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A curated guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:
IRAN WAR
The United States and Iran on Saturday exchanged missile fire in waters around Iran. U.S. Central Command said it struck three Iranian vessels after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy ships. Reuters reports.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf yesterday threatened Iranian retaliation against any new U.S. attacks on its assets. The retaliation would target energy infrastructures across the Gulf, including U.S. oil and gas interests. On Sunday, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei said that a restricted zone will be announced outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days, adding that the zone will include areas in the Gulf. Nayera Abdallah and Eman Abouhassira report for Reuters; Reuters reports.
IRAN WAR – LEBANON
Israeli strikes yesterday on the southern Lebanese town Kfar Roummane killed at least 12 people, including two children and one medic, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The attacks came without an online evacuation warning from the Israeli military. The IDF said it launched the strikes in response to drone attacks by Hezbollah, and targeted what it described as Hezbollah infrastructure. Maya Gebeily, Eman Abouhassira, and Nayera Abdallah report for Reuters; Christina Goldbaum reports for the New York Times.
IRAN WAR – YEMEN
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis today attacked energy facilities and cities in Saudi Arabia, wounding at least 73 people. Reuters reports.
IRAN WAR – OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash yesterday told the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi that the country is building alternative routes for its energy exports and trade to ensure they are not “held hostage” by the Iran war. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari added that Gulf Arab countries should not rely solely on their strategic partnerships with the United States for security. Nayera Abdallah and Eman Abouhassira report for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israeli strikes in Gaza on Sunday killed four people. A strike in the Gaza strip killed a man and his eight-year-old daughter according to the head of Al Shifa Hospital Mohamed Abu Selmia. The IDF said forces targeted a Hamas militant and the military was still looking into the results of the attack. Two separate Israeli strikes killed two other people, including a child in Gaza city, according to medics. Nidal al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters.
Germany yesterday told the International Court of Justice that a genocide case over weapons sales to Israel should be thrown out as it was improperly filed by Nicaragua. Nicaragua accuses Germany of violating the Genocide Convention and international humanitarian law by “facilitating” acts of genocide in Gaza by providing arms and other military support to Israel. Germany claimed the case was improperly filed as Nicaragua did not give sufficient notice to the German government. Molly Queel reports for AP News.
The U.N. expert on Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese yesterday said that Israeli clearance of rubble in Gaza could destroy valuable evidence of “atrocity crimes,” and prevent the recovery of human remains. Albaense said multiple sources had confirmed Israeli companies were involved in the clearance. Emma Farge reports for Reuters.
WEST BANK VIOLENCE
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered unauthorized settler outposts in the West Bank to be dismantled, according to sources on Sunday. Separately, Israel’s Supreme Court on Sunday ruled that Israeli defense authorities must enable the safe return of three Palestinian families to their homes after they were chased out of the West Bank village of Jalud by settlers. Alexander Cornwell reports for Reuters.
Violence in the occupied West Bank yesterday flared as Israeli troops killed two Palestinians. One person was shot dead during a village raid by settlers from a nearby outpost. Villagers gathered on the eastern edge to confront nine armed settlers, and were then trapped by Israeli troops from the opposite side. The other person was killed after they entered an outpost and stabbed a settler. Ali Sawafta reports for Reuters.
U.K. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to outline restrictions on buying goods made in Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank today. Israeli President Isaac Herzog accused Britain of interfering in Israel’s upcoming elections, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the British ambassador in Tel Aviv to be expelled. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee suggested that the United States could retaliate against the United Kingdom over the sanctions. Paul Adams, Nicholas Watt, and Henry Moore report for BBC News; Sarah Young and Alexander Cornwell report for Reuters; Noah Keate, Sophie Inge, Graham Lanktree, and Andrew McDonald report for POLITICO.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
U.S. Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Russia and Ukraine over the weekend for peace talks. Witkoff touted “substantive progress” in talks with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Tara Suter reports for The Hill; Max Hunder reports for Reuters.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov yesterday said the Kremlin did not rule out the resumption of peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, but said it was too early to say when and where such talks might take place. Zelenskyy yesterday told Axios that the United States is exploring whether Ukraine and Russia could take steps to de-escalate the war during the winter while restarting negotiations toward a broader peace agreement, viewing the weeks before the winter as a window for diplomacy. Dmitry Antonov reports for Reuters; Barak Ravid reports.
A Downing Street spokesperson yesterday said U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham spoke with President Trump and agreed on the “need to continue working towards a ceasefire” to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Sam Tobin reports for Reuters.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko yesterday said he had offered his resignation, citing political reasons. Kravchenko declared that he does “not want the position of Prosecutor General to be used as an instrument of political confrontation,” without elaborating. Jekaterina Golubkova reports for Reuters.
Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv today killed two people, marking the end of the pause in attacks for U.S. negotiations. The main targets of the attack were Kyiv and the southern Odesa region. Zelenskyy said the attack caused significant damage to residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure. AP News reports.
A Chinese state-owned firm has supplied Russia with the materials required to build hundreds of kamikaze drones, according to internal Russian company shipping documents obtained by POLITICO. The documents reveal the Chinese firm disguised the shipment of 46 tons of carbon-fiber chemicals to a subsidiary of Rosatom, a Russian state-owned atomic energy corporation, earlier this year. Graham Lanktree, Phelim Kine, and Sophia Yan report.
SUDANESE CIVIL WAR
Sudan’s government built a secret stockpile of chemical weapons that senior military officials sought to conceal after chlorine bombs were used against the Rapid Support Forces, according to internal materials reviewed by the Washington Post. Chlorine bombs were developed and used for at least six months between July 2024 and January 2025. Greg Miller and Elizabeth Dwoskin report.
CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT
The World Meteorological Organization yesterday released their annual report on air quality and the climate. The report said pollution from increasingly intense wildfires and heatwaves could undermine global efforts to improve air quality and protect human health, and that air pollution and climate change are closely linked and should be tackled through coordinated policies rather than in isolation. Olivia Le Poidevin reports for Reuters.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers on Friday proposed a rule that would significantly narrow the definition of “waters of the United States,” that are protected from harmful pollution under the Clean Water Act of 1972. The proposed rule would strip federal protections from millions of acres of wetlands, which help filter drinking water for many communities and provide critical habitats for wildlife. Maxine Joselow reports for the New York Times.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
German far-right party AfD on Sunday won 44% of the vote in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections. Broadcaster ZDF reported that the election drew a voter turnout of 77%. The Deputy Parliamentary leader of AfD Beatrix von Storch yesterday told BBC News that the party is “very, very close” to taking power, and called for their opponents to enter talks to form a government. Miranda Murray and Kirsti Knolle report for Reuters; Jessica Parker and Amy Walker report.
Prosecutors in Saxony yesterday said that authorities had found a total of 21 explosive devices as part of their investigations into attacks on the electricity grid, further raising security concerns over a series of sabotage attacks on Germany’s power grid. Police in Berlin yesterday said they are investigating a fire at a transformer substation. Separately, Bild newspaper reported that police in Wesel have launched major assessment operations after the security fence around another transformer substation was found to be cut open. Reuters reports; Ludwig Burger reports for Reuters.
Niger on Friday blamed France for inciting an attack on a key military airbase by mutinous soldiers last week. Reuters reports.
Former Filipino House of Representatives speaker, and first cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Martin Romualdez, yesterday was arrested over accusations that he pocketed $118 million from flood control and other infrastructure projects. Aie Balagtas See reports for the New York Times.
Thousands of people yesterday gathered in Belgrade, Serbia, for the funeral of former Bosnian Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic. Bosnia’s Foreign Minister Elemdin Konakovic said the country will withdraw all staff from its embassy in Belgrade except for the ambassador and consul in protest at Serbia’s handling of the funeral, which included a military escort of the body and the attendance of government officials. Ivana Sekularac reports for Reuters.
The U.N. on Friday voted for a shift away from the 16th-century Mercator global map towards one that more accurately reflects countries’ true size. Togo, who led the initiative, told Reuters ahead of the vote that a “fair world begins with a fair map.” The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution. Aleksandra Michalska reports.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Canadian retaliatory tariffs today took effect. The counter-tariffs cover $20 billion of U.S. goods, and are meant to mimic the taxes Trump imposed on Canada. Trump yesterday said that Canadian private jet maker Bombardier would no longer be allowed to sell its planes in the United States unless it started manufacturing in the country. Promit Mukherjee reports for Reuters; Tony Romm reports for the New York Times; Bhargav Acharya and Allison Lampert report for Reuters.
Iceland’s Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Gunnarsdottir yesterday summoned the U.S. ambassador to Iceland Billy Long after Trump posted an image on social media depicting Iceland, and other countries, covered by the American flag. The entire landmass covered by the flag is labelled the “United States of America.” Gunnarsdottir said that the “post was completely inappropriate.” Stine Jacobsen reports for Reuters.
Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez yesterday said there are no talks underway, or planned, with the United States, amid a “genocidal” blockade that Cuba says has cost the island over $8 billion in economic damages in the last year. Rodriguez added that although there are no negotiations, “a willingness to stay in contact remains.” Ayose Naranjo reports for Reuters.
Russia yesterday criticized the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile system to Norway. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the deployment dealt a further blow to the prospects for United States-Russia talks on strategic nuclear stability because the launchers in the system could be used to fire missiles capable of reaching a substantial part of European Russia, including Moscow. Reuters reports.
U.S. CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC OPERATIONS
Southern Command yesterday said they sank another Ecuadorian vessel that the United States alleged was linked to the criminal group Los Choneros. AP News reports.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
ICE Agent Christian Castro on Friday was released from federal custody on a $75,000 unsecured bond and with a GPS ankle monitor. He was ordered to next appear in federal court in Minnesota on Sept.18. Valerie Gonzalez and Alanna Durkin Richer report for AP News.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Patrick Havas on Sunday was arrested after forcing his way through a crowd toward Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for Ohio governor. Havas carried two pistols and a Taser in the shape of brass knuckles but did not draw his weapons, according to Sheriff Greene and witnesses. Bayliss Wagner and Jessica Contrera report for the New York Times.
Roughly 50 members of the military’s Joint Staff were subjected to polygraph tests over leaks to journalists, according to officials briefed on the move. The polygraph tests were conducted in August. Investigators asked military officers and civilian employees if they disclosed classified information, and whether they provided information about diminished U.S. munition stocks. Jonathan Swan, Adam Entous, Maggie Haberman, and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier on Sunday left Thailand after a five-day port visit. Gnaneshwar Rajan reports for Reuters.
Trump yesterday posted memes on social media that relabeled New Mexico as New America. The federal government has no authority to change the name of a state. New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham (D) said that New Mexico’s name “isn’t up for debate.” Marcelo Teixeira reports for Reuters.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy yesterday said that accident investigators were probing the cause of Sunday’s Amazon cargo flight crash in Miami. Five people on the ground were killed when the plane ran off the runway and struck two vehicles. Andrew Tangel reports for the Wall Street Journal; David Ovalle, Karoun Demirjian, and Eduardo Medina report for the New York Times.
Documents due to be released in tandem with the 25th anniversary of 9/11 reveal that New Yorkers were misled about air quality following the attack on the twin towers, according to the New York Times yesterday. Ten months after the attack, health officials were still finding evidence of asbestos as much as half a mile away. The documents were shielded from public view for more than two decades, and according to city officials, only discovered last year. Sally Goldenberg and Nina Agrawal report.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) yesterday signed an executive order creating the Mayor’s Office of Worker Power to assist organizing efforts among private-sector workers. Mamdani claims the office will ensure workers have a seat at the table “before exploitation becomes a crisis and violations become routine.” Joe Anuta reports for POLITICO.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTION
The White House has reviewed candidates to potentially replace Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinburg, sources have told Reuters. The effort was underway in June, and included conversations with senior lawmakers in the Senate about whether the administration’s picks would have enough support to be confirmed. Mike Stone, Erin Banco, and David Jeans report.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
Lawyers for the Trump administration on Sunday filed an emergency application to the Supreme Court to allow the Postal Service to implement a rule restricting mail-in voting, after a federal judge on Friday extended a ban preventing the new rule from taking effect. Supreme Court Justice Brown Jackson set a deadline of Wednesday for a response to the request. Tim Reid reports for Reuters.
A federal judge on Friday ordered the Justice Department to disclose the names of the people who came up with the structure of the now defunct “weaponization” fund that could have been used to pay allies of Trump. Jimmy Jenkins reports for Bloomberg.
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