*) Sudan's military arrests civilian government members

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok has been placed under house arrest by the military.

According to the information ministry, several members of the civilian government have also been arrested.

The coup attempt comes days after protests in support of civilian rule replacing a council that took over Sudan after the ouster of Omar al Bashir in 2019.

*) Colombia's most-wanted drug trafficker to be extradited to US

After more than a decade on the run, Colombia's most-wanted drug trafficker, Dairo Antonio Usuga, has been caught by authorities.

The deadly drug lord, also known as "Otoniel", evaded capture by bribing officials and making allies on competing sides.

While Otoniel's capture is a win for the world's top cocaine exporting country, the kingpin's absence may fuel more violence through power plays.

*) Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband goes on a hunger strike

The husband of detained British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has gone on a hunger strike to demand her release.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been held in Iran since 2016 on spying charges. She recently lost an appeal to her sentence and faces a return to prison.

British authorities say they are "doing all they can" to help Nazanin get home.
Richard Ratcliffe claims his wife has been imprisoned as leverage for the 550 million dollar debt the UK owes Iran.

*) Children are going to die' in Afghanistan, UN agency warns

Millions of Afghans, including children, risk death by starvation unless urgent action is taken.

World Food Programme's Executive Director David Beasley says 22.8 million Afghans face acute food insecurity and "marching to starvation" compared to 14 million just two months ago.

Beasley called for Afghanistan’s oversea's assets, frozen after the Taliban takeover in August, to be freed for humanitarian efforts.

And finally…

*) Vigil for cinematographer accidentally killed on set

A vigil has been held for the late cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, who was accidentally shot dead on a film set of "Rust'' last week.

US actor Alec Baldwin shot and killed Hutchins with a prop gun which he was told was not loaded. The prop gun also wounded the film’s director Joel Souza.

An investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed.

*) Pakistan to keep the border open with Afghanistan to support bilateral trade

Pakistan will keep its border with Afghanistan open for longer hours to support bilateral trade and the new Taliban-led administration.
The country's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made the announcement after his visit to Kabul where he met several Taliban leaders.
Qureshi said Pakistan will provide humanitarian aid worth at least $280 million to Afghanistan.

*) Russia reports record 1,064 Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours.

President Vladimir Putin this week approved a nationwide workplace shutdown in the first week of November, and the capital Moscow will reimpose a partial lockdown from October.

*) Turkey could expel 10 Western envoys over remarks on Osman Kavala case

Ankara is likely to expel ambassadors from the United States, Germany and eight other Western countries.
This group of ambassadors recently made a joint statement and called for the release of jailed Turkish businessman Osman Kavala, which did not go down well with Ankara.
The 10 envoys were summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

*) Late monsoon floods kill more than 150 in India and Nepal

More than 180 people have died in flooding across India and Nepal as heavy late monsoon rains triggered flash floods, destroyed crops and infrastructure and left thousands stranded.
The north Indian state of Uttarakhand has been especially badly hit, with 88 confirmed deaths, officials say, while at least 99 have died in neighbouring Nepal.
Police in Nepal said rescuers were looking for at least 40 people who have been reported as missing, sparking fears that the death toll could rise.

*) US Households Trump ally Bannon in contempt, seeks prosecution

US lawmakers have voted 229 to 202 to hold ex-president Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon in criminal contempt of Congress.

Bannon is accused of refusing to cooperate with a probe into the deadly January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

The House referral will now move to the Justice Department, which will consider an investigation and charges.

*) Actor Alec Baldwin fires prop gun killing woman on film set

Actor Alec Baldwin has fired a prop gun on a movie set in New Mexico, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
The incident occurred on the set of the independent feature film "Rust'', the Santa Fe County Sheriff's office said in a statement.
An investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed yet.

*) Drone attack targets US military base in Syria

A drone attack has targeted a US military base near Syria's border with Iraq, US officials and a war monitor said.

A US official confirmed the attack on Al Tanf military base in Syria's southwestern Rif Dimashq governorate where US forces are deployed.

There were no casualties among American forces, the official told Anadolu Agency.

*) Russia, China, Iran agree to work with Taliban for 'regional stability'

Russia and Central Asia power brokers have agreed to work with the Taliban to promote security in the region.

They called on Afghanistan's new leaders to implement "moderate" policies and Moscow said official recognition would only come when the Taliban meets expectations on human rights and inclusive governance.

Russia hosted the Taliban for talks in Moscow, seeking to assert its influence in the region and push for action against Daesh fighters in Afghanistan.

*) Turkey signs energy, defence deals with Nigeria

Turkey and Nigeria have signed multiple bilateral agreements, extending from energy to defence.

Nigeria's President Buhari and Turkey's President Erdogan announced the signing of seven deals after a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in the capital Abuja.

The two sides signed agreements on defence, energy, mining and hydrocarbon as well as youth and foreign affairs cooperation.

*) Ethiopia govt claims strikes hit 'weapons site' in Tigray region

At least 9 people have been badly wounded in air strikes that hit Ethiopia's Tigray region.

Ethiopia's government said it targeted facilities to make and repair weapons, which a spokesman for the rival Tigray forces denied.

Ethiopian authorities said air force jets conducted air strikes on a Tigray rebel military training centre 80 kilometres outside Tigrayan capital Mekele.

And finally…

*) Trump to launch new social media network 'TRUTH Social'

Former US president Donald Trump has announced plans to launch his own social network platform called "TRUTH Social".

The platform is expected to beta launch for "invited guests" next month.

The platform will be owned by Trump Media & Technology Group, which also intends to launch a video-on-demand service that will feature "non-woke" entertainment programming.

*) Brazil's president accused of homicide in Covid response probe

The senator leading a probe into Brazil's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has recommended that President Jair Bolsonaro be charged with homicide over government errors that led to the deaths of thousands.

Bolsonaro has dismissed the probe as politically motivated.

The document accuses Bolsonaro of turning down early offers to purchase vaccines, delaying Brazil's inoculation drive and costing an estimated 95,000 lives.

*) US says Taliban won't get access to Afghan central bank reserves

The Taliban will not be allowed to access Afghanistan's central bank reserves, which are largely held in the US.

US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told Senate it was "essential to maintain sanctions against the Taliban" but at the same time find ways for humanitarian assistance to get to the Afghan people.

The Taliban has called for the US to allow access to more than $9 billion of Afghan central bank reserves as the government struggles to contain a deepening economic crisis.

*) At least 46 dead after heavy rains, landslides in northern India

At least 46 people have died and several are missing after floods triggered by heavy rains hit northern India.

Uttarakhand state has seen incessant rains for the past three days, flooding roads, destroying bridges and causing landslides.

India's Met Department says rains are likely to recede in Uttarakhand on Wednesday but warns of heavy downpours in the northeast and south.

*) Turkey criticises EU report on its membership process

Turkey has criticised a European Commission report on Ankara's EU membership process, saying it once again reflects double standards towards the country.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the report overlooked the EU's responsibilities towards Turkey at a time when Ankara has revived high-level dialogue with the bloc.

Turkey also rejected the inclusion of "inconsistent and biased" Greek and Greek Cypriot arguments in the report.

The EU report said Ankara's bid to join the bloc had "come to a standstill".

And finally…

*) Facebook plans to change its name

Social media giant Facebook Inc is planning to rebrand the company with a new name that focuses on the metaverse.

The name change will be announced next week, The Verge reported, citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Facebook did not immediately respond to the report.

🇺🇸 Trial for Ahmaud Arbery's murder case set to begin in the US

🇮🇳 Flash floods in southern India kill at least 25 people

🇹🇷 Turkey's president begins his four-day tour of three African countries

🕋 Muslim worshippers are back to shoulder-to-shoulder prayers in Mecca

And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World. For more, head to trtworld.com

*) Deadly clashes erupt during Lebanon protest

Gunfire has killed at least six people and wounded 30 at a Beirut rally organised by Shia Hezbollah and Amal movements.

That’s according to Lebanon's interior minister who said the "exchange started with sniper fire, with the first casualty shot to the head".

Demonstrators were calling for the removal of a popular judge, who's leading the investigation into last year's port explosion that killed more than 200 people.

*) Turkey reiterates importance of inclusive government in Afghanistan

Turkey has reiterated the importance of government inclusiveness for Afghanistan's unity, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

This comes following a meeting in Ankara with a high-level delegation from Afghanistan's acting Taliban government.

Ankara encouraged other countries to engage with the Taliban who ousted Afghanistan's government in August, saying "engaging was not the same as recognising".

*) WHO: Only one in 7 Covid-19 cases in Africa being detected

Only one in seven Covid-19 infections in Africa are detected, meaning an estimated 59 million people may be infected in the continent, the World Health Organization says.

“With limited testing, we’re still flying blind in far too many communities in Africa,” said Matshidiso Moeti, regional director for the WHO.

The UN plans to increase rapid diagnostic testing in eight African countries with the goal of testing 7 million people in the next year.

*) At least 46 people killed in Taiwan building fire

At least 46 people were killed and dozens more injured in a massive fire in a 13-storey building in southern Taiwan.

Officials say the "extremely fierce" blaze was hard to control and destroyed several floors.

An investigation is under way and officials set up an independent commission to investigate the conditions at the run-down building which was home to many poor, older and disabled people.

And finally…

*) Adele makes music comeback with new single

British vocal powerhouse Adele made her highly-anticipated music comeback, releasing her first new record since her 2015 Grammy award-winning album "25".

The 33-year-old, known for her ballads about break-ups and regrets, teased new single "Easy On Me" last week with a short video clip.

The song is the first to be released from her upcoming fourth album "30", out in November.

*) Israel and UAE ministers meet in US

We begin in the US where Secretary of State Antony Blinken held three-way talks with his Israeli and the United Arab Emirates counterparts.

The trio discussed the progress made since the signing of last year's Abraham Accords and relations with Iran.

Blinken says Iran's responses to US willingness to return to nuclear talks have not been “encouraging” despite "time running short" for Tehran.

*) Turkish intelligence thwarts attempt to abduct Iranian soldier

Turkey's National Intelligence Organization and police have busted an Iranian espionage network in eastern Turkey.

An Iranian and a Turk were detained on charges of spying ​​and are accused of plotting to kidnap and forcibly repatriate a former Iranian military official.

The eight-member network that included two Iranian agents were caught in a joint operation on September 24, security sources said.

*) Five killed in Norway bow-and-arrow attack

In Norway, at least five people were killed in a bow-and-arrow attack in the town of Kongsberg.

The Kongsberg police chief said there was "a confrontation" between officers and the assailant, a 37-year-old Danish suspect, but he did not elaborate.

The motive for the attack is not yet known but police say they haven't ruled out terrorism.

*) Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel begin hunger strike

At least 250 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel have begun a hunger strike to protest their relocation to isolation, officials said.

The hunger strike, led by the Islamic Jihad group, comes amid heightened tensions in Israeli detention facilities following the escape of six prisoners from a high-security prison.

All six were recaptured within a couple of weeks, but the escape embarrassed Israeli authorities and was hailed as a stroke of defiance by Palestinians.

And finally…

*) Star Trek's Shatner becomes world's oldest space traveler

Beam me up Bezos! 90-year-old actor William Shatner has officially become the oldest person ever to fly to space on a rocket.

​​The launch took place in Texas aboard Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' 'Blue Origin' ship and saw Shatner and three others cross briefly over the official boundary of space.

"It was unbelievable," said Shatner, known to Star Trek fans as the daring Captain James Tiberius Kirk, a role he first played more than half a century ago.