Military, national security, intelligence, and conflict
Rosatom said the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant's first unit attained criticality. The company said it is discussing with Bangladesh an additional phase of higher-capacity units and that unit 1 is on track to connect to the national grid by the end of November.
The Russian government has begun its autumn military draft and plans to call up 120,000 men between October and December, according to the New York Post. Russian officials told the outlet that the new conscripts will not be sent to fight in Ukraine.
Kamala Harris publicly criticized the Biden and Trump administrations for failing to use U.S. leverage to curtail the Israeli government's conduct in the war in Gaza. Her remarks said the current U.S. administration gives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "blank check" and that the U.S. should have acted "sooner and more forcefully."
A video recording device was discovered in a cabin aboard Royal Australian Navy vessel HMAS Leeuwin while the ship was alongside in Cairns, and the Joint Military Police Unit has opened an investigation. Defence identified an Australian Defence Force member as a person of interest, Fleet Commander is undertaking a 100% audit of ship bathrooms and the vessel remained alongside to enable enquiries.
The Pentagon appointed Christian Devine, its executive director and principal adviser for public affairs, as acting publisher of Stars and Stripes. Devine will keep his Pentagon public affairs role and split time between the department and the newspaper while serving until a permanent publisher is hired.
Saudi aviation authorities suspended operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and U.S. officials published an advisory repeating that the airport is closed through October 17. The advisory warned of potential attacks on airports, possible airspace closures and travel disruptions and urged U.S. citizens and government employees to follow Saudi emergency alerts and confirm flights with airlines and airports.
A Singapore-registered container ship, GFS Pride, struck a mine in the Strait of Hormuz and sank, with all 21 crew rescued. A second Singapore-registered vessel, GFS Giselle, sustained hull damage in a separate strike the same day and departed under its own power with no injuries reported.
President Donald Trump told an interview at a Montana rally that Iran has "lost all its defences" and that the war will end soon. He said oil and diesel prices will fall "like a rock" once the conflict is finished and repeated that Iran "will never have a nuclear weapon."
The Union Cabinet approved an outlay of ₹53,428 crore to continue the National Social Assistance Programme for five years, the Hindustan Times reported. The cabinet decision reduces the minimum disability threshold from 80% to 40%, removes the minimum age for disability pension eligibility, and raises monthly payments for most beneficiaries.
A roof collapse at the privately run Al Khair Education Centre in Peshawar killed at least 27 pupils and one teacher. The collapse occurred while about 110 pupils were in class and authorities said rooftop construction added excessive weight to a weak structure.
Houthi rebels have encircled the city of Taiz and cut off most supply routes from government-held areas, according to the New York Post. Hospitals in Taiz face diesel and medical supply shortages and residents reported shelling, with a 7-year-old boy hospitalized after reportedly being hit by shrapnel.
Nigel Farage told a US podcast he would offer the Chagos Islands' Diego Garcia base to Donald Trump in return for the US president stopping public commentary on the Falkland Islands. UK ministers including Kemi Badenoch criticised Farage and ministers pledged to engage with the issue.
President Donald Trump defended a plan to import 300,000 tons of Russian diesel, saying he has authority to do so. A bipartisan group of four Republican senators and three Democratic senators said the decision violates a 2022 law banning Russian energy imports and urged the administration to reverse course.
Toronto Police arrested three members of the Canadian Armed Forces in an abduction-for-ransom investigation that uncovered roughly 2,500 rounds of ammunition allegedly stolen from the Canadian Armed Forces. Police said searches also recovered firearms, two silencers and illicit drugs and that seven people are now accused in the active probe.
The Social Security Administration will raise benefits by 3.6% for 2027, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The increase translates to about $75 more per month for nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries, according to the ADN.
The Social Security Administration is issuing the first round of October Social Security payments, with the maximum monthly benefit for recipients who wait until age 70 capped at $5,181. The agency said retirees born on or before the 10th of a month will receive the first payment on Oct. 14, with subsequent payment rounds on Oct. 21 and Oct. 28.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the United States must be punished and that Iran should remain prepared for war. He said Iran should combine military preparedness and negotiations to establish lasting deterrence and that missile strikes would continue.
A federal appeals court ruled that Florida can enforce a 2024 law restricting social media account creation for children. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the law limits only account creation, is content-neutral and can be enforced despite a district judge calling it likely unconstitutional.
Iran-backed Houthi fighters struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, causing casualties and injuries. U.S. President Donald Trump said American officials are reviewing Saudi requests for defense assistance and that U.S. forces "might join" Saudi operations.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young publicly said she supports providing military aid to Kyiv, contradicting Greens leader David Shoebridge who opposes direct military assistance unless authorised by a UN Security Council resolution. Shoebridge has met and will meet with Ukrainian-Australian community leaders and the Ukrainian ambassador after the disagreement provoked criticism from diaspora leaders.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said a surface-to-air missile directly hit a Saudi Typhoon fighter jet over Yemen's Saada province. Anadolu reported Saree said the strike put the aircraft at risk of crashing and that there was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities.
Leo Terrell, chair of the Justice Department Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, will open a DOJ 'American Tour Against Hate' event at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, Michigan, a DOJ announcement reported. The event page links to a Zionist Organization of America donation page and organizers said the synagogue is serving as a venue and will not host candidate endorsements.
Court filings and the trust’s former administrator show the Reiner family trust paid roughly $348,000 toward Nick Reiner’s legal fees. The payments were disclosed in a June petition that sought about $558,000 from a roughly $1.5 million–$1.6 million trust and names attorney Alan Jackson as a recipient.
The Yemeni army said more than 200 Houthi fighters were killed or wounded in clashes on fronts around Taiz. The Taiz Military Axis said fighting on the Dhubab, Al-Aqrud and Al-Shaqab fronts continued through Wednesday and included airstrikes that hit a tank and a military vehicle.
Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang asked the US Chamber of Commerce to encourage greater US business investment and cooperation in Vietnam. She said Vietnam is coordinating with APEC member economies, the business community and other stakeholders to prepare for APEC Year 2027, and the US Chamber signalled it stands ready to help.
India said a drone struck the Nicaragua-flagged tanker MT PETRO DOLPHIN at Sohar Anchorage, Oman, and two of the 11 Indian seafarers aboard are missing. India said MT VALTHERA was also struck and caught fire, all 11 Indian seafarers aboard that vessel are reported safe and India's Embassy in Muscat is coordinating with Omani authorities and ship managers.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said the Singapore-registered container ship GFS Pride sank after being hit by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The MPA said all 21 crew members were evacuated safely and no injuries were reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israel’s Army Radio he has no plans to order a preemptive strike against Iran before Israel’s October 27 election. Netanyahu also warned Tehran and its proxies against striking Israel, and WION reported that Israel and Iran have not exchanged fire since June.
The Delhi High Court on October 12 set aside a National Human Rights Commission order that had directed the Delhi Police to pay ₹5 lakh compensation to the family of Rashid Raza. The court said the location of the death alone did not establish police negligence and allowed the Delhi Police's petition challenging the NHRC order.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post floated trading New York Yankees first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. to the New York Mets this week. Sherman said the move would address the Mets' need at first base and hinge on Ben Rice shifting into a full-time first-base role for the Yankees.
Streamlinefeed reported that rural doctors in South Australia warned the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network's rotating maternity trial, which starts by operating on weekends, is 'unsafe'. The trial will later switch to alternating continuous blocks of one to two months between December 7, 2026, and March 1, 2027, according to Streamlinefeed.
Sports Illustrated reports three college football teams are outperforming programs with much larger budgets. The article cites On3's Pete Nakos and lists Kentucky, Wake Forest and Oklahoma State with reported spending figures and records noted.
The IDF said a female logistics officer was not permitted to enter a Mount Hermon outpost and that the denial was an error. The IDF said the officer should have been allowed entry with accommodations to preserve the haredi soldiers' lifestyle.
