Rocket Lab Earns Spot in $5.6 Billion Space Force Launch Program but Must First Fly Neutron Rocket

The United States, Denmark and Greenland have agreed on a security pact that expands US involvement in Greenland. The long-running diplomatic standoff is easing for now, without any transfer of the territory of Greenland, a Danish autonomous territory, to the United States. US President Trump said on the 18th that the US had agreed to hold "permanent management rights" over Greenland's security, and confirmed that the leaders of Denmark and Greenland are expected to sign the agreement in New York around the general debate of the UN General Assembly, which begins on the 22nd. Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen said the agreement recognizes the Danish realm's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" and the right of Greenland's residents to self-determination, suggesting it is not something under which Trump would gain ownership or sovereignty. In a post on social media, Trump explained that the US would be able to prevent hostile nations from establishing bases or military footholds in Greenland, as well as block investments that raise security concerns, and said the US would immediately expand its military presence in Greenland, stressing that the cost would be "zero burden on the US." Mark Jacobsen, an associate professor at the Institute for Strategy and War Studies at the Royal Danish Defence College, noted that the agreement is significant for Denmark and Greenland in that it could end roughly two years of confrontation without ceding territory to the US, saying "Trump needs a form that makes him look like the winner," while adding that on the goals of acquiring Greenland or exercising political control, "it did not go his way."

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, faced two air-raid warnings in the early hours of today, September 19, marking the first time the country's capital has seen such alerts since the period when war between the United States and Iran intensified in March and April. Saudi Arabia's early-warning system issued an emergency alert in Riyadh at 4:00 a.m. and again at 6:00 a.m., without disclosing further details. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's civil defense authority said the danger had ended shortly after both alerts. Other areas across the country received similar warnings throughout the past night, including Jeddah and Yanbu on the Red Sea, as well as Farasan Island in the Red Sea. The warnings came amid a new wave of attacks Saudi Arabia has faced in September, with the Iran-backed Houthis based in Yemen striking cities in western Saudi Arabia, including energy infrastructure, over the past week. The Saudi government said a drone attack from Iraq, home to several Iran-backed armed groups, forced the East-West oil pipeline to halt operations. In addition, attacks on the pipeline and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz have sharply reduced Saudi Arabia's oil exports and created further problems for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's leader. The renewed conflict also risks affecting Saudi Arabia's efforts to attract investment and tourists, part of its push to diversify the country's economic structure. In October, Riyadh is scheduled to host Saudi Arabia's flagship investment conference, the Future Investment Initiative, with the 2026 annual gathering set to welcome several senior Wall Street executives, including JPMorgan Chase & Co CEO Jamie Dimon and David Solomon of Goldman Sachs Group.