Oct 22, 2026, 04:30 AM UTC

Saudi Arabia launches retaliatory strikes following Houthi attacks on airports

Saudi Arabia launched retaliatory airstrikes in Yemen after consecutive Houthi strikes targeted airports in Riyadh and Dammam, disrupting flight operations and causing casualties.

A second consecutive attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh triggered fires and grounded flights, while a separate strike on Dammam airport in eastern Saudi Arabia left one dead and eight wounded. Saudi air defense forces reported intercepting four Houthi drones in the eastern region.

In response, the Saudi-led coalition conducted retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi targets across Yemen. US President Donald Trump condemned the strikes on Saudi infrastructure, calling them "not acceptable."

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree warned international travellers and airlines to avoid Saudi airspace, declaring it a "theatre of operations," while explicitly excluding Mecca and Medina. Reported casualties from the Riyadh strikes remain inconsistent, with local officials reporting up to 13 fatalities and over 300 injured, whereas aviation authorities cited lower numbers.

Sources: BBC News, France24, STV News, Sweden Herald, The Guardian.

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Critical PHP security vulnerabilities force European websites offline

Severe security flaws in the PHP programming language have prompted European public authorities and organizations to take websites offline as emergency patches are deployed.

Cybersecurity authorities and developers have warned of severe security vulnerabilities in PHP, the widely used programming language behind millions of websites and content management systems. The security flaws have prompted public institutions, including German state ministries, municipal governments, and university hospitals, to temporarily take their websites offline to mitigate potential risks.

Proactive website shutdowns and defensive measures have also been reported across Europe, including in France, the Netherlands, and Denmark. IT security firms and emergency response teams warned that the vulnerabilities could allow remote exploitation if unpatched. Software maintainers announced emergency fixes for the affected systems as administrators worked to secure digital infrastructure worldwide.

Sources: Die Presse, Tagesschau, ORF, FAZ, Der Standard.

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US embassy accuses Canada of election meddling ahead of midterms

The US Embassy in Ottawa accused Canadian officials of trying to influence the upcoming US midterm elections, claims dismissed by Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The United States Embassy in Ottawa has accused Canadian officials of attempting to meddle in the upcoming US midterm elections in November.

According to the embassy, Canadian political leaders have ignored warnings regarding potential interference. US officials alleged that Canadian ministers and provincial premiers "openly describe plans to influence American politics in official documents and public appearances".

Canadian leadership, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, has rejected the allegations as unfounded. The dispute marks a rare diplomatic strain between the neighbouring allies as campaigning intensifies ahead of the US votes.

Sources: BBC News