World News in Brief: Cambodia human rights, Hormuz invasive species risk, IOM lauds 2025 progress - UN News

The world's demands on the next generation are changing, and Cambodia's own education reform journey reflects its ambitions to develop young people ready to meet these challenges. Cambodia's Pentagonal Strategy, its roadmap for growth, employment, equity, efficiency and sustainability, sets out to realise the Cambodia Vision 2050 of becoming a high-income country, anchored in Human Capital Development as its very first pillar. This year, Cambodia celebrates World Teachers' Day under the theme “Teachers are the pillars of modern pedagogy for building 21st-century human resources” to recognise the central role of teachers in preparing the next generation for the world’s changing demands. On 5 October 2026, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) hosted a national celebration in Phnom Penh at the National Institute of Education (NIE), presided over by H. E. Dr Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, and Mr Flavio Bonetti, UNESCO Representative to Cambodia. Around 1,300 teachers, education leaders and development partners attended this annual national event.

Tehran, Iran – Dozens of ships were attacked in or near the Strait of Hormuz in October as Iran and the United States compete to assert their authority over the waterway. At least 12 ships were attacked in the week ending on October 16, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported late Friday, with one important caveat. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Fighting in Yemen intensifies: What’s the latest on the battlefield?list 2 of 3Iraq devalues dinar to ease cash crunch, leaving traders in limbolist 3 of 3Containers and debris captured floating around the Strait of Hormuzend of list“UKMTO is struggling to accurately report true number of attacks with majority of vessels attacked refusing to report to UKMTO,” the maritime security organisation stated. It said it was aware of more incidents in the waterway via other sources but could not verify them due to a lack of information. The same pattern has been true for the first half of October. The month has seen the highest number of ship attacks since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, which began on February 28.

The source of the apparent Apple devices remains unclear, but footage emerged after a Singapore-flagged vessel sank, with all 21 crew rescued; Iranian officials say attacks on Gulf shipping are designed to keep oil prices high ahead of US electionsMedia outlets across the Arab world circulated footage Thursday evening purportedly showing iPhones floating in the Strait of Hormuz following one of Iran's latest attacks on ships in the strategic trade route. The footage shows shipping containers floating at sea, surrounded by numerous small objects. People aboard small boats, whose identities remain unclear, can be seen collecting the valuable goods scattered in the water. One of the boats appears to be loaded with boxes of iPhones. One report claimed the devices were Apple's latest model, the iPhone 18.

An oil tanker caught fire in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday after entering what Iran's navy described as a prohibited zone with its tracking systems disabled, Iranian state-run media reported, the second such incident in the area in 24 hours. Iran's navy said monitoring teams patrolling the eastern sector of the Strait of Hormuz detected the tanker ablaze in the restricted area, according to a statement cited by the Mehr news agency.

Two container ships near the strait of Hormuz have ⁠sunk after being struck by missiles, amid the sharpest rise in Iranian attacks on shipping since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran. The increase in attacks suggests Iran is trying to fully close the strategic waterway in an attempt to frustrate Donald Trump’s efforts to bring down fuel prices before the US midterm elections on 3 November. The Trump administration has been attempting to deflect attention from the economic impact of the war on Iran by blaming Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries for increased fuel prices. On Wednesday, UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported at least five incidents including drone strikes in the previous 48 hours targeting tankers and other commercial ships around the Hormuz area. “There is a tempo increase in strikes, which looks deliberate,” one maritime security source said. The Singapore-flagged ​container ‌ship GFS Pride sank on Wednesday after an attack the previous day. Hours later, the Antigua- and Barbuda-flagged Cape Dao sank close to the strait, having been hit by a ​projectile ​on 23 September, according to data from ‌the ‌International Maritime Organization.

A burial team stands by the coffin of a pregnant woman who died of Ebola at the morgue of the Kyaghala Hospital Centre, on October 5, in Butembo, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Reuters/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere. Wednesday, October 14, 2026 – Yemen: Ansarallah claims missile and drone strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities and Riyadh airport. Saudi Aramco headquarters extensively damaged in Ansarallah attack. Saudi-led strikes hit oil facilities in Yemen’s Hodeidah and Sana’a, killing two. Yemen hospitals overwhelmed by war casualties as fighting cuts aid to 800,000 people. Cholera cases surge amid mass displacement in unsanitary camps. Palestine: Israeli strike on Gaza City apartment kills Palestinian woman. Israeli forces uproot olive trees, settlers attack Palestinians across the occupied West Bank. Over 2,000 Gaza patients die awaiting medical care. Israeli settlers torch mosque near Jerusalem amid 13 attacks on mosques in 2026. Gaza doctor beaten at prison in front of Israel’s Ben Gvir, Palestinian officials say. Iran: Three Iranian fishermen seriously injured in drone strike. Iran reports first ship sinking from naval mine in Strait of Hormuz.