While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Sept 3, 2026
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Rubble lying around damaged houses on Sept 2 following an attack near a wedding gathering in Kuhistik, Sirik, Iran.
PHOTO: REUTERS
US-Iran strikes raise fears of renewed war across the Middle East
Fears of renewed escalation gripped the Middle East on Sept 2 after the United States and Iran exchanged their biggest barrage since July, with Washington striking Iran’s southern coast and Tehran firing at US bases across the region.
With the US threatening further strikes, Iran accused Washington of hitting a wedding party, killing four people and wounding dozens. Its health minister later said 18 people in total had been killed and 108 injured in the latest wave of US strikes.
The US military said it struck air defences, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites on Sept 1. Iran reported hits on multiple targets near the Strait of Hormuz.
The flare-up threatens to deepen a conflict that has dragged on since the US launched strikes on Iran in February, disrupting global energy supplies and drawing opposition from a majority of Americans ahead of November’s congressional elections.
OpenAI faces new lawsuits linked to Tumbler Ridge mass shooting
PHOTO: REUTERS
OpenAI was hit with multiple lawsuits claiming the artificial intelligence company could have prevented a mass shooting in Canada earlier in 2026 by informing law enforcement about the suspected killer’s messages with the popular chatbot ChatGPT.
The complaints were filed on Sept 2 in federal court in California by teachers, students and a principal who were present during the February massacre at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia.
They alleged OpenAI knew that Jesse Van Rootselaar, the chief suspect, was planning the attack due to her use of ChatGPT, but made a “conscious decision” not to warn the authorities.
UN agency urges civilian aircraft safety after Zelensky warns Russian airspace ‘not safe’
PHOTO: REUTERS
The UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) called on its members on Sept 2 to ensure the safety of civilian aircraft, shortly after Ukraine formally told the body that Russian airspace was “not safe” amid the war.
“Long-range weapons systems, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), global navigation satellite system radio frequency interference, and advanced air defense systems are among the military technologies jeopardising civilian aviation,” the ICAO said in a statement that did not mention any specific country.
The Montreal-based UN agency also reiterated calls “for stronger commitments from all member states to protect civilian aircraft from all risks arising from conflict zones” because the risk of being “targeted or caught in crossfire is increasing.”
Chevron, ENI ink pacts for large oil project expansions in Venezuela
PHOTO: REUTERS
US’ Chevron, Italy’s Eni and other foreign energy producers committed on Sept 2 to major project expansions to boost oil output in Venezuela, in a signing ceremony in Caracas overseen by interim President Delcy Rodriguez and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
The deals are separate from a controversial Caracas-Washington deal recently unveiled that gives the US access to 17 oilfields.
Most of the pacts announced on Sept 2 relate to project expansions that have been in negotiation with Venezuela’s oil ministry and state oil company PDVSA as part of the migration of dozens of energy contracts to new terms under a sweeping oil reform approved in January.
Enzo Fernandez ‘didn’t hesitate’ over record Manchester City move
PHOTO: AFP
Enzo Fernandez said he “didn’t hesitate for a second” when Manchester City made contact in his first interview since joining the club for a British record-equalling transfer fee of £125 million (S$214 million).
The Argentina midfielder completed his move from Chelsea on Sept 1’s transfer deadline day, taking City’s spending to more than £450 million – a Premier League record for a single transfer window.
The 25-year-old joined Chelsea from Benfica in January 2023 for a then-British record fee of £107 million. His move to the Etihad matches the £125 million Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak in 2025.
