At least eight people have been killed and nearly 60 injured in the latest wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 332 drones and missiles overnight, of which 293 were intercepted or neutralised.
Published On 17 Oct 202617 Oct 2026
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Kyiv, Ukraine – The supernova-like blasts of exploding Russian ballistic missiles are followed by thunderous thumps, shockwaves, fires and deaths – and the staccato of Ukrainian air defence systems.
This week’s nightly attacks on Ukraine that killed at least 15 and wounded dozens resembled hundreds of previous raids – with one exception.
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The air raid sirens began howling just seconds before or after yet another wave of missiles struck apartment buildings, power plants and warehouses.
But Ukraine’s partners did not provide the country with intelligence data from NATO’s early-warning satellites, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday, as tensions between Washington and Kyiv rise.
He did not name the United States and President Donald Trump has denied that Washington has stopped sharing intelligence.
The constellation of military satellites detects Russian ballistic missile attacks by the rockets’ thermal flames seconds after launch.
The warnings give Ukrainians up to 10 minutes – precious, life-saving time to sound air raid sirens and send emergency text messages to prompt evacuations to bomb shelters.
“That’s what helps prevent the killings,” Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine’s ground radars can only detect the incoming missiles as their speed ranges from 6,000 to 12,000km/h (3,730 – 7,260 miles per hour).
Despite Trump’s denial, Ukrainian observers have a simple yet harrowing explanation – the US president wants to help Republicans win more congressional seats in upcoming midterm elections by pressuring Kyiv into declaring an “energy ceasefire” with Moscow that would drive global oil prices down.
“Trump pressures our president, pressures Ukraine” as he strives to “get advantage by any means necessary in the election campaign,” Lieutenant-General Ihor Romanenko, former deputy head of Ukraine’s general staff of armed forces, told Al Jazeera.
The lack of intelligence data “significantly affects the effectiveness of air defence, we don’t have time to respond,” he said.
Without the satellite data, Ukrainian drones and missiles also “lose precision when striking targets deep in Russia,” he said.
On Sunday, Trump announced the ceasefire that envisages no mutual strikes on energy infrastructure – from Russian oil refineries and fuel depots to Ukrainian power and heating stations.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” Trump wrote on social media.
Kyiv said the announcement was a surprise, while Moscow declined to say whether it backs the idea – and kept on hitting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The pressure goes beyond the refineries as Trump wants to quickly reopen, arbitrate and complete peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow – even if they benefit the Kremlin.
“He needs peace talks to succeed. Ideally, it is a certain unblocking of the peace settlement process, when Kyiv shows more willingness to agree with Russia’s demands,” Kyiv-based analyst Igar Tyshkevych told Al Jazeera.
The pressure will continue until “Kyiv shows readiness for a compromise and concessions towards Russia,” he said.
Moscow “simply abuses” the pressure and the suspension of air raid warnings to escalate attacks on Ukraine, he said.
The suspension of data-sharing was especially shocking, given that Kyiv did stop hitting Russian refineries for three days.
It was only on Wednesday that its drones attacked refineries in Saratov and Ryazan regions, said Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Aleksander Novak.
However, Kyiv’s focus on striking oil refineries is ineffective and counterproductive, another observer said.
“Kyiv’s strategic priority is still the destruction of oil refineries,” Nikolay Mitrokhin of Germany’s Bremen University, who has penned hundreds of authoritative analyses of the hostilities, told Al Jazeera.
However, Russia overcame the initial shock by transporting gas from refineries in Siberia and exporting it from neighbouring Belarus and Kazakhstan.
No economic collapse, massive joblessness or public protests followed the strikes, while Moscow continued its air raids, adding jet-powered drones that resemble cruise missiles and are hard to down with Ukraine’s existing air defence system, he said.
“What is the basis for Kyiv’s and its backers’ conviction that strikes on oil refineries and depots will lead to Russia’s strategic defeat before Ukraine is defeated? I don’t understand,” he said.
However, Ukrainian attacks on data centres, bridges and factories where drones are assembled are far more effective, he said.
Recent strikes on data centres of Russian online giant Yandex and the state-run Sberbank resulted in disruptions of services in Russia and even former Soviet republics where Yandex operates its online payment, food delivery and taxi services.
Trump “didn’t ask him to stop the war, to give away cities or stop striking Russian rears in general,” Mitrokhin said.
Kyiv has repeatedly reiterated that it was ready to start peace talks if they are preceded by a ceasefire, but Moscow wanted to continue ground assaults and air raids until the peace terms were finalised – which could take months or even years.
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s drone czar accused Elon Musk’s SpaceX of throttling Starlink satellite terminals that are part of the military-grade Starshield system.
Serhiy Beskrestnov said that SpaceX abruptly and without any warning limited services for terminals placed on drones flying over 160km/h (100mph).
The limit affected crucially-important interceptor drones and followed Trump’s request, presidential adviser Serhii Sternenko said.
Musk said that the White House owns and controls the Starshield systems and that any limits on speed are decided by Trump.
Some military analysts warn that the limit may be followed by a total shutdown of Starlink for Ukraine that could damage the quality of all military communications.
“But we were getting ready for everything,” Andriy Pronin told Al Jazeera. “We already know it may happen, that’s why we’re ready for any turn of events.”
In September 2022, Musk secretly ordered engineers to switch off Starlink coverage in the Russia-occupied Kherson region, effectively thwarting Kyiv’s push to retake it, Reuters reported.
In 2023, Musk threatened to cut off Ukrainian military access to Starlink unless the US defence department took over the costs.
Later, the Pentagon, Poland and other European allies took over the costs.
A source in the Ukrainian defence ministry later told the BBC: “Last night, we detected restrictions affecting Starlink connectivity at speeds above 160 km/h, although we are still verifying the exact speed threshold.
“This situation is significantly complicating operations, particularly logistics, unmanned systems, middle-strike missions, and other activities,” the source said, adding the “root cause” of the issue was being investigated.
The Starlink system has become a vital tool to give troops in Ukraine internet access, allowing them to effectively control drones heading towards Russian targets.
Musk’s SpaceX has not commented on the reported speed restrictions.
Zelensky has said the US threatened to restrict intelligence sharing if he did not sign up to Trump’s energy ceasefire. Trump on Tuesday denied that Washington was withholding intelligence.
Ukraine’s air force said that overnight, Russia had launched 39 ballistic and cruise missiles and 128 drones, and that four of those missiles and 115 drones had been shot down.
It is the second night in a row Kyiv has been hit by Russian missiles, and comes as Zelensky prepares to meet UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at Downing Street on Wednesday to discuss accelerating air defence supplies to Kyiv.
During the past two nights, ballistic missiles have struck targets in the Ukrainian capital without any warning, before air raid sirens could be sounded.
Ukraine relies on US satellite systems to track Russian missiles in order to issue alerts and to try to shoot them down.
United States President Donald Trump has insisted that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to stop striking each other’s energy infrastructure, as he called on both sides to end the “ridiculous” war.
Trump’s comments on Monday came even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces had struck at least six Ukrainian energy facilities since the US president declared the truce on Sunday.
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“Well, they agreed,” Trump told reporters, referring to Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Because I said, ‘You agree’. That’s why they agreed, because I said they agree.”
When pressed about the Russian strikes, Trump said, “Well, I’d have to look at it and see, because there’s been violations on both sides.”
The US president called the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a “disaster” and claimed, without offering evidence, that at least 32,000 people had been killed this month alone.
“All I know is that Zelenskyy and Putin have to get together and end that ridiculous war,” he said.
Trump had blindsided Kyiv and its European allies when he announced the purported energy ceasefire on Sunday. The announcement came two days after he temporarily eased US sanctions on Russian diesel, a move that drew outrage in Europe and Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said it reversed years of Western efforts to isolate Russia’s economy and would only embolden Putin.
Lawmakers from both major parties in the United States have also said the diesel decision appears to violate US law. Several Republicans have objected that it undercuts a law Trump himself signed to tighten restrictions on Moscow.
Zelenskyy said on Monday that Ukraine supported an energy ceasefire and had carried out no attacks on Russian refineries overnight. He said Kyiv was prepared to sign “guarantees to make sure they can be trusted”.
But he said it was “increasingly evident” that Moscow would not comply.
“Today alone, the Russians have attacked 6 energy facilities in Ukraine. 33 people were wounded across the country,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media. “This is what happens when Russia sees the prospect of higher revenues for its war machine.”
Russia, however, has rejected any pause in fighting, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov promising to press ahead with the military campaign.
“I do not think he deserves a respite,” he said of Zelenskyy. “I don’t think we’ll be buying into assurances and promises again.” Russia, he added, would continue to pursue the goals of what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Trump, meanwhile, has portrayed Ukraine, rather than Russia, as the main obstacle to peace. He has said that Putin is more eager on a deal than Zelenskyy, and has called on Ukrainians to vote their president out of office – an unusually harsh turn in a relationship that has been strained since Trump returned to the White House in 2025.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, said Trump has previously announced agreements between Russia and Ukraine that never materialised.
“He says he wants to protect industries in the US like farmers and ranchers, and to do that he needs the price to go down. But it seems that he thinks there’s a deal, but no one else is sure that there actually is one,” Fisher said.
The latest announcement, according to our correspondent, appeared to be driven by Trump’s desire to bring down diesel prices before the US midterm elections on November 3.
Most polls predict that Republicans will lose control of Congress as voters grow frustrated with rising prices, particularly for petrol.
An opinion survey published on October 1 by the Associated Press news agency and the University of Chicago suggested that 65 percent of US adults blame the White House for the high cost of living, especially Trump’s tariff policies and his new war against Iran.
Ukraine’s European allies, meanwhile, voiced scepticism about the energy ceasefire and approved the largest set of European Union sanctions since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
The bloc’s foreign ministers added some 1,569 people and businesses to the bloc’s sanctions list to maintain the pressure on Moscow.
“Russia will only negotiate seriously under pressure, which is why we are sticking to our sanctions against Russia,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Berlin.
Ukraine’s president says Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure are continuing despite Donald Trump announcing that the two sides had agreed to a so-called ‘energy ceasefire’. Both Moscow and Kyiv are yet to confirm an agreement is in place.
Published On 13 Oct 202613 Oct 2026
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SAUDI Arabia has been targeted by missile attacks over the weekend – some of which hit the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
It has led to a change in FCDO advice – so what happens if you have a holiday booked, or a flight stopover?
Over the weekend, Houthi forces in Yemen launched an attack on in Saudi Arabia’s capital city, Riyadh.
Missiles hit its major airport, King Khalid International Airport, killing at least 14 and injuring over 300 on the weekend.
It is considered the deadliest attack on the Gulf Arab kingdom in over 10 years.
Another attack earlier took place earlier this morning.
The FCDO advises against all travel to parts of Saudi Arabia.
It read: “Following a serious incident at King Khalid International Airport on 10 October 2026 at approximately 1500 (local time), we advise British nationals to stay away from King Khalid International Airport until the airport is secure and to monitor the advice of the Saudi authorities.”
It adds that it advises against:
It continued to say: “There is a heightened threat against airports, military bases, ports and energy infrastructure across Saudi Arabia, including Abha, Jizan, Najran, Riyadh, Taif, Jeddah and Yanbu, as well as Saudi shipping vessels in the Red Sea.”
“Further attacks against airports are very likely. Follow Saudi Civil Defence alerts.”
King Khalid International Airport closed on Saturday following the missile strikes and remains closed with flight disruption across the region.
While the Saudi Arabia air space remains open, there is a high risk of short-notice airport closures, diversions and airspace disruption.
Reuters has reported that certain airlines have suspended flights to Riyadh.
Lufthansa Group has suspended flights to Riyadh until October 16.
Air France-KLM has halted services to the Saudi capital until the end of the month.
Emirates which flies Brits to Riyadh via Dubai has been affected by cancellations.
The FCDO advice reads that any British national in the Middle East should prepare for flight cancellations and possible airspace closures.
The advice also states:
Head here to read the latest guidance on ‘how to prepare for a crisis’ and what to include in emergency supplies.
Before you cancel a flight or holiday booking, speak to your travel provider first – especially if it’s a stopover flight as it may be rerouted.
In places where the FCDO advises against all but essential travel, you may be able to cancel a package holiday and get a full refund.
Both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks on infrastructure in recent months as the war between them continues into its fifth year following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Kyiv said it is targeting places that help the revenue streams for Moscow’s war machine, and that the latest attacks could force Russia to divert its resources to repair the damage at Yandex.
Writing on Telegram, the company confirmed that its data centre in Vladimir was damaged and that operations had been “completely suspended,” although they were working to restore connectivity.
The other strikes against Yandex facilities were on Thursday in Sasovo and Friday in in Kaluga, south-west of Moscow, causing operations to be suspended.
The tech company – which also runs a food-ordering and taxi app used by tens of millions of people – said its data centres were critical for the normal operation of its services, and that it was “very difficult to predict” when they would be back online.
Meanwhile, Russian strikes on Ukraine have also continued through the weekend.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said six people were injured in Russian attacks overnight on four districts in its south-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region.
On Saturday, at least 20 people including four children were killed in Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia, local officials confirmed.
President Donald Trump says the US ‘may’ join Saudi strikes against Yemen’s Houthis following the latest attack on Riyadh airport. Trump made the comments before Saudi authorities confirmed 12 people were killed and more than 300 were injured in that attack.
Published On 11 Oct 202611 Oct 2026
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By Michelle L. Price and Collin Binkley
WASHINGTON — President Trump said that he has struck a deal to obtain diesel from Russia, a stunning reversal of years of U.S. pressure on Moscow over its war with Ukraine and an attempt to address high fuel prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
Trump said on social media on Friday that he struck the deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call in which he was expected to discuss a suspected case of plague in Russia. Instead, Trump announced that Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.” Russia will deliver another 3 million tons “within a short period of time” after that, he wrote.
Trump’s shocking announcement comes after he signed a sweeping Russia sanctions law last month that aimed at clamping down on Russia’s energy economy, among other areas, that fuel its war against Ukraine.
His move casts doubt on the likelihood of the White House imposing sanctions on Russia this month, given that a bipartisan law passed by Congress directs the administration to target the top importers of Russian oil and gas.
Trump, in his announcement, did not address the sanctions or Russia’s war but said, “Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority.”
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about who was paying for the diesel from Russia and when the fuel being supplied under the agreement would become available. It also did not clarify whether subsequent supplies of Russian diesel set to come next month would be supplied prior to Election Day on Nov. 3.
Gas prices globally have surged as the war in Iran upends the energy sector. The national average for a gallon of diesel in the U.S. was $6.23 on Friday, according to AAA, after hitting a record $6.52 on Sept. 22.
Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev reposted the Treasury Department’s announcement on X Friday and said that “Russia-US cooperation on diesel and energy will benefit the world.”
Rep. Don Beyer, the senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee, called Trump’s announcement, “infuriating.”
“This is what we warned anyone who would listen: Trump isn’t the slightest bit trustworthy when it comes to Russia,” Beyer said in a statement on X. “Giving him expanded tariff powers in hopes he would use them to help Ukraine was a mistake. Now he’s lifting sanctions on Russian fossil fuels.”
The law Trump signed last month envisions sanctions on Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers and bans all new U.S. investment in Russia and the handling of sovereign debt.
It also directed Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15% of Russia’s natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those imports.
The U.S. has not imported Russian oil or gas since 2022, when the Biden administration banned them because of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Shortly after Trump made the announcement, the Treasury Department said it was immediately issuing a temporary license allowing Russian diesel to be supplied to the global market.
This is the latest in several licenses the U.S. Treasury has issued regarding Russian fuel shipments since the start of the Iran war earlier this year. But it is the first such license to ease sanctions on diesel for a period lasting longer than the standard 30-day window since the start of the Ukraine war.
The new so-called general license means U.S. sanctions will not apply until April 2027 on deliveries of Russian diesel that has been loaded onto tankers as of Friday. The department extended similar easing of sanctions in March and April even though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had ruled out such a move earlier in the year.
The extensions continue to underscore how the fallout from the Iran war has boosted Moscow’s ability to profit from its energy exports, which had been restrained by the U.S. and other allies since the invasion of Ukraine.
Price and Binkley write for the Associated Press. AP writer Will Weissert in Washington and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed to this report.
By Josh Boak and Aamer Madhani
WASHINGTON — President Trump said Thursday that he will not order a resumption of military strikes on Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections in the United States.
Trump, while stumping for Republicans this week, has hinted that he was confident that an endgame to the war could come in the days before or after the election, while also hinting that he remained open to resuming full-scale military operations against Iran.
For weeks, Trump has been threatening that a post-midterm election escalation in the seven-month-old war remains a viable option, despite his initial promises to Americans of a military campaign that would last a matter of weeks.
But Trump in a social media post on Thursday said the U.S. “will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd.”
Trump added that his team has been “having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Negotiations had appeared at a standstill since Trump late last month publicly rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the U.S. met certain conditions.
Iran, however, said last week it had received a U.S. counterproposal. And Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said he expected Tehran would offer a formal reply within days.
Trump’s post comes as the military has dispatched more resources to the region. U.S. officials have said a third aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and thousands of troops aboard it and accompanying ships could arrive as early as the end of October.
Trump’s announcement was made the same day the USS Abraham Lincoln was due to arrive to its home port in San Diego after a record-long deployment in support of the Iran war. There have been reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products.
The USS George Washington, which is usually based in Asia, relieved the Lincoln in August. The other aircraft carrier in the Middle East, the USS George H.W. Bush, has been deployed for about six months, but it pulled into Phuket, Thailand, for a port visit several days ago.
Boak and Madhani write for the Associated Press.
Israeli air strike kills Palestinian Civil Defence rescue volunteer as he was travelling to help wounded people near Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, a medical source says.
Published On 7 Oct 20267 Oct 2026
Israeli attacks have killed at least four Palestinians, including a rescue worker, and wounded several others across Gaza.
The Palestinian Civil Defence rescue volunteer was killed in an air strike as he was travelling to help wounded people near Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, a medical source said on Wednesday.
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The Civil Defence identified the victim as Mohamed Tamous.
Meanwhile, an Israeli drone strike in the southern city of Khan Younis killed Hisham Ibrahim Abu Mustafa, 60, and injured several others, Nasser Hospital said.
The body of a 17-year-old Palestinian was also brought to Nasser Hospital after he was killed in an Israeli drone strike in the Qizan Abu Rashwan area south of Khan Younis, Turkiye’s state news agency Anadolu reported, citing a medical source.
A teenage boy died from wounds sustained last month when Israeli forces opened fire east of Khan Younis, Anadolu reported, citing a medical source.
Also on Wednesday, a girl was injured by Israeli gunfire directed at displaced Palestinians’ tents in the Al-Amal neighbourhood, Anadolu reported.
Additionally, in Khan Younis, the Israeli military carried out two demolitions in the northeastern and eastern parts of the city.
The military also carried out demolitions east of Gaza City’s Tuffah neighbourhood.
Israel has killed more than 74,245 Palestinians since it launched its genocidal war on Gaza in response to the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
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A MAJOR airport will ‘shutdown’ with major strike action to go ahead this month.
Nearly 130 workers are set to walk out of Leeds Bradford Airport, in a dispute over pay.
The strike action will include a mix of air traffic control workers, as well as security, customer service and cleaners.
Despite ongoing pay talks since December 2025, the Unite members involved said it “didn’t go far enough”.
If the strike goes ahead, it will start at October 16 and last until 6am on Sunday 18.
No flights will be able to land or depart from the airport, nor will passengers be able to go through security.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Leeds Bradford Airport is very profitable and can more than afford to come back to the table with an offer that doesn’t fall short of our members’ expectations.
“Our hardworking members should not be paid less than those doing the same jobs at other airports.
“Workers taking action at Leeds Bradford Airport have Unite’s full support in their fight for fairer pay.”
The airport is set to handle 4.5million passengers this year, with a huge £100million terminal renovation last year.
It also previously revealed plans to one day launch long-haul flights, with most routes being to Europe including Spain.
Although the airport is losing all of it’s easyJet flights next year, which will be axed by January 2027.
Unite regional officer Neil Whitaker said they had “no choice but to strike,” citing a “fair pay rise” needed to call it off.
A Leeds Bradford Airport spokesperson told Sun Travel: “Leeds Bradford Airport acknowledges the proposed industrial action due to take place between 16-18 October involving a group of operational colleagues.
“We respect the right of employees to participate in lawful industrial action. However, we are disappointed by this and do not believe strike action is the right way to resolve the issues still under discussion.
“The airport has made what we believe is a fair and responsible offer that is significantly above inflation and reflects both current economic conditions and the need to ensure the long-term sustainability of the business.
“Our priority now is to minimise disruption for customers, many of whom have worked hard and saved for important holidays, family visits and business travel. At this stage we anticipate running near-normal operations during the period.
“Leeds Bradford Airport plays a vital role in connecting Yorkshire to the world. Industrial action has the potential to cause inconvenience for thousands of customers and local businesses who rely on those connections.
“We remain committed to constructive dialogue with Unite and would welcome continued discussions aimed at reaching a resolution.
“It is important to recognise that any profits generated by Leeds Bradford Airport are reinvested back into the airport and has been for a number of years. Those funds support improvements to facilities, infrastructure, operations and customer experience including the ongoing LBA:REGEN project which saw the opening of a new central search zone and staff welfare facilities this week.”
By Konstantin Toropin and Michelle L. Price
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military is dispatching roughly 9,000 troops aboard a group of ships to the Middle East, a U.S. official said Thursday. The bolstering of the American military presence comes as President Trump warned anew that new strikes against Iran could be on the horizon.
He also said early indications suggest that Iran is linked to the co-pilot who stabbed his captain and tried to crash an Israel-bound flight on Wednesday.
In an exchange with reporters at the White House, Trump raised the connection when asked by a reporter if there were any links between the pilot behind the attack and Tehran.
“I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is ‘yes,’ but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said, without offering details.
Trump also warned that if the link is established to Iran, the United States would retaliate.
“Oh they’ll be hit, very hard, don’t worry,” Trump said. “You just ask them. They know what happened. They’ll be hit very hard.”
Meanwhile, the group of ships now en route to the Middle East together carry over 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines.
It includes the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, which recently deployed with the cruiser USS Chosin, and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group, which includes the USS John P. Murtha and USS Anchorage amphibious landing ships.
It could mean that three carriers are in the region as early as the end of October, according to the U.S. official who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.
Given the personnel already in place in the Middle East, the move would bring the U.S. naval presence to an unusually high number of more than 20,000 sailors and Marines and hundreds of aircraft. The Navy previously had three carrier strike groups in the Middle East in April for the first time since 2003.
The carriers USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington are in the region now, along with the USS Boxer amphibious readiness group. The Washington is typically deployed to Pacific Ocean but it was moved to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose arduous deployment resulted in the crew being at sea for more than 260 days straight.
Trump, in a Time magazine interview published Thursday, also raised the prospects of new strikes, saying it is “possible” that he will ramp up bombing in Iran after the Nov. 3 elections in the United States.
When pressed, Trump said he could not go further in detailing his strategy.
“I can’t tell you that because look, you know, you’re asking, where are you going to bomb?” Trump said.
He said in the interview, conducted Monday, that he rejected the latest ceasefire proposal from Iran because “things that I wouldn’t have approved a year ago I wouldn’t have today.”
Trump cited as an example an offer from Iran to “open up” the Strait of Hormuz, the key energy shipping corridor, but said the overall proposal was “not good enough.”
Members of the military listen as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gives a State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico.
(Alex Wong / Getty Images)
Asked if the increasingly unpopular war would threaten Republican Party chances in November, Trump at first responded, “It’s possible.” But then he added, “It should help, because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”
The president said “100% of the people” oppose Iran having nuclear attack capabilities “including worldwide.”
“So, when you say it that way, It would help,” Trump added. “If you don’t say that, it could hurt.”
Toropin and Price write for the Associated Press. AP writers Seung Min Kim, Will Weissert and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.
RAILWAY workers are set to stage two 24-hour strikes this October in a row over doors.
The staff are making a stand against plans for driver-only operation on new services.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Chiltern Railways will walk out on October 10 and October 17.
The union said its members voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action over plans to introduce driver-only operation (DOO) on East West Rail services.
The dispute centres on the first stage of the new railway, which will run between Oxford and Milton Keynes.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the proposed operation represented a “significant risk” to safety and to existing train manager roles.
He said: “RMT will not accept the watering down of safety on the rail network.”
But Chiltern Railways has rejected the suggestion that the new services will compromise passenger safety.
Interim managing director Tony Baxter said: “We have run most of our trains with the driver in control of the doors for decades, safely and as approved by the independent rail regulator.
“It also means over 100 new permanent jobs at Chiltern, and no changes to the roles of existing colleagues.”
He added that the operator expected to run the “vast majority” of its services on both days, with the timetables for the strike dates confirmed shortly.
The operator also stressed that every East West Rail service will have two people on board.
This will include the driver and another member of staff responsible for looking after passengers, checking tickets and helping people who need assistance.
The company said it remains committed to working with the RMT to resolve the dispute.
EASYJET flights are set to be disrupted across Portugal for five days due to strikes – and it starts this weekend.
Staff are staging walkouts which will see flights cancelled at airports in cities like Lisbon, Porto and Faro.
Members of the SNPVAC union, which the airline’s cabin crew in Portugal belongs to, has announced walkouts from October 2–6.
The union has estimated that the strike in October could ground around 500 scheduled flights overall.
Some UK flights have already been cancelled ahead of the strike action.
Two return flights and one outbound flight from Southend Airport have been cancelled.
No flights from London Stansted Airport have been affected so far, according to reports.
From the UK, easyJet operates flights to Portugal from the likes of Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Gatwick, Luton, Southend, Manchester and Newcastle.
Passengers due to travel to or from Portugal during the strike dates are being advised to monitor communications from easyJet.
The Portuguese government has ensured that there will be a minimum of one Lisbon-London-Lisbon rotation per day during the strike.
No UK service from Faro or Porto appears on the protected list, and the order does not identify specifics when it comes to flights.
Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and CEO of AirAdvisor advised that “passengers should wait for a flight-specific decision and preserve the exact time of any cancellation notice.”
He added: “If easyJet cancels and they still need to travel, they should request rerouting at the earliest opportunity, including on another airline where that would reach the destination materially sooner, rather than automatically accepting a refund.”
It comes after cabin crew workers for easyJet previously held strikes in France between August 15 and 16.
Last month, easyJet pilots, again in France, staged a walkout across two days in September.
Members of the SNPL pilots’ union staged the strike over a pay dispute between September 13-14.
The SNPVAC union has announced further walkouts later on in the year in December between 19–23.
A spokesperson from the airline said: “We are extremely disappointed that SNPVAC is planning strike actions despite our willingness to continue a constructive dialogue.
“We had just started a conciliation process through the mediation of DGERT with the aim to reach an agreement to meet our employees’ requests and protect the sustainability of easyJet business in Portugal.
“The current union demands are unworkable especially given that our crew are already paid significantly above the Portuguese national average
“We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact of the strike on our customers including actioning some cancellations in advance to allow our customers to rearrange their travel plans.”
A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.
If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.
You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.
So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.
But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.
When am I not entitled to compensation?
The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.
Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.
Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?
If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.
Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.
Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.
If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says Moscow launched nearly 4,000 drones, aerial bombs and missiles against his country in past week.
Published On 28 Sep 202628 Sep 2026
A Russian military strike on northeastern Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, has injured at least 22 people, including children, less than a day after eight people were killed in attacks nationwide.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekov said on his Telegram account that a guided Russian aerial bomb hit an apartment block early on Monday, destroying two floors of the multistorey building.
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He said six children were among the injured.
Russian attacks were also reported across Ukraine on Sunday.
Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Vyhivskyi said three people, including a 16-year-old girl, were killed in air strikes that damaged a children’s centre in the northern city of Sumy.
Authorities in the Odesa region, meanwhile, said a “massive strike” on the south of the Black Sea region killed one person and damaged residential buildings, a shop, a hotel, a medical building, and a grain warehouse.
And in the capital, Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a woman and two 16-year-olds were injured and hospitalised.
“The enemy continues to relentlessly attack the Kyiv region with strike drones,” the city’s administration said.
“Sixteen sites have been damaged”, including 12 houses, a warehouse and a production facility, it added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that three people were killed in strikes in the southern Zaporizhia region and that a Russian drone strike had killed one man in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said in a post on his X account that Russia had launched more than 2,200 attack drones, 1,630 aerial bombs and 38 missiles of various types against Ukraine in the past week.
“If Russia were truly preparing for any real steps towards de-escalation, as it claims, particularly to American negotiators, this wave of Shahed terror would not be happening,” Zelenskyy said in later comments, referring to the Iran-developed drones Moscow has used against Ukraine.
In Moscow, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said it had bombed a Kyivstar data centre in Kyiv and another belonging to the Omega Telecom company. It said that the firms were providing services to the Ukrainian army.
Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov told the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday that Moscow intended to continue its military campaign “to the end”.
Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region on Monday, according to local reports.
Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ published footage of a large fire and identified the facility as the Pavlovskaya oil depot.
No injuries have been reported so far.
Ukraine has intensified its targeting of Russian oil infrastructure in recent weeks.
United States-led talks to end the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, have failed to produce a breakthrough, and the UN has highlighted the growing civilian toll.
Both sides deny targeting civilians.
Strikes carried out in southeastern province of Khost cause no casualties, governor’s office says.
Published On 24 Sep 202624 Sep 2026
Pakistan says it has carried out air strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan used to store and launch drones, some of which were used in cross-border attacks.
The air strikes on Thursday were carried out as tensions grow between the former allies over attacks by armed groups in Pakistan, which triggered their worst fighting in years in February.
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Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring fighters who stage cross-border attacks, but Afghanistan’s Taliban government denies harbouring anti-Pakistani armed groups and says the attacks are Pakistan’s internal problem.
The air strikes were “deliberate, precise, calibrated, and proportionate, and strictly limited to identified military objectives directly linked to the attempted attacks against Pakistan”, Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar wrote on X.
He condemned a “deliberate and unlawful incursion into Pakistan by drones” on Wednesday.
“This constitutes a blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and is a grave and unacceptable act of aggression,” he said.
The Pakistani air strikes were conducted in several areas of Khost province in southeastern Afghanistan, Mustaghfir Gurbaz, spokesperson for the Khost governor, said.
There were no casualties, he said.
An attack on a police facility in northwestern Pakistan last week that killed at least 21 people has reignited fighting between the countries after nearly three months of relative calm. A Pakistan Taliban faction claimed responsibility for the blast and subsequent gun battle.
On Monday, air strikes targeting three locations in northeastern Afghanistan killed three civilians in the Nurgal district of Kunar province, Afghan officials said. Islamabad said it killed 28 “terrorists”.
The escalation threatens mediation efforts by China, Turkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to broker a lasting peace between the two neighbours.
Relations between the former allies have been strained since the fighting in February, the worst for years.
Overnight missile and drone attacks hit several Ukrainian regions as world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly.
Published On 22 Sep 202622 Sep 2026
Russian forces have launched widespread attacks targeting industrial sites and critical energy infrastructure across several regions of Ukraine, killing at least three people and knocking out power to nearly 100,000 residents, Ukrainian officials said.
The strikes overnight hit industrial facilities simultaneously in the Dnipropetrovsk region, including Dnipro, Pavlohrad and Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, regional Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said on Telegram on Tuesday.
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Three people were killed and six others were wounded in Dnipro, where missiles, drones and artillery heavily damaged business and warehouse premises, Hanzha said.
Ukraine’s air force said Moscow’s overnight barrage involved 212 drones, four cruise missiles, and an unspecified number of Oniks antiship and ballistic missiles.
The strikes also damaged energy infrastructure. An attack on a power facility left nearly 100,000 consumers without electricity in the northern region of Chernihiv, while in the Poltava region, Governor Vitalii Diakivnych said a “massive” Russian attack hit an industrial enterprise and a critical infrastructure facility.
The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed its forces carried out major strikes, stating it hit industrial and military facilities, the fuel and energy sector, port infrastructure and sea vessels operating for the Ukrainian military.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones targeted Russia’s Samara region along the Volga River, killing one person and injuring four, according to the local governor. The region hosts critically important facilities, including oil refineries.
The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defence units intercepted and destroyed 297 Ukrainian drones across various regions overnight.
The attacks come as Zelenskyy arrived in New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where talks on ending the war are set to be high on the agenda as nearly 130 heads of state gather.
The Ukrainian president wrote on X that a “drone deal” was ready to be signed to bolster air defence and secure funding for the war effort.
“Of course, Ukraine’s number one priority is bringing peace closer and protecting the lives of our people,” Zelenskyy posted. “There are concrete security proposals and de-escalation measures that could bring the end of the war closer. We are working to strengthen air defence and ensure sufficient financing for Ukraine.”
He said, “Around 20 meetings are planned, including with the US president, European leaders, US senators and members of the House of Representatives, heads of international organisations, leading American companies and think tanks.”
Zelenskyy met French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday and is likely to meet US President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Earlier, Macron also met Trump, after which he said the two countries agreed to work together to secure a moratorium on strikes targeting energy networks and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Both Zelenskyy and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are set to address the UNGA later this week.
![France's President Emmanuel Macron meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on September 21, 2026 [Ludovic Marin/AFP]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/AFP__20260922__C8XY4MU__v1__HighRes__UsFranceUkrainePoliticsDiplomacy-1790058813.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
EASYJET is set to be disrupted by staff walkouts next month – with flights to and from the UK expected to be cancelled.
The airline’s cabin crew in Portugal have voted to strike on two separate occasions across October and December.
Members of the SNPVAC union have announced walkouts from October 2–6 and again in December on 19–23.
The strike will affect flights from busy airports including Lisbon, Porto and Faro.
From the UK, easyJet operates flights to Portugal from the likes of Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Gatwick, Luton, Southend, Manchester and Newcastle.
The union has estimated that the strike in October alone could ground around 500 scheduled flights overall.
This is likely to include 35 return flights to and from the UK.
A spokesperson from the airline added: “We are extremely disappointed that SNPVAC is planning strike actions despite our willingness to continue a constructive dialogue.
“We had just started a conciliation process through the mediation of DGERT with the aim to reach an agreement to meet our employees’ requests and protect the sustainability of easyJet business in Portugal.
“The current union demands are unworkable especially given that our crew are already paid significantly above the Portuguese national average.
A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.
If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.
You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.
So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.
But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.
When am I not entitled to compensation?
The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.
Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.
Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?
If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.
Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.
Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.
If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.
“We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact of the strike on our customers including actioning some cancellations in advance to allow our customers to rearrange their travel plans.”
Cabin crew workers for the airline in France previously held strikes between August 15 and 16.
Last month, easyJet pilots, again in France, staged a walkout across two days in September.
Members of the SNPL pilots’ union staged the strike over a pay dispute between September 13-14.
Ministers demand an end to maritime shipping attacks and urge Iran to stop arming the Yemeni group.
Published On 22 Sep 202622 Sep 2026
The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) nations have condemned what they called “unacceptable continued strikes” by Yemen’s Houthis against Saudi Arabia.
The ministers issued the statement on Monday following an informal meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
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“We condemn in the strongest terms the unacceptable continued strikes carried out by the Houthis in Yemen and against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the ministers of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States said in the statement.
The ministers urged the Houthis “to immediately cease all military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in good faith”.
They also called on Iran to stop arming and supporting the group, saying Tehran is in violation of past UN Security Council resolutions. They added that Iran’s backing of the Houthis constituted a dangerous pattern of escalation that risked undermining international trade and creating global instability.
The latest escalation in the Arab region’s most impoverished nation follows a period of relative calm that had largely held since the UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022 between the Iran-aligned group and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
