World Echo

Houthi fighters targeted populated districts along Yemen's western coast in Taiz and Hodeidah provinces with 14 ballistic missiles and drone attacks, the Yemeni Armed Forces Media Centre said on Thursday. Air defences intercepted several drones in the Taiz front and others over districts along the western coast, the centre quoted a military source as saying. The source praised the "high combat readiness" of Yemeni armed forces, saying morale remained high and military units across different sectors maintained a high level of vigilance and preparedness. The ballistic missiles did not hit positions of forces deployed along the western coast, the source said. Read More: Yemeni army says it foiled Houthi boat attack near Red Sea islands It added that Yemeni forces suppressed sources of hostile fire and threats in the Al-Kadaha sector of the Al-Barh front in western Taiz province, amid reciprocal ground clashes in the area. Yemen has witnessed a relative lull since ...

Iran has warned the United States that it would respond forcefully to an Israeli offensive on a mountainous ridge in southern Lebanon where Iranian military personnel are holed up alongside Hezbollah fighters, three officials briefed on the message told Reuters. The message, delivered last month, highlights Iran's continued direct involvement in the ground fighting in southern Lebanon and its readiness to retaliate against Israeli attacks there as the regional war enters its seventh month. Hezbollah is believed to have built an underground command centre and weapons stores within the Ali al-Taher ridge, which has a commanding view of southeastern Lebanon, according to Lebanese security sources, and has become one of the most contested pieces of ground in the Israel-Hezbollah war. Hezbollah has said in public statements that it controls the hill and will confront any Israeli advances. Its officials have referred to a "facility" there, but have declined to provide d...

An estimated 20 million children aged 12 to 17, or nearly 1 in 5, experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in a single year across 21 countries, UNICEF said. The findings are included in a new report titled Through Children’s Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse, which combines survey data with testimonies from children who experienced abuse. “The report reveals a painful reality. More than 20 million children across the countries studied were subjected to unwanted explicit sexual content or exploitation online, often in the digital spaces where they learn, play, and connect with friends,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said. “Many children suffer in silence, unsure where to turn for help. We cannot look away,” she added. The report estimated that more than 15 million children were exposed to unwanted sexual content, while 9 million were asked to engage in sexual con...

The Dutch central bank has moved 86 metric tonnes of gold reserves from North America to London as part of what it described as efforts to strengthen its preparedness for a potential crisis amid global political unrest. The De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) said on Wednesday that about 86 tonnes (94.8 tons) of gold were transferred to London between March and August from the roughly 313 tonnes (345 tons) it held in New York and Ottawa. Before the transfer, 31.3 per cent of the Dutch gold reserves were held in New York and 19.7 per cent in Ottawa. Following the move, both cities now account for 18.5 per cent of the reserves, the bank said. The transfer was carried out partially by buying and selling and partly by physically transferring gold, the Dutch national bank said. #EuropeNews https://t.co/i5FIqwBWfz — euronews (@euronews) September 2, 2026 The transfer was intended to “spread risks” and give DNB the quickest opportunity to deploy its gold through sales in...

Veteran film star George Clooney said on Wednesday the United States would surmount an "unfortunate" time in its history under the Trump administration, calling it a government run by the "least qualified people". Clooney spoke to the media on the opening day of the Venice Film Festival, where he is to be awarded a Golden Lion for career achievement. In a press conference that touched on his career, artificial intelligence, climate change and the state of the filmmaking industry, Clooney expressed feeling "ashamed" over the US government. "I do believe... we're at a moment in time that's unfortunate. I think that's an understatement," said the 65-year-old star, who has spoken out against the Trump administration in the past. "There's a great word, a kakistocracy, which is a country run by the least qualified people. I think maybe we have a kakistocracy right now, but we'll get through it," he said. Midterm el...

NATO member Turkiye would consider ​taking its relations with ‌the China and Russia-led security bloc, the Shanghai ​Cooperation Organisation (SCO), to ​a higher level, President ⁠Tayyip Erdogan said ​on Wednesday. "Turkiye's prospect of (full) ​membership to the organisation does not imply a breakaway ​from any other ​bloc or from the West," Erdogan ‌said, ⁠according to a transcript of remarks he made to journalists ​on his ​return ⁠flight from Kyrgyzstan. Erdogan attended a ​summit of the ​SCO, ⁠of which Turkiye is a "dialogue partner", in ⁠Bishkek ​on Tuesday. Read: Kyrgyz FM underscores close ties with Pakistan, seeks expanded cooperation Turkiye's SCO membership perspective never means turning its back on West:  Erdogan Turkiye's perspective of becoming a member of the SCO "never means turning its back on the West," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday. Speaking to reporters aboard the presi...