“Iranian authorities have signalled they intend to disrupt an Arab-operated and United States-assisted shuttle system that has enabled more energy exports through the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Israel war on Iran. With the US naval blockade of Iran’s southern ports in place and sanctions tightening, Tehran has said it will pursue military and diplomatic efforts to put pressure on Washington to submit to its demands regarding reopening the Strait of Hormuz. … Iran has claimed the US accepted some of Tehran’s seven conditions for the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war. But Tehran insists that a deal will only materialise when all its demands are met.” (10/12/26)
“Prime Minister Andy Burnham sparked fury in Britain on Monday with his assertion that Russia had sought to interfere in the 2016 Brexit vote that took the country out of the European Union, breaking with previous premiers who said there was no evidence Moscow had meddled. Burnham made the remarks on ‘The Rest Is Politics,’ a popular British podcast released overnight, saying he wanted to highlight the danger of Russian misinformation as European countries prepare for elections at a time of hyperpolarization. … His remarks infuriated Brexit supporters, who accused him of resurfacing the issue to cast doubt on the results of a referendum that has divided the British for 10 years.” (10/12/26)
“Pope Leo will go into hospital on Tuesday before surgery to remove a small growth found on one of his lungs, the Vatican said, as the pontiff kept up a busy schedule on Monday, holding seven previously planned meetings in the morning. Leo, 71, said on Sunday that the growth, a small nodule, had been found on a recent check-up, was ‘well-contained’ and had been spotted early. … The Vatican has said the pope’s recovery is expected to take about a week.” (10/12/26)
“Amazon is reportedly in talks to purchase the artificial intelligence startup Decart in a $7 billion deal — which would be one of Amazon’s biggest recent acquisitions and one of the largest exits in Israeli tech The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the Seattle tech titan is putting together a deal to purchase Decart, which sells software that lets developers switch more easily between AI chips.” (10/12/26)
“The EU approved its biggest package of sanctions against Russia since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, targeting the Kremlin’s ability to make missiles. The bloc’s foreign ministers approved the package during a meeting in Luxembourg, adding 1,600 new listings ‘targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex,’ the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on X. … The sanctions list will last for three years before it needs to be renewed.” (10/12/26)
“Delta Airlines’ plans to add nonstop service to Saudi Arabia are being put on hold after deadly attacks on the Riyadh airport that have killed at least 12 people. Delta announced Monday that nonstop flights from Atlanta to Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport will be delayed until March. They were set to begin service on Oct. 23. … The first flight to Saudi Arabia was to take off next week with an Airbus A350-900 aircraft. It would have been the first commercial nonstop flight from the United States to Saudi Arabia by a U.S. airline. The Riyadh airport has had thousands of flights canceled since last week as the Iran-backed militant group the Houthis have escalated attacks on the airport in recent days.” (10/12/26)
“Belgium’s public sector was partially shut down on Monday as unions staged a second day of nationwide strike action against planned government budget cuts, amid mounting political pressure on Prime Minister Bart De Wever over a stalled budget agreement. … Rail services, public transport, public broadcasting and schools were all affected as public sector workers protested against government plans. … Belgian media reported that the budget deal could be delayed to late October or early November and that a prolonged deadlock could put the coalition’s cohesion under strain.” (10/12/26)
“You can change a password after a breach. You can cancel a credit card. But when your Social Security number gets exposed, you could be dealing with the fallout for years. That is the concern after a major breach involving the Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data Center. If you have served in the military, worked for the Department of War or have other ties to the military community, your information could be among the records involved. A War Department official told CyberGuy that 2.76 million living individuals and 294,000 deceased individuals were affected. Depending on the person, the exposed information can include Social Security numbers, names, dates of birth, contact information and military personnel details.” (10/12/26)
“A federal judge scolded Trump administration lawyers on Monday for failing to provide sufficient notice before cutting down hundreds of trees in East Potomac Park over the weekend, saying she was ‘beyond disappointed’ with the government’s conduct. ‘I trusted you all not to do precisely what you have done,’ U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said during an emergency hearing, adding that the government had lost ‘all of its credibility’ in the case. Reyes is overseeing a lawsuit brought by the DC Preservation League and two individuals seeking to block an overhaul of the public golf courses on the property, which President Trump has said he wants converted into a championship-caliber course capable of hosting professional tournaments.” (10/12/26)
“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was taken out of a New Jersey federal lockup by ambulance over the weekend so he could receive medical treatment for a head injury, according to a report. The 56-year-old rapper – who’s been serving a 50-month sentence on a prostitution-related conviction – was transported from FCI Fort Dix in the Garden State on Saturday morning, according to a report by TMZ. It wasn’t immediately clear how he injured his head or what facility he was taken to. … The disgraced music mogul made headlines Friday, when it was reported he received a harsh penalty at the low-security prison because of his alleged cushy treatment and a contraband cell phone he was accused of using to view racy content.” (10/12/26)
