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US forces have struck two rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran says it has fired ballistic missiles at US bases in Jordan in response.

Also today, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Bishkek for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, and Ukraine says it has intelligence that Russia is planning new ground offensives against Kyiv and Chernihiv.

Here's everything else ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russia, China leaders to meet at Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and more than a dozen other leaders are set to gather in Bishkek on Monday for the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expected to hold bilateral talks with President Putin. The bloc claims to represent about 40% of the world's population and 25% of global GDP, and this year marks 25 years since it was founded.

2️⃣ 🇮🇸🇪🇺 Iceland votes against restarting EU membership talks: Turnout in Iceland's referendum reached 82.5%, the highest in any Icelandic election since 2009, with 52.8% rejecting the proposal to resume EU accession talks and some 12,600 votes separating the two sides. Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir said the issue would not be revisited while her government was in office, and the result drew praise from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and France's Marine Le Pen.

3️⃣ 🇷🇺🇺🇦 Russia plans new ground attack on Kyiv, Ukraine warns: Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, said intelligence received and verified by Ukraine showed Russian military chiefs had been tasked with planning attacks on Kyiv and Chernihiv, though there was not yet evidence of troops gathering. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said escalation from Russia's side was progressing and the next six months would be decisive, after a briefing from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

4️⃣ 🇺🇸🇻🇪 Trump says US will refill its petroleum reserves using Venezuelan oil: US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that oil from a newly struck deal with Venezuela would be used to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which held about 290 million barrels as of 21 August, near a 44-year low. Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez said the 25-year deal covers 65 billion barrels and would pay Caracas $19 from every barrel sold to the US, worth up to $209bn a year.

5️⃣ 🇷🇺🇳🇪 Russia says it helped to repel Niger attempted coup: Moscow's foreign ministry said Nigerien forces repelled Saturday's attempted coup "with the assistance of servicemen of the African Corps of the Russian Ministry of Defence", and that the situation was under the control of authorities headed by President Gen Abdourahmane Tiani. Niger's authorities have not said how many soldiers were involved or how many casualties there were, and state television showed alleged mutineers being arrested.

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Major Story

🇺🇸🇮🇷 US and Iran trade strikes for first time in weeks

US forces struck two rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, the first known US attack on Iran since President Donald Trump paused a renewed military campaign in late July.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the strikes killed two people and injured two others, and vowed "response and punishment", while US Central Command said it had taken "limited, precise action" against minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the strait.

Iran said it struck the US bases of King Hussein and al-Azraq in Jordan with ballistic missiles in response, and Jordan's army said it intercepted eight missiles early on Monday.

Iranian state TV said the army had also targeted an air base in the UAE with drones, but the UAE's Ministry of Defence called reports that Al-Minhad Air Base was targeted "unfounded", while confirming it shot down a drone.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran was "not seeking war, but we will deliver a decisive response to the aggressors", and President Trump posted apparent AI videos on Truth Social showing oil infrastructure exploding.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇨🇴 Colombia's president says soldiers killed a key dissident leader: Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said a FARC dissident leader known as "Felipe" or "Arcadio" was killed on Sunday during a military operation, calling it a "crushing blow" to the faction. President de la Espriella said the man was responsible for multiple attacks on police stations in Valle del Cauca using explosives dropped from drones.

2️⃣ 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau votes in a referendum on granting the president expanded powers: Guinea-Bissau voted on Sunday on a new constitution that would expand presidential powers and cut parliament from 102 to 65 seats, ahead of December's general election following last year's coup. Turnout was low across many polling stations after opposition parties urged a boycott, with one party spokesperson saying the constitution subordinates the National People's Assembly.

3️⃣ 🇹🇷🇸🇴 Turkish, Somali forces free pirate-seized vessel in Somalia: Somalia's Defence Ministry said Turkish and Somali forces freed the Cameroon-flagged MV LUTUF after a 10-day operation in which 14 alleged pirates were killed and four boats destroyed, forcing the remaining pirates to abandon the ship. The vessel was hijacked on 17 August off Puntland's Nugaal region, and the International Maritime Organization has recorded at least 15 attacks off Somalia this year.

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