The European Central Bank has introduced a system linking its payment infrastructure with blockchain-based financial markets and plans to purchase tokenized bonds using its own funds.

European Central Banktokenized bondsblockchain

A helicopter involved in firefighting at Yosemite National Park crashed Sunday afternoon during operations, killing two people, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Yosemite National Parkhelicopter crashwildfirefirefighting

The U.S. Forest Service says two members of a helicopter crew fighting a wildfire in Yosemite National Park were killed when their aircraft crashed Sunday.

Yosemite National Parkwildfirehelicopter crash

The EU is preparing a sanctions package with nearly 1,600 new listings, including 827 entities and 744 individuals, according to a document obtained by the Kyiv Independent. It focuses on companies and executives tied to Russia’s defense-industrial complex and is scheduled for ambassadorial review on Oct. 7, followed by a foreign ministers’ vote on Oct. 12.

EURussiasanctionsdefense industry

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko congratulated Vladimir Putin on what he called successful election days. He said the unprecedented turnout and United Russia’s constitutional majority in the State Duma answered outside attempts to discredit the campaign and sow discord, while demonstrating Russians’ support for Putin’s course of stable development.

Russian electionsLukashenkoPutin

Austrian publicist Flo Osrainik and Serbian politician Miljan Damjanovic, who observed Russia’s parliamentary elections in Alchevsk and Mariupol, have been added to Ukraine’s Mirotvorets database. The site alleges they violated Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and publicly backed Russia.

Russian parliamentary electionsforeign observersUkraineMirotvorets

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said the collective West tried to interfere in Russia’s lower-house election through cyberattacks, provocations, information operations and Ukrainian drone strikes on polling stations, but failed. He said only Russia’s people should determine the country’s fate and future.

RussiaState Duma electionVyacheslav Volodin

United Russia won a record 355 of the State Duma’s 450 seats in a tightly controlled and widely criticised election, further strengthening Vladimir Putin’s hold on power. Officials said 49 newly elected deputies had served in the war against Ukraine. Western governments called voting in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine a sham.

Russia electionUnited RussiaVladimir PutinUkraine war

Russia’s Central Election Commission chairwoman Ella Pamfilova said turnout in the State Duma election reached 59.32%, with more than 62.6 million people voting. She described unprecedented external threats and intensified cyber aggression, while saying Russia overcame the challenges; online turnout was 90.88%.

RussiaState Duma electionvoter turnoutcyber aggression

Observers from Commonwealth of Independent States countries said they recorded no violations that could have affected the results of Russia’s State Duma election. The ninth State Duma was elected during three-day voting from September 18 to 20, alongside regional legislative and leadership elections.

RussiaState Duma electionCIS observers

US President Donald Trump opened a new helipad on the White House South Lawn and cut a ribbon on the paved path leading to it. His brief speech was drowned out by the presidential helicopter’s engines. Major television companies declined to provide live pool coverage after some media outlets were denied White House access.

Donald TrumpWhite Househelipadmedia access

A Vermont jury convicted Jason Eaton of attempted murder for shooting three Palestinian college students near the University of Vermont campus in 2023, rejecting his insanity defence. Hisham Awartani was paralysed from the waist down, while Tahseen Aliahmad and Kinnan Abdalhamid were wounded. Eaton faces up to life in prison.

VermontPalestinian studentsshootingattempted murder

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Washington is working on an agreement to purchase potash from Belarus at a lower price than the U.S. currently pays Canada.

Donald TrumpBelaruspotashCanada

President Donald Trump said Washington is working on an agreement to buy potash from Belarus at a price below what the United States currently pays Canada.

Donald TrumpBelaruspotashtrade

Donald Trump says the U.S. is pursuing a large deal to buy Belarusian potash at prices below those paid to Canada. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says the country lacks spare volume because its output is already contracted. Canada supplies nearly 80% of U.S. potash imports, while sanctions still limit Belarus’s access to Western markets.

potashUnited StatesBelarusCanada

President Donald Trump said the United States is working on a major agreement to buy potash from Belarus, calling it more advantageous than purchasing the fertilizer from Canada. The announcement comes amid an apparent thaw in U.S.-Belarusian relations and worsening economic ties between Washington and Ottawa.

United StatesBelaruspotashCanada

The US president says fertiliser from Lukashenko’s Russia-aligned regime will be much cheaper than Canadian supplies, marking the latest sign of warmer ties between Washington and Minsk.

TrumpBelaruspotashCanada

An analysis of Central Election Commission data by the independent outlet Agentstvo found that New People led United Russia at 18 of 27 overseas polling stations in major Russian emigration hubs. United Russia won nine locations, while inside Russia it led with 58% of counted votes after 93% of ballots were tallied.

Russia electionUnited Russiaoverseas voting

With 93% of precincts counted, United Russia had about 58% of the vote, while official turnout reached 59.32%, the highest since 2011. Kremlin-linked sources told Meduza the record was secured through “very dirty means,” including pressure on state employees to vote and monitoring their participation.

RussiaState Duma electionUnited Russiavoter turnout

Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the United Russia party congress in Moscow. The party won a record 355 seats in the State Duma.

RussiaUnited RussiaState Dumaelection

Russia’s single voting day has ended, with preliminary results showing United Russia holding a strong lead in the election for the ninth State Duma. The lower house is expected to retain its five-party composition, while Europe seeks a response to record gasoline and diesel prices. French President Emmanuel Macron called fuel costs “unbearable.”

Russia electionState DumaUnited RussiaEuropean fuel prices

Preliminary results released by Russian state media on Monday show President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party winning a large majority in parliamentary elections. The vote took place amid Ukrainian drone strikes, cyberattacks and a crackdown on anti-war opposition, and was the first election since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russiaparliamentary electionUnited RussiaVladimir Putin

Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia on the final day of the State Duma election, including hundreds aimed at Moscow. Putin’s pro-government party is poised to win as the attacks highlight the war’s growing reach into the capital.

Russia electionUnited RussiaUkraine drone attacksMoscow

The Federal Aviation Administration imposed ground stops Monday at several busy East Coast airports, including Boston’s and New York’s JFK and LaGuardia, as the fallout from an air traffic control communications problem spread.

US aviationairportsair traffic control

The Federal Aviation Administration imposed ground stops Monday at several busy East Coast airports, including New York’s JFK and LaGuardia, as the effects of an air traffic control communications problem spread.

U.S. airportsflight suspensionsair traffic control

Paramount Skydance has settled lawsuits filed by 12 state attorneys general, clearing the way for it to complete its historic $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Paramount SkydanceWarner Bros. Discoverylawsuit settlement

Paramount has reached a settlement with U.S. states over its proposed merger with Warner Bros. The $81 billion deal would combine two of Hollywood’s oldest studios, major television networks including CBS and CNN, streaming services HBO Max and Paramount+, and decades of film and television libraries featuring titles such as Harry Potter and Top Gun.

ParamountWarner Bros.media mergerU.S. states

Paramount Skydance has settled with a group of state attorneys general, clearing the way for its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery to move forward. The deal’s latest details and its potential future impact on the film industry are also under discussion.

Paramount SkydanceWarner Bros. Discoverymerger

Paramount Skydance has settled lawsuits filed by attorneys general from 12 states and the Writers Guild trade union, clearing the way for the company to complete its historic $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

ParamountWarner Bros.mergerlawsuits

Paramount Skydance has settled with California and 11 other states that sued to block its $110bn merger with Warner Bros Discovery. The agreement would create independent editorial boards for CNN and CBS and include commitments on film production and newsroom staffing. Paramount can avoid a $7m daily fee if the deal closes by September 30.

ParamountWarner Brosmedia mergerUS lawsuit

Paramount has settled with California and 11 other states that sued to stop its planned $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The agreement resolves the antitrust case and removes a major obstacle to the media merger, after the states argued the deal could create a powerful media behemoth.

ParamountWarner Bros. Discoverymedia mergerantitrust

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has proposed an independent external review of the organisation’s governance of major strategic initiatives, along with consultations with member associations and other stakeholders. The proposals follow the abandonment of a plan to sell a 20 percent stake in FIFA’s commercial rights after fierce opposition.

FIFAGianni Infantinogovernance reformfootball

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has proposed an independent review of how the football body makes decisions, including who gets a voice on major initiatives. The proposal follows backlash and boycott calls over his plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors.

FIFAGianni InfantinoWorld Cupgovernance reform

The UK has charged 65-year-old Rwandan national Dr Vincent Brown, formerly known as Dr Vincent Bajinya, with seven offences linked to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The Crown Prosecution Service said it was the first time such charges had been brought in the UK. He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

UKRwandagenocideprosecution

British prosecutors said on Monday they had charged a 65-year-old man with genocide-related offences allegedly committed during the 1994 killings of Tutsis in Rwanda.

UKRwandagenocidecriminal charges

New York-listed fashion e-commerce retailer REVOLVE said it will partner with Donatella Versace, offering the former Versace chief creative director an entirely new platform and the freedom to build something from the ground up.

fashionDonatella VersaceREVOLVE

Meta’s Muse personal AI agent tool recorded 730,000 downloads in the roughly five days following its launch, surpassing ChatGPT, Grok and Claude.

MetaMuseAIapp downloads