Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud:

For the Somali people, there is absolutely no comparison between Türkiye and Israel.

I do not think any Somali would be convinced by Israel, given its history, its behavior and what it is doing now as a state.

Perhaps we may have a relationship with Israel at some point in the future, but it will never be an alternative to Türkiye, and it cannot be compared with Türkiye.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud:

The UAE could not support the Somali state in becoming united again and moving forward as a united Somalia.

They sided not with the federal government, but particularly with Somaliland.

They are the main actor encouraging Somaliland to separate from Somalia, and I do not know why.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud:

Egypt supports Somalia, Saudi Arabia supports Somalia, Pakistan supports Somalia and Türkiye supports Somalia. Türkiye is the largest supporter, and we are working on this.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud:

This conflict may continue a little longer, but there is no possibility that Al-Shabaab will return and take control of the entire country.

The return of Al-Shabaab is impossible. A return to civil war, clan war or political war is also impossible.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud:

America does not deal with Somaliland through political means, whereas the UAE deals with it diplomatically and politically and encourages it to separate from Somalia.

We still have relations with the UAE. We have not cut relations. Our embassy is there and their embassy is here. But we canceled all the agreements between us, most of which were in the security and defense sectors.

The UAE is a very important country. We have tried again and again to repair the relationship, but we have not succeeded. We will continue trying.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud:

For more than 30 years, Somalia’s image was civil war, famine, terrorists, extremists and international interventions.

Today, none of that exists in the same way. Somalia is moving forward now. Reshaping the image of this new Somalia is what my government is working on.

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez:

We have worked to build a better world for our compatriots and for the rest of humanity, supporting Ukraine, the European Union and the United Nations in their darkest moments, denouncing genocidal leaders when others remained silent, fighting tyrants, tech oligarchs and speculators who want to destroy the future of our sons and daughters in order to enlarge their own pockets.

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez:

Spaniards have to decide what role you want to play in this era, and what role you want Spain to play.

Whether you want to join that far-right wave that brings regression wherever it governs, or whether you want Spain to continue being a bastion of openness, social justice and environmental responsibility.

Whether you want our country to go backwards or continue moving forward; whether you prefer a government that works in the interests of the social majority, or whether you prefer to hand the reins of the country to a far-right coalition that has proposed nothing and whose only objective is to repeal and cut the rights and freedoms we have built over the last eight years in order to benefit the same people as always — a privileged minority.

NEW: ASELSAN signed a €2.46 billion contract with Türkiye’s defense procurement agency for hybrid air-defense systems, the largest single deal in the company's 51-year history.

It's part of roughly €5.1 billion in air-defense orders ASELSAN has disclosed in just two weeks, all feeding into Türkiye’s Steel Dome layered defense network.

OPINION: Between Washington & Beijing: Egypt’s Middle Power Dilemma

As regional warfare, Red Sea disruptions, and soaring debt erode Cairo’s traditional strength, Egypt is courting China to hedge its bets. Yet deep US dependencies may reduce this ambitious balancing act to mere tactical maneuvering

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An American tourist was arrested in Tel Aviv after allegedly filming the Kirya military base and talking to guards about an attack.

Police said he was initially assessed as mentally unfit and sent for psychiatric evaluation.

Bosnian Serb nationalist Milorad Dodik’s SNSD retained its grip on power in Bosnia’s October 4 election despite Dodik being banned from public office.

Preliminary results showed his ally Zeljka Cvijanovic leading for the Serb seat in Bosnia’s three-member presidency, while Denis Becirovic led for the Bosniak seat and Darijana Filipovic for the Croat seat.

Dodik said his party would not change course, declaring: “No one should ask us to change our politics.” He also thanked Putin and praised Trump.

NEW: Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces say they have seized control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Saudi-backed Yemeni government leader Rashad al-Alimi announces the launch of “Operation Dawn of Yemen,” saying the country will move toward “a new dawn” with the support of its allies.

UAE-owned Sky News Arabia, citing Yemeni sources, says the Houthis deny that government forces have made any advances in the Bab el-Mandeb area.

Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline is operating normally and oil continues to flow, according to people familiar with the matter.

Source: Bloomberg

Saudi Defense Ministry:

100 fighter jets took part in operations against the Houthis in Yemen today.

NATO’s top military commander, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, is drafting a “Theory of Victory” for defeating a potential Russian attack on NATO’s eastern flank quickly.

The strategy would combine traditional forces with low-cost drones, minimally crewed systems and AI-enabled targeting.

NATO would first stop an incursion, then gain freedom of maneuver and strike Russian command-and-control systems to defeat the attacking forces rapidly.

The plan will be presented in Poland on Oct. 12.

Source: Bloomberg

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on settlement expansion:

There was very great divine assistance because, during the war, the world’s attention was on Gaza and Lebanon, so overall we were able to do things quietly.

In March, we brought a cabinet decision on 34 settlements, and the condemnations we received were roughly what we used to get in the past for 34 housing units.

When the conflict was in Gaza, they weren’t dealing with the West Bank.

When there is no conflict in Gaza, when there are no pictures of children on Al Jazeera, they look for a conflict in the West Bank.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich:

Ninety percent of my time I am finance minister — that’s my business.

Ten percent of my time I’m in the Defense Ministry, having fun in the West Bank.