Timelines
How the main stories unfold, day after day: each timeline gathers the articles about one event, with a summary.
- Flydubai co-pilot planned to crash the plane into Israel's Ben Gurion airport, UAE says
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates say a Flydubai co-pilot attacked the captain of a flight to Tel Aviv last month intending to crash the plane into Israel's main airport terminal, The Independent reported, and according to Sky News the UAE attorney general said the alleged hijacker planned to crash into Ben Gurion airport. The UAE says the suspect prepared for the hijacking by watching material promoting terrorism and taking boxing lessons, according to The Independent. Euronews reported that the Omani co-pilot planned a suicide attack inspired by 9/11 and had previously been barred from flying in Oman over extremist views.
- UK and G7 allies back the International Criminal Court after the US imposes sanctions on it
The US imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, saying the measures are aimed at restricting the tribunal's resources and ability to operate, BBC News reported, and the Evening Standard said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had announced sweeping sanctions on the ICC, calling it a 'rogue court'. Britain said it 'strongly disagrees' with the sanctions in a joint statement with its G7 allies, The Independent reported, in which the G7 nations, along with Denmark and the Netherlands, reaffirmed their 'continued and unwavering support for the tribunal'.
- Pentagon to livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan
The Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, a former army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others in a shooting at the Fort Hood military base in 2009, will be livestreamed, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the execution would be 'public'. The Pentagon has confirmed that it will be livestreamed to the public on December 3, the Liverpool Echo reports, and Hegseth, who wants to 'make sure that people are able to watch', called the decision a 'no brainer'. According to The Independent, it would be the first public exhibition of the death penalty in the U.S. in 90 years, and the plan was described as a 'spectacle of cruelty', i News reported. Equalities minister Bridget Phillipson said the public execution of the US army major by firing squad was 'disturbing', adding that how it is conducted is a matter for President Donald Trump's government as she set out the UK's long-standing opposition to the death penalty, Chronicle Live reported.
- Former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay wins the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize
Navanethem 'Navi' Pillay, a South African jurist and former UN high commissioner for human rights, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, Sky News reports. Announcing the award, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said it was going to a 'person who with exceptional courage and integrity has led the way', according to Euronews, and the Financial Times says the prize was given for her efforts to promote peace and international law. The Independent notes that Trump had heaped pressure on the Norwegian Committee to give him the award.
- ICE agent shoots a man in New York City with a five-year-old in his car, mayor says
A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot a man in New York City on Thursday afternoon, 8 October, according to the city's mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who said a five-year-old child in the man's car was physically unharmed and condemned an 'unconscionable' act, The Guardian reported. Police said the man was taken to hospital, and early reports indicated that agents had surrounded the man and the child in his car in a residential area before firing. The Department of Homeland Security said the shooting happened during the arrest of a 'criminal illegal alien', according to BBC News.
- Zelensky criticises the US and says Ukraine needs more Starlink access after a deadly Russian assault
Ukrainian President Zelensky criticised the US and called for more Starlink access, saying expanded access would help Ukraine target Russian ballistic-missile launchers, amid a deadly Russian assault, The Guardian reported. According to The Independent, he said Kyiv needs Starlink after Putin's 'horrifying' bus attack, as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were due to meet Ukrainian representatives in Miami on Friday.
- Drumcree stand-off: protesters block an Orange Order parade on Garvaghy Road in Portadown
Thousands of protesters have blocked the Garvaghy Road in Portadown against an Orange Order parade that the Parades Commission has given the green light, although the Drumcree march had faced a prohibition since 1998. Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant has hosted talks and appealed for calm, and PSNI chief Jon Boutcher warned that 'mob rule must not be allowed to win'; residents say they will accept a deal if the Orange Order does, but talks have ended without agreement, with both sides vowing to stay 'as long as it takes'. DUP leader Gavin Robinson says Stormont cannot be 'business as normal' after alleged law-breaking by Sinn Fein ministers, while First Minister Michelle O'Neill has urged Sir Chris to intervene and stop the parade. On 7 October, Fine Gael minister McEntee said an agreement between the Orange Order and residents was the only solution, and Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald spoke of a 'dangerous and lingering limbo'. On 8 October police said suspected lawbreakers would receive letters inviting them to interview, and Sinn Féin and People Before Profit representatives, among them MLA Gerry Carroll, received them, as Irish political parties, McDonald and Labour leader Ivana Bacik among the signatories, urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to intervene.
- Burnham meets Merz in Berlin for talks on a UK-Germany security partnership
Prime Minister Andy Burnham met German chancellor Merz for security talks in Berlin on his first official visit to Germany, where the pair are expected to confirm a new UK-Germany joint partnership to counter sabotage, cyber attacks and other threats. Downing Street said deeper co-operation in the face of rising hybrid threats from Russia would be high on the agenda. According to Euronews, the meeting comes amid increasing warnings of hybrid threats in Europe and follows a drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport in August, which Berlin has accused Russia of orchestrating. The Independent notes that the trip comes amid an intelligence scandal that has rocked Germany, and the Financial Times reports that Burnham seeks Merz's support for closer EU ties after embarking on a review of the government's European policy. Burnham also said the UK was 'open' to Germany joining Gcap, initially a pact between the UK, Italy and Japan to build a sixth generation fighter jet, which welcomed Canada as an 'observer nation' in July.
- Rubio presses European allies on defence spending, saying US calls are 'not a hostile thing'
US Secretary of State Rubio urged Europe to shoulder more of its defence burden during talks in Athens on energy, military cooperation and regional security, pointing to Greece as an example of higher defence spending, Euronews reported. He said a defence spending hike was a sign that 'Europe can awaken from long slumber', highlighting the importance of the transatlantic alliance despite strains on 'the bonds of affection'. On 8 October he said US calls for allies to hike defence spending were 'not a hostile thing' and that members of the Nato military alliance need 'to be as strong as they can possibly be'.
- Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announces new sanctions on Russia during a visit to Ukraine
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has announced new sanctions on Russia during a visit to Ukraine. The crackdown was announced as he visited the site of a Russian missile strike on a residential building in the Chernihiv region.
- UK withdraws staff from its East Jerusalem consulate as Israel retaliates over a settlement trade ban
Israel ordered the closure of the UK consulate in East Jerusalem in response to a UK ban on trade with illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and sanctions on those who help build or finance them, and the mission was to shut its doors on Thursday. The Guardian described the forced closure as a low point in UK-Israeli relations, with reports that the UK is considering the retaliatory expulsion of Israeli diplomats from London. On Thursday 8 October, Israel said the consulate had 'ceased to function' and its foreign minister said 20 diplomats including the consul general would be leaving Israel, while the UK withdrew staff and families. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband insisted the building would not be shuttered but was downgraded in name only, becoming the UK Mission, Jerusalem, which 'will continue to deliver vital services'.
- Three killed in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia airports as the conflict escalates
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed new attacks on military facilities and airports in Saudi Arabia and on Yemen's Aden airport on Wednesday 7 October, their military spokesperson saying ballistic missiles and drones targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Three people were killed in Houthi attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia, officials said on 8 October, and the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks, which mark an escalation in the conflict.
- Former German spy chief August Hanning arrested on suspicion of espionage and treason
August Hanning, the former president of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and treason, Germany's federal prosecutor's office said, on allegations that he 'spied out state secrets'. He is accused of obtaining classified information from his former agency, during his time in office and after leaving it. The BBC and the Financial Times report he is suspected of obtaining or selling state secrets for a foreign power, while Euronews reports the information was used for his personal consultancy work.
- Trump sends a third aircraft carrier and 9,000 more troops to the Middle East
Trump is sending 9,000 more troops to the Middle East, a deployment that includes a third aircraft carrier, after threatening new strikes on Iran, The Independent reported. According to The Guardian, the deployment underscores the evolving complexity of Trump's war against Iran as US midterm elections loom.