The 08:00 report · 27.9.2026

Opposition Leaders Meet to Coordinate Ahead of Elections

Five leaders of Israel's opposition parties, Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, Gadi Eizenkot, Avigdor Liberman, and Yair Golan, convened at Lapid's home in Tel Aviv and signed a joint declaration of principles ahead of the upcoming elections, while Benny Gantz was not invited. According to reports, the leaders agreed to coordinate efforts to replace the government by driving up voter turnout, dividing target demographics, and refraining from mutual attacks, though they refrained from naming an agreed candidate for prime minister. The pact establishes a synchronized opposition front for the campaign, yet Gantz's exclusion and the unresolved leadership question highlight ongoing divisions within the bloc.

All coverage: Israeli Elections and Opposition Bloc

Iran Insists on Diplomatic Solution After Trump Rejects Hormuz Proposal

Iran is insisting that the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz can only be resolved through negotiations, maintaining its push for a diplomatic outcome after US President Donald Trump rejected its proposal to reopen the waterway within seven days and resume peace talks. The Iranian plan, backed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was conveyed via Qatari mediation, but Trump dismissed it, claiming Tehran was facing defeat and overplaying its hand, while asserting full US control over the passage after safely escorting 29 vessels out. Washington's refusal stalls maritime de-escalation efforts, keeping the strategic transit route blocked and tensions high.

All coverage: Strait of Hormuz crisis

DRC Plane Crash Kills 17, Including Senior Military Officials

Seventeen people were killed in a plane crash near the city of Kenge in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including two of the nation's most senior military judicial figures. Among the dead is the president of the High Military Court, Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo Katalay Tshenda, with the causes and circumstances of the crash still under investigation. Following the disaster, the government declared three days of national mourning and ordered flags flown at half-mast. The loss of its top judicial leadership deals a severe blow to the DRC's military legal apparatus at a time of heightened institutional sensitivity.

Powerful Nor'easter Hits US Northeast: 100,000 Without Power, Hundreds of Flights Canceled

A powerful nor'easter is lashing the northeastern United States, affecting more than 40 million residents across major metropolitan areas including New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. The storm system has brought heavy precipitation, fierce winds, ocean waves reaching up to six meters, and coastal flood warnings from the National Weather Service. Severe conditions have cut power to over 100,000 households and led to the cancellation of more than 400 flights across the region. The widespread infrastructure and transportation disruptions underscore the storm's immediate impact on daily routines and economic activity throughout one of the country's most densely populated corridors.

All coverage: US Northeast Nor'easter Storm

Report: Haniyeh Bodyguard Granted UK Citizenship Planned Attacks on Jews

An investigative report in Britain revealed that a former bodyguard of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was granted asylum and British citizenship before plotting terror attacks against Jewish targets. The suspect, the son of a senior Hamas official, settled in the United Kingdom in 2015 despite his known organizational ties and was arrested last year following intelligence supplied by Israel's Mossad and German intelligence. Investigators found he planned to carry out an attack around the second anniversary of the October 7 onslaught, a scheme that involved smuggling weapons to Vienna and trips to Qatar. The case points to significant vetting oversights in UK asylum and counterterrorism procedures.