east
Follow Chronicle's coverage of "east" — 24 published articles so far, refreshed hourly.
IMF: Middle East and Central Asia Economy to Shrink in 2026 as War Fallout Deepens
The IMF now expects the Middle East and Central Asia economy to contract 0.3% in 2026, a sharp reversal from the 1.9% growth it projected in April, with Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar and Bahrain facing double-digit declines as war disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Joseph Kabila Launches New FRN Coalition to Replace M23 in Eastern Congo
Former Congolese president Joseph Kabila has launched the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), a new politico-military coalition set to replace the AFC-M23 alliance in eastern Congo — a dramatic escalation in a conflict he long denied backing.
North Korea Fires Multiple Ballistic Missiles Off East Coast as Peninsula Tensions Escalate
North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles off its east coast on Monday, with one flying more than 900km from the Pyongyang area. The launch, confirmed by Seoul and Tokyo, comes weeks after a landmine blast injured South Korean soldiers at the DMZ and days after Seoul's hypersonic weapons test.
Global Growth to Slow to 2.6% in 2026 as Middle East Energy Shock Bites, UNCTAD Warns
UNCTAD's Trade and Development Report forecasts world economic growth of just 2.6% in 2026, down from 2.9% last year, as the energy shock from the Middle East crisis tests the global economy — with Asia contributing 59% of growth and the AI boom raising financial stability risks.
Deadly airstrike on Sudan-Egypt border gold mine kills at least 13, reigniting gold-war fears
At least 13 artisanal gold miners were killed and 28 wounded in a Saturday airstrike on a mine in the Sudan-Egypt-Libya border triangle. A Sudanese rights group puts the toll at 72 and blames Egypt, spotlighting gold's deadly role in Sudan's war.
Hurricane Isaias Makes Landfall in Florida as Category 2, Leaving Four Dead and 670,000 Without Power
Hurricane Isaias roared ashore near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 storm late Friday, killing at least four people and knocking out power for nearly 670,000 customers across four states — the first U.S. hurricane landfall in two years.
Libya's eastern parliament ousts Aguila Saleh after 12 years as speaker
Libya's eastern House of Representatives has replaced Aguila Saleh, its speaker of 12 years, with Tobruk lawmaker Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi — a day after MPs voted to cap the speakership at a single 12-month term, in a shake-up analysts read as a power play by Khalifa Haftar's clan.
71 Killed in South Sudan's Rumbek as Armed Youth Briefly Seize Central Town
Intercommunal clashes killed at least 71 people, including four soldiers, in Rumbek, South Sudan, on Friday after armed youth from outside the town briefly seized it before security reinforcements forced them out.
Four dead, eight injured as residential building collapses in Delhi's New Seemapuri
A four-storey residential building in northeast Delhi's New Seemapuri area collapsed on Wednesday, killing four people including a pregnant woman and two children, with rescue teams still searching for anyone trapped under the rubble.
Two Killed as Seven-Storey Building Partially Collapses in Istanbul's Maltepe District
The three lower floors of a seven-storey residential building caved in before dawn in Istanbul's Maltepe district, killing at least two people. Rescue teams pulled ten survivors from the rubble as fears of further collapse hampered operations.
Russian Glide Bomb Strike on Kramatorsk Bus Stop Kills at Least 12, Toll Later Rises to 30
A Russian glide bomb hit a bus stop in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, on the morning of October 8, 2026, killing at least 12 people and wounding 14 more. Local prosecutors later said the death toll had risen to 30, and public transport in the front-line city was suspended.
South Africa Anti-Migrant Protests Turn Violent as Cars Are Torched in Durban and Soweto
Anti-immigration marches in South Africa turned violent on Thursday as protesters torched at least 11 cars in Durban and gunshots rang out in Johannesburg's Soweto township, the latest flare-up in a year-long xenophobic movement that has already forced tens of thousands of migrants to flee.
Massive strikes hit Kyiv overnight, fire kills at least two as attacks on the capital intensify
Kyiv came under what officials described as massive strikes overnight, with at least two people killed in a fire triggered by the attacks. The strikes continue an intensifying Russian campaign against the Ukrainian capital's infrastructure.
Seven Wounded in Knife Attack at Polish School; 19-Year-Old Student Detained
Seven people were wounded in a knife attack at a vocational school in Ostrołęka, north-eastern Poland, on Wednesday. Police detained a 19-year-old student near the town beach; two of the injured were reported to be in serious condition.
At least 24 killed as Russia launches massive overnight attack on Ukraine
Russia unleashed one of the war's largest overnight barrages — 130 drones plus 48 cruise and ballistic missiles — killing at least 24 people across several Ukrainian regions, including four children in the northern city of Pryluky.
NATO Drafts 'Theory of Victory' Plan to Defeat a Russian Attack on Its Eastern Flank With Drones and AI
NATO's supreme commander, General Alexus Grynkewich, will present a strategy called 'Theory of Victory' in Poland on October 12, outlining how the alliance would use drones, AI and conventional forces to stop a Russian incursion and destroy enemy command and control, according to a Bloomberg report.
Russian Strikes Shatter Kharkiv Apartment Blocks: At Least Six Dead, Dozens Wounded
Russian bombs and missiles have slammed into residential neighbourhoods in Kharkiv, killing at least six people and injuring nearly 60, with a second wave of strikes hitting the city on Tuesday morning as rescue workers pulled bodies from the rubble.
Saudi Arabia Restores East-West Pipeline to 5.8 Million bpd, Easing Fears Over Hormuz Chokepoint
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said flows through the East-West Pipeline reached 5.8 million barrels per day on Tuesday, rebuilding the kingdom's Hormuz-bypass export route after September drone attacks — a key reason oil prices slid for a third straight session.
Two Days to the Deadline: Britain's Secret Push to Save Its Jerusalem Consulate Fails
Britain's national security adviser made a secret visit to Israel to stop the closure of the UK's East Jerusalem consulate — and failed. With Israel's 30-day deadline expiring on Thursday, London is preparing to expel a matching number of Israeli diplomats.
Anthropic Says Russia Used Its Claude AI to Run Propaganda Campaigns Across Africa
Anthropic says Russian operatives used its Claude chatbot to produce pro-Kremlin propaganda broadcast in the Central African Republic and to run disinformation networks across at least four more African countries. The report details how AI is becoming the engine room of foreign influence operations — and how the models sometimes refuse to cooperate.
Trump Names Belarus Envoy John Coale as Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs
President Donald Trump has nominated his Belarus envoy John Coale as the new special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, crediting the lawyer with securing the release of more than 65 Americans and over 800 political prisoners in Eastern Europe. He replaces Adam Boehler, who brought home 196 hostages.
OpenAI Fires Three Researchers Over Mishandling of 'Sensitive Information'
OpenAI has dismissed three researchers — at least two working in AI safety — after an internal investigation found they mishandled sensitive company information linked to an external organisation that evaluates AI models. The company says the firings were about procedure, not whistleblowing.
Pakistan-Afghanistan Escalation: Airstrikes Kill Civilians as Former Allies Slide Toward Open Conflict
Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan's Helmand and Kunar provinces on October 1, with the Taliban government reporting nine civilians — mostly women and children — killed and the UN confirming at least ten dead. Both governments are trading blame as a failed truce gives way to the region's most dangerous border crisis in years.
US Sends Third Aircraft Carrier to the Middle East as Trump Weighs Renewed Iran Strikes
The US is deploying a third aircraft carrier strike group and up to 10,000 more troops to the Middle East as President Trump weighs resuming strikes on Iran after the November midterms.