The lead
According to Ukrainian authorities' preliminary figures relayed at the UN noon briefing on 29 October, at least 13 people were killed and 10 injured when a drone struck a train at a railway station in Dnipro. The UN joined its Humanitarian Coordinator in condemning the strike and said the figures may rise. It does not say who launched the drone.
The second post
The CMA is inviting comment from 29 October to 12 November on the anticipated acquisition of SoloProtect by Send for Help and Peoplesafe. It has not yet launched a formal investigation, and its page gives no deal value and does not say whether it has any concerns.
Maritime security
The UN Security Council held a high-level open debate on emerging technologies and maritime security on 29 October. The UN summary of remarks by Michail Bletsas, Governor of Greece's National Cybersecurity Authority, says 87 per cent of maritime organizations experienced a significant cybersecurity incident over the past 12 months. For the UK, Chris Elmore MP said uncrewed weapon systems are increasingly accessible to state and non-state actors seeking to threaten shipping on, above and below the water, and that the UK is leading work on a Maritime Cyber Code. The UN record reports no resolution or statement from the Council.
Yemen
The UN said on 29 October that 71 UN staff remain arbitrarily detained by the Houthis, which renders "the delivery of humanitarian aid in areas under the control of the Houthis untenable at this time". Asked about access to Taiz, the spokesperson said the UN has no presence inside Taiz city and that talks on access continue. The UN Envoy, Hans Grundberg, met Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister in Moscow.
Lebanon
UNIFIL reported continued Israel Defense Forces activity across its area of operations from Sunday to Tuesday (25 to 27 October), including intensifying artillery and mortar fire. On Tuesday it recorded an Iron Dome interceptor launch near Metulla; it also reported sustained drone activity over UN positions and patrols, and found an unguarded ammunition cache near Houla, which it reported to the Lebanese Armed Forces. On 28 October peacekeepers saw an additional gate installed by Israeli forces near El Adeisse, and the UN said there were incidents affecting the safety of peacekeepers. It did not describe the incidents or report casualties.
Haiti
The UN said, citing the International Organization for Migration, that nearly 14,000 people have fled their homes in Petite-Rivière-de-l'Artibonite since violence erupted on 19 October, with nearly 2,000 more displaced in Croix-des-Bouquets on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. The World Food Programme projects 6.35 million people facing acute food insecurity between March and June 2027. The briefing does not name the gangs involved or give casualty figures.
DR Congo
At the Plaine Savo displacement site in Ituri, the UN said on 29 October: "At least three displaced people have reportedly been killed and five others injured since Tuesday, while fighting near the site today has trapped families". Water, health and nutrition services for some 76,000 people are suspended, and three Ebola cases were confirmed at the site in mid-September. MONUSCO facilitated the repatriation of 42 people to Rwanda on Tuesday 27 October, including 10 FDLR members. The briefing does not say who is fighting near the site.
Colombia
The FCDO added new information to its Colombia travel advice early on 30 October. It says President de la Espriella ordered the temporary deployment of security forces in the city of Cúcuta on 29 October, that further security measures are expected in the coming days, and that travellers should plan ahead and follow the advice of local authorities. It gives no reason for the deployment and no detail of its size or length. The FCDO's own pages do not agree on Cúcuta city: the Warnings page advises against all but essential travel to all of Norte de Santander including Cúcuta, while the Regional risks page lists only the Catatumbo region of Norte de Santander and excludes the city of Cúcuta from its border area. The 30 October change concerned the deployment, not this area advice.
