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October 12: Riyadh Airport Closure and Reported U.S. Pressure on Ukraine
In the Middle East
Saudi Arabia has suspended flights at Riyadh’s main international airport until October 17, 2026, after another round of Houthi missile attacks killed one person and caused further damage. Saudi authorities say Saturday’s attacks killed 13 people and injured more than 300. A military spokesperson said the Houthis fired more missiles toward Saudi cities on Monday. Gulf Air has cancelled its Riyadh flights through the suspension.
EU foreign ministers have also approved a civilian-military mission to train Lebanon’s armed forces. It will not replace the UN peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, whose mandate ends in December. Personnel numbers and participating countries have yet to be confirmed.
On Ukraine
Multiple outlets report that the Trump administration threatened to cut intelligence sharing and weapons sales to Europe for Ukraine unless Kyiv stops deep strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. The reports say the State Department and Pentagon delivered those warnings to Ukrainian and European officials over the weekend.
In U.S. news
More than three dozen voting laws passed in Republican-controlled states are taking effect for the first time this year, the Associated Press reports. They include changes to identification accepted for first-time registration and proof-of-citizenship requirements. The AP says President Trump’s separate efforts to impose federal citizenship and voter-ID requirements, and restrict mail voting through Postal Service changes, did not succeed in time to affect this year’s midterms.
Federal agents reportedly raided Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar’s Washington home early Monday as part of an ongoing immigration investigation.
In France
Officials have launched an inquiry into a fire that destroyed the Marché des Enfants Rouges, Paris’s oldest covered food market, early Monday, October 12. Firefighters were alerted at about 4:15 a.m., according to reporting from the scene.
Separately, Intermarché and Cooperative U say a cyberattack caused supermarket refrigerators to defrost. The retailers estimate that 150 to 200 Intermarché stores and almost 100 Cooperative U outlets were targeted.
In tech and energy
Google, Meta, Microsoft and Nvidia say their AI computers will stay connected to the electricity grid during faults. Large data centres can disconnect instantly, creating a sudden drop in demand that can destabilise the grid. The companies published a grid specification through the Open Compute Project.
Battery fire risks
A three-year-old girl died and three other people were injured in a Philadelphia rowhome fire that officials say started with an e-bike battery.
In a separate safety warning, fire officials say saltwater exposure can damage lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, hybrids, e-bikes and scooters, triggering fires days or even weeks after flooding.
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