TYB
Cygnus XL Cargo Spacecraft Released from Station by Canadarm2
October 9, 2026 1:01PM
At 12:44 p.m. EDT, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL was released from the Canadarm2 robotic arm after it detached from the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Unity module. At the time of release, the space station was flying about 260 miles above the Pacific Ocean.
Cygnus XL successfully departed the orbiting laboratory nearly six months after arriving with about 11,000 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, commercial products, hardware, and other cargo for NASA and its international partners.
Mission controllers will command the spacecraft to deorbit Monday, Oct. 12, carrying several thousand pounds of disposal items and other unneeded cargo into Earth’s atmosphere, where it will harmlessly burn up during re-entry. NASA will not provide coverage of the deorbit.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/10/09/cygnus-xl-cargo-spacecraft-released-from-station-by-canadarm2/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoL51xLkMSY
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https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-briefing-to-highlight-contributions-to-martian-moons-mission/
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/nasas-sspicy-mission-to-demonstrate-in-space-inspection-technologies/
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-spherex-telescope-sees-menagerie-of-brown-dwarfs/
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/webb-measures-distance-to-farthest-fast-radio-burst-suggesting-origin/
Major mag. 7.6 Earthquake - Provincia de Herrera, 61 km southeast of Santiago, Provincia de Veraguas, Panama
Friday, Oct 9, 2026, at 12:56 pm (GMT -5)
A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit 61 km (38 mi) away from Santiago, Provincia de Veraguas, Panama, around noon of Friday, Oct 9, 2026 at 12.56 pm local time (GMT -5).
The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow.The earthquake was felt over a large region..
The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would.
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquake/major/2026-10-09/17-56/magnitude7-Panama.html
NASA Universe
@NASAUniverse
Our planet-hunting TESS mission has reached an exciting milestone: over 1,000 of the exoplanet candidates it has discovered since its 2018 launch have been confirmed!
Let’s explore some of these intriguing worlds beyond our solar system … 🧵
1:30 PM · Oct 8, 2026
https://x.com/NASAUniverse/status/2108293865123758134
moar
https://x.com/blueorigin/status/2108615012730167401
https://x.com/NASA_Marshall/status/2108588299719729396
https://x.com/astro_anil/status/2108568798219448435
https://x.com/NASA/status/2108563438901350773
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
@NASAAdmin
Congratulations to @POTUS and @mkratsios47 on an outstanding Golden Age of Science Summit.
It was a day packed with announcements, important discussions, and recognition of some of our nation’s greatest scientific and technological minds.
NASA signed an agreement with @ENERGY and @SecretaryWright to advance nuclear power and propulsion in space, and participated in discussions on American leadership in space, expanding opportunities for emerging researchers, and leveraging the Genesis Mission to accelerate scientific discovery.
This is the Golden Age and we are moving at a pace not seen since Apollo. In the years ahead, we will launch more flagship science missions, return astronauts to the Moon, build a Moon Base, and usher in the Nuclear NASA.
5:09 PM · Oct 8, 2026
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2108349204569473383
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2108272894979518868
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2108377376098767078
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2108262391582458117
https://x.com/LMSpace/status/2108287002768806213
United States Space Force
@USSpaceForce
Celebrating Q3 2026 with 13 launches! 🚀 Cape Canaveral remains the heart of innovation and space exploration.
Quote
Space Launch Delta 45
@SLDelta45
Oct 1
🚀 Another quarter of innovation and mission success
In the third quarter of 2026, the #EasternRange supported 13 launches.
Launch after launch, Cape Canaveral remains the busiest and most important spaceport on the planet 🗺️
#SpaceCoast #SemperSupra #PremierGatewaytoSpace
4:41 AM · Oct 9, 2026
https://x.com/USSpaceForce/status/2108523260732146121
moar Space Force
https://x.com/SpaceForceCSO/status/2108579126734917893
https://x.com/SpaceForceCSO/status/2108281125214826549
https://x.com/USSpaceForce/status/2108209612499337674
https://www.ssc.spaceforce.mil/Newsroom/Article-Display/Article/4623268/bridging-acquisition-and-operations-ssc-interns-gain-mission-perspective-at-van
Trump awards SpaceX founder Elon Musk National Medal of Science
October 9, 2026
The world's richest man just got some more hardware for his trophy room.
During a ceremony at the White House on Thursday (Oct. 8), President Donald Trump gave SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk the National Medal of Science, the highest honor the U.S. can bestow on a scientist or engineer.
Musk was recognized "for engineering achievements of extraordinary ambition and scale that have pushed the frontiers of space exploration, intelligence systems, communications and beyond, renewing American technological leadership and opening a new chapter in American manufacturing," an announcer said during the ceremony.
A little bit more about those achievements and that ambition: Musk also leads the electric carmaker Tesla and owns the social media platform X.
And he founded the Boring Company, which is drilling tunnels beneath cities to potentially ease traffic congestion; Neuralink, which builds implantable brain-computer interfaces; and xAI, which makes the chatbot Grok, among other things.
Musk wasn't today's only honoree. Trump also handed out science medals to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, a leading semiconductor designer.
The president also awarded the slightly different National Medal of Technology and Innovation to two other tech CEOs — Michael Dell of Dell Technologies and Microsoft's Satya Nadella for contributions in their fields.
Congress established the National Medal of Science in 1959. Honorees are chosen for their "outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering or social and behavioral sciences, in service to the nation," according to the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).
"These broad areas include such disciplines as astronomy, chemistry, computer and information science and engineering, geoscience, materials research, and research on STEM education," NSF officials added.
The first National Medal of Science was awarded in 1963, to Theodore von Kármán, a mathematician, physicist and aerospace engineer who worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
He was a pioneer of the early space age; the widely recognized, 62-mile-high (100 kilometers) boundary where outer space begins is known as the Kármán line.
Before today, 529 people had received the medal, according to the NSF.
The National Medal of Technology and Innovation is a newer prize; Congress created it in 1980. There have been more than 240 laureates in the award's history.
Today did not mark Musk's introduction to the Trump administration.
For example, in late 2024, the president tapped the tech billionaire to help lead the "Department of Government Efficiency," which aimed to slash regulations and costs across the federal government.
More recently, the Pentagon named Musk, former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey co-leaders of Project Meridian, a four-month study that aims to help the U.S. get ready for future wars.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/trump-awards-spacex-founder-elon-musk-national-medal-of-science
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2108310399477293085
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2108225043419574573
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2108315261044445330
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Farewell_to_the_Fluid_Science_Laboratory_after_18_years_in_orbit
moar ESA
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/10/Earth_from_Space_Namibia_s_biggest_salt_pan
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/10/Gibraltar_imaged_by_IRIDE_Eaglet_II
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Lunar_Pathfinder_Europe_s_first_step_towards_a_connected_Moon
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/10/Canadian_Arctic_from_Sentinel-3C
https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Week_in_images/Week_in_images_05-09_October_2026
Farewell to the Fluid Science Laboratory after 18 years in orbit
09/10/2026
On 9 October, astronauts on the International Space Station begin supporting the final decommissioning of ESA's Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL), one of the longest-serving scientific facilities inside Europe's Columbus laboratory.
Since its launch with Columbus in February 2008, FSL has helped scientists investigate how fluids, foams, emulsions and granular materials behave in microgravity. During more than 18 years in orbit, the facility completed over 101 000 orbits around Earth, supported 18 scientific experiments and accumulated above 42 000 hours of operations, making it one of the longest-running research facilities in ESA's orbital laboratory.
Originally designed to operate for 10 years, FSL remained productive for nearly twice as long, thanks to the dedication of the international teams who operated and maintained it.
A laboratory built for microgravity science
Many physical processes that seem ordinary on Earth behave very differently in space. Without gravity-driven effects such as buoyancy and sedimentation, scientists can observe the fundamental physics governing the behaviour of liquids, gases and soft matter.
To take advantage of these unique conditions, FSL provided a dedicated research environment for experiments investigating boiling dynamics, foams, emulsions, gels and granular materials.
Researchers used the facility for investigations including:
GEOFLOW, which modelled processes similar to those occurring deep inside Earth; RUBI, which studied combustion and heat transfer; FOAM-C, which explored the behaviour of liquid foams;
COMPGRAN, which examined granular materials; and more recently PASTA, investigating particle transport and aggregation.
Together, these experiments reveal how everyday materials such as foams, powders and emulsions behave in space, providing insights relevant to industries ranging from manufacturing to food production.
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The final science campaign
FSL's final science activities concluded in July 2026, bringing more than 18 years of research operations to a close. One of the laboratory's final research programmes was PASTA-3, short for PArticle STAbilised emulsions.
Using FSL's Soft Matter Dynamics experiment container, researchers studied how emulsions - mixtures of liquids that do not naturally mix, such as oil and water - form and evolve in microgravity.
By removing the effects of gravity, scientists can better understand the mechanisms that influence emulsion stability and behaviour.
The final PASTA-3 samples arrived at the International Space Station aboard the Cygnus NG-23 spacecraft in September 2025.
Following extensive preparation and testing on the ground, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot helped complete one of the laboratory's last crew-assisted science activities during her εpsilon mission earlier this year.
A European effort in orbit and on the ground
The story of FSL began shortly after Columbus arrived at the International Space Station in 2008.
French ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts carried out the facility's initial activation and commissioning, beginning a scientific journey that would span generations of astronauts, researchers and operations teams across Europe.
Throughout its lifetime, FSL supported a broad programme of research made possible by close cooperation between crews in orbit and specialists on the ground.
Astronauts installed experiments, exchanged samples and carried out maintenance, while scientists, engineers and operators coordinated activities from Earth and analysed the results.
For more than a decade, the Belgian User Support and Operations Centre (B.USOC) coordinated the facility's day-to-day science operations, preparing experiments, supporting astronauts during crew activities, monitoring performance and ensuring scientific data reached researchers for analysis.
Over the years, countless specialists helped keep the facility running well beyond its planned lifetime. When the final science operations concluded earlier this year, the B.USOC team described the moment as "bittersweet", reflecting on nearly two decades of scientific achievements and collaboration.
A lasting legacy
Although the hardware is now entering its final phase, FSL's scientific legacy will continue.
Over the coming months, astronauts will prepare the facility to be safe for disposal aboard a future cargo spacecraft, after which the crew will remove it from Columbus and transfer it to its assigned vehicle, for its final trip and destructive reentry into the Earth atmosphere.
As one chapter closes, the retirement of FSL will also free up valuable space inside the European laboratory for future research hardware and scientific investigations, with the ESA X-Ray Facility (XRF) being the first in the line to take the vacant spot, to further improve humanity understanding in the field of materials science.
The knowledge generated through nearly two decades of experiments, together with the expertise developed by the teams who designed, operated and used FSL, will continue to support future research in low Earth orbit and beyond.
As astronauts begin dismantling a laboratory that has been part of Columbus since the earliest days of European operations on the International Space Station, the Fluid Science Laboratory leaves behind a remarkable legacy of discovery, international cooperation and scientific excellence.
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China's space station to become global research platform: China's first astronaut
Oct 09, 2026 08:03 AM
Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut and deputy chief designer of the China Manned Space Agency, has said here that the country's space station will become a global research platform for scientists worldwide.
Yang made the remarks at the ongoing 77th International Astronautical Congress in Türkiye's Mediterranean city of Antalya, noting that China hopes to actively engage in exchanges and seek cooperation with other countries in areas such as scientific research, astronaut training, providing flight opportunities, and science education.
According to Yang, the two Pakistani astronaut candidates, who are currently undergoing joint training with their Chinese counterparts, have performed exceptionally well throughout the training process.
Yang said that the Chinese space station will welcome its first foreign astronaut on board in the second half of this year, during which one Pakistani astronaut will carry out a short-duration flight mission as a payload specialist.
Regarding China's crewed lunar landing program, Yang said China looks forward to greater cooperation and exchanges with other countries and welcomes all parties to participate in the construction of an international lunar scientific research station.
The five-day congress, which will wrap up on Friday, has drawn space agency officials, astronauts, scientists, engineers and industry representatives worldwide.
The China National Space Administration, research institutions, and Chinese commercial space companies presented technologies and discussed international cooperation.
Jinlin Chen, founder and CEO of Beijing-based space technology company Final Frontier, said China's commercial aerospace industry had developed rapidly over the past decade.
"Aerospace in China's private sector has gone from zero to one," Chen told Xinhua, citing reusable rocket progress as a key milestone that could lower launch costs and enable wider deployment of affordable satellites.
Final Frontier is developing next-generation computing satellites, seeking to apply advances in semiconductor design and manufacturing to space technology.
"We are happy to work with Turkish companies on any fronts," Chen said, adding that discussions with potential customers and partners had already begun during the congress.
The growing Chinese presence at the event has attracted attention from Türkiye's space authorities, the host nation who also harbors lunar and space ambitions.
Yusuf Kirac, head of the Turkish Space Agency, hailed the participation of Chinese institutions and companies at the congress.
"We have very good relations with China, and we are working closely with our Chinese partners," Kirac told Xinhua.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202610/1371878.shtml
==Trump envoys pitching ‘new ideas’ to settle Ukraine conflict – media=
9 Oct, 2026 00:46 | Updated 9 Oct, 2026 07:26
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to meet Kiev’s representatives on Friday and might travel to Moscow later this month
US President Donald Trump’s top negotiators are preparing to pitch “new ideas and proposals” aimed at breaking the deadlock in the Ukraine conflict, with talks involving representatives of Kiev and its European backers scheduled to begin in Miami on Friday, according to Reuters and Axios.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to hold a two-day working session with the Ukrainian delegation in an effort to develop a unified proposal that could later be presented to the Kremlin.
The pair could then travel to Moscow later this month for another round of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Axios reported, citing a source familiar with the discussions.
According to Reuters, the ideas were developed during and after Witkoff and Kushner’s diplomatic tour of Moscow and Kiev in early September. The pair have since remained in contact with both Russian and Ukrainian officials while working on an updated peace initiative.
One proposal reportedly under consideration is a partial ceasefire covering attacks on energy infrastructure and Black Sea shipping. The talks are also expected to address possible security guarantees for Ukraine, a post-conflict economic plan and other elements of a potential settlement.
Witkoff and Kushner met Trump on Thursday to present the latest proposals and receive his input ahead of the Miami talks, according to Axios. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Deputy National Security Adviser Mike Needham also attended the meeting.
Kiev's European backers ‘nervous’ about winter
Kiev will reportedly be represented by Vladimir Zelensky’s chief of staff, Kirill Budanov, intelligence chief Rustem Umerov, diplomatic adviser Sergey Kislitsa and top lawmaker David Arakhamia.
National security advisers from Britain, France and Germany, as well as representatives of NATO and the EU, have also reportedly been invited.
A US source told AFP that European governments have privately complained about soaring energy prices and other economic costs stemming from the conflict, adding that there is growing concern about another winter of hostilities.
“They are all nervous about the winter. It will be a tough winter if the war does not stop,” the source said.
Trump has also repeatedly pressed Zelensky to stop “hurting the world” and halt Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, arguing that the attacks are worsening a global diesel shortage and driving up fuel costs in the US.
Kremlin agrees with Rubio on ‘stalemate’
The new diplomatic push comes as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the conflict as a “dangerous stalemate,” warning that further escalation could spill beyond Ukraine and trigger a broader confrontation.
“This war needs to end in a negotiated settlement. The sooner, the better,” Rubio told reporters in Lisbon on Thursday, while cautioning that Washington would not invest indefinitely in “pointless processes” that produce no progress.
The Kremlin said it shared Rubio’s assessment of the current diplomatic impasse, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying he “agreed” that no clear prospect of a negotiated settlement was currently visible.
He nevertheless reiterated Moscow’s position that Russia remains open to negotiations, while accusing Kiev of showing no willingness to accept reality and pursue a long-term settlement.
Despite the lack of progress on Ukraine, contacts between Washington and Moscow have continued on other tracks, Peskov added, noting that the two countries are discussing “a whole range” of potentially mutually beneficial economic projects, including possible cooperation in the energy sector.
https://www.rt.com/news/646959-witkoff-kushner-ukraine-ideas/
moar RT
https://www.rt.com/russia/646974-ukrainian-attacks-russia-civilian-casualties/
https://www.rt.com/russia/646993-zelensky-klitschko-trade-blame-strikes/
https://www.rt.com/russia/646976-zelensky-ukraine-drone-moscow/
https://www.rt.com/russia/646971-mudraya-bail-debtors-criminals/
Putin 'stuck in the air' as 'Ukrainian drones' shut major Russian airports
17:23, Fri, Oct 9, 2026 Updated: 18:09, Fri, Oct 9, 2026
Drone attacks launched by Ukraine in recent months have prompted air travel chaos in Russia.
An aircraft believed to have Vladimir Putin on board was reportedly caught up in chaos after several Russian airports were closed.
The Russian president was flying back from a trip to Turkmenistan when planes linked to his delegation were reportedly left circling as restrictions caused major disruption around Moscow.
Moldovan publication Telex reported that four aircraft belonging to the presidential "Rossiya" squadron were circling near the Russian capital.
Three were said to be returning from Turkmenistan, while two may later have been diverted to St Petersburg.
However, it was not known which of the aircraft Putin himself was travelling on, as Moscow faced aerial threats from drones and small balloons.
Yaroslav Trofimov, chief foreign affairs correspondent at The Wall Street Journal, wrote on X:
"The Russian delegation led by Putin seems to be stuck in the air on its way back from Turkmenistan as Moscow airports shut down following Ukrainian drone and air balloon attacks."
Russian publication EADaily had earlier reported just after 2pm that Putin was flying back to Moscow aboard an aircraft from the Rossiya Special Flight Squadron after leaving Turkmenbashi International Airport.
Putin had been in Turkmenistan for two summits and held meetings with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedow and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the trip.
Hours later, EADaily reported that Putin's aircraft was unable to land in Moscow because of the drone threat.
Flight restrictions were brought in at Moscow's four airports - Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky - amid reports of a major drone attack and sightings of small balloons in the sky.
The Kyiv Independent reported that the measures temporarily brought operations to a halt as Russian authorities responded to the suspected aerial threats.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defences had brought down 15 drones, according to the publication, while explosions and air-defence activity were also reported around the capital.
Czech publication iDNES, citing independent Russian outlet Astra, reported explosions across several districts in southern Moscow, including Kapotnya, Kuzminki, Lyublino, Maryino and Tsaritsyno.
Croatian publication Slobodna Dalmacija reported that the emergency "Carpet" protocol was activated at all four airports, stopping aircraft from taking off or landing.
Telex also reported that more than 370 flights had been delayed in Moscow and another 62 cancelled, citing the UNIAN Telegram channel.
The chaos also hit scores of other aircraft, with UA.News reporting that flights were sent to other airports, including Kazan and St Petersburg.
Both military and civilian aircraft were reportedly affected, while UNN, citing TASS (Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union), said more than a dozen passenger planes were also unable to land in Moscow.
Three Moscow-bound flights were reportedly turned back to Turkey, including two from Antalya which turned around over Poland and headed towards Istanbul.
Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency confirmed restrictions at Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky, while similar measures were reported in Penza, Nizhny Novgorod and Saratov.
TASS did not give a reason for the restrictions, while UNN said there was no official confirmation that the disruption in Moscow was caused by the threat of drone and missile attacks.
Flightradar24 data shows Russian government flight RSD229, an Ilyushin Il-96-300PU flying from Turkmenbashi to Moscow, eventually landed at Vnukovo airport at 6.21pm local time after a six-hour flight.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2255978/putin-russian-airports-ukraine-drones
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/09/putin-plane-trapped-air-moscow-drone-attack/
https://kyivindependent.com/russian-airports-closed-amid-alleged-ukrainian-balloon-and-drone-raid/
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/10/09/all-4-moscow-airports-restrict-flights-amid-drone-attack-a93936
other Russia and Ukraine
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/10/09/ukraine-drones-hit-second-yandex-data-center-in-two-days-a93927
https://sofiaglobe.com/2026/10/09/bulgarian-defence-ministry-says-no-drone-debris-found-on-ship-attacked-in-black-sea/
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/10/09/rosneft-recruits-anti-aircraft-gun-crews-to-defend-samara-refinery-against-ukrainian-drones-vyorstka-a93932
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/pantsir-s1-drone-launch-site-and-more-ukraine-1791547122.html
https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/10/09/counterlogistics-continues/
https://united24media.com/defense-tech/us-tests-ukrainian-counter-drone-technology-in-key-defense-initiative-23302
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/2026-10-09/live-updates-911130
other Israel
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjhms6usze
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-911140
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/434358
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/crime-in-israel/article-911162
Live Updates: Attacks against Saudi airport kill three, PM staff accused of fudging Oct. 7 records
October 9, 2026
Hamas believes Israel's destruction is still possible, official warns • Israel assassinated Iran's navy chief, • Trump: No strikes on Iran before midterms in November
October 9, 9:11 PM
IDF strikes, kills Syrian terrorist along Syria-Lebanon border
The IDF killed Syrian terrorist Yusuf Ali Al-Hassoun in a strike along the Syria-Lebanon border on Friday, the military said.
According to the IDF, Hassoun took orders from the Iranian regime and had been involved in multiple drone and rocket attacks against Israeli soldiers in southern Syria.
October 9, 4:43 PM
IRGC targets ‘illegal' tanker passing through Hormuz, threatens action on other violating vessels
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a tanker trying to “illegally" pass through the Strait of Hormuz, causing a massive fire, the country's state media reported on Friday.
The IRGC said in response to the incident that from now on, vessels committing violations outside the Strait will also be “punished."
October 9, 4:07 PM
Vessel struck off coast of UAE, UKMTO reports
A vessel was struck 13 nautical miles west of Al Jazeera Al Hamra in the northern United Arab Emirates, according to a United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) report on Friday.
UKMTO received reports of the strikes from multiple sources, according to the organization.
Status of the crew, damage assessment, and environmental impact are currently unknown, it added, and authorities are investigating the incident.
October 9, 2:53 PM
US, European groups issue travel advisories after Houthis attack Riyadh airport
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Thursday they had attacked the airport with cruise missiles.
The US Embassy in Jordan issued a travel advisory on Friday to Americans in the Middle East in light of current hostilities in the region, specifically pointing to the recent Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia's Riyadh airport.
"Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties," the embassy wrote, adding that "the hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly" and Americans should monitor the situation closely, particularly if they are planning travel to or from the region.
Also on Friday, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency EASA recommended airlines not to operate within additional portions of Saudi airspace after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Riyadh airport.
October 9, 2:00 PM
IDF strikes three terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip
The IDF killed three Islamic Jihad and Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip on Thursday in targeted strikes.
Hassam Walid Hassan Abu Al-Ata, killed in Gaza City, was a commander in the rocket unit of the Islamic Jihad military wing.
Magdi Moein Yousef Al-Ayoubi, also in Gaza City, was also active in the Islamic Jihad military wing.
Muhammad Aja, killed in the Al-Furqan area, was a company commander in Hamas’ military wing.
All three recently advanced plans for attacks against IDF soldiers and operated to restore the terror organizations' grasp on the Gaza Strip, according to the IDF, which added that this constitutes a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
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October 9, 11:39 AM
Police arrest West Bank resident for Oct. 7 post online, incitement to terrorism
A Palestinian resident of the West Bank was recently arrested on suspicion of inciting terrorism and posting online content supporting Hamas and the October 7 massacre.
The suspect, a man in his 20s from the village of Deir Samit, was apprehended on Wednesday as IDF intelligence operatives monitored online activity for posts glorifying the massacre on its third anniversary.
October 9, 11:13 AM
Three killed, several wounded following two attacks on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid airport
Operations at the airport have since returned to normal, the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said.
Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said on Friday that three Saudi nationals were killed and several people were wounded following two attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday.
Operations at the airport have since returned to normal, the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said.
Saudia airlines also said on Friday that an incident at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had resulted in the death of one employee and damage to an aircraft while it was on the ground.
No passengers were on board the aircraft at the time, and the airline added that flights and operations at the airport had returned to normal as of 6 p.m. on Thursday.
October 9, 8:53 AM
Hamas sees Gaza war as victory, believes Israel's destruction is still possible, official warns
Hamas considers Israel's territorial control "temporary," according to officials.
Hamas's leadership views its ability to withstand the IDF over the past three years as a form of "victory," despite Israel's control of approximately 70% of the Gaza Strip, according to Friday intelligence presented to Israel's senior political and defense leadership, including the prime minister and defense minister.
Hamas considers Israel's territorial control "temporary," according to the information presented to officials.
"They are convinced that US President Donald Trump's points-based plan for the Gaza Strip, which his son-in-law Kushner is advancing, including a plan for economic development involving tens of billions of dollars in investment, is a direct continuation of Sheik Ahmed Yassin's vision from 1999," a senior security official said. "They believe in it even if it is delayed."
October 9, 5:07 AM
Zamir says return to war with Iran may postpone Israel election as Pentagon prepares plans - report
Three US aircraft carriers will soon be in the Middle East, the New York Times said, adding that the Pentagon had developed plan for a three-day campaign against Iran.
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir was briefed on American military preparation for a return to fighting against Iran in the upcoming weeks, a senior American official told N12 News.
According to the sources, Zamir warned that a return to war within the next three weeks could cause the Israeli election, scheduled for October 27, to be postponed. This comes after an assessment that renewal of large-scale US attacks on Iran could lead to the Islamic Republic launching missiles at Israel, N12 added.
October 9, 5:07 AM
Opposition calls on A-G to take legal action against PM, Likud attacks Gil over Oct 7 interview
In a public statement, Likud said that on the morning of the October 7 massacre, "Avi Gil knew about the approaching attack and chose not to wake the prime minister in time."
Likud said on Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's former military secretary, Avi Gil, was trying to divert attention from his own failures after telling N12 News and Israel Hayom that Netanyahu's chief of staff allegedly tried to change the official record of the prime minister's schedule.
In a public statement, the party said that on the morning of the October 7 massacre "Avi Gil knew about the approaching attack and chose not to wake the prime minister in time."
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RSF drone strike kills 31 civilians at displacement camp in Sudan: Medical group
Update: 09 October 2026
19 others injured in attack in Blue Nile state, including 6 children and 8 women, says Sudan Doctors Network
At least 31 civilians were killed and 19 others injured in a drone strike by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a displacement camp in southeastern Sudan’s Blue Nile state, a local medical group said Friday.
In a statement, the Sudan Doctors Network said the attack targeted a gathering of displaced people in the Abu Shandi area of Wad Al-Mahi locality.
The group said four children were among those killed, while six children and eight women were among the injured.
It condemned the attack, saying the victims were unarmed civilians who had fled the conflict in search of safety.
The network described the strike as a war crime and a violation of international humanitarian law, holding the RSF responsible.
It called on the UN, humanitarian agencies and international human rights organizations to urgently condemn the attack and take action to protect civilians.
There was no immediate comment from the RSF on the allegations.
Blue Nile state has witnessed escalating violence in recent weeks, with the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), launching attacks in several areas.
On Oct. 3, Sudanese authorities accused the RSF of carrying out drone strikes targeting the governor’s residence and civilian sites in Damazin, the state capital.
Sudan has been engulfed in fighting between the army and the RSF since April 2023, leaving tens of thousands dead and around 13 million displaced, according to UN and international estimates.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/rsf-drone-strike-kills-31-civilians-at-displacement-camp-in-sudan-medical-group/4083922