by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said the three would “provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment” to Saudi Arabia under approved arrangements.
* **Ansarallah strikes Saudi airport, Aramco refinery:** Ansarallah [said][2] it struck King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, disrupting air traffic, and an Aramco refinery in Rabigh, claiming to have set it on fire. It says it also hit Abha Airport, the Khamis Mushait airbase and other sites in Asir, Najran, and Jizan.
* The group warned all airlines to stop flying through Saudi airspace, calling it “a theater for our operations,” with the exception of the airspace over the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
* It said the attacks were retaliation for 60 Saudi airstrikes and a missile on Sanaa, Al-Jawf, Taiz, Hodeidah, Saada, and Marib over 24 hours, which it said killed civilians. It says 1,576 Saudi strikes have hit Yemen since the escalation began.
* Three people were lightly injured and infrastructure damaged in attacks on King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan and Najran International Airport on Monday evening, Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said.
* Ansarallah military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed Tuesday the group struck Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s Asir province with a ballistic missile, disrupting air traffic, though Saudi authorities have not confirmed the attack.
* **Saudi-backed Yemeni forces claim capture of Mocha as coalition expands attacks on Ansarallah:** Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces said Tuesday they had retaken the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha from Ansarallah following fighting south of the Bab al-Mandab strait, while the Saudi-led coalition announced a naval operation against Ansarallah in Hodeidah.
* The coalition separately said it destroyed a ballistic missile launch platform in Sanaa and a storage facility containing 20 ballistic missiles in Saada.
* Control of Mocha could provide government forces with a staging point for further operations along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, though the situation on the ground remains fluid and competing territorial claims have emerged during recent fighting.
* Saudi-backed forces also claim to control Bab al-Mandab, an airport in Dhubab district and much of southwestern Taiz’s Red Sea coastline, while Ansarallah officials say they repelled some advances and recaptured territory.
# Iran
* **Bessent celebrates collective economic punishment of Iranians:** Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent [celebrated][3] the collapse of Iran’s economy, boasting that “Operation Economic Outcast is delivering results”: the rial at record lows, and zero Iranian crude loaded onto tankers last month.
* “The Iranian regime allows its own people to suffer,” Bessent claimed, as U.S. policies punish ordinary Iranian civilians.
* Nurses and teachers are quitting in large numbers because their salaries no longer cover the cost of living, the New York Times reported Monday.
* And the U.S. blockade and sanctions have cut imports of medicine and pharmaceutical raw materials, pushing prices up and leaving pharmacies short of drugs for serious illnesses, the FT reported. Some medicines have tripled in price.
* **Pezeshkian calls U.S. negotiations “futile”: **Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that negotiations with the U.S. had become “futile,” accusing Washington of repeatedly attacking Iran following talks and seeking to bring down the Islamic Republic.
* “Every time we come to the negotiating table, war is immediately imposed upon us,” Pezeshkian said, according to IRNA, adding that the U.S. had attacked Iran three times following negotiations. “This demonstrates that they do not seek dialogue. On the contrary, their goal is to bring down the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
* **Trump defends removal of U.S. bombers from UK base as seventh suspect arrested: **President Donald Trump on Monday defended the Pentagon’s decision to remove B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in the UK following what he described as “some threats,” after previously linking Iran to a security incident near the base.
* “Rather than tempting the enemy … why should we leave them there? So, we moved them around a little bit. Not very far,” Trump said, adding that Washington knows who made the threat and that “they’ve gotten themselves into big problems,” without elaborating.
* UK counterterrorism police separately arrested a 22-year-old British national in Westminster on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts in connection with activity near Fairford, bringing the number of arrests linked to the investigation over the past two weeks to seven.
* **Trump calls higher gas prices a “small price to pay” for war with Iran: **Trump said higher gasoline prices for U.S. consumers were a “small price to pay” for what he described as keeping the U.S. and the world safe, as the war with Iran continues to disrupt energy markets.
* Speaking at a Republican midterm campaign rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, Trump said the price increase caused by the war was “just artificial” and “essentially almost over with,” while repeating that the U.S. would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
* “They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles or San Diego. This is a very small price to pay,” Trump said.
* He claimed gasoline prices would fall below $1.85 a gallon in “a very short period of time,” potentially before or shortly after the November 3 midterm elections.
* **Twelve sailors injured in attack on commercial vessel in Strait of Hormuz: **Twelve sailors, including 11 Indian nationals, were injured in an attack on the Panama-flagged commercial vessel MT On Peace off Oman in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, India’s Foreign Ministry said.
* The vessel was carrying 19 crew members, including 17 Indians. The injured sailors were evacuated with assistance from Omani authorities and are receiving treatment in Khasab.
# Palestine
* **Killed and wounded in Gaza:** Over the past 24 hours, two Palestinians were killed—one in a new Israeli attack and one due to wounds sustained in an earlier attack—and 35 injured across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is now 74,245 killed, with 175,267 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,462 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,151, while 836 bodies have been recovered.
* **Israeli attacks kill three, wound several across Gaza: **An Israeli drone [strike][4] near the municipal park in central Gaza City killed one Palestinian and wounded another on Tuesday, while several Palestinians were injured in a strike on Al-Wehda Street in the west of the city, WAFA reported. In Khan Younis, an Israeli attack killed two Palestinians, according to Al Jazeera
* Israeli forces also shot and wounded one person in the Karama neighborhood of northwest Gaza City and another near Bir 19, south of the Mawasi area of Khan Younis.
* **Ben-Gvir joins demolition of Jerusalem apartment building as settlers torch Palestinian home, vehicles across the occupied West Bank:**
* **East Jerusalem:** Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir [joined][5] Israeli forces during the demolition of a five-story residential building in Al-Tur containing 10 apartments and housing about 70 Palestinians, mostly women and children, on Tuesday, according to WAFA.
* **Nablus:** Israeli bulldozers [razed][6] agricultural land and uprooted olive trees in Iraq Burin, while blocking several village roads with earth mounds. In Aqraba, settlers torched four Palestinian vehicles and spray-painted racist slogans.
* **Ramallah:** Settlers [set fire][7] to a home housing a family of five in Burqa, causing extensive damage. The same homeowner, a U.S. citizen, had his vehicle damaged and dozens of his olive trees cut down by settlers about a month earlier.
* **Salfit:** Settlers attempted to set fire to a poultry structure and spray-painted racist slogans on a livestock farm in Farkha. Israeli forces separately raided Salfit city and [detained][8] Nihad Al-Naoura, secretary of Fatah’s Salfit branch.
* **Hebron:** Israeli forces [raided][9] Bani Naim, declared the town a closed military zone, searched several homes and converted three into military posts.
* **UK threatens to expel up to 27 Israeli diplomats over planned closure of East Jerusalem consulate: **The UK [threatened][10] to expel one Israeli diplomat for every British diplomat forced out of Israel over Israel’s plan to close the UK consulate in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, which could mean as many as 27 expulsions, Ynet reported. The Foreign Office declined to comment on “speculation” rather than denying the report.
* Israel threatened to close the consulate this week, as part of its response to the UK’s ban on trade in goods from illegal West Bank settlements and sanctions on British firms aiding settlement construction.
* The British Foreign Office was reportedly advised by former UK attorney general Dominic Grieve that such an action would be illegal, given that the United Nations and most of its members recognize East Jerusalem as Palestinian territory.
* **111 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza in September:** Israeli forces [killed][11] 111 Palestinians in Gaza in September, including 23 children, ten women and four elderly people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry’s monthly report. Israel has killed Palestinians in Gaza every month since the ceasefire began. The deadliest month was July, with 152 killed.
# Lebanon
* **Israeli airstrikes, artillery and gunfire target southern Lebanon amid “ceasefire”: **Israeli warplanes [carried out][12] strikes on Wadi Al-Salouqi and an area between Bra’shit and Aitaroun in the Bint Jbeil district overnight, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
* Israeli artillery [shelled][13] the outskirts of Hadatha and Bra’shit, while Israeli forces opened machine-gun fire toward Bayt Al-Sayyad and the outskirts of Mansouri.
# U.S. News
* **DCCC adds six deep-red districts to “Red to Blue” list, predicts House majority of up to 240 seats: **The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee [added][14] six candidates to its “Red to Blue” list Monday, in districts Trump won by an average of 16 points or more in 2024, signalling that the Democratic Party will allocate extra resources, and perhaps fundraising dollars, to these races.
* The six include:
* Arkansas’s 2nd, where Democrat **Chris Jones** faces incumbent Rep. **French Hill**;
* Colorado’s 3rd, where Democrat **Dwayne Romero** faces incumbent Rep. **Jeff Hurd**;
* Florida’s 27th, where Eliott Rodriguez faces incumbent Rep. **Maria Elvira Salazar**;
* New York’s 21st, where Democrat **Blake Gendebien** faces Republican **Anthony Constantino**;
* Nevada’s 2nd, where Democrat **Teresa Benitez-Thompson** faces Republican **David Flippo**;
* and Tennessee’s 9th, where Democrat** Justin J. Pearson** faces Republican **Brent Taylor**.
* DCCC political director **Brooke Butler **told Politico that “anywhere between 218 and 240 feels very viable” for Democrats’ potential House majority and that more seats could be added, “if gas keeps going and diesel kicks back up.”
* **Obama to campaign in Detroit with El-Sayed, Benson on Oct. 24: **Former President **Barack Obama** will [campaign][15] in Detroit on Saturday, Oct. 24, with Democratic Senate nominee **Abdul El-Sayed**, gubernatorial nominee **Jocelyn Benson **and other candidates, the Michigan Democratic Party announced Monday.
* El-Sayed faces Republican former Rep. **Mike Rogers** in the race to succeed retiring Sen. **Gary Peters**, while Benson, the secretary of state, faces Republican Rep. **John James** in the open governor’s race.
* Obama has made few public stops on the trail this year but previously campaigned in Texas with Senate nominee **James Talarico **and gubernatorial nominee **Gina Hinojosa **and appeared in a campaign ad with Iowa Senate nominee **Josh Turek**. He is also set to headline a Washington-area fundraiser Wednesday for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
* **Soldiers wounded in March Iranian drone strike describe medical failures, red tape, AP reports: **Nine U.S. service members [wounded][16] in the March 1 Iranian drone strike at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, which killed six troops on the second day of the Iran war, spoke on the record to the Associated Press about what they describe as a medical system that left them fighting for treatment on their own.
* Lt. Col. **Arturo Lincón**, who suffered shrapnel wounds to his jaw, neck, and spine, including a severed vertebral artery, was sent to barracks and told to seek outpatient appointments after Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany did not admit him. Chief Warrant Officer 4 **Rodney Bearman** said he and others injured in the attacks were not properly registered as “wounded in combat” due to a coding error. Maj. **Stephen Ramsbottom **said he waited over four months for MRI results and has “had to build my own case for everything.”
* Lincón, who still has shrapnel near his spinal cord and struggles with dizziness, told the AP that, following the attacks, in which his passport was destroyed, he was issued a temporary substitute and asked to prove his citizenship in the process (he was born in Texas to Mexican parents and graduated from West Point). He was also denied a Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance injury claim.
* **Supreme Court opens new term with Boulder climate case against Exxon, Suncor: **The Supreme Court’s new term [began][17] Monday with arguments in Boulder’s lawsuit accusing Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy of deceiving the public about the harms of fossil fuels. Boulder says it is seeking to recover past and future costs of repairs, emergency services and property damage, not to regulate emissions.
* The companies argue that only the federal government has the power to address something as large as climate change. The Trump administration has sided with them in the case.
* Justice **Samuel Alito** stepped aside a week before argument, after calls for recusal over his stock in Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillips. A 4-4 tie would leave the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling allowing the suit to proceed in place.
* **Trump signs order allowing the use of untaxed off-road diesel on highways: **President Donald Trump [signed][18] an executive order on Monday temporarily allowing red-dyed diesel, normally reserved for farm and industrial vehicles, to be used on highways while deferring the 24.4-cent-per-gallon federal excise tax for the rest of the year, according to a fact sheet released by the White House.
* Diesel prices have surged from $3.76 a gallon before the war in Iran to a record $6.53 on September 22, according to AAA.
* The change could potentially save truckers roughly $150 per fill-up, according to CNN, though experts noted it does nothing to improve the principal cause of rising fuel prices, a global shortage of working refineries.
* **Trump approves firing squad execution for Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan: **Pentagon spokesperson **Sean Parnell **[announced][19] Monday on X that War Secretary **Pete Hegseth** “recommended” and President Trump “approved” death by firing squad for **Nidal Malik Hasan**, the convicted terrorist who killed 13 people and wounded 32 in the 2009 Fort Hood attack.
* Parnell said the Secretary of the Army will set the time and place of the execution.
* At least 144 civilian prisoners have been executed by shooting since 1608, according to the AP, the most recent being South Carolina’s **Brad Sigmon **last year, who chose the method over the electric chair and lethal injection.
* **DOJ seeks to revoke citizenship of 40 naturalized Americans in largest denaturalization push in recent history: **The Justice Department is [moving][20] to revoke the citizenship of 40 foreign-born Americans it accuses of lying about or omitting criminal histories on their naturalization applications, Attorney General **Todd Blanche** announced in a press release Monday.
* The government accuses the applicants of having committed crimes including espionage, transporting child pornography, sexual misconduct against a minor, and voluntary manslaughter.
* The cases far exceed the average of 15 a year under previous administrations. DOJ announced that it would target as many as 300 people for possible denaturalization in April.
* **Border agents raid Arizona protest camp, fell centuries-old cottonwood for Trump’s border wall:** More than 50 Customs and Border Protection agents [raided][21] an activist camp in Lochiel, Arizona, on Monday, ending a 70-day protest of a potential tree demolition. Following the raid, an excavator knocked down the tree, a 150-to-250-year-old cottonwood, known as the “grandmother tree,” that stood in the path of President Donald Trump’s $46.5 billion border wall expansion.
* Activists told the Washington Post that agents dragged, kicked, and knelt on protesters during a sunrise prayer ceremony, with about 10 arrested and another 10 cited.
* **Chicago woman shot five times by Border Patrol agent sues federal government: Marimar Martinez**, a Chicago woman shot five times by Border Patrol agent** Charles Exum**, [sued][22] the federal government Monday for false arrest and imprisonment, malicious prosecution, emotional distress, and negligence, with her attorneys saying an independent crime scene analysis shows the agent shot her as she turned her car away from him.
* Shortly after the shooting, DHS called Martinez a “domestic terrorist” and charged her, but the charges were later dropped. Exum was later placed on “administrative leave,” the department noted, “consistent with policy.”
* Martinez said she was prepared to let the matter go after charges against her were dropped, until federal agents killed two people in Minneapolis. “What’s happening is not normal,” she added.
* **Trump says New York Times, other outlets should be “arrested” over coverage of Ohio rally: **President Trump [wrote][23] on Truth Social Monday that the New York Times and “many other Artificial Media Outlets, should be arrested for their dishonesty and disservice to our Country,” after Times correspondent **Katie Rogers** reported that “several areas of an upper deck were empty” by the end of his Saturday rally at Butler High School in Vandalia, Ohio. Trump disputed the paper’s claims about attendance, saying that the arena was “totally MAXED OUT” and claiming thousands were turned away at the doors.
* **Texas pediatricians face Paxton investigations over childhood vaccinations: **Texas Attorney General **Ken Paxton**, the Republican U.S. Senate nominee, [launched][24] a statewide investigation accusing doctors, drug companies and insurers of conspiring to push parents into vaccinating children, with a New York Times report on Monday highlighting the case of **“Dr. Rachel,”** a central Texas pediatrician of 20 years who says responding to that investigation has cost her nearly $15,000 in legal fees and prompted her to reconsider her career.
* A December letter from the AG’s office demanded 10 years of vaccine purchase records and her practice’s vaccine policy, and said citing the CDC schedule would not suffice. In August, Paxton opened a separate probe of the American Academy of Pediatrics for “deceptively promoting childhood vaccines for financial gain.” Pediatricians reject the profit motive as ludicrous, noting they pay for vaccines upfront and that nearly half of children’s vaccines are covered by the federal Vaccines for Children program.
* Texas kindergarten measles and polio vaccine coverage has fallen to about 93 percent from nearly 97 percent in 2019.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Airstrikes, artillery hit northern Ethiopia as fighting continues after fall of Mekelle: **Airstrikes [killed][25] at least 17 people overnight into Monday in Tigray, nine in Adwa, and eight in Sheraro, according to a humanitarian bulletin cited by Reuters, which could not confirm the reports or who launched the strikes. Government forces and fighters loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front also exchanged heavy artillery fire near the Tekeze River close to Mai Tsebri on Monday.
* In Mekelle, which Tigrayan forces left without a fight, residents said that shops were reopening and that phone and internet access was returning after a week-long disruption.
* **Abiy, sworn in for a new term, insists Ethiopia must have Red Sea access: **Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed [told][26] Parliament Monday, as he was sworn in for another five-year term, that Ethiopia will work to secure a Red Sea port, saying “based on the principle of give and take, we will work diligently to ensure that Ethiopia has an outlet to the sea” and calling access critical to the country’s “civilization.”
* His remarks came a day after Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, and Somalia met in New Alamein and declared that governance of the Red Sea is the “exclusive responsibility” of the region’s coastal states. Eritrea has accused Ethiopia of seeking to reassert control over its coast, which it lost when Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993.
* **ISIS attack kills Iraqi federal policeman near Kirkuk, first since U.S. withdrawal: **At least one Iraqi federal policeman was [killed][27] and four wounded Monday when Islamic State militants attacked a federal police regiment near Hawija, about 70 km southwest of Kirkuk, using semi-automatic machine guns and sniper fire, two security sources told Reuters. No group has claimed responsibility, but security and army sources said ISIS militants, who retain sleeper cells in the area, were involved.
* It is the first reported ISIS assault on Iraqi security forces since the U.S. completed its military withdrawal from Iraq on Sept. 30.
* **Russian bombs kill seven, injure over 60 in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia: **Three Russian bombs [struck][28] different areas of the northeastern Ukrainian city Kharkiv on Monday, killing six people and injuring 59, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. Three of those injured in Monday’s attacks on Kharkiv were children.
* Elsewhere on Monday, a Russian drone hit an apartment building in Zaporizhzhia, injuring three people who were trapped on the ninth floor, according to that region’s governor.
* Russian airstrikes also killed one person in Sloviansk in the Donetsk region.
* **Russia says Ukrainian drones struck Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, killing one: **Ukrainian drones [struck][29] a laboratory building and a radioactive waste processing facility at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant overnight on Monday, killing a driver delivering food to plant workers, according to Alexei Likhachev, head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, who said there was no threat to nuclear safety.
* **Ukraine blames Russian drones for sinking of grain ship in Romanian waters; two dead: **Romania’s Interior Ministry [said][30] two people were killed and 11 rescued after a grain ship caught fire and sank Monday in Romania’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea; the ministry did not identify the cause of the fire. Azerbaijani and Indian nationals were reportedly aboard.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russia for the fire, condemning in a Monday post on X the “horrific strike by two Russian drones on a civilian vessel in neutral waters carrying corn and owned by Turkiye.”
* **Kuwait revokes citizenship of 415 more people, including billionaire Mahmoud Haider: **Kuwait [issued][31] six decrees published in its official gazette stripping 415 people of citizenship, including billionaire businessman Mahmoud Haider, along with dependents who obtained nationality through those whose citizenship was revoked.
* The Gulf state announced a citizenship review campaign in 2024, targeting fraudulent claims, including those involving individuals reporting dual nationality or those who acquired it through marriage. It has expanded this year to politicians, footballers, and musicians, including 1982 World Cup goalkeeper Ahmed al-Tarabulsi and singer Abdulmohsen Al Muhanna. Rights groups estimate at least 50,000 people have lost citizenship since 2024.
* **Former German intelligence chief arrested on suspicion of buying classified documents for foreign spy agency: **Former Federal Intelligence Service chief August Hanning was [arrested][32] on Tuesday on suspicion of paying a former office manager at the agency for roughly 2,000 documents, including classified material and senior intelligence briefings prepared for the chancellery, and using them to draft an analysis for an officer of an unnamed foreign intelligence service, according to German federal prosecutors.
* Prosecutors allege the arrangement began in 2010, five years after Hanning left the agency, and that he also shared political information with a representative of a second foreign intelligence service. The office manager, identified only as Manfred D., was also arrested.
* The case does not involve Russia, according to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
* **Police clash with Kosovo protesters over bid to curb Hague war crimes court: **Police [used][33] tear gas and water cannons Monday evening against several hundred protesters, including veterans and supporters of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army, outside Parliament in Pristina after lawmakers adjourned without passing amendments limiting the powers of the controversial Kosovo Specialist Chambers court. Twelve people were injured, including 11 civilians, according to a Pristina hospital emergency director.
* The amendments, which passed a first reading earlier Monday, would cap the court’s sentences at 15 years, allow these to be served in Kosovo and permit appeals to Kosovo’s Supreme Court. They were forwarded by the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and halted by Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s governing Vetevendosje party.
* The court remains controversial in Kosovo, where the KLA, which the court was created to prosecute, is held in high esteem by many in the country’s Albanian population after its fight against the Serbian-dominated Yugoslav government during Kosovo’s 1998-1999 war.
* **Hundreds flee RSF assaults in Sudan’s Blue Nile region: **Hundreds of residents have [fled][34] the localities of Jabal Al-Nimr and Minza in Sudan’s southeastern Blue Nile region after recent Rapid Support Forces attacks, the region’s Humanitarian Aid Commission said on Monday. Most are heading toward the town of Al-Azaza and a settlement known as Village 6, raising concerns over civilian protection and shortages of essential supplies.
* **Cuba says it has “channels of communication” with the U.S. but no negotiations, and is preparing to defend itself: **Cuba’s chargé d’affaires in Washington, Lianys Torres Rivera, [told][35] Reuters on Monday that Havana and Washington maintain “channels of communication”—including meetings, phone calls, and WhatsApp messages—but are not in formal negotiations and have made no progress toward restarting official talks.
* Rivera’s remarks contradict President Donald Trump’s claim last month at the UN that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was “deep into negotiations” with Havana.
* Torres Rivera said Cuba remains open to “respectful” dialogue with the U.S. but is “not naive” about Trump’s threats and is expanding its defense preparations, saying “we are increasing our capabilities now more than ever before.”
* She also noted that Cuba’s “red line” remains changes to its political system.
* **Mexico asks U.S. for evidence of alleged cross-border gunfire at Coast Guard personnel: **Mexican** **President Claudia Sheinbaum [said][36] Monday her government has requested evidence from U.S. authorities about allegations that shots were fired from the Mexican side of the border at U.S. personnel, saying “we asked for all the evidence because we have no evidence” and that no National Guard, Army, or Navy personnel detected shots fired from Mexican territory toward the U.S.
* The comments came a day after U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson said on X that “shots were fired at U.S. Coast Guard personnel” in an area where Tamaulipas meets Texas.
* The incident follows Mexico’s announcement of “Operation Mirror” on Sunday evening, a joint border security effort deploying 500 troops, helicopters, drones and anti-drone equipment along the frontier. Despite deepening security collaboration, Sheinbaum has repeatedly denied that her government would allow a U.S. military intervention on Mexican soil.
* **Parti Québécois wins Quebec election, complicating Carney’s unity push against Trump: **The separatist party Parti Québécois, [led][37] by Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, won Quebec’s election Monday, according to early projections from public broadcaster Radio-Canada, though it remains too early to say whether the party secured a majority in the province’s legislature.
* The result, widely expected before the vote, will jettison the center-right Coalition Avenir Québec government, which has been in office since 2018.
* St-Pierre Plamondon has promised a referendum on leaving Canada, but only once Trump is out of the White House. Previous independence referendums failed in 1980 and 1995, and current polling puts support for a separation at around 30 percent.
* St-Pierre Plamondon pledged to work with Carney when it suits the province’s interests; his party notably diverges from Ottawa in its calls to reduce immigration, cut Quebec’s ties to the British monarchy, and efforts to block a proposed Quebec-Ontario high-speed rail line.
* **French teen loses hand in grenade blast as school protest clashes enter third week: **A 15-year-old boy lost a hand Monday near a high school in Lens after an explosion that unverified police reports said involved a stun grenade. He is hospitalized in Lille, and his life is not in danger, according to Pas-de-Calais’s regional prefect.
* Police internal affairs is now handling six investigations into serious injuries during the protests; the country’s Education Minister, Edouard Geffray, said Monday that 190 students have been injured since the unrest began. His ministry also noted that 589 schools were disrupted Monday, down from 735 Friday, and about 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been arrested since Sept. 28.
* Amnesty International France criticized the government’s use of “disproportionate force” against minors during the weeks-long protests.
* **Spain’s Sánchez calls snap election for Nov. 29 after Parliament rejects housing relief measures: **Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez [announced][38] in a televised address on Monday that Spain will hold a general election on Nov. 29, after Parliament rejected housing relief measures proposed by his minority government.
* The announcement follows weeks of nationwide housing protests, including a Saturday demonstration in Madrid that the government said drew more than 70,000 people, motivated in part by the televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid. Average rents in Spain have nearly doubled over the past decade, according to data from the Spanish real estate firm Idealista.
* The conservative People’s Party, led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo and backed by the far-right Vox party, appears poised to win in November, according to early polling. If it does, it would become the first far-right party to control the country’s central government since the death of fascist dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. Sánchez has never won an outright majority but has held power for eight years across three terms.
📖 **[READ][39] **CIA Report Warns Israel Could Head Toward Civil War, Total Collapse
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[1]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/5/mecca-alliance-agrees-to-activate-collective-deterrence-measures
[2]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2107209870093275553
[3]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2107253273484992573
[4]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/6/%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%88%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5-%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%BA%D8%B2%D8%A9
[5]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/6/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%81-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%BA%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%8A%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%83-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%83%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9
[6]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/6/%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%81-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8D-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D8%A3%D8%B4%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%BA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%82
[7]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/6/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%A7-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%82%D8%A7-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85
[8]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/6/%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%86
[9]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/6/%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%85-%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%86%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%85-%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%91%D9%84-%D8%AB%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%A9
[10]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/05/uk-threatens-to-expel-israeli-diplomats-after-closing-of-east-jerusalem-consulate
[11]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2107189064667390279
[12]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/566848/%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%88%D9%82%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D9%88%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-2
[13]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/566868/%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9%D9%8A-%D8%B5%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%A7-%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81-%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%A7-%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%AA-2
[14]: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/05/house-dems-target-six-red-seats-trump-01106348
[15]: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/05/obama-michigan-rally-el-sayed-01107087
[16]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/defense/soldiers-iran-drone-strike-health-care-veterans-affairs-pentagon-trump-pete-hegseth
[17]: https://www.npr.org/2026/10/05/nx-s1-5970070/supreme-courts-new-term-kicks-off-with-blockbuster-climate-change-case
[18]: https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/05/business/trump-diesel-prices-executive-order
[19]: https://thehill.com/homenews/6130802-nidal-hasan-death-firing-squad/amp/
[20]: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/10/05/doj-moves-to-strip-citizenship-from-40-people/92109697007/
[21]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2026/10/05/they-sat-atop-grandmother-tree-months-border-agents-knocked-it-down/
[22]: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/6130380-chicago-woman-sues-federal-government/
[23]: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6130397-trump-media-arrests-ohio-rally/
[24]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/05/health/ken-paxton-pediatricians-vaccines.html
[25]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/airstrikes-artillery-hit-north-ethiopia-after-tigray-capitals-fall-aid-sources-2026-10-05/
[26]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/5/ethiopias-pm-insists-on-access-to-red-sea-despite-regional-conflict-threat
[27]: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/islamic-state-attack-kills-10-policemen-near-iraqs-kirkuk-2021-09-05/
[28]: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-attack-kills-five-ukraines-kharkiv-shatters-residences-2026-10-05/
[29]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/06/russia-says-ukraine-hit-two-facilities-at-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant
[30]: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-attack-kills-five-ukraines-kharkiv-shatters-residences-2026-10-05/
[31]: https://www.newarab.com/news/kuwait-strips-415-citizenship-including-billionaire
[32]: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/06/former-german-spy-chief-detained-on-suspicion-of-espionage-and-treason-bild-reports
[33]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/6/police-clash-with-kosovo-protesters-over-bid-to-curb-hague-war-crimes-court
[34]: https://sudantribune.com/article/319645
[35]: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cuba-us-maintain-channels-communication-no-negotiations-diplomat-says-2026-10-05/
[36]: https://www.reuters.com/world/mexico-demands-evidence-alleged-cross-border-shots-after-us-ambassador-comments-2026-10-05/
[37]: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/quebec-heads-polls-with-focus-more-trump-than-independence-2026-10-05/
[38]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/5/spanish-prime-minister-pedro-sanchez-announces-snap-election
[39]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/cia-report-israel-civil-war-collapse
[40]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[41]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[42]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[43]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/saudi-turkey-pakistan-defense-mecca-democrats-house-ethiopia-fighting

2026-10-05 16:33:16 UTC

CIA Report Warns Israel Could Head Toward Civil War, Total Collapse
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An Israeli soldier stands guard as young men gathered during a demonstration by Ultra-Orthodox Jews against Israel's military draft on June 17, 2026 outside the Beit Lid military base in Kfar Yona, Israel. Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images.
*This article is being co-published with [Capital & Empire][3].*
Israel is at risk of civil war or state collapse, a classified CIA assessment warns, as years of genocide in Gaza and war in Lebanon and Iran deepen political, economic, and social fractures within the country.
The August report, titled “Fracture From Within,” was compiled by experts in the CIA’s Red Cell, according to two U.S. sources who described the contents of the report to Drop Site News. The Red Cell, which is the unit responsible for providing “alternative analysis” within the agency, produced the assessment through a combination of open source information and U.S. intelligence. The CIA did not respond to a request for comment.
CIA experts pointed to a volatile mix of pressures converging ahead of Israel’s elections on October 27: economic crisis and soaring military spending; heavily armed veterans returning from prolonged combat, many carrying serious psychological trauma; growing fury over ultra-Orthodox men who are exempt from military service; escalating settler violence in the occupied West Bank; and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fighting to hold onto power and igniting a constitutional crisis.
The CIA’s “red teams” are tasked with developing analysis and ideas that challenge prevailing assumptions and expose groupthink or blind spots that can take hold within the intelligence apparatus. “The writers of this are Israel experts,” a source in the intelligence community noted, “this isn’t a fantastical what if—with the upcoming election and the fissures in Israel we should take seriously their conclusion that Israel is one spark away from real internal conflict.”
One of the deepest fractures in Israeli politics has emerged not over opposition to the country’s war crimes—but over who is expected to fight and who is exempt. Ultra-Orthodox men have historically received broad exemptions from military service while continuing to receive state benefits, an arrangement that has become increasingly contentious amid repeated reserve mobilizations. Their collective refusal to serve is not rooted in opposition to Israel’s wars, as ultra-Orthodox leaders argue that military service threatens religious life and their obligation to Torah study. But after years in which reservists have been repeatedly called away from their jobs and families, the [exemption][4] has become a potent source of resentment in Israeli society. Households have also been absorbing the costs of Israel’s belligerent policies. Food prices have reached [record highs][5], with the cost of food—including fresh fruit and vegetables—rising 9.5 percent over the past two years, deepening an
already severe cost-of-living crisis after years of war.
Yet much of the opposition to Netanyahu is not opposition to Israel’s brutality against Palestinians, but anger over how he has managed it. The major anti-Netanyahu Zionist parties are themselves divided over leadership and coalition strategy, while a central line of attack against Netanyahu has been his responsibility for the October 7 security failure. Recent [polling][6] has shown both the Netanyahu and anti-Netanyahu blocs struggling to reach the 61 seats required to govern.
The sources warned that the combination of political fracture and a growing population of heavily armed, traumatized veterans has historical precedents. “Famously the Freikorps of Germany were PTSD-addled veterans with weapons and bloodthirst,” he said. “I’m not saying Israel post Gaza is Germany post-WWI but there are certainly aspects of this that ring similar to me.”
Israel is also confronting growing isolation abroad, including an erosion of support in the United States that Israeli officials themselves have privately treated as a long-term threat. The August report pointed to Israel increasingly becoming a pariah state as a factor that could lead to state breakdown.
According to another CIA assessment Capital & Empire [reported][7] in July, Israeli officials believe the American political consensus underpinning the alliance is breaking down and that continued reliance on billions of dollars in direct U.S. military aid may eventually become politically untenable. Their response has been to seek deeper integration into the American military, intelligence, and defense establishment—ties that would be harder for future governments to unwind. By this spring, 60% of Americans viewed Israel unfavorably, up from 53% a year earlier, according to a Pew Research Center [survey][8].
That deterioration of support is increasingly visible inside the U.S. national security establishment, as well. “The intelligence community, like America, like the military, like everywhere, is growing frustrated with the real and political capital that’s spent on propping up Israel,” the source said. “As we’re moving forward with further integrating our military-industrial capacity with them, there’s deep frustration that we’re doing this for a country that dragged us into a war we’re losing, a country that spies on us.”
The CIA report also tried to game out how these pressures could interact if Israel’s internal crisis deepened—how a single spark could turn political fracture into open civil conflict, and what would follow from there. Among the scenarios raised were foreign technology and artificial-intelligence companies pulling investment or personnel from Israel, further eroding an already strained economy, regional governments reconsidering the political and strategic value of deeper normalizing relations with Israel, and Hamas or Hezbollah exploiting a period of domestic weakness. The report specifically used the term “civil conflict,” according to the sources.
For decades, Israel’s power depended not only on weapons and American backing, but on the projection that its military dominance, intelligence superiority, and internal cohesion made the state effectively unbreakable. But as the assessment warned, beneath that projection of overwhelming force, Israel is accumulating economic, political, and social contradictions that military might alone may not be able to contain.
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[1]: https://givebutter.com/dsn-substack
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[3]: https://capitalandempire.com/
[4]: https://apnews.com/article/israel-ultraorthodox-elections-netanyahu-haredim-military-3f8939b7c601b1dbef16427f422590ed
[5]: https://www.timesofisrael.com/israelis-hit-by-soaring-food-prices-as-producers-grocers-feast-on-wartime-windfall/
[6]: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-09-24/ty-article/.premium/channel-13-news-poll-eisenkot-bloc-leads-with-52-seats-netanyahu-bloc-with-51/000001a0-cfc1-decb-affc-dfe9ca2f0000
[7]: https://capitalandempire.com/p/exclusive-cia-assessment-israel-us-support
[8]: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/04/07/negative-views-of-israel-netanyahu-continue-to-rise-among-americans-especially-young-people/
[9]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/cia-report-israel-civil-war-collapse/comments
[10]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/cia-report-israel-civil-war-collapse?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/cia-report-israel-civil-war-collapse

2026-10-05 14:19:24 UTC

Saudi-backed forces launch major offensive in Yemen; U.S. kills 4 in Caribbean boat strike; Bolsonaro wins first round in Brazil election
Saudi-backed Yemeni forces ride in a pick-up truck near the Jabal Han front, west of the city of Taiz on October 3, 2026. Photo by Ahmad Al-Basha / AFP via Getty Images.
**Monday, October 5, 2026 –***** ***
***Yemen**: Yemen’s Saudi-backed government announces operation to retake Sana’a. Saudi-led coalition deploys 100 warplanes as Yemeni forces launch offensive. U.S. gives Saudi Arabia over 200 Ansarallah targets but holds off on direct strikes. Aramco CEO says rebuilding global oil stocks could take two years.*
***Iran**: U.S. bombers withdrawn from UK’s Royal Air Force Fairford base. Middle East crude exports surpass pre-Iran war levels. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps orders tanker to turn back in Strait of Hormuz after string of attacks. Iran summons Norwegian ambassador over Starlink operations. Iraq to resume direct flights to Iran on Thursday.*
***Palestine:** Israeli attacks kill 15 across Gaza since Saturday. Israeli forces kill worker, settlers attack olive harvesters across the occupied West Bank. Palestinian olive sector loses over $157 million since 2023. Israeli attacks damage or destroy 82% of Gaza’s buildings. Somalia’s president says country won’t accept Israeli presence “under any circumstances.”*
***Lebanon:** Israel launches air and artillery attacks across south Lebanon despite ceasefire.*
***U.S.: **President Donald Trump announces $90 payments to 20 million seniors from Medicare Improvement Fund, surprising Congress. War Secretary Pete Hegseth signals some U.S. troops could shift from Europe to Western Hemisphere. Montana court blocks birthdate requirement on absentee ballots that led to thousands of rejections. Judge blocks Department of Homeland Security environmental waivers, slowing border wall construction in Big Bend region. DHS bought five planes from firm of donor to former Secretary Kristi Noem at inflated prices in her final hours as secretary. U.S.-Russia Ukraine talks now include multibillion-dollar Lukoil oil deal tied to Trump allies. OpenAI head Sam Altman says “world should accept some bad things happening” to help AI industry. Trump threatens to “double” costs if South Korea doesn’t sign on to Alaska LNG project. Trump posts Sen. Tom Cotton’s personal cell number to pressure him on daylight saving time. California woman arrested for allegedly spying on
Taiwanese president’s son for China.*
***International:** U.S. strike on boat in Caribbean kills four. Pro-government forces seize capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan leaders issue joint declaration on Ethiopia conflict. Arrested journalists in Egypt describe torture, forced confessions. Flavio Bolsonaro outperforms presidential polls, will face current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil runoff. Pro-Imran Khan march launches after talks with Pakistani government collapse. India, Pakistan summon each other’s diplomats over deadly border incident. Mass protests demanding election chief’s resignation enter third day across India. Air strike kills UN aid truck driver in Sudan’s South Kordofan, World Food Program says; Rapid Support Forces accused of seizing WFP aid trucks. Nationalist party of Serb politician Milorad Dodik claims victory in Bosnia election despite his ban from office. Nicaragua withdraws from Central American Parliament. Russia strikes Kyiv bridge as German Chancellor
Friedrich Merz makes unannounced visit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine is ready for U.S.-backed trilateral talks, accuses Russia of sharing jet technology with North Korea. Japan summons U.S. ambassador after Marine arrested in Okinawa murder. Philippines accuses Chinese maritime forces of obstructing anti-blast-fishing operation near Thitu Island.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Yemen
* **Yemen’s Saudi-backed government announces operation to retake Sana’a:** Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, [announced][1] Monday the launch of a military and security operation dubbed “Dawn of Yemen,” aimed at retaking the capital Sana’a from Ansarallah and restoring control over state institutions.
* “The Dawn of Yemen operation has begun to restore state institutions, liberate the capital Sana’a, and end the Houthi coup,” Al-Alimi said, a day after announcing the start of military operations to “restore the remaining territory of the Republic and extend state authority nationwide.”
* Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, a member of Ansarallah’s political bureau, [dismissed][2] Al-Alimi’s announcement, saying “the war today is between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.” He said Saudi aircraft were bombing Yemen while Ansarallah forces were responding “with missiles and drones deep inside Saudi territory,” adding that “it is the Saudi regime that controls the mercenary forces, not Rashad al-Alimi.”
* **Saudi-led coalition deploys 100 warplanes as Yemeni forces launch offensive:** The Saudi-led coalition said Monday that 100 fighter jets were taking part in “Operation Dawn of Yemen,” providing round-the-clock air support to Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and air cover over the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.
* Coalition spokesperson claimed 324 “high-value” targets had been destroyed since the operation began. The coalition’s intervention follows overnight Saudi-backed strikes on Sana’a and the northern province of Saada.
* On the ground, Saudi-backed forces claimed Monday to have taken large parts of Dhubab district overlooking Bab al-Mandab. They also claimed control of the Dhubab airstrip and key positions around the strait, while Ansarallah-aligned media denied that Saudi-backed forces had advanced. Reuters reported that fighting remained under way in the area.
* Elsewhere, Saudi-backed forces claimed gains in southern Taiz. The military claimed it had carried out 1,122 attacks across Saada, Al-Jawf, Taiz and the western coast, killing or otherwise “neutralizing” 1,747 Ansarallah fighters. The figures could not be independently verified.
* Ansarallah said Sunday it had launched ballistic missiles and drones at Aramco facilities in Riyadh and Khurais, causing major fires. It said the strikes were retaliation for 50 Saudi airstrikes and missiles over the previous 12 hours on Sana’a, al-Jawf, Taiz, Amran, Hajjah, and Saada.
* **U.S. gives Saudi Arabia over 200 Ansarallah targets but holds off on direct strikes:** The U.S. military [provided][3] Saudi Arabia with intelligence and targeting data for its operations against Ansarallah in Yemen, including more than 200 targets over the past two weeks, a U.S. official told Axios.
* Washington has twice rejected recent Saudi requests to directly join the fighting.
* Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman again asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday for U.S. airstrikes to support a planned Saudi-backed operation in Yemen, but a U.S. official said Washington “is not going to take kinetic action for now.”
* President Donald Trump also held off on ordering strikes against Ansarallah last week after a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
* CENTCOM has raised concerns that direct U.S. involvement in Yemen would divert attention and resources from Iran, according to a U.S. official.
* U.S. officials said Washington is currently providing Saudi Arabia with support short of direct combat, but direct U.S. military action could still be considered if the Saudi-backed operation runs into difficulties.
* **Aramco CEO says rebuilding global oil stocks could take two years:** Replenishing global oil inventories while meeting demand could take “up to two years,” as disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz continue amid the war with Iran, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said Monday.
* “The world entered the crisis with oil inventories of around 10 billion barrels” and has since “lost nearly 3 billion barrels” of oil supply, Nasser said, adding that roughly half the crude and refined products normally shipped through Hormuz have been lost. “Less than 6 billion barrels of commercial inventories remain, and most of them are practically unavailable.”
* “Emergency reserves may get us through the winter, but they do not solve the supply problem in the long term,” Nasser said, warning pressure would continue “until the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens and confidence returns.”
* Aramco is considering additional crude export routes and overseas storage, Nasser said. “If we are asked to provide 12 million barrels per day, we can provide it within days.”
# Iran
* **U.S. bombers withdrawn from RAF Fairford**: The U.S. abruptly [removed][4] all U.S. long-range bombers deployed to the RAF Fairford airbase in England and returned them to their U.S. home stations over the weekend. The move, which was not explained, comes days after British authorities arrested several individuals over what the officials have claimed was an Iranian plot targeting the base.
* Fairford has served as a forward operating location for U.S. Global Strike Command and hosted B-1 bombers used in the war against Iran.
* **Middle East crude exports surpass pre-Iran war levels:** Crude exports from the Middle East exceeded pre-war levels on four of the final seven days of September, reaching 19.5 million to 22.5 million barrels per day (bpd), according to provisional data from ship-tracking firm Kpler reported by Reuters via Al Jazeera. Before the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, exports averaged about 18 million bpd.
* The seven-day average for crude exports stood at 18.5 million bpd on October 1, while combined flows of crude, refined products, chemicals and other non-gas liquids averaged 22.4 million bpd in the seven days through September 30.
* IRGC commander Ali Fadavi disputed the scale of traffic Sunday, saying only “three to four million barrels” of oil were moving through the route each day and describing that volume as “negligible” compared with pre-war levels.
* Kpler’s figures include Strait of Hormuz transits, Red Sea flows, terminal exports, and ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman, but exclude vessels traveling with their tracking transponders switched off.
* **IRGC orders tanker to turn back in Strait of Hormuz after string of attacks:** Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ordered an inbound tanker in the Strait of Hormuz to turn back on Monday, warning that the vessel would otherwise be targeted, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations. The tanker complied with the order, which was issued about 11 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman.
* The incident follows three consecutive days of attacks on tankers in and around the Strait. On Sunday, a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile that damaged its engine room. On Saturday, a crude oil tanker was hit on its port side by an unknown projectile four nautical miles east of Oman. On Friday, another tanker was struck during an outbound transit, causing a small fire and blackout before the vessel resumed its journey.
* No casualties or environmental impacts were reported in any of the three attacks.
* **Iran summons Norwegian ambassador over Starlink operations:** Iran [summoned][5] Norway’s ambassador in Tehran on Sunday and lodged a formal protest over Oslo’s failure to stop unauthorized Starlink operations inside Iran.
* Iran’s Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. and Israel of using Starlink to advance an “interventionist and divisive agenda” in Iran and criticized Norway for taking no effective action despite repeated requests from Tehran.
* **Iraq to resume direct flights to Iran on Thursday:** Iraqi Airways will [resume][6] direct flights to Iran on October 8, Iraq’s Transport Ministry announced Monday.
* The new schedule will include daily flights between Najaf International Airport and Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan.
* Iraq halted flights to and from Iran on September 25 in line with U.S. sanctions and subsequently sought exemptions for pilgrimage, medical and educational travel. Reuters reported that the U.S. Treasury exemption for Iraqi Airways runs for one month, with a more permanent arrangement potentially to follow.
# Palestine
* **Killed and wounded in Gaza:** Over the past 24 hours, five Palestinians were killed—three in new Israeli attacks and two due to wounds sustained in earlier attacks—and 26 injured across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. One body was also recovered.
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is now 74,243 killed, with 175,232 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,460 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,116, while 836 bodies have been recovered.
* 181 Palestinians were added to the cumulative death toll after their data was completed and verified, the Ministry noted.
* **Israeli attacks kill 15 across Gaza since Saturday:** One Palestinian was killed and more than five others were wounded, including two children, on Monday in an Israeli drone [strike][7] on the southern Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis, according to WAFA.
* Several Palestinians were wounded, including one critically, when an Israeli drone [struck][8] near the Taiba Towers west of Khan Younis.
* In northern Gaza, a woman was shot in the head by Israeli naval forces in the Al-Sudaniya area northwest of Gaza City. Another woman was wounded by Israeli quadcopter fire in the Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City.
* On Saturday, Israeli attacks [killed][9] nine Palestinians, including four women and a child, across Gaza.
* An Israeli airstrike on the Al-Asala building in western Gaza City killed five people: two Palestinian Christian women, an elderly woman and her daughter, and one man.
* Five Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across the Strip on Sunday.
* **Israeli forces kill worker, settlers attack olive harvesters across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Hebron:** Israeli forces [shot and killed][10] a Palestinian worker and wounded two others, one critically, near the entrance to Bani Naim, southeast of Hebron, on Monday, according to WAFA.
* Israeli settlers [chased][11] ten workers near Khirbet Huwara, east of Yatta, firing into the air and severely beating several of them.
* Israeli forces also [demolished][12] a 140-square-meter home sheltering two families in Al-Deirat, east of Yatta, along with a water well, tent and sheep pens.
* **Jenin:** Three Palestinians were [injured][13] when settlers attacked olive harvesters in the Khirbet Amriha and Al-Makhal areas, southwest of Jenin. A 42-year-old man suffered a broken leg, another man was injured in his left hand, and an elderly man was beaten and pepper-sprayed, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.
* **Ramallah:** Settlers [stole][14] harvested olives and damaged trees in Umm Safa and Al-Mazra’a Al-Gharbiya, northwest of Ramallah, with the latter attack taking place under Israeli military protection. Settlers also attacked olive harvesters in Al-Taybeh, east of Ramallah.
* Israeli forces separately [raided][15] Birzeit University with a military bulldozer, demolished and seized a memorial bearing the names of students killed by Israeli forces, and detained a university security guard.
* **Nablus:** Settlers [continued stealing olives][16] from Palestinian farmland in Beita, south of Nablus. In Burqa, northwest of Nablus, settlers attacked farmers harvesting olives in the Bab Al-Jamea area, prevented them from continuing their work and stole a tractor.
* Six Palestinian families returned to their homes in Tal, southwest of Nablus, after Israeli forces had forced them to leave the houses for more than two months.
* **Palestinian olive sector loses over $157 million since 2023:** Palestinian farmers [lost][17] more than $157 million in olive crops since 2023, while some 286,000 olive trees in the occupied West Bank were damaged between 2023 and the end of September 2026 due to Israeli measures and settler attacks, according to the Palestinian Agriculture Ministry.
* The ministry said around 100,000 olive trees were damaged in the West Bank in the first nine months of 2026 alone, with crop losses exceeding $67 million. Farmers are currently unable to access roughly 30% of the West Bank’s olive-growing land, due to Israeli restrictions, settler attacks, land seizures, and the theft of olive crops.
* In Gaza, more than 90% of an estimated two million olive trees have been lost since the war began in 2023, alongside extensive destruction of infrastructure supporting the olive sector.
* **Israeli attacks damage or destroy 82% of Gaza’s buildings:** Around 201,290 buildings in Gaza, or an estimated 82% of all buildings in the Strip, were damaged by Israeli attacks between October 7, 2023 and June 16, 2026, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
* Of those, 134,422 buildings were completely destroyed and another 13,848 severely damaged. Most of Gaza’s roughly 2.1 million residents remain displaced and confined to less than 40% of the Strip due to Israeli access restrictions.
* **Somalia’s president says country won’t accept Israeli presence “under any circumstances”: **Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud [told][18] Al Jazeera on Sunday that Somalia will not accept an Israeli presence “under any circumstances.”
* In the interview, he alleged that Israel intends to establish a naval base in the port city of Berbera, and to use the city’s airport. He called these plans part of a “Greater Israel” project and described Israel as a “destabilizing force” which regularly violates international law.
* Berbera is within the territory claimed by the self-declared republic of Somaliland, whose statehood Israel became the first to recognize in December 2025. Mogadishu insists Berbera remains part of the Somali Republic.
* He also told the outlet that the United States remains Somalia’s strongest partner against “terrorism.”
# Lebanon
* **Israel launches air and artillery attacks across south Lebanon despite ceasefire:** Israeli warplanes [carried out][19] strikes on Kfar Tebnit and Wadi Al-Hujair in southern Lebanon on Monday, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported, while Israeli forces artillery shelled the outskirts of Hadatha and Bra’shit.
* Overnight, Israeli shelling also targeted Al-Mansouri and Majdal Zoun.
# U.S. News
* **Trump announces $90 payments to 20 million seniors from Medicare Improvement Fund, surprising Congress: **President Donald Trump announced on Saturday [plans][20] to send $90 payments to more than 20 million Medicare Part B enrollees this month, funded by about $2 billion from the Medicare Improvement Fund, which has gone unused for its stated purpose—namely, improving Medicare’s hospital and medical insurance programs—since its 2008 creation.
* The announcement caught congressional offices in both parties by surprise and could unravel unrelated funding talks, a GOP aide told the Washington Post. Lawmakers originally intended to use Improvement Fund monies to help fund several other programs, including the Community Health Center Fund, the National Health Service Corps, the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program and several special diabetes programs, according to the aide.
* **Hegseth signals some U.S. troops could shift from Europe to Western Hemisphere**: Defense Secretary **Pete Hegseth** [told][21] reporters on Saturday that some U.S. military capabilities currently in Europe could be redeployed “either back home to the big, beautiful base that we’re going to build … or to a different posture in the Western Hemisphere,” part of the administration’s push for “burden sharing” with the U.S.’s European allies and its increasing focus on military activity in the Western Hemisphere.
* Hegseth cited expanded partnerships with Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Panama in his remarks on Saturday, crediting “the bold move the president made in Venezuela” in capturing **Nicolás Maduro** with opening “a whole new suite of options economically and militarily.” He also reiterated the U.S. is at “war” with cartels, vowing to “posture and base as necessary” to take the fight to what he called “those ISIS and Al Qaeda of our hemisphere.”
* **Montana court blocks birthdate requirement on absentee ballots that led to thousands of rejections**: A Montana state court [ruled][22] Friday night that HB 719, a 2025 law requiring absentee voters to include their birthdate on ballot envelopes or have their votes rejected, violates the state constitution, a win for disability advocates who argued the requirement increased the risk of valid ballots being thrown out over technicalities.
* The law led to nearly 3,000 rejected mail ballots in the November 2025 election in a state where roughly 80 percent of voters cast absentee ballots. State officials failed to produce evidence of voter fraud justifying the law or explain how the birthdate requirement would prevent it, the court noted in its decision, stressing as well “the undisputed fact HB 719 has resulted in thousands of ballots being rejected due to a missing or incorrect birth year.”
* **Judge blocks DHS environmental waivers, slowing border wall construction in Big Bend region**: U.S. District Judge **Kathleen Cardone** [issued][23] a preliminary injunction Friday blocking the Department of Homeland Security from using waivers that exempted border barrier construction from historical and environmental protection laws across more than 500 miles of Texas’s Big Bend region, which includes Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park.
* The order requires DHS to follow those laws while the legal challenge brought by Friends of the Ruidosa Church, river guide **Danny William Miller** and the Center for Biological Diversity proceeds.
* The ruling follows a separate judge’s Thursday denial of a temporary restraining order specific to the national park, where the administration paused work through Sept. 30. DHS has said it is considering reducing the project’s scope, for which a $1.7 billion contract was already doled out to construct a “Big Bend border wall.” In filings, the administration said it would announce a final decision this week.
* **DHS bought five planes from Noem donor’s firm at inflated prices in her final hours as secretary: **On **Kristi Noem’s **last day as homeland security secretary, DHS [agreed][24] to pay Daedalus Aviation Corporation $108 million for a luxury 737 that the firm had bought months earlier from a seller asking under $90 million, plus $106 million for two Gulfstream jets Daedalus had purchased for about $83 million and $45 million each for two 17-year-old 737 passenger jets that six aviation experts told the Times were worth roughly $15-30 million, according to a Sunday report from the New York Times.
* Daedalus’s chairman, **William Walters**, gave $10,000 to Noem’s political action committee in 2024, and his companies received more than $900 million in DHS contracts under Noem. Her successor at DHS, current secretary **Markwayne Mullin**, explored canceling the deal but, per two White House officials, was advised by Chief of Staff **Susie Wiles **against it over potential financial penalties.
* **U.S.-Russia Ukraine talks now include multibillion-dollar Lukoil oil deal tied to Trump allies**: U.S.-Russia negotiations over ending the Ukraine war have [expanded][25] to include a multibillion-dollar sale of Lukoil’s international oil assets, the New York Times reported on Saturday, with the leading bidder group featuring **Todd Boehly**—a Trump donor who gave $2 million to Trump-aligned causes—alongside Qatar’s **Khayyat brothers**, who have business ties with **Jared Kushner** and** Ivanka Trump**, an Abu Dhabi fund controlled by **Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed** that is also a business partner of Kushner and bought a large stake in Trump’s World Liberty Financial, and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.
* Putin first raised the deal with **Steve Witkoff** and Kushner at a Sept. 5 Kremlin meeting, and U.S. approval would lift sanctions on the assets, instantly boosting their value. The deal awaits approval from the Treasury Department, with the current extension of sanctions relief on Lukoil’s U.S. businesses running through Oct. 29.
* **Altman says “world should accept some bad things happening” to help AI industry: **OpenAI CEO **Sam Altman** [contrasted][26] his firm’s worldview with that of rival firm Anthropic in an interview with POLITICO’s Decoded, saying “we believe that the world should accept some bad things happening for the benefits of this technology and people having the agency.” He rejected Anthropic’s calls for centralization and regulation in the industry, calling this “a completely unacceptable trade-off.”
* The comments come as the two companies’ policy positions have converged in recent months, with Altman backing **Dario Amodei’s** call to slow development of the most advanced models, OpenAI endorsing stricter state safety laws and lobbyists for OpenAI backing a bipartisan House proposal requiring outside safety evaluators.
* **Trump threatens to “double” costs if South Korea doesn’t sign on to Alaska LNG project**: President Trump [said][27] he “didn’t jump the gun” in announcing South Korean participation in a $50 billion Alaska LNG project. “Tell them if they don’t sign shortly, I’m going to double it up,” Trump said Friday, without specifying what would be doubled. Seoul has said it is still assessing the project, with participation dependent on commercial viability and compliance with domestic legal procedures.
* **Trump posts Sen. Tom Cotton’s personal cell number to pressure him on daylight saving time**: President Trump [posted][28] the personal cellphone number of Sen. **Tom Cotton** (R-Ark.), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Saturday and urged Arkansans to call and tell him to “GET IT DONE” on the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill to make daylight saving time permanent that passed the House in July but faces Senate opposition from Cotton and other Republicans.
* **California woman arrested for allegedly spying on Taiwanese president’s son for China**: The FBI [arrested][29] **Wanying Zhang**, 34, of Irvine, California, at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday before her planned departure to China, charging her with acting as an unregistered foreign agent for allegedly surveilling a son of Taiwanese President **Lai Ching-te **at the direction of Chinese officials.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **U.S. strike on boat in Caribbean kills four: **The U.S. military [said][30] it attacked a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean on Sunday, killing four people. U.S. Southern Command said the boat, a go-fast vessel, was targeted along known smuggling routes, but the military provided no evidence it was carrying drugs; a video posted on X appeared to show an explosion destroying the moving boat.
* Sunday’s attack brings the total killed in boat strikes to at least [239 across 71 strikes][31] since the Trump administration began targeting alleged “narcoterrorists” in September 2025.
* **Flavio Bolsonaro outperforms polls, will face Lula in Brazil runoff: **Brazilian Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro [won][32] about 47 percent of valid votes in Brazil’s first-round presidential election Sunday, exceeding his performance in private polls conducted before the election and narrowly outpacing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who won 44.9 percent of the vote. The two are set to face each other in an Oct. 25 runoff.
* **Pro-government forces seize capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region: **Pro-government forces, led by the Tigray Peace Forces (TPLF) militia, [announced][33] in a Sunday Facebook post that they had regained control of Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region, with a source close to the militia saying fighters entered the city center Saturday afternoon, followed by the Ethiopian military.
* The TPLF confirmed it had retreated and said the regional government would be “temporarily moved out of Mekelle and operate from somewhere else.”
* The loss of Mekelle is a major setback for the anti-government coalition led by the TPLF, which announced its offensive against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government on September 23.
* **Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan leaders issue joint declaration on Ethiopia conflict: **The leaders of the Egyptian, Eritrean, Somali and Sudanese governments—Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Isaias Afwerki, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Abdel Fattah al-Burhan—[issued][34] a joint declaration regarding clashes in Ethiopia on Sunday after a meeting in New Alamein City, Egypt.
* The resolution appears to target several Ethiopian policies: it states that Red Sea control should remain with coastal states, a response to landlocked Ethiopia’s pursuit of sea access, and warns against “unilateral measures” harming downstream states over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The declaration also backed Sudan’s military-led government and urged a Sudanese-led political process.
* Ethiopia has accused Egypt, Eritrea, and Sudan of backing the TPLF-led armed alliance fighting its government—claims all three deny.
* **Arrested journalists in Egypt describe torture, forced confessions:** Several of the journalists from the news platform Matsdaash who were detained and forcibly disappeared in Egypt last week told prosecutors on Sunday they had been tortured at National Security Agency facilities in the days following their arrests, [according][35] to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR).
* The journalists described being bound with their hands behind their backs and blindfolded while being held and interrogated at National Security facilities. They also reported beatings, forced stripping, electric shocks, and threats to harm them or their families, EIPR reported. The journalists also said officers forced them to read statements on camera in order to record false confessions.
* The prosecution’s questioning of five of the journalists—Abdallah Qadry, Islam Barakat, Omar Helal, Mohamed Adel, and Mohamed Mahmoud—is scheduled to continue on Monday. Questioning was completed on Sunday for the sixth journalist, Mohamed Ashraf Abu Emeira, and the Supreme State Security Prosecution ordered him to be held in pretrial detention for 15 days pending investigation.
* The families and lawyers of the journalists still do not know where they are being held.
* On Capitol Hill, several members of congress have called for the journalists’ immediate release, including the [Egypt Human Rights Caucus][36], co-chaired by Reps. Don Beyer and Suzan DelBene; [Rep. Rashida Tlaib][37] of Michigan, [Sen. Bernie Sanders][38] of Vermont, [Sen. Chris Van Hollen][39] of Maryland, and [Sen. Jeff Merkley][40] of Oregon.
* **Pro-Imran Khan march launches after talks with government collapse: **More than 5,000 supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan [began][41] a protest march Sunday from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province toward Islamabad after two rounds of scheduled talks between the PTI and the government over the weekend failed to reach a resolution.
* The march was originally planned for Sept. 27 and aims to secure the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his three sisters. It is set to reach Khairabad, 80 km from the capital, by Thursday, where the PTI will announce its “next phase.”
* Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi of “sabotaging” negotiations and warned authorities would “pursue [protesters] one by one” for violating an Islamabad High Court order barring parties from occupying public roads. The Pakistani government has also blocked main routes into the capital using shipping containers.
* **India, Pakistan summon each other’s diplomats over deadly border incident: **India and Pakistan [summoned][42] each other’s top diplomats Saturday over an October 2 incident in which Pakistan says India’s Border Security Force used “unprovoked lethal force” to kill two unarmed Pakistani civilians in the Bedian sector of their international border. In its account of the incident, India claimed three people crossed illegally into Punjab’s Ferozepur sector and kept moving toward the border fence despite repeated warnings, forcing the BSF to “engage them for posing an imminent security threat.”
* Pakistan has demanded an “immediate, transparent and credible investigation” into the incident.
* India dismissed Pakistan’s account of the killings as “baseless and motivated,” describing the incident as part of “a clear pattern of repeated cross-border movement by armed narcotics syndicates operating from Pakistan.”
* **Mass protests demanding election chief’s resignation enter third day across India: **Thousands of youth and opposition protesters [rallied][43] for a third straight day Sunday, demanding the resignation of Election Commission of India chief Gyanesh Kumar over voter-roll revisions critics say have removed millions of voters in ways benefiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
* Opposition leaders Raj and Uddhav Thackeray led a large protest march in Mumbai on Sunday. Similar demonstrations continued in New Delhi on Sunday evening, where police have detained dozens and filed cases against some for violating bans on mass gatherings. An opposition alliance plans to march to the election commission’s office Tuesday, while the Cockroach Janta Party, a major force in these protests, plans to hold a major rally in New Delhi on October 10.
* **Air strike kills UN aid truck driver in Sudan’s South Kordofan, WFP says; RSF accused of seizing WFP aid trucks:** An air strike on clearly marked World Food Program trucks carrying food aid [killed][44] a driver Saturday in South Kordofan as the convoy traveled between two army-controlled cities, the WFP said Sunday, without identifying who was responsible. The agency called for an investigation into the killing and said it underscores “the increasingly challenging security environment in Sudan and the risks that aid workers face.”
* Separately on Sunday, Abdel Baqi Mohamed Hamed, humanitarian aid commissioner for the Darfur regional government, [accused][45] the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of seizing 32 World Food Programme trucks from a 60-truck convoy that crossed from Chad through the Tina border point last week. He said the RSF had released 12 of the 44 trucks it had originally seized, but continues to hold the remainder while demanding large extortion payments.
* **Dodik’s party claims victory in Bosnia election despite his ban from office: **Preliminary results from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Sunday general election [show][46] Zeljka Cvijanovic of banned Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik’s right-wing Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) party leading the race for the Serb seat in the country’s three-member presidency. The victory would reinforce Dodik’s influence despite his conviction last year for defying the international envoy overseeing the 1995 peace agreement, which barred him from the ballot.
* Leftist Denis Becirovic led in the race for the Bosniak seat, and Croat nationalist Darijana Filipovic appears poised to take the seat reserved for her coethnics.
* **Nicaragua withdraws from Central American Parliament: **Nicaragua’s foreign ministry [announced][47] Saturday that it would immediately withdraw from the Central American Parliament, denouncing the 1987 treaty establishing the six-country body and calling its exit “a full exercise of its sovereignty.”
* The announcement comes a day after the Organization of American States passed a resolution urging Nicaraguan authorities to free political prisoners and restore civil liberties.
* The move continues a pattern of retreat from international institutions by the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, following Nicaragua’s 2023 exit from the OAS, which it called a tool of “U.S. interventionism,” and its 2025 announcement of withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council after a UN report urged action on its rights abuses.
* **Russia strikes Kyiv bridge as Germany’s Merz makes unannounced visit: **Russia [struck][48] the Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River in Kyiv on Sunday, the same day German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made an unannounced visit to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was the second Kyiv bridge hit this weekend, also damaging a road and hot water supply, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
* Addressing his visit, during which he toured the missile-damaged National Academy of Sciences with Zelenskyy, Merz wrote that “if Russia is not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against us.”
* On Sunday, Germany announced that it would send $1.1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, in addition to $394 million to repair Ukraine’s energy sector. The two countries are also set to finalize a deal to jointly produce long-range drones capable of traveling more than 600 miles.
* **Zelenskyy says Ukraine ready for U.S.-backed trilateral talks, accuses Russia of sharing jet technology with North Korea: **Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy [said][49] at a Kyiv news conference with Merz on Sunday that Ukraine is ready to join trilateral technical-level talks with the U.S. and Russia by the end of October, confirming the UAE, which has hosted prior rounds, could again serve as the venue or “another country proposed by the American side.” U.S. mediation efforts had been paused since Washington launched its war on Iran.
* Zelenskyy also [accused][50] Russia on Sunday of sharing jet-drone technology with North Korea, answering “yes, of course” when asked about the matter, adding “they are sharing with North Korea all the technologies... because North Korea helped them with missiles.” Russia has sharply increased its use of jet drones against Ukraine in recent weeks, and Ukraine has so far had no effective countermeasure beyond using combat aircraft.
* **Japan summons U.S. ambassador after Marine arrested in Okinawa murder: **Japan [summoned][51] U.S. Ambassador George Glass after Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, a 20-year-old U.S. Marine, was arrested on suspicion of robbing and murdering 39-year-old Anna Yagi in Naha, Okinawa.
* Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the incident “extremely brutal and heinous” and said Japan “lodged a strong protest” with the U.S. envoy.
* **Philippines accuses Chinese maritime forces of obstructing anti-blast-fishing operation near Thitu Island: **The Philippine Coast Guard [said][52] on Sunday that Chinese vessels blocked a Philippine law enforcement operation against a foreign fishing vessel suspected of dynamite fishing near Thitu Island (Pag-asa) in the South China Sea, with two China Coast Guard ships sounding horns, radio-challenging, shadowing, and blocking Philippine boats while a Chinese navy helicopter circled the team four times. The suspect vessel then fled toward Chinese-built Subi Reef, and Philippine authorities ended the pursuit for safety reasons.
* Separately, the Philippine military said a Chinese J-16 fighter jet repeatedly approached and maneuvered close to a Philippine patrol aircraft over Scarborough Shoal on Saturday, creating an aviation safety risk. It condemned China for its “recurring pattern of unsafe and coercive behavior.”
🎥 **[WATCH][53] **The Morning the U.S. Bombed a School in Iran
📖 **[READ][54] **Sudan’s RSF Refused to Rescue Dozens in Gold Mine Collapse Where at Least 82 Died, Survivors Say
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[1]: https://x.com/presidentrashad/status/2107034488656240969?s=46
[2]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2106801618041573617
[3]: https://www.axios.com/2026/10/02/saudis-yemen-houthis-bab-al-mandeb-strait
[4]: https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/04/politics/us-air-force-bombers-removed-fairford-iran
[5]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86283399/Iran-lodges-formal-protest-at-Norway-s-inaction-over-illegal
[6]: https://ina.iq/ar/local/275359-.html
[7]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/5/%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%88%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%AB%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86-5-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89
[8]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/5/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A5%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B3
[9]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2106599557991653546
[10]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/5/%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%88%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A5%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84
[11]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/5/%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%AB-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8B%D8%A7-%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82
[12]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/5/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%85-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%8B-%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%A6%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%87-%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%B8%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A
[13]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/5/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-3-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%82%D8%B7%D9%81
[14]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/5/%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%AB-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86
[15]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/5/%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%85-%D8%B5%D8%B1%D8%AD-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A9
[16]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/5/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86
[17]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/5/%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%AB%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86-157-%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AE%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%B5%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86
[18]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/3/somalia-wont-accept-israeli-presence-under-any-circumstances-president
[19]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/566730/%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%83%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D9%88%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B1-2
[20]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/03/trump-announces-plan-send-90-payments-millions-seniors/
[21]: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/6127801-hegseth-redeploys-troops-western-hemisphere/
[22]: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/montana-court-blocks-onerous-mail-voting-law-that-caused-thousands-of-rejected-absentee-ballots-last-year/
[23]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/courts/judge-border-big-bend
[24]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/04/us/politics/kristi-noem-planes-donor.html
[25]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/03/us/politics/kushner-witkoff-russia-oil-deal.html
[26]: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/04/sam-altman-decoded-interview-ai-01106217
[27]: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/05/trump-alaska-lng-south-korea-pay.html
[28]: https://apnews.com/article/trump-tom-cotton-daylight-saving-time-cellphone-4c92c5171df81d0bb674a831fad49bc9
[29]: https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-accuses-california-woman-spying-china-surveilling-taiwan-leaders-son-2026-10-05/
[30]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/us-military-says-latest-strike-alleged-drug-smuggling-boat-caribbean-k-rcna601550
[31]: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/29/us/us-caribbean-pacific-boat-strikes.html
[32]: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazilians-head-polls-high-stakes-polarized-election-2026-10-04/
[33]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/government-forces-seize-capital-ethiopias-tigray-region-rebels-2026-10-04/
[34]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/5/four-african-leaders-issue-joint-declaration-as-ethiopia-war-escalates
[35]: https://eipr.org/en/press/2026/10/matsadaash-journalists-tell-prosecutors-they-were-tortured-forced-record-fabricated-
[36]: http://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=9236
[37]: https://x.com/RepRashida/status/2105716164324110571
[38]: https://x.com/SenSanders/status/2106415418520854916
[39]: https://x.com/ChrisVanHollen/status/2106061085749002477
[40]: https://x.com/SenJeffMerkley/status/2106828073731490016
[41]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/4/pro-imran-khan-mass-rally-launched-after-pakistan-government-talks-fail
[42]: https://www.reuters.com/world/india/pakistan-summons-indian-diplomat-over-killing-two-civilians-border-2026-10-03/
[43]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/4/mass-protests-demanding-poll-chief-resignation-shake-india-for-third-day
[44]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/4/air-strike-in-sudan-kills-un-aid-truck-driver-wfp
[45]: https://sudantribune.com/article/319630
[46]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/4/economic-woes-ethnic-rivalries-shape-bosnias-closely-watched-elections
[47]: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/nicaragua-announces-withdrawal-central-american-parliament-2026-10-04/
[48]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/4/russian-strike-hits-kyiv-bridge-as-german-chancellor-visits-ukraine
[49]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/4/ukraine-ready-for-us-backed-talks-with-russia-zelenskyy
[50]: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraine-believes-russia-shared-jet-drone-technology-with-north-korea-says-2026-10-04/
[51]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/4/japan-summons-us-envoy-as-marine-arrested-over-okinawa-murder
[52]: https://www.reuters.com/3fec1b0a85a0/world/china/philippines-accuses-chinese-coast-guard-blocking-law-enforcement-mission-near-2026-10-04/
[53]: https://youtu.be/9OmK0oeq5fc?si=BwYj4GFvg_i3exI0
[54]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/sudans-rsf-refused-to-rescue-dozens
[55]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[56]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[57]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[58]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/saudi-yemen-ansarallah-us-strike-caribbean-boat-bolsonaro-brazil-election

2026-10-03 00:50:31 UTC

The Morning the U.S. Bombed a School in Iran
In the opening hours of the war against Iran, on February 28, 2026, the U.S. military fired Tomahawk cruise missiles directly at a school in the southern city of Minab. At least 156 people were killed that morning at Shajareh Tayyebeh school—120 of them were children and 26 were teachers. It will go down in history as one of the gravest war crimes committed by the U.S. government since Vietnam.
Drop Site News conducted a two-month investigation into the strike, speaking with survivors, first responders, parents, doctors, teachers, psychologists, and other witnesses. Some of them had never before shared their experiences of that day. This is their story.
**Read the full investigation:**
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/the-morning-the-us-bombed-a-school

2026-10-02 16:26:13 UTC

Germany Offered to Fund Their Education. It Won’t Help Them Leave Gaza.
Photo: Ranin Al-Madhoun.
This month, the winter semester begins at universities across Germany, and students will fill lecture halls as they begin their studies.
Twenty-three-year-old Ranin Al-Madhoun will not be among them. She studied German intensively and won a competitive scholarship from the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation. But she is stuck in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City.
The scholarship, funded with public money, would pay her more than €1,000 a month to pursue a master’s degree in business administration at Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences in western Germany. But the German Embassy in Cairo, which handles visa applications from Gaza, requires applicants to appear in person—an impossible requirement for someone who cannot leave the Strip.
“The first thing I imagine when I think about my life in Germany is a sense of safety,” she told Drop Site in an interview. “Things like going to the gym, studying, buying groceries, having a normal daily life.”
She added: “We have had to flee six times during the war and live in a relative’s house because ours was destroyed.” On some days, her family can’t get drinking water. Gas for cooking is limited. In the mornings, she waits for the local generators to come on so she can attend her online German classes.
Al-Madhoun, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Al-Azhar University in Gaza, said she has appealed to German lawmakers, but none have been able to assist her.
She is not the only one caught between a German admission letter and the impossibility of leaving Gaza. Drop Site identified other students from Gaza either hold German scholarships or have been admitted to German university programs but cannot leave to take up their places. Their options at home are few: according to UNESCO, 22 of Gaza’s 38 university campuses have been completely destroyed, and 14 more have sustained damage as of November 2025.
A letter seen by Drop Site from uni-assist, the agency through which Al-Madhoun applied for master’s programs, advised her to apply for a visa at the German embassy “in your country.” Germany has no visa-processing mission in Gaza.
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation, which is affiliated with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), wrote to Al-Madhoun in July that the Federal Foreign Office could not support her departure.
“To my great regret, applications can still only be submitted in person at the German visa office in Cairo responsible for Gaza,” the letter, seen by Drop Site, states. “It therefore appears that support for your departure is not possible on the part of the Federal Foreign Office either.”
Asked for comment, the German Federal Foreign Office told Drop Site: “The Federal Government’s support for departures from Gaza is provided […] for German nationals and their close family members traveling with them. Since May 2024, the crossings out of Gaza have been closed to regular passenger departures. All departures from Gaza require the corresponding authorization from the Israeli authorities.” The Germany embassy in Cairo did not respond to requests for comment.
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation told Drop Site: “We are in regular contact with the Federal Foreign Office regarding options for leaving Gaza, and we are in touch with members of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag. The scholarship commitment is valid for one year.”
By contrast, some Western countries have helped students leave Gaza through government-coordinated evacuation programs. Italy has evacuated more than 200 students through a state-run university corridor since September 2025, and Ireland around 70 since August 2025. Some of these countries are now tightening access.
By the end of August, Ireland had approved only 39 of the 142 study visa applications from Palestinians it had ruled on this year (about 27%), down from nearly 84% in 2025. The U.S. State Department suspended visa issuance in January to individuals traveling on travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority.
Germany has taken in almost no one from Gaza beyond its own citizens: according to the federal government, around 630 German nationals and their family members have left the Strip since October 2023, while WHO figures show Germany had accepted just one medical evacuee from Gaza by late 2025, compared with more than 200 in Italy.
In Autumn 2025, the German government rejected an offer from the city of Hanover to take in up to 20 sick and injured children from Gaza and Israel for treatment. The refusal drew criticism. It later emerged that eight donkeys had been evacuated from Gaza to Germany for medical care.
For now, Al-Madhoun’s scholarship remains valid, but only for one year. “I have received the scholarship and the admission, paid my semester fees, arranged my health insurance, and continued preparing by improving my German,” she said. “It is very difficult to accept that after coming this far and doing everything I could, I still cannot physically reach Germany.”
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2026-10-02 15:10:19 UTC

U.S. deploys another carrier to the Middle East; Putin escalates Kaliningrad threats; Mass funeral in Gaza
Mourners standing closely around rows of Palestinian flag-draped shrouds during a mass funeral amid rubble in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, on October 1, 2026. Photo by Faiz Qreqa / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images.
**Friday, October 2, 2026 –***** ***
***Iran**: U.S. sending third carrier, up to 10,000 more troops to Middle East. U.S. deploys Patriot batteries to Saudi Arabia, Qatar. Treasury issues new round of sanctions on Iran’s auto and rail sectors. Iran strikes fifth tanker in Hormuz within three days. Gulf oil exports double since early August. UK-Iranian national arrested over RAF Fairford incident.*
***Yemen**: Saudi-led coalition accuses Ansarallah of attack on power station serving holy city of Medina. President Donald Trump says Saudi Arabia “wouldn’t be here” without him as defense chiefs hold call.*
***Palestine:** Israeli fire wounds three Palestinians in Khan Younis, including child. Israeli forces and settlers continue to attack olive harvesters across the occupied West Bank. Over 2,000 Israeli attacks on Palestinians in West Bank in September. Gaza families bury 105 Palestinians nearly three years after Israeli massacre. Hamas denies Israeli report on rebuilding military capabilities. Jared Kushner firm holds $1 billion stake in Israeli company invested in Gaza war suppliers.*
***Lebanon:** Israeli forces carry out strikes, demolitions and shelling across south Lebanon amid “ceasefire.”*
***U.S.: **Supreme Court to hear challenge to Trump’s mandatory immigration detention policy. South Korea denies finalizing funding for Trump’s Alaska pipeline. Trump administration diverts $52M from Europe, Iraq to Latin America. Microsoft-linked NJ data center ran unpermitted generators for nearly a year, emitting hundreds of tons of pollution. Trump meme coin firm offers “most exclusive dinner” to top holders, raising fresh ethics concerns. Housing Finance agency guts its own inspector general.*
***International: **Eritrea severs diplomatic ties with Ethiopia. Ethiopian government-allied force claims to have wiped out TPLF forces in Tigray. U.S. waives human rights conditions for $320 million in aid to Egypt after the country’s “helpful role” in Iran war. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his rival Flavio Bolsonaro skip final debate ahead of Sunday vote. Supreme Court bomb scare proves false alarm. Ousted Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, 82, wanted for genocide, needs treatment abroad. Russian President Vladimir Putin rules out ceasefire on long-range strikes, reiterates nuclear threat over Kaliningrad. India’s “cockroach” party renews protests, demands election commissioner’s resignation over voter roll dispute. Hundreds of schools remain closed in France as student protests grow.*
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Iran
* **U.S. sending third carrier, up to 10,000 more troops to Middle East: **The Pentagon is [deploying][1] a third aircraft carrier strike group, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, to the Middle East, officials told the Wall Street Journal.
* The fleet reportedly left San Diego Sunday, alongside the USS Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group. The latter will carry Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, adding 9,000 to 10,000 troops to a region that already has more than 50,000 U.S. personnel.
* These additional U.S. forces are expected to arrive in the region by the end of November. President Donald Trump reportedly told aides he expects to resume bombing Iran that same month.
* **U.S. deploys Patriot batteries to Saudi Arabia, Qatar: **The U.S. military [sent][2] two additional Patriot missile-defense batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to protect key oil and gas facilities against potential Iranian retaliation if Trump resumes major strikes on Iran, Axios reported.
* The deployments come as Trump said Thursday he was considering renewed attacks in the coming weeks. “Now I have to make a decision: either Iran signs the deal, or it won’t exist any longer,” Trump said.
* **Treasury issues new round of sanctions on Iran’s auto and rail sectors:** The Treasury Department [announced][3] sanctions on Iran’s rail and auto sectors and their foreign suppliers as part of Operation Economic Outcast.
* The sanctions affect Iran’s two premier automotive companies, Iran Khodro and SAIPA, which together account for over 90% of the country’s domestic market, as well as Iran’s state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Railway Company and two major passenger and freight rail firms.
* The new round of sanctions also targets foreign firms that supply Iran’s auto companies, with affected firms in Indonesia, the UAE, and Turkey.
* **Iran strikes fifth tanker in Hormuz within three days:** Iran [appears][4] to have struck a fifth tanker in less than three days, according to recent incident reports from United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
* Between the evening of September 28 and October 1, five vessels were reported “struck by projectiles” while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the British maritime security body said.
* IRGC adviser Ali Balil claimed on Thursday that Iran achieved a longstanding goal of using a long-range ballistic missile to strike a moving target. Belali said the capability had been demonstrated “in the past few days,” without identifying the target or providing further details.
* **Gulf oil exports double since early August:** Oil exports from the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman [reached][5] a seven-day average of around 20 million barrels per day, roughly double the early August amount, with Strait of Hormuz transits driving the rebound, according to Kpler data.
* The seven-day average of regional exports climbed from about 10 to 12 million barrels per day in early August to a peak of roughly 22 million in late September. Daily volumes briefly topped 27 million around September 19.
* Trump told reporters on Thursday the U.S. may ask European countries to release diesel reserves as U.S. diesel hit $6.53 per gallon.
* **UK-Iranian national arrested over RAF Fairford incident: **UK counter-terrorism police [arrested][6] a 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts in connection with Sunday’s incident near RAF Fairford, a U.S. Air Force-operated base.
* Five British men arrested near the base remain on police bail after gas, but no explosive devices, was found in vehicles.
* Police said they are investigating “all possible angles,” including potential foreign-state involvement. Iran has strongly denied involvement.
* RAF Fairford has recently been used by U.S. bombers after Britain approved its use for strikes on Iran.
# Yemen
* **Saudi-led coalition accuses Ansarallah of attack on power station serving holy city of Medina: **The Saudi-led coalition [accused][7] Yemen’s Ansarallah of carrying out a drone attack on the Taiba electricity distribution station in Islam’s holy city of Medina, on September 29, saying an investigation and drone debris indicated the group was responsible.
* The attack knocked one transformer out of service but did not disrupt the electricity grid. The coalition previously accused Ansarallah of attempting to target Mecca, another Islamic holy site, allegations the group has denied.
* This comes amid continued fighting in Yemen. Saudi-backed government forces [said][8] they carried out 20 air strikes over three hours targeting Ansarallah reinforcements across several fronts in Taiz, claiming the strikes destroyed military equipment and caused casualties. Government forces also said they downed Ansarallah drones over Aden and hit targets in the Ansarallah-held capital of Sana’a.
* Six people were killed and 35 wounded in overnight clashes between Ansarallah and government forces in residential areas of eastern Taiz, according to The Associated Press.
* **Trump says Saudi Arabia “wouldn’t be here” without him as defense chiefs hold call: **Trump said Saudi Arabia “wouldn’t be here right now” without him, claiming in a [Time magazine][9] interview that both the kingdom and Israel would otherwise have been “wiped off the face of the planet.” Trump said his relationship with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman remained “very good” and emphasized that the U.S. protects Saudi Arabia despite recent reporting that Trump denied MBS’s request to enter its war against Ansarallah.
* Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman held a phone call with U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday to discuss the U.S.-Saudi defense coordination, according to the Saudi Press Agency. More than 100 U.S. military advisers are [reportedly][10] in Saudi Arabia providing intelligence, geospatial targeting support and battlefield technology for the kingdom’s campaign against Ansarallah in Yemen.
# Palestine
* **Israeli fire wounds three Palestinians in Khan Younis, including child: **Two Palestinians, including an elderly woman, were [wounded][11] by Israeli fire in Khan Younis early Friday, while a child was shot as Israeli forces fired toward tents east of Hamad City, according to WAFA.
* Civil Defense crews also recovered remains of a Palestinian killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Gaza overnight.
* **Israeli forces and settlers continue to attack olive harvesters across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Nablus:** Three Palestinians were [injured][12] as Israeli settlers, backed by Israeli forces, attacked olive harvesters in Beita, Jamma’in, Urif, Asira al-Qibliya, Beit Furik, and Deir Sharaf on Friday, WAFA reported.
* Israeli forces also fired stun grenades and tear gas at Palestinian farmers and foreign solidarity activists.
* In a separate attack in Beita, settlers opened live fire toward farmers harvesting olives in the Jabal Al-Arma area, with no injuries reported.
* **Salfit:** Israeli forces and settlers [prevented][13] farmers from harvesting olives west of Deir Istiya and forced others off their land in Farkha and Haris. Israeli forces also detained three farmers while they were harvesting olives on their land.
* **Bethlehem:** Israeli settlers [broke][14] a number of olive trees belonging to a Palestinian resident in the Abu Njeim area, southeast of Bethlehem.
* **Jenin:** Israeli forces [arrested][15] a Palestinian after raiding and searching homes in Zababdeh, south of Jenin, and detained dozens of Palestinian workers in Barta’a, southwest of the city.
* **Ramallah:** Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, [attacked][16] homes south of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, and stole a vehicle from the outskirts of the village.
* **Over 2,000 Israeli attacks on Palestinians in West Bank in September:** Israeli forces and settlers carried out over 2,000 attacks against Palestinians and their land and property in the month of September in the occupied West Bank, [according][17] to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.
* 1,404 of the attacks were carried out by Israeli military forces and 647 by Israeli settlers, while Ramallah and Al-Bireh recorded the most attacks.
* Settler attacks killed three Palestinians, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed by settlers in 2026 to 29.
* Attacks also damaged 14,600 trees, including 9,334 olive trees.
* **Gaza families bury 105 Palestinians nearly three years after Israeli massacre:** Hundreds gathered in Gaza City on Thursday for the mass funeral of 105 Palestinians killed on October 25, 2023, when Israeli forces dropped at least 20 bombs on the Al-Taj residential block and surrounding buildings in Yarmouk Square.
* Journalist Mahmoud Haniyeh, whose wife, journalist Doaa Sharaf, and their one-year-old son Obaida were killed in the Israeli attack, held up the child’s belongings. “This is his baby bottle. This is his toy. And that is his shroud. I want to ask the world: What threat did this pose to Israel?” Haniyeh asked.
* Some 8,000 victims remain beneath destroyed buildings across Gaza, Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told Drop Site’s Mohamed Ahmed. Basal called for the entry of equipment and logistical support needed to recover them. “If things remain as they are, we are talking about many years in which these families will remain beneath the rubble.”
* **Watch the dispatch from Mohamed Ahmed [here][18] and [here][19].**
* **Hamas denies Israeli report on rebuilding military capabilities: **Hamas denied an Israeli Channel 12 report claiming the group is accelerating efforts to rebuild its military apparatus, repair tunnels, and continue smuggling operations in Gaza. Spokesperson Hazem Qassem called the report “false” and said it was intended to justify continuing the war and cover up Israeli ceasefire violations.
* Qassem said Hamas remained committed to the ceasefire agreement and urged Trump’s “Board of Peace” to adhere to the ceasefire plan and its associated roadmap, warning that providing Israel with “pretexts” would make the Board “a partner in the crimes committed in Gaza.”
* **Kushner firm holds $1 billion stake in Israeli company invested in Gaza war suppliers: **Jared Kushner’s investment firm is the [largest shareholder][20] in an Israeli financial company with at least $456 million invested in nine firms supplying Israel’s military, CNN reported.
* Kushner’s Affinity Partners holds a 7.4% stake in Phoenix Financial—worth over $1 billion. Phoenix’s holdings include: $265 million in Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms maker, $40 million in Reshef Technologies, which makes fuses for shells used in Gaza, and $68 million in Next Vision, which makes cameras for military drones.
* Phoenix also holds stakes in Caterpillar, whose D9 bulldozers are used by the Israeli military to ethnically cleanse communities in Gaza, other parts of occupied Palestine, and Lebanon.
* Kushner sits on the Board of Peace overseeing Gaza and Trump’s “peace” plan. The White House called the conflict-of-interest concerns a “tired narrative.”
# Lebanon
* **Israeli forces carry out strikes, demolitions and shelling across south Lebanon amid “ceasefire”:**
* **Tyre (Sour) district:** Israeli forces [carried out][21] two air strikes on Al-Mansouri and large explosions in Majdal Zoun on Friday, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. Israeli artillery also shelled Al-Mansouri and Wadi Zibqin.
* **Bint Jbeil district:** Israeli forces [carried out][22] a large explosion in Aitaroun, shelled Beit Yahoun and Wadi al-Salouqi, and fired machine guns toward Hadatha and the outskirts of Bra’shit.
# U.S. News
* **Supreme Court to hear challenge to Trump’s mandatory immigration detention policy:** The Supreme Court [agreed][23] Thursday to hear the Trump administration’s appeal of a 2nd Circuit ruling against a July 2025 DHS policy subjecting millions of immigrants in deportation proceedings to mandatory detention without bond hearings.
* The case, involving Brazilian national **Ricardo Aparecido Barbosa da Cunha**, who was denied a bond hearing after his September 2025 arrest in Massachusetts, will be argued in the court’s new term beginning Monday.
* The policy has sparked more than 73,000 lawsuits—roughly a quarter of all federal civil cases filed this year—and judges have ruled over 4,400 times that detentions under the policy were unlawful, according to analysis from Reuters.
* **South Korea denies finalizing funding for Trump’s Alaska pipeline:** South Korea [pushed back][24] on President Trump’s Oval Office announcement claiming Seoul had committed $54 billion to a long-stalled LNG pipeline in Alaska, with President **Lee Jae Myung** posting that the project “will proceed to working level under the preconditions that 1) its commercial viability is confirmed and 2) it complies with the legal procedures of the Republic of Korea,” and the Korean government issuing a statement saying only that the two countries “have agreed to begin reviewing the project.”
* Trump had made the announcement alongside Republican Alaska Sen. **Dan Sullivan**, who is presently seeking reelection in a contested race. Trump claimed that Sullivan was “totally responsible for this pipeline” and explicitly tied the funding push to Sullivan’s electoral prospects.
* **Trump administration diverts $52M from Europe, Iraq to Latin America:** The Trump administration [defied][25] a hold placed by Sen. **Jeanne Shaheen **(D-N.H.) and Rep. **Gregory Meeks** (D-N.Y.), notifying Congress late Wednesday that it would move forward with diverting $52 million in military assistance originally approved for Slovakia, North Macedonia, Tunisia, and Iraq to Panama, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia instead.
* In a letter to Secretary of State **Marco Rubio**, Shaheen and Meeks said the move violated statutory requirements, noting that the Slovakia and North Macedonia funds came from a Ukraine supplemental bill specifically intended for countries affected by Russia’s invasion.
* The State Department defended the reallocation as consistent with the National Security Strategy’s focus on the Western Hemisphere, saying it would “combat narco-terrorism” and help “secure the Panama Canal.”
* **Microsoft-linked NJ data center ran unpermitted generators for nearly a year, emitting hundreds of tons of pollution:** DataOne, a New Jersey data center with ties to Microsoft that was recently fined $1 million for running unpermitted generators, [operated][26] 62 gas-fired generators for more than 46,000 combined hours starting in July 2025 before state regulators intervened, according to reporting from The Guardian.
* An analysis by Rutgers professor **Xiaomeng Jin** estimated the generators emitted about 140 tons of NOx, a class of dangerous, smog-producing gases, enough to rank DataOne among New Jersey’s top five NOx polluters in 2025.
* The company’s CEO had told a January town hall the site would be “polluting less than a farm.”
* **Trump meme coin firm offers “most exclusive dinner” to top holders, raising fresh ethics concerns**: GetTrumpMemes.com, the firm behind Trump’s “$TRUMP” meme coin, [launched][27] a new competition Wednesday promising its 185 largest coin holders an invitation to a gala “evening with 3 Legends and President Donald J. Trump,” with the top 29 purchasers getting a VIP reception and the top four receiving an 18-karat Trump-branded gold watch.
* Trump has earned $635 million from the meme coin since it was created last year, part of $1.4 billion in disclosed earnings from business ventures in 2025; purchasers of the coin have collectively lost an estimated $4.7 billion, according to the watchdog group Public Citizen.
* **Housing Finance agency guts its own inspector general:** **Bill Pulte**, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, [announced][28] plans to cut staffing at agency’s inspector general office by 70-80% in fiscal year 2027, which staff told Congress would force the office to “discontinue essentially all criminal investigations” and effectively “wind down its operations.”
* The move follows the November removal of the agency’s acting inspector general **Joe Allen** after Democrats had asked him to investigate Pulte’s “troubling and unprecedented politicization” of the agency’s investigative powers against Trump’s perceived political enemies, including Sen. **Adam Schiff** and New York Attorney General **Letitia James**.
* **Treasury releases rules for nation’s first federal school voucher program**: The Treasury Department [released][29] rules Thursday governing the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, the first federally funded school voucher program, which offers taxpayers up to $1,700 in reimbursement for every dollar donated to “scholarship-granting organizations,” which will then pass along the money to families. It is projected to cost $26 billion in lost federal revenue over 10 years.
* States have until January 1 to opt in, with 30 mostly Republican-led states already announcing their intention to join in the program.
* American Federation of Teachers President **Randi Weingarten** urged governors to reject the program, calling it “a poison pill for the 90% of American children who attend public schools.”
* **Senators respond to Collins corruption allegations: **A ProPublica investigation published on September 22 found that the Department of Justice’s public corruption unit, just before it was gutted by President Donald Trump, was circling Maine Republican Senator **Susan Collins** after her campaign solicited illegal contributions from a Hawaii-based defense contractor.
* The company, Navatek, sent $150,000 to Collins’s super PAC through a shell company; $32 million in federal contracts were funneled to the company shortly after.
* Drop Site’s Julian Andreone asked senators on Capitol Hill about this reporting. **His interviews are available [here][30].**
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Eritrea severs diplomatic ties with Ethiopia: **Eritrea [announced][31] Thursday it is breaking diplomatic relations with Ethiopia after Addis Ababa expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats, including the chargé d’affaires, declaring them personae non gratae because they had participated in “activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia’s national security.”
* Eritrea’s foreign ministry called Ethiopia’s accusations “astounding,” countering that “it is Ethiopia which has been pursuing an agenda of incessant hostility” and accusing Addis Ababa of waging war to gain Red Sea access and training Eritrean opposition groups.
* Ethiopia separately expelled an Egyptian diplomat; Egypt reciprocated by expelling an Ethiopian embassy official in Cairo. Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt of backing the opposition alliance, led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, now fighting its federal forces.
* **Ethiopian government-allied force claims to have wiped out TPLF forces in Tigray:** A commander in the Tigray Peace Forces, which is allied with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government, [declared][32] late Thursday that TPLF forces had been “wiped out” from the province as government forces closed in on the regional capital, according to Reuters.
* The TPLF acknowledged federal forces had occupied parts of the region but said his forces would “counter-attack in due course.”
* **U.S. waives human rights conditions for $320 million in aid to Egypt after the country’s “helpful role” in Iran war:** The State Department [waived][33] human rights certification requirements for $320 million in annual military financing to Egypt, citing Cairo’s “helpful role” in the U.S.’s war on Iran, according to a September 21 letter to Congress signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and reported on by Reuters. The memo did not elaborate on the details of that “help.”
* Egypt is the second largest recipient of U.S. military aid in the world, receiving roughly $1.3 billion annually since the 1980s following its 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
* While small portions of aid to Egypt have been withheld in the past, granting a national security waiver to override human rights concerns is now routine. In September 2024, the Biden administration issued a waiver to grant the full $1.3 billion allocation, citing Egypt’s assistance to the U.S. around Israel’s war on Gaza.
* **Brazil’s Lula, Bolsonaro skip final debate ahead of Sunday vote; Supreme Court bomb scare proves false alarm:** Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his rival Flavio Bolsonaro both [skipped][34] a planned TV Globo debate Thursday, the last before Sunday’s first-round presidential election, with Lula instead appearing on a popular podcast and Bolsonaro blaming “censorship imposed by the electoral court” after a ruling barred the broadcaster from leaving Lula’s seat empty onstage. TV Globo said the cancellation stemmed from “legal uncertainty” created by conflicting rulings from Brazil’s electoral and supreme courts.
* Brazilian police also arrested a suspect who tried to jump the Supreme Court’s fences and threw a backpack onto a bus stop, believing that he may have been carrying an explosive. The backpack contained only personal belongings, authorities said, and the man remains in custody.
* **Congo displacement camp abandoned after military raid, heightening fears of Ebola outbreak:** Thousands of residents [fled][35] DRC’s Kigonze camp in the Ituri province, home to about 19,000 displaced people, Congolese and UN officials reported on Thursday, after soldiers searching for weapons entered the site last week and clashes broke out. The camp now lies abandoned, officials said, and a facility where Ebola cases were isolated and treated was burned down.
* Health officials said roughly 1,000 Ebola contacts had been living in the camp, and that roughly a fifth of these have been traced since the exodus began.
* Congo’s Ebola outbreak has recorded over 4,000 deaths, according to the latest figures, making up nearly half of the 8,300 confirmed cases, in the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history.
* **Ousted Sudanese President Bashir, 82, wanted for genocide, needs treatment abroad**: Omar al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan for three decades before being toppled in 2019, has been [transferred][36] from military custody in Merowe to a military-run hospital in Khartoum for medical tests, his lawyer Mohamed Alhassan Alameen told Reuters on Thursday, saying that symptoms he has exhibited require diagnosis and treatment outside Sudan. His family echoed the calls for him to be transported out of the country, and noted that they had not yet received permission to do so; it remains unclear what condition he is suffering from.
* Bashir, who was convicted on charges of corruption and illicit financing after his ouster in 2019, is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide; in addition to these, he faces several open cases in Sudan.
* **Putin rules out ceasefire on long-range strikes, reiterates nuclear threat over Kaliningrad**: Russian President Vladimir Putin [dismissed][37] a ceasefire on long-range strikes with Ukraine at Moscow’s Valdai forum Thursday, calling the idea “simply ridiculous” days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to halt strikes on Russian refineries if Moscow reciprocated on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
* Putin repeated his warning that Russia would deploy “all the weapons at our country’s disposal” if NATO attempted to cut off the Kaliningrad exclave, following a diplomatic note Moscow sent NATO this week threatening nuclear action in such a scenario and cautioned against “the logic of escalating,” in which “increasingly harsh retaliatory measures [lead] to a fatal point of no return.”
* NATO has not made overt threats to sever Russian access to Kaliningrad though recent military exercises near the territory and naval patrols in the Baltic Sea have raised concerns in Moscow.
* In Putin’s speech, he reiterated his preference for ending the war through talks, and for a “neutral Ukraine.” He also suggested that, under a “favorable scenario,” Russia might return the assets of Western companies which it seized at the beginning of the war.
* **Greece pushes EU to allow asylum suspensions during migration emergencies**: Greece [urged][38] the European Union to let member states temporarily suspend asylum applications during periods of mass migration. The country’s Migration Minister, Thanos Plevris, argued at a meeting of interior ministers in Luxembourg that the bloc’s migration pact, in effect since June, has “not gone far enough” and that emergencies warrant “enhanced border surveillance and suspension of asylum.”
* Plevris was backed by Dutch Migration Minister Bart van den Brink, who argued that recent surges like the July incident in Spain’s Ceuta exclave should be “treated as a border management issue rather than an asylum issue.”
* Ministers also approved a new regulation allowing member states to establish migrant “return hubs” outside the EU, with recent reports suggesting that the “Group of Five” nations (Greece, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Denmark) were considering Rwanda to host such a site.
* **India’s “cockroach” party renews protests, demands election commissioner’s resignation over voter roll dispute:** India’s Gen Z-led Cockroach Janata Party, alongside a separate coalition of student and activist groups, is [staging][39] fresh protests Friday in Mumbai and New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations that his commission manipulated voter rolls to favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party. The commission and government deny the allegations.
* Pressure intensified after India’s Indian Express newspaper reported Kumar’s two deputies had formally raised concerns at least 14 times over the past 10 months regarding revisions to voter lists and the commission’s digital systems.
* The CJP, led by Abhijeet Dipke, gained prominence earlier this year after forcing the resignation of India’s education minister, who was embroiled in a scandal involving leaked exam papers and was blamed for rising unemployment in the country.
* **Hundreds of schools remain closed in France as student protests grow:** Student protests across France over a host of grievances including teacher shortages and dilapidated school buildings, have continued to grow forcing the closure of some 400 schools on Friday.
* Police have cracked down on the protests, arresting nearly 3,000 people, 90% of them minors, [according][40] to France24.
* Around 170 students and 65 staff members—including 40 school principals—have been injured. Over 100 high schools have suffered severe damage.
* Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called a crisis cabinet meeting on Thursday and told ministers to cancel travel plans to deal with the demonstrations.
* **Hungary signals easing opposition to Ukraine’s EU membership:** The Hungarian government said that it [welcomed][41] draft Ukrainian legislation Friday that would strengthen Hungarian-language education for Ukraine’s roughly 100,000 ethnic Hungarians, as part of talks to lift its objections to possible Ukrainian integration into the European Union.
* Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has adopted a less confrontational approach toward Kyiv than predecessor Viktor Orbán, but still conditions support for Ukraine’s EU accession on stronger minority protections.
🎥 **[WATCH][42] **The Morning the U.S. Bombed a School in Iran
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[1]: https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/u-s-sending-third-aircraft-carrier-up-to-10-000-more-troops-to-middle-east-42996f7a
[2]: https://www.axios.com/2026/10/02/patriot-missiles-iran-war-saudi-arabia-qatar
[3]: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-sanctions-target-irans-auto-rail-sectors-after-blockade-chokes-shipping-lanes-2026-10-01/
[4]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2105765837483450438
[5]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2105921812605411332
[6]: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmdx5xw36492o
[7]: https://www.spa.gov.sa/N2690914
[8]: https://x.com/spokespersonyem/status/2105869809833418986
[9]: https://time.com/article/2026/10/01/donald-trump-2026-interview-transcript/
[10]: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/10/politics/us-military-support-saudi-arabia-houthi-iran-yemen
[11]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/2/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B3%D9%81-%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%84-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D8%BA%D8%B2%D8%A9
[12]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/2/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%AB%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B6%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D8%A5%D8%AB%D8%B1-%D9%87%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%85
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[16]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/2/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%84%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89
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[18]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2105785778768904514
[19]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2105779900045017548
[20]: https://x.com/dropsitenews/status/2105716228094620056?s=46
[21]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/566337/%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-2
[22]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/566330/%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%88-%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B0%D8%AA-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%B6%D8%AE%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-2
[23]: https://www.reuters.com/world/us-supreme-court-hear-clash-over-trumps-immigration-detention-policy-2026-10-01/
[24]: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/01/korea-to-trump-we-arent-funding-your-alaska-pipeline-yet-01103594
[25]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/10/01/trump-defies-democrats-diverts-aid-europe-latin-america-instead/
[26]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/27/datacenter-developers-us-pollution-rules
[27]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/trump-meme-coin-dinner-crypto-firm
[28]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/us/politics/bill-pulte-trump-inspector-general.html
[29]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/10/01/treasury-introduces-rules-nations-first-federal-school-voucher-program/
[30]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2105728656102289494
[31]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/1/eritrea-severs-diplomatic-ties-with-ethiopia-in-tit-for-tat-move
[32]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/2/ethiopian-govt-aligned-group-claims-close-to-full-control-of-tigray-region
[33]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/us-waives-rights-conditions-320-million-military-aid-egypt-letter-shows-2026-10-01/
[34]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/2/election-debate-cancelled-in-brazil-bomb-scare-outside-supreme-court
[35]: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/ebola-outbreak-spreads-crowded-displacement-camp-congo-2026-06-12/
[36]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sudans-ousted-president-bashir-sent-khartoum-treatment-lawyer-says-2026-10-01/
[37]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/1/russias-putin-rules-out-ceasefire-with-ukraine-during-speech-in-moscow
[38]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/2/greece-pushes-eu-to-suspend-asylum-during-mass-migration-surges
[39]: https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-cockroach-janata-party-student-groups-protest-demand-poll-chiefs-2026-10-02/
[40]: https://www.france24.com/en/france/20261002-hundreds-of-french-schools-remain-closed-as-student-protests-turn-violent
[41]: https://www.reuters.com/world/hungary-welcomes-ukraines-bill-strengthening-hungarian-minority-rights-2026-10-02/
[42]: https://youtu.be/9OmK0oeq5fc?si=BwYj4GFvg_i3exI0
[43]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/palestinian-journalist-israeli-megiddo-prison-jenin-mujahed-saadi
[44]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/uae-alp-services-muslim-brotherhood
[45]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[46]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[47]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[48]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/us-carrier-iran-putin-russia-ukraine-kaliningrad-mass-funeral-gaza

2026-10-02 14:48:24 UTC

Michigan Republican Tom Barrett Is Now Sour On Trump’s War in Iran—But Still Took Plenty of Defense Cash
Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI) departs the office of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) on August 31, 2026 in Washington, DC. Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images.
While Republican Rep. Tom Barrett has been actively working to distance himself from President Donald Trump and the administration’s unpopular war in Iran, defense industry PACs and executives have poured more than $58,000 into Republican Rep. Tom Barrett’s bid for reelection in Michigan’s 7th district. He has also been on the happy end of at least a million dollars in super PAC support from Trump.
Barrett broke with Trump over the Iran war in May after he repeatedly voted to support the war. In April, [he cast a tie-breaking vote][1] to defeat a war powers resolution aimed at ending it. The measure failed 214-213.
Of the nearly $60,000 Barrett has received directly from the defense industry, $38,000 has come from defense contractors like Oracle, Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton and General Dynamics. The congressman notably received $10,000 from Oshkosh Corporation, a military vehicles and systems manufacturer, and $7,000 from SpaceX, Elon Musk’s aerospace giant, which provides the Department of War with missile tracking and launch services and satellite communications.
But Barrett, set to face off against Democratic challenger Will Lawrence in November, has also received significant donations from defense industry CEOs individually. Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar donated $7,000 to the Republican incumbent’s campaign, while Anduril CEO Palmer Luckey donated $5,500 and General Atomics CEO Neal Blue chipped in a humble $4,996 of his own fortune.
The financial support from corporations profiting massively throughout the Iran War has not stopped the congressman from switching to vote in favor of Iran WPRs, joining Democrats and a few Republicans on all four introduced since the middle of May.
Barrett has also made a concerted rhetorical attempt as of late to highlight distance between his purported position on the war and the president’s. He has said, for instance, that the U.S. “cannot be dragged into another endless war” and that, “There’s a growing number of members that are having concerns about the growing nature of this without any congressional authorization.” He has also called for “clearly defined” missions and end dates for the conflict.
Nevertheless, Barrett accepted defense industry contributions as recently as the last week of June, after a number of these comments were made and votes were cast.
Approached for comment on whether Barrett’s relationship with defense contractors and industry executives could inhibit his ability to materially oppose the Iran War in the next Congress, a spokesperson dismissed the premise out of hand.
“One has nothing to do with the other,” Jason Roe, a Barrett spokesperson, said.
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[1]: https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2026/roll114.xml
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https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/michigan-republican-tom-barrett-defense-industry

2026-10-02 12:26:49 UTC

Video: The Morning the U.S. Bombed a School in Iran
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A view from inside the destroyed Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school, which was struck by U.S. cruise missiles, in Minab, Iran. Photo by Atta Kenare / AFP via Getty Images.
In the opening hours of the war against Iran, on February 28, 2026, the U.S. military fired Tomahawk cruise missiles directly at a school in the southern city of Minab. At least 156 people were killed that morning at Shajareh Tayyebeh school—120 of them were children and 26 were teachers. It will go down in history as one of the gravest war crimes committed by the U.S. government since Vietnam.
Drop Site News conducted a two-month investigation into the strike, speaking with survivors, first responders, parents, doctors, teachers, psychologists, and other witnesses. Some of them had never before shared their experiences of that day. This is their story.
**Read the full investigation here: [Massacre at Minab: The School That Became a Grave][2]. **
**Watch below:**
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https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/minab-iran-bombing-school-massacre-video

2026-10-02 01:41:57 UTC

Cruelty, Deprivation, Indignity: My 22 Months in Israeli Prison
*The first story I commissioned for Drop Site News in September 2024 was about a brutal Israeli military operation on the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank. I reached out to Palestinian journalist Mujahed al-Saadi for coverage from the ground on the targeting of Jenin’s hospitals by Israeli troops. A reporter from Jenin who has covered the region since 2012, Al-Saadi was no stranger to the dangers of working as a journalist in Palestine. In 2022, he was just a few feet away from his friend and colleague Shireen Abu Akleh, the legendary Al Jazeera correspondent, when an Israeli sniper shot and killed her.*
*A couple of weeks after we published his [dispatch][1], Al-Saadi was [abducted][2] from his home in Jenin by Israeli forces and thrown into administrative detention, where he was held without charge or trial for nearly two years. He was released on July 14, 2026.*
*Barely a month after his release, he filed a video [dispatch][3] for Drop Site about an Israeli airstrike on a building near his home that killed three Palestinians. The report marked Al-Saadi’s first time back in the field after being released from prison. “The first experience today is the most difficult, as reporting information and news is intertwined with confronting the occupation for the first time,” he said. “But this is the reality I am reporting, and I am trying to convey it for the first time after my release from the occupation’s prisons.”*
*Nearly 40 Palestinian journalists are currently imprisoned by Israel, the majority of them in administrative detention.*
*We asked Al-Saadi to write about his harrowing experience in Israeli prison. Below is that account. It is the first in a two-part series. The second, to be published in the coming days, is about Al-Saadi returning to Jenin to find the refugee camp there destroyed by the Israeli military and all of its residents displaced.*
*— Sharif Abdel Kouddous*
Drop Site is a reader-funded, independent news outlet. Without your support, we can’t operate. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber or making a [501(c)(3) tax-deductible donation today][4].
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Mujahed Al-Saadi reporting from Jenin on September 8, 2024, less than two weeks before his arrest by Israeli forces. Photo courtesy of Mujahed Al-Saadi.
*Story by Mujahed Al-Saadi*
JENIN, occupied West Bank—Just after midnight on September 19, 2024, a large Israeli military force arrived in the city of Jenin and raided my home in the Al-Saada neighborhood, west of the city. It marked the beginning of what would be a 22-month ordeal of imprisonment for me.
The sounds of explosions filled the air as occupation forces threw concussion grenades and broke down the doors of my house. They moved quickly. Within the first moments of their arrival, I was severely beaten in front of my family. I was then blindfolded and my hands bound. Israeli soldiers searched the house and confiscated my journalistic equipment, including cameras, electronic accessories, and mobiles.
The soldiers hurled insults and obscenities at me, and continued beating me while I was shackled inside their military vehicle. They drove me to a military base west of Jenin, known as Salem Camp, where I spent a full day and night out in the open, without food or water. This was where the opening chapter of my imprisonment began.
Since October 7, 2023, the occupation’s prisons, which are overseen by National Security Minister Itmar Ben-Gvir, have become graveyards for the living. Prisoners are subjected to various forms of abuse, including starvation, humiliation, and deliberate killing through a policy of medical neglect. The number of Palestinians detained by occupation forces since October 7 has topped 25,000, with nearly 10,000 currently behind bars, compared with just over 5,000 prisoners before.
The following day, I was next taken to Megiddo Prison, located near the city of Jenin. I arrived there at 3 a.m. Incoming prisoners are welcomed with severe beatings—this is the ritual and the first stage of being admitted into the prison. I was beaten on sensitive parts of my body, then stripped of all my clothes and given poor quality and foul smelling clothing. All my belongings were taken from me, including my ring and my watch.
Megiddo prison consists of 10 sections. Each section contains 16 cells, with 10 prisoners held in each cell, in a space no larger than 20 square meters (around 215 square feet). At the end of each cell, there is a single bathroom shared by the 10 prisoners.
I was taken into one of the cells and thrown onto the floor. I spent the first night without a mattress or a blanket. A day later, I was given a thin mattress that reeked—it was probably more than 10 years old. This was how the ritual of abuse and torture began, with prisoners deprived of even their most basic rights.
There was hardly any food given to us. The morning meal consisted of no more than 50 grams of yogurt, a few small pieces of cucumber or tomato, and three slices of bread. Meals like this were distributed to all the prisoners. This was the first thing I was given to eat in the 48 hours since my arrest.
Lunch consisted of no more than 30 grams of rice and around 50 grams of legumes, such as chickpeas. The food was served cold. Dinner was just as meager: no more than one egg, 10 grams of hummus, and a few slices of bell pepper.
I weighed 89 kilograms when I was arrested and 59 kilograms when I was released—I lost nearly a third of my weight during my imprisonment.
Since October 7, 2023, the occupation has both reduced the amount of food provided to prisoners and shut down the “cantina,” or “market,” inside each prison section where detainees used to be able to buy personal hygiene products as well as some food and canned goods they could take into the kitchen and prepare themselves.
Some prisoners would save their breakfast, lunch, and dinner and eat all three together as a single meal—just so they could feel full.
An adult male typically needs between 1,500 and 2,000 calories a day, but the three meals we were given amounted to no more than 5% of that. And that’s not to mention the poor quality of the food.
Personal hygiene items were also taken away or withheld from us, including toothbrushes, razors, and nail clippers, along with other basic personal cleaning supplies. My first shower was a full 15 days after my arrest, when I received my first 30-gram packet of shampoo. We would receive just one shampoo packet per week for bathing or any other use. Deprivation of basic hygiene products led to some 95% of prisoners contracting scabies, a skin condition that spread because of poor hygiene, a severe shortage of cleaning supplies, and a lack of clothing. The shortage of clothes was so severe that prisoners were often forced to share.
Scabies is so pervasive and persists for so long in prison, that some prisoners have attempted suicide because of it. Symptoms include rashes that appear all over the body and on sensitive areas, accompanied by constant, distressing itching that prevents prisoners from sleeping or resting. Boils develop that discharge infected blood. Prisoners have also been martyred as a result of systematic medical neglect. One prisoner developed boils on his body near his heart—they burst, causing internal bleeding and infection inside his body.
Before October 7, the number of prisoners with medical files in the occupation’s prisons did not exceed 100. Today, all prisoners have medical files and are in need of intensive treatment. There are also prisoners with heart disease and diabetes, and others who need urgent operations and immediate surgical intervention, but the occupation delays their treatment.
Over 90 Palestinian prisoners have died in Israeli prisons since October 2023, many of them from deliberate medical neglect, which includes the withholding of basic medications. In Megiddo, a single Acamol painkiller tablet—if any were available at all—would be shared by more than 10 prisoners who would grind it up and dissolve it in water.
The raids and abuse practiced against me and all the prisoners were carried out through more than five units, including a unit called Dror, assigned after October 7 to the occupation’s prisons to suppress and humiliate prisoners and search their cells.
Today, inside in the occupation’s prisons, even an empty plastic bag, kept by prisoners to store their meager bread rations to prevent it from drying out and spoiling, is considered a prohibited item. A prisoner can be singled out for abuse if a single-use plastic cup is found in his possession. If a prisoner raises the call to prayer aloud, or just practices religious worship inside the cell, this unit is brought in to suppress, beat, and abuse him.
One evening at around 8 p.m., the Dror unit raided my cell in section 9 of Megiddo Prison. They searched the room and beat us. Then they took us outside in the frigid night, stripped us of our clothes, and threw us on the ground. They left us there for more than two hours, our bodies absorbing all that cold. We were forced to lie on our stomachs with our hands shackled behind our backs, our faces at the section’s sewage drain. The stench was unbearable.
After they ransacked the room, they poured shampoo and cold water over our clothes, mattresses, and blankets. When we were taken back into the room, it smelled filthy because they had left garbage on the clothes and soaked everything with water. This was one of the forms of abuse practiced against us. It was a day I will never forget. That night, we all slept on the bare iron beds, without mattresses or blankets. Even the window in the room was left open without glass, leaving us exposed to the winter cold.
Over the past three years, the occupation has imprisoned thousands of Palestinians, with the total at one point reaching over 10,000 prisoners. Many are administrative detainees, held under what is known as the Emergency Administrative Detention Law, which has been used in Palestine since the British Mandate era, and allows authorities to imprison Palestinians indefinitely without charge or trial.
I was transferred to administrative detention 72 hours after my arrest. I was detained for six months, an arbitrary detention without a clear charge, based on the claim that I posed a security threat, even though I was just working as a journalist, covering events in the city of Jenin and across the West Bank. After the first six month detention period ended, my administrative detention was renewed a second, third, fourth, and fifth time, until I had spent 22 months in the occupation’s prisons without charge and without any evidence of what the occupation claimed. With the arbitrary extensions, the prisoner does not know when he will be released, increasing the bitterness of detention and the difficulty of adapting to the prison’s conditions. This is how the occupation holds dozens of journalists behind bars.
As for military courts that prosecute Palestinians in the West Bank, there are two: the first is Ofer military court, near the city of Ramallah, and the other is Salem military court, west of Jenin.
Another form of torture and deprivation is the lack of communication with prisoners’ families and restrictions on lawyers visits. Prisoners’ families have to obtain a permit from the Supreme Court approving a private lawyer’s visit to the prisoner—this is the only way to communicate and get some reassurance for both the prisoner and his family.
But the visit costs the prisoner more than 700 shekels (about $230) and lasts only five minutes. Worse still, the prisoner is taken out of the cell at 6 a.m. and waits until three in the afternoon sitting on his knees, blindfolded, and with his hands shackled behind his back. There can be as many as 30 prisoners waiting at one time. Each prisoner is taken out to speak with the lawyer. On rare occasions, a visit may last 10 minutes. This is not enough time to exchange information and news about the prisoner and his family.
During one of my lawyer’s visits, I was taken out of the cell at 6 a.m. I was beaten by the guards, my hands were shackled behind my back, and I was blindfolded. There were around 20 other prisoners waiting in the room with me. When my turn came, they removed my restraints and the blindfold from my eyes. I quickly sat down on the chair across from the lawyer. He was visibly shocked by my appearance, which had completely changed from the photos my wife had sent him on his phone. He stared at me in disbelief. This was after nearly six months of detention.
After I had been sitting in the chair for five minutes, perhaps less, the lawyer told me that my older brother had been [martyred][6] during a raid on the city of Jenin in an attempt to arrest one of the neighbors. He was shot inside his home and died after ambulances were prevented from reaching him to provide medical treatment. I remember that I could not contain myself and broke down, crying heavily. Prison guards then beat me severely all over my body. This is how lawyer visits go.
Under Israeli law, a prisoner has the right to a visit lasting between 30 and 45 minutes. But the occupation continues to deprive prisoners of this right.
Life in prison is filled with cruelty, deprivation, humiliation, and indignity, from the first moment of arrest until the moment of release. When I was finally released, I was taken out of the cell early in the morning and given back my belongings that had been confiscated from me on the first day. I was then brought before the prison directors, who threaten and intimidate every prisoner being released. After that, I was held in a cell for more than three hours until the prisoner transport vehicle arrived. I was then driven to one of the checkpoints closest to the occupied Palestinian territories and let go.
When a prisoner comes out of prison it appears that he has grown old, not only from the lack of food and ill treatment but also psychologically, due to the constant humiliation and deprivation. The prisoner reaches a point where he believes he cannot return to life, to humanity. With no direct contact with his family, he reaches a point where he loses confidence in life beyond prison, he believes the outside to be devoid of life.
I used to think of it as a distant dream: the prison gate opening for me to walk out. Then I remember that I really did make it out of that dark graveyard.
The number of prisoners who have died inside the occupation’s prisons since October 7 is many times greater than the number who died during decades past. I developed health problems in my frail body, specifically issues affecting my thyroid and liver. A number of my body’s functions have been impaired because of the lack of nutrition, the lack of food, and the poor hygiene.
When I was arrested, my youngest daughter, Maria, was six months old. When I returned 22 months later, she was over two years old and she did not accept my presence in the house. It took many attempts and nearly 30 days before she accepted me.
Whomever is released from the occupation’s prisons feels as though he has been given a new life. These prisons are mass graves where prisoners wait for their own deaths to be announced.
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[2]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/journalist-mujahed-al-saadi-arrested
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https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/palestinian-journalist-israeli-megiddo-prison-jenin-mujahed-saadi

2026-10-01 18:55:19 UTC

How the UAE Financed a Plan to Smear American Muslims
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President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Berlin, Germany, on September 10, 2026. Photo by Halil Sagirkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images.
A private intelligence firm working for the United Arab Emirates commissioned a report on American Muslim organizations from a U.S. researcher as part of a campaign aimed at damaging their reputations with allegations of links to the Muslim Brotherhood, according to an archive of leaked documents obtained by Drop Site News.
The commission from the Geneva-based firm Alp Services resulted in a 2018 report produced by Lorenzo Vidino, the author of several books on the Muslim Brotherhood and head of the George Washington Program on Extremism at George Washington University. That report and other documents included in the archive lay out a proposed campaign against Muslim organizations in the United States, aspects of which appear to be ongoing.
Titled “The MB in the US,” Vidino’s report lists the names of dozens of Muslim Americans and civil society groups that he claims are part of a vast and secretive extremist network in the U.S.—including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), the Muslim American Society (MAS), the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations, the charity Islamic Relief USA, along with several organizations, mosques, and individually named activists and religious leaders.
The report does not provide evidence to substantiate Vidino’s allegations. But it effectively created a blacklist of Muslim American organizations and individuals that could be used to damage their reputations with allegations of association with the Muslim Brotherhood, amid an ongoing effort pushed forward in part by the UAE to have the U.S. designate the group as a terrorist organization.
Lorenzo Vidino and Alp Services did not respond to requests for comment. The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to questions.
The broad effort to tie American Muslim groups to the Muslim Brotherhood has continued in the years since Vidino’s report for Alp Services. On August 5, 2026, a Senate Judiciary subcommittee convened a [hearing][3] titled “Hidden in Plain Sight: Confronting the Muslim Brotherhood Network in America.” One of the three witnesses was Lara Burns, a senior research fellow at Vidino’s Program on Extremism, who described CAIR, ISNA, the North American Islamic Trust and the Muslim Students Association as components of a covert Brotherhood and Hamas infrastructure, while citing Vidino’s published work in portions of her written testimony.
## A Covert Defamation Campaign
The UAE has been a major advocate of designating the Brotherhood as a terrorist group in Western countries after the organization won elections in several countries following the 2011 Arab Spring, leading to a perception that it was a threat to the power of the monarchy in Abu Dhabi. That campaign has gradually grown into a broader effort to target political rivals, or even individuals merely seen as suspicious or hostile by the Emirates.
The documents contained in the archive, which was provided by the reporting consortium European Investigative Collaborations, reveal how the smear campaign was intended to come together.
An internal Alp planning memo from July 2017 proposed creating, with Vidino’s help, a “cartography” of alleged Muslim Brotherhood and Qatari influence networks in both the U.S. and Europe. That proposed map would encompass charities, lobbyists, media outlets, academics, political supporters, banks, investors, and businesspeople. Alp also contemplated deeper investigations intended to uncover what it called “red flags”—a reference to finding negative personal or professional information and rumors about selected targets.
This photograph taken on April 19, 2024 in Lausanne shows the logo of Geneva-based private intelligence company ALP Services. Photo by Fabrice Coffrini / AFP via Getty Images.
In February 2018, Alp secured approval for an operation code-named “Arnica 6” that would ultimately turn some of the investigations into covert reputational and financial pressure campaigns. The action plan proposed hostile media placements, providing unattributed briefings to trusted journalists, negative Wikipedia editing about targets, submissions of derogatory information to regulatory compliance databases, and discreet political lobbying.
Some details of Alp’s European activities on behalf of the UAE were previously [reported][4] by the New Yorker, which described efforts to target a commodities trader named Hazim Nada, as well as Muslim organizations in Europe. The accusation of association with the Muslim Brotherhood, spread by Alp Services through anonymously posted online articles and Wikipedia entries, ruined Nada’s business and reputation while generating millions of euros in revenue for the firm.
The New Yorker noted that Mario Brero, the head of Alp Services, whose primary client on the project was an Emirati research institution reporting to UAE leader Mohammed bin Zayed, asked Vidino to find “‘interesting elements/rumours’ on the other side of the Atlantic,” but did not provide specifics on any follow-up efforts to identify or target Americans or U.S.-based organizations.
On May 12, 2018, Vidino transmitted a series of documents to Alp over WhatsApp, including his report on the Muslim Brotherhood in America and supporting memos on Muslim organizations in Chicago and groups linked to the Turkish government.
The Brotherhood report was sent as a Microsoft Word file that includes metadata indicating that Vidino was the author. Other documents suggest that the proposed fee for producing this report was 2,000 euros.
The report mapped a wide swath of Muslim American civic life, including registered, well-established organizations that he claimed comprised a covert Muslim Brotherhood network in America.
Vidino did not provide evidence that the listed individuals or organizations were part of the Muslim Brotherhood or any other transnational organization, but asserted they were “spawns” of the movement and represented its “centers of gravity” in the United States.
By July 2018, Alp had transformed Vidino’s material into a polished report intended for its client, an Emirati entity called ARIAF Studies and Research LLC. Alp also assembled a separate package of documents for an August 8 meeting with Matar Humaid al-Neyadi, an Emirati official who appears elsewhere in the archive as the client contact for Arnica and currently serves as the UAE’s ambassador to Kuwait. Al-Neyadi did not respond to a request for comment.
Lorenzo Vidino attends a press conference at Palazzo Chigi on January 5, 2017 in Rome, Italy, to explain the his research on radicalization. Photo by Camilla Morandi - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images.
## Targeting Civil Society Groups
Prior to joining the GWU program, Vidino worked worked for the Investigative Project on Terrorism, a research organization founded by Steve Emerson, a controversial “terrorism expert” who has been accused of spying on American Muslim organizations and falsely claiming that major cities in Europe had become “no-go zones” under the control of Muslim immigrants. Vidino has remained influential as an expert commentator in the United States.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed in early August, Vidino [wrote][5] that the Trump administration must begin targeting what he referred to as non-violent “Islamist” groups, claiming that such groups were already operating in “politics, education and grassroots activism,” and that “Islamist actors are funding politically aligned candidates in U.S. elections nationwide.” The article did provide any evidence for the claims or specify what it defined as “Islamist actors.”
A previous target of Vidino and Alp Services in Europe was an Austrian scholar now living in the U.S. named Farid Hafez. After rumors of his association with the Brotherhood were spread by Alp and later shared with Austria’s intelligence services, Hafez’s home was raided by Austrian police in November 2020. He was later cleared of any wrongdoing and the operations themselves were later found to be unlawful by Austrian courts.
“Vidino never really says something specific like this person is a Muslim Brotherhood person, but instead uses the strategy of saying that those people have a relationship with other people who themselves have a relationship to the Brotherhood,” said Hafez, who added that Vidino’s reports predominantly relied on secondary sources. “There was never really a clear statement that someone could nail him down over in a courtroom, because he never really said anything too specific in his accusations, and that was really the strategy.”
Vidino’s report for Alp claimed that despite having no visible organizational structure, the Muslim Brotherhood’s American branch is “arguably one of the largest and best organized in the West,” claiming that it had established itself with the arrival of Muslim college students to the country in the 1960s and has continued expanding its influence through a web of connected political, financial, and educational organizations.
In addition to laying out the names and personnel associated with the largest and most well-known Muslim organizations in the U.S., the report also sets the stage for a broader possible crackdown on mosques in general by targeting an organization called the North American Islamic Trust, which holds the deeds to hundreds of American mosques.
A short section devoted to charities also lists a number of charity organizations including Islamic Relief USA, the Zakat Foundation of America, Life for Relief and Development and Anera, a group that helps refugees in Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan.
Islamic Relief, a UK-headquartered charity that operates in disaster zones around the world, was also the target of a separate campaign funded by the UAE, code-named “Crocus,” which was aimed at associating the organization with an American Muslim scholar named Yasir Qadhi, according to the documents.
The documents in the archive from Alp related to the Crocus campaign cite a number of British press reports about Qadhi from 2017, quoting his past statements about Islamic criminal punishments, homosexuality, and Shia Muslims; describing him as a “radical preacher”; and noting that some of his social media posts had been shared by Islamic Relief employees. Qadhi had previously renounced some of his earlier views and has been defended by the charity as an opponent of terrorism. Islamic Relief has continued to be regularly targeted by social media campaigns led by UAE-backed online influencers.
The report on American Muslims supplied by Vidino also included a section on alleged Turkish government influence in the U.S., including ties between Turkish officials and several American Muslim organizations and individuals. The Turkish government has also been a rival of the UAE in recent years after the two countries found themselves on opposite sides of the Arab Spring.
American Muslim activists who were named by Vidino denied the accusations contained in the dossier, describing them as political attacks aimed at trying to exclude them from political life.
“These are tactics that have been used against us for all these years to marginalize us and exclude us from politics. They are worried about losing their grip and monopolizing the American political scene,” said Salam Al-Marayati, president and co-founder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). “If they can’t win the argument—which they lose every time, particularly on foreign policy—their reaction is that these are wolves in sheep’s clothing, this is a Trojan horse, we are the Muslim Brotherhood.”
## Extremist Accusations
For her August appearance before the Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on the Muslim Brotherhood, Laura Burns submitted written testimony describing CAIR, ISNA, the North American Islamic Trust, and the Muslim Students Association as components of a covert Brotherhood and Hamas infrastructure.
Another witness, Arielle Klepach of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, accused a still wider network that included CAIR, ICNA, ISNA, MAS, MSA and NAIT of being secret extremist groups and cited a series of Vidino’s published reports. Klepach urged lawmakers to use financial and legal pressure against CAIR in particular, pointing to bills to strip the organization of its tax-exempt status, designate it as a terrorist organization, and investigate its alleged foreign ties.
Other efforts to crack down on Muslim participation in American public life have included proposed legislation and executive orders. A bill called the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, sponsored by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) would require annual government reports identifying Brotherhood branches and evaluating them for terrorist designation and sanctions. A separate bill introduced by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) would designate CAIR as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organization, freeze its assets, revoke its tax exemption and prohibit Americans from dealing with it.
In November 2025, Trump signed an executive order directing the State and Treasury departments to [begin][6] the process of designating certain Muslim Brotherhood branches, including those in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, as terrorist organizations.
That same month, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation to designate both CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations and said the designation would prohibit them and their alleged affiliates from acquiring land in Texas. Gov. Ron DeSantis [announced][7] on September 29 that Florida had officially designated the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR, and “antifa” as terrorist organizations.
These efforts have continued to be supported not only by pro-Israel organizations, but also Emirati officials who have pressed forward with an ambitious strategy of using their influence in the U.S. and Europe to wield terrorism accusations against their political rivals, using alleged ties to the Brotherhood as a preferred tactic. In January 2026, its foreign ministry welcomed the Trump administration’s designation of Brotherhood branches in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, while Roy’s proposed legislation against CAIR explicitly cites the UAE’s own 2014 designation of the organization.
“The unfortunate fact is that the UAE has come to play a destabilizing role in the Middle East and in relation to Arab and Muslim communities in the West,” said Osama Abu Irshaid, national director for American Muslims for Palestine, who is also named along with his organization in the Vidino and Alp documents. “They are not doing it because they truly believe we are an extension of the Muslim Brotherhood in the U.S. or EU, but because they feel that their interests are threatened, because we calling for freedom and liberty and are succeeding in our aspirations for integration, and they fear this may one day translate into foreign policy pressure on them to cease their repression across the the region.”
“There is nothing that would substantiate their claims. We are American organizations, we are American citizens, and we have the right to come together to organize politically. Everything we are doing is in public and there are no secrets,” Irshaid added. “They want to demonize us and derail our agenda, but the claim that we are part of a grand conspiracy is simply a big lie.”
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[1]: https://givebutter.com/dsn-substack
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[3]: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-activity/hearings/hidden-in-plain-sight-confronting-the-muslim-brotherhood-network-in-america-08-05-2026
[4]: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/04/03/the-dirty-secrets-of-a-smear-campaign
[5]: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-islamist-threat-isnt-only-terrorism-4a8d8ff2?mod=e2two
[6]: https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/11/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-begins-process-to-designate-certain-muslim-brotherhood-chapters-as-foreign-terrorist-organizations-and-specially-designated-global-terrorists/
[7]: https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2104951116077191236
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https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/uae-alp-services-muslim-brotherhood

2026-10-01 14:25:20 UTC

Israel kills another Palestinian journalist; Bolivian attorney general detained; Entire newsroom arrested in Egypt
Bolivia’s Government Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo (2nd-L) speaks during a press conference to announce the dismantling of a criminal organization that allegedly operated from within a high-level state institution, in La Paz on October 1, 2026. Photo by Aizar Raldes / AFP via Getty Images.
**Thursday, October 1, 2026 –***** ***
**Iran**: Iranian President says Tehran will pursue U.S. dialogue. Tehran rejects report U.S. ordered its UN delegation to leave New York. UK says there are “strong indications” Iran played role in RAF Fairford incident. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims six militants killed in southeastern Iran.
**Yemen**: Saudi-backed forces, Ansarallah report strikes in Taiz and Saada.
**Palestine**: Israeli attacks continue as 105 bodies recovered from Gaza City rubble are buried. Israeli strike kills Palestinian journalist in Gaza, bringing journalist death toll to 263. Israeli settlers attack Palestinians, steal olive harvest across the occupied West Bank.
**Lebanon**: Israeli attacks continue across south Lebanon despite U.S.-brokered agreement. Lebanon documents suspected Israeli war crimes. Syria and Hezbollah hold first known face-to-face talks in Turkey.
**U.S.**:** **U.S. economy grew 2.2% in Q2, upgraded from earlier estimate. Tennessee botches second execution this year, governor halts all remaining 2026 executions. War Secretary Pete Hegseth announces new drone command, 20 percent cut to generals in “State of the Force” speech. Federal Trade Commission launches investigation into OpenAI, Anthropic over AI safety. ICE briefly published, then removed, internal reports showing medical failures in 33 detainee deaths. Department of Justice files ethics complaint against nearly all Minnesota federal judges over immigration-surge comments. Senate confirms Keith Sonderling as Labor Secretary. Sen. Josh Hawley introduces bill to regulate Flock cameras, AI surveillance. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reports over $250 million in income from 2025. Judge rules U.S. can deport Milwaukee Muslim leader on national security grounds. South Africa summons U.S. Ambassador for third time over “undiplomatic conduct.” French court sentences 13 to
prison over 2021 Channel crossing that killed 31 migrants.
**International**:** **Bolivian attorney general detained days after U.S. revoked his visa over alleged drug trafficking ties. Pakistan says strikes killed 22 fighters in Afghanistan; Kabul claims civilian deaths. Russia warns NATO it would use nuclear weapons if alliance blocks Kaliningrad. Brazil briefs French, German officials on alleged U.S. and Russian election interference. Gunmen kill 7 on Syrian bus; gas pipeline blast knocks out three power plants. Iraqi armed group suspends military operations after U.S. troop withdrawal. China builds new military facility in Laos, possibly first full People’s Liberation Army base in Southeast Asia. Norway’s parliament probes Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, 10 others over links to Jeffrey Epstein. Hong Kong journalist arrested on sedition charge over 2019 police clash coverage. MI5 warns UK academics to sever ties with Chinese research group over alleged spying. Rwanda open to hosting EU migrant transfer facilities, lawmakers say. Entire
newsroom arrested in Egypt in significant press crackdown.
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Iran
* **Iranian President says Tehran will pursue U.S. dialogue: **Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would continue pursuing dialogue with the United States despite repeated attacks during negotiations. “We have never avoided dialogue and will not do so, although the United States targeted our country three times,” Pezeshkian said, adding that Iran was also seeking to expand land-based trade with Pakistan, Iraq, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan amid “restrictions at sea.”
* Separately, President Donald Trump [told][1] Time that Iran had made an offer concerning reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but said what he had seen was “simply not enough.” Trump said renewed U.S. attacks after the midterm elections were possible, adding: “What I rejected a year ago, I will not agree to today. Iran could be destroyed, and that’s possible.”
* **Tehran rejects report U.S. ordered its UN delegation to leave New York:** Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the Iranian delegation [left][2] New York on Monday evening according to a prearranged schedule that had been communicated to the U.S. State Department on September 17, Iran’s UN mission said.
* The statement came after Axios, citing a source, reported that the U.S. had asked the Iranian delegation to leave New York, while also reporting that Araghchi had already been scheduled to return to Tehran on Monday evening. Iran’s mission called the claim “baseless and worthless.”
* **UK says there are “strong indications” Iran played role in RAF Fairford incident:** The government [believes][3] Iran played a role in an incident at RAF Fairford that led to the arrest of five UK nationals, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said, but provided no further details or evidence for the claim.
* Araghchi rejected the allegation, saying the UK was “barking up the wrong tree.”
* The five men, aged between 23 and 25, were arrested Sunday after police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the base. Police said petrol was found during searches of the vans but no explosives. All five were later released on bail.
* RAF Fairford has been used by U.S. bombers operating in the Middle East in recent months after the UK approved a U.S. request to use the base for strikes on Iran.
* **IRGC claims six militants killed in southeastern Iran:** Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [said][4] Thursday its forces killed six people in an operation against a group it alleged was planning an attack in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
* The IRGC’s Quds Base described those killed as members of a “Takfiri terrorist group” and claimed explosive devices were found during the operation.
# Yemen
* **Saudi-backed forces, Ansarallah report strikes in Taiz and Saada:**
* **Taiz, southwestern Yemen:** Saudi-backed forces carried out six airstrikes on Ansarallah positions in Al-Akboosh and on fronts in Haifan district, the government forces said.
* Saudi airstrikes also targeted Al-Kadhah, Al-Barh, and telecommunications infrastructure in Haifan, according to Ansarallah-run Al-Masirah.
* **Saada, northern Yemen:** Six Saudi airstrikes hit south of Saada city, three targeted Sahar district, and missile attacks struck Haydan district, according to Al Masirah. Two civilians were also wounded by a munition dropped from a Saudi drone in Marran, the outlet reported.
* **Lahj, southern Yemen:** Saudi-backed forces repelled what they described as a “large-scale” Ansarallah attack across the Tur Al-Bahah axis, the axis’s media center said, claiming its forces had “eliminated all its attacking formations” without providing further details.
# Palestine
* **Killed and wounded in Gaza:** Over the past 24 hours, eight Palestinians were killed and 26 injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
* The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is now 74,040 killed, with 175,168 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,439 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,052, while 834 bodies have been recovered.
* **Israeli attacks continue as 105 bodies recovered from Gaza City rubble are buried:** Several Palestinians were [injured][5] on Thursday when an Israeli drone targeted Al-Mawasi in Khan Younis, WAFA reported.
* In Gaza City, the remains of 105 Palestinians recovered from beneath 16 residential buildings in the Yarmouk area bombed on October 25, 2023 were buried in a mass funeral on Thursday. The recovered bodies included 37 children and 38 women.
* More than 8,000 bodies remain beneath rubble across the Strip, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense.
* **Israeli strike kills Palestinian journalist in Gaza, bringing journalist death toll to 263:** Palestinian journalist Mohammed Abdul Aziz al-Najjar was [killed][6] Wednesday in an Israeli strike on his hometown of Khuza’a, east of Khan Younis, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office, which said his death brought the number of journalists killed by Israeli forces in Gaza to 263. Al-Najjar, a father of three, was returned to his family without his head, according to reports from Gaza.
* **Israeli settlers attack Palestinians, steal olive harvest across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Salfit:** Two Palestinians were [wounded][7] by live fire during a settler attack on homes in Yasuf, east of Salfit, on Thursday, according to WAFA. A 50-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and another person was wounded by a bullet fragment in the waist. Israeli forces, who were present during the attack, detained several Palestinians and obstructed an ambulance by taking its key and throwing it away.
* **Jenin:** Israeli settlers [stole][8] olives from Palestinian-owned land in Kafr Ra’i, Faqqu’a, Deir Abu Da’if, Ya’bad and other areas near Israeli settlements, as the annual picking season gets underway, WAFA reported.
* **Nablus:** Settlers [attacked][9] Palestinian farmers picking olives in Odala, south of Nablus, and prevented them from harvesting in the village’s plains.
* **Ramallah and Al-Bireh:** Settlers [stole][10] olives from Palestinian land in Al-Mughayyir under the protection of Israeli forces. Confrontations broke out as residents attempted to confront the settlers. In Umm Safa, settler bulldozers razed Palestinian land in Wadi Al-Zaytoun and near the village cemetery.
# Lebanon
* **Israeli attacks continue across south Lebanon despite U.S.-brokered agreement:**
* **Nabatieh:** Israeli warplanes [struck][11] the outskirts of Zawtar Al-Sharqiyah on Thursday, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. Overnight, Israeli warplanes also struck the outskirts of Zawtar Al-Sharqiyah, while Israeli artillery intermittently shelled the Ali Al-Taher heights.
* **Tyre (Sour):** Israeli forces [demolished][12] several homes in Al-Mansouri on Thursday. Israeli warplanes also struck Al-Mansouri.
* **Bint Jbeil:** Israeli forces [opened machine-gun fire][13] toward Haddatha on Thursday as Israeli military vehicles moved through the town.
* **Lebanon documents suspected Israeli war crimes:** Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2, 2026, included suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity involving attacks on civilians, journalists, medical personnel, and infrastructure, as well as widespread destruction and forced displacement, according to a more than 200-page [report][14] compiled by Lebanon’s National Committee for International Humanitarian Law and submitted to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
* The report, according to the New Arab, documents, among other cases, the April 22 killing of journalist Amal Khalil, the April 8 bombardment that killed more than 303 people and wounded over 1,200, and widespread destruction in southern Lebanon, including Bint Jbeil.
* The report comes despite Lebanon agreeing under the June 26 framework ceasefire to end “all hostile or harmful actions in international political or legal forums” against Israel.
* **Syria and Hezbollah hold first known face-to-face talks in Turkey:** Syrian government officials and representatives of Hezbollah [secretly met][15] in Turkey last month in an effort to ease tensions, marking the first known face-to-face talks between the longtime foes, Reuters reported.
* The talks, convened at Turkey’s initiative, involved Syrian intelligence and foreign ministry officials and Hezbollah representatives.
* A Syrian official told Reuters that Damascus assured Hezbollah it would not intervene militarily in Lebanon to disarm the group, while asking Hezbollah to help halt cross-border arms smuggling and dismantle alleged remaining cells in Syria.
* Hezbollah representatives reportedly pledged not to interfere in Syrian affairs but did not directly respond to the other requests.
* Iran did not participate, although a Lebanese security source said Hezbollah attended with Tehran’s knowledge and that Iran was disappointed at being excluded from the talks.
# U.S. News
* **U.S. economy grew 2.2% in Q2, upgraded from earlier estimate**: The U.S. economy [grew][16] at a 2.2 percent annual pace from April through June, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday in its final second-quarter estimate, up from a previous 1.5 percent estimate, surprising economists who had expected little revision. Growth decelerated from 2.5 percent in the first quarter.
* Consumer spending, which makes up about 70 percent of economic activity, jumped to a 3.8 percent annual pace from just 0.7 percent in the first quarter, while business investment excluding housing rose 9 percent.
* **Tennessee botches second execution this year, governor halts all remaining 2026 executions:** The governor of Tennessee has halted the state’s remaining executions for the rest of the year after officials were unable to put **Christa Gail Pike** to death on Wednesday. Pike [continued][17] breathing, talking, and snoring for nearly an hour after receiving two rounds of lethal injection drugs, prompting Tennessee to halt the execution and administer emergency medical care to her. Her attorneys said she was taken to a nearby hospital with no update on her condition
* **Robin Maher**, the director of the Death Penalty Information Center, called Wednesday night’s execution “one of the worst botched executions in the modern death penalty era.” Pike’s attorneys had argued that her small veins and a blood disorder created heightened risk of a botched procedure.
* The incident follows a similarly botched May execution attempt of **Tony Carruthers** at the same Nashville prison. Republican Gov. **Bill Lee** halted all remaining 2026 executions after Pike’s failed injection and ordered a third-party review of the incident.
* **Hegseth announces new drone command, 20 percent cut to generals in “State of the Force” speech**: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth [announced][18] at Quantico Wednesday that he is creating a new four-star drone command to oversee autonomous warfare systems, doubling a previous 10 percent reduction in flag and general officer positions to a 20 percent cut, and launching a future-warfare study led by Elon Musk, Newt Gingrich and Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey.
* The new Autonomous Warfare Command, or AutoWarCom, whose inception Hegseth attributed to the “lessons” learned in Ukraine, will be created despite the recent shuttering of a similar command in Europe.
* Hegseth also announced plans for a new Office of Religious Affairs and to build a new military base, inviting all 50 states to compete to host the facility, which he estimated could accommodate up to 25,000 service members.
* **FTC launches investigation into OpenAI, Anthropic over AI safety**: The Federal Trade Commission is [investigating][19] OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI companies over potential safety risks, Axios reported on Wednesday, with FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson preparing civil investigative demands to compel executives to turn over documents and testify.
* The probe has reportedly been underway for weeks, and predates OpenAI’s disclosure that a model it was testing escaped its sandbox and compromised infrastructure belonging to a startup company, Hugging Face.
* **ICE briefly published, then removed, internal reports showing medical failures in 33 detainee deaths:** Internal ICE mortality reviews briefly posted online over the weekend and quickly removed found that the care administered by the agency deviated from “safe practice limit” in 27 of 33 detainee deaths between September 2019 and January 2026, including 11 that occurred since January 2025.
* In one case, 39-year-old **Ismael Ayala-Uribe** died from septic shock after Adelanto Processing Center staff failed to examine his abscess, respond to his complaints, or adequately document his care.
* In another case, 44-year-old **Marie Ange Blaise** died of a heart attack after staff failed to perform CPR despite finding no pulse.
* The full report from the San Francisco Chronicle, which first reported on these reviews, is available [here][20].
* **DOJ files ethics complaint against nearly all Minnesota federal judges over immigration-surge comments**: Attorney General **Todd Blanche** [announced][21] an ethics complaint Wednesday against nearly all federal district judges in Minnesota, alleging that former Chief Judge **Patrick Schiltz, **Judge **John Tunheim** and others violated judicial conduct rules by speaking to the New York Times about the toll of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
* **Senate confirms Keith Sonderling as Labor Secretary: **The Senate [confirmed][22] **Keith Sonderling**, 47-41, as Labor Secretary Wednesday, elevating Sonderling, who had served as acting secretary since April, to the top job.
* Sonderling, a Trump first-term advisor and former Republican EEOC member, succeeds **Lori Chavez-DeRemer**, who left the post following accusations that she abused her position.
* **Sen. Josh Hawley introduces bill to regulate Flock cameras, AI surveillance**: Sen. **Josh Hawley** (R-Mo.) is [introducing][23] the Stop Flock Abuse Act to impose stricter data, security, and search limits on automated license plate readers like Flock cameras.
* The bill would restrict local governments from selling or sharing vehicle data, require data deletion within 10 days absent an active criminal investigation, ban facial recognition on surveillance networks, and mandate written approval and audit logs to prevent unauthorized searches. Data would also need to be encrypted and kept within the U.S.
* **Commerce Secretary Lutnick reports over $250 million in income from 2025:** Commerce Secretary **Howard Lutnick’s** newly released 2025 financial disclosure [shows][24] he reported at least $250 million in income and proceeds.
* The largest part of this was a $192 million “tax distribution” from Cantor Fitzgerald, the financial firm he led for decades before stepping down to join the administration.
* He also disclosed $4.2 million in salary and bonus from the real estate firm Newmark, $19.6 million from a Newmark partnership exchange, $14.1 million from the brokerage BGC Group, and over $5 million from BGC restricted stock units.
* **Judge rules U.S. can deport Milwaukee Muslim leader on national security grounds**: Immigration Judge **Jayme Salinardi **[ruled][25] Wednesday that **Salah Sarsour,** president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee and a prominent Palestinian rights advocate, can be deported on foreign policy grounds, though she rejected the government’s separate claim that he lied on his green card application. The ruling follows Sarsour’s detention in March and a ruling by a federal judge in June ordering his release, which noted that he had made a “substantial” claim that the government had targeted him for his pro-Palestinian activism.
* Sarsour, who called the ruling “deeply disappointing,” said he will appeal and that deportation to the occupied West Bank, where he was born and previously imprisoned by Israel, would “mean the end of my life.” Sarsour’s attorneys say he was tortured and coerced into confessions during his 1988 and 1995 convictions in Israel. Sarsour has lived in the U.S. since 1993.
* During his detention by ICE, Sarsour, who has Type 2 diabetes, lost more than 30 pounds. According to his attorneys, his blood sugar levels were checked only once a month, putting him at risk of organ failure or death.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Bolivian attorney general detained days after U.S. revoked his visa over alleged drug trafficking ties: **Police detained Attorney General Roger Mariaca on Wednesday and [raided][26] the prosecutor’s offices in Sucre.
* Washington imposed visa restrictions on Mariaca and accused him on Monday of accepting bribes to facilitate drug trafficking and help violent criminals evade justice. Mariaca denied the allegations, calling the visa restrictions “interference” and “political pressure” in response to his investigations.
* Mariaca has been involved in [investigations][27] of Trump-linked figures accused of corruption and violent crimes including Argentinian political consultant Fernando Cerimedo who is facing drug-trafficking charges in addition to the charge of attempted murder after allegedly ordering a hit on his former girlfriend Nadia Beller.
* In response to the visa restrictions imposed on Bolivian officials, Beller published a photo showing Cerimedo in a meeting with Donald Trump Junior and MAGA political operator Brad Parscale. She alleged the raid on Mariana’s office was an effort to “disappear” evidence in the Cerimedo case.
* **For more on Cerimedo and President Rodrigo Paz’s effort to distance himself from his onetime key adviser, read Joseph Bouchard’s report for Drop Site [here][28].**
* **Pakistan says strikes killed 22 fighters in Afghanistan; Kabul claims civilian deaths**: Pakistan’s Ministry of Information [said][29] airstrikes based on “credible intelligence” killed at least 22 fighters from the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army at camps and hideouts in Afghanistan, destroying weapons and ammunition caches.
* A spokesman for the Afghan Taliban said the attacks hit Afghanistan’s Kunar and Helmand provinces late Wednesday, and that they killed at least nine people, including women and children, wounded 11 others and destroyed three houses.
* Afghanistan denies harboring armed groups and says recent Pakistani strikes have repeatedly hit civilian homes.
* **Russia warns NATO it would use nuclear weapons if alliance blocks Kaliningrad**: Russia [sent][30] a diplomatic memo to NATO member states Wednesday warning it is prepared to use its “entire arsenal, including nuclear weapons,” if the alliance attempts to blockade the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, claiming it has “information that NATO is preparing an air and naval blockade” of the territory.
* NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called the document “unhelpful” and said Russia should “stop the nuclear threats,” adding that NATO is a defensive alliance and claiming that “Putin knows that he can never win” in a confrontation with the group.
* **Brazil briefs French, German officials on alleged U.S. and Russian election interference**: Brazil’s spy agency Abin [briefed][31] a visiting French and German delegation in Brasilia this month, “confirming the existence of interference from the United States as well as Russia” ahead of Brazil’s Sunday election, according to Reuters.
* The agency alleged that U.S. interference ranged “from lawfare to interference that is openly acknowledged”; no details were given related to the alleged Russian activity. A senior Brazilian cyber official present at the briefing also noted that cyberattacks targeting Brazil’s president’s office have nearly doubled and are “clearly election-related.”
* In [North South Notes][32], philosopher Rodrigo Nunes, political scientist Camila Rocha, journalist Piero Locatelli and organizer Stephanie Weatherbee Brito examine the stakes of the election. Their essays assess the resilience of Bolsonarismo, the growing role of U.S. intervention, the weakening of Brazil’s left, and the challenges facing popular movements.
* **Gunmen kill 7 on Syrian bus; gas pipeline blast knocks out three power plants**: Unidentified gunmen [opened fire][33] on a civilian bus carrying workers home in Homs, Syria, Wednesday, killing at least seven people, Syrian state media reported.
* The shooting came hours after an explosion and fire at a gas pipeline in eastern Ghouta near Damascus knocked the Deir Ali, al-Nasiriyah, and Tishreen power plants offline, with Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir saying the cause of the explosion remains unclear. “It could be a technical malfunction, an attack or an act of sabotage,” he said.
* Wednesday’s explosion was the third such pipeline incident in six weeks, following two earlier blasts the Syrian Petroleum Company attributed to sabotage, with no group claiming responsibility for any of the attacks.
* **U.S. removes Syria from arms export ban:** The U.S. State Department [removed][34] Syria from its ITAR (“International Traffic in Arms Regulations”) arms export denial list in a notice published Wednesday, effective Thursday. Syrian requests to purchase arms from U.S. companies will now be considered on a case-by-case basis.
* Only seven countries—Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, and Venezuela—remain subject to the policy.
* The move follows President Trump’s easing of decades-old sanctions on Syria last year and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s August rescission of Syria’s state sponsor of terrorism designation, part of a broader warming toward President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s government.
* **Iraqi armed group suspends military operations after U.S. troop withdrawal**: Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Iraqi militia and political movement, [announced][35] Wednesday that it was ceasing military activities following the departure of U.S. forces. The withdrawal concludes the U.S.-led military mission in Iraq that began in 2014 to fight the Islamic State.
* The group had previously said it would only discuss giving up its weapons once foreign troops left. Iraq’s government said talks were ongoing to bring armed groups into state institutions, but Kataib Hezbollah’s announcement did not include a commitment to disarm.
* **China builds new military facility in Laos, possibly first full PLA base in Southeast Asia:** China’s defense ministry [announced][36] on Tuesday that the China-Laos Joint Support and Training Center and the China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy are now operational in Ban Keun, on the outskirts of the Laotian capital of Vientiane.
* Satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters appears to show that the center features a newly constructed airfield, which includes a paved runway, a taxiway, an apron, and new buildings. China’s defense ministry said the facility trains air force pilots and is “not directed against any third party.”
* Security scholar Collin Koh wrote on X that the base “may not be wrong to conclude this is the first full-fledged PLA overseas base in Southeast Asia,” distinguishing it from China’s more ambiguous joint training center at Cambodia’s Ream naval base.
* The facility adds to China’s growing overseas military footprint, which already includes a Djibouti base, artificial island facilities in the Spratly Islands, and reported new construction in the disputed Paracel archipelago.
* **Norway’s parliament probes PM Støre, 10 others over Epstein links**: Norway’s Parliament [launched][37] a public hearing Wednesday into 11 current and former senior officials, including Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, over ties to Jeffrey Epstein allegedly revealed in the files released by the U.S. Justice Department in January.
* The scrutiny centers on the diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen, who ran the International Peace Institute and who had numerous ties to the financier. It has been alleged that Rod-Larsen secured an illicit loan from Epstein and helped the financier commit visa fraud for the women he trafficked; Epstein also reportedly left millions to Rod-Larsen’s children in his will.
* The announcement follows recent reporting that the foreign ministry allocated over 130 million kroner ($13.5 million) to the Institute while Rod-Larsen was in charge and while he reportedly was engaged with Epstein.
* Støre, who served as foreign minister while Terje Rod-Larsen ran the IPI, has denied he had any relationship with Epstein.
* **Hong Kong journalist arrested on sedition charge over 2019 police clash coverage**: Hong Kong police [arrested][38] Tang Ho-wing, founder of the outlet Boom News, on Wednesday on suspicion of “incitement by spreading disinformation,” after his outlet posted a video featuring a woman’s account of a 2019 attack at the Prince Edward rail station, where anti-government protesters say police officers killed some in their cohort. Authorities also arrested another person, identified as activist** **Lee Ying-chi by the South China Morning Post, alongside Tang on Wednesday.
* **South Africa summons U.S. Ambassador Bozell for third time over “undiplomatic conduct”**: South Africa’s foreign affairs ministry [summoned][39] U.S. Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III on Tuesday for the third time in his nine-month tenure over what officials described as “undiplomatic conduct,” a South African official told Reuters. The precise cause of the demarche is not known.
* The State Department confirmed that Bozell met with his South African counterparts, claiming that they “discussed bilateral ties” and adding that the U.S. is “not interested in diplomatic manoeuvring, procedural delays or dialogue for dialogue’s sake.”
* The summons comes amid deteriorating relations fueled by President Donald Trump’s repeated unsubstantiated claims that white South Africans face systemic persecution; it also follows the U.S.’s announcement of additional visa restrictions on South Africans two weeks ago.
* **French court sentences 13 to prison over 2021 Channel crossing that killed 31 migrants**: A Paris court [sentenced][40] 13 men on Wednesday for organizing the deadliest small-boat migrant crossing attempt to the UK, with six convicted of involuntary homicide (which carries as many as 10 years in prison) and the remaining seven receiving lesser sentences of up to four years; a 14th defendant was acquitted.
* Prosecutors alleged that the defendants put a vessel to sea that was unfit for the crossing, overloaded the vessel with migrants (primarily Iraqi Kurds), and failed to provide lifejackets for the voyage. The vessel, which attempted a crossing of the English Channel in November 2021, capsized, killing 31 migrants.
* Seven French military personnel remain under investigation for allegedly failing to assist survivors during the incident.
* **MI5 warns UK academics to sever ties with Chinese research group over alleged spying**: Britain’s MI5 [issued][41] a rare public alert Wednesday accusing the China General Technology Research Institute of having “very strong ties” to China’s Ministry of State Security, adding that the group’s “primary purpose” is funding academic research that enhances Chinese espionage capabilities.
* The statement warned that more than 100 UK-based academics working in AI, cybersecurity, covert communications and steganography had been targeted by the group, and told academics that, should they continue accepting CGTRI grants, they could be prosecuted under the UK’s 2023 National Security Act.
* **Rwanda open to hosting EU migrant transfer facilities, lawmakers say**: Rwanda has [held][42] preliminary discussions with some EU member states about potentially hosting facilities for migrants transferred from Europe, European Parliament lawmakers Tineke Strik and Anna Strolenberg said Wednesday after a visit to Kigali, though no agreements have been reached.
* An EU official told Reuters that Rwanda is among the countries being considered by the “Group of Five”—Germany, Austria, Greece, Denmark, and the Netherlands—which announced earlier this month they aim to establish migrant “return hubs” outside the EU this year.
* Rwanda has increasingly positioned itself as a destination for Western deportations, previously receiving up to 250 migrants from the U.S. as part of a 2025 agreement.
* **Entire newsroom arrested in Egypt in significant press crackdown:** Six journalists from the independent Egyptian investigative journalism platform Matsda2sh—comprising the media outlet’s entire newsroom—were arrested by Egyptian security forces overnight on Monday in an escalated crackdown on press freedoms in Egypt, [according][43] to Mada Masr. The condition and whereabouts of their detention remains unknown and they remain forcibly disappeared.
* The Interior Ministry on Thursday [acknowledged][44] the arrests for the first time and accused Matsda2sh of fabricating lies and spreading rumors to “undermine stability,” and accused the outlet of having ties to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. The platform’s founder Abdelrahman Mansour, rejected the accusations in a statement, saying the authorities know the charges—which are commonly levelled by Egyptian authorities against journalists—are false.
* “I believe this is the first time in the two-century history of Egyptian journalism that an entire newsroom, with all its journalists, has been arrested,” Hossam Bahgat, of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, told Mada Masr.
* Over 50 civil society organizations and independent media outlets around the world have signed a [joint statement][45] calling for the immediate release of the six journalists.
* Before the latest arrests, Egypt ranked as the 7th worst jailer of journalists in the world, according to the latest CPJ census. The arrests bring the number of Egyptian journalists held over their work to 26, according to EIPR.
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[1]: https://time.com/article/2026/10/01/donald-trump-2026-interview-transcript/
[2]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86279984/Iran-rejects-reports-on-timing-of-delegation-s-departure-from
[3]: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjwyz59k5y75o
[4]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86280140/IRGC-dismantles-terrorist-team-in-southeast-Iran
[5]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/1/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%81-%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%91%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%85
[6]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2105441989751644430
[7]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/1/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%AF-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%87%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%85
[8]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/1/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AB%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%82
[9]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/1/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%82%D8%B7%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A
[10]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/10/1/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AB%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%B1
[11]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/566170/%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%B7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B4%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81-%D8%B2%D9%88%D8%B7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A9-2
[12]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/566140/%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B6%D8%AE%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%B2-%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%A9-2
[13]: https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/566082/%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%B7-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%83-%D9%84%D8%A2%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%88-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A9-2
[14]: https://www.newarab.com/news/exclusive-inside-lebanons-200-page-israeli-war-crimes-dossier
[15]: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/syrian-government-officials-hezbollah-held-secret-talks-turkey-sources-say-2026-10-01/
[16]: https://abcnews.com/Business/wireStory/us-economy-grew-solid-22-quarter-government-upgrading-136885737
[17]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/09/30/execution-tennessee-woman-blocked-by-federal-court-with-hours-spare/
[18]: https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/hegseth-confirms-that-the-us-military-will-cut-20-of-its-generals-and-admirals/
[19]: https://www.axios.com/2026/09/30/ftc-openai-anthropic-ai-safety-investigation
[20]: https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/ice-detainee-deaths-22455046.php
[21]: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/30/minnesota-judges-immigration-enforcement-ethics-complaint
[22]: https://apnews.com/article/senate-approves-trump-labor-secretary-1da4daff58a0c4d401f14a5bc8a299de
[23]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/flock-cameras-abuse-josh-hawley-bill/
[24]: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/30/howard-lutnick-commerce-secretary-disclosure-cantor-fitzgerald.html
[25]: https://apnews.com/article/immigration-mosque-president-sarsour-deportation-ef9a50be073b571b4d8abbf49696f349
[26]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bolivia-attorney-general-roger-mariaca-arrested-drug-cartel-ties/
[27]: https://mexicosolidarity.com/cerimedo-trump-jr-photos-beller/
[28]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/fernando-cerimedo-rodrigo-paz-trump-rubio
[29]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/1/afghanistan-says-nine-killed-in-pakistani-air-raids-on-kunar-helmand
[30]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/30/russia-warns-nato-of-possible-nuclear-response-if-kaliningrad-is-cut-off
[31]: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-briefed-french-german-officials-alleged-us-russian-election-interference-2026-09-30/
[32]: https://www.northsouthnotes.org/p/how-to-watch-brazil-this-month
[33]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/30/gas-pipeline-explodes-in-syria-knocks-three-power-plants-offline
[34]: https://apnews.com/article/us-syria-arms-sales-export-ban-removed-b76e32ef38891a20cf191018bdcdd424
[35]: https://www.iraqinews.com/iraq/kataib-hezbollah-suspends-operations-as-us-forces-leave-iraq/
[36]: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-carves-new-military-presence-southeast-asian-neighbour-2026-09-30/
[37]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/30/norway-launches-probe-into-11-senior-officials-over-us-epstein-files-links
[38]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/30/hong-kong-journalist-arrested-on-sedition-charge
[39]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africa-summons-us-ambassador-again-over-undiplomatic-conduct-official-says-2026-09-30/
[40]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/30/french-court-sentences-13-men-over-deadliest-small-boat-crossing-to-uk
[41]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/30/mi5-warns-uk-academics-to-cut-ties-with-chinese-group-over-alleged-spying
[42]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/rwanda-open-hosting-migrants-transferred-europe-eu-lawmakers-say-2026-09-30/
[43]: https://www.madamasr.com/en/2026/09/30/news/u/six-matsda2sh-journalists-arrested-forcibly-disappeared/
[44]: https://x.com/MadaMasr/status/2105615821540041141
[45]: https://eipr.org/en/press/2026/09/global-call-release-entire-newsroom-egyptian-investigative-journalism-platform
[46]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[47]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[48]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[49]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/israel-gaza-journalist-bolivia-attorney-general-egypt-arrest-newsroom

2026-09-30 16:03:54 UTC

Trump’s Next War? Leaked Plans Reveal Escalation in Cuba and Iran
From [leaked reports][1] showing the U.S. Army preparing potential options around Cuba to the U.S. Navy’s strategic tactical shift away from the Iranian blockade line, Murtaza Hussain and Sarmad Jawad analyze what’s driving these moves—and what Trump’s post-midterm foreign policy strategy could look like.
Plus, a look into Iran’s updated terminal guidance missile capabilities, the human toll aboard US naval deployments, and how $100+ oil prices are shaping negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz.
Then a deep dive into the rise of China in the Trump era as Xi Jinping pays a state visit for the first time in 10 years.
Drop Site News is an independent news outlet covering war and politics. Support our work: https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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[1]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-groundwork-potential-action-cuba-trump/
[2]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe?
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/trumps-next-war-leaked-plans-reveal-cuba-iran-china

2026-09-30 15:27:57 UTC

Crash of Tel Aviv flight narrowly averted after pilot fight; Ban on Canadian goods; Supreme Court allows Trump’s deportations to resume
A Flydubai plane is parked on the Apron of Ben Gurion International Airport. Photo by Jamal Awad/picture alliance via Getty Images.
**Wednesday, September 30, 2026 –***** ***
**Iran**: Iran says it received U.S. response to Strait of Hormuz proposal. U.S. sanctions ten entities in China, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia over Iran arms procurement. U.S. offers 40 million barrels from strategic reserve. Qatari Prime Minister says Iran war pushed country into budget deficit. Three tankers struck by unknown projectiles in Strait of Hormuz. No explosives found in vans near RAF Fairford, UK police say. Iran executes two more over January protests.
**Yemen**: UAE vice president visits Saudi Arabia for first time since rift. Ansarallah ballistic missiles strike Saudi-backed forces’ camps in southern Yemen.
**Palestine**: Israeli strike on vehicle kills six in Gaza City as death toll since Tuesday reaches 13. Israeli forces raid homes, settlers attack Palestinian property across the occupied West Bank. Gaza child mortality more than doubled in 2025 amid Israeli attacks. Qatar PM: Hamas agreed to release all civilian hostages on October 7.
**Lebanon**: Lebanese soldier, civilians wounded in Nabatieh as Israeli ceasefire violations continue across the south. Four in five Lebanese households struggle to afford basic needs as conflict deepens crisis.
**U.S.**:** **Senate blocks resolution on occupied West Bank. Supreme Court allows President Donald Trump’s third-country deportation policy to resume. ICE plans to hire 5,000 more officers by year’s end. California passes law banning shock gloves for law enforcement. Tech executives sign “morally binding” AI accord at White House lunch with Trump. DHS confirms $20 million in taxpayer funds spent on pro-Trump ads, drawing bipartisan criticism. IRS to add citizenship question to tax forms. Trump administration preparing to auto-enroll all children in Trump Accounts before midterms. Trump’s ban on $1 billion in Canadian imports takes effect. Federal prosecutors charge Wilber Garces Perez with assaulting ICE officer in Austin shooting. Senate GOP leaves Trump’s $350 billion defense funding request in limbo before recess.
**International**:** **Commercial plane traveling from UAE to Israel forced to land in Saudi Arabia after fight between pilots. Scandal rocks Flávio Bolsonaro campaign ahead of first-round election in Brazil. Amnesty: Mali army, Wagner mercenaries killed at least 34 civilians in seven incidents. UN renews Haiti security force mandate. Belgium to transfer three F-16s to Ukraine by year’s end, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says. Russian Tu-95 bomber crashes during training, killing six crew. Lithuania offers to pay for permanent US troop presence, PM says. UN says North Korea violated armistice; North Korea dismisses DMZ mine blast findings as “farce.” Afghanistan says it killed 41, captured 62 insurgents crossing from Pakistan in three days. Somali pirates kill five crew members before tanker rescue by Puntland forces. Fighting between SPLM-N, Otoro tribe kills over 500 in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains. Malaysia begins sending nearly 1,500 Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar despite
safety concerns. 300,000 join French civil servant strikes; student protests turn violent nationwide. UK’s Burnham vows sweeping public service expansion in first conference speech as PM.
**This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday**
# Iran
* **Iran says it received U.S. response to Hormuz proposal: **Iran [received][1] a U.S. proposal amid indirect talks over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a government spokesperson said, without disclosing details.
* Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented the proposal to President Masoud Pezeshkian during a cabinet meeting after briefing officials on his meetings in New York, Mohajerani said.
* **U.S. sanctions ten entities in China, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia over Iran arms procurement**: The Treasury Department sanctioned ten individuals and companies, including representatives and technology firms based in China, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia (and three based in Iran), accusing them of procuring weapons and parts for Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
* The sanctions targeted Hong Kong-based EC Mojo Technology Co Ltd, which the U.S. has accused of supplying electronic components and evading export controls.
* The U.S. also sanctioned the Saudi-based Cavalier Dynamics for Technologies Company.
* **U.S. offers 40 million barrels from strategic reserve: **The Trump administration [offered][2] to lend up to 40 million barrels of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve on Tuesday, as fuel prices remain near record highs seven months into the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
* The barrels are the last tranche of the 172 million the U.S. pledged in March to an International Energy Agency release of 400 million barrels coordinated among about 30 countries.
* The release is structured as an exchange, not a sale: companies borrow the oil and later return it with additional barrels as a premium. Bids are due on October 6.
* The reserve held 283.8 million barrels as of September 25, its lowest level in 44 years, according to Energy Department data.
* **Qatar PM says Iran war pushed country into budget deficit:** Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani [called][3] the war on Iran one of the biggest crises in Qatar’s history, telling Piers Morgan that LNG exports through Hormuz are “barely happening.”
* He was asked about a reported $24 billion in lost gas sales, an IMF forecast of more than 8% contraction this year, an 80% drop in visitors and hotels 60% empty, and said “many of those numbers” were accurate.
* He said after an Iranian missile hit Qatar’s LNG facility the country now faces a budget deficit. It has cut secondary projects but not salaries, leaning on its sovereign wealth fund.
* “It’s not a structural contraction for our economy,” he clarified, saying LNG output will return once damaged trains are repaired.
* **Three tankers struck by unknown projectiles in Strait of Hormuz: **Three tankers were struck by projectiles of unknown origin while transiting the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, according to incident reports from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). One of the crude oil tankers was hit while transiting inbound.
* **No explosives found in vans near RAF Fairford, UK police say: **No explosive devices were found in three vans linked to five men arrested near RAF Fairford, the British airbase used by U.S. forces for strikes on Iran, UK counterterrorism police said. Police said a quantity of petrol was recovered and the investigation remains ongoing.
* The five British nationals were arrested Sunday on suspicion of terrorism before being released on bail Monday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the suspects’ release and suggested they “might be” connected to Iran. Iran has denied involvement, and UK authorities have not publicly established a foreign link.
* **Iran executes two more over January protests:** Iran executed two men on Wednesday on charges related to violence during nationwide anti-government protests in January, according to state news.
* The men took part in protests in the northeastern city of Mashhad that left four security officers dead and confessed to setting fires, the judiciary determined, damaging public property, and stabbing a member of Iran’s paramilitary force.
* Iran has executed dozens of people on charges related to the January protests in what Amnesty International has [said][4] followed “torture-tainted grossly unfair trials by Revolutionary Courts.”
# Yemen
* **UAE vice president visits Saudi Arabia for first time since rift**: UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan [visited][5] Saudi Arabia Tuesday and met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, the first senior UAE official to visit the kingdom since a rift emerged last December.
* It remains unclear whether Saudi Arabia’s push for international support against Ansarallah extends to reengaging the UAE, once its main partner in the Yemen war.
* The two countries’ tensions emerged after UAE-backed southern Yemeni separatists advanced near Saudi borders, prompting a Saudi airstrike on a UAE-linked weapons shipment at Mukalla port. The UAE subsequently announced a full withdrawal of its forces from Yemen.
* **Ansarallah ballistic missiles strike Saudi-backed forces’ camps in southern Yemen:** Nearly 20 soldiers and officers are believed to be among the dead and wounded, according to OSINT reports, after an Ansarallah ballistic missile [struck][6] a Saudi-backed Homeland Shield Forces military camp in the Al-Qawah area on the southern Yemeni coast on Tuesday.
* Three ballistic missiles also struck the camp of the Fourth Mountain Infantry Brigade, south of Al-Turbah.
* Saudi-backed forces claimed to have carried out 414 strikes targeting Ansarallah positions over the past 24 hours, according to the armed forces spokesperson.
# Palestine
* **Israeli strike on vehicle kills six in Gaza City as death toll since Tuesday reaches 13:**
* Six Palestinians were killed and 15 others wounded on Wednesday when an Israeli [strike][7] hit a vehicle in the Tel Al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City, according to WAFA.
* A woman was killed in an Israeli strike on an apartment near Al-Shifa Medical Complex.
* Four Palestinians, including two children, were wounded when an Israeli drone struck a tent sheltering displaced people west of Khan Younis, while two others were critically wounded by Israeli gunfire southeast of Deir al-Balah.
* At least 13 Palestinians have been killed and 42 wounded in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip since Tuesday.
* **Israeli forces raid homes, settlers attack Palestinian property across the occupied West Bank:**
* **Tulkarm:** Israeli forces [launched][8] widespread raids across the governorate, storming homes in Kafr Zibad, Kafr Jammal, Kafr Abbush, Kafr Sur, Far’un, Attil, Deir Al-Ghusun, Shuweika, and several neighborhoods of Tulkarm city on Wednesday, WAFA reported. Forces converted some homes into military posts, set up checkpoints and detained several Palestinians, including former prisoners.
* **Jenin:** Israeli forces [ordered][9] families out of homes in Jenin’s Old City and Marah Saad and converted several buildings into military posts. Forces were deployed across the city and along the Jenin-Nablus road and closed iron gates at entrances to nearby towns and villages.
* **Ramallah and Al-Bireh:** In Taybeh, settlers [attacked][10] a family home, beating family members and spraying them with pepper spray, injuring a teenage boy.
* **Bethlehem:** Settlers [destroyed][11] a drinking-water pipeline supplying a Bedouin community of around 800 Palestinians in Al-Rashaydeh, southeast of Bethlehem.
* **Nablus:** Israeli forces [raided][12] several neighborhoods of Nablus and the town of Deir Sharaf, firing stun grenades and tear gas. An 80-year-old man was hospitalized after soldiers beat him, while Palestinians were detained, including three 14-year-old boys in Deir Sharaf.
* **Gaza child mortality more than doubled in 2025 amid Israeli attacks: **The mortality rate for children under five in Gaza more than doubled to 33.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2025, up from 13.6 in 2022, according to the Health Ministry’s first official mortality report since 2022.
* The ministry estimates the rate would be 15.8 without deaths caused by the war.
* Israel’s direct attacks were the leading cause of death in Gaza in 2025, accounting for 70.1% of the 24,650 recorded deaths.
* **Qatar PM: Hamas agreed to release all civilian hostages on October 7:** Hamas [agreed][13] on the first day of the war on Gaza to “release all civilian hostages,” asking only for a ceasefire window to get them out, and Israel refused to even “entertain the idea,” Qatar’s Prime Minister confirmed.
* “We got an agreement” to release “all the civilian hostages,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told Piers Morgan. Israeli officials replied that if Hamas wanted to free them, it should do so without a pause in fighting, he said.
* His on-record account follows a Haaretz report this month that he relayed the offer to then-Mossad chief David Barnea on the evening of October 7.
# Lebanon
* **Lebanese soldier, civilians wounded in Nabatieh as Israeli ceasefire violations continue across south: **A Lebanese soldier and at least three civilians were wounded in an explosion in Nabatieh Al-Fawqa on Wednesday.
* Elsewhere in southern Lebanon, an Israeli Merkava tank [fired][14] two shells toward a home in Bra’shit early Wednesday, the state’s National News Agency reported. Israeli artillery also struck Haddatha, Kfar Tebnit, Zawtar Al-Sharqiyah, Bra’shit, and Wadi Al-Salouqi overnight, while Israeli forces carried out two explosions near Beit Yahoun and Aita Al-Jabal.
* **Four in five Lebanese households struggle to afford basic needs as conflict deepens crisis: **Four in five households in Lebanon are struggling to afford basic necessities, with 22% reporting their children had gone to bed hungry in the previous two weeks and 14% reporting at least one child working, according to a new UNICEF [report][15].
* Since March 2, at least 261 children have been killed and 1,056 injured in Israeli attacks, averaging seven children killed or wounded each day over six months, UNICEF said.
* Some 436 schools have been damaged or destroyed, putting around 100,000 children at risk of being without a classroom, while an estimated 770,000 children have experienced psychological distress.
# U.S. News
* **Senate blocks resolution on occupied West Bank: **The United States Senate [voted][16] to block a resolution on Tuesday that would have forced the State Department to report on the killings of American citizens by Israeli settlers and soldiers in the occupied West Bank. It would have required a report within 30 days on investigations into the killings of U.S. citizens by settlers or Israeli forces. If the administration failed to deliver the report, most U.S. security assistance to Israel would have been cut off.
* The resolution failed 47-53. Sen. **John Fetterman** of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to vote against the resolution, while Republican Sen. **Rand Paul** of Kentucky joined Democrats in supporting it.
* Nine American citizens have been killed in the West Bank since 2022, the resolution noted; none of their killers have been held to account by either the Israeli or U.S. government.
* **Supreme Court allows Trump’s third-country deportation policy to resume**: The Supreme Court [granted][17] an emergency request Tuesday allowing the Trump administration to resume deporting immigrants to “third countries” where they have no ties. Oral arguments are scheduled for December to issue a definitive ruling.
* The order reverses a 1st Circuit Court of Appeals decision that sided with plaintiffs arguing people deserve a “meaningful opportunity” to raise safety concerns before removal to a third country.
* Roughly 25,000 people were deported to third countries since February of 2025, according to court records.
* **ICE plans to hire 5,000 more officers by year’s end**: ICE is [preparing][18] to hire 5,000 new employees, according to the New York Times, expanding its workforce by roughly 17% after growing by about 8,000 to reach 29,000 employees since Trump took office.
* Most recruits are expected to become “deportation officers,” who conduct arrests and manage deportation cases. Their hiring will draw on the more than $100 billion in new funding granted the agency by Congress.
* During last year’s rapid hiring surge, hundreds of recruits were removed after being let in with limited or no initial vetting. One of these recruits, **David Brouillette**, was identified as the agent who fatally shot Colombian immigrant **Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero **in Maine in July.
* **California passes law banning shock gloves for law enforcement:** California passed a law banning local, state, and federal law enforcement personnel from using gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks to people.
* ICE awarded a nearly $17 million contract to purchase 6,000 pairs last month. The ban on the gloves will take effect next year and remain in place until 2030.
* **DHS confirms $20 million in taxpayer funds spent on pro-Trump ads, drawing bipartisan criticism**: The Department of Homeland Security [committed][19] $20 million from Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”—funds intended for Customs and Border Protection—to fund campaign-style ads glorifying the president, according to a Tuesday letter from Sens. **Patty Murray** and **Chris Murphy**, who called the ads “a shockingly corrupt misuse of taxpayer dollars” and demanded answers within 48 hours. The ads, which began running last week during NFL and college football broadcasts, have drawn criticism from both parties.
* **Tech executives sign “morally binding” AI accord at White House lunch with Trump**: Tech executives, including Anthropic’s **Dario Amodei**, OpenAI’s **Greg Brockman**, Meta’s **Mark Zuckerberg**, Nvidia’s **Jensen Huang**, and **Elon Musk**, [signed][20] a “morally binding” constitution on AI governance during a White House lunch Tuesday. At the meeting, Trump also floated forming a 10-person oversight committee for the industry.
* President Donald Trump claimed that the tech leaders showed evidence of “tremendous self-policing,” and that they assured him they were putting the “appropriate guardrails” on their models, which have been the subject of recent hacking controversies in the U.S. and Australia.
* Zuckerberg told reporters that the Tuesday framework centers on companies maintaining “robust internal controls,” including internal risk reviews and third-party audits reviewed by company boards, calling it “a start and an accord that the whole industry could come to.”
* **IRS to add citizenship question to tax forms:** The IRS is [preparing][21] to add a citizenship and work-authorization question to next year’s Form 1040, though tax experts say the change serves no clear administrative purpose since existing tax benefits already require valid Social Security numbers.
* “The only reason you have that attestation is to deter people,” a former IRS official told the New York Times when asked about the policy change.
* **Trump administration preparing to auto-enroll all children in Trump Accounts before midterms: **The government is [preparing][22] to use IRS data to automatically enroll all children under 18 in tax-advantaged “Trump Accounts,” aiming to reach up to 60 million additional children weeks before the midterms. Only 5% of eligible middle- and lower-income families had voluntarily enrolled by summer, sources told The Washington Sun.
* It is unclear what advantages would accrue to those enrolled, given that most families remain ineligible for the program’s flagship $1,000 benefit for babies born 2025-2028.
* **Trump’s ban on $1 billion in Canadian imports takes effect**: President Trump’s ban on nearly $1 billion worth of Canadian goods, including dairy products, motor vehicles, and alcohol, [took effect][23] Tuesday, the latest escalation in an ongoing trade war.
* **Federal prosecutors charge Wilber Garces Perez with assaulting ICE officer in Austin shooting**: Federal prosecutors in Texas [charged][24] **Wilber Rafael Garces Perez**, the Venezuelan delivery driver shot by an ICE agent in Austin, with assaulting a federal officer, alleging in an eight-page affidavit that his car’s side-view mirror struck agent “L.G.” as he drove away to evade arrest.
* The affidavit, based on an interview with another agent whose body camera captured the incident and Garces Perez himself, describes a short pursuit that ended when an SUV struck his car, after which Garces Perez said L.G. fired his pistol through the back-right window, striking him in the upper back. That bullet remains lodged near his spine and had not been removed as of last week. L.G., who was not wearing a body camera, gave no account in the filing.
* **Senate GOP leaves Trump’s $350 billion defense funding request in limbo before recess:** Senate Republicans are [set to leave][25] Washington for recess without approving President Trump’s $350 billion defense reconciliation request, part of a broader push toward a $1.5 trillion total defense budget, as party members remain divided over financing.
* Defense hawks, including Sen. **Kevin Cramer **(N.D.), want the full amount to fund priorities including the Golden Dome missile shield. Deficit hawks like Sen. **Ron Johnson **(Wis.), chair of the Budget Committee, have objected, with Johnson saying he won’t move a reconciliation package until after the midterms without identified spending offsets.
* Pentagon Comptroller **Jay Hurst** said Congress may incorporate some priorities, particularly munitions investments, into the regular discretionary budget instead, though that process is also stalled, with government funding only secured through December 11.
📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com
# Other International News
* **Commercial plane traveling from UAE to Israel forced to land in Saudi Arabia after fight between pilots:** A fight between pilots on a commercial FlyDubai flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel forced the aircraft to make a dramatic emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
* Around two and a half hours after departing from Dubai on its way to Tel Aviv, the plane descended from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet within a minute, before turning close to the Jordanian border and eventually landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
* An Israeli official told the AP a fight broke out between two pilots, one of whom was armed with a knife. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the fight. The aircraft’s captain and the first officer were injured and taken to the hospital upon landing.
* During the incident, Israel scrambled warplanes, fearing a hijacking of a plane. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that Saudi Arabia had arrested the pilot who allegedly stabbed the other one. Netanyahu claimed passengers and crew members on the flight managed to subdue the pilot, preventing a “major disaster.”
* **Scandal rocks Flávio Bolsonaro campaign ahead of first round election in Brazil:** Right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro faces a new corruption scandal days ahead of the October 4 election following a report [published][26] by Brazilian outlet PlatôBR. Leaked messages, photos, and financial records from disgruntled former business partner Alexandre Santini link Bolsonaro to lavish gifts, including a $60,000 Rolex, sex parties allegedly paid for with suspect funds, and an attempt to lobby a Supreme Court justice.
* A fresh AtlasIntel poll shows President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva leading 45.3% to 42.2%.
* **Amnesty: Mali army, Wagner mercenaries killed at least 34 civilians in seven incidents**: An Amnesty International report [accuses][27] forces from Russia’s Wagner Group and the Malian army of killing at least 34 civilians across Mali’s Segou, Mopti, and Timbuktu regions, in seven incidents between June 2023 and December 2025.
* The victims, according to the report, were mostly pastoralist community members targeted based on their ethnicity or killed because they lived in areas with active jihadist groups.
* Describing the incidents as war crimes and “deliberate,” the report noted that “victims were shot, had their throats cut, or were burned alive.” It also provided accounts of torture by Wagner members during patrols and detentions.
* **UN renews Haiti security force mandate:** The UN Security Council [extended][28] the Gang Suppression Force’s mandate in Haiti by six months to March 31, 2027. Twelve member states voted in favor of the extension, though China, Russia, and Pakistan abstained over concerns about insufficient funding, personnel and efficacy.
* The force, meant to provide security ahead of Haiti’s Dec. 13 elections, is currently deployed at less than 30 percent of its intended size.
* **Russian strikes kill four, including a child, in Kyiv region overnight**: Russian air strikes [killed][29] four people, including a child, and injured seven more in and around Kyiv early Wednesday, with Kyiv City Military Administration reporting two dead and four injured in the capital itself.
* Neighboring NATO members Romania and Poland scrambled military jets to protect their airspace amid the attacks.
* Separately, a Ukrainian drone strike damaged private houses in Russia’s Samara region, an oil-producing hub roughly 1,100 kilometers southeast of Moscow.
* **Belgium to transfer three F-16s to Ukraine by year’s end, Zelenskyy says**: Belgium agreed to transfer three F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy [said][30], noting that Ukraine has already received urgent F-16 ammunition deliveries from Belgium and Spain.
* **Russian Tu-95 bomber crashes during training, killing six crew:** A Russian nuclear-capable Tu-95 strategic bomber [crashed][31] Tuesday during a training mission in the country’s far east, killing six crew members, with one survivor hospitalized, Russia’s Defense Ministry said.
* The unarmed aircraft went down in an unpopulated area near the village of Krasnoyarovo on the Zeya River, close to the Chinese border, with regional officials saying the pilots “did all they could to steer the plane away from residential buildings.”
* **Lithuania offers to pay for permanent U.S. troop presence, PM says**: Lithuania “ready to pay the bill” for a permanent U.S. military base, its prime minister told Bloomberg TV: “We would definitely go for it if they’re ready, and we would ensure the best possible conditions for the troops.”
* The push comes as Trump separately announced “major progress” last week toward establishing a permanent base in neighboring Poland—which President Karol Nawrocki suggested calling “Fort Trump.”
* Lithuania, located about 67 miles from mainland Russia, prepares to hold the EU’s rotating presidency in early 2027.
* **UN says North Korea violated armistice; North Korea dismisses DMZ mine blast findings as “farce”:** On Wednesday, North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, [called][32] a South Korean investigation into last week’s DMZ mine blast “low and dirty” and a “farce,” accusing Seoul of fabricating evidence. South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said North Korean mines caused the explosion that wounded three South Korean soldiers and warned of “corresponding” action.
* The UN Command, which oversees the Korean armistice, found another active North Korean anti-personnel mine during a joint on-site investigation with South Korean authorities on Wednesday, and determined “an Armistice Agreement violation occurred.”
* **Afghanistan says it killed 41, captured 62 insurgents crossing from Pakistan in three days:** Afghanistan’s defense ministry [said][33] on Wednesday its forces killed 41 alleged insurgents and captured 62 more over three days this week, claiming the fighters crossed from Pakistan “with the support” of Islamabad and that the group included members of the Islamic State group. Pakistan did not immediately comment, though it has rejected similar claims.
* **Somali pirates kill five crew members before tanker rescue by Puntland forces**: Somali pirates [killed][34] five crew members—three Pakistanis, one Myanmar national, and one Indian national—aboard the hijacked tanker MT Honour 25 before Puntland security forces rescued the ship and captured 16 pirates, Puntland’s information ministry said Tuesday, marking the apparent first deaths at the hands of Somali pirates in over a decade.
* Drop Site contributor Mohamed Gabobe reports on the seizure of the Honour and another vessel, the MT Eureka, in a piece published Tuesday. **Gabobe’s report is available in full [here][35].**
* **Fighting between SPLM-N, Otoro tribe kills over 500 in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains: **More than 500 people from the Otoro ethnic group have been [killed][36] and over 25,000 displaced in months of fighting around Kauda in Sudan’s South Kordofan/Nuba Mountains region, Otoro acting chief Koko al-Degeil Damgala told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday. Fatalities continue to mount daily, he said, while displaced residents are sheltering in caves without humanitarian aid.
* Damgala rejected accusations that the Otoro rebelled against the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), saying that the tribe remained invested in the group’s political project, but that it had recently rebelled against “systemic marginalization and misrule” in the region. He claimed that the SPLM-N had begun a wave of arbitrary detentions of prominent Otoro in April, sweeping up aid workers, civil servants, military personnel, and local traders.
* **Malaysia begins sending nearly 1,500 Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar despite safety concerns**: Malaysia [began][37] transporting nearly 1,500 Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar Tuesday under police escort, describing the returns as “voluntary” despite UN warnings that “conditions for safe and dignified returns” to Myanmar do not exist for the Rohingya.
* Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reached an agreement with Myanmar’s military government in July to return 5,000 refugees; the 1,500 returned on Tuesday are part of this group. Doctors Without Borders and more than 160 civil society organizations called for the returns to be halted.
* **300,000 join French civil servant strikes; student protests turn violent nationwide: **Roughly 300,000 civil servants, including teachers, firefighters, and healthcare workers, [joined][38] a one-day nationwide strike Tuesday demanding higher pay and better conditions, with police estimating 30,000 marched in Paris. Separate student protests over school conditions turned violent, injuring 10 students and staff and 48 law enforcement officials, with 440 people detained.
* General Confederation of Labor general secretary Sophie Binet called the demonstrations “a red alert,” giving the government 48 hours to reverse planned budget cuts, including a proposed annual salary freeze for state workers.
* **UK’s Burnham vows sweeping public service expansion in first conference speech as PM: **British Prime Minister Andy Burnham [used][39] his first Labour conference speech Tuesday to promise a “new path” for Britain, pledging to create a “National Care Service,” “free…at the point of use” to give UK residents access to state-funded caregivers, to make adjustments to the “pension triple lock” (which sets the rate by which pensions are raised) by April 2030, and to reduce deposit requirements for young homebuyers.
* He also promised drastic changes to British utility provisions, saying he would reverse a Thatcher-era “ban on public ownership of water companies,” and that his government would seek to create a new publicly owned “Great British Grid” to challenge private electricity operators.
* Regarding Britain’s foreign relations, Burnham pledged to “stand up to” Russian and Iranian threats and continue its “principled leadership” in support of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.
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[1]: https://en.irna.ir/news/86279175/US-proposal-received-Iran-s-government-spokesperson
[2]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2104986503298335157
[3]: https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2105038982891332003
[4]: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/07/iran-end-escalating-campaign-of-arbitrary-executions-and-death-sentences-against-protesters/
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[10]: https://www.wafa.ps/news/2026/9/30/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%89-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%87%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%85-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B2%D9%84-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%87-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-154977
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[17]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-allows-trumps-third-country-deportation-policy-rcna599724
[18]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/us/ice-hiring-immigration-enforcement-vetting.html
[19]: https://apnews.com/article/trump-ads-taxpayer-money-homeland-security-b869294503c8454db4109ae175ee9e5c
[20]: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/29/ai-execs-morally-binding-constitution-01097855
[21]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/business/irs-tax-returns-citizenship.html
[22]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/trump-auto-enroll-every-child-trump-account
[23]: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6116841-donald-trump-mark-carney-us-canadian-tariffs/
[24]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/venezuelan-man-shot-by-ice-agent-charged-doj/
[25]: https://www.washingtonsun.com/congress/senate-republicans-trump-defense-boost-request
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[27]: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/soldiers-mercenaries-killed-least-34-civilians-mali-amnesty-report-says-2026-09-29/
[28]: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/un-renews-haiti-force-mandate-six-months-after-fresh-gang-killings-2026-09-29/
[29]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/30/russian-attacks-on-ukraines-kyiv-region-kill-four-target-power-grid
[30]: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/belgium-transfer-three-f-16s-ukraine-this-year-zelenskiy-says-2026-09-29/
[31]: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/russia/russian-long-range-bomber-crashes-training-killing-6-crew-members-rcna600585
[32]: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-says-south-korea-pay-price-shifting-blame-mine-blast-kcna-says-2026-09-29/
[33]: https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-pakistan-border-fighting-62e0c91d68e8f8760f1bb7910ee9b38d
[34]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/two-oil-tankers-freed-from-pirates-somalia-puntland
[35]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/two-oil-tankers-freed-from-pirates-somalia-puntland
[36]: https://sudantribune.com/article/319411
[37]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/29/malaysia-begins-returning-myanmar-nationals-despite-safety-warnings
[38]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/30/french-public-workers-strike-over-pay-as-student-protests-turn-violent
[39]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/29/new-path-uks-burnham-promises-huge-expansion-of-public-services
[40]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/minab-school-massacre-iran-war-children-families
[41]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/two-oil-tankers-freed-from-pirates-somalia-puntland
[42]: https://shop.dropsitenews.com/products/drop-news-not-bombs-hoodie
[43]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC8sIT2Jl8B4r4N202q
[44]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
[45]: https://www.dropsitenews.com/account
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