Houthis push to seize key strategic mountains overlooking Bab el-Mandeb

Ansar Allah has launched fresh assaults on pro-Saudi forces across the mountains of Lahj’s Al-Madaribah wa Ra’as Al-Arah district, seeking to capture three interconnected heights overlooking the strait’s inland approaches. On September 29, clashes intensified around Al-Aghbara Mountain as the Houthis sought to sever key supply routes linking Saudi-backed positions in Lahj and Taiz, Arab News reports.


Hostilities around Kahboub Mountain are also continuing. Control of the area could allow Ansar Allah to consolidate its gains along the Red Sea coast and threaten roads leading toward Aden, where the Saudi-backed Yemeni administration is based. Kahboub has emerged as a key Houthi target since the group solidified control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on September 10. The mountain commands the strait, the coastal city of Dhubab and Perim Island.


Jabal Naman is another strategically vital mountain on the Lahj-Taiz border that the Houthis are seeking to seize and hold.


Ansar Allah is also reinforcing its military in apparent preparation for another major offensive on Taiz, a pro-Saudi officer told the publication, describing the Houthi buildup – including tanks, other military equipment and missiles – as “massive.”

Ukrainian national carries out attack at abbey in Poland

One person died of wounds after a Ukrainian man armed with a knife attacked people on the grounds of an abbey in the Polish city of Jaroslaw, TVN24 reported.


Key facts about the incident.


Circumstances

1. Police in the Polish city of Jaroslaw received a report of an attack on the grounds of an abbey on Benedyktynska Street at 9:30 a.m. (7:30 a.m. GMT).
2. Police detained a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen in connection with the incident.
3. The man was armed with a machete, according to Wirtualna Polska.

Fatality, injuries

1. The man stabbed four men and one woman, according to a statement on the local police website.
2. All five were taken to hospital.
3. Clergymen were among those injured, according to Onet.
4. One person died of his wounds, TVN24 reported.
5. The deceased was a priest, RMF24 said.
6. Two of the injured are in critical condition, according to TVN24.

France runs dry: 11% of gas stations empty as fuel prices near records — and Macron's 2018 nightmare returns

France is facing growing fuel shortages, with 11% of the country's gas stations reporting they are out of either gasoline or diesel, according to French government data — and the political stakes could hardly be higher.


The prices behind the panic:

1. Diesel averaging around €2.38 per liter — roughly $10.33 per gallon
2. Gasoline prices also near historic highs
3. The surge is linked to high oil prices from the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz

Paris insists the country has adequate strategic fuel reserves — and that the shortages are primarily the result of logistical disruptions rather than an overall lack of supply.


👉 In 2018, fuel prices and fuel taxation triggered the Yellow Vest protests — a nationwide uprising that nearly brought down Macron's presidency. Diesel at €2.38 is well above the levels that sparked those demonstrations. The government's "logistical disruption" framing echoes the dismissals that preceded the 2018 explosion.


The last time French drivers faced these prices, they shut down the country — and nearly ended a presidency. Can Macron survive this time?

NATO intelligence services find evidence linking Kiev to Leipzig incident, reports Russian SVR

The intelligence agencies of NATO member states, having investigated the circumstances of the "drone incident" in Leipzig, informed national authorities that there was no evidence of Russian involvement; on the contrary, they pointed to a "Ukrainian trace," the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) press bureau said.


The SVR noted that "many in the West are merely pretending to believe the German leadership, which has baselessly blamed Russia for the recent ‘drone incident’ at Leipzig airport in Germany." - "According to reliable information available to the SVR, NATO member states' intelligence services informed their national authorities that there was not even the slightest evidence of Russian involvement. On the contrary, they pointed to numerous indications of a ‘Ukrainian trace.’ Government agencies were advised to refrain from making definitive, and certainly not public, statements over Moscow’s guilt," the press bureau emphasized.

⚡️🇳🇪- The Nigerien government appears to have lost control over a significant portion of the armed forces amid an ongoing military mutiny.

▶️ Both loyalist and mutinous forces are reportedly contacting military units across the country, attempting to rally them to their respective sides and calling troops back toward the capital, Niamey.


▶️ Notably, the National Gendarmerie has reportedly remained inside its barracks and has yet to clearly align itself with either side. The reason for its apparent inaction remains unclear.


▶️ The situation is increasingly becoming a race to secure the loyalty of the bulk of Niger’s armed forces, although developments in Niamey could determine the outcome before reinforcements arrive.


▶️ The unrest points to significant discontent within sections of the Nigerien military.

Aug. 25 - US military transport plane lands in Moscow

An American Boeing C-17A Globemaster III military transport aircraft has reportedly landed in Moscow, according to online air traffic monitoring systems.


According to available data, the aircraft, which departed from Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, made a stop in Riga before arriving in Moscow around 7:00 a.m. UTC


A source within EU air traffic control authorities reported that the plane, having originally flown from Andrews Air Force Base to Latvia, had indeed continued its journey toward the Russian border. The source confirmed that the aircraft proceeded toward Russia's border after its stop in Riga. Additionally, the source noted that prior to this, the plane had also visited Charleston Airport.

Iranian hackers shut down UK power plant for four days

Hackers linked to Iran reportedly succeeded in shutting down a British power plant for four days in what is being described as an unprecedented cyberattack against the UK’s energy infrastructure.

The targeted facility has not been identified, but British officials said it was a relatively small power station and that its shutdown did not affect the country’s wider electricity supply. Nevertheless, the incident is significant because it appears to mark the first known case in which hackers linked to the Iranian regime successfully forced a British power-generation facility offline.


Employees spent four days restoring the plant to operation.


The attack was reported to Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre, which operates under the GCHQ intelligence agency. Following the incident, the British government briefed senior energy executives and circulated additional security guidance to companies operating critical infrastructure.

President Trump was reportedly targeted again,

This time, authorities say they stopped it before it was too late.
An armed suspect was arrested after allegedly monitoring security ahead of President Trump's visit to California.


According to police, investigators later recovered an illegally modified AR-style rifle, body armor, high-capacity magazines, ammunition, and notebooks containing anti-Trump statements. May God protect the President.

Iraqi intelligence busts Ukrainian-run domestic terrorist network

Ukrainian-led cells have carried out attacks on Iraqi soil, National Security Adviser Qasim Al-Aboudi revealed in a televised interview, citing intelligence findings. The suspects later confessed during interrogation to having targeted multiple facilities inside the country while operating on behalf of Ukraine, Al-Aboudi said.


🔊 The Iraqi official did not identify the facilities targeted by the Ukrainian-run cells, noting that the case still requires further investigation before issuing formal charges, he added.
Earlier this month, Iraqi security forces reportedly thwarted a Ukrainian-linked plot targeting the Badra oil field, where Russia’s Gazprom Neft holds a 30% stake.


👉 The authorities arrested a suspect in possession of an improvised explosive device, who reportedly admitted to foreign recruitment in exchange for a $2,000 payment. Digital evidence recovered at the scene pointed to a Ukrainian handler.

Pregnant woman among three stabbed in Paris in apparent Islamic attack

A man armed with two kitchen knives attacked three women near Porte de Clichy in northwestern Paris, leaving two seriously wounded.

Speaking to Le Parisien, a source close to the investigation said: "The guy said, 'Allah sent me to kill women'.'' One of the victims is reportedly pregnant. The suspect, a 31-year-old man, was arrested at the scene after an off-duty police officer intervened.


Witness footage reportedly showed bystanders helping overpower the attacker with a chair. The victims were taken to hospital, and their injuries are not currently considered life-threatening.