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Keffe D Davis Gets 40 Years to Life for Tupac Shakur’s Murder

By
Omonigho Daibo
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Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a former gang leader, was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the 1996 drive by shooting of rapper Tupac Shakur near the Las Vegas Strip, the Associated Press reported.

Davis, 63, was convicted in August of first degree murder with use of a deadly weapon. Even with credit for time served, he will not be eligible for parole until he is at least 100, the AP said. NBC News reported that the sentence includes a 20 year mandatory enhancement for profiting from the murder, according to Judge Carli Kierny.

His lawyer has said he will appeal. Davis is the only person ever charged in Shakur’s death.

What We Know So Far

The killing went unsolved for decades. The case reopened after Davis began talking about it in interviews and a 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” in which he described himself as a “shotcaller” for the South Side Compton Crips.

On Sept. 7, 1996, Shakur was in the passenger seat of a black BMW driven by music executive Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled up at a red light and shots were fired. Shakur, 25, was hit several times and died six days later. Knight survived.

In his memoir, Davis wrote that he sought revenge after Shakur and his entourage beat up Davis’ nephew hours before the shooting. He said he sat in the Cadillac’s passenger seat and passed the gun to the back seat, where the shots were fired. Davis spoke to detectives years earlier but avoided prosecution under an agreement with law enforcement.

Prosecutors relied on Davis’ own statements to law enforcement and documentary makers. They argued he orchestrated the attack and supplied the gun, but he was not accused of firing the fatal shots. They said the shooting grew out of a rivalry between the South Side Compton Crips and the Mob Piru, which was associated with Shakur’s label and with Knight. His defense attorney pointed to a lack of physical evidence linking Davis to the 30 year old crime and portrayed him as a liar trying to make money.

The jury deliberated for under three hours before returning its verdict in August.

What Authorities Are Saying

“You don’t get to take a man from his family,” Kierny said at sentencing, adding that “the world never forgot about him and his death and neither did Las Vegas.”

Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal, who cited five other convictions and Davis’ public boasting, asked for the maximum sentence. He said Davis “100% deserves” it, according to NBC News.

Davis, who appeared in court in handcuffs and a navy blue prison uniform, spoke briefly. He told the judge he wanted pictures and other items that police took from his house. Asked whether he wanted to say more, he said, “No, I’m good.”

District Attorney Steve Wolfson said in a statement that no amount of time in prison can bring Tupac back, but he hoped the sentence brings some measure of closure and peace to the family.

The Family’s Statements

Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, said it was hard to hear Davis describe, again and again, how he hunted and killed her brother. She said he was gentle and kind, and the family’s protector, and that had he survived he would have left rapping behind for activism and possibly politics. “This man’s life mattered,” she said as relatives cried in the courtroom.

She also called her brother “born an icon” and said he was a father figure to her and to the wider family. Shakur’s brother, Maurice “Mopreme” Shakur, called the killing “devastating, heartbreaking and sad.”

Differing Accounts

The two outlets described the proceedings slightly differently. The AP said the trial lasted weeks, with nine days of testimony in August, while NBC News described a two week trial. The AP reported the judge saying Davis took Shakur’s “whole future,” while NBC quoted her as saying “whole life.” Both put the jury’s deliberations at about three hours or less.

Why This Matters

The case ends one of the best known unsolved killings in American music, and Shakur’s legend has only grown since. Investigators at the time said an East Coast and West Coast record label rivalry fed a feud between Shakur’s entourage and Davis’ associates, and they blamed Shakur’s friends and others for hindering the investigation.

Shakur’s death set off a gang war in Compton, hundreds of miles away, and was followed six months later by the killing of New York rapper Christopher Wallace, known as Notorious B.I.G. No one has been charged or convicted in Wallace’s death.

Questions remain about who else was involved. The three other people allegedly in the Cadillac with Davis have died, including his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, whom Davis said fired the shots. Davis has alleged in his book and public statements that Sean “Diddy” Combs offered money to kill Shakur and Knight. Combs, who is serving a four year prison sentence for prostitution related offenses, has repeatedly denied any involvement. Witnesses at trial testified that Combs used members of the South Side Compton Crips for security at Bad Boy Records. Wolfson has said his office does not have enough evidence to charge anyone else.

Rapper Din “Lil Therapy” Malone, a Shakur fan, said outside the courthouse that justice is “halfway done” and that he wants others charged.

What Happens Next

Davis’ lawyer has said he will appeal the conviction. Wolfson said his office does not currently have enough evidence to charge anyone else, but prosecutors can always consider more charges if new information comes to light.

Reporting drawn from the Associated Press and NBC News

Pope Leo XIV Has ‘Tranquil Night’ Following Lung Cancer Surgery

By
Zipporah Njoki
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Pope Leo XIV spent a tranquil night at Rome’s Gemelli hospital after surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung and a confirmed diagnosis of lung cancer, the Vatican said in a statement Wednesday.

The Vatican said more information would be provided later in the day.

Tests confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican said late Tuesday in a medical bulletin, according to the Associated Press. It said the diagnosis was suspected from preoperative tests and confirmed during surgery.

What We Know So Far

The 71 year old pope was in the operating room for about three hours, the Vatican said. The surgery itself lasted about 90 minutes. “The surgery was successful, and there were no complications,” the statement said. Leo then returned to his room.

The pope’s lead surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, and personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, said in a joint statement that the entire lower lobe was removed to eliminate all cancerous tissue, Reuters reported. The Vatican press office noted that the bulletin described the removal as “radical,” indicating doctors took all suspect tissue.

The bulletin did not mention further treatment. The Vatican said doctors were not currently talking about chemotherapy or other therapies while results of other tests are pending. Lymph nodes would also have been removed and tested to see whether the cancer spread, but there is no word yet on those results. The Vatican has not disclosed the tumor’s size, Reuters said.

Leo walked into the hospital through the main entrance Tuesday and waved to dozens of well wishers. The Vatican said he will stay in a room near the papal apartment on Gemelli’s 10th floor, which is being renovated. He is expected to stay in the hospital about a week, and all public engagements are canceled through Oct. 20.

What Experts Are Saying

Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer specialist at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center who is not involved in the pope’s care, said adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer and has the most favorable prognosis. “While we know the diagnosis we now need to know the stage,” he said.

Liu said doctors still need to learn the tumor’s size, whether there is more than one nodule, and whether lymph nodes are cancerous. If the cancer has spread, more tests would guide therapy, which could include chemotherapy, chemotherapy with immunotherapy, or targeted pills for specific cancers.

Oncologists said before the operation that even if the nodule proved cancerous, the pope’s prognosis would be “excellent” since it was removed at an early stage, the AP reported.

Differing Accounts

The two outlets described how the problem came to light differently. The AP said the pope himself revealed the discovery of a localized nodule during his Sunday noon prayer and said he would have it removed. Reuters said doctors found a growth during a recent routine health check. On the surgery’s length, the AP gave both the three hours in the operating room and the 90 minutes of surgery, while Reuters reported only the 90 minutes. Neither account conflicts with the other, but they emphasize different details.

Why This Matters

This is the first publicly disclosed major health problem of Leo’s 17 month papacy, and the American pontiff has been unusually open about it, the AP said. He was elected in May 2025. Reuters described him as relatively young for a church leader, said he enjoys sports including tennis, and is not known to be a smoker or to have had recent health issues.

After one lobe is removed, the rest of the lung can gradually compensate, especially in healthy and active people, the AP reported. The right lung has three lobes and the left has two.

The stage of the cancer will shape the next steps, including whether Leo keeps his planned Nov. 6 to 17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. Oncologists often advise patients not to fly for three weeks after surgery, which would just fit the schedule. The trip is the longest of his papacy, with just over 31,000 kilometers (19,000 miles) on a dozen flights and two helicopter rides, and a significant altitude change in Peru. “If it is stage 1, he can complete these trips,” Liu said. “If more treatment is needed, I would likely advise against the trips.”

What Happens Next

The Vatican has promised more details later Wednesday. Pathology on the lymph nodes and the staging results will determine whether any further treatment is needed. Audiences remain canceled through Oct. 20, and a decision on the South America trip has not been announced.

Reporting drawn from the Associated Press and Reuters

8 Wounded in South Korea After Man Goes on Stabbing Spree

By
Zipporah Njoki
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A 59 year old man stabbed at least eight people Tuesday afternoon at a shopping mall in the South Korean city of Incheon, police and fire officials said. One victim was in life threatening condition and underwent surgery, the Associated Press reported.

The suspect attacked shoppers as he moved through the building before business owners and bystanders subdued him, according to Incheon’s Namdong District Police Station and witnesses. Police took him into custody and are investigating his motive.

The man’s name was not released, in keeping with South Korean practice for most criminal suspects.

What We Know So Far

The attack began at 1:40 p.m., the Justice Ministry said. Witnesses told South Korean media that the man appeared to have knives tied to both hands and stabbed people on several floors while riding an escalator up and down.

Nah Hyun joon, one of the people who helped subdue the attacker with chairs, told OBS television that he saw the man attack about four people in the second floor food court before going up to the third floor, where he stabbed at least one woman. People holding chairs blocked the man as he headed toward a fourth floor movie theater, Nah said, and he was pinned near the escalator’s third floor entrance and disarmed before police arrived. “He just went around stabbing people,” Nah said.

The injured were taken to nearby hospitals. Incheon’s fire department said a woman in her 20s underwent surgery after arriving in cardiac arrest. The department did not describe the severity of the other injuries. Yonhap News Agency, cited by Reuters, said the victims were six women and two men.

An emergency medical center was set up on the building’s first floor in case of more casualties, The Korea Times reported.

What Authorities Are Saying

The Justice Ministry said the man was required to wear an electronic monitoring anklet. He was sentenced to four years in prison for attempted murder in 2015, Yonhap reported, and was placed under monitoring in 2019 after his release. He committed no repeat offenses while under supervision, the ministry said.

Last month, the ministry said, he was booked on suspicion of carrying a weapon after he used a kitchen knife to puncture a protest sign outside a hospital where he had a dispute. He was receiving treatment for alcohol dependence and unspecified mental illnesses.

On the day of the attack, the man attended counseling from 10 to 11 a.m. and met his probation officer from 11:20 to 11:55 a.m., the ministry said. The officer confirmed he had taken his medication and had lunch with him until 12:30 p.m. Authorities detected no attempt to tamper with the monitoring device.

“We sincerely apologize over the great public concern,” the ministry said, and added that it would review both the supervision of the suspect and the broader electronic monitoring procedures.

Differing Accounts

The accounts differ on where the attack happened and how many floors it spanned. The AP, citing a witness, described stabbings in a food court on the second floor and on the third floor, with the man heading for a fourth floor theater. The Korea Times, citing the Namdong police, said the suspect attacked people between the second basement floor, where a Homeplus supermarket is located, and the second floor above ground, and called the site a supermarket building. It also described the suspect as believed to be in his 60s, while the AP gave his age as 59. On injuries, the AP said at least eight were stabbed and one woman had gone into surgery, while the Korea Times said one person was in cardiac arrest and seven were injured.

Why This Matters

The case puts South Korea’s electronic monitoring system under scrutiny. The system uses real time GPS tracking to watch high risk offenders after release, Reuters said, and covers people convicted of a range of crimes including murder. A man under that supervision, and who met his probation officer hours before, still carried out the attack. The ministry’s promised review will test whether monitoring can catch warning signs such as the weapons booking last month.

South Korea was shaken by a series of stabbing rampages in 2023 that left several people dead or injured, and in May a 17 year old girl was fatally stabbed in the southwestern city of Gwangju by a man in his 20s who was later sentenced to life in prison, Reuters reported.

What Happens Next

Police are questioning the suspect and examining the motive and the circumstances of the attack. The Justice Ministry’s review of both the supervision of this man and of electronic monitoring procedures could lead to changes. The condition of the woman who underwent surgery has not been updated.

Reporting drawn from the Associated Press, Reuters and The Korea Times

Passenger Train Derails in Pakistan’s Punjab, Killing at Least 5

By
Simeon Bateren
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A rescue worker searches for victims after a train derailed in Sarhari town in district Sanghar, Pakistan August 6, 2023. REUTERS/Yasir Rajput TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A passenger train derailed in Pakistan’s Punjab province early Tuesday, killing at least five people and injuring dozens more, officials said. Some reports put the death toll at five.

The Rehman Baba Express was traveling from the southern port city of Karachi to the northwestern city of Peshawar when all 14 of its coaches left the tracks near Sher Shah Bridge in the Multan area, Geo News reported, citing police and rescue officials.

A rescue worker searches for victims after a train derailed in Sarhari town in district Sanghar, Pakistan August 6, 2023. REUTERS/Yasir Rajput TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Railway spokesman Kaleem Akhtar said rescuers recovered all four bodies and evacuated the injured, according to the Associated Press. Turkiye Today, citing a passenger, put the time of the accident at about 5:15 a.m. (0015 GMT).

What We Know So Far

The injured were taken to hospitals for treatment. Pakistan Railways’ casualty list shows 41 injured, with three discharged and 38 sent to Nishtar Hospital in Multan, Turkiye Today reported. At least 13 of the victims are minors, it said.

The AP reported that one injured person died before he could be transported, which rescue officials said may account for a fifth death. Emergency responders and paramedics were sent to the scene.

Pakistan Railways opened round the clock help desks at all major stations to assist travelers. Divisional commercial officers were told to arrange alternative travel and ticket refunds where needed. The railway said services running through Lodhran and Jahanian are back to normal.

What Authorities Are Saying

Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi told Dawn that the government has appointed the Federal Government Inspector of Railways to investigate the accident. He said he could not confirm five deaths, since the railway’s divisional superintendent in Multan had reported four.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif voiced concern, directed authorities to speed up rescue work and ordered immediate medical treatment for the injured. President Asif Ali Zardari and Sharif also expressed grief in separate statements and urged authorities to provide the best possible care to the injured.

Differing Accounts

The sources do not agree on the toll. The AP’s lead reported five dead and 35 injured, while Turkiye Today reported at least five killed and more than 30 injured. The Independent, which used an earlier AP version, reported four dead and 30 injured, and Dawn quoted the railways minister as saying he could confirm only four deaths. The railway’s own casualty list showed 41 injured. The location is also described differently: Turkiye Today called it eastern Punjab, while the AP described central Pakistan and a derailment in Sher Shah city. Officials have not reconciled the figures.

Why This Matters

Train accidents are relatively common in Pakistan, where the railway system has suffered from decades of underinvestment, outdated tracks and aging signal systems, the AP reported.

The worst recent accident came in August 2023, when the Hazara Express derailed near Nawabshah in southern Sindh province, killing 30 people. Geo News reported more than 100 injured, while the AP reported more than 90. Tuesday’s derailment adds pressure on the railway ministry to explain the cause and show what it will do on track maintenance, particularly with at least 13 children among the casualties.

What Happens Next

The railway inspector’s inquiry will look at what caused the train to leave the tracks. No timeline has been given for its findings. The toll may be revised as Pakistan Railways and hospitals update their lists, and the injured at Nishtar Hospital continue to be treated.

Reporting drawn from Turkiye Today, the Associated Press, The Independent, Dawn and Geo News

U.S. Moves to Strip Citizenship of Nigerian Born Chicago Man

By
Emmanuel Paul
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The federal government is seeking to revoke the citizenship of a Chicago man who became a U.S. citizen 15 years ago and have him deported, according to a legal filing reviewed by Newsweek.

The complaint, filed in an Illinois court on Oct. 7, alleges that Emmanuel Tayo Akinkunmi, who was born in Nigeria, “procured his naturalization unlawfully” and “willfully misrepresented and concealed material facts” when he applied to naturalize. The allegations have not been tested in court.

Akinkunmi had no listed attorney as of Monday morning, Newsweek reported.

What We Know So Far

The government says Akinkunmi took the Oath of Allegiance and was admitted as a citizen on June 8, 2011. It alleges that, years earlier and under a different identity, he abandoned his green card status in 1993 and was then ordered excluded from the United States. The Board of Immigration Appeals upheld that decision in 1997, the filing says.

According to the complaint, he later applied for a new green card under the name Akinkunmi, said he had used no other names and denied having been excluded. That application was approved in 2000.

In 2010, when he applied for citizenship, the government alleges he again denied using another identity and denied having been ordered excluded or deported. The complaint says he “was never lawfully admitted to the United States as a permanent resident” and that he sought admission and other benefits by “fraud” or by willfully misrepresenting a material fact.

Newsweek said it contacted the attorney representing the United States for comment by email.

What Authorities Are Saying

The case comes as the Trump administration pursues what Attorney General Todd Blanche called the “largest denaturalization effort in modern history,” Newsweek reported.

In early October, the Justice Department launched an effort to strip 40 naturalized Americans of their citizenship, alleging it was obtained illegally or fraudulently. The cases span alleged fraudulent marriages, immigration fraud and identity fraud. The defendants range in age from 26 to 76 and come from 20 countries.

“Every single one of these individuals lied their way into U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the department’s Civil Division.

Why This Matters

Federal courts can revoke naturalized citizenship if the government shows it was obtained illegally or through concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation. The process is lengthy and complicated, and earlier administrations rarely used it.

From 1990 to 2017, the federal government started an average of about 11 denaturalization cases a year, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. In Trump’s first term, from 2017 to 2021, the figure rose to roughly 25 a year. Newsweek reported that the administration told it in April that it planned to increase denaturalizations sharply.

Trump promised a crackdown on illegal immigration when he returned to the White House in January 2025, but his administration has also scrutinized people who entered legally. Multiple reports have described detentions at interviews for green cards and citizenship, Newsweek said.

The Supreme Court has placed limits on the government’s power. In Maslenjak v. United States in 2017, the court held that an illegal act during the naturalization process must have played a role in obtaining citizenship.

What Happens Next

Akinkunmi has not responded in court, and it is unclear whether he has retained a lawyer. Newsweek concluded that any denaturalization case is likely to draw legal challenges. If a judge revokes his citizenship, he could face removal proceedings, as the government’s filing seeks.

Reporting drawn from Newsweek

DHS Posts Names and Photos of 24 Nigerians Arrested by ICE

By
Emmanuel Paul
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published the names and photographs of 24 Nigerian nationals arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on a range of criminal allegations, as the Trump administration continues its deportation campaign, Vanguard Nigeria reported.

The agency said it was “highlighting the worst of worst criminal aliens” arrested by ICE. The posting does not say whether any of those named has been deported or where their immigration cases stand.

What We Know So Far

The people listed were arrested in different parts of the United States, according to the information DHS released. The offenses attached to their names include wire and mail fraud, money laundering, drug crimes, identity theft, assault, forgery and cruelty toward a child.

Fraud and money laundering make up most of the entries. Wire fraud, mail fraud and fraud with impersonation appear repeatedly, and several people are listed for money laundering. Other entries cite drug possession or sale, identity theft, assault, larceny, and concealing stolen property. One entry lists a weapons offense along with fraud and false citizenship, and another lists cruelty toward a child.

The arrests took place in states including Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Maryland, Washington, Pennsylvania, Florida, California, Utah, Wisconsin and New York.

Vanguard noted that the listing does not provide details on the final immigration status or deportation proceedings of each person. Being named, it said, should not by itself be read as confirmation of deportation. Bobnews24 is not republishing the individual names and arrest locations, since the department did not say whether the people listed have been convicted.

What Authorities Are Saying

DHS said its staff and ICE officers are “fulfilling President Trump’s promise” of mass deportations, “starting with the worst of the worst.” The department said the publication is part of its wider enforcement campaign, with ICE responsible for arrests nationwide.

A Separate DHS Case in Pennsylvania

In a separate statement posted this month, DHS said ICE arrested Chimaobim Adedayo Igbojekwe, a Nigerian who worked as a canvasser for Democratic congressional candidate Janelle Stelson in Pennsylvania’s 10th District. According to DHS, he was arrested Sept. 27 in East Pennsboro Township for indecent exposure and disorderly conduct and pleaded guilty to the disorderly conduct charge. ICE took him into custody Oct. 1.

Chimaobim Adedayo Igbojekwe

DHS said he was lawfully admitted in June 2017, stayed after his authorized period ended in November 2019, and was granted deferred action by the Biden administration in September 2021.

ICE Deputy Director Charles Wall criticized the campaign for employing him. “The Trump Administration will always put the safety of the American people first,” Wall said. The pasted material did not include a response from Stelson’s campaign.

Differing Accounts

Vanguard reported 24 Nigerians in the latest DHS posting, while Punch reported that ICE added 10 Nigerians to the department’s “Worst of the Worst” register in an update its correspondent saw Friday. The accounts may describe different updates, and the articles do not explain the gap. Punch said the 10 names were not among the 124 Nigerians DHS listed in July.

Why This Matters

The postings are a visible part of the administration’s messaging on immigration, pairing individual photos with the label “worst of the worst.” The practice raises questions about presumption of innocence when people are named before their cases are resolved. The department’s own list does not distinguish convictions from allegations in the information Vanguard cited.

For Nigeria, the postings add to a running count. The July update included 124 Nigerians, and neither Punch nor Vanguard reported deportation dates for those listed in July or in the newest postings.

What Happens Next

None of the updates give a timeline for removals. Further additions to the register are likely, given the pace of the updates. Nigerian authorities have not commented on the reporting provided.

Reporting drawn from Vanguard Nigeria, Punch Nigeria and a Department of Homeland Security statement, citing ICE.

EU Sanctions Nearly 1,600 Russian Arms Industry Targets

By
Omonigho Daibo
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 The European Union imposed sanctions Monday on nearly 1,600 Russian people and companies tied to Russia’s arms industry, with a focus on those suspected of helping make parts for drones and missiles, the Associated Press reported.

It is the biggest single sanctions listing since Russia launched its full scale war on Ukraine almost five years ago. The EU also targeted 77 people accused of organizing, working on, or running in what it calls “sham elections” in occupied parts of Ukraine.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said more than half of the listings “address the production chain for the ballistic missiles” Russia uses against Ukrainian civilians.

What We Know So Far

EU foreign ministers adopted the listings at a meeting in Luxembourg, Reuters reported. The ministers ratified a deal EU envoys reached last Wednesday.

Kallas called the move the single largest expansion of the bloc’s sanctions list since the war began. “We are making it significantly harder, slower and more expensive for Russia to produce the weapons it uses to kill Ukrainians,” she wrote on X.

The listings aim at Russia’s military industrial complex, with a particular focus on suppliers in the production chain for ballistic missiles and drone parts.

What Authorities Are Saying

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called the package an “unprecedented sanction blow” to President Vladimir Putin’s war, according to the German outlet DW. He said the measures make it harder for Putin to continue what he called a war of aggression in violation of international law, and to wear down Ukraine’s civilian population with bombing campaigns.

Wadephul could not attend the Luxembourg meeting because of a party conference in Berlin. “The message is clear: Russia cannot and will not win this war,” he said.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk suggested sanctions should go further. Speaking to the Warsaw Security Forum, he said the West should show Russia it is ready to contain it “by even more decisive means,” and said he would go to Brussels to press partners to consider more sanctions.

Differing Accounts

DW gave two figures for the package. Its opening paragraph said the EU approved its largest ever package against Moscow, targeting more than 1,000 entities tied to the military industrial complex. Later it said the package targets some 1,600 individuals and businesses related to the war effort, plus 77 people and groups tied to what the EU sees as illegal elections in occupied Ukrainian territories. The AP and Reuters both reported almost 1,600 listings, which is also the figure Kallas used.

Why This Matters

The size of the package marks a new stage in the bloc’s pressure on Russia’s war industry, and the focus on the ballistic missile chain follows weeks of heavy Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities. The sanctions land days after the United States announced a deal to lift limits on Russian diesel, a move European governments said they regretted while pledging to stay the course on sanctions.

Tusk’s push for a tougher line shows some capitals want to go further as the war heads into its fifth winter. Russian forces have stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure every autumn since the invasion, hoping to cripple heating and utilities before the cold sets in.

Diplomatic signals remain mixed. U.S. President Donald Trump declared an “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine over the weekend, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had no idea what Trump meant and that Russia has kept hitting energy facilities.

What Happens Next

The listings take effect under EU rules once published, freezing assets and barring dealings with those named. Tusk’s trip to Brussels signals pressure for another package, though further rounds need agreement from all 27 member states. Zelenskyy’s comments on the energy ceasefire leave open whether Russian attacks on the power grid will ease before winter.

Reporting drawn from the Associated Press, Reuters and DW.

Airstrike on Sudan Gold Mine at Egyptian Border Kills at Least 72

By
Emmanuel Paul
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An airstrike on a gold mine on the Sudan Egypt border killed at least 72 workers, the Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers said Sunday, accusing the Egyptian air force of carrying out the attack.

A separate count from the Sudan Doctors Network, cited by the Associated Press, put the toll far lower: at least 13 artisanal miners killed and 28 others wounded.

Egypt has issued no official comment, and Agence France Presse said it could not independently confirm the rights group’s account.

What We Know So Far

The strike came Saturday on Jabal Al Uqaydat, a mountainous, remote mining area. Emergency Lawyers, which documents atrocities in Sudan’s war, said the attack “resulted in the deaths of 72 civilian miners, according to preliminary information.” It said efforts to document and verify the toll are continuing.

Survivors described chaos to AFP. Miner Abdelaziz Youssef said a jet appeared overhead around 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) and “struck five times, many people were killed.” He said people ran up the mountain in fear of another strike.

Sharaf Ali, another survivor, said thousands of people were working at the site. After the strike, people scattered in different directions, some toward the Al Ansary market, so nobody knows exactly how many died, he said from the gold market just south of the disputed Halayeb triangle. Both men said they saw bodies on the ground as they fled, and many more people are feared trapped under rubble, hours from any urban center.

Youssef, whose name the AP spelled Abdel Aziz Yousef, told the AP that an unknown aircraft hit an artisanal gold mine in a mountainous area Saturday morning. The AP said it was not immediately clear who was behind the strike.

The Sudan Doctors Network said the death toll is likely to rise because some of the wounded have serious injuries and limited access to health care.

What Authorities Are Saying

Emergency Lawyers said the attack occurred inside Sudanese territory and that repeated strikes on the border’s gold and mineral rich regions reflect “a desire by Egyptian authorities to expand and assert control” over Sudan’s natural resources.

The Sudan Doctors Network said Egyptian authorities had repeatedly warned the miners to evacuate the area, which it said is reportedly part of Egypt.

The Egyptian army did not claim earlier strikes. In June, it said it had carried out a “large scale operation” against illegal gold mining “within Egyptian territory,” detaining 223 people, including 136 foreign nationals, and announcing a campaign against illegal gold mining and arms smuggling.

Differing Accounts

The two sources disagree on the toll and on who was responsible. Emergency Lawyers reported at least 72 dead and blamed the Egyptian air force, while the Sudan Doctors Network, via the AP, reported at least 13 dead and 28 wounded and said it was not clear who carried out the strike. The two outlets also described the location differently. AFP placed the strike at Jabal Al Uqaydat on the Sudan Egypt border, and the AP described the border triangle area between Sudan, Egypt and Libya. Neither toll has been independently confirmed.

Why This Matters

If confirmed, the attack would be the second this year on Jabal Al Uqaydat. Airstrikes reportedly carried out by Egypt killed 23 workers at the informal mining site in June.

The border is disputed, with both countries claiming the resource rich Halayeb triangle, yet Cairo is a key ally of Sudan’s army, which is fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Egypt backs army chief Abdel Fattah al Burhan but sees the war along its 1,200 kilometer border, from the Red Sea to Libya, as a major security threat.

Gold sits at the center of the conflict, which began in April 2023 and has killed more than 200,000 people. Both sides use gold revenue to fund their war efforts, and the humanitarian crisis has pushed many into dangerous mining work. The AP reported that the Rapid Support Forces have smuggled thousands of tons of gold out of Darfur and Kordofan, and a 2024 U.N. Panel of Experts report found more than 50% of the gold mined in Sudan was smuggled out of the country. Egypt has tried to stem trafficking across the porous border, including through mass deportations.

What Happens Next

Documentation of the toll continues, and it could rise as bodies are recovered and the wounded are treated. Whether Egypt will comment or claim the strike remains to be seen. Any confirmation that Cairo carried out the attack could strain its ties with Sudan’s army, while a continued silence leaves the question of responsibility unresolved.

Reporting drawn from Arab News, citing Agence France Presse, and the Associated Press

109 Migrants Dead, 116 Missing After Boat Capsizes Off Djibouti

By
Omonigho Daibo
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At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, died and more than 116 are missing after a boat bound for Yemen capsized off the coast of Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration said Sunday.

The vessel was carrying about 350 people from Djibouti to Yemen when it went down near Guhere, north of the port town of Obock, survivors told the U.N. agency. More than 80 people survived, all of them Ethiopian nationals.

Djiboutian authorities are continuing search and rescue operations, the IOM said.

What We Know So Far

The IOM said the boat capsized during the night of Oct. 8, with Reuters and Agence France Presse reporting the timing as the night of Oct. 8 to 9. Among the 109 bodies recovered were 52 men, 42 women and 15 children, nine girls and six boys, the agency said.

The IOM is assisting 64 survivors at its Obock Migrant Response Center. A spokesperson for the Ethiopian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

The crossing runs over the Bab el Mandeb Strait, a route thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa take each year in search of safety and work. Many hope to reach Gulf countries through Yemen, the IOM said.

Violence in Yemen has not deterred them, the agency said. Migrants there can face violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, exploitation and trafficking. Yemen is torn by fighting between the Saudi backed government and Iran backed Houthi rebels, who have joined the wider regional conflict involving the United States and its allies against Iran.

What Authorities Are Saying

“This is a devastating loss of life,” said Alexandre Coissac, the IOM’s chief of mission in Djibouti. He said the agency’s thoughts are with survivors and with families who have lost relatives or remain without news of them.

Coissac said IOM teams are on the ground with local authorities providing emergency assistance. The tragedy, he said, is “a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants” on this corridor.

The IOM said poverty, insecurity and the growing effects of climate change drive many people to make the journey despite rising instability across the Middle East. It urged donors and partners to strengthen support for Djibouti’s response, including search and rescue.

IOM spokesman Kennedy Omondi Okoth told AFP this week that most of those attempting the crossing come from Ethiopia or Somalia, and that many end up stranded in Djibouti.

Differing Accounts

Outlets described the missing slightly differently. Sky News and Reuters reported “more than 116” missing, while Le Monde, citing AFP, reported “some 116.” The date was also given two ways: the night of Oct. 8 in the Sky News account and the night of Oct. 8 to 9 in Reuters and AFP. Sky News called the craft a ship, while Reuters and AFP called it a boat. The IOM statement had not been reconciled across the reports.

Why This Matters

The Eastern Route from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula is among the world’s busiest and deadliest migration paths. More than 900 migrants died or went missing along the sea route to Yemen in 2025, according to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, and the number attempting the journey rose 18%.

This is far deadlier than another recent wreck. A shipwreck in March left nine people dead and 45 missing, the IOM said.

Departures are not slowing. The IOM has detected more than 20,000 crossings into Djibouti from Ethiopia since Sept. 10. With war now reaching Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s coast, travelers are heading toward a country where fighting has escalated sharply.

What Happens Next

The search continues for those still missing, and fears are growing for their fate. The IOM is expected to update the toll as bodies are recovered and survivors are interviewed, and it has called for added funding for Djibouti’s response. Identification of the dead and the return of remains to families in Ethiopia could take time.

Reporting drawn from Sky News, Reuters and Le Monde, citing the International Organization for Migration and Agence France Presse.

Saudi Arabia Extends Airport Closure After Riyadh Attack Kills 12

By
Zipporah Njoki
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A missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and wounded more than 300 others, Saudi civil aviation authorities said, and the kingdom has extended the airport’s closure as the Houthis threaten more strikes.

A Saudi led military coalition blamed the Iran backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen and called the attack a “fully fledged war crime.” The airport has no military facilities, the Associated Press reported.

Some of the injured are in critical condition. Airport operations were suspended Saturday, and the closure was extended by 24 hours until at least 9 p.m. Sunday, according to the flight tracking platform Flightradar24.

What We Know So Far

A missile hit the complex housing terminals 3 and 4, which handle domestic flights, a regional official told the AP on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak to the media. Reuters reported the latest count of the wounded at 309, and said hospitals were flooded with patients brought by ambulance and helicopter.

The Saudi civil aviation authority said the dead included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, and one person each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt. Egyptian state television identified the Egyptian victim as Azza Ramzy, 28, a flight attendant with the Saudi airline Flynas.

An eyewitness told Reuters of seeing an explosion and then several people lying injured inside the airport, with more than a dozen ambulances rushing to the site. An injured traveler said part of the ceiling near a departure gate collapsed after something flew across the sky outside.

Footage posted on social media and analyzed by the AP shows emergency vehicles outside the airport. Heavy police stood guard Saturday with all entrances blocked and the complex’s lights dimmed. Flights were diverted elsewhere.

The Houthis have not claimed the attack, and there was no immediate statement from them on it. The head of the group’s media office posted on X that the Houthis had “shut down Riyadh international airport.”

What Authorities Are Saying

President Donald Trump said Saturday he was weighing whether the United States should join Saudi strikes on the Houthis. “We may. We’re going to look at it,” he said, adding that a decision would come quickly. He later said he planned to speak with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and called the events “not acceptable.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed an American citizen was among the dead. “They must stop now,” he said of the attacks.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X that attacks by Iran’s proxies are “pushing the region into a spiral of violence.” Iraq, Lebanon and Syria also condemned the strike.

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh urged American citizens to avoid the airport and surrounding areas. Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada issued similar warnings.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ military spokesman, said the kingdom’s airports are targets and urged everyone to “take our warnings seriously.” The group reported two airstrikes on Sanaa on Sunday and blamed Saudi Arabia. There was no immediate Saudi comment or word of casualties. The Houthi run Health Ministry said 91 Yemenis have been killed and 168 injured by the coalition in five weeks, and that 60% of those killed were women and children.

Differing Accounts

The sources gave different figures for earlier attacks on the same airport. The AP said Houthi attacks earlier in the week killed three Saudis, including a pilot. Reuters said the two previous attacks killed four people and heavily damaged a Saudi commercial plane on the tarmac.

They also described the scale differently. The AP called it the deadliest attack in any Gulf Arab country since the Iran war began. Reuters called it the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade.

On damage to aircraft in Thursday’s attack, two regional officials told the AP that three planes were hit, while the Saudi national carrier said one of its aircraft was damaged on the ground with no passengers aboard.

Why This Matters

The attack is a sharp escalation in a conflict that has spread from the Iran war. Until recently the Houthis stayed largely on the sidelines, and now they give Tehran a way to pressure a key U.S. ally. It is expected to deepen Saudi pressure on Washington and other partners for military help, after a kingdom that has seemingly tried to avoid all out war with the Houthis.

Saudi Arabia has been running low on missile interceptors, regional officials told the AP last month, and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt for air defense support. The attacks have also shaken the aviation sector. Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines suspended flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports for varying periods, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency warned of a greater risk of misidentification of civil aircraft.

The Saudi energy ministry still promoted a major international energy conference due to begin in Riyadh on Sunday, and organizers of several investment events said they would proceed.

If the U.S. joins strikes, the AP reported, the Houthis could respond by halting shipping through a crucial waterway and further restricting oil flowing out of the Persian Gulf.

What Happens Next

The airport’s reopening depends on the security situation, and the closure could be extended again. Riyadh has vowed a firm response, and Trump’s call with the crown prince will show whether Washington joins strikes. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said its foreign minister spoke with his Omani counterpart about “supporting diplomatic solutions,” and Oman has played a mediator role at times.

On the ground in Yemen, the Saudi backed government began an offensive this week to retake territory lost to the Houthis, who took the Red Sea chokepoint of Bab el Mandeb this summer and have put Taiz, the country’s third largest city, under siege, Reuters reported. Progress has been slow.

Reporting drawn from the Associated Press and Reuters

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