While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Sept 2, 2026
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A US sailor directing the takeoff of a UH-1Y Venom utility helicopter from the flight deck of the USS Boxer, as the US enforces its blockade of Iran.
PHOTO: @CENTCOM/X
US strikes Iran in latest tit-for-tat attacks
US forces launched fresh attacks on Iran on Sept 1, including one that the Iranian Red Crescent said left four people dead at a wedding celebration, with Tehran vowing “severe punishment” in response.
Washington hit Iranian targets on Aug 30 in its first known strikes in several weeks, after which Tehran’s forces targeted US troops in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, and projectiles struck two oil tankers in unclaimed attacks.
More US strikes came on Sept 1, with Iranian state television reporting that explosions were heard in the country’s south along the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway and on an island in the Gulf, and that US forces hit an airport in the southern province of Kerman.
The Iranian Red Crescent said shrapnel from a US missile attack hit a home where a wedding celebration was taking place in the city of Kuhestak, killing four people, including a child, and wounding more than 50.
Germany blames airport drone ‘hybrid attack’ on Russia
PHOTO: REUTERS
Germany on Sept 1 blamed Russia for an attempted “hybrid attack” involving an explosive-laden drone at a strategic airport in August and announced diplomatic counter-measures.
The European Union expressed “full solidarity” with Germany, NATO assured that it would defend its members and countries including Britain, Estonia and Poland offered strong backing.
Germany will close Russia’s consulate in the former capital Bonn later this month, and cancel the contract for the Russian House, a cultural centre in Berlin, said Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.
China’s Xi arrives in Egypt
PHOTO: REUTERS
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Egypt on Sept 1 on a rare trip to the Middle East as both countries face the threat of US sanctions over financial links to Iran.
Xi and his wife were greeted on the tarmac by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the first lady, as well as a performance by an Egyptian folk dance troupe.
The two-day visit comes as both countries seek to manage the fallout of the months-long Middle East war, which began when the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb 28, throwing the crucial trade region into crisis.
Bank of America V-P killed in Times Square stabbing
PHOTO: AFP
A Bank of America (BofA) vice-president, Erin Piacenti, was killed in a stabbing at Times Square on Aug 31.
Piacenti, 32, was a vice-president in BofA’s business selection and conflicts unit, according to her LinkedIn profile.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones,” the US banking giant said, in an emailed statement to Reuters on Sept 1.
Cobolli claws out 5-set victory at rain-delayed US Open
Fifth-seeded Flavio Cobolli rallied from two sets down to beat Francisco Comesana at the US Open on Sept 1, where top-seeded Alexander Zverev and No. 4 Coco Gauff were finally slated for first-round action.
Italy’s Cobolli, runner-up to Zverev at the French Open, shook off an erratic start to triumph 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, dropping to his knees and raising his arms in celebration after closing out the four-hour, 13-minute marathon.
“In a Grand Slam it’s never done,” Cobolli said. “You have to fight to the last point.”
