The news, anew
Business
The Saudi Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA) has discussed during a virtual meeting developments in the global economy amid rapidly changing geopolitical conditions and their effects on the national economy with the Kingdom’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rising to 53.8 in August 2026 from 53.1 in July.
Politics
The bomb was hidden in a tape recorder at Tehran’s Abu Dhar mosque. Ali Khamenei was addressing worshippers in June 1981 when it exploded. Several people were injured. He suffered the worst wounds. “I went to the brink of death, but God brought me back ... I felt he was waiting for me to fulfill a great duty,” Khamenei later recalled. He survived with a paralyzed right hand, convinced that this “duty” awaited him.
News
In implementation of the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, a Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Nepal carrying various relief supplies.
Politics
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has sent a message to United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, inviting him to participate in the second GCC-EU Summit, which Saudi Arabia will host this October, SPA reported.
News
Debris from a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia fell in Riyadh on Thursday after the missile was intercepted and destroyed, causing material damage to a kindergarten and a medical clinic complex, the General Directorate of Civil Defense stated, SPA reported. Civil Defense teams responded to the scene, and standard procedures for such incidents were followed.
News
The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned the attacks carried out by the Houthi militia on King Khalid International Airport and Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia. The attacks resulted in the deaths of three people of Moroccan, Algerian and Sudanese nationalities and injuries to dozens of civilians, SPA reported. In a statement published by the Emirates News Agency, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that the attacks constitute a blatant violation of the Kingdom's sovereignty and a threat to its security and stability.
News
“Imagine if he had not died,” my interlocutor says over the phone from Beirut. He has close knowledge of Hezbollah and is in daily contact with its broader social environment. He poses a hypothetical question: What if Hassan Nasrallah had survived and had been the one required to lead the confrontation? He does not mean a military confrontation with Israel. “That is what the party is doing, and that is its playing field,” but rather “a confrontation with himself, his supporters and his community over this catastrophe he brought upon them.”
Business
A year after regulations freezing rent increases began to take effect, the rental market in Riyadh has begun to show a clear shift in the trajectory of prices. Residential rents grew by 4.5 percent in August 2026, the slowest pace of increase in more than three years, while the share of household income absorbed by rent declined to about 15 percent, from more than 17.5 percent a year earlier.
Politics
Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba said the Yemeni government has entered a phase of restoring the state after exhausting opportunities for de-escalation, stressing that any future political process must end with the return of state institutions and the state having sole control over weapons and decisions of war and peace, rather than power-sharing with an armed group.
News
Saudi Arabia’s investment presence in international sporting events is no longer limited to traditional forms of commercial sponsorships or one-off acquisitions. It has evolved into intellectual and strategic leadership that is reshaping the foundations of the global sports economy.
News
Dozens of students dragged rubbish bins into position outside a high school in northeastern Paris early on Thursday, erecting fresh barricades before police moved in with tear gas as France’s nationwide protests show few signs of ending. The Helene Boucher Lycee has been a flashpoint for clashes in the French capital, and is one of hundreds of schools disrupted by protesters Thursday. At least a dozen demonstrations in support of the high school students' movement are planned around France later in the day.
Sports
Two-time major finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas beat qualifier Kimmer Coppejans 6-3, 7-5 in the Shanghai Masters first round on Thursday, continuing his slow climb back up the ATP rankings. Tsitsipas reached a career-high No. 3 ranking in 2021. He lost in qualifying at last week’s Japan Open. At his previous tournament, the US Open, he lost in the fourth round to eventual finalist Ben Shelton. After slipping to No. 87 mid-year, Tsitsipas has worked his way up to 43. He next faces 18th-seeded Luciano Darderi.
Sports
The FIA has defended its handling of the Formula 1 car software bug which delayed the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia last weekend and pledged it will “strengthen” how the code is tested in future. Several drivers, including seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, were left stuck on track when their cars lost power and had to be restarted on formation laps before Sunday's race.
News
Taiwanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung emphasized that Taiwan attaches great importance to fostering strong economic and investment partnerships with Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East. He praised major regional development initiatives, led by Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and renewed Taiwan’s readiness to deploy its technological capabilities and resources to foster sustainable cooperation in advanced industries.
Politics
Israel said the British consulate in Jerusalem ended its functions on Thursday but that seven diplomats would be allowed to remain in a limited capacity, with the UK saying it would continue to offer "vital services". The move comes after Israel ordered the closure of the consulate in September as retaliation after London led Western sanctions over violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Business
Gold prices steadied on Thursday after sliding to a two-month low in the previous session, as investors assessed the likelihood of another US Federal Reserve interest rate hike before year-end. Spot gold was little changed at $4,116.67 per ounce by 0625 GMT. On Wednesday, bullion prices touched their lowest level since August 5 as a firmer dollar and higher US Treasury yields weighed on the market. US gold futures were flat at $4,140.70.
News
Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has reiterated his refusal to negotiate with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) or “any other party,” vowing to continue military operations despite renewed US efforts to secure a political settlement. His remarks came after Massad Boulos, US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, announced that he had met Burhan in Egypt earlier this week.
Business
Oil prices rose on Thursday on persistent worries about supply from the key Middle East producing region amid an increase in attacks on shipping in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, while the US cut output as a hurricane menaced offshore production. Brent crude futures rose $2.28, or 2.28%, to $102.28 a barrel by 0427 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained $1.66, or 1.88%, to $89.94.
