At the U.N. General Assembly, Competition May Outdo Cooperation

• A building collapse in Gaza killed at least 21 people, including 12 children, amid widening Middle East conflicts. • The tragedy occurred alongside diplomatic stalemates in Cairo and delayed security talks in Oman.

• Yemen's Houthi movement evolved from a local Zaydi Shi'ite revivalist group in the 1990s into a heavily armed force capable of striking regional targets. • The group expanded its reach along the Red Sea coast to threaten the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical global maritime chokepoint.

• The BRICS grouping adopted a joint declaration by consensus on September 12 after back-channel negotiations resolved disputes between Iran and the UAE. • The agreement overcame sharp divisions regarding the conflict in West Asia to reach a unified diplomatic position.

• Iran-backed groups attacked a major Saudi oil pipeline, forcing the facility to shut down. • Social media platforms have seen a surge of old and repurposed videos falsely presented as current footage from the Houthi-Saudi front lines.

• Gillian Mackay introduced motion S7M-01178 for a parliamentary debate on September 16, 2026, regarding boycotts, divestment, and sanctions in the Middle East. • The motion cites that more than 20,000 children have been killed and 45,000 injured in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

• Ronald Reagan entered the White House in January 1981 during a period of deteriorating relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. • Diplomatic agreements reached in 1988 led to the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola and paved the way for Namibian independence in 1990.

• The Spanish government under Pedro Sánchez has spent recent years avoiding open confrontation with Morocco to maintain stability. • This diplomatic strategy covers critical shared interests including trade, security, migration, and the territories of Ceuta, Melilla, and Western Sahara.

• Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition exchanged fire recently as part of the ongoing conflict in Yemen. • The Houthis claimed to have shot down a Saudi jet, while the coalition reported rebel attacks near the city of Mecca.

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for immediate de-escalation and diplomacy in the Middle East and Ukraine. • He demanded that all parties cease actions harming civilians and restore navigational rights in the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab.

Exclusive: The Green leader has not spoken publicly about the motion, which is likely to be debated at the party’s conference in OctoberThe Greens are pushing Zack Polanski to take a stance on a potential party policy stating “Zionism is racism”, with some fearing it could alienate Jewish supporters if it was passed.Polanski, who leads the Greens in England and Wales, has not spoken publicly about the motion, which came top of a members’ vote of policy motions to be debated at the party conference in Brighton at the start of October, and is thus almost certain to feature. Continue reading...

Rapper won prestigious award as an unsigned artist before breaking UK Top 10 and nurturing artists including KSIThe British rapper Sway, who proved inspirational to a generation of Black British musicians thanks to his independence and frank, dextrous storytelling, has died aged 44.The news was announced by the Mobo awards, with whom Sway won best hip-hop act in 2005, the first unsigned act to do so. “Proud to have him as part of our history. Our love goes out to his family, loved ones and fans,” the statement read. Continue reading...