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Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed on Sunday to have struck facilities at a military base in Saudi Arabia. The group targeted weapons depots and command centers at the Sharurah base using missiles and drones. This escalation pushed oil prices to $100 per barrel as fears grow that the US might get involved.
Attorneys for James “Fergie” Chambers submitted a brief to the Spanish government before a 22 September meeting. The US wants to extradite the wealthy donor for allegedly supporting Hamas. His lawyer Baltasar Garzón said, “It would set an alarming precedent in all of Europe if Spain allowed the Trump administration.”
Almost two-thirds of the nation's six million culverts were built to standards insufficient for today's storms. Failed culverts leave people stranded and cut off from emergency services. Megan Rhodes, a planner for the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, said, "Culverts are that unseen hero of our infrastructure." They need attention.
Warnings about unpredictable artificial intelligence agents increased in recent weeks, yet Washington remains largely paralyzed. While over 1,300 computer scientists called for a slowdown, the government struggled to respond. Anthropic engineer Jacob Coxon recently resigned, warning that labs are speeding toward "superhuman systems that can hack anything" and acquire power.
Ben Macintyre’s new book, Redwood, tells the story of KGB major Vladimir Kuzichkin. On Oct. 1, 1981, Kuzichkin entered the British Embassy in Tehran to spy for Britain. Macintyre writes, "Kuzichkin was the first spy in history to demand, as the price of defection, the removal of his foreskin." It changed history.
Lonnie G. Bunch III announced on Tuesday that he would be resigning as the Smithsonian secretary. President Trump often criticized the institution for its history displays. While the administration demanded many changes and threatened federal funds, Mr. Bunch kept the museums independent. Most of the president’s specific orders never happened.
Many Democratic voters feel frustrated with their party leaders, yet they still plan to vote in November. A YouGov-Economist poll from August showed that 91 percent of registered Democrats will definitely vote. Even with weak favorability, these voters said they will set their misgivings aside to support the party.
Lonnie G. Bunch III announced he will step down as secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. He plans to stay through the end of the year. This change gives President Trump a chance to influence the organization. The Board of Regents will select a new leader to manage the large complex.
Rescuers are searching for over 100 people after an Indonesian passenger ship sank in the Java Sea on Sunday. The vessel carried 243 people when it lost contact. I Putu Sudayana said, “It is extremely risky for vessels.” High waves hampered the operation as teams looked for the missing passengers.
King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro was buried on September 12 amid a bitter succession dispute. While Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma assumed power, the king’s family insists a secret son is the true heir. Clan elders said, “The will is not a determinant of who is king.”
Author Julia Samuel recently visited her childhood home in Kensington, west London, after 43 years. She said, “People return to their childhood homes to revisit earlier versions of themselves.” Seeing the house brought back memories of her youth, but she chose not to enter to preserve her own mental architecture.
In 2022, Joseph Nguthiru got stuck in water hyacinth on Kenya's Lake Naivasha. The invasive plant blocked boats and killed aquatic life. Joseph said he "experienced the pain behind the people who face it every day." He turned the weed into bioplastic, starting HyaPak to help clean the vital waterways.