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·26 September 2026 · 10:28 UTCBreaking

China, US agree to $30 billion reciprocal tariff cut and AI dialogue during Xi Jinping's state visit; eight-point consensus also covers trade council, APEC, G20

The eight-point consensus also includes establishing a trade council and extending outcomes from earlier talks in Kuala Lumpur. The two sides agreed to support each other in hosting APEC and G20 summits, and to set up a communication channel for AI-related incidents.

·26 September 2026 · 10:18 UTCBreaking

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia test limits of Mecca pact as military chiefs reaffirm collective defence in Riyadh

The pact, modeled on Nato's Article 5, lacks clarity on what triggers military intervention, leading analysts to say its symbolic significance outweighs practical impact. China privately asked Iran to restrain the Houthis, while Trump initially authorized strike preparations but reversed course.

·26 September 2026 · 10:18 UTCBreaking

El Niño breaks records, on course to be strongest in a thousand years as Pacific temperatures hit 3C above average; forecast systems can predict events six to nine months ahead

The Indian monsoon has already been weakened, and around the peak, more wildfires in Indonesia and drought in the Amazon are likely. Forecast systems can confidently predict events six to nine months ahead, allowing farmers to plant different crops and governments to strengthen defences.

·26 September 2026 · 09:44 UTC

Search ongoing after Athens explosion kills one, leaves five missing in Plaka district near Acropolis

The missing include four American tourists, one British national, and a Greek national, though authorities have not confirmed this. The tourists were reported missing after failing to board their flight at Athens airport, and a woman's body was recovered Saturday morning.

+2 sources·26 September 2026 · 09:04 UTC

Nor'easter lashes East Coast, leaving thousands without power and flooding New Jersey roads; dangerous conditions expected through weekend

Over 24,000 customers in New Jersey were without power by Saturday morning, with most outages in Cumberland, Monmouth, and Ocean counties. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for Nassau, Suffolk, New York City, and Westchester, warning of dangerous coastal flooding and strong winds.

+1 source·26 September 2026 · 08:22 UTC

Brazil's Lula bans online gambling and fixed-odds sports betting a week before presidential election; order needs congressional approval within 120 days

The ban, which takes effect immediately, prohibits new deposits and gives users until October 5 to withdraw funds. A recent Atlas/Bloomberg poll shows 59.9% of Brazilian adults support the ban, while Flávio Bolsonaro calls it 'populist, hypocritical and politically motivated'.

·26 September 2026 · 03:40 UTC

Supreme Court revives SAVE database for voter screening, siding with Trump administration; NVRA's 90-day rule limits midterm impact

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned in dissent that states might cancel registrations of recently naturalized citizens. The database, maintained by humans, often returns errors, as reported in Texas, though county clerks typically perform second-level checks to avoid unnecessary removals.

+1 source·26 September 2026 · 03:40 UTC

Supreme Court blocks Missouri congressional map favoring GOP for third time; Trump-backed map barred from midterms as absentee voting begins

The decision means Missouri residents will vote under the same congressional districts used in the 2024 and 2022 elections. The high court warned that ordering reversion to the 2025 map would usher in 'electoral chaos,' and noted that more than a million potential voters were shifted between districts.

+2 sources·26 September 2026 · 02:07 UTC

Trump cancels nearly $1B in federal funding via 'pocket' rescission, bypassing Congress; Netanyahu likens 'NAZA' film to launching ballistic missiles at Israel

The rescission eliminates 11 pools of unspent money across seven departments, with the largest $567 million pot targeting HHS social services for illegal immigrants. The move, the second pocket rescission in 49 years, could spark legal challenges as OMB Director Russ Vought cites precedents from the 1970s.

+1 source·26 September 2026 · 02:07 UTC

Backlash to 'NAZA' documentary exposes fragility of Israeli citizenship as Netanyahu moves to revoke it from filmmakers; film premiered at Venice

The film's anonymous interviews reveal the military's NAZA system once approved a strike calculated to kill 500 Palestinians, with no distinction between adults and children. Netanyahu's unprecedented plan to revoke citizenship from Jews, a first in Israeli history, follows earlier stripping of two Palestinians' nationality.

Yesterday

·25 September 2026 · 22:55 UTC

Supreme Court blocks Trump-backed Missouri congressional map, requiring state to use 2022 and 2024 districts; ruling is defeat for GOP in midterm fight

The decision marks the third time the high court has blocked the redistricting plan, which could have helped oust Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver by adding Republican voters to his district. The court warned that changing maps now would cause 'electoral chaos,' and elections officials had already mailed some absentee ballots using the old districts.

·25 September 2026 · 19:59 UTC

Supreme Court lets Trump administration use revamped federal voter database for now; three liberal justices dissent over privacy risks

The order puts on hold a lower-court ruling that had blocked SAVE, which has scanned at least 67 million registrations. In Travis County, Texas, officials found that at least 10% of 97 flagged voters were U.S. citizens, highlighting error concerns.

+6 sources4 updates

25 September 2026 · 21:58 UTCSupreme Court allows federal database use for voter screening; decision limits use to individualized inquiries, betting Trump and GOP states follow the law 25 September 2026 · 18:55 UTCSupreme Court clears way for Trump administration to use modified voter verification database; Iran's foreign minister to address UN General Assembly after 7-day Strait of Hormuz offer +1 more report

·25 September 2026 · 17:48 UTC

Pope Leo XIV begins four-day France visit, celebrating Vespers at restored Notre-Dame; venerates crown of thorns relic

The visit comes almost two years after Notre-Dame's December 2024 reopening, following the 2019 fire. In his homily, the Pope urged the French Church to be 'living stones of a Church that hopes and does not fear the future.'

·25 September 2026 · 17:06 UTC

Trump hosts Xi at White House in show of friendship; visit does nothing to shift stalemate in bilateral relations

The visit saw a two-month extension of the trade war truce, with China's curb of rare earth exports checking Trump's appetite for an economic offensive. Trump also told Xi that any Chinese help for Iran is unacceptable, while Xi urged the US to adhere to the 'correct position' of opposing Taiwanese independence.

+7 sources10 updates

25 September 2026 · 19:35 UTCXi seizes Trump detente to seek lasting gains on trade and Taiwan; Trump says they've 'never gotten along better'25 September 2026 · 13:53 UTCTrump hosts China's Xi for state dinner at White House, calling him 'truly outstanding' as leaders tout 'great friendship'+7 more reports

+1 source·25 September 2026 · 15:20 UTC

Pakistani forces kill Afghan Taliban fighters in ongoing border escalation; Afghan government says air strikes killed four civilians in Kandahar

The Afghan government reported that Pakistani air strikes killed four civilians, with strikes hitting Kandahar, the Taliban's base of power. A resident told AFP they heard a jet, then a large explosion and fire, while Taliban officials denied launching drones against Pakistan on Wednesday.