compounding

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, according to Al Mayadeen's correspondent, as the Al-Quds Governorate reported around 900 settlers storming the courtyards since the morning. Cairo condemned the Israeli escalation in the West Bank. The episode is drawing wide attention because of the site's religious sensitivity and ongoing tensions.

Health officials report that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 8,000 cases, with shortages of health workers compounding the response effort. The milestone underlines the scale of the epidemic and the strain on medical staff and resources in affected areas. Observers warn that staffing gaps could slow containment, contact tracing and treatment, making it harder to bring the outbreak under control in the coming weeks.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir joined hundreds of Israelis entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, according to Al Jazeera. The compound, a site sacred to both Muslims and Jews, has repeatedly been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and visits by far-right Israeli politicians have drawn condemnation and fears of renewed tensions in the region.

World leaders are gathering at the United Nations General Assembly as wars in the Middle East and Ukraine dominate the agenda. The 80-year-old organization faces a crisis of morale and funding, alongside unresolved questions about who will lead it next, clouding this year's high-level week.

A Reuters report examines how the war in Sudan is worsening conditions for civilians. The headline suggests two factors driving the misery: drone warfare, which has apparently intensified the fighting, and 'dollars', likely referring to currency collapse, inflation or the economics of funding the war. From this headline alone, the specifics of the reporting are not clear, but it frames Sudan's ongoing conflict as a compound humanitarian and economic crisis affecting ordinary people.

Health authorities have confirmed a case of mpox in a city in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo that has been the epicentre of an Ebola outbreak. The finding raises concern about overlapping infectious disease outbreaks in a region with fragile health infrastructure, and observers are watching whether the dual burden of mpox and Ebola will strain containment efforts and local medical capacity.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, joined by War Minister Israel Katz, entered the Al-Buraq Wall area west of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem on the third day of the Jewish Sukkot holiday. The visit by senior ministers to the flashpoint site drew attention amid already heightened tensions between Israelis and Palestinians over the holiday period.

A new report examines how the destruction of buildings and records in Gaza has left many of the territory's dead uncounted, arguing that rubble is being used to erase both evidence of fatalities and collective memory of Palestinian life. It contends official casualty figures understate the true death toll and that the destruction of cemeteries, archives and homes compounds the loss. Commentators are debating the scale of unrecorded deaths and what this means for historical accountability.

The PalestinianResistance News Network (RNN) reports a mass settler incursion at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, also known as Al-Quds, dated September 28. The alert warns of a settler attack in the West Bank and flags Al-Aqsa as an affected area. The mosque compound is a frequent flashpoint, and such mass entries by Israeli settlers typically draw condemnation from Palestinians and raise fears of wider escalation.

Pharmacists in the Gaza Strip are improvising medical treatments as the Israel-Gaza conflict leaves hospitals and pharmacies short of essential supplies. With deliveries of medicines and equipment disrupted by the fighting, health workers are compounding or substituting drugs and adapting available materials to keep treating the wounded and sick. The report highlights the strain on Gaza's health system, which aid agencies warn is close to collapse amid ongoing hostilities and blocked humanitarian access.

High mortgage rates are making home ownership increasingly out of reach, compounding existing housing affordability challenges. Elevated borrowing costs are pushing monthly payments higher at a time when home prices remain elevated, leaving many prospective buyers priced out of the market and adding pressure to an already strained housing supply.

US stock futures slipped as investors weighed rising tensions with Iran, higher oil prices and growing concerns over valuations in the artificial intelligence sector. The weakness was visible across the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq benchmarks, with traders on Wall Street bracing for volatility at the open. Geopolitical risk lifting crude prices is adding to inflation fears, compounding nervousness about a potential pullback in AI-driven tech stocks.

Dozens of Israeli settlers performed rituals in the Qattanin Market in Jerusalem's Old City, on the route leading to Al-Aqsa Mosque, after Palestinian shop owners were forced to close their businesses, according to reports from the scene. The incident has drawn criticism from Palestinian observers, who view it as part of growing settler activity in occupied East Jerusalem and around the Al-Aqsa compound, a frequent flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Scientists and commentators are weighing what is driving this summer's extreme heat, pointing to a combination of El Niño conditions and long-term climate change caused by burning fossil fuels. Greenhouse gas emissions are pushing global temperatures higher, making heatwaves more frequent and intense, and some warn that 2027 could bring even worse conditions as these factors compound.

Israeli Knesset member Amit Halevi entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on Sunday, coinciding with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The visit has drawn criticism from pro-Palestinian accounts, which describe it as a violation of the sanctity of the holy site. Such visits by Israeli politicians to the compound are frequently condemned and heighten tensions around the contested location.

Concerns are mounting over the mental health of US service members as the war with Iran continues, with reports of a new alarm about troops' psychological strain. The concerns are compounded by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's restrictions on press access, which critics say limit scrutiny of how soldiers are coping with the prolonged conflict.

The Taliban's governance of Afghanistan continues to draw attention over the combination of harsh repression and worsening economic hardship. Restrictions on women's rights and basic freedoms are compounding widespread poverty, leaving much of the population dependent on humanitarian aid. Advocacy groups are highlighting the plight of ordinary Afghans and urging the international community to keep the crisis in focus.

Disposable everyday products are being linked to lasting health and environmental risks from so-called 'forever chemicals', synthetic compounds that do not break down easily in the environment. Reports highlight how single-use items can release these persistent substances, prompting growing calls for tighter regulation and greater consumer awareness of the chemicals lurking in common products.

High mortgage rates are compounding the ongoing housing affordability crisis, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for many buyers. Elevated borrowing costs are raising monthly payments even as home prices remain high, squeezing households already struggling with limited housing supply. Commenters are debating whether rates will ease and what policymakers should do to improve affordability.

Residents in one community pursued testing and answers after discovering PFAS, so-called 'forever chemicals', had polluted their local environment. Reporting follows how they learned which of the toxic compounds had entered their bloodstreams, highlighting growing concern over industrial PFAS contamination, its health risks, and the long fight by affected residents for transparency and accountability.

Chinese actor Wang Xing's trafficking into Myanmar scam centres remains a focal point of public anger, with reports saying China pressed scam-linked crime families in Myanmar three times to quit the fraud business, according to CCTV. The case has fuelled scrutiny of China's diplomatic pressure on Myanmar and widespread worry among Chinese citizens about being lured into forced labour in scam compounds.

A group of federal student loan borrowers has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Education, accusing it of mishandling loan discharges that borrowers were promised. The suit alleges the department failed to follow through on relief programs, leaving borrowers with debts that should have been erased and compounding financial strain during ongoing debates over student debt policy.

Barcelona's Espai Barça renovation project has hit a new obstacle after the city council blocked plans to open a third tier of the Spotify Camp Nou in phases, forcing the club to revise its attendance forecasts. The news lands amid a tense week for Barça, with El Clásico approaching and Real Madrid pressing UEFA to speed up its investigation into the Negreira refereeing case.