Current-events digest: 15 October 2026

2026 10 15 yes

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni civil war

Houthi–Saudi conflict

Saudi Arabia says that it has intercepted a missile intended for Medina. However, the Houthis denied launching a missile at the city. (The Hill) (France 24)

The Houthis launch missiles against Al-Maashiq Palace, headquarters of the Presidential Leadership Council and official residence of President Rashad al-Alimi, in Aden, Yemen, killing five people and injuring 16. No member of the council is harmed in the attack. (Al Jazeera) (Reuters)

Business and economy

China–North Korea relations

The New Yalu River Bridge connecting Dandong, China, and Sinuiju, North Korea, opens following a 12-year delay. (BBC News) (NK News)

The European Central Bank authorizes UniCredit to raise its stake in Commerzbank above 30% without an upper limit, allowing the Italian bank to proceed toward taking control of the German lender. (The Eastern Herald)

Disasters and accidents

2026 Peshawar school roof collapse

A roof collapses at a school in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, killing 34 students and a teacher, and injuring 50 more people. (BBC News)

2026 Indonesia wildfires

Four people are killed fighting wildfires in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, Indonesia, after flames and thick smoke trapped them. Two others suffer serious burns. (AFP)

Seven people are missing after a San Marino-flagged tanker catches fire off the coast of Romania amid recent drone attacks on merchant shipping in the Black Sea. Search and rescue operations are underway to locate the missing crew members. (Politico)

Health and environment

The United Kingdom declares a severe drought in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex, and West Sussex after prolonged low rainfall left more than 80% of England in drought and major reservoirs below 20% capacity. (AFP)

International relations

Germany–Iran relations, Antisemitism in 21st-century Germany, Iranian external operations

A court in Hamburg, Germany, sentences a Danish national to eight years and six months in prison and an Afghan national to four years and six months in prison for plotting to assassinate Josef Schuster, the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, on behalf of Iran. (Reuters)

Law and crime

2026 Silver Rail Elementary School shooting

Three children and a teacher are killed in a mass school shooting at the Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, United States. Two other people are wounded. The perpetrator, a 16-year-old male, is shot and killed by a bystander. (AP) (The Guardian)

Capital punishment in the United States

U.S. president Donald Trump announces that the Department of Defense has reversed its plan to livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the perpetrator of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, scheduled for December 3. (AFP via France 24) (AP)

Argentine police arrest at least 25 people after clashes during a university funding protest in Buenos Aires, while eight police officers are injured. (AFP via France 24)

Northern Irish politician and former Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson is sentenced to 15 years in prison for child sexual abuse and rape. The offences occurred between 1985 and 2008. (AP) (BBC News)

Politics and elections

2026 Swedish government formation

The Riksdag votes against the appointment of Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson to repeat as Prime Minister of Sweden. Last 28 September, Andersson already returned her mandate to explore forming a new government. (Anadolu Agency)

Science and technology

Astronomers discover the first green star, WD J1330+6435, according to a study published by RAS Techniques and Instruments. (Popular Science)

At the General Conference on Weights and Measures, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures votes to abolish future leap seconds and make Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) continuous, starting 20 May 2027. To account for future differences between UTC and International Atomic Time, a leap hour will be observed as needed. (The Guardian) (Scientific American)

Sports

2026 Major League Baseball season

In baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers sweep the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS to advance to the 2026 World Series, their first since 1982. (ESPN)

2026 10 15 yes