The Russian and German foreign ministers met in New York on Saturday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, marking their first such talks since before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, their first meeting since Russia began its full-scale war against Ukraine. Wadephul demanded that Moscow end the war and hostile actions, while calling for serious peace negotiations and the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea.

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The German and Russian foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday. It is believed to be their first one-on-one meeting since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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Russia agreed to an unscheduled meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to reaffirm its willingness to hear all counterparts, Sergey Lavrov said. He added that Moscow remains ready to listen even to those who accuse Russia of every conceivable wrongdoing.

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A pair of giant pandas left Chengdu in southwest China’s Sichuan Province for Zoo Atlanta on a chartered flight at 2:55 a.m. Sunday. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will spend 10 years at the U.S. zoo, following a farewell ceremony at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

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Two giant pandas have flown out of China for a new home at a zoo in Atlanta, where they will live on loan from the Chinese government. Their arrival marks the latest example of Beijing’s long-running use of “panda diplomacy” to strengthen ties with other countries.

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Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang have left Chengdu for the United States, beginning a 10-year conservation partnership between China and Zoo Atlanta. They will undergo quarantine and health checks on arrival, while the zoo has upgraded their habitat, monitoring systems and bamboo supply.

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Powerful winds and towering waves are battering the US Northeast, causing flight chaos and blackouts. Flooding has already hit areas including Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore, while officials warn that more rain is on the way.

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A dangerous nor’easter lashing the U.S. East Coast has killed one person in New York after a falling tree struck them. Millions of Americans are under weather alerts and facing coastal flooding threats, with more storms expected.

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A powerful nor’easter has brought flooding and power outages across the northeastern United States, affecting more than 88,000 homes and businesses and cancelling about 425 flights. Authorities warn of continued high winds, high tides and heavy rain, urging residents to avoid flooded areas and the beach.

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A slow-moving, powerful storm tracked along the northeastern U.S. coast on Saturday, bringing high winds that cut power to tens of thousands. Large waves and heavy rain also produced dangerous conditions and widespread flooding in some areas.

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A powerful, slow-moving storm has hit parts of the East Coast, leaving millions at risk from high winds and power outages. Tens of millions were in its path as the nor’easter was expected to affect the mid-Atlantic and New England through the weekend.

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A powerful nor’easter sweeping the U.S. East Coast from Washington, D.C., to Maine this weekend caused more than 100,000 homes and businesses to lose power at one point Saturday. Airlines canceled over 400 flights as the storm moved through.

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Tens of thousands protested in central Madrid against Spain’s housing crisis, demanding stronger tenant protections, anti-fraud rules and a ban on evictions without alternative accommodation. The march followed the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the apartment where she had lived for 70 years.

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Thousands of people marched in Madrid after the eviction of an 87-year-old woman, calling for measures to protect tenants, combat fraud and prohibit evictions when no alternative housing is available.

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Four people died when what appeared to be a private helicopter crashed and caught fire in Sainte-Brigide-d'Iberville, about 50km from Montreal. Quebec provincial police said the victims have not been identified. The Sûreté du Québec’s Major Crime Unit and Canada’s Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

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Police are investigating a helicopter crash in a field near Rang des Écossais in Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville on Saturday afternoon. All four people aboard were killed.

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The UN General Assembly closes with mixed diplomatic results. US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Russia and Germany have resumed high-level talks and China has criticised Washington’s approach to the region.

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A Northern Ireland court has ruled that the Orange Order, a Protestant group, may hold a march in a Catholic area, Sky News reported Saturday.

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Northern Ireland’s High Court has issued a temporary injunction blocking a Protestant parade from passing through a Catholic area on Sunday. Residents challenged the reversal of a ban on the route that had lasted almost 30 years.

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Republic of Ireland players plan to wear black armbands recognising lives lost in the Gaza conflict during Sunday’s Nations League match against Israel in Hungary. FAI chief executive David Courell said goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew in protest, while a squad vote by a “significant majority” backed playing. Players also plan further gestures and charitable donations.

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Ireland’s players voted to go ahead with Sunday’s Nations League match against Israel after one player planned to withdraw. Coach Heimir Hallgrímsson said taking part does not signal support for the war in Gaza, and the team plans to wear black armbands to remember those who died.

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Demonstrators displayed a banner calling on the Football Association of Ireland to boycott upcoming UEFA fixtures involving Israel.

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China’s rapid economic and technological growth has left many young people worried about jobs, relationships and the pressure to keep up. Anthropologist Biao Xiang has become an unlikely idol by discussing anxiety, social change and the search for meaning, drawing about 500 people to a recent talk in Singapore.

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The US president has rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying the deal is not “acceptable”. Tehran is awaiting an official response.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Al Jazeera that Tehran no longer trusts negotiations with the US, saying earlier talks were followed by attacks and sanctions. His remarks came shortly before Donald Trump rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days.

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Donald Trump rejected Iran’s ceasefire plan, while a nor’easter is expected to bring flooding to New York and New Jersey.

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Iran is insisting that the dispute be resolved diplomatically, even as mediators helping facilitate U.S.-Iran talks have not officially conveyed a U.S. rejection of the plan despite Donald Trump's public comments.

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Iran is still insisting on a seven-day roadmap for a ceasefire around Hormuz and is waiting for Washington’s formal response, Abbas Araghchi says, despite Donald Trump publicly rejecting the proposal.

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Bloomberg News Now reports that Donald Trump rejected an Iranian proposal while a nor’easter continued to hit the U.S. coast, alongside other top global business stories.

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Greek authorities are investigating why a two-storey apartment building in Athens’s historic Plaka district collapsed within seconds after an explosion, killing six people. Rescuers found the bodies more than 24 hours later, including four American tourists. Officials said a gas leak was among several possible causes under consideration.

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An explosion caused a building to collapse in central Athens, killing six people. Firefighters, police and medical crews remain at the scene, while a team from the Arson Crimes Division investigates the incident.

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An explosion completely collapsed a three-storey building in Athens’s historic Plaka district, killing at least one person and leaving five missing. Local media said it contained a holiday rental, while those reportedly involved included four American tourists and a British national. A gas leak is suspected, and rescuers continue searching the rubble.

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A large explosion collapsed a building in Athens’ Plaka tourist district, killing a young woman and injuring three people. Several people believed to be foreign nationals remain missing, while rescuers search the rubble. Authorities suspect a gas leak caused the blast.

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An explosion destroyed a building in Athens, leaving one person dead and five missing. The incident occurred in Plaka, an area with numerous hotels and short-term rentals near some of the city’s most visited landmarks.

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A residential building collapsed after an explosion in a tourist area of central Athens, killing a woman and leaving five people missing, according to a Greek fire brigade official on Saturday.

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Pope Leo XIV celebrated a large outdoor Mass in Paris before travelling to Lourdes, where he prayed at the grotto, greeted pilgrims and continued his pilgrimage in France.

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More than 800,000 people gathered in central Paris on Saturday for Pope Leo XIV’s Mass, according to Vatican estimates. On the second day of his four-day apostolic visit to France, the pontiff also prayed at the Grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, a major Catholic pilgrimage site.

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Pope Leo XIV began the second stop of his France visit in Lourdes with a prayer at the Grotto of the Apparitions. Catholics believe the Virgin Mary appeared there to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, and the site is among the faith’s most visited shrines, following historic crowds in Paris.

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At a huge Mass in Paris’s Place de la Concorde on Saturday, Pope Leo XIV spoke directly to Catholic young people and called them the “Church of today.” During his visit, he also sought to connect with youth through a vigil at the Stade de France on Friday.

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Pope Leo XIV attracted hundreds of thousands of people to the Champs-Élysées for a major outdoor Mass. On Saturday, he rode in his popemobile toward Place de la Concorde, greeting cheering crowds along the parade route.

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Pope Leo XIV held an open-air Mass in Paris on Saturday, September 26, drawing about 600,000 faithful to the Champs-Élysées. It was described as one of the largest outdoor Masses in the world.

Pope Leo XIVParisoutdoor Mass

US President Donald Trump announced new fuel economy standards that he said would terminate what he calls Joe Biden’s “EV mandate.” Trump argued the rollback would lower car prices and encourage more production in the US, but he did not provide details of the new standards.

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Donald Trump says he approved new fuel economy standards that would reverse the Biden administration’s stricter policies aimed at encouraging electric-vehicle adoption.

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U.S. President Donald Trump said in a Saturday post that he had approved new fuel economy standards terminating the Biden administration’s EV mandate.

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