The first of three voting days in Russia’s State Duma elections is ending without significant violations, Civic Chamber monitoring official Alexey Peskov said. Observers are overseeing polling stations at home and abroad, while election commissions are coordinating procedures amid missile-threat reports and attempts to identify unsubstantiated information provocations.

RussiaState Duma electionelection monitoring

Nearly 2.3 million people in Moscow voted in the State Duma elections on the first day, according to Moscow City Election Commission deputy chairman Dmitry Reut. More than 2.094 million voted electronically, while over 180,000 used paper ballots.

RussiaState Duma electionMoscowelectronic voting

Russia is holding its first parliamentary election since the war in Ukraine began. NBC News’ Matt Bodner reports on the voting and what critics of President Vladimir Putin said about the process.

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Polling stations in the Donetsk People’s Republic completed their first day of State Duma voting, operating from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Moscow time. The region has 633 stations, and the election commission says about 1.5 million people—around 80% of voters—have cast ballots.

Donetsk People’s RepublicState Duma electionsvoting

International observers have asked to monitor voting in Russia’s border regions, including Kursk and Belgorod, as well as the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, CEC Chair Ella Pamfilova said. Russia provided access with security measures. More than 1,100 observers from 133 countries are attending the parliamentary elections.

Russian electionsinternational observersborder regions

Alexander Brod, head of the Independent Public Monitoring Association, said observers have so far found no serious violations in Russia’s voting. He said the electoral process is continuing in border regions despite attempts by the Kiev regime to disrupt it. Elections to the State Duma are scheduled for September 18-20.

Russian electionsState Dumaelection monitoring

President Trump is making an announcement on healthcare from the Oval Office, with live coverage underway.

Donald TrumphealthcareWhite House

After decades leading Berkshire Hathaway, 96-year-old Warren Buffett has stepped down as chairman and become chairman emeritus, while remaining on the board. His son Howard takes over the non-executive chair, following Greg Abel’s appointment as chief executive. The company says day-to-day operations will remain steady.

Warren BuffettBerkshire Hathawayleadership change

Legendary investor Warren Buffett, known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” steps down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, marking the end of an era that reshaped modern investing.

Warren BuffettBerkshire Hathawayinvesting

Berkshire Hathaway says 96-year-old Warren Buffett is stepping down as chairman, with his 71-year-old son Howard Buffett set to succeed him. Buffett left the company’s CEO role last year, when Greg Abel took over.

Warren BuffettBerkshire Hathawayleadership change

Warren Buffett, who ended his decades-long tenure as Berkshire Hathaway CEO at the end of last year, is giving up the chairmanship he has held since 1970.

Warren BuffettBerkshire Hathawayleadership change

Warren Buffett announced that he will leave his position as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway after six decades with the company. Investopedia editor-in-chief Caleb Silver examined Buffett’s influence on the investment world.

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Berkshire Hathaway said in a statement released early Friday that Warren Buffett had stepped down as chairman, a role he had held since 1970.

Warren BuffettBerkshire Hathawaycorporate governance

Bloomberg News Now highlights Governor Gavin Newsom’s artificial-intelligence order, a report that an RFK-linked group offered access in exchange for payment, and other top stories from the day.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order aimed at reining in artificial intelligence before it is too late. Newsom and other potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidates have urged a more aggressive response to concerns about AI.

Artificial intelligenceCaliforniaExecutive order

Walt Disney named outsider Karandeep Anand its first chief technology officer on Friday, as artificial intelligence and sweeping consolidation reshape the media landscape.

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Disney has appointed its first chief technology officer, creating a new role as the media company seeks to deepen its use of technology under CEO Josh D’Amaro.

Disneychief technology officertechnology strategy

Police in Ceuta used batons and fired shots into the air while moving migrants from beaches to a new camp. Nearly 10,000 people remain in the Spanish territory weeks after a record influx brought more than 72,000 across from Morocco.

Ceutamigrationpolice violence

Police have begun transferring hundreds of migrants from Ceuta’s beaches to a new tented camp in the port area. Crowds struggled to secure places, and shots were heard amid reports that officers fired into the air. Spanish media said more than 3,000 migrants were moved on Friday; the camp can hold 1,700.

CeutamigrationSpainpolice operation

Spanish riot police fired rubber bullets into the air and used batons on Friday as they began clearing thousands of migrants from beaches in the North African enclave of Ceuta. Some migrants are being moved to temporary accommodation.

CeutamigrantsSpanish police

Spanish police began moving hundreds of migrants from beaches in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta to a new tented area on Friday morning. Thousands remain there after tens of thousands crossed the border from Morocco in late July.

CeutamigrationMorocco border

Thousands of migrants are being moved to a new facility in Ceuta, with officers firing warning shots. It is the fifth temporary reception space established to handle a crisis that began in late July, when more than 70,000 people crossed into Ceuta from Morocco.

CeutamigrantsMoroccotemporary reception

The FCC is waiving its 25 percent foreign-equity limit in the Paramount-Warner Bros. case, allowing sovereign wealth funds run by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi to hold 49.5 percent of the company. The commission says the shares lack voting rights, but Free Press and Democrats argue that such a large investment could still give repressive governments influence over American media.

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Sweden’s parliamentary speaker has asked opposition leader Magdalena Andersson to form a government after the election gave the left-wing bloc a narrow majority. The former prime minister must reconcile major differences among four parties, while the Centre Party rules out a cabinet including the left.

Swedencoalition talkselection

President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that he had ordered measures to protect France’s critical infrastructure and defence industry sites from growing Russian hybrid attacks. He made the announcement after meeting political party leaders in Paris to discuss international developments, including the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.

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French President Emmanuel Macron said Russia’s hybrid threat against Europe and France had intensified. He asked the government to prepare a plan to protect critical infrastructure, including sensitive defense-industry and technology sites, from drone and cyberattacks.

FranceEmmanuel MacronRussiahybrid attacks

French President Emmanuel Macron says Russia’s hybrid threat against Europe and France has intensified. He has ordered a plan to protect critical infrastructure and defence-industry sites, warning that recent attacks targeting France will not go unanswered.

FranceRussiahybrid attackscritical infrastructure

Macron has ordered the development of a plan to protect France’s critical infrastructure against what he calls “Russian hybrid attacks.”

FranceEmmanuel Macroncritical infrastructureRussian hybrid attacks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the “Carpathian Eight,” a new format joining Ukraine with Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, Austria, Hungary and the European Union. Its first summit opened in Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk region, attended by Donald Tusk, Aleksandar Vučić and Nicușor Dan. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico did not attend, with Slovakia represented at a lower diplomatic level.

UkraineCarpathian Eightregional cooperationsummit

Ukraine’s president unveiled the new eight-nation bloc at a summit in western Ukraine on Friday, pledging cooperation on security, energy and trade. Organisers hope the initiative will attract €9.4 billion in investment.

UkraineCarpathian Eightregional investment

On September 18, 2026, Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk region was the site of a Carpathian Eight meeting attended by European leaders.

UkraineZelenskyyCarpathian Eightsummit

President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed European leaders on Sept. 18 to the inaugural Carpathian 8 Summit in Bukovel, western Ukraine. The forum brings together eight Carpathian countries, EU institutions and businesses to discuss security, energy, logistics and cross-border economic cooperation.

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ABC News’ Armando Garcia speaks with Republicans and Democrats in Texas’ Big Bend sector who oppose the Trump administration’s plans to build a border wall.

U.S. politicsborder wallTexas

South Korean field hockey players were perplexed after North Korea’s national anthem was played instead of their own before a men’s match against Bangladesh at the Asian Games.

Asian Gamesfield hockeySouth KoreaNorth Korea

Organisers at the Asian Games in Japan mistakenly played North Korea’s anthem before South Korea’s men’s hockey match against Bangladesh. The players appeared confused, and a stadium announcer apologised. South Korea has also complained about other organisational problems at the games.

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