The day

Thursday 1 October 2026

20 stories, biggest first.

1. 1

   CrimeSentencing Act 2026

   Hundreds of prisoners begin leaving prison in England and Wales under an early release scheme by the British government to avoid overcapacity in prisons. More than 4,500 "low-risk" prisoners are expected to be released in the coming weeks.

2. 2

   NewsEritrea–Ethiopia relations

   Eritrea's foreign ministry announces that the country will cut off diplomatic ties with Ethiopia in response.

3. 3

   NewsWithdrawal of United States troops from Iraq

   Ahmad al-Hamidawi, leader of Kata'ib Hezbollah, announces that the group will suspend military activities in Iraq following the withdrawal of U.S. troops, with the exception of targeting hostile aircraft violating the country's airspace.

4. 4

   NewsAviation shootdowns and accidents during the Russo-Ukrainian war

   A Russian Su-35 fighter jet shoots down a Russian Mi-8 helicopter over Voronezh Oblast, Russia, in a friendly fire incident. All three crew members are killed.

5. 5

   NewsWar crimes in the Sudanese civil war

   A drone strike by the Rapid Support Forces on a dormitory at the University of Kordofan in El Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan, kills five people.

6. 6

   News2026 Ethiopian offensive

   Explosions caused by suspected drone strikes are reported in Ethiopia's capital of Addis Ababa, including one near the Ethiopian National Defense Force' headquarters.

7. 7

   News2026 Afghanistan–Pakistan war

   Pakistan launches airstrikes in Afghanistan, claiming the killing of 22 Taliban fighters at two locations, while the Government of Afghanistan reports that nine women and children are killed in Kunar Province and Helmand Province by Pakistan airstrikes.

8. 8

   NewsIsraeli settler violence

   Israeli settlers shoot and kill a Palestinian man at his home in Yasuf, West Bank, and injure another.

9. 9

   PoliticsImmigration to Japan

   Japan tightens permanent residency requirements for foreign nationals, introducing above-average income and basic Japanese-language standards while raising application fees twentyfold as part of broader changes to immigration policy.

10. 10

    News

    A medical helicopter transporting a patient crashes off the coast of Santa Catalina Island in Los Angeles County, California, United States, killing two people, injuring two others, and leaving one missing.

11. 11

    NewsEritrea–Ethiopia relations

    Ethiopia closes its embassy in Eritrea and announces the expulsion of ten Eritrean diplomats from the country, after accusing its neighbour of financing the Tigray People's Liberation Front.

12. 12

    CrimeCensorship in Egypt

    Egyptian police are arresting six journalists from a fact-checking and investigative media outlet, accusing them of spreading misinformation on behalf of the banned Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

13. 13

    Crime2026 RAF Fairford arrests

    British counter-terrorism police arrest a 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national in Westminster, London, England, on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts linked to the RAF Fairford investigation. Officers also search two properties in the area.

14. 14

    News

    The European Commission stops payments with immediate effect to Sierra Leone, which would have been €18 million for 2026, after the nation refused to cooperate with the extradition of drugs trafficker Jos Leijdekkers.

15. 15

    NewsEgypt–Ethiopia relations

    A diplomat from Egypt is told to leave Ethiopia within 48 hours after being declared as persona non grata.

16. 16

    ScienceSpaceX Crew-13

    The SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station launches, carrying two NASA astronauts, one Roscosmos cosmonaut, and one Canadian Space Agency astronaut, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States.

17. 17

    Crime

    Former Malawian military chief Paul Valentino Phiri is arrested by Malawi's anti-corruption agency for allegedly trafficking weapons to Sudan during his tenure in June and July 2025.

18. 18

    Crime

    Two 18-year-old former students attack a secondary school in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico, with knives and pyrotechnic devices, killing the vice-principal and injuring three people. Police arrest both suspects.

19. 19

    Politics

    Gerardo Giovagnoli and William Casali are sworn in as the new Captains Regent of San Marino, succeeding Alice Mina and Vladimiro Selva.

20. 20

    Politics

    Ousted Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir is sent to a military hospital in Khartoum, Sudan, for medical treatment.

Stories adapted from Wikipedia’s Current events portal for 1 October 2026, by Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.