Students and parents have held protests at several schools in Azerbaijan, demanding that girls wearing hijabs be allowed to attend classes.

According to JAMnews, the country’s Interior Ministry announced on 12 October that 37 people had been arrested in connection with incidents over the enforcement of school uniform requirements.

Students at some schools in Baku and Masalli district refused to attend classes in support of classmates who wear hijabs. Outside School No. 69 in Baku’s Balakhani settlement, protesters held a banner reading: “The hijab is not a barrier to education.”

The protests were prompted by new school clothing requirements adopted by the government on 21 September. The decision prohibits clothing items that undermine uniform consistency or do not comply with the principle of secular education. The document does not explicitly mention the hijab.

Meydan TV reported that parents and female students said school administrators were requiring girls to remove their hijabs. Separate clothing requirements for teachers were approved on 6 October, covering business-style attire and adherence to the secular nature of education.

Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry said those arrested had provoked conflicts with education staff in Baku, damaged educational institutions and attempted to obstruct their work. A criminal case has been opened under an article concerning the organisation of, or active participation in, actions that disrupt public order.

An opening ceremony for the “Meeting of Falcons–2026” joint tactical flight exercises involving the air forces of Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates took place in Azerbaijan on 12 October.

Aircraft and air defence assets from both countries are taking part, according to Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry.

The opening ceremony was held at an Azerbaijani Air Force base.

“The joint tactical flight exercises are being conducted in accordance with the protocol of the first meeting of the Joint Commission on Military Cooperation signed between the two countries,” the statement said.

Participants were briefed on the exercise scenario and forthcoming tasks.

The exhibition “Faith and Identity: Relics from the History Museum of Armenia” was officially inaugurated at the Byzantine Museum of the Archbishop Makarios III Foundation in Nicosia.

Initiated by the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Cyprus, the exhibition is organised by the Byzantine Museum in cooperation with the History Museum of Armenia and the Armenian Prelacy of Cyprus.

The opening ceremony was attended and addressed by Archbishop Georgios of New Justiniana and All Cyprus, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus Clea Hadjistephanou Papaellina, Pontifical Vicar to the Armenian Prelacy in Cyprus Archbishop Gomidas Ohanian, Representative of the Armenian Religious Group in the House of Representatives Vartkes Mahdessian, Director General of the Archbishop Makarios III Foundation Christos Koukliotis, Director of the Byzantine Museum Ioannis Eliades, Director of the History Museum of Armenia Davit Poghosyan.

The event was also attended by representatives of Cypriot governmental institutions and parliament, ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps, clergy, representatives of the Armenian community, sponsors, and other distinguished guests.

In her remarks, Ambassador Inna Torgomyan emphasised that the exhibition represents much more than a presentation of historical treasures, serving as a dialogue between two ancient Christian cultures and a celebration of the enduring friendship between Armenia and Cyprus. She highlighted the significance of bringing together exceptional objects from the collection of the History Museum of Armenia, illustrating different chapters of the Armenian people’s spiritual, cultural history and traditions, alongside important examples of Armenian heritage preserved in Cyprus and provided by the Armenian Prelature.

The Ambassador expressed her sincere appreciation to all the institutions and individuals whose dedication and cooperation made the exhibition possible. The exhibition was sponsored by CDA Group, Arsen Theofanidis LLC and VISA Concord and Honorary Consul of Armenia in Cyprus.

The exhibition will remain on display at the Byzantine Museum of the Archbishop Makarios III Foundation in Nicosia for six months, until 9 April 2027.

US academics Robert Hall and Michael Woodford won the 2026 Nobel economics prize for “microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation”, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said on Monday.

The two laureates developed new macroeconomic models that improved our ability to implement effective stabilisation policy, enabling well-timed fiscal and monetary policy measures ⁠that can reduce the intensity of damaging swings in the economy, Reuters reported.

“The laureates’ work has provided us with a stable theoretical foundation for the models that are now used by central banks and governments around the world,” John Hassler, Chair of the Committee for the Prize in Economic Sciences, said in a statement.

“With them, we are better equipped to deal with shocks in the economy, such as energy crises or sudden changes in how much households consume.”

The economics prize, first awarded in 1969, is not one of the original five ‌awards ⁠created in the 1895 will of industrialist and dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel, but was established by Sweden’s central bank.

The Nobel prizes for medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace were announced last week.

One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a new attack on Riyadh’s international airport on Sunday, Reuters reported, citing Saudi authorities, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.

Saudi-led coalition forces in ‌Yemen said an unidentified projectile had targeted Riyadh’s international airport Terminal 4 on Sunday, causing a fire. Eleven people were wounded in addition to the fatality, the Saudi civil aviation authority said.

Coalition forces also said Saudi air defenses had intercepted a cruise missile in the vicinity of King Khalid International Airport. They later added that a drone had been intercepted and destroyed in the country’s Eastern Province, and a ballistic missile launched towards Khamis Mushait had been intercepted. Emergency alerts were also issued in Abha, in the south, early on Monday but the danger had since passed, the Saudi Civil Defense said.

In a televised speech on Sunday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack and said the group had also struck the airport in Dammam in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province and two facilities of Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco.

Saudi Arabia has recently stepped up its military involvement in Yemen, launching strikes against the Houthis and backing a government counteroffensive after the Houthis seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month.

The Houthis said on Sunday that Saudi Arabia carried out 124 air strikes in Yemen in the past 24 hours. “Unless the Saudi enemy stops its aggression and interference in Yemen, worse is yet to come, God willing,” Yemen’s Houthi-run foreign ministry said in statements carried by Al Masirah television.

US President ⁠Donald Trump said on Saturday the United States was considering joining Saudi strikes on the Houthis in the conflict.

Pope Leo said on Sunday that doctors had detected a small growth on his lung ‌during a recent health check and he would be undergoing surgery this week to remove it, in the first health scare of the 71-year-old pontiff’s tenure, Reuters reported.

Leo told pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly Sunday prayer that the growth, a small nodule, was “well-contained” and had been spotted early.

The Vatican did not say whether the nodule is believed to be malignant.

“Recently, during some medical examinations, doctors found a localized nodule in my lung,” said the pontiff. “It was detected at a very early ⁠stage and is well contained.”

“The doctors believe it is advisable to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it,” he said. “The operation is already scheduled for the next few days.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wished the pope well.

“I would like to express to the Holy Father my personal support, and that of the Italian government, ⁠as he faces this challenge in the coming days,” she said in a statement.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said London would continue supporting Saudi Arabia in countering the Houthis, stressing the importance of protecting civilians.

According to the UK government’s website, Burnham made the remarks in a speech to the House of Commons on 12 October.

“I condemn the horrific attacks on King Khalid International Airport. We will continue to support Saudi Arabia in countering the Houthis,” he said.

Burnham said he had discussed the situation in the Middle East during a meeting with US President Donald Trump and confirmed the British decision to send air defence assets and a Voyager aircraft to Saudi Arabia.

The aircraft is intended to support the refuelling of other aircraft in flight. According to the prime minister, it has already carried out 14 operational missions. He stressed that this support was necessary to protect civilians.

The foreign ministers of 29 countries have issued a joint statement condemning violent attacks attributed to Iran against their countries and partner states, including assassination plots, arson, sabotage, cyberattacks and other hybrid operations.

According to the statement published on the UK government’s website on 12 October, it was adopted by the foreign ministers of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Australia and 23 other countries.

The signatories acknowledged the UK’s assessment of Iran’s involvement in the incident at Fairford air base on 27 September. According to London’s assessment, the incident demonstrates the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ continued willingness to conduct hostile activities outside Iran through covert networks and proxies.

“Any attempt by Iran to threaten, silence, intimidate, harass, harm or coerce people on our territories through proxies or other means is unacceptable,” the statement said.

The ministers also referred to recent attacks against Jewish communities in Europe, Iranian journalists and US interests, for which the Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya (HAYI) group claimed responsibility.

The signatory states declared their readiness to uncover, investigate and disrupt such activities and prosecute those responsible.

Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan will visit Poland on October 12-13 to participate in the Warsaw Security Forum.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan, announcing the visit, added that Mirzoyan is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with counterparts.

Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan spoke by phone with his Omani counterpart, Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi.

According to the Foreign Ministry’s readout, the FMs discussed regional developments.

Mirzoyan inquired about the situation in the Middle East following the events of recent days, expressing hope that the issues could be resolved through diplomatic means.

Mirzoyan briefed his Omani counterpart on the steps being taken to consistently consolidate the established peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The ministers discussed issues on multilateral platforms aimed at promoting regional cooperation.