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A UN report released on Thursday called for greater social inclusion as rapid economic, digital and energy transformations risk leaving billions of people behind. The World Social Report 2026, launched by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, warned that billions of people still lack access to the jobs, skills, services and protections needed to benefit from these changes. Despite progress in income, education, health and access to services, significant gaps persist. In 2025, 58 percent of workers worldwide were informally employed, 27 percent of young women aged 15 to 24 were neither employed nor in education or training, and 26 percent of the global population lacked internet access. Income inequality also rose in more than 50 countries between 2000 and 2024, including 23 high-income countries, according to the report. The report warned that these disparities undermine productivity and resilience, while unequal access to digital technologies and artificial intelligence skills could further widen gaps in education, income and economic opportunity. It estimated that delaying investment in social protection by 10 years could cost countries 12 percent of their economic output compared with those that invest early. To ensure that the benefits of transformation are widely shared, the report outlined four priorities: building people's capacity to adapt, connecting everyone to the new economy, making labor markets work for people, and promoting shared prosperity. In a video message marking the report's launch, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said social inclusion was not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity, stressing that inclusive societies are more productive, resilient and prosperous. "Transformations are inevitable. Inequality and exclusion are not," he said. "Let's work together to ensure that the profound transformations reshaping our world help build societies rooted in justice, dignity and opportunity for all."  

Five missiles targeted Al-Ma'ashiq Presidential Palace housing Yemen's Saudi-backed government in Aden's Crater district on Thursday, an anonymous local security official told media, blaming the Houthi group. Casualties and damage remain unclear, but explosions rocked the southern port city as smoke rose near the palace and nearby houses shook. Meanwhile, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea posted on X renewing warnings to international airlines that Saudi airspace and airports are "unsafe", excluding airspace over holy cities Mecca and Medina. Earlier, Sarea denied any Thursday attacks on Saudi territory, rejecting Saudi allegations of a strike toward Medina amid escalating hostilities. Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when Houthis seized capital Sanaa and northern regions, forcing the internationally recognized government to relocate to Aden with Saudi-led coalition support.

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are set to appear in a New York federal court on Thursday to face revised charges accusing them of overseeing a state-sponsored campaign of repression involving the torture of dozens of people, including three Americans. Maduro and Flores are expected to plead not guilty to the new charges added to an earlier drug trafficking indictment against them in Manhattan federal court. The couple were seized from their home in Caracas during a nighttime US military raid in January. Maduro's lawyer, Barry Pollack, said last week that his client, 63, denies the allegations and “looks forward to his day in court.” According to the revised indictment, Maduro oversaw a system of violent torture in which victims were beaten, asphyxiated and subjected to electric shocks. He is also accused of personally recommending torture techniques, receiving updates on the treatment of individual victims and threatening to kill a prisoner's child as a means of psychological torture. The indictment further alleges that Flores, 69, a former attorney general, helped develop the repressive system and ordered the torture of specific individuals. Maduro served as Venezuela's president from 2013 until his capture in January. He has also been under investigation for years by the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity linked to his government's crackdown on political opponents. He has consistently denied wrongdoing. Earlier this year, Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to separate US drug trafficking charges alleging that they conspired to bring large quantities of cocaine into the United States. Their lawyers have argued that the case should be dismissed on immunity grounds, maintaining that Maduro and Flores were the leader and first lady of a foreign country. The revised indictment covers alleged torture dating back to 2013, when Maduro succeeded his political mentor, Hugo Chávez, who died of cancer that year.

Actor Imran Khan has been directed by Mumbai Police to leave India by October 28, days after he took part in a protest organised by the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Mumbai. In a notice, police said action had been taken against Khan, nephew of Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, under relevant provisions of the Immigration Act because he participated in the protest despite not being an Indian citizen. Imran Khan is believed to hold US citizenship and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card rather than full Indian citizenship. The notice was issued under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. Section 7 of the law empowers India's central government to issue orders and directions regulating or restricting the entry, departure, presence or movement of foreign nationals in the country. Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya approached Mumbai Police, alleging that the actor should face charges for participating in an “illegal political agitation” and violating OCI provisions and visa conditions. Khan joined the protest at Mumbai's August Kranti Maidan on October 10 against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. His partner, actor Lekha Washington, and cousin Zayne Marie Khan also attended the demonstration. Police detained all three during the protest and released them later. Khan subsequently shared a photograph of himself inside a police van on social media with the caption, “Apparently I'm going for a drive.” A video also went viral showing the actor saying “Jai Hind” to police officers. In another clip, he said he did not know why he had been taken into custody. “They picked all of us from the streets and asked us to sit in the vans,” he said, adding that the detainees were driven around in a police van for about two hours before being released. Speaking to the media, Khan said he had attended the protest as a Mumbai resident and was not there to press any specific demands. “I don't have demands. I am here as a citizen, as a person who lives in this city. I am here to see why freedom of movement is being restricted. Why are people's voices being suppressed? That is why I am here,” he said. Mumbai Police detained around 400 people during the CJP protest, including members of the organisation Hum Bharat Ke Log, led by Tushar Gandhi, and activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Source: NDTV

Romanian authorities launched a search and rescue operation off the country's Black Sea coast on Thursday after a ship caught fire, leaving eight people missing and four others rescued. The cause of the fire aboard the San Marino-flagged chemical tanker Wine Trader, which was travelling from Tunisia to Romania, was not immediately known. However, a series of recent drone attacks on vessels in the Black Sea has raised concerns that Russia's war in Ukraine could spread further across the region. Romania's Ministry of National Defense said a group of aerial targets was detected overnight near Ukraine's Snake Island. A drone briefly entered Romanian airspace at 1:34am southeast of Sulina before disappearing from radar. The Romanian Naval Authority said 12 people were aboard the tanker when the fire broke out about 13 nautical miles (15 miles) southeast of the port town of Sulina. Similar drone incursions have occurred this month in the exclusive economic zones of Romania and Bulgaria, both members of NATO and the European Union. On Wednesday evening, a fire broke out aboard the Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J, which was travelling from Turkey to Sulina, in Romanian territorial waters. All crew members were safe. Romania's acting Defence Minister Radu Miruta said an investigation was underway, adding that military radars had not detected any drone approaching the tanker. On Tuesday, drone attacks on two vessels off Bulgaria triggered emergency rescue operations. Eleven crew members of the Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship HS Dignity remain missing. The other vessel, Chelsea 3, a Ukrainian-operated coastal freighter sailing under the Maltese flag, was struck by three aerial drones, according to its crew. Its deck and hull were damaged. Rescuers evacuated all 15 crew members from the vessel, five of whom received treatment for minor injuries. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Russia was likely responsible for Tuesday's attacks. The incidents came a week after sea and aerial drones struck two other commercial vessels in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. A Togo-flagged ship sank, while a Bulgarian ferry rescued the 18-member crew of a damaged Palau-flagged vessel. On October 5, a Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying corn caught fire following a drone attack and later sank in the Black Sea off Romania's coast. Two people were killed, while 11 crew members were rescued.

A new bridge connecting China and North Korea opened on Thursday after being delayed for more than a decade, marking a step towards closer ties between the two neighbouring countries. China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that an opening ceremony for the New Yalu River Bridge was held in the morning. Video released by state media outlet China News Service showed trucks decorated with the national flags of both countries waiting on the bridge, which was also adorned with the flags. The four-lane bridge stretches 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) and connects the northeastern Chinese city of Dandong with the North Korean city of Sinuiju. Beijing expects the crossing to boost economic and trade activities as well as exchanges between people in the two countries. Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in a video address that the bridge would become a new landmark representing the traditional friendship between the two nations, Xinhua reported. He urged both sides to use the opening as an opportunity to improve connectivity and explore further cooperation in border areas. Relations between China and North Korea had entered a new stage, opening a new chapter, Li was quoted as saying. North Korean Premier Pak Thae Song also delivered a video address, the report added. Bridge opens after 12-year delay The bridge was initially scheduled to open in 2014, when China had apparently completed construction on its side. However, it remained unused as North Korea had not completed the corresponding work on its side. The lack of significant progress in Sinuiju fuelled speculation that Pyongyang was concerned about becoming more economically dependent on Beijing. Others suggested North Korea was unhappy with China's support for United Nations resolutions tightening international sanctions over its nuclear programme. Differences over the bridge's location were also cited as a possible reason for the delay. The prolonged setback prompted an unusually critical report in the Global Times, a newspaper affiliated with China's ruling Communist Party. The report quoted Dandong residents expressing frustration over delays in a project they had expected to bring economic benefits to their city. Observers believe the new bridge will gradually increase bilateral trade and improve the efficiency of transporting goods. It is also expected to ease pressure on the ageing bridge connecting Dandong and Sinuiju, which carries more than 70 percent of official trade between the two countries. The older crossing accommodates trains, cars and trucks, but road traffic can move in only one direction at a time. The South Korean government said last year that at least 17 road and railway links were operating along the more than 1,400-kilometre (870-mile) border between China and North Korea. China seeks to maintain influence over North Korea The bridge's opening came about a month after North Korea and Russia inaugurated a road bridge as part of efforts to strengthen their bilateral relationship. Analysts say the development likely caused concern among Chinese officials. China has long been North Korea's largest trading partner and a key source of economic support. However, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has increasingly prioritised ties with Moscow in recent years, sending thousands of troops and conventional weapons to support Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, apparently in return for military and economic assistance. Kim has recently moved closer to Beijing, apparently seeking to improve North Korea's economy and strengthen a united front against the United States. China, meanwhile, wants to restore its special influence over North Korea. About 98 percent of North Korea's external trade was conducted with China last year.

Heavy rainfall paralysed Istanbul, flooding homes and roads and killing at least two people, as rescuers worked through the night to save hundreds stranded at their workplaces in Turkey's largest city. The downpour on Wednesday night flooded homes and businesses, submerged roads and underpasses, stranded vehicles and caused severe traffic disruption across the city. Bystanders also helped rescue many people caught in the flooding. Local media reported two deaths. A 14-year-old was electrocuted after stepping into a puddle at a park in the Fatih district, while a 34-year-old slipped on a pavement in the Sariyer district and suffered a fatal head injury. Heavy rain continued to fall on Thursday morning. The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality said some areas had received their highest rainfall since 1985. The governor's office announced the suspension of classes on Thursday and said some government employees would be granted leave. Authorities urged residents to remain at home unless travel was essential. People living in basement apartments were also advised to spend the night elsewhere. Motorcycles were temporarily banned from the roads as authorities responded to the severe weather.

At least 27 children and a female teacher were killed and more than three dozen people injured when the roof of a private school collapsed in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, as rescuers searched through the debris for anyone still trapped. Several children remained buried under the rubble in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, emergency services spokesman Bilal Faizi said. Mohammad Asim, a hospital spokesman, confirmed the casualties, adding that some of the injured were in critical condition. All the children killed or injured were aged 13 or younger, he said. The hospital declared an emergency as medical staff treated the wounded. Rescue workers continued removing debris to reach those believed to be trapped beneath the collapsed structure. Witnesses said local residents were among the first to arrive at the school in a densely populated neighbourhood in central Peshawar. Rescue teams reached the scene within minutes of receiving the alert. Resident Mohammad Khan said rescuers were carefully clearing the debris to reach children and school staff feared to be trapped underneath. Outside the school and at the state-run Lady Reading Hospital, distressed parents waited for information about their children, uncertain whether they had survived. The cause of the collapse was under investigation. Peshawar police chief Saeed Ahmed said the school owner had been arrested, adding that the building was structurally weak. In July, four schoolchildren were killed when the roof of a tutoring centre under construction collapsed in Lahore. Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced. Many buildings are constructed with substandard materials, while safety regulations are frequently ignored to cut costs.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck the headquarters of Saudi state-owned oil giant Aramco in an overnight attack, damaging the offices of its chief executive and other senior officials, two regional officials said. The attack took place in Dhahran, an eastern Saudi Arabian city, and highlighted the rebels' ability to target major facilities in the kingdom. No casualties were reported, but the strike damaged the building's top three floors, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly. The Houthis had earlier warned that they were targeting Dhahran with a ballistic missile. Late Wednesday, the rebels' Al-Masirah television reported strikes on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, blaming Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition did not immediately comment. Smoke rising from some of Saudi Arabia's most sensitive facilities in recent days has alarmed the region and global markets. The attacks have also increased pressure on US President Donald Trump, who has said he is considering whether Washington should join Saudi strikes against the Houthis as the Iran war opens another front. Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry reported a "limited fire" at the Aramco building on Tuesday night. Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Wednesday, Saudi civil defence authorities in Riyadh said debris from an intercepted attack had injured one person. The state-run Saudi Press Agency published images showing a damaged building and a vehicle with a large cylindrical object, apparently part of a missile, lodged in its bonnet. The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted two Houthi drones, four cruise missiles and one ballistic missile targeting Riyadh, another ballistic missile aimed at Dhahran and a cruise missile targeting Al-Kharj, an important military and industrial city. Warnings of incoming missiles were also issued around Riyadh, although further details were not immediately available. Houthis say attacks are retaliation for Saudi strikes The Houthis described their attacks as retaliation for what they called "treacherous Saudi aggression" against Sanaa and other parts of Yemen. Saudi Arabia is backing forces loyal to Yemen's internationally recognised government in a major military offensive launched about a week and a half ago. The Houthi-run Health Ministry reported two deaths in attacks in Yemen on Tuesday and blamed Saudi Arabia. The rebels have repeatedly targeted Saudi airports, military installations and oil infrastructure. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has come under attack several times over the past week, with the strikes reportedly killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 300 others. The attacks have also severely disrupted air travel across the kingdom. Hardened by years of civil war, the Houthis have emerged as one of Iran's most effective armed allies. However, analysts say the group also pursues its own interests. Its attacks have placed increasing pressure on Saudi Arabia, a key US ally. Fighting intensifies along Yemen's front lines The International Committee of the Red Cross has reported an "unprecedented surge" in combat casualties along Yemen's front lines, particularly in Marib, along the Red Sea coast and in the besieged city of Taiz. The World Food Programme says it can no longer reach more than 600,000 people who depend on humanitarian assistance in Taiz. Major roads leading into Yemen's third-largest city have been closed amid Houthi attacks. Clashes continue on the city's outskirts, accompanied by overnight bombardment. Residents are increasingly concerned about shortages of food and fuel. A Taiz resident, speaking by telephone on condition of anonymity because she feared the Houthis could seize the city, said long queues had formed outside shops and public transport had become increasingly scarce because of fuel shortages. She said loud explosions were keeping her awake at night, although central Taiz had not come under shelling. Schools in the city were ordered to close for a month on Wednesday. Houthis say mediation efforts are under way A senior Houthi official told The Associated Press that regional and international powers had approached the group in an effort to stop its attacks on Saudi Arabia through a ceasefire agreement. Mohamed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthis' political bureau, said Oman had tried to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table, while Russia and China had also made efforts through Iran. "We're welcoming any mediation that leads to an end of the war and the blockade between Sanaa and Riyadh," he said. "We're ready for a comprehensive end of the war and the blockade from both sides, not just a temporary ceasefire." The rebels continued to threaten attacks on airports and oil facilities. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, more than 3,000 flights scheduled to depart from airports across Saudi Arabia had been cancelled or listed as not operating over the past week. Saudi Arabia faces shortage of missile interceptors The escalation has exposed Saudi Arabia's difficulties in intercepting Houthi missiles and drones. The kingdom has sought additional military assistance from allies, including the United States. Regional officials said Saudi Arabia, the world's largest buyer of US weapons, was running low on missile interceptors. Saudi forces are attempting to defend a territory roughly three times the size of Texas against daily attacks. Experts say intercepting every missile and drone is impossible. The Houthis possess a large arsenal capable of striking targets more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) away. Some of their warheads can also change direction during flight. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition has continued striking oil-related targets in Yemen. The Houthi-run Health Ministry said two people were killed in a Tuesday airstrike on an oil facility near the Ras Isa port in Hodeida province. The coalition also attacked another oil facility in Sanaa. Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group, said attacks on fuel storage facilities in Houthi-controlled areas marked a new phase in the conflict. He warned that a prolonged war of attrition could severely weaken the rebels' military capabilities. "The Houthis are betting on pressure, while the Saudis are betting on time," Nagi said. The latest fighting has reignited Yemen's civil war after four years of relative calm. "There’s a huge fear," said a Sanaa resident, Umm Shadi, following Saudi-led strikes on the city on Tuesday. She added that many people were staying at home. UN staff member released by Houthis A United Nations staff member detained by the Houthis has been released, the UN special envoy for Yemen said on Wednesday. Hans Grundberg said Sami al-Kalabi, who was detained in June 2024, had been freed. The World Food Programme announced the release of one of its employees last week. However, the Houthis continue to hold 71 UN workers who were arbitrarily detained over the past few years. Aid workers are often held for months without charges and accused of spying for Western countries or Israel. Their families have denied the allegations.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump would do “what is necessary” to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “Iran really will never have a nuclear weapon,” Hegseth said during a panel discussion at the annual meeting of the Association of the US Army, responding to protesters shouting anti-war slogans. Hegseth was interrupted several times by anti-war demonstrators during the event. One protester accused him of being a war criminal, while another called him a “coward”. The defence secretary also reiterated the US claim that its military controls the Strait of Hormuz during the discussion with other Defence Department officials. With inputs from Al Jazeera