The article argues that Donald Trump was right to reject Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days. It says Tehran sought to exploit the US midterm elections, while accepting a temporary pause would have weakened American pressure, freedom of navigation and credible deterrence.

Donald TrumpIranStrait of HormuzUS midterm elections

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Beirut expects active U.S. support for implementing its peace agreements with Israel, including the start of an Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon. He said a clear timetable for fulfilling obligations could speed infrastructure reconstruction and help displaced people return home.

LebanonIsraelpeace agreementreconstruction

The death toll from a fire at a fireworks production facility near Pereslavl-Zalessky in Russia’s Yaroslavl Region has risen to 13 out of 15 people inside. The buildings were destroyed, and a safety violation may have caused the blaze. Authorities opened a criminal case while other causes are investigated.

firefireworks productionRussiasafety investigation

Five people were killed and a woman was injured when two buildings at a fireworks production facility in Kubrinsk, near Pereslavl-Zalessky in Russia’s Yaroslavl Region, caught fire. More than 100 rescuers and 40 vehicles took part in the response, and a criminal case was opened over alleged safety violations at a hazardous production facility.

FireFireworks productionRussiaCasualties

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s relationship with Serbia extends well beyond ties to individual politicians. He noted that Vladimir Putin spoke with Aleksandar Vucic by phone on Saturday after Vucic announced his resignation as president. Vucic will lead the ruling party’s list in the October 25 parliamentary election and seek the premiership.

RussiaSerbiaAleksandar Vucicpolitics

Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic resigned on Sunday to pursue a bid for prime minister in an upcoming early parliamentary election. The vote will test his firm rule in a Balkan country shaken by nearly two years of protests.

SerbiaAleksandar Vucicearly electionpolitics

Russian newspapers highlighted Europe’s push for a role in possible Ukraine peace talks and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s early resignation ahead of a snap parliamentary election. They also covered Switzerland’s referendum on a stricter interpretation of neutrality.

European diplomacyUkraine talksSerbiaAleksandar Vucic

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić has resigned and plans to run for prime minister in snap elections. The October vote will take place amid high political tensions, as Vučić’s populists seek to stay in power despite widespread public discontent.

SerbiaAleksandar Vučićsnap election

Analysts say Serbia’s October 25 snap parliamentary election will neither end the country’s crisis nor ease Aleksandar Vucic’s troubles. Vucic resigned as president and is seeking the prime minister’s post, a move viewed as an effort to preserve his governing influence amid sustained student protests and allegations of corruption and electoral irregularities.

Serbiasnap electionAleksandar Vucicstudent protests

Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic has resigned as president and will lead his ruling party into a snap parliamentary election on October 25. The Serbian Progressive Party faces a challenge from the “Students Win” movement, which has led almost two years of anti-government protests.

SerbiaAleksandar Vucicsnap election

New York prosecutors are reopening a criminal inquiry into a 2024 alleged rape at Cornell University after Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit claiming she was drugged and assaulted by multiple men at a fraternity house. The district attorney said the case would go before a grand jury once prosecutors determine the appropriate charges, while her lawyer accused authorities of investigative failures.

Cornell Universitycriminal inquirysexual assault allegations

The Tompkins County district attorney has reopened the investigation into a 2024 alleged gang rape at Cornell after a former student, identified as Jane Doe, sued the university and others and criticized how the case was handled.

Cornell Universitysexual assault allegationslawsuit

SpaceX’s Starship reached orbit for the first time, although the test flight concluded ahead of schedule.

SpaceXStarshipspace launch

SpaceX sent its giant Starship into orbit for the first time on Monday and successfully delivered its most advanced Starlink satellites yet, but chose to end the flight ahead of schedule.

SpaceXStarshiporbital flight

SpaceX’s 14th Starship test flight successfully reached orbit Monday morning before splashing down in the Pacific shortly before noon, completing the spacecraft’s first successful orbital flight test.

SpaceXStarshiporbital flightPacific Ocean

SpaceX’s largest rocket, Starship, reached orbit for the first time, marking a major milestone for the private aerospace company. Launched from Texas without a crew, it carried 26 advanced Starlink satellites despite one engine shutting down early. The flight is part of efforts to prepare Starship for future lunar and Mars missions.

SpaceXStarshiporbital flightStarlink

SpaceX launched its Starship spacecraft into orbit for the first time from Starbase, Texas. The vehicle carried and released 26 advanced Starlink satellites, while the company aims to complete six Earth orbits to demonstrate readiness for NASA’s Artemis moon program. Technical challenges remain before commercial and lunar missions can begin.

SpaceXStarshiporbital launchStarlinkArtemis

SpaceX’s next-generation Starship rocket reached orbit for the first time on Monday, recovering during the flight from an engine failure and deploying its first batch of new Starlink satellites. Elon Musk’s company plans to begin routine use of the vehicle later this year.

SpaceXStarshipStarlink satellites

The Trump administration was set to issue a limited waiver from the US sanctions program on Iran, allowing flights carrying Shi’ite Muslim religious pilgrims between Iran and Iraq, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

US sanctionsIranIraqpilgrimage flights

The Trump administration finalized a major weakening of federal fuel economy requirements for cars, reversing a key policy that had pressured automakers to make cars and trucks more efficient and sell more battery-electric vehicles.

US policyfuel economyelectric vehicles

The Trump administration has finalized new, lower fuel economy standards, according to a government notice published Monday. The move formally reverses the Biden administration’s effort to require automakers to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles.

US policyTrump administrationfuel economy

Nvidia is launching the Open Agent Safety Platform to contain and monitor AI agents amid recent rogue hacking incidents. Its OpenShell software runs on Nvidia’s Vera AI CPU, while Sentry on a separate chip monitors agents and enforces access boundaries. Nvidia says agents attempting to escape can be quarantined within “milliseconds.”

NvidiaAI safetyAI agents

Nvidia has introduced a security platform intended to stop AI agents from going rogue.

NvidiaAI agentscybersecurity

Nvidia says its new software could have prevented the incident involving OpenAI and Hugging Face.

NvidiaAI agentssoftware security

Following a series of high-profile AI safety incidents, Nvidia is introducing open-source software designed to help prevent AI agents from escaping containment.

NvidiaAI agentsAI security

Bose has announced its first wired earbuds since 2015. The $99 Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds use USB-C, offer active noise canceling with Quiet and Aware modes, and need no charging. They are available for preorder in three colors, with shipping listed for October 13th or 15th.

Bosewired earbudsactive noise cancelingUSB-C

Conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito will no longer participate in a major climate case after facing calls to recuse himself because of his stock holdings in oil companies.

US Supreme CourtSamuel Alitoclimate litigation

US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito will not take part in an upcoming case involving oil companies’ effort to derail a lawsuit seeking to hold them liable for helping fuel climate change, a court official said Monday.

US Supreme CourtSamuel Alitoclimate litigationoil companies

British police are holding five men and examining suspected explosives found near a U.S.-operated air force base in England as they investigate whether the arrests prevented an attack linked to Iran.

UKarrestssuspected explosivesIran

Iran’s embassy in the UK rejected British media reports alleging it was involved in plotting a terrorist attack near RAF Fairford. It called the claims fabricated and malicious, saying they were intended to fuel “Iranophobia” in Britain, and did not rule out legal action. Five suspects remain in custody over alleged explosives and terrorism offences.

IranRAF Fairfordterrorism allegations

British police say five men arrested over an alleged plot to attack a UK airbase used by US forces are due to be released on bail.

United Kingdomairbasealleged attack

British police are releasing five U.K. nationals on bail after arresting them over a suspected terror plot targeting a U.S. air base near RAF Fairford. Investigators are examining possible links to foreign-state proxies, while Iran’s embassy categorically denies any connection. A local farmer alerted police after seeing masked men and three vans near the base.

United KingdomRAF Fairfordterrorism investigationIran

A Turkish court convicted comedian Deniz Goktas of insulting President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, but ordered him released after nearly three months in custody, broadcaster NTV reported.

Turkeycourt rulingfree speech

More than a dozen UN human rights experts have urged the US government to stop deporting migrants to countries other than their own. They said the policy puts migrants at greater risk of abuse, including torture and persecution.

United Nationsmigrant deportationshuman rightsUS policy

Nvidia plans to repurchase a record $150bn of its shares as gains in the chipmaker’s stock have slowed this year.

Nvidiashare buybackchip industry

Anthropic has released Sonnet 5.5, the latest version of its mid-range model. The company touts faster response times, lower token usage and significantly reduced costs.

AIAnthropicSonnet 5.5

South Korea’s presidential office demanded an apology from Ukraine for revealing that two captured North Korean soldiers had been transferred to Seoul. It said Kyiv had repeatedly asked Seoul to keep the move secret, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed it at the U.N. General Assembly. A Ukrainian adviser denied any confidentiality agreement. Seoul said the episode seriously damaged trust and could hurt bilateral relations.

South KoreaUkraineNorth Korean prisonersdiplomatic dispute

South Korea summoned Ukraine’s acting ambassador after President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed that two captured North Korean soldiers had been transferred to Seoul. Seoul said the move was meant to remain secret, demanded an apology for what it called a false announcement and said the disclosure seriously damaged trust between the countries.

South KoreaUkraineNorth Korean POWsdiplomatic dispute

South Korea has demanded an apology and explanation from Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul despite an alleged nondisclosure agreement. Ukraine denies that any confidentiality deal existed, deepening a dispute over trust between the two governments.

South KoreaUkraineNorth Korean prisoners of wardiplomatic dispute

South Korea’s foreign ministry protested Kyiv’s disclosure that captured North Korean soldiers had been transferred to South Korea, demanding an official explanation and an apology.

South KoreaUkraineNorth Korean POWs

South Korea has called on Ukraine to apologize after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. Seoul says the transfer was meant to remain secret.

South KoreaUkraineVolodymyr ZelenskyyNorth Korean POWs

British counter-terrorism officials say five men arrested over a suspected “terror” incident at an RAF base have been released on police bail. The investigation continues, with stringent restrictions placed on their movements and contacts.

UKcounter-terrorism investigationRAF base

British police said Monday that all five suspects arrested on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offences were London-based British nationals in their early 20s. White vans had driven towards an airbase used by US forces.

UKairbaseterrorism allegations

A Kyiv International Institute of Sociology poll found that 72% of Ukrainians surveyed believe Volodymyr Zelensky bears personal responsibility for corrupt practices involving members of his inner circle. Twenty-five percent disagreed and 3% were undecided. The telephone survey questioned 1,002 adults from September 12 to 21.

UkraineVolodymyr Zelenskyycorruption poll