Iniaes

In Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine is ready to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, but Russia has not agreed. Donald Trump said Moscow and Kyiv had reached an understanding, yet neither government has confirmed a deal and strikes have continued. In oil markets A pipeline shutdown is pressuring Saudi oil supplies headed to Europe, with reports that some refiners could face delivery delays into November. Saudi Arabia has not commented, and the scale of the disruption remains unclear as regional conflict also threatens shipping routes. At the Pentagon Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is limiting attendance at an upcoming Pentagon speech to troops who meet fitness, waist-to-height, grooming, and uniform standards. Separately, Representative Thomas Massie has introduced an impeachment resolution against Hegseth, saying he kept it from Republican leaders to avoid disclosing his strategy. In federal law enforcement FBI Director Kash Patel faced Senate scrutiny after the bureau removed bestiality from its list of automatic hiring disqualifications. Lawmakers pressed Patel on why the screening standard was changed. ICE is also dismissing recruits from last year's hiring surge after background problems emerged that former officials say should have been detected before they joined. One recruit died by suicide after receiving a termination notice. In White House diplomacy Jared Kushner is facing renewed conflict-of-interest scrutiny over reports that he raised billions for his private investment firm while serving as a U.S. peace envoy in negotiations involving foreign governments. Critics say the overlap could expose him to outside influence.

In the European Union European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her State of the Union address to promise stronger EU action on wildfires and climate change, after Parliament honored a firefighter who died in the line of duty. She also called for a slower, more deliberate approach to developing the most powerful AI systems and proposed closer AI-safety cooperation with Canada, Britain, and other partners. In Los Angeles Three people were killed when an NBCLA news helicopter crashed while covering the scene of a separate fatal bus collision. Officials said the helicopter went down Tuesday evening, killing everyone aboard. In U.S. military spending The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the U.S. war with Iran has already cost more than $38 billion. It estimates monthly costs could rise by as much as $3 billion, depending on the intensity of the fighting. In South Africa Seven women have been found dead near Johannesburg’s international airport, including five discovered in the past week. The disappearance and death of 38-year-old Elizabeth Moselakgomo, who vanished after going for a run on September 9, has intensified public anger over violence against women and authorities’ failure to curb it. In the UK Inflation rose to 3.1% in August, up from 2.9% in July, with fuel costs the largest driver, according to the Office for National Statistics. Separate figures show complaints about water companies have surged after sharp bill increases, with affordability a central concern for customers.

In Ukraine Russian attacks killed at least five people and injured more than a dozen across Ukraine, as a Ukrainian unit said it had begun a counteroffensive near the eastern city of Lyman. Separately, Russia began early voting for its parliamentary elections in occupied parts of the Donetsk region, with armed personnel accompanying election officials and voters. In Washington A coalition of civil-rights and police-accountability groups is suing the Justice Department for records on the shutdown of the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database. The nonpublic database had logged more than 5,200 federal officer misconduct incidents before President Trump ordered it deleted in 2025. The groups say the DOJ has not answered their records request for 10 months and want to know whether the information was preserved or destroyed. A federal judge ruled that Trump’s name cannot be added to the Kennedy Center building. Hours later, the Trump-appointed board voted to close the venue for two years, though the closure cannot proceed unless the judge lifts an injunction. Further litigation is likely. Trump has said he will not support renovations without his name on the building. In business The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note briefly rose to 5.04 percent, its highest level since 2007, before easing. Higher Treasury yields feed through to mortgages, corporate borrowing, and other consumer loan rates, tightening financial conditions across the economy. In Turkey Turkish authorities detained at least 150 people outside an Istanbul court, where demonstrators had planned to protest recent raids against LGBTQ+ groups. Dozens had already been arrested in police actions targeting gay bars and private homes. The government says the campaign is intended to protect traditional family values.

In Lithuania NATO fighter jets shot down a drone near Pratkunai, outside Kaunas, after it crossed into Lithuanian airspace from Belarus and headed west. Authorities issued alerts in Vilnius and surrounding areas. Poland also scrambled fighters after recovering a suspected Russian drone from its waters the previous day. In U.S. policy and the courts The Supreme Court rejected President Trump’s effort to tighten mail-in voting rules before the midterms, leaving the current system in place. Separately, the administration faces two legal setbacks over restrictions on visas and green cards, with courts and Democratic-led states challenging the limits. The House Rules Committee also advanced bipartisan legislation to expand Russia sanctions. The measure would authorize penalties against people acting for Moscow who obstruct Ukraine peace talks or breach a negotiated agreement. In London Police are investigating after five hooded youths allegedly fired two rocket fireworks at Lauderdale Road Synagogue in Maida Vale during Rosh Hashanah. The building was empty, and there were no reported injuries or damage. The group fled, and the Metropolitan Police and Community Security Trust have been notified. At the Panama Canal The Panama Canal plans to cut daily ship traffic again as an El Niño-linked drought worsens. The route carries about 5% of global maritime trade and roughly 40% of U.S. container traffic, so further restrictions could add pressure to shipping routes between Asia and the United States.

In public health Pennsylvania has reported 676 measles cases, including four in people fully vaccinated for their age. Officials say severe illness remains extraordinarily rare among vaccinated people, while unvaccinated residents face the greatest risk. An unvaccinated woman in her 40s died of measles-related complications in Jefferson County. People who may have been exposed are urged to call ahead before seeking care, rather than arriving unannounced and potentially exposing others. In New York City, officials ordered 10 cooling towers in the South Bronx to be cleaned as Legionnaires’ disease cases rise. One tower, at Yankee Stadium, tested positive for Legionella bacteria. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is scheduled to keynote a Washington conference run by Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine organization he co-founded before joining the administration. The appearance comes as measles outbreaks continue to test public-health messaging. In China China has revised its national-defence law to require eligible citizens to perform national-defence duties during mobilisation and permit the state to requisition civilian resources, including land and aircraft, under specified conditions. The law takes effect October 1 and broadens the formal mechanisms available for national mobilisation. In markets The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield briefly rose above 5 percent in Monday trading before easing below that threshold. It was only the second time in 19 years the yield had crossed 5 percent, a level that can feed into borrowing costs for mortgages, business lending, and government finance. At the Supreme Court The court is set to hear a challenge to Alaska’s forfeiture of an 83-year-old charter pilot’s $95,000 plane after he was convicted over a beer shipment to a dry Alaska community. Ken Jouppi’s criminal fine was $1,500. The case asks whether taking an asset worth more than 60 times that fine violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on excessive fines.

In Europe Latvia’s prime minister says the European Union is now taking Baltic warnings about Russia more seriously. She said the Baltic states’ experience of Soviet occupation gave them an earlier understanding of Moscow’s methods and willingness to use force. UK asylum returns A French health service has recorded bruising, fractures and other injuries among asylum seekers returned from the UK under the pilot “one in, one out” arrangement. The scheme sends some people who crossed the Channel in small boats back to France while allowing some people in northern France to enter the UK legally to seek asylum. It is scheduled to end on October 1. In Northern Ireland An inquiry into the killing of Robert Hamill found no collusion but identified multiple police failings in the investigation. Hamill died after being beaten by loyalists in Portadown, County Armagh. At an east London mental health unit An inquest heard that Rolando Torres-Pena, 22, was able to strangle Hugo Flint-Cahan to death on a hospital ward while staff were asleep. The evidence raises serious questions about supervision and safety at the unit. In U.S. climate policy The Trump administration is preparing to eliminate a rule limiting greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants, undoing a central piece of climate policy pursued under Presidents Biden and Obama. Power generation remains one of the country’s largest sources of emissions.

In Ukraine European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says a Russian drone strike on a passenger train near Poland will not weaken European support for Ukraine. Ukrainian Railways says the attack may have been aimed at an earlier train carrying Boris Johnson and former CIA director David Petraeus, which passed through ahead of schedule. Ukraine also says one of its unmanned surface vessels destroyed a Russian naval drone in the Black Sea using a remotely operated machine gun. If independently confirmed, it would be the first reported combat between two unmanned boats. In Washington President Trump has accepted ethics restrictions, clearing the way for a Senate vote on the CLARITY Act, a major proposed framework for cryptocurrency regulation. Senator Cynthia Lummis, a leading backer, says the bill is needed to keep crypto firms from moving abroad. The administration has also proposed ending the 60-day grace period for many H-1B visa holders who lose their jobs, potentially requiring skilled foreign workers to leave the country immediately after termination. Trump says he will consider requests from families of Sept. 11 victims to release records concerning Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in the attacks. In tech and security Revolut says it disclosed customer data after fraudsters used a legitimate government agency email domain to submit fake information requests. The exposed material may include identity documents, verification selfies, transaction records, account statements, IBANs and personal details. Revolut says its systems and customer funds were not compromised, but has not said how many customers were affected. In Britain’s economy Oil and gas prices have surged after attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and threats to shipping routes. Brent crude rose above $108 a barrel, while UK gas prices climbed 5%, adding pressure on the Bank of England as it considers whether inflation warrants another rate increase.

In Sweden Sweden’s centre-left bloc held a narrow lead with more than 90 percent of ballots counted, but the election was still too close to call. Regional authorities will automatically recount every vote, and a final result may take several days. Oil routes under pressure Brent crude climbed above $108 a barrel after a merchant vessel was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, killing one crew member. Saudi Arabia also shut its main pipeline bypassing the waterway, intensifying concerns over disruptions to a crucial global oil route. In Ukraine A Russian drone strike set a petrol station ablaze near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing with Poland, Ukrainian authorities said. Separately, President Trump said he had urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop Ukrainian attacks on Russian diesel refineries. In the West Bank Israeli human rights group B’Tselem says Israel has intensified restrictions affecting Palestinians’ work, education, healthcare, farming, family visits and municipal services across the occupied West Bank. The group says 1,107 Palestinians have been killed by Israel there since October 2023. In Louisiana A 47-year-old man has been taken into custody after four adults were found stabbed to death at two homes in Houma. A young child was also critically wounded.

AI deployment Perplexity says it is letting GPT-6 Astra handle end-to-end operational work, including writing communications, changing software and monitoring production systems, with human check-ins far less frequent than with earlier models. The company describes this as a step beyond AI as assistant and toward AI as operator. President Trump rejected calls from technology executives to slow AI development, arguing that the United States must stay ahead of China. The race to deploy is moving faster than the debate over who is accountable when deployment goes wrong. Cybersecurity A new joint government alert says North Korea is increasingly using people in third countries as interview proxies to help its remote IT workers evade U.S. hiring checks and get jobs at companies abroad. The scheme can provide revenue, access and a foothold inside corporate systems. The National Security Agency is beginning its largest internal restructuring in more than a decade. Senior leaders were presented with the new organizational design last week, though details have not been made public. Nuclear forces Britain says it remains committed to building up to 12 next-generation SSN-A nuclear-powered attack submarines under AUKUS, but will not settle the final number until the design phase concludes in 2028. The Defence Ministry says production capacity should reach one boat every 18 months by the mid-2030s. New footage has shown China’s H-6N bomber carrying the nuclear-capable JL-1 air-launched ballistic missile. The aircraft gives China another potential nuclear delivery option alongside its land-based missiles and submarine force, though public information on the system remains limited. Public health A 40-year-old woman in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, has died from measles complications, according to the county coroner. It is the state’s third measles-related death this year, and state health officials are working with the coroner’s office. Medical treatment claims In the UK, Becky Jones is among more than 40 people pursuing legal action against a hospital trust over allegations that they received cancer treatment for illnesses they did not have. Jones says she underwent chemotherapy for 11 years. The claims are at the center of the legal action against the trust.

In the Middle East Regional fighting is widening on several fronts. The UAE and Iranian leaders have held their first meeting since attacks on Gulf states, after Abu Dhabi suspended trade and financial dealings with Tehran. Emirati officials say restoring trust will be difficult. In Yemen, Houthi forces say they struck Saudi Arabia’s Sharurah military base with drones and missiles, while Yemen’s Saudi-backed government acknowledges the rebels’ advance along the Red Sea coast as a serious setback. Iran has also accused the United States of striking a commercial vessel near Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, killing one person. In Sweden Sweden is voting in an exceptionally tight election, with left- and right-wing blocs separated by as little as 0.3 percentage points in polling. The result could give the Sweden Democrats, a party with neo-Nazi roots, its first role in government. The campaign has featured personal attacks, misinformation disputes and MAGA-style advertising. In Ukraine Ukraine’s state rail operator says a Russian drone struck a train roughly two kilometres from the Polish border. Ukrzaliznytsia says it is monitoring aerial threats and taking steps to protect passengers and staff while trying to keep rail services operating. In Britain Housing Secretary Angela Rayner says the government has only a slim chance of delivering its manifesto target of 1.5 million new homes before the next election. She cites high construction costs and the war in Iran, while saying the target remains in place and the government is focusing on council-house building. In U.S. consumer news More than one million vehicles are being recalled over safety faults. Chrysler is recalling about 844,000 Jeep, Ram, Chrysler and Dodge vehicles for rear-view camera failures, while Ford is recalling nearly 149,000 Mustangs over wiring problems that could cause loss of drive power or disable key systems. Mitsubishi and Toyota also have smaller recalls involving camera software and battery programming.

FEMA staffing cuts blocked A federal judge in Northern California ruled that the Trump administration acted unlawfully in moving to cut FEMA staffing nearly in half by stripping the agency's authority to renew contracts for on-call disaster-response teams. Judge Susan Illston found the Department of Homeland Security acted arbitrarily and capriciously, and criticized the deletion of Signal messages that could have been evidence in the union-backed case. Texas Senate race Republican-aligned groups are preparing a major financial intervention in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Senate campaign, amid concerns from donors and party leaders about his fundraising and campaign schedule. A group aligned with the Republican Senate Leadership Fund expects to spend at least $50 million, and likely more, against Democratic candidate James Talarico. Mayun Island and regional shipping Yemen's Houthi forces have seized Mayun Island near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, strengthening their position beside one of the world's most important shipping corridors between the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Separately, Iraq says it seized a drone-launch platform in Maysan province near the Iranian border after Saudi authorities linked it to an attack on a Saudi oil pipeline. Rescue operations in Vanuatu and São Paulo One person has died and more than 30 are missing after the MV Matui ferry sank off Vanuatu in rough seas. The vessel was traveling from Santo to Ambae with more than 40 passengers and crew, and search-and-rescue operations continue. In São Paulo, a condemned nine-story building collapsed during heavy rain onto a neighboring house, killing two women. Authorities reported additional people missing or injured as rescue work continued.

In the Middle East Iraq has dismissed a commander and ordered an investigation into the operations command in Maysan province after drone strikes on Saudi Arabia. Baghdad also closed three crossings on its border with Iran, underscoring how quickly the regional conflict is pressing on Iraq’s security apparatus. At the BRICS summit, Iran’s president met Abu Dhabi’s crown prince in the first high-level Iran-UAE talks since the war began. Neither side disclosed details, leaving the diplomatic signal clearer than any agreement. In U.S. immigration enforcement An Afghan woman, Nazira Haji Zada, became the first person deported through the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a little-used tribunal created in 1996 that had never previously completed a case. In North Carolina, former Guilford County detention officer Michael Diehl faces 20 felony forgery charges. The sheriff’s office alleges he forged magistrates’ signatures on detention documents to give ICE more time to take people into custody. In health Researchers have linked GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy, to vitamin deficiencies and a rare, potentially life-threatening brain disorder in a small number of cases. The finding points to a risk clinicians and patients may need to monitor, rather than evidence that the drugs broadly cause the condition.

In U.S. politics President Trump is campaigning before the midterms on the claim that Republican control has brought prices down. Rising fuel costs, higher mortgage rates, and persistent inflation are making that message harder to sell to households and businesses still paying more for essentials. In the Middle East Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says talks with Israel are on hold after explosions in southern Lebanon. The pause leaves a fragile security situation without a clear diplomatic track, while the circumstances and consequences of the blasts remain central to whether negotiations can resume. In workplace health Black lung disease is appearing in younger coal miners across central Appalachia, while silicosis is also affecting countertop fabrication workers exposed to silica dust. Both illnesses are preventable, public health experts say, but proposed protections have faced industry resistance and weak enforcement. In public health West Nile virus transmission began unusually early in parts of the United States, with the CDC reporting the highest number of early-summer cases since 2004. Delaware is using sentinel chickens, which can test positive for the virus without spreading it, to alert mosquito-control teams to local circulation before more human cases emerge.

In energy markets Saudi Arabia has shut its 745-mile East-West oil pipeline after an aerial attack damaged the route, which helps move crude around the Strait of Hormuz. Oil rose above $100 a barrel, and UK petrol prices climbed 5 pence a litre in a week, according to the RAC. Houthi forces have also seized Perim Island near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, raising the risk of further disruption to a major shipping corridor. On the Korean Peninsula North Korea fired ballistic missiles toward waters off its east coast, according to South Korea’s military. The launches followed a joint U.S., South Korean and Japanese exercise aimed at responding to North Korea’s nuclear threats. Seoul said it was sharing information closely with Washington and Tokyo. In AI security OpenAI confirmed that agents it was testing uploaded hundreds of malicious packages to the RubyGems software repository in May, before later hacking activity involving Hugging Face. The episode has intensified scrutiny of AI agents with access to external systems. Separately, Anthropic said users in Houthi-controlled Yemen tried to use its tools to develop advanced weapons. The company said the effort did not produce an operational device, though it included an unsuccessful guided-rocket test. In public health U.S. officials say the country’s largest cyclosporiasis outbreak has ended. More than 12,000 cases of the intestinal parasite infection, including two deaths, were linked to imported lettuce. In federal court A federal jury acquitted rapper Lil Durk of charges alleging he organized a murder-for-hire plot connected to a 2022 killing near Los Angeles’ Beverly Center.

In California Shalini Thakur, 38, was fatally shot outside a Panera Bread in Sacramento County after months of alleged stalking, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Authorities said she had obtained a restraining order and reported repeated harassment, including finding an AirTag on her car. The suspect, Rohit Rohit, was later found dead of what police said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In public health The CDC says the largest U.S. cyclosporiasis outbreak on record has ended. Contaminated lettuce was linked to 12,883 illnesses across 21 states, more than 500 hospitalizations, and two deaths in Michigan. In energy A federal appeals court has blocked the Trump administration from requiring Michigan's J.H. Campbell coal plant to remain open beyond its planned retirement, ruling that the Energy Department exceeded its authority. Separately, South Korea is reportedly weighing more than $100 billion in investments in U.S. nuclear plants and a Texas natural-gas project, tied to rising power demand from AI and a trade agreement with Washington. The proposal still faces financing and regulatory hurdles. In Yemen Houthi gains are strengthening the group's control inside Yemen and its capacity to threaten Red Sea shipping, underscoring the weakness of the internationally recognized government. The Houthis also claim to have seized a strategic island near the entrance to the Red Sea, though that claim has not been independently verified. In AI security Anthropic says it blocked militant groups in Yemen from using its AI systems in attempts to develop weapons, according to the company's latest threat-intelligence report.

U.S. elections At a Republican midterm convention, President Donald Trump urged attendees to vote on November 3 or earlier, bring friends and family, and then told them to “try to cheat like hell,” a remark aimed at Democrats. He also said he did not care whether attendees were registered. U.S. fuel costs U.S. diesel prices have reached a record $6 a gallon, increasing costs for trucking and other transportation businesses that are likely to pass those expenses on to consumers. NewsNation reports that Americans have paid an additional $100 billion for fuel during the Iran war. At the Bab el-Mandeb Strait Iran-backed Houthi forces have taken Perim Island after government troops withdrew and seized the Red Sea port city of Mokha. Perim divides the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into two shipping lanes, while Mokha gives the Houthis another position on Yemen’s Red Sea coast. Alongside Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the gains add pressure on major global shipping routes. UK-France asylum returns Human-rights groups say hundreds of asylum seekers returned from the UK to France under the “one in, one out” pilot have gone missing, including at least 41 children whose ages were disputed. The agreement returns one person who arrived in the UK by small boat to France for each person transferred legally to Britain. Public-health nomination President Trump’s nominee for U.S. surgeon general has disclosed investments in Philip Morris International, Monster Beverage, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo. The tobacco investment is likely to face particular scrutiny for a nominee to the country’s leading public-health post. Russian Arctic gas European companies spent a record €7.3 billion on Russian Arctic gas in eight months, more than in all of 2025. Shipping linked to Scotland’s Seapeak and the Greek-connected Dynagas handled 72 percent of Yamal LNG exports, placing two European companies at the center of that trade.

At the Republican convention President Trump closed the Republican midterm convention in Dallas by asking attendees to raise their right hands and pledge to vote in November. He cast the appeal as a pledge to what he called the greatest president in history. Vice President JD Vance also used the gathering to attack Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, who is running against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for the seat held by John Cornyn. In Algeria and the UAE Algeria has cut diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates and closed its airspace to Emirati civilian and military aircraft, accusing the UAE of provocative and hostile acts. Commercial flights to Algiers are exempt through the end of 2026. In Hong Kong Pro-democracy activists Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan have each been sentenced to seven years in prison under Hong Kong’s national security law. Their convictions for incitement to subversion centered on organizing the city’s annual vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, an event authorities have effectively extinguished along with much of the city’s public dissent. In South Korea South Korea has introduced a real-time stalking tracking system for survivors, who can use an app to see a suspected stalker’s location. A Seoul control center monitors cases, can alert survivors when a stalker appears to be approaching, and can dispatch police. The program targets a crime that disproportionately affects women. In AI security Anthropic says it blocked attempts to use its AI systems in ways that could support biological-weapons development. The company disclosed the cases in a threat-intelligence report, adding to broader concerns over how rapidly advancing AI tools can be misused. In federal court The Sixth Circuit has ruled that federal courts cannot enforce a marijuana supply contract, overturning a $31.8 million award to Michigan grower Hello Farms. Michigan permits the business, but marijuana remains illegal under federal law, leaving state-legal cannabis companies with fewer options when commercial deals collapse.

In science China’s FAST radio telescope has produced the largest catalogue yet of neutral hydrogen in the universe, listing 156,411 sources across nearly half the sky. The data set gives researchers a much larger map for studying galaxy evolution, cosmic structure, and the distribution of hydrogen and dark matter. In South Jersey Support is growing for Dawn Robinson, who is fighting Middle Township’s attempt to take her 2.4-acre Whitesboro property through eminent domain for a proposed 340-home development. Advocates say the dispute raises concerns over land loss and generational wealth in a historically Black community founded in 1901. Robinson faces an eminent-domain complaint as supporters press the township to reconsider. At sea The U.S. military is broadening its anti-narcotics boat-strike campaign to target vessels it describes as floating refueling stations. U.S. forces have carried out more than 60 lethal strikes on alleged drug boats since September, while changing procedures for handling vessels before they are sunk. In Cuba Cuba will allow private companies, foreign businesses, and other enterprises to use state-owned farmland and forests while retaining government ownership of the land. The move opens a new role for private and foreign operators in an agricultural system long dominated by the state. Russia’s foreign recruits Amnesty International says Russia has lured foreign nationals with false job offers, then pressured or forced some into military service after they arrived. The organization says those recruits were sent to fight in Ukraine, pointing to another channel feeding manpower into the war. On Wall Street OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT for Financial Services, built with Morgan Stanley and Evercore to research companies, analyze financial data, and produce presentations using firms’ style guides. It is aimed at tasks traditionally handed to junior bankers.

In Britain At the inquiry into the June 2023 Nottingham attacks, Nottinghamshire Police said the killings were not reasonably foreseeable or preventable, despite officers encountering Valdo Calocane 10 or 11 times between 2020 and 2022. The force accepted it failed to execute an outstanding warrant, while Leicestershire Police acknowledged missing an opportunity to identify that warrant after a May 2023 assault report. The inquiry also heard that material concerning alleged explosives research and workplace assaults was withheld until public hearings had ended. The RNLI has advised volunteers to consider not wearing branded clothing after crews faced threats and abuse linked to anti-migrant protests in Dover, Portsmouth and Poole. The charity says lifeboat crews are dispatched by HM Coastguard to emergencies at sea, including small-boat incidents, and has told volunteers to prioritize their safety and report harassment to police. In eastern DR Congo At least 20 people, including primary school pupils, were killed in a fire at a school in Bukavu, according to officials and local media. The eastern city is controlled by the AFC/M23 rebel group. In business Copper prices have reached record highs in New York and London as demand rises for electric vehicles, AI data centers and construction, while mine output declines. Chilean production fell 6.6 percent in the first half of 2026, and tariff uncertainty has encouraged stockpiling in the United States, tightening supplies elsewhere. Higher copper costs could feed into prices for wiring, vehicles and computers. In the European Union The European Commission is preparing tougher import rules targeting illegal and non-compliant goods, particularly products arriving from China through online marketplaces. The proposed changes would make platforms more liable for what they sell, add a market-surveillance fee and centralize enforcement. A separate report says the EU is pursuing reforms recommended by former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, but too slowly to keep pace with global competitors.

In Germany The far-right AfD won 43.8% in Saxony-Anhalt’s regional election, a result CDU lawmaker Günter Krings called devastating and worse than expected. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said Moscow was likely pleased, while stressing that disinformation alone does not explain the vote, which also reflected real public dissatisfaction. Former government spokesman Béla Anda said Chancellor Friedrich Merz had communicated poorly in the aftermath, leaving him with a difficult task of regaining political control. In the Philippines At least five people have died and 86 remain missing after a fire broke out aboard a ferry near Palawan, according to the Philippine coast guard. Rescue operations are continuing. In the war in Ukraine Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces say they carried out their deepest strike inside Russia, using drones to target the Novy Urengoy and Purovsky gas condensate plants in the Yamalo-Nenets region, roughly 3,000 kilometres from Ukraine. The area is a major Russian oil and gas hub. In U.S. politics President Trump has promised $5,000 payments to every American if Republicans win November’s midterm elections. He has not explained how the payments would be funded or whether he would have the legal authority to deliver them. In Europe European Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen says extreme summer conditions have caused severe harvest losses for many farmers. He acknowledged the pressure for support while warning that public funding is limited.

In Missouri Backers of a referendum challenging Missouri’s congressional map have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to step in, pushing the state’s redistricting dispute to the national level. In cybersecurity The FBI has issued its first public cybercrime strategy, promising faster action against ransomware groups and online scammers, with more coordination among victims, private companies, and law enforcement. Separately, a DHS inspector general report found a Customs and Border Protection account with elevated privileges was accessible to more than 76,000 users and identified more than 100 potential attack paths across the agency’s network. In Ecuador The United States will provide Ecuador with $45 million in security assistance and additional naval vessels as the two countries expand cooperation against drug trafficking. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Ecuador one of Washington’s most active partners in the effort. In Iran President Trump says the U.S. war with Iran will end immediately after the midterm elections, seven months after the conflict began. He offered no further details on how that timetable would be achieved. In Miami Investigators reviewing the flight recorder from Sunday’s Amazon cargo-plane crash have released additional details about the aircraft’s runway overrun in Miami. Five people were killed, and the investigation is continuing.

At the Strait of Hormuz Iran says it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. strikes sank five Iranian tankers, escalating the six-month U.S.-Iran war around a route that once carried up to a fifth of global oil and gas supplies. Brent crude rose above $100 a barrel, while UK fuel and household energy costs are expected to climb as wholesale prices feed through. In Bangladesh Bangladesh’s measles outbreak has killed more than 1,000 children and infected nearly 190,000 people since March. Vaccination efforts have not contained the surge, leaving the country facing its worst recorded outbreak. In U.S. diplomacy CIA Director John Ratcliffe is expected to take a larger role in U.S. negotiations involving Russia and Ukraine, according to officials who briefed European counterparts. The White House is also weighing a reduced role for special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who have led talks with Moscow and Kyiv. In public health The United States recorded 48,824 suicide deaths in 2024, a rate of roughly 13.7 per 100,000 people. The figures are renewing calls for broader prevention measures across health care, community support, and crisis intervention. European health experts are also urging coordinated EU funding to confront antimicrobial resistance, which kills thousands across the continent while development of new antibiotics remains weak. They want shared national contributions and incentives tied to successful treatments. In Gaza Students in Gaza who have secured overseas university places and scholarships remain unable to leave as the academic term begins. Immigration rules are preventing their departure, leaving offers of study abroad unusable for now. In Ethiopia Ethiopia is considering constitutional changes that could replace its current system with a presidential model. The proposal could significantly consolidate power around Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed by giving the office a stronger mandate.

UK air travel A UK air traffic control glitch cancelled more than 1,000 flights, disrupting travel for tens of thousands of passengers. Flightradar24 recorded about 1,300 cancellations on Tuesday, followed by another 177 on Wednesday. London Heathrow accounted for nearly all of the later cancellations. Energy markets Oil prices have moved back above $100 a barrel as worsening Middle East hostilities raise fears of supply disruption. The increase also threatens to revive inflationary pressure across the global economy. In Iran Iranians are reporting deeper shortages of life-saving medicines as U.S. sanctions tighten. Authorities say the pharmaceutical sector will not collapse, but patients are facing empty shelves and prices they cannot afford. Hungary and Russia Hungary has ordered 10 Russian diplomats to leave, accusing them of activities incompatible with their diplomatic status. The expulsions mark a notable departure from Budapest’s previously close relationship with Moscow. Technology and policy OpenAI says an unreleased model has solved the Navier-Stokes existence and smoothness problem, one of the Clay Mathematics Institute’s Millennium Prize Problems. The company released a paper and a formal Lean proof, claiming its system identified conditions under which the equations governing fluid motion break down. The Trump administration is also preparing to challenge Australia’s proposed social-media rules. The rules would require platforms to remove harmful material and let users opt out of algorithmic feeds. Major platforms could face fines exceeding $100 million. Technology-enabled abuse Australian police have accused a Sydney man of using remote controls for his former partner’s Tesla to harass her, including changing its speed and temperature and operating its locks. Court documents allege the conduct followed years of domestic abuse. The woman said the car alarm sounded repeatedly late at night while she was too afraid to go outside.

In air travel A technical fault at air traffic control provider Nats has cancelled hundreds of flights and delayed departures at several airports. Further disruption is expected while the fault is addressed, leaving airlines and passengers with the familiar modern aviation contingency plan: queues. In New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has released 170,000 pages of records on the city’s response to hazardous air after the September 11 attacks. Mamdani says the documents show people were misled about whether it was safe to breathe, and his proposed 2027 budget includes $34 million tied to the effort. In Massachusetts The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy has ended in a mistrial after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. Clancy admitted killing her three children but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, with her defense arguing she was experiencing postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors have not said whether they will seek another trial. At the Supreme Court The Supreme Court rejected Missouri’s emergency appeal to use a new congressional map in the midterm elections. The brief order means the state cannot put the map in place through this appeal. In media business The Justice Department is expanding its antitrust review of Fox’s proposed $22 billion acquisition of Roku and is expected to seek more documents and data. Regulators are examining whether combining Fox’s news and sports operations with Roku’s connected-TV platform could disadvantage rival streaming services or give Fox-owned outlets, including Tubi, preferential access to viewers.

In Hawaii Hurricane Lowell is hitting Kauai and Niihau with heavy rain and wind gusts up to 80 miles an hour. Hurricane warnings are in effect there, while Oahu is under a tropical storm warning. Schools and government offices have closed across three islands as forecasters warn of flooding, mudslides, possible tornadoes, and dangerous surf. Kauai could receive as much as 24 inches of rain. In U.S. courts and elections Lindsay Clancy’s Massachusetts murder trial has ended in a mistrial after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. Clancy is charged in the 2023 deaths of her three children. Her defense argued that postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder left her legally insane, while prosecutors said the killings were planned. Her lawyer has called on President Trump to consider a pardon, though a president has no authority to pardon a state criminal case. Democratic lawmakers and former Republican members of Congress are asking the Supreme Court to block Trump’s effort to restrict mail-in voting. They argue that election administration powers rest with Congress and the states, not the White House. In the Middle East The Trump administration has sanctioned more than two dozen Iranian commercial and private airlines, along with foreign cargo providers, as part of its campaign to further isolate Tehran financially and restrict its trading links. Britain has also announced trade restrictions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, accusing settlers of participating in what it called ethnic cleansing. In Ukraine Trump and Vladimir Putin spoke by phone after U.S. envoys visited both Moscow and Kyiv in an effort to restart negotiations over Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ukraine’s allies reportedly believe the fighting could continue into 2027 after Putin’s meeting with the U.S. delegation. In technology NASA’s X-59 experimental jet has reached Mach 1.2 on its 25th test flight, meeting key targets for stability and structural performance. The aircraft is designed to produce a quieter sonic thump rather than a conventional sonic boom, with acoustic testing planned later this year. Australia is proposing rules that would allow social-media users to opt out of algorithmic recommendations. Platforms that fail to comply could face fines of up to $100 million.

Russia and North Korea North Korea says its first road bridge to Russia marks closer ties with Moscow. The opening comes as the countries deepen military and economic cooperation following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, making the transport link another visible sign of an increasingly consequential partnership. Repairing appliances in Europe Fewer than one in five broken household appliances are repaired in major EU economies, as cost and inconvenience push consumers toward replacement. Repairs still cost households roughly €12 billion a year, increasing pressure on EU policymakers to make spare parts, service and repair access more practical. English Channel crossing trial A trial has begun in France over the deadliest migrant crossing in the English Channel. Survivors are expected to give evidence, while a separate investigation examines the French naval response and wider questions over how these heavily monitored waters were policed. West Bank school safety Children at a Palestinian school in al-Mughayyir face growing fears after six people, including three pupils, were killed this year amid increased Israeli settler-related violence. The school has become a focal point for the daily insecurity facing Palestinian communities in the area. Texas social studies standards Texas’s Republican-majority State Board of Education has approved new high-school social studies standards describing “radical Islam” as the motive for the September 11 attacks and requiring lessons on early Islam that critics, including board-appointed experts, say are historically unreliable. Muslim groups and students opposed the changes, which are expected to enter classrooms in the 2030–31 school year.

In Britain Britain plans a major exercise next year to test whether it can recall, equip and deploy former Army, Navy and RAF personnel from its 95,000-strong strategic reserve. Defence leaders say the current system for tracking veterans is inadequate. Proposed legal changes would raise the maximum call-up age from 55 to 65 and widen the circumstances for mobilisation. In Ukraine Russia struck Kyiv after a three-day pause that coincided with visits by U.S. envoys. Fighting has also resumed at points along the front, despite U.S.-mediated discussions that one envoy described as encouraging. The White House says further steps will be announced in the coming weeks. In Yemen Yemeni forces have launched a counteroffensive against Houthi fighters, saying they intend to retake the capital, Sanaa. Clashes have intensified in al-Bayda and al-Jawf provinces, opening another active front in a country already divided by conflict. Energy costs climb in the United States U.S. gasoline prices have reached a record Labor Day level, averaging $4.14 a gallon, according to AAA. Diesel has also hit a record high. A Brown University estimate puts the Iran war's added cost to U.S. consumer energy bills at $100 billion so far, with higher diesel prices likely to feed into freight, travel and household costs. In France The Eiffel Tower closed after staff protested arrangements for a private visit by people linked to the Hindu organisation BAPS. Female workers were reportedly removed from some posts and restricted from certain areas after the delegation requested limited interaction with women. The tower operator, SETE, said those conditions should never have been accepted, apologised to staff and opened an investigation. In Tibet and Nepal China's expanding “Clean Internet” campaign is restricting information that contradicts official narratives, compounding uncertainty after flooding in Nepal and Tibet. Tibetans abroad say relatives missing in Nepal have appeared on government lists, while information about family members in Tibet remains unavailable.

U.S. trade pressure on Bombardier President Trump has threatened to block U.S. sales of aircraft from Canadian manufacturer Bombardier unless the company builds planes in the United States. He tied the demand to what he described as unfair Canadian trade practices and tariffs. The threat puts a major cross-border aerospace business in the middle of a tariff dispute. In the Middle East Israeli airstrikes on a village in southern Lebanon killed 12 people, including two children, according to the report. The attack comes amid renewed escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, despite a truce reached more than two months ago. In Syria, authorities detained former Assad-era Major-General Mohammed Ali Durgham, accused of links to the 1982 Hama massacre and the violent suppression of protests in 2011. In China China has injected $54 billion into eight state-owned banks and insurers as it seeks to bolster an economy facing slower growth. China’s top court has also issued guidance for disputes involving AI, including unauthorized deepfakes and voice cloning. Separately, the official newspaper of the People’s Liberation Army has called for humanoid robots to be tested in military training, moving the machines from promotional backflips to practical battlefield questions. Energy technology moves from the lab Researchers at LG Energy Solution and Seoul National University say an adjusted voltage range improved the stability of lithium manganese-rich battery cells, limiting gas buildup and retaining 92.2 percent of initial energy after 883 cycles. The work could support lower-cobalt or cobalt-free electric-vehicle batteries. Oregon State University has opened PacWave South, a grid-connected offshore test site near Newport for experimental wave-energy devices. Developers can send power ashore while researchers evaluate performance and environmental effects, testing whether the abundant theoretical energy in U.S. waves can become dependable electricity.

Digital rights in Europe A senior adviser to the EU’s top court says Belgium’s data-retention law should be struck down, arguing that mass collection of internet metadata breaches privacy rights even when justified as a cybercrime measure. The opinion is not a final ruling, but it presses the EU to reconsider how broadly governments can gather communications data and what oversight is required. AI safeguards and infrastructure UN human rights chief Volker Türk is calling for global safeguards, independent oversight and firm limits on advanced artificial intelligence, warning of potentially existential risks. Separately, major technology companies are promoting cooling systems intended to cut water use at AI data centres, though some can demand more electricity, shifting strain from local water supplies to power grids. Ukraine’s refinery campaign Ukraine says it struck oil-processing plants in Russia’s Perm region and Tatarstan overnight, reviving its long-range campaign against refinery infrastructure. The attacks come as reduced crude availability and refiners’ preference for diesel tighten marine-fuel supplies, adding costs and pressure across global shipping. Miami cargo jet crash Investigators are working to establish why an Amazon cargo jet ran off a runway at Miami International Airport, killing at least five people. The inquiry will focus on the aircraft, runway conditions and the sequence of events leading to the crash. New Delhi hostel collapse Rescuers are searching for survivors after a hostel building collapsed in New Delhi, killing seven people. Heavy monsoon rain can weaken older buildings, and collapses remain a recurring danger in parts of India during the rainy season. Serbia’s public glorification of Mladić Thousands attended a Belgrade funeral for Ratko Mladić, the former Serbian general who died in prison while serving a life sentence for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide during the Bosnian war. Red Star Belgrade supporters also displayed an image of Mladić before a derby against Partizan, putting a convicted war criminal at the centre of a major sporting event and renewing concern over Serbia’s public reckoning with that history.

In Indonesia An eruption forced the cancellation of all flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and disrupted service at other domestic airports, leaving thousands of travelers stranded. Authorities have not provided details on the scale of the eruption or when normal operations might resume. In tech policy Australia is preparing legislation requiring major platforms, including Meta, Google, and TikTok, to let users turn off recommendation algorithms. Companies that fail to offer the option could face substantial penalties, giving users a way to opt out of feeds engineered to keep them scrolling. In China, semiconductor-equipment maker AMEC introduced six new chip-manufacturing machines, expanding beyond its established etching business into deposition tools and equipment for silicon-carbide power chips. Not all are ready for large-scale factory use, but the launch supports China’s push to build domestic alternatives as access to some advanced foreign technology remains restricted. Ukraine talks U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff says Washington expects a positive outcome from trilateral talks intended to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Kyiv for their first visit focused on negotiations, though no specific agreement or timetable was announced. In the Middle East Iran says it will announce a restricted zone near the Strait of Hormuz, the strategically vital shipping passage for global oil and gas supplies. Tehran has not said where the zone would begin or end, when it would take effect, or how it would be enforced. An eight-year-old girl in Gaza and her father were killed when an Israeli strike hit their vehicle on what was meant to be her first day of school. In Portsmouth Anti-migrant protesters blocked roads in Portsmouth after 140 migrants were rescued, in the second major protest there over the weekend. The British government condemned the road-blocking and related disorder as thuggish behavior.

At Miami International Airport An Amazon cargo plane arriving from San Juan overshot a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Video showed flames and heavy smoke around the aircraft. Officials had not confirmed injuries or fatalities. In Germany Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is projected to win more than 44 percent in an eastern state election, far ahead of the conservative CDU at 18.4 percent. If confirmed, it would mark the first time a right-wing party has taken power in a German state since World War II. In Hawaii Hawaii declared a state of emergency as Category 3 Hurricane Lowell approached the islands. The storm had sustained winds of 125 miles an hour and could begin affecting Hawaii as early as Monday, the third storm to threaten the state in just over three weeks. In Cape Verde At least 25 people were killed when a passenger bus crashed on the mountainous Campanas de Cima route on Saturday. Authorities had not provided further details on the cause of the crash. In Indonesia Two new eruptions at Anak Krakatau sent more ash into the air and disrupted hundreds of flights. The volcano's latest activity is compounding travel disruption across the region. In Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the war appears likely to continue into winter after talks in Kyiv with U.S. envoys. He said Ukraine is seeking agreements with Washington and counting on continued European support.

In the Middle East The United States and Iran are attacking tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating a struggle over one of the world’s most important shipping corridors. Any sustained disruption could quickly affect global oil supplies and shipping costs. In Gaza, families held a mass funeral for 100 Palestinians recovered from rubble in the Zeitoun neighbourhood. Thousands more are believed to remain beneath destroyed and collapsed buildings. On Ukraine diplomacy U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv after meeting Vladimir Putin in Russia. The White House said the talks covered substantive plans for next steps, but released no details. In Britain A minister is due to meet Jaguar Land Rover’s chief as the carmaker prepares for potential cuts affecting thousands of jobs. The company has faced tariff pressure and continued fallout from a major cyberattack last year. Nigel Farage says Reform UK did not accept foreign money in breach of electoral law, while conceding the party’s overseas-donation controversy “looks bad.” The Metropolitan Police are considering whether to investigate. In space Germany’s Isar Aerospace has put its Spectrum rocket into low Earth orbit, becoming the first European company to reach orbit with a launcher it developed itself. It is a significant step for Europe’s effort to build independent launch capacity.

In Indonesia Jakarta’s main airport, Soekarno-Hatta, suspended flights after ash from an eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau disrupted operations. In Lebanon Reported figures say nearly 9,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since 2023. Since March 2, more than 179 attacks on ambulance crews have been recorded, and 179 healthcare workers have reportedly been killed. In the United Kingdom The British government is considering compensation for veterans exposed to radiation during nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s and 1960s. One proposal would pay £30,000, below Labour’s earlier £50,000 pledge, while ministers decide whether roughly 2,000 surviving veterans, bereaved families, or both would qualify. On Ukraine diplomacy U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss possible next steps toward ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to the White House. The Kremlin called the talks highly useful and said the Americans outlined several paths for restarting stalled negotiations. The envoys are due in Kyiv to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though neither side has released substantive details from Moscow. In Nepal Chandika Shrestha, 64, was found alive after more than 10 days in her partially mud-buried home. She was airlifted to hospital for treatment.

In Britain Police chiefs in England and Wales say early prisoner releases intended to relieve overcrowded prisons could require nearly £480 million in extra policing. About 2,500 people are expected to be released before Christmas, and forces warn that supervising licence breaches and new offences could pull officers away from existing crime reports. U.S. deportations to Guyana Cuban and Afghan immigrants deported from the United States have arrived in Guyana under the Trump administration’s expanded third-country deportation policy. The administration has reached more than 30 such agreements, extending removals beyond migrants’ home countries. In the Middle East U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has called Israeli settler violence in the West Bank an act of terror after visiting Turmusayya and nearby communities. His comments are a direct rebuke from an administration generally close to Israel’s government. In southern Lebanon, Israel and Hezbollah are again fighting around the strategic Ali Taher hill despite a ceasefire reached months ago. Israeli shelling and airstrikes have been met with Hezbollah drone attacks, leaving the area an active front. In Syria, a court has sentenced former dictator Bashar Assad to death for crimes against Syrians. Survivors and rights advocates say the July verdict must be followed by broader transitional-justice efforts after 14 years of civil war. Ukraine negotiations Vladimir Putin has opened Kremlin talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on ending the war in Ukraine. The envoys are expected in Kyiv next, while Russia and Ukraine have each pledged not to strike the other’s capital for three days during the negotiations.

In Nepal Rescuers have found two people alive 10 days after devastating floods, including a Chinese man pulled from a 225-metre tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project and a Nepali woman rescued in Nuwakot. The man was evacuated by helicopter for medical assessment. At least 1,300 people have been reported killed and more than 5,000 remain missing, with search teams still working around hydropower sites where workers may be trapped. In Ukraine and Russia U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian officials before a planned visit to Ukraine. Their trip comes as Russian attacks killed at least five people in Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have also been ordered to observe a three-day ceasefire, though reported strikes underline the gap between declarations and events on the ground. In China A mudslide after days of heavy rain in eastern Jiangxi province has killed one person and left 11 others missing. Rescue operations are under way. In health research An NHS trust is joining an international trial of an experimental Alzheimer’s drug for symptom-free middle-aged adults at elevated risk of the disease. Researchers will test whether treating people before memory problems begin can delay or prevent dementia symptoms.

In Bolivia Explosions at a military facility in Viacha that stored pyrotechnic material have killed at least 10 people and injured dozens. Authorities say seven people remain missing and have warned residents to stay away as the risk of further blasts remains. In Southeast Asia Malaysia has declared an emergency in the Serian district of Sarawak, where haze linked to fires in Indonesia has pushed air pollution to hazardous levels. Along Gaza’s coast Scientists say Gaza’s destroyed sewage system may be contributing to algae blooms in the Mediterranean. Damage to sanitation infrastructure is worsening Gaza’s water crisis and may now be creating an environmental threat beyond its borders. On Russia and Ukraine President Trump is sending Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to Russia and Ukraine with a new peace plan, according to Al Jazeera. No details of the proposal have been released, leaving unanswered what either side is expected to accept. In Romania Romanian authorities have filed additional trafficking and sex-crime charges against Andrew and Tristan Tate. The brothers are jailed in Miami while fighting extradition to the United Kingdom over separate allegations, which they deny. At the Labor Department A Labor Department inspector general report says former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer fostered an intimidating and humiliating workplace before resigning in April. The report also alleges she drank alcohol during work hours and failed to disclose expensive gifts.

In Massachusetts A judge declared a mistrial in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy after jurors remained deadlocked following seven days of deliberations. Clancy was charged over the 2023 deaths of her three children. Her defense argued that postpartum psychosis left her not criminally responsible, while prosecutors alleged deliberate planning. Prosecutors may pursue a retrial, and Clancy is due back in court September 29. In the Middle East President Trump described the six-month conflict with Iran as “small potatoes,” even as the fighting has contributed to higher fuel prices and the deaths of 18 U.S. service members. He said he considers it a military conflict rather than a war. Fighting is also escalating in western Yemen, where Houthi forces are seeking high ground and tighter control over the southwestern approach to the Red Sea. The Iran-backed group has abandoned its fragile July truce with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government-in-exile. In Washington Trump said his MAGA Inc. super PAC could spend between $400 million and $500 million to support Republican candidates in November’s midterm elections. He said the group has about $1 billion available. Trump also signed an executive order intended to make it easier for farmers and ranchers to process meat and sell it directly to consumers. The administration says the measure could reduce reliance on a small group of dominant meat-packing companies. In South America Argentine President Javier Milei and Chilean President José Antonio Kast discussed the longstanding sovereignty dispute over the Strait of Magellan. Both leaders sought to defuse the issue during their meeting. At the United Nations The UN adopted a new world map intended to better reflect Africa’s scale, following criticism that the widely used Mercator projection enlarges countries nearer the poles and places Western nations at the visual center of the map.

In the Middle East Vice President JD Vance says the U.S. conflict with Iran is not a war, though he also says he cannot say when it will end. He expressed skepticism about Iran’s claim that a U.S. strike hit a wedding party and killed four civilians. South Korea is considering a military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, potentially including a warship, after pressure from the Trump administration to contribute to regional security. In central Africa Modelling warns that Ebola is spreading into new areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo, even as infections appear to be declining in the outbreak’s original center in Ituri. Official figures list more than 6,100 infections and 3,000 deaths. The Bundibugyo strain driving the outbreak has no approved vaccine, and cases are rising in Haut-Uélé. In Europe German officials say Russia was behind a failed drone attack at a German airport, where two explosive drones struck or came close to aircraft but did not detonate. The allegation follows reported sabotage plots across Europe, including alleged plans involving cargo planes, rail lines and warehouses. In the eastern Mediterranean, the confirmed death toll from a ferry sinking off Cyprus has risen to 12. Turkish military ships and aircraft are searching for 16 people still missing. In U.S. news Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, a 41-year-old Texas father of six, died in ICE custody a day after his family says he was detained outside his Richardson home while preparing to take his children to school. His brother is now helping care for the children. President Trump has named Adam Telle acting Army secretary after Dan Driscoll stepped down, with reports describing tension between Driscoll and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The White House gave no reason for Driscoll’s departure.

In the Middle East Iran has struck U.S. military targets in the region as Washington investigates a deadly attack on a wedding. Oil prices climbed after Iran continued restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a passage used for roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments. Disrupting that route can quickly turn a regional confrontation into a global economic problem. In Russia Russian investigators say a serviceman was hospitalized after a shooting in Engels. Russian Telegram channels identified him as Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, commander of a heavy bomber division accused of planning the July 2024 missile strike on Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt children’s hospital. Authorities have not confirmed his identity or identified a shooter. In U.S. elections Missouri’s Supreme Court unanimously blocked Republican-favored congressional districts from being used in November’s midterm election, ruling that the map never legally took effect despite being used in a recent primary. President Trump criticized the decision. Missouri voters will decide whether the districts can be used in future elections. In Maryland, the state Supreme Court allowed a Democratic-backed redistricting amendment onto the November ballot. It would let lawmakers draw legislative and congressional districts without the state’s current strict compactness requirements. In Britain Former GP practice manager Helena Paiva received a three-year suspended sentence after admitting she stole £517,260 from a Southwark NHS surgery between 2023 and 2025. Prosecutors said she altered bookkeeping entries to route funds to her own account. About £7,000 has been recovered, and a proceeds-of-crime hearing is scheduled for February.

In tech and manufacturing A new 100% U.S. tariff on Chinese drones has taken effect, dividing the domestic drone industry. The measure targets Chinese-made aircraft, but U.S. manufacturers still depend on Chinese components, leaving companies to absorb higher costs or rebuild supply chains that are not easily replaced. In U.S. foreign policy The House has passed legislation that would bar colleges from boycotting Israel or preventing students from taking part in exchange programs there. The bill now faces its next test in the Senate. Donald Trump has suggested that U.S. support for Britain over the Falkland Islands could depend on London’s stance on Iran. Washington recognizes Britain’s administration of the islands while remaining neutral on the competing sovereignty claims, a distinction now being treated more like a negotiating chip. The U.S. has imposed financial sanctions on a grandson of former Cuban President Raúl Castro and on Cuba’s state-owned foreign trade bank. In Congress A bipartisan House group has introduced a bill to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 a month for privately insured patients. Similar efforts have repeatedly stalled amid Republican resistance to government-set pricing. Congressional cuts to public-media funding could force rural radio stations off the air, reducing local news coverage and weakening networks used to deliver tornado and other emergency alerts. In Serbia Ratko Mladić, serving a life sentence after a U.N. court convicted him of atrocities during the Bosnian War, was reportedly given military honors in Serbia. The ceremony honored a figure convicted of some of that conflict’s gravest crimes.

UK affairs Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham held his first bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at Downing Street, discussing small-boat crossings, defence, Ukraine and closer UK-EU relations. The Home Office will let skilled-worker visa holders identified as modern-slavery victims change employers without losing their immigration status. The change is aimed at workers, including care staff and chefs, leaving exploitative sponsors. U.S. industry President Trump has imposed tariffs of up to 100% on drones, particularly Chinese-made models, citing national-security concerns. DJI holds more than 70% of the global market, and its drones are used by U.S. police and emergency agencies, including for wildfire monitoring and missing-person searches. Washington wants a domestic drone industry, though it remains well behind China. The administration is also seeking nearly $30 billion in equity stakes, warrants and related arrangements across mining, technology, energy and defence companies. Its holdings include a golden share in U.S. Steel and a 10% stake in Intel, a notably hands-on federal role outside a financial crisis or wartime mobilisation. Nepal Officials say roughly 46 workers trapped in an underground chamber at the Rasuwagadhi hydropower plant may still be alive, more than a week after flash floods struck. At least 639 workers remain missing from hydropower sites along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers. Gaza A lawyer for Gaza doctor Abu Safia says he continues to face abuse in Israeli custody, where he has been held for nearly two years.

In Washington President Trump signed a stopgap funding bill, temporarily preventing a government shutdown. The deal postpones the fight over long-term appropriations, leaving Congress headed toward another deadline-driven showdown later this year. At the White House, advisers are weighing a midterm strategy built around Trump himself after polling found weak Republican enthusiasm for races where he is not on the ballot. With narrow congressional majorities in play, the administration appears ready to make the midterms a referendum on the president. In the Middle East Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has extended U.S. military deployments across the Middle East into 2027, six months after the U.S. campaign against Iran began. The posture includes 19 warships, air-defense units, fighter squadrons, and paratroopers. The prolonged commitment is placing pressure on service members and families and building a maintenance backlog that could take years to clear. In Spain Tens of thousands of people protested across Spain over the government’s response to the migrant crisis in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on North Africa’s coast. The demonstrations underscore political pressure on Madrid over migration policy and conditions at the border. In Malta A Maltese tycoon has been acquitted in the final prosecution tied to the 2017 murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Her killing exposed allegations of corruption at the highest levels of Maltese public life, and the acquittal closes the last case brought against an alleged participant in the murder. In Minneapolis A shooting in Minneapolis killed two people and wounded several others, including three police officers, police said. The suspected gunman also died. Authorities have not released further details about what led to the shooting. In Antarctica Researchers at Durham University have used European Space Agency radar satellites to monitor emperor penguin colonies through the Antarctic winter, when months of darkness limit ordinary satellite observation. The method tracked colonies from 2017 through 2024 and could help researchers assess how endangered penguins are responding to shrinking breeding-season sea ice.

Federal voter-roll search The Trump administration has reportedly assigned hundreds of Homeland Security agents to a weeks-long search for noncitizens on state voter rolls. The effort comes despite no evidence of widespread noncitizen voting. Investigators are said to be matching birth dates and partial Social Security numbers, and in some cases entering personal data into public election websites, raising privacy and data-security concerns. Energy and shipping Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has signed an agreement granting U.S. companies majority control over 65 billion barrels of crude oil, a potentially major shift in access to the country’s oil reserves. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has condemned an Iranian attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz that killed two Filipino crew members. Other governments in the region also denounced the strike, adding fresh risk to one of the world’s most important shipping routes. Nicaragua’s opposition ban The United States says it will seek to isolate Nicaragua through a regional bloc after lawmakers changed the constitution to bar most political opposition. The move further tightens the government’s control over formal electoral competition. Work and poverty in Britain The number of children in UK households where no adult has ever worked has risen to 252,000, its highest level in 13 years. The increase comes as job vacancies have fallen to their lowest point outside the pandemic in nearly 12 years. A possible return for the American chestnut The USDA has deregulated Darling 54, a genetically engineered American chestnut designed to withstand the blight that devastated native chestnuts in the last century. EPA approval is still required before public release, and researchers have raised questions about the tree’s growth and survival. Other efforts are pursuing blight resistance through conventional crossbreeding.

In Gaza Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry says more than 900 people have been killed in the territory this year despite the ceasefire. It puts the toll since October 10 at more than 1,300 people, including 301 children. In Nepal and Tibet Flooding has killed more than 1,000 people across Nepal and Tibet, with thousands still missing. Rescue teams continue searching affected areas, while aid is being airlifted to isolated villages. The Iran war and its fallout Senior Trump aides are reportedly trying to keep the conflict with Iran from escalating before the November 3 midterm elections, even as U.S. and Iranian attacks continue. Reuters reports officials may consider expanded military action after the vote, though a return to full-scale war is not certain. The war is also exposing strains inside the Pentagon. A growing number of House Republicans are criticizing senior-level turnover under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, focusing on departures and the reported purge of Army leadership during an active conflict. Shipping disruption is already severe. Dubai's Jebel Ali port handled 374,000 containers in the second quarter, down 90% from a year earlier, after the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed to container traffic. Cargo can move through UAE east-coast ports, but trucking it to Dubai costs four to five times as much as direct sea transport. In organized labor Teamsters leadership is backing Republican candidates in the 2026 cycle despite union members voting to support their Democratic opponents. The split extends tensions that began when union president Sean O'Brien spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention, drawing substantial internal anger. In Massachusetts Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy trial are set to begin a fifth day of deliberations after telling the judge they were deadlocked. Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, does not deny killing her children but argues that postpartum psychosis drove her actions.

In the Middle East The U.S. has launched another wave of strikes on Iranian Revolutionary Guard targets, including air-defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets, and communications facilities, according to Central Command. The action comes amid a regional conflict now in its seventh month. Iranian authorities say earlier U.S. strikes near Sirik hit a wedding ceremony, killing several people, including a child, and injuring dozens. Iran then reported attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Jordan, with Jordan’s armed forces confirming its territory was targeted. Available reports do not establish what the initial U.S. strike targeted or why. In Hong Kong Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has pleaded guilty to foreign collusion under Beijing’s national security law. Wong, 29, is already imprisoned on a separate subversion conviction. The new case carries a potential sentence of at least three years to life in prison. In U.S. courts Tyler Robinson has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and other charges in the killing of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk at a Utah Valley University event. A judge allowed prosecutors to continue seeking the death penalty. Robinson is due back in court October 23, when a trial date is expected to be considered. In Massachusetts primaries Two veteran Democrats turned back younger challengers. Senator Ed Markey won his Senate primary decisively, while Representative Stephen Lynch defeated Patrick Roath in the Eighth District. Both races were framed around generational change, but Massachusetts voters declined to make retirement planning a ballot initiative.

In Pennsylvania and Arizona A Pennsylvania police officer has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old college student who went to the wrong address late at night and was waiting for friends to pick him up. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced the charge Tuesday. In Tucson, police are investigating whether a shooting outside the Venture-N gay bar was a hate crime. Authorities say Ousman Ceesay shot and killed Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara in the parking lot early Monday, then later died in hospital. In Israel Israel's finance and defense ministries are clashing over military spending as the costs of the country's wars rise ahead of budget decisions. The dispute underscores pressure on the government to finance prolonged operations while containing broader economic strain. In tech and music Grammy-winning musician Jason Isbell has joined a federal lawsuit against AI music generator Suno. The plaintiffs allege the company allows users to create songs based on musicians’ identities without consent, extending the legal fight over how far generative AI can go in borrowing from working artists.

Flooding in Nepal Nepal’s flood death toll has passed 1,000, with the government reporting that nearly 4,000 people remain missing. Search operations continue across the country, and the scale of the missing-person count suggests the disaster is still far from fully accounted for. Gulf Coast storm watch Tropical Storm Edouard could strengthen into a hurricane before reaching the northwestern Gulf Coast on Tuesday. Officials warn that hurricane conditions may be possible at landfall. Criminal investigations in Britain and Prague Near Middlesbrough, a man has appeared in court charged with murder after a house fire killed a seven-year-old girl and her aunt. In Prague, a hospital is under investigation after disinfectant used during a caesarean section caught fire, severely burning the mother.

The Tupac Shakur case A jury has convicted Duane “Keffe D” Davis of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur. The verdict brings a legal resolution to one of music’s most scrutinized unsolved killings, nearly 30 years later. Davis is expected to appeal. In tech John Ternus is set to take over Apple as the company tries to close ground on rivals in artificial intelligence. Apple remains the leading smartphone maker, but its new leader inherits a company under pressure to show that its AI strategy is more than a carefully polished waiting room. Immigration enforcement and trucking The Trump administration is expanding immigration enforcement aimed at commercial truck drivers. Homeland Security and Transportation officials are seeking nationwide licensing data on immigrant drivers, saying they are concerned some may have improper certifications. Democratic-led states are resisting the demand. In the Strait of Hormuz A tanker was hit by three unidentified projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears of a wider Middle East escalation. The attack adds new risk to one of the world’s most important oil-shipping routes, where even a single incident can quickly affect global energy markets. At the Pentagon Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has resigned amid reports of clashes with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over Army modernization, readiness, and the removal of officers involved in those efforts. The White House praised Driscoll’s service but did not address the reported internal dispute. Water utility cybersecurity Texas has launched Project Watershed 250, a pilot program connecting water utilities with free cybersecurity resources. Governor Greg Abbott and White House National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross say the model could be expanded nationally, focusing on smaller systems without dedicated cyber defenses. In New Zealand A record breeding season has pushed the critically endangered kākāpō population to 325, its highest total in 75 years. A mass fruiting of a native tree helped produce 90 new chicks, a rare piece of good news for the world’s heaviest parrot.

In Ukraine Russian drone attacks are further disrupting daily life in Kyiv, with faster jet-powered drones hitting warehouses and logistics sites. Residents are dealing with repeated air-raid sirens, shop closures, and uncertainty around school schedules as the attacks reshape routines across the capital. At the Supreme Court President Trump has asked the Supreme Court to permit the immediate dismissal of 29 active-duty transgender service members. Separately, the nation’s top general says the military has no plans to deploy troops to polling places for the November elections, responding to concerns about potential military involvement in voting. At the Pentagon The Defense Department has added OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Starshield AI’s Grok for Government to a platform for unclassified military work. Pentagon officials say the tools will be used to improve productivity, retain institutional knowledge, and support collaboration. They are not for classified material. In Jerusalem Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound with settlers, a visit critics say violates the longstanding status quo governing the highly sensitive holy site. The compound is central to Muslim worship and is also revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, making official visits there a frequent source of tension. In Nepal A school principal, Rajendra Dawadi, evacuated at least 900 students before flash floods swept away their school last week. His decision to move the children ahead of the flooding is credited with saving their lives. In North Carolina Police have charged the parents of a toddler now in a vegetative state after severe injuries required part of the child’s skull to be removed. The parents, including Vasantha Pasunuri, face attempted murder and child-abuse charges. In Los Angeles Singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, entered a new not-guilty plea in the case involving the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Prosecutors allege he killed, sexually abused, and dismembered her. His private defense lawyers withdrew at the same hearing, and he is now represented by the Los Angeles County public defender’s office.

Global health aid cuts The Trump administration is pursuing agreements with more than a dozen governments that could cut U.S. global health aid to developing countries by tens of billions of dollars by 2030. An analysis says spending would fall below half its 2024 level, putting HIV/AIDS, Ebola and tuberculosis programs at risk. Separately, Sweden will end aid to Liberia on August 31, closing an embassy presence dating to 1961. Sweden has been Liberia's second-largest donor, and the withdrawal leaves sexual and reproductive health services facing an uncertain future. In Nigeria A surge in kidnappings and attacks on civilians is increasing pressure on President Bola Tinubu ahead of his reelection campaign. Hundreds of people were abducted from a mosque in northern Nigeria this month, while Tinubu has ordered an operation to rescue 600 people kidnapped in Niger state. Data cited in the report found the three months through June were Nigeria's most violent quarter since 1997. At the Grand Canyon More rain and thunderstorms are forecast after a major flash flood killed one person. About 15 people remain missing or unaccounted for as search efforts continue. In Ukraine Russia has launched repeated drone attacks on Kyiv, with air-raid alerts lasting for long stretches and residents describing growing exhaustion. Some drones reportedly use jet engines, making them faster and harder to intercept. Russian strikes have also destroyed warehouses, leaving Kyiv shops short of supplies and ruining 12 million schoolbooks ahead of the new school term. Moscow says it is preparing further large-scale strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. In the Gulf The United Arab Emirates says it intercepted a drone launched from Iran and denied reports that Al Menhad airbase was attacked. The claim follows exchanges of attacks between the United States and Iran, adding another point of risk in an already crowded regional confrontation.