Yemen's Iran-allied Houthis say they have launched attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities as clashes intensify. The group named airports in Riyadh, Dammam and Najran, an air base in Khamis Mushait, and oil sites including an Aramco facility in Yanbu and the Rabigh refinery. The Saudi-led coalition said its forces responded to falling debris near oil sites but did not directly address the claims. Separately, Yemen's Saudi-backed government said Houthi missiles struck coast guard sites in Aden. The renewed fighting has broken a 2022 UN-brokered truce.
The United States has ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia as the kingdom faces sustained deadly attacks by Yemen's Houthis. State department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the safety of department personnel remains the highest priority. A diplomatic source told AFP that some families were also being withdrawn from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain, but Pigott said Thursday's order applied only to Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities said one person was killed and others were hurt in drone-related incidents this week, while a diplomatic source reported the withdrawals elsewhere.
The United States has ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia as the kingdom faces sustained deadly attacks by Yemen's Houthis. The State Department order followed attacks that killed at least one person and injured eight at Dammam airport, while two people died in a drone attack on an oil field. Saudi officials said falling debris from an intercepted drone killed a Filipino and a Nepali national. The Houthis have carried out near-daily attacks this month, including a strike on Riyadh's international airport. Iranian state media reported explosions in Hormozgan province.
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A federal judge has ordered former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan to remain in custody while he awaits trial. Judge Alex Tse raised concerns about his ties to Saudi Arabia, questioning whether a government-backed bond could keep him in the country. Prosecutors allege Alfozan hid a covert audio recording device in a conference room used for confidential meetings. Alfozan's lawyer, William Pernik, said the room was open to anyone and that he would continue to fight the ruling. Alfozan's next court date is set for November 6.
Organisers of the Asian Cup, which includes the Socceroos, say preparations remain on track for the tournament in Saudi Arabia early next year. The local organising committee is still working to the original 7 January to 5 February schedule. Asian football chief Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa had earlier said a postponement until 2028 was possible if needed. The move follows a strike on Riyadh's international airport that killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300. Football Australia said the safety of players, staff and supporters remains paramount, with risk assessment a key focus for January.
Doctors in Saudi Arabia say they have successfully separated 13-month-old Fijian conjoined twins, Dicecea and Jesepeli Kikau, after an operation lasting almost 13 hours. The girls were born joined at the lower abdomen and pelvis and shared a liver, bowel, urinary tract and anal canal, though each had her own heart and lungs. Doctors began reconstruction after the separation. The mother said she felt nervous but calmer as she watched by video link. The operation was free under the hospital's Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, the family having reportedly been asked for large upfront payments elsewhere.
Yemen's Houthis fired missiles at the presidential palace complex in the southern city of Aden, killing five people, the government says. Yemen's health minister said 16 people were wounded. The prime minister and cabinet members were safe, Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said. The Houthis said they had bombed what they called a Saudi military operations headquarters in Aden. The Houthi-run SABA news agency said the site held weapons depots. Reuters could not independently verify these claims.
Houthi rebels have launched deadly attacks on Saudi Arabian airports, including a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed 13 people and injured more than 300. The Houthis have warned that worse attacks are to come. The Iranian-backed group has also announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. Experts say the attacks have exposed gaps in Saudi air defences, with reports suggesting the country is running low on interceptor missiles. Analysts say any negotiated end to the conflict will be difficult, as the Houthis currently hold the upper hand.
Houthi-run media say a Saudi-led coalition has attacked a fuel depot in Yemen's capital, Sanaa. The Houthis have vowed to strike Saudi airports and oil refineries in response. The oil company said its storage tanks were empty, and it was not immediately clear which facilities were hit. The attacks follow a missile and drone strike on Riyadh's airport on Saturday that killed at least 13 people. US President Donald Trump has accused the Houthis of trying to raise oil prices ahead of the midterm elections.
Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport will stay closed until October 17 after a weekend missile and drone attack killed 14 people and injured about 320. Saudi officials are investigating why air defences failed to intercept the barrage. Yemen's Houthis say they have launched further attacks on Riyadh airport and an air base in Khamis Mushait. Saudi officials want the United States to become more directly involved, while Donald Trump says he is considering US strikes against the Houthis. An Emirati diplomat has called for joint Gulf action against attacks by Iran and its allies.
The Australian embassy in Riyadh has ordered people to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel as Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis continue to exchange deadly attacks. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh closed over the weekend after an attack on the site killed 14 people and injured more than 320 others. The airport closure was extended on Monday, with no reopening date given. Businesses in Riyadh have told staff to work remotely, and schools have been asked to move to online classes. Iran has repeated its offer to help settle the conflict through diplomacy.
Yemen's Houthis have warned airlines, travellers and airport workers to avoid Saudi airports, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport killed 12 people and wounded more than 300. It was the deadliest such attack in the kingdom in more than a decade. Saudi Arabia extended the airport closure until at least 9pm on Sunday, local time. The Houthis said further Saudi military action in Yemen would bring a stronger response, warning that worse is yet to come. Condemnations came from Arab countries, the United Nations and European leaders.
The Australian government has told travellers not to fly to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after three attacks on airports killed 12 people and injured more than 300 this week. The Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the earlier attacks, which targeted King Khalid Airport and other infrastructure. Operations at King Khalid Airport have been suspended, and hundreds of flights have been cancelled. The Saudi-led coalition called the attack a war crime and vowed a firm response. There is no indication of when flights to Riyadh will resume.
Operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh have been suspended after a second attack on the facility, Saudi authorities say. Several people were injured, although the number was not confirmed. No group immediately claimed responsibility, though the Houthi rebels had claimed earlier strikes on the airport this week. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or diverted. Separately, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas postponed legislative and presidential elections until September 2027, citing Israeli measures.
At least 12 people have died and more than 300 have been wounded in the third attack this week on Riyadh's international airport. The Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the strike. Operations at King Khalid International Airport have been suspended, and at least 225 flights were cancelled over 24 hours. Separately, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas postponed legislative elections due next month until September 11, 2027, citing Israeli measures.
