The Saudi-led coalition warned Saturday it would back Yemen's government in any military confrontation with separatist forces, as Riyadh urged them to withdraw "peacefully" from recently-seized provinces.
The statements came a day after reported Saudi air strikes on separatist positions in Yemen's Hadramawt province -- and after Washington called for restraint in the rapidly escalating conflict.
General Turki al-Malki, the spokesman for the coalition, warned of intervention if efforts to de-escalate the situation failed because of the separatists' actions.
"The coalition forces affirm that any military movements undermining these efforts will be dealt with directly and immediately to protect civilian lives," he said, according to the Saudi news agency SPA.
He emphasised the coalition's support for the internationally-recognised Yemeni government and called on all parties to "bear national responsibility, exercise restraint, and respond to efforts for peaceful solutions", SPA reported.
Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman posted on X that troops from the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) should "peacefully hand over" two regional governorates to the government.
"It's time," he posted, "at this sensitive moment, to let reason prevail by withdrawing from the two provinces and doing so peacefully."
The STC had warned on Friday that they were undeterred after strikes blamed on Saudi Arabia hit their positions, in the latest escalation since they seized large swathes of territory in the Hadramawt and Mahrah provinces.
There were no immediate reports of casualties in the strikes.
In recent weeks the UAE-backed STC, which seeks to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen, swept through swathes of the country, expelling other government forces and their allies.
Since the takeover, supporters of the separatists have been gathering regularly in cities including Aden to demand they declare independence, with the largest rallies taking place every Friday.
On Saturday, hundreds of Yemeni tribesmen gathered in Aden to ask the STC's leaders to announce the independence of South Yemen, according to the separatist-affiliated Aden Independent Channel.
The channel aired footage of a large crowd marching and waving the South Yemen independence flag alongside the UAE's flag.
Experts say their successes have embarrassed regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, the main backer of the internationally-recognised Yemeni government.
Farea al-Muslimi, from the Chatham House think tank in London, told AFP that the STC had crossed Riyadh's "red lines" and that the situation could quickly get worse.
"It is one bad thing to humiliate Saudi Arabia. And it is another much worse thing to humiliate Saudi Arabia publicly. And that's exactly what they did," he said.
- US urges restraint -
In Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: "We urge restraint and continued diplomacy, with a view to reaching a lasting solution."
Following Friday's raids, Yemen's government urged the Saudi-led coalition to support its forces in Hadramawt, after separatists seized most of the country's largest province.
The government asked the coalition to "take all necessary military measures to protect innocent Yemeni civilians in Hadramawt province and support the armed forces", the official Yemeni news agency said.
A Yemeni military official said on Friday that around 15,000 Saudi-backed fighters were amassed near the Saudi border but had not been given orders to advance on separatist-held territory.
The areas where they were deployed are located at the edges of territory seized in recent weeks by the UAE-backed STC.
Separatist advances have added pressure on ties between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which support rival groups within Yemen's government.
The government is a patchwork of groups that includes the separatists, and is held together by shared opposition to the Iran-backed Houthis.
The Houthis pushed the government out of Yemen's capital Sanaa in 2014 and secured control over most of the north.
On Friday, the UAE welcomed Saudi efforts to support security in Yemen, as the two Gulf allies sought to present a united front despite backing different sides in the fighting.
The Trump administration on Monday reached a deal with researchers and Democratic-led states who sued over cuts to funding for diversity-related research, agreeing to review grant applications that were stalled or rejected during the legal battle.
A federal judge in Boston previously ruled that the National Institutes of Health unlawfully canceled hundreds of millions of dollars in research grants because of their perceived connection to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The U.S. Supreme Court in August partially put that decision on hold, ruling that legal battles over the terminated grants should be handled by a different court that specializes in monetary disputes with the government. The Supreme Court left unresolved a second piece of the litigation concerning the NIH's processing of applications for future funding.
Monday’s agreement resolved part of the battle over the NIH grants, with the government agreeing to conduct new reviews of grant applications that were frozen, denied, or withdrawn after the new policy was announced. The agreement does not require NIH to fund any particular research proposal.
The researchers who sued NIH said Monday that the proposed grants will advance public health issues, including HIV prevention, Alzheimer’s disease, LGBTQ health, and sexual violence.
"This agreement allows my grant application, and many others, to move forward for review after an arbitrary and destructive freeze,” said plaintiff Nikki Maphis, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of New Mexico who is studying Alzheimer’s disease and alcohol use in the aging brain.
This agreement does not impact U.S. District Judge William Young’s earlier ruling in the case blocking the NIH's policy of ceasing grant funding for diversity-related research. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has appealed that ruling, and has said it stands by its decision to end funding for research "that prioritized ideological agendas over scientific rigor and meaningful outcomes for the American people."
United States President Donald Trump insisted on Monday that he is not worried about China's military drills near Taiwan, noting that such exercises have been going on for "20, 25 years."
Speaking to the press alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, Trump claimed that the drills were "larger" in the past than they are now, but that "now people take it a little bit differently."
Furthermore, Trump stressed that he has a "great relationship" with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who did not tell him "anything" about the drills or warn him about their nature. He also noted that "I don't believe he's gonna be doing it" when it comes to crossing the line on Taiwan.
The United States Congress is set to gather again in one week, with debate expected over the authority to approve military action against Venezuela, Representative Adam Schiff said.
"When we return, we need four Republicans in Congress to stand with us and reassert that Congress, and only Congress, has the power to authorize military action against Venezuela," he wrote. Schiff added that the start of the new year should not mark the beginning of another prolonged conflict aimed at regime change.
His comments come after repeated US strikes against Venezuelan boats accused of smuggling fentanyl and announced land strikes soon.
In the 2026 midterms, 33 Senate seats are up for election—20 currently held by Republicans and 13 held by Democrats. Prediction site Polymarket gives Republicans a 66 percent chance at holding the upper chamber.
To do so, they’ll need to fend off challenges from Democrats and make gains in a series of key races, including in Georgia, North Carolina, Maine, and Texas.
Meanwhile, Democrats are the current favorites to reclaim the House from Republicans, who hold the chamber 220 to 213, with two vacancies. Prediction sites such as Polymarket are giving Democrats a 78 percent chance of winning and RealClearPolitics (RCP) shows Democrats leading in House polls by about 3.7 percentage points.
Here are the top eight Senate races to watch, leading up to the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
1. Texas
Both the Democratic and Republican primaries in the Lone Star State are intense contests.
On the GOP side, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is running to replace incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
Paxton entered the race earlier this year, carrying baggage from controversies, including a 2023 impeachment trial in which he was ultimately acquitted by the Texas Senate.
The race has been labeled by Paxton as a contest between his populist, America First politics and the establishment politics, which he claims are represented by Cornyn.
Cornyn has described the race as a question of character, referencing Paxton’s impeachment, allegations of adultery, and other legal challenges faced by his challenger.
Most observers and prediction markets have pegged these two candidates as the frontrunners.
However, Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) has also thrown his hat into the ring, setting up a three-way primary that is likely to result in a runoff.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the main campaigning and fundraising arm of the Senate GOP, is supporting Cornyn, who is slightly favored in current RCP polling.
Trump has not yet made an endorsement in the race.
Given the broader political environment, Democrats hope for a long-shot win and currently leading the pack of potential nominees is Texas state Rep. James Talarico.
Talarico rose to prominence during the redistricting battle this summer as Texas Republicans voted to add five Republican districts to the state’s congressional map.
His main rival for the nomination is Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), whose Oct. 8 entry into the race prompted Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) to end his bid.
The primary race will be held on March 3, and any runoff races are scheduled for May 26.
2. Georgia
For years, Republicans have sought to reclaim at least one of the Peach State’s two Senate seats, which were won by Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) in early January 2021 runoff elections.
This year, Ossoff has no Democratic rivals to fend off in the primary; while Republicans show a crowded field in their bid to reverse their losing streak in the state’s Senate races.
The top declared challengers in the Republican primary include Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), and former football coach Derek Dooley.
Each has emphasized loyalty to Trump as they vie for an endorsement from the White House, though the president has so far stayed out of the race.
Outgoing Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has endorsed Dooley.
The RCP average shows Collins currently leading the GOP field by almost 10 percent.
However, Ossoff leads in hypothetical match-ups with any of the three Republicans in the general election.
Georgia’s primary is set for May 19, 2026, and the primary runoff date is June 16, 2026.
3. Maine
Further up the Eastern Seaboard, a long-serving Republican could be facing her toughest political challenge yet.
First elected in 1996, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has bucked trends in New England, where all other federal office seats are held by Democrats.
Collins’s seat is a top target for Democrats. She was reelected in 2020 with 51 percent of the vote, fending off Democratic challenger Sara Gideon who won 42.4 percent.
Two major Democratic contenders seeking the nomination in the Pine Tree State are military veteran and political newcomer Graham Platner and Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
At the start of the election cycle, Platner’s populist and progressive brand of politics garnered attention from left-leaning Democratic voters nationwide, earning him the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
However, his candidacy has faced difficulties following multiple scandals.
Mills’ candidacy has the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Platner has a wide lead over Mills in the RCP average, which also shows that he would defeat Collins. Polling shows Collins winning a hypothetical matchup with Mills.
Maine’s primary is scheduled for June 9, 2026.
4. Michigan
In Michigan, Republicans hope to capitalize on incumbent Sen. Gary Peters’ (D-Mich.) retirement to win a key pickup in a state that has become synonymous with battleground politics in recent years.
Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) is the presumptive GOP nominee this year. Rogers was the Republicans’ nominee in the state’s 2024 Senate election, which he lost to Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) by just 0.3 percent.
Trump has endorsed Rogers in the race.
However, in a race that still favors Democrats, the Democratic field is more competitive. So far, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and physician Abdul El-Sayed have thrown their hats in the ring.
McMorrow has said she would not support Schumer as Senate Democratic leader if she is elected. Establishment Democrats are supporting Stevens.
The RCP average shows Stevens with a narrow lead in the primary, and that Rogers would defeat those three candidates in a matchup.
Michigan’s primary election is scheduled for Aug. 4, 2026.
5. Ohio
Once upon a time, the Buckeye State was the definitive swing state, serving as a top target for both parties. But in recent years, it’s become nearly a lock for Republicans.
This year, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) hopes to change that—and make a political comeback after losing his seat in the state’s 2024 Senate election.
Brown served in the Senate from 2007 to 2025, before losing to Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) in the 2024 election.
The seat up for grabs is currently occupied by Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to fill the seat after Vice President JD Vance assumed his current role.
The race this year is a special election, and the winner will serve out the remaining two years of Vance’s term.
The RCP average shows Husted, who has been endorsed by Trump, leading by 2.5 percentage points.
Ohio’s primaries are set for May 5, 2026.
6. North Carolina
North Carolina has long been viewed as a swing state, despite its results typically favoring Republicans.
This year, Republicans are seeking to hold the seat being vacated by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who is retiring.
Democrats’ chances in the race are bolstered by the decision of former Gov. Roy Cooper—a popular Democrat who has proven electable at a statewide level—to seek the post.
“I have thought on it and prayed about it, and I have decided: I want to serve as your next United States Senator, because, even now, I still believe our best days are ahead,” Cooper said in a video posted to his YouTube account on July 28.
Republicans are expected to field Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, who has been endorsed by Trump.
The RCP average shows Cooper, who served as governor from 2017 to 2025, leading Whatley by 4.7 percentage points.
The North Carolina primary will be held on March 3, 2026, and any runoffs are scheduled for May 12, 2026.
7. Nebraska
In Republican stronghold Nebraska, the Democrats don’t plan to field a candidate.
Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), who was appointed by the governor to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), is the odds-on favorite to win the seat.
However, Republicans could still face a battle to hold the seat in 2026 in the form of independent candidate Dan Osborn.
In 2024, Osborn—who wouldn’t caucus with either party—came within 6.67 percent of winning the seat.
Nebraska’s primary is set for May 12, 2026.
8. New Hampshire
Though New Hampshire favors Democrats on a national level, Republicans hope to defy trends this year in the wake of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) retirement.
The Republican primary is a two-way race between former Sens. John E. Sununu (R-N.H.) and Scott Brown (R-Mass.).
Establishment Senate Republicans are supporting Sununu, who served in the Senate between 2003 and 2009.
The RCP average shows Sununu leading the primary race by 13 percentage points.
On the Democrat side, Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) is the frontrunner.
In possible general election matchups, RCP polling shows Pappas with a narrow edge on Sununu and winning against Brown by double digits.
The primary election in New Hampshire is scheduled for Sept. 8, 2026.
The conversation between CBS Face the Nation’s Margaret Brennan and Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan on Sunday morning focused on the economic outlook for small businesses after nearly one year of the Trump administration’s ‘America First’ policies.
Moynihan discussed trade policy, tariffs, small businesses, labor, and immigration. He noted that, on the trade front, Trump’s trade war with many of America’s top trading partners was chaotic in early 2025 and caused significant concern among small businesses, a key client base for BofA. By the end of the year, however, that chaos had largely subsided.
Brennan asked BofA CEO:
In the past year, trade and tariffs—there were a lot of shocks to the system. It was a big concern. But Bank of America now projects that President Trump's strategy is one of de-escalation, not escalation. Does that mean you see this trade war with China cooling off?
Moynihan's response:
Well, I think if you go back to where we were in April, there was a lot of lack of understanding about what would end up being affected for small businesses. They were shocked—they'll be shocked—by the sheer size and volume of dollars across the board, etc. What you'd say now, as time has moved on, it's sort of 15% on one side, and then higher numbers based on people who won't commit to purchase from the US or will not commit to lowering their non-tariff barriers, things like that.
So the question—when I talk to foreign governments, they ask questions about, "What does this all mean for CEOs?" You've got a choice: you could be here, you just have to make choices. It's going to drive more towards America—come down to 15%, go to 10% across the board, 15% for the broad base of countries. Not a huge impact. And that's where our team says it is starting to de-escalate. You start seeing resolution discussions—15% here, different numbers.
When you put China in, it's a Chinese question because of national security interests: rare earth minerals, magnets, batteries, chips, AI—all this stuff. It's a very different case. I think also between Mexico, China, and the US—the USMCA, which has to be redone—is also a different case. But broadly in the world, you can see sort of an endpoint here, and now they've just got to work with it. It's got to work through the system.
Brennan then asked:
How much of a toll has that taken on small businesses? I understand Bank of America is the largest small business lender in the country...
Moynihan responded:
It was a big toll earlier this year because rates were going up—it cost more money because they borrow on revolving lines of credit... and they were on floating rates. And then tariffs came in and caused, "I'm not sure I can get the goods at what price and how I could commit."
As you went through the year, rates came down a little bit, so now their issue right now is labor—they need to get labor to bid contracts and do the work. Because immigration policies haven't settled in yet, that's causing people concern. It's not that they agree with them or disagree with them—just need to have an answer.
And that's, I think, across four policy regimes: tax, trade and tariffs, immigration, and ultimately deregulation. We've seen resolution of a lot of it. But I think the next one for small business—what they tell us—is labor availability.
How they get there is, "I need people to do this work, and I need to be dependable that they're here. So give me a set of rules, and I'll go play with them. I just need clarity on what the rules are."
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan says small business owners have concerns about the Trump administration’s immigration policies, not because “they agree with them or disagree with them,” but rather the “policies haven't settled in yet.”
What is very clear is that Trump’s America First policies have defied the apocalyptic consensus of mainstream economists, MSM complex, and the Democratic Party’s propaganda machine.
Economic data show solid growth and controlled inflation, pointing to a robust 2026, just in time for the midterms, as Democrats search for their next doom-and-gloom narrative to flood the airwaves. Yet Democrats fail even to mention that much of the affordability crisis originated during the Biden-Harris regime years and their nation-killing globalist policies, which Trump officials have been correcting this year
The maritime industry publicationThe Maritime Executive, citing a new report from the Spanish outletLa Verdad, reported that the Russian cargo ship that sank last year off Spain's southeastern Mediterranean coast was transporting undeclared components for two VM-4SG nuclear submarine reactors, allegedly with a port call planned in North Korea.
In December 2024, the Russian cargo ship Ursa Major sank under highly suspicious circumstances in waters between Spain and Algeria following reported engine room explosions. The ship's owners characterized the incident as "an act of terrorism."
Spanish authorities determined that blue-tarped objects on Ursa Major's stern were likely unfueled naval nuclear reactor casings, each weighing roughly 65 tons. Investigators identified them as components of VM-4SG reactors, Soviet-designed naval nuclear reactors developed to power Russia's nuclear ballistic-missile submarine fleet during the late Cold War and still in limited service today.
Here's the report:
The circumstances of the vessel's sudden sinking were suspicious, prompting the maritime captaincy to begin questioning the crew. Ursa Major's master, Capt. Igor Vladimirovich Anisimov, initially told investigators the cargo consisted of more than 100 empty containers, two giant crawler cranes on deck, and two large components for a Russian icebreaker project, referring to the tarped objects near the stern. All cargo was reportedly bound for Vladivostok.
The two so-called "icebreaker components" were shipped as deck cargo and were visible to spotting aircraft during the ship's earlier transit. Based on aerial surveillance, each object measured approximately 20 to 25 feet square, including crating, dunnage, and tarping.
Spanish authorities estimated their weight at roughly 65 tonnes each, indicating unusually high density. La Verdad reported that after the captain was pressed on the matter, he asked for time to think before telling investigators the items were merely "manhole covers."
Documents reviewed by La Verdad show Spanish investigators ultimately identified the cargo as casings for nuclear submarine reactors, specifically two Soviet-era VM-4SG reactors.
As for the destination, Spanish authorities speculated the reactor components may have been intended for North Korea's nuclear submarine program, which recently unveiled its first ballistic-missile submarine. Multiple analysts have suggested the new North Korean vessel likely benefited from Russian technical assistance for reactor design and could potentially incorporate a fully built Russian reactor. Russia is believed to owe North Korea a strategic debt following Pyongyang's large-scale transfers of artillery shells and munitions that helped Russian forces stabilize and regain ground in eastern Ukraine.
The cause of Ursa Major's sinking appears to have been kinetic. The shipowner told media there were three explosions and a 20-inch hole in the shell plating, while the captain confirmed the hole's ragged edges were bent inward. This damage profile is consistent with an external explosion impacting the hull.
This report surfaced days after North Korea released new images of what it claims is its first nuclear-powered submarine, a platform framed as a direct challenge to American naval dominance in the region.
If the report that Ursa Major's sinking was kinetic is accurate, the unresolved question is who executed the strike and under what operational authority.
