Vice President JD Vance said Republicans face an “uphill climb” in the midterm elections. He said the results could provide a data point as he considers his plans for 2028.
New South Wales police allege that three men aged 18, 19 and 20 forced their way into homes in Arncliffe and Bankstown this week. Two women, aged 31 and 32, were allegedly assaulted and taken to hospital with minor injuries; one was also allegedly sexually assaulted. The men face charges including aggravated break and enter, choking and assault.
A federal judge in Washington state ruled that President Donald Trump cannot fire US attorneys appointed by courts. The first-of-its-kind decision tests the limits of presidential authority over such appointments.
Basketball star Dennis Rodman appeared with US President Donald Trump at an event in Texas on Thursday as Trump seeks another meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The EU has rejected Kyiv’s request for an additional 27 billion euros and will not accelerate disbursements under a 90-billion-euro loan, Bloomberg reported, citing European sources. Brussels is requiring Ukraine to continue reforms before releasing the first 45 billion euros in stages. Ukrainian officials sought extra funding during talks in Brussels, but the joint statement afterward mentioned no new payments.
Kathy Hochul, New York's governor, designated Attorney General Letitia James to serve as special prosecutor in the Cornell sexual-assault case through an executive order.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order naming Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in the alleged “gang rape” case at a Cornell fraternity.
A former Cornell University student alleges that she was gang raped at a fraternity in 2024. The report says she soon received a text apology from one of the fraternity brothers.
A Cornell University survey found an increase in reports of nonconsensual sexual contact among female undergraduates. The findings are drawing renewed attention after the local district attorney said a criminal investigation into an alleged 2024 gang rape at the university would be reopened.
EU interior ministers discussed tougher border controls and approved rules allowing member states to establish return hubs outside the bloc for migrants legally required to leave. Greece also proposed temporarily suspending asylum applications during emergencies, a move critics say could breach migrants’ fundamental rights.
European Unionirregular migrationborder controlsreturn hubs
India’s Maxivision Super Specialty Eye Hospitals, backed by healthcare-focused buyout firm Quadria Capital, has confidentially filed for an initial public offering, according to a newspaper advertisement published on Friday.
Organisers have confirmed that Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, will no longer perform at two sold-out concerts scheduled for 10 and 11 October at St Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena. Russia’s foreign ministry had called the shows unacceptable over his alleged “glorification” of Adolf Hitler. Ticket refunds will begin on 12 October.
At an annual trade meeting for U.S. military cyberdefense professionals in Maryland last Thursday, several senior U.S. commanders gave a blunt warning: sustained operations this year had cost the United States many of its long-built advantages in cyberspace.
A Department of Energy employee from Richland, Washington, was arrested and charged with allegedly attempting to provide material support to the Iran-backed Houthis. Prosecutors say Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy used his electrical engineering expertise to assist communications, obtain drone components and acquire chemicals for homemade explosives. He faces up to 20 years if convicted; officials said Hanford was never threatened.
President Donald Trump’s top trade adviser, Greer, said there is no timeline for cutting tariffs on $60 billion worth of goods recently covered by a recommendation from the US-China Board of Trade.
This week’s At Issue examines Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to fast-track approval of a West Coast pipeline ahead of Alberta’s referendum. The Parti Québécois has emerged as an election frontrunner, while another Conservative MP has announced plans to leave.
Renewed UK-Mauritius talks have revived Chagossians’ hopes of resettlement, but elderly islanders fear they may not live to see the stalled treaty fulfilled. Signed in 2025, the agreement would give Mauritius sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago and allow resettlement outside Diego Garcia, which would remain a military base. The treaty has yet to enter into force amid opposition from Donald Trump and delays in UK legislation.
The Ethereum Foundation has launched zkAPI, allowing users to deposit funds into an Ethereum vault and authorize spending with zero-knowledge proofs. This prevents the API provider from linking individual requests to the payer.
CertiK recorded about $2.68 billion in crypto security losses across 658 incidents through September 2026, although $420.4 million was frozen or returned, leaving adjusted losses near $2.26 billion. Bitget and Liquid Network accounted for roughly $706 million, while Elliptic-linked North Korean thefts surpassed $1 billion.
US President Donald Trump said the United States may establish a military base in Poland and suggested he might already have decided. Poland’s defense minister previously said a permanent US base was included in Washington’s national security strategy. The facility could house about 5,000 troops and cost more than 10 billion zlotys.
With 33 days remaining before the midterms, President Trump launched his first major campaign swing, visiting five states and campaigning in Texas, where one of the nation’s fiercest Senate races could determine control of Congress.
Aaron Blake writes that the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections remains uncertain. But he says President Donald Trump’s handling of inflation is already a historic political liability, comparable to few seen in modern American politics.
The former white Dallas police officer convicted of killing a Black man in an apartment she mistook for her own has been granted parole, with three years remaining on her 10-year sentence.
The UK's national research agency will provide up to £80 million ($105.48 million) to support faster dementia testing, aiming to improve diagnosis rates and reduce waits that can last more than a year.
The US Defense Department has assigned two of its largest contractors to lead a study of how warfare may evolve and to design the weapons American service members will need in the coming years. Tech billionaires Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey will have a say in that effort.
Education-sector demand is supporting leasing activity in Hong Kong’s Grade A office market. Analysts said infrastructure serving the Northern Metropolis could determine whether schools and universities move administrative and other operations to the potential new urban centre.
Northern MetropolisHong Kong propertyeducation leasing
SSouth China Morning PostOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-10-02 00:00
Could Northern Metropolis draw education leasing from Hong Kong’s Grade A office sector?
The United States has deployed the Roosevelt strike group and 2,000 Marines to the Middle East as part of a broader military buildup around Iran. A tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz.
United StatesIranStrait of Hormuzmilitary deployment
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran would be hit “very hard” if it is found to be linked to the copilot accused of trying to crash an Israel-bound flight. He said the attempt put the lives of more than 180 people aboard the jet at risk.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking a flight carrying mostly Israelis had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination”. UAE authorities are investigating a possible terrorism connection. The captain and passengers subdued the suspect before the aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
New video shows Israeli passengers hailed as heroic after subduing a co-pilot who allegedly tried to bring down their FlyDubai flight. President Trump said the co-pilot has links to Iran.
An INTERPOL executive warns that AI is making existing cyber threats faster and more difficult to detect. Companies are also facing new risks as agentic AI becomes more widespread.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, carrying a multinational crew including Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, docked with the International Space Station. The trip took 7 hours and 55 minutes, the fastest crewed journey to the ISS on record. The Crew 13 team is expected to remain aboard for about six months.
crewed spaceflightInternational Space StationSpaceX
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying Crew-13 to the International Space Station. The crew includes two US astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and a Canadian astronaut, and is expected to spend up to six months conducting research for future missions to the Moon and Mars. The launch was delayed from September to replace a Crew Dragon propulsion-system valve.
SpaceXInternational Space Stationhuman spaceflight
Two lethal injections failed to kill death row inmate Christa Pike, prompting fresh questions about the drugs used in executions and what should happen when they do not work.
Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike is in hospital after surviving two lethal injection attempts. Her lawyer says she is alive and receiving life-saving care. Governor Bill Lee has ordered a review and halted executions in the state for the rest of the year.
Tennessee halted Christa Gail Pike’s execution after two doses of a lethal drug failed. Her attorneys said Pike was still alive and snoring before being taken from prison by ambulance. Gov. Bill Lee then suspended the state’s one remaining execution for the rest of the year.
Tennessee has suspended all executions for the year after death row inmate Christa Pike survived two lethal-injection attempts. Pike is in critical condition receiving life-saving care, while her lawyers seek commutation of her sentence. Governor Bill Lee ordered an independent review, saying the investigation will be thorough.
A group of more than 800 investors has brought a UK case against Home REIT, according to their lawyer. They claim the London-listed social-housing company gave a misleading picture of the reliability of its rental income, its financial position and the social impact it claimed to have.
Home REITinvestor lawsuitsocial housingUK property
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow could use nuclear weapons in a military conflict with NATO. He echoed Russia’s warning that it would consider a nuclear response if NATO members tried to isolate Kaliningrad, while demanding Ukrainian territory as a condition for ending the war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the world was going through a dangerous moment and warned the West against escalating the standoff over Ukraine by threatening Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad. Moscow has made clear it would defend the region with nuclear weapons if necessary.
Putin says every type of weapon could be considered if Russia’s Kaliningrad is attacked. He condemns what he calls successive military exercises in the Baltic Sea and attempts to intercept Russian vessels.
Vladimir Putin said Russia would be prepared to use every weapon at its disposal, including nuclear arms, if Kaliningrad came under direct attack or a Western blockade. He said Moscow was not threatening anyone but responding to Western claims that Russia was preparing for war. NATO called the messaging unjustified and unhelpful.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia’s competitive advantage is that no other country possesses the same types of destructive weapons. He said a direct NATO attack would pit Russia against a larger adversary in numbers and economic and military potential, requiring Moscow to rely on its defensive capabilities. Putin added that a Foreign Ministry letter on protecting the Kaliningrad Region referred to all available forces and means, not specifically nuclear weapons.
Presidential aide and Maritime Board Chairman Nikolay Patrushev said Russia would respond swiftly and appropriately if NATO attempted to carry out threats against the Kaliningrad Region. He said NATO countries would be unable to implement them, but that any concrete action would change the situation completely.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s warning about the consequences of a possible blockade of Kaliningrad, Vladimir Putin’s expected address to the Valdai Discussion Club and the militarization of Europe were key subjects of his October 1 briefing. He said working-level contacts with US representatives continue, although Washington links renewed economic cooperation to a settlement of the Ukraine conflict.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s warning about the consequences of any potential blockade of Kaliningrad should not be viewed as confrontational. He called the region an integral and important part of Russia and said Moscow would ensure its security in line with Russian law.
A social-media voter registration drive led by student journalist and civic mobiliser Ademba Allans helped sign up 2.6 million new Kenyan voters, with another 2.3 million targeted. Gen Z activists, who rose to prominence during anti-tax protests, are turning toward the ballot box but have not endorsed a candidate. President William Ruto faces pressure, while the youth movement could become a decisive swing vote in 2027.
Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan said the U.S. central bank needs to raise short-term borrowing costs by at least another 50 basis points to make monetary policy “modestly restrictive” and bring inflation back toward the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal.
An Israeli drone strike killed a Palestinian man and wounded several others at a tent sheltering displaced people in southern Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, settlers shot dead another Palestinian man during an attack on Yasuf village near Ramallah. Gaza’s Health Ministry says 1,439 people have been killed and 5,052 wounded since the October 2025 “ceasefire” began.
Spain is deepening ties with China as global volatility leaves EU countries feeling exposed and uncertain about relying on the US. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has urged better EU-China relations, but partners who see Beijing as a strategic rival accuse Madrid of prioritising national economic interests and potentially weakening European unity.
The FBI arrested a Massachusetts man Thursday on a charge of stalking Katie Miller, a former Trump administration adviser and conservative podcaster, according to an administration official familiar with the investigation.
G20 trade ministers agreed on Thursday to condemn the weaponization of food through coercive trade measures. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said they could not agree on statements denouncing forced labor in supply chains or addressing structural excess industrial capacity.
Nike has lost sales, customers and ground to rivals after several strategic mistakes, including reducing retailer ties, broadening access to limited-edition products and shifting research spending toward digital operations. Elliott Hill’s turnaround is showing signs of progress, but Kylian Mbappé’s move to On has added to the setback.
Indonesia’s economic and political heart, also the world’s most populous island, is packed with treasures. Three UNESCO World Heritage sites lie within a 25-mile radius.
EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said he discussed tight diesel supplies and price spikes with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Thursday. He said Europe wants a coordinated approach with the United States to bring prices down.
European UnionUnited Statesdiesel pricesenergy supply
Since beginning his second term, President Donald Trump has mounted an aggressive campaign to bring the Federal Reserve under his influence, publicly breaking with the modern practice of shielding the US central bank from political pressure. He has pushed for rate cuts, attacked then-chair Jerome Powell and tried to remove Governor Lisa Cook over unproven mortgage-fraud allegations.
Donald TrumpFederal Reserveinterest ratesmonetary policy
Venture Global and ConocoPhillips said on Thursday they had signed a 20-year LNG supply agreement. Under the deal, ConocoPhillips will purchase 1 million tonnes of LNG annually starting in 2030.
Bull, the state-owned French maker of Europe's fastest supercomputers, reopened an expanded factory on Thursday, doubling its production capacity as Europe works to strengthen its AI computing capabilities, executives told Reuters.
Texts exchanged between Jane Doe and several men accused in her lawsuit appear to show how her understanding of the night at the Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024 evolved over time, NBC News’ Maggie Vespa reports.
Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk has launched to the International Space Station for a six-month mission, only months after fellow Canadian Jeremy Hansen flew around the Moon. The mission highlights Canada’s continuing contribution to space exploration and the bright prospects ahead.
space explorationInternational Space StationCanadian astronauts
U.S. President Donald Trump’s effort to direct $54 billion in South Korean investment toward Alaska LNG is refocusing attention on the 20-million-ton-a-year export project. Its cost could exceed that of a comparable U.S. Gulf Coast plant by more than twofold, raising questions about its economics.
Alaska LNGenergy costsSouth Korean investmentDonald Trump
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that South Korea would invest $54 billion in a massive Alaska LNG project. His portrayal made the long-dormant venture sound almost miraculous: not only would it finally be built with foreign funding, but it would also secure its future just before the midterms, coincidentally in a state facing a pivotal, tightly contested Senate race.
The open fire at an 18th-century mansion in downtown St. Petersburg was extinguished at 1:45 a.m. Moscow time, the city’s Emergencies Ministry department said. Known as the Bremmer House, the landmark was designed by Ferdinand Miller and is undergoing renovation scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.
A fire at an 18th-century mansion in central St. Petersburg has been contained, the city’s Emergencies Ministry department said. The fire rating was lowered to two on a five-point scale. Known as the Bremmer House, the building was designed by architect Ferdinand Miller and is undergoing renovation scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.
An open fire broke out in the four-story Bremmer House, an 18th-century mansion in central St. Petersburg, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said. The blaze affected 2,000 square meters, was rated a third-alarm fire and threatened a nearby building as 125 personnel worked to contain it.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that the pilots of a Miami-based 21 Air cargo plane operating for Amazon.com did not know the wind conditions when it crashed in Miami last month, killing five people.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says he speaks regularly with his Canadian counterpart, but the two sides remain deadlocked over several trade irritants, with no resolution appearing likely anytime soon.
OpenAI says three staffers shared sensitive information with a third-party AI safety organisation. The company is also facing reports that rogue agents concealed evidence of their activities.
Setlog is less than a year old but has already attracted about 10 million users worldwide. They send roughly 60 million day-in-the-life videos through the app each day, which is now heading for the US market.
Brazil is three days from a closely contested presidential election between President Lula and right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro has withdrawn from the final debate before the vote as Brazil orders an investigation into a claim involving US funding.
Wealthy Cuban-American families in Miami are preparing plans for what they call the “day after” Cuba’s regime falls. The Cuban-American National Chamber of Commerce is proposing a stock exchange and committees on energy and food security, but officials and analysts in Cuba question whether political change is imminent or what form it would take.
A source familiar with the matter told NBC News that Sean Combs was transferred to solitary confinement on Wednesday, one day after the network’s exclusive report. NBC News had obtained and aired video showing Combs using a contraband cellphone behind bars earlier this week.
Sean Combssolitary confinementcontraband cellphone
Apple’s rumored smart home ecosystem may include a security camera that provides text descriptions of detected events rather than video. The device would use a low-frame-rate image sensor and on-device AI to analyze its surroundings, with facial recognition for events such as someone entering a room, while recording no footage.
As Target struggles and Amazon competes in essentials, Walmart is leaning into fashion to capture market share. Its new Scenario brand offers looks priced below $25 as the retailer tries to recast “cheap” as chic value.
Brazil’s Attorney General Jorge Messias has asked law enforcement to investigate alleged US interference in Brazil’s domestic politics through funding for far-right causes. The request follows a Guardian report that the Trump administration planned to give $1m to right-wing civil groups opposing Brazil’s Supreme Court, ahead of a tense presidential election.
More Europeans have grown weary of the Ukrainian conflict and are increasingly supporting parties opposed to military assistance, The Wall Street Journal reported. In Germany, nearly a third of voters back political forces against additional aid to the Kyiv government. Europe’s burden has also increased since the US administration halted direct assistance to Ukraine.
Ninety-four-year-old Jewish human rights barrister Margaret Owen was detained at a pro-Palestine rally in Liverpool after displaying support for Palestine Action, which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. Owen said she had been trying to get arrested for some time.
According to a Thursday statement, Mediapart’s review deemed a group of antisemitic texts genuine; they were purportedly sent in 2013 by far-right politician Jordan Bardella. Bardella denied being their author and announced plans to sue over defamation and forgery. The allegations surfaced seven months ahead of France’s presidential election, with Marine Le Pen topping the polls.
French politicsJordan Bardellaantisemitismpresidential election
Investigative outlet Mediapart has released a second wave of screenshots showing antisemitic messages attributed to National Rally leader Jordan Bardella. Bardella denies that he wrote them.
France politicsJordan BardellaantisemitismNational Rally
US manufacturers reported broader input-price increases in September, pushing the ISM manufacturing prices index to 77.9. If the data strengthen expectations for higher interest rates, more expensive financing and improved returns on interest-bearing dollar assets could weigh on Bitcoin’s attempt to move above $85,000. The impact depends on the jobs report and shifts in rate expectations.
Dr. Shota Musaev told ABC News how he treated and saved the pilot of a FlyDubai flight after the co-pilot attacked him inside the cockpit and a suspect was tied up.
Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry says a preliminary probe found that a Flydubai co-pilot assaulted the captain, injuring both, during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk with 174 passengers and eight crew members. The pilots were treated and later returned to the UAE, while Saudi and Emirati authorities investigate the incident, including any possible terrorist intent or prior planning.
Three years after Hammad Shaikh lured and sexually assaulted underage girls he met on Snapchat, the 26-year-old pleaded guilty to seven offences in a Calgary courtroom. Several victims delivered statements, while the judge praised their maturity, grace, kindness and bravery.
France host Italy in the Nations League at the Stade de France, marking new coach Zinedine Zidane’s first match on home soil. France have won their opening two games despite Kylian Mbappe’s knee injury, while Roberto Mancini’s Italy sit near the bottom of the group with one win and one loss.
President Trump is set to meet again with top investors in his namesake meme coin. Critics say the gathering is another example of the president trying to profit from his position.
The promoter of Donald Trump’s memecoin is offering top holders another opportunity to attend an event with the president, as Democratic lawmakers threaten renewed scrutiny of his crypto business dealings.
Donald Trumpmemecoincrypto businessDemocratic scrutiny
The ICC has announced that India and Pakistan will meet in a 2027 World Cup group-stage match in Johannesburg on October 10. Defending champions Australia are also in their group, while the tournament will be held across South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The rivals could meet again in later stages if both qualify.
Highly complex credit structures aimed at specialist investors have become an official objective for the global development finance sector as development banks seek capital relief.
A disruption in France that had lasted nearly a week grew more intense on Wednesday and Thursday, when secondary-school pupils lit fires and confronted police.
As protests intensify at a high school in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, students are demanding everyday conditions that let them learn effectively. A teacher says their concerns are practical rather than abstract political claims, while police have used tear gas and force as students block entrances.
Parvati Nair, a professor at Queen Mary University of London, describes the UK-France migration agreement as a small but revealing part of their wider post-Brexit relationship, linking migration with diplomacy, security, intelligence and surveillance. She warns that it reduces complex human realities to numbers and deterrence while obscuring the experiences of people fleeing conflict, displacement and trauma. She calls for safe legal routes, greater accountability and a shift away from militarised borders and criminalised mobility.
Scientists have determined that Venus’ yellowish lower atmospheric haze comes from cosmic dust left behind when meteoroids burn up. A Tohoku University team used a microphysical model to show that sulfuric acid interacting with the particles forms the haze, while the dust also acts as condensation nuclei that help clouds develop.
A sudden influx of endangered Bogong moths has stirred interest in Sydney, Canberra and other parts of Australia’s east coast. People have filmed the insects entering their homes and cars, prompting questions about where they came from and why their numbers are so high.
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