GENEVA (AP) — The United Nations’ human rights office has condemned the racist abuse of tennis player Coco Gauff and called for solidarity to help push back against racism and sexism.
The office, led by High Commissioner Volker Türk, issued a social media post Saturday saying the racist messages sent online targeting Gauff were “appalling and illustrate that Black female athletes are specifically targeted for vitriol and racial abuse.”
Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion ranked No. 4, said last week she received an “insane” amount of racist comments on social media following a controversial point in her China Open match against home player Sun Xinran on Monday.
Gauff lost to Elise Mertens two days later, saying she had “no energy” and felt as though she would pass out.
“There is no place in sport for racial or sexist slurs and abuse,” the United Nations’ human rights office said. “Players, coaches, and sports bodies need to stand up for those facing such attacks and fans need to push back against those who sully sport with racism and sexism.”
See AP’s full tennis coverage here
Coco Gauff, of the United States, pauses during a press conference following her lost to Elise Mertens of Belgium in the fourth round of the women's singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Coco Gauff of the United States reacts during play against Elise Mertens of Belgium in the fourth round of the women's singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
A drone strike in Sudan killed dozens of people, including children, said a rights group.
Meanwhile, attacks on the Riyadh international airport in Saudi Arabia earlier this week damaged three aircraft, officials said. Lebanon also welcomed the lifting of a decades-long flight ban with the United States.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Saturday. Read our full coverage here.
A drone strike killed at least 40 people, including children, in Sudan along the border with Ethiopia, according to Emergency Lawyers, a group that tracks the war.
It said the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group that has been battling Sudan’s military since 2023, was responsible for Friday’s strike in the Abu Shandi area in Sudan’s Blue Nile province.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it was appalled by the strike.
The conflict has killed at least 150,000 people, according to conflict monitor ACLED, though aid groups say the real number is likely higher.
Two regional officials said Saturday attacks by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on Riyadh airport on Thursday damaged three planes. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief the media.
Three Saudi citizens were killed and several were wounded, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said Friday.
Air traffic was again disrupted Friday evening when the Houthis fired another missile at the airport, one of the officials said. Flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 said many flights were diverted.
Also on Friday, the spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, said forces had destroyed 136 military targets in areas controlled by the rebels in Yemen. He said the coalition is working to “destroy the ballistic missile network of the terrorist Houthi militia.” The AP could not independently verify these claims.
Fighting in Yemen between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has escalated, with a Saudi-led coalition providing air support for Yemen's government forces in an attempt to reverse Houthi gains.
— By Samy Magdy
The Lebanese presidency announced on Saturday the official lift of flight restrictions between Lebanon and the U.S. The Reagan administration suspended direct flights between the U.S. and Lebanon in 1985 following the hijacking of TWA Flight 847.
Trump made the surprise announcement in July during a visit by Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun. He ordered the lifting of the restrictions nearly two weeks ago, but the decision was publicly announced on Saturday.
Aoun welcomed the decision, saying it signaled U.S. confidence in Lebanon’s steps to improve civil aviation safety.
The move comes after the Iran-backed Hezbollah group was severely weakened by two wars with Israel over the past two years in which many of the group’s political and military commanders were killed.
An Israeli strike Saturday killed four people in western Gaza City while another killed one person in the city’s east, said health officials at al-Shifa Hospital.
An Israeli military official said strikes were carried out in those areas to target militants.
Saturday’s strikes came one year after a ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and Hamas, yet Israel still launches near-daily strikes.
Since the ceasefire, more than 1,480 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry.
This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
Murid Akhziq, 43, lights a fire for cooking inside his home, which was destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war, in Gaza City, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians walk along a street surrounded by buildings destroyed in Israeli military strikes during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza City, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
