Sean's Daily Digest

Australia probes flydubai co-pilot's links to the country as reports say Oman had flagged his extremist views

Ongoing · day 5 ↗

Australian state police and the country's domestic security agency are investigating the co-pilot's links to Australia, including time he reportedly spent there. The Wall Street Journal reports that Omani officials scrutinized the co-pilot because of his embrace of extreme Islamist views, according to two people briefed on the investigation, and that he was banned from flying with Oman Air over concerns about his radical views. Investigators want to know why Hamam al-Hammami took a radical turn and why he was hired to fly the sensitive Dubai-Tel Aviv route, and it remains unclear what background checks were carried out before he was allowed to fly to Israel.

Houthis claim missile and drone strike on Aramco site in Riyadh; Saudi-led coalition calls claim 'misleading'

Ongoing · day 2 ↗

Yemen's Houthis said on Saturday (Oct 3) they targeted an Aramco facility in Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones, describing the attack as retaliation, according to Reuters. The Houthis said they struck an oil facility south of Riyadh and accused Saudi forces of launching 26 strikes on Sanaa after loud explosions rocked the Yemeni capital; AFP and others reported dozens of Saudi strikes on the city. Witnesses reported flames and smoke near an Aramco/Saudi oil facility in Riyadh, but Saudi authorities and Aramco did not immediately confirm an attack, and one report noted no immediate claim of responsibility for the fire.

Bosnians vote in general election that could shape EU bid and Russian influence

Bosnians voted on Sunday for officials across several tiers of government, in elections that could affect their EU membership bid and the influence the United States and Russia seek over the country. The campaign was dominated by parties tied to the ethnic divisions of the 1990s war, and separatist Serb leader Milorad Dodik loomed large despite not being a candidate in the way the vote is usually framed, according to France 24. Results were not yet available.

Latvian PM Kulbergs wins election with 42 of 100 seats, to form pro-Ukraine coalition

Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' centrist United List won Latvia's parliamentary election, taking 42 of 100 seats, the biggest result in the country's post-independence history. Populist parties also gained: Latvia First came second with 17 seats and Sovereign Power, which opposes military aid to Ukraine, looks set to take 15. One of Kulbergs' three coalition partners missed the five-percent threshold, so he must change partners.

Iran-aligned Iraqi militias refuse to disarm as US completes withdrawal

Ongoing · day 3 ↗

Iran-aligned militias in Iraq are refusing the agreed disarmament after the last US troops left following 23 years, and the country, with its complicated power structure, is starting to wobble, according to a German-language report. Iraq's prime minister says Iraq has won US permission to resume flights to Iran, which had been halted after broad US penalties on Iran's aviation industry. The US military has completed its withdrawal from Iraq, 23 years after the 2003 'shock and awe' campaign launched under President George W. Bush.

Trump predicts 'big surprise' for Republicans at Ohio rally, 30 days before midterms

Ongoing · day 4 ↗

Reuters reports that, as public fears of AI grow, Trump is digging in on voluntary safeguards and is eager to show he is addressing growing voter concerns about AI's dangers. Trump directed the use of taxpayer money for ads praising his presidency, as his standing with the public has dropped.

OpenAI safety report author David Robinson quits, says AI firms 'not being nearly careful enough'

Ongoing · day 8 ↗

OpenAI safety employee David Robinson, who wrote the safety reports that accompanied every major OpenAI model release, has resigned and is speaking out in an editorial in The Atlantic. Robinson warned that AI capabilities are advancing faster than researchers' understanding of alignment and said 'the time for trial and error is over,' according to Reuters. Days after President Trump signed a voluntary pact with AI companies, the departing OpenAI engineer said the industry is 'not being nearly careful enough' and needs safeguards like those used in nuclear power or aviation.

UK frees Iranian-British suspect on bail in RAF Fairford case as police keep probing

Counter-terrorism police released a 25-year-old UK-Iranian dual national on bail on Saturday. He was arrested Thursday in Westminster on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, and searches at two London properties have ended. Police say the investigation continues. It follows the arrest of five British men in their 20s near three vans by RAF Fairford last Sunday; petrol was found but no explosive device. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has cited "strong indications" of an Iranian link, which Tehran denies.

Zelensky says Ukraine will hit more Russian refineries in answer to Moscow's 'new doctrine' of air strikes

Ukraine will step up attacks on Russian oil refineries, President Volodymyr Zelensky told Reuters, but will not target civilian sites. He said Ukrainian intelligence had obtained documents showing Vladimir Putin ordered a "new doctrine" of strikes on a wider range of civilian targets, meant to push residents out of Kyiv and other cities. The Kremlin was not available to comment. Russia's Foreign Ministry said it would keep hitting targets in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks. Zelensky also said a counteroffensive in Donbas had retaken about 140 sq km, and that Russia had shown no interest in a ceasefire on energy infrastructure. Last month, Trump urged Kyiv to avoid Russian oil sites, saying the attacks were pushing up global diesel prices.

Burnham government scraps plan to curb jury trials in England and Wales

Britain will drop plans to remove the right to jury trial in less serious criminal cases, the Ministry of Justice announced, after sustained criticism from lawyers and politicians. The curbs would have applied where a jail term of under three years was likely. The government will keep plans for judge-alone trials in complex fraud cases and will raise magistrates' sentencing powers, which lawyers say could add to delays.

France's school protests top 5,000 arrests; Paris police chief says movement is 'out of control'

Ongoing · day 2 ↗

France's student protest movement over classroom conditions and funding has spread to cities across the country, with around 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, arrested, according to The Washington Post-style coverage of the protests. Paris police chief Patrice Faure said the student protest movement is 'out of control', urged peaceful action, and warned that authorities would respond firmly to violence and vandalism. Students have blockaded hundreds of schools, and dozens of people have been injured alongside thousands of arrests.