Colonels

Anniversaries are marking September 26, 1983, when Soviet lieutenant colonel Stanislav Petrov was on duty at a nuclear early-warning command center. His system falsely reported incoming American missiles; Petrov judged the alert to be a malfunction and did not report it as an attack, averting a possible retaliatory strike. Commenters are sharing his story as a reminder of how close the world came to catastrophe and of one man's calm judgment.

Hero of Russia Colonel General Alexander Lapin has been appointed deputy prime minister of Tatarstan, following his role as chief of staff of the Russian ground forces. Reports say the General Staff earlier blocked his candidacy to head a State Duma committee. Separately, Major General Nikitushkin, head of the armed forces' training and materiel directorate, has been arrested.

KFC is giving Colonel Sanders' original fried chicken recipe a thoroughly modern update, according to the New York Post, which takes readers inside the brand's reworking of its signature dish. The revamp touches the classic recipe that has defined the chain since its founding. Reaction so far has centered on whether purists will accept change to such an iconic formula.

Ian Proud, a former British diplomat, argues that European governments are increasingly anxious about what Russia will do next, amid continuing uncertainty over the war in Ukraine and the continent's security posture. He discussed the issue in an interview with retired US colonel Daniel Davis on his current-affairs programme, drawing significant audience engagement.

The Eastern Kentucky University men's golf team finished sixth at the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational, a college tournament. The Colonels closed out the event in the middle of the field, continuing their fall season. Athletics officials reported the result but details on individual scores and finishing margins were not immediately highlighted in the announcement.

Swedish Air Force officer Colonel Karl Bergkvist said that if Russia attacks, Putin can no longer count on NATO countries merely repelling his strikes. Describing a new air force doctrine, he said the plan for deciding the outcome of an air war involves going on the offensive and striking deep into Russian territory. The statement reflects a shift in Nordic and NATO thinking toward deterrence by threat of offensive response rather than purely defensive operations.

A new biography, 'A Glorious Fate: The Life and Legacy of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw,' arrives in bookstores today. Shaw, the Union officer who led the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, one of the Civil War's first Black regiments, and died at Fort Wagner in 1863, remains a prominent figure in Civil War memory. The book traces his life and the legacy of his leadership and sacrifice.