Eritrea and Ethiopia shutter embassies as new Red Sea conflict looms The strike punctured Addis Ababa’s relative calm despite Ethiopia’s federal government battling an alliance of rebel movements opposed to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Ethiopia’s regions of Tigray, Amhara and Afar. Western and regional officials in Addis Ababa confirmed to Middle East Eye the sound of explosions in the capital due to a drone strike. AFP reported that the explosion rocked the Ethiopian National Defence Force headquarters in the Tor Hayloch area of Addis Ababa. In a statement, Ethiopia accused Eritrea of engaging in “direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence” against it.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/eritrea-and-ethiopia-shutter-embassies-new-red-sea-war-loomingProtesters against illegal immigration in South Africa call for more deportationsWith some brandishing traditional Zulu weapons and singing cultural songs, they marched through Durban’s streets. Police didn’t report any incidents of violence against foreigners during the protest. A similar deadline set for June 30 sparked a mass repatriation of foreigners to their various African countries after attacks on immigrants. The governments of those nations arranged for the evacuation of their citizens.
https://apnews.com/article/south-africa-illegal-immigration-protest-tensions-c086e617b555643510541f9c9906ca4bFlydubai co-pilot ‘assaulted’ captain before landing: Initial Saudi probeSaudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry says that a preliminary investigation into the emergency landing of a Flydubai flight this week found that “the pilot was assaulted by his co-pilot, resulting in various injuries to both”. the ministry said on Thursday that an initial investigation into the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was conducted by Saudi authorities with the participation of a security team from the United Arab Emirates.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/1/flydubai-co-pilot-assaulted-captain-before-landing-initial-saudi-probehttps://archive.ph/3ZCP0Crude oil exports from strait of Hormuz largely return to pre-war levelsPipeline exports and ship-to-ship transfers are among the methods being used, according to analysts tracking the situation, while the US military continues to escort some vessels. However, flows of refined products such as diesel remain constrained, pushing prices higher. At least 16.5m barrels per day (bpd) left the region in September, according to figures from the global trade intelligence firm Kpler, equalling the pre-war average, excluding Iran. The figure is 10.5m bpd higher than the monthly average for March, during the first weeks of the Iran war.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/01/crude-oil-exports-strait-of-hormuz-transport-gulf-region-dieselCPS asked to consider manslaughter charges over Grenfell Tower fireDetectives from the Metropolitan Police confirmed they had passed files relating to 20 organisations and 54 individuals to the CPS, including the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The 2017 blaze in North Kensington, west London, killed 72 people, and a public inquiry concluded that all the deaths were avoidable, with residents having been “badly failed” by authorities “in most cases through incompetence but in some cases through dishonesty and greed.”
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/cps-asked-consider-manslaughter-charges-over-grenfell-tower-fireSerbia’s Vucic Pardons ‘Novi Sad 12’ as ‘Act of Mercy’ Before ResigningThe 12 activists, linked to the opposition Free Citizens Movement, PSG, and the activist group Students Against Authoritarian Rule, STAV, were charged with preparing acts against Serbia’s constitutional order and security. The charges arose from a recording of the meeting between the indictees ahead of a March 2025 rally that became the largest in Serbian history. Six of them spent more than seven months in detention and house arrest before being released to defend themselves at liberty.
https://balkaninsight.com/2026/09/28/serbias-vucic-pardons-novi-sad-12-as-act-of-mercy-before-resigning/bi/https://archive.ph/cPEJJ Military shoots and abducts pregnant Red fighter on medical leave in Tagum City New People’s Army (NPA) member Arnida Cuaton Maguiguilid (Ka Lovi/Fikong/Yassy) is paralyzed from the waist down after she was shot by military agents in Barangay Visayan, Tagum City, on September 19. Maguiguilid was shot despite her hors de combat status while on medical leave. She was later abducted and is being paraded as having “surrendered” to military forces. Maguiguilid was in Tagum City for a medical check-up for her complicated pregnancy. She has diabetes and high blood pressure. Her pregnancy is being closely monitored after having suffered pre-eclampsia in her previous two deliveries, which resulted in the death of her first child.
https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/military-shoots-and-abducts-pregnant-red-fighter-on-medical-leave-in-tagum-city/Venezuela: Feminist Collectives Rally to Demand Abortion Decriminalization“We are here to protest against the absence of inclusive public policies,” Jackeline López, spokesperson for the Clara Zetkin Women’s Movement, told press. “Abortion remains a taboo subject for Venezuelan authorities, whose response is to criminalize it.” López went on to stress that unsafe abortions mostly plague Venezuelan working-class women. “The current wages do not allow women access to family planning or contraceptive methods,” she continued. “The right to decide over our bodies is a key public healthcare issue, and leaving it unattended means criminalizing poor women.”
https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/venezuela-feminist-collectives-rally-to-demand-abortion-decriminalization/‘It’s utter surrealism’: Venezuela’s Chavistas lament government’s embrace of TrumpSo far there has been no sign of significant resistance from outraged supporters of Chavismo. But Silva claimed the government’s new direction and economic policies could eventually trigger a social uprising and protests. “Worsening economic conditions will degrade [people’s] quality of life, and that pressure is bound to explode. It has to explode – it’s not just wishful thinking. This isn’t a prediction born of desire, it’s an inevitability,” said the broadcaster, who has claimed he is facing investigation for alleged acts of “aggravated defamation and slander against the interim government”.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/01/venezuela-hugo-chavez-supporters-critical-delcy-rodriguez-embrace-of-trumpColombia’s top corporate lobbyist resigns over reported tensions with presidentAccording to political news magazine La Silla Vacia, the rift between the ANDI and the government was because De la Espriella’s law firm was never allowed to join the ANDI and the association’s donations in response to the august 10 earthquake bypassed the First Lady’s newly founded and very controversial foundation.
https://colombiareports.com/colombias-top-corporate-lobbyist-resigns-over-reported-tensions-with-president/