World

The US is sending the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier group and about 9,000 sailors and Marines to the Middle East. President Trump has rejected Iran's latest proposal as "not good enough".

Pakistani airstrikes hit Kunar and Helmand overnight into Thursday. The UN mission says at least 10 civilians, mostly children, were killed. Pakistan says it killed 22 militants and harmed no civilians.

The last US troops are due to leave Iraq by September 30, ending a military presence that began in 2003. Baghdad calls it a return of full sovereignty, but Kurdish leaders warn of weak air defences and militias that refuse to disarm.

An Israeli strike on a Gaza City apartment killed Izz al-Din al-Beik, head of Hamas's armed wing in northern Gaza. Israel says he planned attacks, Hamas confirmed his death and accuses Israel of undermining a ceasefire that has stalled on disarmament.

Essar Group's US arm Mesabi Metallics will build a $15 billion steel mill in Iowa, announced by President Trump as the largest in US history. It will use ore from a new Minnesota mine, create about 1,750 permanent jobs and start production in 2030.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu made an unannounced day trip to Abu Dhabi on September 27 to meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, as he disputes a Haaretz report that the UAE leader warned him before the October 7 attack.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar used India's address to the 81st UN General Assembly on September 26 to warn that finance, technology and supply chains are being weaponised, and that countries far from conflict are paying for wars they did not start.

Qatar's Prime Minister said Netanyahu is 'the biggest obstacle' to the Gaza peace plan, citing Israel's control of over 70% of Gaza and aid far below agreed levels.

India's reply at UNGA called Pakistan 'a regime of the army, by the army, and for the army' after Shehbaz Sharif raised Kashmir and credited Trump for the 2025 truce.

Xi Jinping's US state visit ended with a limited deal on farm goods and medical devices and a truce extended to January 10, 2027. Taiwan, chips and rare earths remain unresolved.

Latest Update (September 27, 2026): President Donald Trump has now publicly confirmed the rejection....

United Russia is projected to win 355 of 450 State Duma seats after a near-complete count. The result remains preliminary as the EU challenges voting conditions and ballots in occupied Ukrainian territory.