The news, anew
Sports
Lionel Messi scored twice to help Inter Miami rout DC United 4-0 on Saturday, taking a victory in his first match since saying farewell to the Argentina national team. Four nights after scoring in his final match for the Albiceleste in a victory over Benin, the 39-year-old South American superstar struck in the 47th and 60th minutes as defending MLS champion Miami won for only the second time in their past 11 league matches.
News
The US military said on Saturday it had disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after the ship's crew ignored warnings and attempted to run a naval blockade against Iran. "A US military fighter jet struck the stern of Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica (also known as the “Arika Sun”) with a precision munition, fully disabling the ship’s propulsion without harming the crew," the US Central Command posted on X. CENTCOM said the cargo vessel had attempted to transit regional waters after leaving an Iranian port.
News
The United States is stepping up efforts to track alternative financing channels used by Hezbollah as tighter sanctions threaten its traditional sources of funding, particularly Iranian money that has long underpinned the group’s military and security capabilities and political influence in Lebanon. Washington’s campaign extends beyond restricting Iranian transfers to tracing foreign funding networks and cross-border commercial activities that Hezbollah could use to compensate for any decline in Tehran’s support.
News
Syrian security forces have intensified operations against ISIS cells following a deadly September bus attack near Masyaf in central Syria, while separately pursuing former regime operatives accused of crimes against civilians. Within a week, authorities announced the dismantling of an ISIS cell in Homs province, following the arrest of the group’s alleged military commander there. Seven former regime suspects were also detained as part of transitional justice efforts.
News
Yemeni government forces pressed their offensive against the Houthis on Saturday, advancing along the western coast and in Marib as the military reported more than 2,750 precision targeting operations in 24 hours. The sixth day of Operation Dawn of Yemen saw intensified airstrikes on Houthi positions and weapons facilities, while troops sought to eliminate remaining pockets of resistance around the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait.
News
A large crowd attended funeral prayers for Captain Hamoud Alkalthami at Al-Guraigri Mosque in Jeddah on Saturday afternoon before his body was laid to rest at Al-Salhiyah Cemetery in the northeastern part of the city. Relatives, friends, colleagues from Saudia Airlines, aviation sector workers and members of the public attended the funeral. Mourners began arriving early to offer condolences to the family of Alkalthami, who was killed in an attack targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday.
News
The recent Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport has drawn widespread condemnation, with officials warning that strikes on civilian infrastructure threaten regional security and endanger civilian lives.
News
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call from Minister of Foreign Affairs of Oman Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, the Saudi Press Agency said on Saturday. The Omani minister expressed his country's condemnation of the attacks targeting Abha and King Khalid international airports and its solidarity with Saudi Arabia. He affirmed Oman's complete rejection of attacks on civilian facilities and threats to Saudi Arabia's security and the safety of civilians.
Politics
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said Sunday that the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are a dangerous escalation that pose a grave threat to regional security, prolong the cycle of violence and further complicate peace efforts in Yemen. He denounced the group’s continued attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including Saturday’s attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, that killed 12 people and wounded 309 others.
News
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly condemned the recent “terrorist” Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including Saturday’s strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed 12 people, including a US citizen. In a post on his official account on social media platform X, Rubio said: “These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now”. He reaffirmed that the United States stands with Saudi Arabia and its people.
News
Official Spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki announced that an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was intercepted and destroyed in the Eastern Region, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
Sports
Red Bull's Max Verstappen claimed the 50th pole position of his career when he went fastest in qualifying under the lights at the Singapore Grand Prix on Saturday, repeating his heroics from the sprint qualifying session a day earlier. Verstappen clocked one minute 31.373 seconds at the Marina Bay Street Circuit and will have Ferrari's Charles Leclerc alongside him on the front row, with the Monegasque driver just 0.054 seconds slower than the four-times champion.
News
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Donald Trump about Iran's position on a possible Mideast peace deal, the Kremlin said Saturday. The Kremlin said Tehran's stance was relayed in a phone call held between the two leaders on Friday. It did not say how Trump responded, nor elaborate on Iran's position. Diplomatic efforts to end the more-than-seven-month-long Iran conflict, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, have been at an impasse since the summer, according to AFP.
News
In an unprecedented move that has shaken Washington’s political and legal establishment, American society stands on the threshold of a deeply sensitive historical and moral turning point. The Pentagon is preparing to carry out what would be the first public execution broadcast live over the internet in modern US history, sentencing former Army Major and psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan to death on December 3.
Business
Thailand is preparing to host the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok from October 12–18, bringing together more than 15,000 participants from 191 countries, including central bank governors, economic policymakers and business leaders, for discussions on the world economy. To ease traffic, Bangkok government offices will work from home on October 12, 14 and 15, while October 13 is an existing public holiday and October 16 has been declared a special government and bank holiday, with private companies and state enterprises asked to consider suitable arrangements.
Politics
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Saturday that President Donald Trump's decision to revoke flight restrictions between Lebanon and the US that were imposed four decades ago was an indication of American confidence in steps taken by Lebanon to address civil aviation safety. Direct flights between the US and Lebanon were suspended in 1985 by the Reagan administration following the hijacking of TWA Flight 847. Trump made the surprise announcement that he would allow American carriers to resume direct flights to Lebanon during a visit by Aoun to Washington in July.
Business
The global energy sector is turning its attention to Riyadh starting Sunday, as a week of ministerial meetings and international events gets underway, bringing together senior government officials, energy industry leaders, international organizations, and experts, with the participation of Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy and Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, according to the announced program.
Politics
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI called for the new parliamentary and government term to mark a genuine turning point in advancing Morocco’s ambition as a rising, trusted economic power, balancing economic growth with greater social and regional equity. He stressed that youth issues must be a public policy priority.
