Family of Iranian twins sentenced to death and decades in jail ask UN for help

• Hundreds of trucks are currently stranded at the Iran-Turkey border following a US Navy blockade of trade routes. • Drivers are facing severe conditions in eastern Turkey, including cold temperatures and a lack of food or rest facilities.

• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a speech at the United Nations pairing vows of resistance with an openness to diplomacy. • The president stated that Tehran will never surrender while simultaneously signaling a willingness to negotiate.

• A president of Cambodia praised Donald Trump for his role in brokering an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and peace agreement. • The Cambodian leader credited Trump's "visionary, innovative diplomacy" and commitment to preventing catastrophic wars for the result.

• President Donald Trump is meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington to discuss foreign policy and trade. • The discussions focus on American leverage regarding semiconductors, critical minerals, and sanctions against Russia and Iran.

• World leaders met today at the UN Security Council to debate a path toward peace as the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year. • Any proposed resolution faces a likely veto from Russia, which is one of the council's five permanent members with the power to block votes.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin is recruiting soldiers from 47 different countries to bolster manpower for the ongoing war in Ukraine. • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky identified many of these recruits as coming from developing nations where Russian military salaries far exceed local wages.

• The Middle East is experiencing ongoing turmoil that threatens to reshape global geopolitics and the world economy. • The situation has evolved beyond a localized conflict into a crisis requiring an immediate and calibrated diplomatic surge.

Clip of the former Tory MP staring intently at fellow panellist is shared widely onlineRory Stewart has been an Afghan NGO leader, a Conservative leadership candidate, a Harvard professor, a popular podcaster, and the deputy governor of an Iraqi province. This week, he created a moment that drew wider attention than any of them: he fixed a beady gaze on a fellow Newsnight panellist for the longest four seconds in television history.Stewart, who now co-presents The Rest Is Politics with Alastair Campbell, appeared on the BBC programme on 18 September – but in the last few days, a clip of the moment in question has taken on a life of its own on social media. Continue reading...

Fighting escalates after TPLF forms new rebel coalition aimed at overthrowing Abiy Ahmed government There are growing fears of a return to civil war in Ethiopia after an offensive by rebels from Tigray into the neighbouring states of Afar and Amhara , and the formation of a new rebel coalition aimed at overthrowing the government of the prime minister, Abiy Ahmed.Fighting from 2020 to 2022 between the Ethiopian army and the political party and paramilitary group Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) killed about 600,000 people. Both sides are now accusing the other of triggering a return to open conflict. Continue reading...

Mario David Coronado Juarez was killed when his car struck a tree and burst into flames as he attempted to avoid ICELeading Democrats and immigration advocates in Michigan are demanding transparency from federal authorities after a man died in a fiery car crash as he attempted to avoid agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).Mario David Coronado Juarez, a Guatemalan national, was killed Sunday in Grand Rapids when his vehicle struck a tree at high speed and burst into flames shortly after the ICE officers tried to conduct a traffic stop. Continue reading...

Ministry of Defence claims book by soldier known as Christian Craighead contains alleged breach of confidentiality contractAn injunction preventing a former member of the SAS from publishing a book about his role in a counter-terrorism operation has been extended after an application by the Ministry of Defence.The block on publication of the book in the UK will continue until the conclusion of a government legal action against the soldier, who is known only by the pseudonym Christian Craighead. Continue reading...