Colombia
Colombia's government told the UN Security Council on 12 October that violence persists and asked for the UN Verification Mission's mandate to be refocused on reintegration and security guarantees, the UN's meeting coverage reports. Foreign Minister Omar Bula cited 2,750 kidnappings between 2016 and August 2026; these are the government's figures, not independently verified. The mandate renewal falls on 31 October. The FCDO says kidnapping rates remain high and widespread in Colombia. Full story in today's lead.
United Kingdom
The Home Secretary has announced an independent review of the state's protective security for people in public life, led by Sir Stephen Lovegrove, and expanded police support to former MPs, peers and party spokespeople with immediate effect, the Home Office says. She told Parliament that the government's assessment is that the recent RAF Fairford incident was highly likely coordinated by a known individual based in Iran and almost certainly directed by the IRGC. The national threat level was not changed in the statement. Full story in today's second post.
Eritrea
The FCDO added information on 12 October to its Eritrea advice about the temporary withdrawal of dependants of British Embassy staff. The advice says: "Due to the ongoing security situation, we have taken the precautionary measure to temporarily withdraw the dependants of our UK staff in Eritrea. Our Embassy continues to operate." The FCDO's advise-against position, set on 9 October, is unchanged: all but essential travel to the rest of the country, and all travel within 25km of the land borders. It warns that tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia are high.
Sudan
A new alert from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, reported by UN News on 12 October, says malnutrition is getting worse in several hotspots in Sudan, including Eastern Jebel Marra in South Darfur. A survey of two camps in Eastern Jebel Marra, South Darfur, found acute malnutrition among children at 38 and 30.8 per cent. Greater Kordofan, described as the epicentre of the conflict, has seen more than 300,000 people forced from their homes since October 2025. The alert says aid is held back by funding gaps, insecurity and restricted access.
