http://www.toledoblade.com The Latest News from Toledoblade.com (v5) Sun, 04 Oct 2026 04:11:08 GMT en-us hourly 1 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/03/i-couldn-t-let-everybody-else-die-says-hero-flydubai-pilot-smit-machchhar/stories/20261003082 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/03/i-couldn-t-let-everybody-else-die-says-hero-flydubai-pilot-smit-machchhar/stories/20261003082#comments Sat, 03 Oct 2026 19:33:46 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/03/i-couldn-t-let-everybody-else-die-says-hero-flydubai-pilot-smit-machchhar/stories/20261003082 Smit Machchhar, the hero Flydubai captain who fought off a savage attack by his copilot, kept fighting because he could not “let everybody else die,” he said in his first public remarks since Wednesday’s suspected hijacking attempt. Hero Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar speaks to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a videocall. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/03/axe-wielding-flydubai-co-pilot-flagged-extremism-concerns/stories/20261003073 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/03/axe-wielding-flydubai-co-pilot-flagged-extremism-concerns/stories/20261003073#comments Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:12:56 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/03/axe-wielding-flydubai-co-pilot-flagged-extremism-concerns/stories/20261003073 CAIRO — The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain on an Israel-bound flight with an axe and trying to seize the controls was an Omani national who’d been barred from flying on his country’s airline because of concerns about extremist views, officials said Saturday. An FlyDubai plane carrying Israeli passengers who had earlier been aboard another FlyDubai aircraft that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia approaches Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sept. 30. This screengrab from Narendra Modi YouTube Channel shows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking with FlyDubai pilot Capt. Smit Machchhar on Oct. 2. Passengers who experienced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, during a flight on FlyDubai plane, arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sept. 30. Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun, with blood stains on his shirt, who was aboard a Flydubai aircraft that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, is welcomed at the arrivals gate at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sept. 30. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/02/pilot-stabbing-aviation-security-questions-us-iran-war/stories/20261002130 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/02/pilot-stabbing-aviation-security-questions-us-iran-war/stories/20261002130#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2026 21:09:33 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/02/pilot-stabbing-aviation-security-questions-us-iran-war/stories/20261002130 TEL AVIV, Israel — This week’s attack on a pilot by a co-pilot who tried to crash a Tel Aviv-bound flight left the region’s travel industry in crisis Friday, raising questions about aviation security and further unsettling a Middle East already shaken by the U.S.-Iran war. Passengers who experienced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia during a flight on FlyDubai plane arrive Sept. 30 at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel. Israeli passenger Asaf Rajuan, right, who experienced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, during a flight on a FlyDubai plane, hugs another passenger from the same flight as they arrive Sept. 30 at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/02/g7-nations-release-100-million-barrels-oil-boost-trump/stories/20261002105 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/02/g7-nations-release-100-million-barrels-oil-boost-trump/stories/20261002105#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2026 15:34:54 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/02/g7-nations-release-100-million-barrels-oil-boost-trump/stories/20261002105 WASHINGTON  — The Group of Seven industrial nations said on Friday that they plan to release 100 million barrels of oil in the coming weeks, starting with “substantial” amounts of diesel after the fuel recently hit record high prices in the United States, where President Donald Trump said the diesel release would happen “immediately." President Donald Trump arrives on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Oct. 2 in Washington. France President Emmanuel Macron attends a news conference with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid, Spain, on Sept. 30. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/01/a-indian-airline-captain-hailed-hero-cockpit-attack-flydubai-flight/stories/20261001086 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/01/a-indian-airline-captain-hailed-hero-cockpit-attack-flydubai-flight/stories/20261001086#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:40:03 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/10/01/a-indian-airline-captain-hailed-hero-cockpit-attack-flydubai-flight/stories/20261001086 JERUSALEM — Investigators worked Thursday to determine why an Omani pilot stabbed the captain of a flight to Israel, causing the plane to plummet dangerously before others on board landed it in Saudi Arabia. News media personnel stand outside the building where relatives of Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot for Flydubai, previously lived in Mumbai, India, on Oct. 1. News media personnel film in the building where relatives of Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot for Flydubai, previously lived in Mumbai, India, on Oct. 1. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/30/a-pilot-on-a-flight-carrying-israelis-stabbed-another-and-apparently-tried-to-crash-netanyahu-says/stories/20260930093 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/30/a-pilot-on-a-flight-carrying-israelis-stabbed-another-and-apparently-tried-to-crash-netanyahu-says/stories/20260930093#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:12:43 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/30/a-pilot-on-a-flight-carrying-israelis-stabbed-another-and-apparently-tried-to-crash-netanyahu-says/stories/20260930093 TEL AVIV, Israel — A pilot stabbed another pilot and then apparently tried to crash to aircraft carrying dozens of Israelis on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Passengers and crew staged a dramatic intervention to subdue the attacker and the plane eventually made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Holding balloons people wait for the arrival of passengers at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel Sept. 30. A FlyDubai aircraft takes off from Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates Sept. 30. Passengers check in their luggage with FlyDubai at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel Sept. 30. A plane takes off as a flydubai aircraft sits on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates Sept. 30. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/29/british-police-no-explosives-questions-remain-arrests-us-base/stories/20260929107 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/29/british-police-no-explosives-questions-remain-arrests-us-base/stories/20260929107#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2026 20:34:31 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/29/british-police-no-explosives-questions-remain-arrests-us-base/stories/20260929107 LONDON — A surprise decision by the U.K.’s counterterrorism police to release five suspects on bail during an investigation into a suspected bomb plot at a U.S.-operated air force base in England has deepened questions and uncertainty about the incident. Police officers stand at a checkpoint near RAF Fairford air base, in Fairford, England, on Sept. 29. A B-1 bomber takes off from RAF Fairford in Fairford, England, on Sept. 29. A B-1 bomber prepares to take off as police officers man a checkpoint near RAF Fairford air base, in Fairford, England, on Sept. 29. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/28/5-men-arrested-us-air-base-bailed-uk-police-probe-iran/stories/20260928110 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/28/5-men-arrested-us-air-base-bailed-uk-police-probe-iran/stories/20260928110#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2026 21:08:10 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/28/5-men-arrested-us-air-base-bailed-uk-police-probe-iran/stories/20260928110 FAIRFORD, England — Five young British men arrested on explosives and terror charges near a U.S.-operated air force base in England were released on bail Monday, and counterterror detectives said they were investigating “multiple lines of inquiry,” including whether there is a link to Iran. Police guard a road leading to RAF Fairford on Sept. 28 in Fairford, England. Police officers guard a road leading to RAF Fairford, after an incident in Fairford, England, on Sept. 28. Police officers guard a road leading to RAF Fairford, after an incident in Fairford, England, on Sept. 28. United States Air Force B1 bombers are seen at RAF Fairford, a U.S. airbase, after an incident Sept. 27 in Fairford, England. A B1 USAF bomber on the tarmac at RAF Fairford on Sept. 28 in Fairford, England. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/26/6-dead-4-americans-recovered-collapsed-building-acropolis-greece/stories/20260926095 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/26/6-dead-4-americans-recovered-collapsed-building-acropolis-greece/stories/20260926095#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2026 16:58:50 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/26/6-dead-4-americans-recovered-collapsed-building-acropolis-greece/stories/20260926095 ATHENS, Greece — Rescuers combing through the rubble of a building that collapsed in a blast in the Greek capital’s tourist district of Plaka, near the ancient Acropolis, recovered six bodies on Saturday, authorities said. Firefighters work at the scene following Friday's powerful blast in Athens' Plaka district on Sept. 26. Firefighters work at the scene following Friday's powerful blast in Athens' Plaka district on Sept. 26. Rescuers work at the scene following Friday's powerful blast in Athens' Plaka district on Sept. 26. A general view of the area where a powerful blast caused a building to collapse and injured a few people in Athens' Plaka district on Sept. 26. Firefighters work at the scene following Friday's powerful blast in Athens' Plaka district on Sept. 26. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/24/israel-netanyahu-attacking-iran-easiest-decision-united-nations/stories/20260924106 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/24/israel-netanyahu-attacking-iran-easiest-decision-united-nations/stories/20260924106#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2026 20:39:34 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/24/israel-netanyahu-attacking-iran-easiest-decision-united-nations/stories/20260924106 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told world leaders Thursday that attacking Iran “was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make” and denounced as “moral cowards” a mass of delegates who walked out of the U.N. General Assembly when he took the podium to speak. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 24 at United Nations headquarters. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, enters to speak during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 24 at United Nations headquarters. Chairs for delegates from the state of Israel are unoccupied as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks via pre-recorded video during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 24 at United Nations headquarters. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/23/ai-firms-un-security-council-risk-humanity/stories/20260923110 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/23/ai-firms-un-security-council-risk-humanity/stories/20260923110#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2026 20:35:57 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/23/ai-firms-un-security-council-risk-humanity/stories/20260923110 UNITED NATIONS — The heads of major artificial intelligence firms pleaded with the United Nations on Wednesday to set controls over the burgeoning technology they are designing in order to save the world — or, at least, its people. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, listens during a Security Council meeting on artificial intelligence at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters on Sept. 23. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, speaks during a Security Council meeting on artificial intelligence at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters on Sept. 23. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, speaks during a Security Council meeting on artificial intelligence at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters on Sept. 23. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/22/trump-us-iranian-officials-met-warning-annihilate/stories/20260922117 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/22/trump-us-iranian-officials-met-warning-annihilate/stories/20260922117#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:24:21 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/22/trump-us-iranian-officials-met-warning-annihilate/stories/20260922117 UNITED NATIONS — President Trump said U.S. and Iranian officials met on Tuesday, an unexpected engagement that came even as he threatened in his address to the U.N. General Assembly that he may “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if a deal isn’t reached soon to end the nearly seven-month war. President Trump speaks to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22 at the U.N. headquarters. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, left, and President Trump at the signing ceremony of a security deal between the United States, Denmark, and Greenland on Sept. 22 at the United Nations headquarters. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and United States first lady Melania Trump listen as President Trump speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22 at United Nations headquarters. President Trump meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky during the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22 at the U.N. headquarters. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/21/war-runaway-ai-climate-world-leaders-united-nations/stories/20260922056 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/21/war-runaway-ai-climate-world-leaders-united-nations/stories/20260922056#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2026 21:46:37 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/21/war-runaway-ai-climate-world-leaders-united-nations/stories/20260922056 UNITED NATIONS — Under a global cloud of wars and bitter divisions, world leaders meet at the United Nations this week facing new fears that runaway artificial intelligence could threaten humanity even as climate shocks and escalating prices are already making life much tougher for hundreds of millions of people. The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during an interview with the Associated Press on Sept. 17 at the United Nations headquarters. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/21/kremlin-party-wins-tighter-control-parliament-russia-election/stories/20260921099 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/21/kremlin-party-wins-tighter-control-parliament-russia-election/stories/20260921099#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2026 21:40:27 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/21/kremlin-party-wins-tighter-control-parliament-russia-election/stories/20260921099 The main Kremlin party has further strengthened its already overwhelming control of parliament, according to results Monday from Russia’s first wartime parliamentary election, a tightly orchestrated vote that excluded virtually any genuine opposition. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman and the head of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev, center, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, center right, stand with other party members as they watch preliminary voting results for Russian parliamentary elections Sept. 20 at the United Russia's headquarters in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Russian Federal Customs Service Valery Pikalev in Moscow on Sept. 21. A voter fills in a ballot during Russia's parliamentary election in Donetsk, in the Russian-controlled part of the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Sept. 18. Ella Pamfilova, the head of Russian Central Election Commission, second from left, and other members of the commission attend a news conference following parliamentary elections Sept. 21 in Moscow. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/21/russian-drones-slam-a-southern-ukraine-city-after-kyiv-s-1-000-drone-weekend-barrage/stories/20260921082 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/21/russian-drones-slam-a-southern-ukraine-city-after-kyiv-s-1-000-drone-weekend-barrage/stories/20260921082#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:59:49 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/21/russian-drones-slam-a-southern-ukraine-city-after-kyiv-s-1-000-drone-weekend-barrage/stories/20260921082 KYIV, Ukraine — Russian drones blasted Ukraine’s southern city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after Kyiv’s forces fired more than 1,000 drones at Russia, officials said Monday. A rescue worker puts out a fire at the Intrade trade center after a Russian drone strike on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sept. 21. Rescue workers put out a fire at the Intrade trade center after a Russian drone strike on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Sept. 21. A rescue worker puts out a fire at the Intrade trade center after a Russian drone strike on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Sept. 21. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/19/denmark-leaders-cautiously-optimistic-trump-announcement-greenland-deal/stories/20260919084 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/19/denmark-leaders-cautiously-optimistic-trump-announcement-greenland-deal/stories/20260919084#comments Sat, 19 Sep 2026 14:01:08 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/19/denmark-leaders-cautiously-optimistic-trump-announcement-greenland-deal/stories/20260919084 COPENHAGEN, Denmark  — Denmark's government was cautiously optimistic on Saturday following Donald Trump's announcement of a deal on Greenland to bolster U.S. military presence there but keep the island under Danish control after months of threats by the U.S. president to seize the semiautonomous territory of a NATO ally. FILE - Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenland's government leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen visit Qoornoq, Greenland, on Sept. 6. Houses covered in snow are seen on the coast of a sea inlet of Nuuk, Greenland, in 2025. From right, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and the Faroe Islands' Prime Minister Beinir Johannesen visit Qooqqut, Greenland, on Sept. 7. President Donald Trump speaks during an event about healthcare in the Oval Office of the White House on Sept. 18 in Washington. Two groups from the Poseidon Expeditions tour company look at a glacier in the Scoresby Sund in 2023 in Greenland. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/16/saudis-seek-allies-help-missile-defenses-run-low-houthis/stories/20260916097 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/16/saudis-seek-allies-help-missile-defenses-run-low-houthis/stories/20260916097#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2026 20:18:53 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/16/saudis-seek-allies-help-missile-defenses-run-low-houthis/stories/20260916097 CAIRO — Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and has turned to regional and Western allies for assistance as its standoff with Houthi rebels in Yemen drags on, two regional officials said Wednesday. Displaced Yemenis from the West coast wait to receive medical care at Prince Mohammed bin Salman Hospital in Aden, Yemen, on Sept. 16. Displaced Yemenis from the west coast, register to receive free medical care at The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Hospital in Aden, Yemen, on Sept. 16. Pickup trucks travel in a mass funeral procession for Houthi officers and other military personnel in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sept. 16. This image taken from an undated video released on Sept. d15 by the Ansar Allah Media Office, the media arm of Yemen's Houthi rebels, shows what the group says are Houthi fighters battling Saudi-backed forces in eastern Jawf, Yemen. This image from an undated video released on Sept. 16 by the Ansar Allah Media Office, the media arm of Yemen's Houthi rebels, shows Houthi fighters posing and chanting atop what the group described as the wreckage of a downed Saudi F-15 fighter jet bearing a Saudi flag in Marib province, Yemen. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/16/iran-hesitates-clamp-down-defiance-headscarf-rules/stories/20260916095 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/16/iran-hesitates-clamp-down-defiance-headscarf-rules/stories/20260916095#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:47:31 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/16/iran-hesitates-clamp-down-defiance-headscarf-rules/stories/20260916095 Women sit at outdoor cafes without headscarves and wearing crop tops. Men in shorts and women in leggings exercise together in parks. At sidewalk concerts, women stop to dance and literally let their hair down. A woman talks on her cellphone as she walks across the Islamic Revolution square in downtown Tehran, on Sept. 15. Women walk at the Islamic Revolution square in downtown Tehran on Sept. 15. Pedestrians cross the Islamic Revolution street in downtown Tehran on Sept. 15. People pass a portrait of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the U.S and Israel strike on Feb. 28, at the Islamic Revolution square in Tehran on Sept. 15. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/15/nato-jets-shoot-down-drone-lithuania-russian-ship-fires-flares-danish-helicopter/stories/20260915105 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/15/nato-jets-shoot-down-drone-lithuania-russian-ship-fires-flares-danish-helicopter/stories/20260915105#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:17:11 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/15/nato-jets-shoot-down-drone-lithuania-russian-ship-fires-flares-danish-helicopter/stories/20260915105 VILNIUS, Lithuania — NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace overnight, officials said Tuesday, the day after the head of the alliance said strikes close to its territory would only increase its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia’s full-scale invasion. Lithuanian soldiers are securing the area where Italian fighter jets during NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission shot down a drone Sept. 15 near Pratkunai village, Kaisiadorys district some 55 miles northwest of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania. Lithuanian soldiers are securing the area where Italian fighter jets during NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission shot down a drone Sept. 15 near Pratkunai village, Kaisiadorys district some 55 miles northwest of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania. Ruslan Kravchenko, prosecutor general of Ukraine poses for photo in his office in Kyiv, Ukraine. Monaco's Foreign Minister Isabelle Berro-Amadei walks past the Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 15. https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/14/zelensky-says-ukraine-pause-strikes-russia/stories/20260914104 https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/14/zelensky-says-ukraine-pause-strikes-russia/stories/20260914104#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2026 20:43:46 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2026/09/14/zelensky-says-ukraine-pause-strikes-russia/stories/20260914104 KYIV, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that Ukraine is ready to halt its strikes on Russian territory if allies can secure a genuine Russian commitment not to hit Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. A locomotive damaged in a Russian drone attack is seen at Yahodyn railway station near Ukraine's border with Poland, Ukraine, on Sept. 13. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, right, speaks during a joint news conference with Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 13. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrives for the EU summit in Brussels on June 18.