The Saudi -led coalition fighting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels said Thursday it has thwarted a missile attack on the holy city of Medina as well as another attack in the eastern part of the kingdom.
Meanwhile, an Israeli strike in Gaza killed one man, hospital officials said.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Thursday. Read our full coverage here.
The Saudi-led coalition confirmed in a statement that it intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile over the province of Medina, but notably did not assign blame for the attack.
The Houthis’ military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree denied carrying out the attack. The rebel group previously pledged not to attack airports in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
Medina is where the Prophet Muhammad established the Muslim community, while Mecca is where the prophet was born and received his revelations. It's viewed as the holiest city in Islam.
The international airport in the capital, Riyadh, has suspended service because of Houthi attacks. Dozens of flights also were canceled or delayed at Jeddah airport, according to Flightradar24, a flight tracking platform.
Earlier Thursday, Saudi Arabia also said it destroyed a drone over Eastern province, a major oil-producing region.
The latest conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway for the transport of Gulf oil and other goods at the southern end of the Red Sea off Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition, backing forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, has been trying to retake them.
Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that a mutual defense pact between Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, as well as any deployment of Turkish forces under the agreement, requires parliamentary approval.
In a statement, the ministry also indicated that no final decision had been made on the type of assistance Turkey might provide to Saudi Arabia.
The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in August, and Turkish officials say it is expected to be ratified by parliament in the coming days. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and other officials have ruled out the deployment of combat troops, stressing that the pact is purely defensive.
An Israeli strike north of Gaza City killed one man on Thursday morning, according to officials at Shifa Hospital.
Israel’s military said it struck a “terrorist” in the area, without elaborating.
The strike came over a year after a ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and the Hamas militant group, a period during which Israel continued to launch deadly strikes on the enclave.
More than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire was reached in October last year, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. Its figures are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It doesn’t give a breakdown of civilians and militants.
A Syrian court on Thursday sentenced two people to death and three others to prison terms over their roles in last year's sectarian violence in the country’s coastal region.
In March 2025, loyalists of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad attacked members of the new government’s security forces in areas where a large segment of the country’s Alawite religious minority live. The government’s counterinsurgency spiraled into widespread violence in which hundreds of civilians — most of them Alawites — were killed.
Two members of the pro-Assad groups were sentenced to death and a third to 12 years in prison. Two members of the security forces received prison terms.
The European Union and Gulf Cooperation Council members announced they are putting on hold their planned Oct. 24 summit in Riyadh.
No new date has been set for the gathering that was to bring together leaders from the 27 EU economies and the Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The secretary-general of the GCC, Jasem Albudaiwi, said in a statement that the delay was made in light of Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and a desire "to ensure the safety of participating delegations.”
The EU-GCC summit was scheduled to discuss maritime security in the Red Sea, energy infrastructure investments and stabilizing energy prices in the wake of the Iran war and renewed fighting in Yemen.
This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
Buildings line King Fahd Road in the Olaya district of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026 (AP Photo/Baraa Anwer)
Buildings and construction sites fill the skyline, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. (AP Pjoto/Baraa Anwer)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jake Bauers' new lease on life allows him to worry less and give more.
Two seasons after he nearly quit baseball, Bauers has become a big hitter in the middle of the Milwaukee Brewers' lineup — and he put his renewed focus on display in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.
Bauers’ two-run homer on the 11th pitch of a seventh-inning at-bat against Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell gave Milwaukee the lead for good in a 6-2 victory Wednesday, putting the Brewers on the cusp of their first World Series since 1982.
“Incredible at-bat,” manager Pat Murphy said.
Bauers fouled off five two-strike pitches before turning on a 97 mph fastball and launching it 412 feet to right field.
“Super sick,” teammate Garrett Mitchell said. “I think that more just goes to show the type of player he is. It’s a selfless at-bat. He’s just trying to put the ball in play. He’s trying to move the guy over, and put an incredible swing on that. For me, being able to watch that on deck was awesome.”
Mitchell followed with a home run of his own to chase Snell and make it 4-2. Milwaukee has a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven NLCS, with Game 4 at Los Angeles on Thursday.
Bauers was drafted in 2013 by the San Diego Padres out of Marina High School in Huntington Beach, located about 40 miles south of Dodger Stadium. After batting .202 for the New York Yankees in 2023, he was traded that November to Milwaukee — where he hit .199 in 2024.
Ready to hang up his spikes, Bauer changed his mind when his wife told him she was pregnant. Wanting to be a provider for his growing family, he put off retirement and maintained their health insurance.
Earlier this week, Bauers spoke eloquently about his wife and her sacrifice while raising two rambunctious children while he is away playing baseball.
Now, he's making fans all over Milwaukee feel like little kids again.
“There’s a lot of people to credit, man,” Bauers said after Wednesday's game. “I’ve played a lot of places. I’ve picked up knowledge from a lot of different people.
“I think what changed for me this year was I stopped caring about results. I started caring about competing. I started caring about being in the moment and getting out of my own way.”
All that showed up in Game 2 of the series when he worked a two-out walk to load the bases on the 12th pitch he saw from Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the third inning. Christian Yelich followed with a two-run single for a 3-2 lead in a 7-4 victory, ending Yamamoto's outing.
Bauers, who turned 31 last week, is in his third year with Milwaukee — his fifth team in seven major league seasons. The first baseman and corner outfielder led the Brewers with 26 home runs and an .874 OPS during the regular season.
“Jake got an opportunity, that’s what he got,” Murphy said. “He got an opportunity to contribute, and he kind of found his offensive approach. And he kind of found, like, I’m really talented, but this is what serves me best. It’s a growth in the game. He’s continued to grow.”
Patient and disciplined with a sharp eye at the plate, Bauers drew 94 walks and compiled a .389 on-base percentage this season. He also had 86 RBIs in 144 games, shattering his previous career highs across the board.
“I came into this year feeling like there was really only one person holding me back, and that was myself,” Bauers said. “So I think I just gave myself the space to believe that I could play — I could play in this league.”
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers (9) rounds the bases after hitting a two RBI home run during the seventh inning of Game 3 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers connects for a two run home run as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith looks on during the seventh inning of Game 3 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers connects for a two run home run during the seventh inning of Game 3 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers (9) connects for a two RBI home run off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (7) during the seventh inning of Game 3 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers watches his two RBI home run leave the park during the seventh inning of Game 3 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
