Pilot Arrested After Stabbing Co-Pilot on Dubai-to-Tel Aviv Flight; Passengers Helped Subdue Attacker
A pilot aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv stabbed his co-pilot and allegedly attempted to crash the aircraft before passengers and crew intervened. The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia; the attacker is in custody.A Flydubai commercial flight carrying approximately 170 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after one pilot stabbed the other and allegedly attempted to bring the aircraft down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacker appeared to be trying to crash the plane, and Israeli officials said they are investigating the incident as a possible attempted terror attack. The motive remains unclear. Passengers and crew members entered the cockpit and helped subdue the attacker before the aircraft could crash. The plane, operating as flight FZ 1073, had dropped roughly 17,000 feet before control was regained. The attacker has been arrested by Saudi authorities and is being questioned. All passengers are reported safe. Sources agree on the core facts — the stabbing, the attempted crash, the passenger intervention, and the emergency landing — but accounts differ on precise cockpit details and whether the attacker was the captain or co-pilot. Israeli fighter jets responded to the initial distress signal, which briefly raised fears of a hijacking.
U.S. Forces Complete Withdrawal from Iraq, Ending Military Presence After More Than Two Decades
The U.S. military has formally withdrawn from Iraq, completing the exit from Erbil Air Base and ending Operation Inherent Resolve. Headquarters have been relocated to Jordan, closing a military chapter that began with the 2003 invasion.U.S. military forces have completed their withdrawal from Iraq, departing Erbil Air Base and formally ending Operation Inherent Resolve — the mission that had focused on defeating the Islamic State. The military's headquarters has been relocated to Jordan. The withdrawal marks the conclusion of a U.S. military presence that began with the 2003 invasion and continued through successive missions spanning more than two decades. The departure prompted celebrations in Baghdad, where many Iraqis viewed the American military presence as having brought prolonged instability and bloodshed. Others, including former U.S. diplomats, have expressed concern about Iraq's future stability, particularly given the country's position between Washington and Tehran, as Iran's regional influence stands to grow in the absence of a U.S. military counterbalance. Former diplomats noted that the U.S. frequently misunderstood Iraqi politics and society from the earliest days of the 2003 invasion, contributing to the difficulties that followed. The long-term security implications for the region, and for American interests in the Middle East, remain uncertain.
Russia Launches Largest Attack on Ukraine Energy Grid Since Spring; Putin Signals No End to War
Russia launched its largest strike on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since spring, targeting 11 regions overnight and hitting residential buildings and railways. Analysts say all available indicators point to Russia continuing its full-scale invasion.Russia conducted its largest coordinated attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure since spring, striking targets across 11 regions in a single overnight operation. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said residential buildings and rail lines were among the targets hit in addition to energy facilities. The strike comes as observers note that Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no signs of seeking a negotiated end to the war. The Economist's editor-in-chief, who recently visited Ukraine, described Kyiv as being under extraordinary bombardment, with Russia appearing to pursue a strategy of making the capital unlivable despite Ukraine's drone capabilities. Putin is expected to deliver a foreign policy speech that will be closely watched for any shift in posture, though analysts say all current signals indicate Russia intends to continue the full-scale invasion. Ukraine continues to cope with rolling attacks on critical infrastructure as the conflict extends into its fourth year.
UK Says Iran Likely Involved in Incident at RAF Fairford Air Base
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there are strong indications Iran played a role in an incident at RAF Fairford on Sunday, without disclosing specific details of the evidence.British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated publicly that the United Kingdom has found strong indications that Iran was involved in an incident at RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force base in England, that occurred on Sunday. Burnham did not provide specifics about the nature of the incident or the evidence supporting that conclusion. RAF Fairford is a strategically significant base that has hosted U.S. bomber operations and NATO exercises. No further details about casualties, damage, or the precise nature of the alleged Iranian involvement were available in the source material.
ICRC Says Israeli Settler Violence Has Made Life 'Untenable' for Palestinians in West Bank
The International Committee of the Red Cross said settler violence in the West Bank has made daily life for Palestinians untenable, following a mob attack on Palestinians attempting to return to their homes.The International Committee of the Red Cross issued a statement saying that Israeli settler violence in the West Bank has made everyday life for Palestinians untenable. The statement followed a reported mob attack on a Palestinian family trying to return to their home. Israeli military forces were described as having been overwhelmed during the incident. The attack drew condemnation from within Israel's political establishment, with one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's prominent rivals warning of what he characterized as a campaign of settler terror. The ICRC's statement reflects growing international concern about the frequency and severity of settler violence in the West Bank and its effect on Palestinian civilian populations.
Elon Musk Named Co-Lead of Pentagon Taskforce on Future of Warfare
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Elon Musk will co-lead a government project called Project Meridian, alongside defense entrepreneur Palmer Luckey and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, to study future warfare domains and military technologies.Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has appointed Elon Musk as co-lead of Project Meridian, a Pentagon initiative to study emerging warfare domains and military technologies. Musk will be joined by Palmer Luckey, CEO of defense technology company Anduril Industries, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The appointment marks Musk's first formal return to a government role since he led the Department of Government Efficiency earlier in the Trump administration. Project Meridian is framed as an effort to map out the future landscape of American military capability. No timeline or specific mandate details were included in the announcement beyond the project's general focus on future warfare.
Supreme Court to Hear Argument on Deportation of Immigrants to Third Countries
The Supreme Court has added a case to its December argument session concerning the Trump administration's authority to deport immigrants to countries other than their country of origin. A separate challenge to Trump's second birthright citizenship order is also before the Court.The U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled oral argument for December in a case examining whether the Trump administration may lawfully deport immigrants to third-party countries — nations other than an individual's country of origin. The case is among several immigration-related disputes working through the federal courts involving Trump administration enforcement policies. Separately, the Court is also facing a new legal challenge to President Trump's second executive order on birthright citizenship, which seeks to limit automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to parents without legal status. Both matters are expected to generate significant legal and policy stakes around the scope of executive authority over immigration.
Tennessee Executes Christa Pike After Supreme Court Lifts Lower-Court Stay
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted a lower-court stay, allowing Tennessee to proceed with the execution of Christa Pike by lethal injection. Pike, convicted of murder 30 years ago, became the first woman executed in Tennessee in approximately 200 years.The U.S. Supreme Court vacated a stay issued by a lower federal court, clearing the way for Tennessee to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection. Pike was convicted of murder approximately 30 years ago. Her execution makes her the first woman put to death in Tennessee in roughly 200 years. The lower court had paused the execution earlier in the day before the Supreme Court intervened and allowed it to proceed. The case drew attention not only because of Pike's gender and the historical rarity of the execution, but also in the context of a broader ongoing debate in Tennessee over lethal injection protocols. Separately, NPR reported that dozens of Tennessee medical professionals had urged the governor after a botched execution in May to remove healthcare workers from the execution process entirely, regardless of method — a concern that remains unresolved.
The Pentagon made last-minute changes to absentee voting forms used by overseas U.S. citizens, removing a category of eligible voters that Republican lawmakers had been seeking to block from participating in elections.The Department of Defense altered federal forms that overseas U.S. citizens rely on to register and request absentee ballots, removing a specific category of citizen eligibility that had previously been included. The changes were made close to a registration deadline. Republicans have been engaged in a broader legislative and legal push to restrict voting access for certain categories of overseas citizens. Critics of the changes argue the modifications disenfranchise eligible American voters living abroad, while the administration has not publicly explained the rationale for the last-minute alterations. The affected forms are used by a substantial number of Americans, including military personnel and civilians residing outside the country.
Pentagon Data Breach Exposes Personal Information of 2.76 Million Military and Civilian Personnel
A data breach at the Pentagon exposed Social Security numbers and employment records of approximately 2.76 million current and former U.S. military and civilian personnel, including both living and deceased individuals.A data breach affecting Pentagon systems exposed the personal information of approximately 2.76 million U.S. military and civilian personnel. The compromised data includes Social Security numbers and employment information belonging to both current and former personnel, as well as deceased individuals. The breach raises concerns about identity theft and the security of sensitive government records for a large number of people connected to the Defense Department. Details about when the breach occurred, how it was discovered, or what systems were affected were not specified in the source material.
Markets have been relatively flat with no clear direction over the past week.
One in Five Working-Age Renters Struggled to Pay Rent Last Year, with Middle-Income Households Seeing Largest Increase
A report from the Urban Institute found that one in five working-age renters had difficulty paying rent in the past year, with the share of middle-income renters facing payment challenges growing by the largest margin of any income group.A new report from the Urban Institute found that 20 percent of working-age renters in the United States struggled to pay rent in the previous year. While lower-income renters have historically faced the greatest housing affordability pressure, the report found that the largest increase in difficulty was among middle-income households — a development that signals rental affordability is no longer primarily a low-income problem. The findings reflect the sustained impact of elevated rents and broader cost-of-living pressures on a wider cross-section of American households. The report does not specify the income thresholds used to define middle income in the analysis.
Report: Meta Using AI Data Center Tax Break Intended for Research, Risking Billions in Federal Tax Liability
The New York Times reports that Meta is claiming a federal tax break designed to support research and experimentation to offset costs from its AI data centers, a strategy Meta's own accountants have flagged as legally risky.According to reporting by the New York Times, Meta has been applying a federal tax incentive designed for research and experimentation to the costs associated with its artificial intelligence data centers, a move that the company's own internal accountants have identified as carrying significant legal risk. The tax break, if successfully applied, would allow Meta to avoid billions of dollars in federal tax obligations. Tax experts quoted in the reporting describe the approach as a stretch of the provision's intended scope. The IRS has not publicly commented on Meta's specific tax treatment. The story raises broader questions about how large technology companies are structuring AI infrastructure investments to minimize tax liability.
Large Kelvin Wave Approaching California Coast Expected to Raise Sea Levels and Increase Flood and Swell Risk
A large underwater pulse of warm water known as a Kelvin wave is moving toward the California coast, with forecasters warning it could temporarily raise sea levels by approximately half a foot and heighten the risk of flooding, swells, and tidal inundation from Southern California northward toward Alaska.A significant Kelvin wave — a large subsurface band of warm ocean water — is tracking toward the California coastline and is expected to arrive in Southern California imminently, with effects continuing northward to the San Francisco Bay Area by October and eventually reaching Alaska. Forecasters say the wave could temporarily raise local sea levels by roughly half a foot along affected coastlines, compounding existing risks from swells and tidal cycles. Communities along the California coast are taking preparatory measures. The wave is being generated by oceanic dynamics associated with El Niño-related conditions in the Pacific. While Kelvin waves of this type are a known natural phenomenon, the combination of elevated sea levels and storm surge potential is prompting coastal authorities to take the threat seriously. The effects are expected to be temporary, though timing and local intensity may vary.
Swiss Glaciers Lost More Than 5% of Remaining Ice in a Single Year, Threatening Regional Water Supplies
Scientists report that Switzerland's glaciers lost more than 5 percent of their total remaining ice volume in 2026 alone, continuing a trend of accelerating loss that threatens water supplies and ecosystems across Europe.Switzerland's glaciers experienced another year of severe ice loss in 2026, with measurements showing more than 5 percent of remaining glacier volume disappearing in a single year. Scientists described the pace of melting as no longer surprising given current rates of climate change, but emphasized the scale of the consequences. Glaciers serve as a critical freshwater reservoir for rivers and communities across Switzerland and neighboring European countries, particularly during summer months when snowmelt is reduced. The continuing loss threatens long-term water availability for agriculture, drinking water, and hydroelectric power generation. Both BBC and NPR sources agree on the scale and significance of this year's loss, characterizing it as part of an accelerating long-term pattern rather than an isolated event.
Electricity Disconnections Rose 28% Across 10 States During Record-Hot July as Energy Costs Climbed
Utility disconnections increased 28 percent across ten U.S. states in July 2026 — the hottest July ever recorded in the country — compared with the same month in 2024, as high temperatures and rising energy costs left many households unable to pay bills.Utility shutoffs climbed sharply across the United States during July 2026, the hottest July on record in the country, with disconnections rising 28 percent compared with July 2024 across ten states tracked in a new analysis. The surge in shutoffs reflects the collision of record heat — which drives up electricity demand and cooling costs — with rising baseline energy prices. Households already stretched by broader cost-of-living pressures were disproportionately affected. Loss of electricity during extreme heat poses direct health risks, particularly for elderly residents, children, and people with medical conditions. The data points to an ongoing vulnerability in the U.S. energy system where the populations most exposed to health risks from extreme heat are also the least able to maintain utility service during periods of peak demand.
FTC Opens Investigation into OpenAI and Anthropic Over Potential Consumer Harms
The Federal Trade Commission has opened investigations into OpenAI and Anthropic to determine whether the AI companies have engaged in unfair or deceptive practices that harm consumers.The Federal Trade Commission announced it is investigating two of the leading artificial intelligence companies — OpenAI and Anthropic — over potential violations of federal consumer protection laws. The agency will examine whether the companies' products or business practices constitute unfair or deceptive conduct prohibited under federal statute. The investigation follows broader regulatory attention on the AI industry both in the U.S. and internationally. Neither company has been charged with any violation. The FTC has not specified which products or practices are under scrutiny. The investigation marks one of the most significant regulatory actions taken by a U.S. agency directly targeting AI lab conduct.