G7 foreign ministers have called on Iran to end its arming and support of the Houthis in Yemen, warning that the group’s attacks risk further regional escalation and global economic instability. The ministers from the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan also condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and urged the group to stop military operations and attacks on civilian shipping. The statement was issued after a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The Houthis have recently expanded their control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including areas near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. (PC: BBC)

A White House ceremony featuring Donald Trump went without audible remarks on Monday after US television networks suspended shared presidential pool coverage. Trump was unveiling a new helipad on the South Lawn for Marine One when the White House livestream showed him speaking, but helicopter noise made his remarks inaudible. The development followed the administration’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over reporting Trump described as “fake news”. ABC, CBS, Fox News, CNN and NBC normally rotate responsibility for pool coverage and share footage. CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a lawsuit challenging the ban. The dispute coincided with Trump’s diplomatic engagements and Xi Jinping’s visit.  

Major US television networks have suspended their White House television pool after the Trump administration barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. ABC, CBS, Fox News, CNN and NBC rotate responsibility for filming presidential events and sharing footage with other news organisations. CNN was scheduled for pool duty but was removed after the access ban, prompting the networks to suspend the arrangement rather than appoint a replacement. The White House launched “TRUMP TV: The Essentials Station”, a 24/7 digital stream featuring presidential remarks, administration announcements and selected footage. CNN, MS NOW and Politico have challenged the access restrictions in court, arguing that the ban violates constitutional protections.  

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in New York on Monday to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly, marking his first US visit since the start of the US-Iran war. The visit comes amid heightened tensions in West Asia and widening regional conflict involving the Houthis. The United States approved visas for Iran’s core delegation, including Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian, while imposing movement and purchasing restrictions. Araghchi briefly stopped in Doha for consultations with Qatari officials on regional developments before reaching New York. Pezeshkian is scheduled to travel to New York on Tuesday and address the General Assembly. Araghchi is leading Iran’s diplomatic delegation during the high-level UN meetings.

Pakistan police arrested Aleema Khan on Sunday, then detained her sisters Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi on Monday, all for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order law. They were shifted to Kot Lakhpat jail. The arrests come ahead of PTI's planned march on Islamabad on September 27 to demand the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. PTI called the arrests a blatant abuse of authority. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi warned the party against going ahead with the march. The government has deployed tens of thousands of police and placed shipping containers as barriers across Islamabad and Punjab. (PC: X)

ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News and CNN, the five networks that make up the White House television pool, have stopped their coverage in support of CNN. The decision follows President Donald Trump's move to bar journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over the weekend. In a September 21 email, Fox News bureau chief Bryan Boughton, who chairs the pool, said there would be no replacement pool. As a result, no TV crew will travel with Trump to New York for the UN General Assembly on Monday. The three outlets have also filed a federal lawsuit, citing First Amendment and due process violations.

US President Donald Trump criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after their discussions, claiming Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the Russia-Ukraine war while Zelenskyy wants to prolong it. Trump said he was seeking peace rather than a decade-long conflict and claimed 2,000 people died last week. He also said Russia had lost control of its diesel industry because Ukrainian strikes damaged refineries, calling for the war to end. Zelenskyy gave a positive account, saying Trump had agreed to meet him in New York and that diplomatic momentum was building. He said peace remained Ukraine’s top priority, with discussions focused on de-escalation, energy security, food security and protecting human life.

Five major US television networks ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News and CNN have suspended White House pool coverage after the White House restricted access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico. The networks normally rotate responsibility for providing shared video coverage of presidential events, but decided not to send a replacement crew after CNN was prevented from carrying out its scheduled pool duties. Fox News bureau chief Bryan Boughton, the pool chair, informed members that no replacement pool would be established. The decision means the usual broadcast television feed will be unavailable for many Trump events today. CNN, MS NOW and Politico have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the restrictions. (PC: AFP)

More than 3,000 Yemeni refugees have reached Djibouti in recent days, fleeing a sharp escalation in fighting along Yemen's Red Sea coast. The UN estimates over 120,000 people have been displaced. The Houthis made a rapid advance toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait this month, prompting hundreds of Saudi air strikes. The Houthis have also fired drones and missiles at south-western Saudi Arabia. Families crossed the narrow strait by boat and now shelter at Markazi camp in Obock. "We fled to save our children," said fisherman Ibrahim Issa. A 2022 UN-brokered truce has collapsed. Refugees say they will return only if peace does. (PC: BBC)

CNN, MS NOW and Politico have filed a First Amendment lawsuit to restore their White House access. Trump announced the ban on Friday, accusing the outlets of writing lies about him. On Saturday, reporters Betsy Klein of CNN, Akayla Gardner of MS NOW and Cheyenne Haslett of Politico were denied entry, and the Secret Service seized their press passes. The outlets have asked a federal judge for a temporary restraining order to restore the passes immediately. In a joint statement, they said the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes. Trump has suggested more restrictions on other outlets may follow.