Saudi Arabia issued an air-raid warning in Riyadh early Saturday, September 19, after authorities detected a potential hostile aerial threat. Residents were urged to remain indoors as two explosions were heard in the capital, according to AFP journalists. The alert was lifted about 30 minutes later by Saudi Civil Defence. The incident marks the first reported direct impact on Riyadh since fighting in neighbouring Yemen intensified in July. The warning comes amid increased Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and escalating fighting along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The renewed conflict has also disrupted regional maritime traffic and displaced more than 112,000 people in Yemen. 

Russia’s Aerospace Forces successfully launched a Soyuz-2.1b medium-class carrier rocket from the Plesetsk spaceport in the Arkhangelsk Region on September 18, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. The launch was conducted by a combat crew from the Space Troops of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The rocket was carrying a spacecraft for the Russian Defence Ministry. The ministry described the launch as successful but did not provide further details about the spacecraft’s mission, orbit or operational purpose in its initial statement. The launch took place from Russia’s state test spaceport at Plesetsk, a key facility for Russian military and space missions. 

The Nobel Foundation will increase the prize money for this year’s Nobel Prize winners to 12 million Swedish kronor ($1.27 million) per discipline, up from 11 million in 2025. The winners will be announced between October 5 and 12. Foundation director Hanna Stjarne said the increase of one million kronor comes as the Nobel Prize celebrates its 125th anniversary. The foundation also said the higher award reflects its ability to increase the prize amount this year. The announcement schedule covers the 2026 Nobel prizes, with laureates to receive the increased amount in their respective disciplines. The Nobel Foundation had kept the prize amount at 11 million kronor in 2025, unchanged then. (PC: X)

Russia and China vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Thursday, September 17, 2026, that would have authorised UN experts to continue monitoring sanctions reimposed against Iran last year over its nuclear programme. Iran’s UN mission thanked both countries, saying they had prevented what it called another “cynical attempt” by the United States and its allies to misuse the Security Council for political purposes. The sanctions remain in effect, freezing Iranian assets abroad, halting arms deals with Tehran and penalising development of Iran’s ballistic missile programme, among other measures. The resolution sought to extend monitoring of these sanctions, but the Russian and Chinese vetoes blocked the US proposal for now. (PC: AP)

Russian authorities seized businesses and assets of Swiss food giant Nestle and three French groups after President Vladimir Putin signed a decree transferring their Russian operations to LEV Management. The decree covers Nestle, French retailer Auchan, Leroy Merlin chain Lemana Pro, and logistics group FM Logistic. Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that LEV Management was created in late 2025 and is headed by a Russian interior ministry general. Russia has made it difficult for Western firms to leave since the Ukraine invasion, requiring presidential approval or seizing assets. Nestle said it was assessing the situation and options. Russia accounts for just over one percent of Nestle’s sales, down from around two percent. (PC: X)

A Financial Times-Focaldata poll found Donald Trump’s approval rating among registered voters fell to 33 percent, down three points from August and the lowest since the series began in May. Sixty-six percent of 2,178 adults said the US economy was moving in the wrong direction, another poll high. Trump’s net approval on inflation and cost of living dropped to 17 percent, with 69 percent disapproving, while approval on jobs and the economy fell to 26 percent. Only 18 percent felt financially better off than when Trump returned to office, versus 57 percent feeling worse off. Among Trump voters, economic optimism declined, while Patrick Flynn said Republican dissatisfaction could affect midterm candidates. (PC: X)

The Trump administration has granted entry visas to key Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, allowing them to attend next week’s UN General Assembly sessions in New York despite the ongoing US-Iran conflict. The State Department said visas were issued for Iran’s core delegation and essential support staff, with travel restrictions and limits on luxury and other purchases. The decision follows the denial of visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation. Washington cited host-country obligations for allowing the Iranian delegation, while maintaining sanctions against Iran. The Palestinian Authority condemned the US decision, defending efforts to pursue recognition and legal action over the Gaza conflict. (PC: Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia is struggling against a resurgent Ansar Allah, better known as the Houthis, in Yemen, while its principal ally, the United States, might have reached an understanding with the Iran-backed group to protect American and international shipping. US officials reportedly met Houthi representatives at the US Embassy in Muscat, Oman, in direct outreach that could reshape the Yemen conflict. If an understanding has been reached, Riyadh could be left confronting the Iran-backed militia largely on its own. The development comes as Saudi Arabia battles a renewed Houthi offensive in Yemen, potentially altering the regional dynamics and leaving the kingdom to manage the threat without the same level of American support. (PC: AP)

At least 16 people, including five police personnel, were killed and 54 injured in a blast near a mosque in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, officials told The Express Tribune. The explosion occurred in Kohat’s Old Police Lines area and was described by officials as a suicide attack. Authorities said seven armed terrorists, including the bomber, entered the area, with six reportedly killed by press time. Conflicting accounts emerged over the blast’s method: Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed initially said a vehicle loaded with explosives was rammed near Old Police Lines, but later said a suicide bomber detonated himself near the Special Branch building. Police said an exchange of fire with TTP-linked personnel continued.

The Israeli military has rejected allegations in the documentary NAZA that artificial intelligence was used to facilitate mass killings of civilians in Gaza. The film, made by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, features 24 anonymous Israeli military and intelligence whistleblowers who describe systems allegedly used to identify targets, including an AI-based system called “Lavender.” The IDF questioned the credibility and verifiability of the anonymous testimonies and said decisions on selecting and approving strikes were made by human personnel, not artificial intelligence. The documentary received a lengthy ovation at the Venice Film Festival, intensifying debate over Israel’s military operations in Gaza. (PC: AFP)