Abyei
UN News reported on 5 November that the UN's peacekeeping chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, told the Security Council that drone strikes in Abyei last month added "a new and concerning dimension" to security in the disputed area. What is new against our October items is the Council briefing: UN News reports Lacroix as saying the 19 October attacks were the first of their kind in Abyei, and says they injured about 59 people and that "Peacekeepers are still checking whether the death toll is an underestimate." UN News gives the toll as at least 30. Our Brief of 22 October reported the UN spokesperson citing the UN force there, UNISFA, as reporting at least 80 killed, and the article does not explain the difference. It recalls clashes on 15 September at Amiet Common Market that left 124 people dead and 40 injured. It does not say who launched the drones.
United Kingdom
The Department of Health and Social Care said on 5 November that a UK medical doctor working on the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has returned to the UK for specialist treatment after testing positive for the disease. It says the UK government worked with the DRC government and international health partners to bring the patient home on a medical evacuation flight, and that the patient is in a high-level isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital, London. Dr Renu Bindra of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said "the risk to the wider public remains low". The announcement does not name the doctor or give the date of the flight or how the infection happened.
Honduras
The FCDO updated its Honduras advice on 5 November. The page says: "British citizens can visit Honduras for up to 90 days without a visa." It adds: "This visa exemption for British citizens took effect on 31 October 2026." It warns: "If you overstay the 90 days, you may have to pay a fine before leaving Honduras." The page also says you can travel between Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador for up to 90 days without a visa, but does not explain how that and the new exemption fit together. We did not open a Honduran government source.
South Africa
The FCDO updated its South Africa information on fraud and scams and on taxis and ride-hailing apps on 5 November. The page says: "Scammers target people using taxis and ride-hailing apps in major cities, including at airports." It advises using designated pick-up areas and avoiding people touting for business at airport terminals. The change note says the information was updated, so we cannot say which sentences are new.
Yemen
UN News reported on 5 November that "nearly 135,000 people are now displaced within Taiz", more than 40 per cent of all those recently uprooted across Yemen. It says the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delivered four trucks of essential medical supplies, including surgical kits, to hospitals in the city on Wednesday 4 November. The same report says the UN called for an investigation into the death of UN staff member Mohammad el Shami in Houthi detention, which we reported on 2 November.
