Author: Loisa Lane

Students in Iran resumed classes on Wednesday after months of closures linked to the ongoing conflict with the United States, which has resulted in significant casualties, including 120 children killed in a strike on a school in Minab. Government officials marked the new academic year with traditional ceremonies.

Leaders including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky speak as the UN General Assembly enters its second day.

The Supreme Court has declined to intervene in a custody dispute involving a California couple, Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar, and their surrogate, McKenna West. The court’s refusal to hear West’s appeal maintains the couple’s status as legal parents following the birth of their son, who has a severe heart defect.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez in Austin, Texas, while he was working for DoorDash. The officer was not wearing a body camera during the incident, raising concerns amid ongoing protests and calls for a transparent investigation. Garces Perez is in ICE custody with a deportation order.

President Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly, defending his foreign policy approach and predicting a potential deal with Iran post-midterms. He asserted U.S. strength in various global conflicts and announced an upcoming military agreement with Greenland. Trump’s remarks emphasised America’s readiness to confront challenges and maintain its influence abroad.

Saudi King Salman condemned Houthis as a “terrorist militia” in a rare statement following an attack on Mecca.

A Venezuelan man, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, was shot in the back by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Austin while delivering a food order. Transferred to a detention centre with a bullet lodged near his spine, he reported a lack of medical care and access to pain medication.

Israeli forces arrested a suspected Palestinian gunman in the West Bank, where violence resulted in an Israeli settler and a Palestinian killed.

CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, asserting that President Trump’s ban on their entry to the White House violated the First Amendment. This legal action seeks to restore their access after press passes were revoked on Saturday. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly.

U.S. embassies in the Middle East issued security alerts for American citizens, citing a complex security environment amid rising tensions. The alerts emphasised the need for heightened vigilance and noted potential travel disruptions due to ongoing conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen.