Latest World News Today: 13 November 2026

UNHCR chief Barham Salih called the war in Sudan shameful and urged a political solution to end the conflict, now in its fourth year. He said forced displacement is at a record high and that funding cuts are hurting people in dire need, citing eight litres of water per person per day in Adre, Chad, and one doctor for about 60,000 refugees in Gambela, Ethiopia. Salih also defended the integrity of the asylum system amid politicised debate.

France said Friday it will ask the European Commission to examine Algeria's non-compliance with its EU association agreement. The move follows Algiers' near-blanket ban on French imports in late July and a suspension of urea shipments to France last month. France's foreign ministry said the agreement allows appropriate measures for non-respect of commitments.

Turkiye and Qatar signed a mutual defence agreement after President Tayyip Erdogan met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in Istanbul on Friday. Erdogan's office said the leaders would work to prevent a resurgence of war in the Gulf and that the pact would add a new dimension to relations. The two leaders co-chaired a meeting of the countries' Supreme Strategic Committee.

Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev said at the European Political Community Summit in Dublin that the country will increase and diversify energy supplies to Europe beyond 10 EU member states. He said gas supplies to the EU rose from 8 billion to 13 billion cubic metres and that the Baku-to-Italy pipeline is operating at full capacity. Aliyev also highlighted a renewable energy agreement with Georgia, Turkey and Bulgaria.

Indonesian police named four senior officers as suspects in an alleged illegal wiretapping operation targeting President Prabowo Subianto and other figures. Investigators say officers intercepted communications without proper authorisation in 2025 and 2026 and tried to delete records. A parliamentary commission is investigating motives, while police probe possible treason-related offences and the government ordered 20,000 troops to Jakarta.

Ukraine launched almost 1,200 drones at Russian targets overnight, one of its largest aerial attacks since the invasion began. US envoys said Russia has agreed to include Europe in upcoming talks, a shift that has alarmed European leaders over NATO's future role. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Europe already has one security architecture, while EU diplomat Kaja Kallas urged a ceasefire before discussing Russia's security demands.

A bus collided with a container truck on a highway near Kaziranga National Park in Assam on Friday, killing at least 24 people and injuring 11, authorities said. Children and the bus driver were among the dead, officials said. State minister Atul Bora called it one of the worst crashes in Assam's history, and witnesses reported the bus was speeding before the collision.

An unfinished eight storey building collapsed in Syokimau on the outskirts of Nairobi on Friday, killing six people, according to a preliminary emergency report. Construction workers were reportedly at the site when the uppermost concrete slab gave way, and rescue teams were still searching for survivors. The accident follows a similar collapse in Nairobi on October 23 that killed eight, reviving calls for stronger construction oversight.

A car bomb in Moscow injured Sergei Zavorotny, a former adviser to Ukraine's former prime minister Mykola Azarov, Russia's Investigative Committee said. The explosion came a day after a similar car bomb killed a Russian colonel in Saint Petersburg, amid peace talks in Dublin and continued overnight strikes by both sides. Unconfirmed reports said Zavorotny lost his left arm and suffered brain injury, broken ribs and a right leg injury.

Israel extended its $3,500 voluntary departure grant to nationals of every African country, effective Monday and lasting until year end. It covers African nationals who have stayed more than two years without a valid visa, those with temporary residency permits, and, for the first time, legal entrants who overstayed. Applications are due by 31 December, and the authority expects several thousand more people to qualify.

UN responders said the Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo continues to spread as Allied Democratic Forces attack civilians and health workers, making contact tracing hazardous. WHO said about 400 to 500 cases are still identified weekly, though transmission has fallen in previous hotspots such as Bunia, Mongbwalu, Rampara and Nizi. The agency condemned attacks that killed 66 civilians, including three health workers, and looted three facilities.

The IAEA said Iran should restore access to nuclear facilities, calling the lack of information a serious proliferation concern. Inspectors have had limited access since US and Israeli strikes in June 2025, and the agency is concerned about an underground enrichment plant near Isfahan whose location and status are unclear. Iran said it remains committed to the non proliferation treaty but blamed US and Israeli attacks for limiting cooperation.

Four students at the University of Nigeria Nsukka died after falling ill at a party celebrating the end of their final exams, police said. The two men and two women had reportedly consumed alcoholic drinks, though the cause of death has not been confirmed. The university declared three days of mourning and banned signing out celebrations, while police recovered drinks from the scene and launched an investigation.

A 35 year old Indian man died after a crude bomb disguised as a traditional sweet exploded in his mouth, police said. The device, used by some rural communities to kill wild boars, resembles rasgulla, a soft round sweet eaten whole. Two men were arrested and charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, while police said the motive was still under investigation.

French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barrot called Israel's decision to bar Jean Luc Melenchon a demagogic move by a government that has repeatedly violated international law. Israel also barred La France Insoumise group chair Mathilde Panot, citing the party's stance against Israel and statements by its leaders. Melenchon had said he would order French ships to escort Gaza aid flotillas if elected in the April 2027 presidential election.

Iran's navy said Friday that it shot down a US MQ-1 Predator drone over the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian media. The semi-official IRNA news agency reported the drone was downed near the Sirik coast in the Kohstak region. The navy said it would not hesitate to defend Iran's territorial integrity, maritime borders and interests.

Russia and Ukraine reported numerous overnight attacks despite a renewed US diplomatic push. Russia said it intercepted about 1,200 Ukrainian drones, with four people killed in Volgograd, while Ukraine said strikes on Odesa killed at least two and a hospital in central Kyiv was hit. Zelenskyy said speed restrictions on SpaceX's Starshield system had made it harder for Ukraine to shoot down drones.

Pakistani security forces said Friday they killed 74 militants in raids in the northwest and southwest regions bordering Afghanistan over the past 10 days. The military said troops killed 43 in Mir Ali and Orakzai districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 31 in Balochistan since November 3. It alleged the militants were backed by Afghanistan and India, which have previously denied such claims.

Nauru's president, David Adeang, said all opposition lawmakers in parliament have joined his government, leaving the 19-member chamber without any political opposition. The appointment of two lawmakers as deputy cabinet ministers meant the parliament was in total support of the government for the first time since independence in 1968. Adeang said the move reflected unity, stability and shared purpose, without explaining what prompted it.

Autumn rains have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, killing at least six people and flooding 70,000 tents, according to UNICEF. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that aid teams are clearing blocked sewer lines, but Israeli restrictions on access behind the Yellow Line limit relocation options. More than 74,600 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the war began in October 2023.

Storm Charles brought destructive weather to the Iberian Peninsula, causing widespread flooding in Spain and Portugal and forcing hundreds of flight cancellations. The system moved through southern France and into northern Italy, where a red rainfall warning was issued for the region from Tuscany to Venice. In Canada, successive rounds of heavy rain and strong winds have caused flooding and power outages across British Columbia.

A passenger van veered off a mountainous road and plunged into a river in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan, killing 11 people and injuring three. Police said the driver lost control Thursday night, and rescue teams took all 11 bodies and the three injured to a nearby hospital. Regional Chief Minister Amjad Hussain said authorities would ensure the best possible medical care for the injured.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is trying to keep a high speed train collision that killed 69 people from overshadowing his campaign for snap elections called in October. He has framed the Urda rail tragedy as evidence that public services matter and that a right wing government would be worse for housing, healthcare and infrastructure. Sanchez held a campaign kick off in Seville and pointed to victories in Brazil and the United States.

US Central Command denied an Israeli media report that Washington is preparing for possible renewed attacks on Iran, dismissing the claims as pure speculation. The denial follows a report by Israeli public broadcaster KAN that the US had urged Israel to prepare for a resumption of military operations and had deployed around 200 aerial refuelling aircraft across the region and Europe.

An updated US indictment says Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, jailed in New York on Iran linked terror charges, passed coded messages to associates in Iran, including a handler called Ali. The indictment says Ali directed the September incident at RAF Fairford, which UK officials have linked to Iran's IRGC. Two Britons charged in the case await trial on suspicion of assisting Iranian intelligence in breach of the 2023 National Security Act.

53 nations and organisations urged Israel on Thursday to allow urgent aid and unimpeded humanitarian access into Gaza. British ambassador to the UN Sarah MacIntosh, speaking for the co signatories of the Gaza Call to Action on Humanitarian Access and Health, also called on Israel's incoming government to facilitate access into the besieged enclave.

President Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait have asked him to hold off large scale attacks against Iran. He said Saudi Arabia asked him to let the situation remain as it is for a while and that the other three prefer the same approach. Trump said he was not sure he agreed with them.

Iran's IRGC Navy said a liquefied petroleum gas carrier exploded after hitting a sea mine in the Strait of Hormuz. It accused the vessel of ignoring warnings and passing with support from American fighter jets. The IRGC warned other ships using routes it calls unauthorised will suffer the same fate.

The US Department of Homeland Security reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out 483,200 deportations and more than 491,000 arrests in fiscal year 2026, breaking previous records. The report comes days after President Donald Trump acknowledged his administration's immigration crackdown may have been too tough.

Experts noted that while enforcement has increased, the data does not fully clarify how many individuals were removed from the interior versus the border.

Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, an Iranian boxer on death row, received the Magnitsky award in London on Thursday. In a message from Vakilabad prison, he said he accepts it for those imprisoned or sentenced to death for aspiring to a free Iran and that he will never surrender. Amnesty International says his third death sentence followed a grossly unfair trial, and the supreme court upheld it in October 2025.

European leaders are debating whether to send one envoy or several to represent them in Ukraine peace talks, with no consensus yet as the EU meets in Dublin. The US and Ukraine say the next round will include European partners, but Moscow has not confirmed, and Russia does not want Europe in direct negotiations. Ukraine wants European backup, while Europe worries a US backed process could leave it sidelined.

Rival jihadist groups JNIM and the ISIL affiliate ISSP have fought increasingly deadly battles along Burkina Faso's northern Mali border since early September, as the government struggles to reassert control. ISIL's weekly publication claimed more than 400 JNIM fighters were killed near Ganadaouri on October 9, but JNIM has not responded and no independent assessment has confirmed the figure.

JNIM continues to gain ground against government forces.

US President Donald Trump said he would use force against Iran without hesitation if US ships or allies are threatened, telling Salem News Channel he might do it right now if things go the other way. He also claimed the US has lost no soldiers in five months and controls the Gulf, although reports and official figures indicate more than a dozen soldiers have died in the war on Iran.

Germany's first comprehensive Bundeswehr study found more than 60% of female soldiers reported sexual harassment or abuse. Defence minister Boris Pistorius called the figures unacceptable and promised zero tolerance as the military seeks more recruits. The survey of 4,000 women found nearly 40% received suggestive comments, 15% were harassed with unwanted photos, just over 8% were physically attacked and 2% were victims of sexual violence.

Funding cuts and shortfalls have forced UNRWA to close or reduce hours at schools, healthcare centres and clinics in Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps. The agency said it needs around $70m to $80m more for 2026 and has cut service hours by 20 percent since February. Many schools will reduce the school week from five to four days for the 2026 to 2027 academic year.

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran does not want the war with the US to continue, but the ball is in Washington's court for peace talks. He said Iran gave the US a clear response outlining its demands, but the Trump administration has not responded. He said an agreement is possible if Washington adheres to what was previously agreed upon and avoids actions that undermine trust and excessive demands.

Pope Leo XIV met six victims of clerical abuse in Peru on Thursday, including people linked to the disbanded Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. The US-born pope, who served in Peru for nearly two decades, said the Church must make amends to survivors and foster a culture of prevention and protection. The Vatican said it plans a listening channel in Lima and to use assets seized from the lay movement to compensate victims.

A Spanish judge suspended the activities of the ultra-right group Nucleo Nacional in an investigation into alleged hate crimes and illegal association. The court in Gijon ordered its office shut and its social media content and bank accounts blocked, after 14 members were arrested last week on suspicion of inciting hatred.

The ruling comes ahead of Spain's general election on November 29 and a day after the first nationwide general strike in 14 years.

Finland's military said it detected a strike on a Russian warship in the Gulf of Finland area, without giving details of its origin, timing or casualties. Finnish broadcaster Yle reported that Ukraine's Security Service said it carried out the attack, while local Estonian media said the vessel returned to Saint Petersburg. The incident came as US envoys met Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Volodymyr Zelensky in Ireland.

US President Donald Trump said he would certainly consider using military force against Cuba and wants to get Cuba done before he leaves office in 2029. In a phone interview, he said Secretary of State Marco Rubio would love to do it and that the administration is watching the island closely. Trump has previously threatened to topple Cuba's authorities, while a de facto oil blockade has caused repeated blackouts, fuel and food shortages.

Haitian police regained control of the country's main football stadium on Thursday after two years under gang control, with Salvadoran troops taking over security at the venue. The operation follows El Salvador's deployment of about 2,000 soldiers ordered by President Nayib Bukele after an ambush left four of its troops missing. Gangs had seized the stadium in 2024, forcing Haiti's national team to play World Cup qualifying matches in Curacao.

Former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr says officials in Canberra and Washington acknowledge the US will never build and sell nuclear submarines to Australia, calling the $368bn Aukus deal a diplomatic joke. He expects US operated vessels will be stationed at Australian bases instead. The Albanese government says Aukus is proceeding as intended, noting Trump has pledged support.

Lebanese authorities have asked Syria to hand over two Syrian nationals suspected in the killing of former Iraqi MP Ahmed al-Alwani, found dead in a Beirut apartment. Preliminary findings indicate he was strangled, while motives remain unclear and an initial inquiry points to a financial angle. Al-Alwani, a critic of Iranian influence in Iraq, had served over a decade in prison after an initial death sentence on terrorism charges.

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama said NATO will not hold its next summit in Tirana in 2027 as planned, although he said a 2028 summit would be held there if one takes place. A NATO official said the next summit will be held in Albania, with the date still undecided. Rama made the remarks in Dublin as his government faces criticism over defence spending and months of protests, including over a Kushner-backed resort in a protected wetland.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and US envoy Jared Kushner said European delegates will join the next round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks, after US envoys met Zelensky in Dublin and Vladimir Putin in Moscow. An EU official said representatives of five European capitals and the European Commission also met the US envoys, with a new multilateral meeting to be fixed soon. The Kremlin did not confirm Putin had agreed to include Europe.

Fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region resumed in late September between the TPLF and the national army, with federal forces entering Mekelle within less than two weeks after the TPLF withdrew. Hundreds of people are reported to have died, including in drone strikes and air raids. Officials say the war is effectively over and the remaining task is to clear Tigray of TPLF elements, while analysts point to the group's fragmentation and lost support.

Yemeni government forces said they repelled a large scale Houthi attack in Taiz, while a Saudi led coalition intercepted Houthi drones heading for Riyadh. The Siege Affairs Office in Taiz said it had documented 44 deaths and 37 injuries over the past 10 days, with one person killed and two wounded in the past 24 hours.