Iniaes

In the Baltic region

Denmark has summoned Russia after a Russian warship fired flares at a Danish helicopter during a routine Baltic Sea patrol. Separately, NATO says it is prepared after a drone was shot down over Lithuania, where eastern-border allies are watching closely for spillover from Russia’s war. The incidents underline how little room there is for miscalculation around NATO airspace and waters.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has also pledged deeper cooperation with Vladimir Putin, including what state media called invariable support for Russia. The Moscow-Pyongyang partnership continues to widen as European security officials track Russia’s military pressure closer to NATO territory.

In the Iran war

The U.S. military says it faces an ammunition shortfall linked to the war with Iran. That conflicts with President Trump’s recent assertion that America has virtually unlimited stockpiles.

On AI safeguards

Trump is facing bipartisan pressure in Congress for rules governing major AI companies, with some Republicans joining Democrats in calling for safeguards. In Europe, a leaked European Commission plan would require parental consent for under-15s to use social media and impose safety-by-design requirements on higher-risk services, including AI chatbots and video games.

In consumer health

Abbott Laboratories will pay $385 million to resolve claims tied to a contamination investigation that shut down its largest infant-formula plant. The settlement closes a major legal chapter from a disruption that left families scrambling for formula supplies.

In Lithuania

NATO fighter jets shot down a drone near Pratkunai, outside Kaunas, after it crossed into Lithuanian airspace from Belarus and headed west. Authorities issued alerts in Vilnius and surrounding areas. Poland also scrambled fighters after recovering a suspected Russian drone from its waters the previous day.

In U.S. policy and the courts

The Supreme Court rejected President Trump’s effort to tighten mail-in voting rules before the midterms, leaving the current system in place. Separately, the administration faces two legal setbacks over restrictions on visas and green cards, with courts and Democratic-led states challenging the limits.

The House Rules Committee also advanced bipartisan legislation to expand Russia sanctions. The measure would authorize penalties against people acting for Moscow who obstruct Ukraine peace talks or breach a negotiated agreement.

In London

Police are investigating after five hooded youths allegedly fired two rocket fireworks at Lauderdale Road Synagogue in Maida Vale during Rosh Hashanah. The building was empty, and there were no reported injuries or damage. The group fled, and the Metropolitan Police and Community Security Trust have been notified.

At the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal plans to cut daily ship traffic again as an El Niño-linked drought worsens. The route carries about 5% of global maritime trade and roughly 40% of U.S. container traffic, so further restrictions could add pressure to shipping routes between Asia and the United States.

Voting and federal power

The Supreme Court has left a lower-court block on President Trump’s mail-in voting plan in place, finding no basis to revive the policy before the midterms. Two conservative justices dissented.

Separately, a DHS whistleblower says officers pursuing voter-fraud cases were instructed to search state voter databases and create federal records on suspected non-citizen voters, despite concerns over legal access and unreliable data. The expanded investigation has reportedly produced only a handful of cases.

A new assessment by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance says U.S. democracy indicators have fallen to their lowest level in 50 years, citing pressure on the rule of law, elections, free expression, press freedom and access to justice.

Power plant emissions

The EPA has finalized a repeal of federal greenhouse-gas limits for coal- and gas-fired power plants, removing restrictions on one of the country’s largest sources of climate-warming pollution. The agency had not yet released the full rule text, leaving the remaining requirements unclear.

Russian-linked wedding funding

Donald Trump Jr. and his wife confirmed that Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch with Kremlin ties, paid for part of their wedding celebrations. Kremlev received Vladimir Putin’s Order of Friendship earlier this year.

California child-abuse case

A seven-year-old girl escaped a mobile home in Boulevard, California, and sought help from a neighbor after authorities said she suffered bruises, scars, burn marks and a black eye. She had been in the care of her uncle, Devin Hughes, and his girlfriend, Kayla Reynolds.

Programmable semiconductors

Princeton researchers have developed a thin semiconductor whose electrical and optical properties can be written, erased and adjusted with different wavelengths of light. The team produced a one-inch-square sample with programmable switch arrays, though a complete working circuit remains the next step.

Germany, meanwhile, says Europe cannot afford to slow AI development, arguing that continued research and testing are necessary for digital sovereignty as the United States and China compete for technological advantage.

In public health

Pennsylvania has reported 676 measles cases, including four in people fully vaccinated for their age. Officials say severe illness remains extraordinarily rare among vaccinated people, while unvaccinated residents face the greatest risk. An unvaccinated woman in her 40s died of measles-related complications in Jefferson County. People who may have been exposed are urged to call ahead before seeking care, rather than arriving unannounced and potentially exposing others.

In New York City, officials ordered 10 cooling towers in the South Bronx to be cleaned as Legionnaires’ disease cases rise. One tower, at Yankee Stadium, tested positive for Legionella bacteria.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is scheduled to keynote a Washington conference run by Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine organization he co-founded before joining the administration. The appearance comes as measles outbreaks continue to test public-health messaging.

In China

China has revised its national-defence law to require eligible citizens to perform national-defence duties during mobilisation and permit the state to requisition civilian resources, including land and aircraft, under specified conditions. The law takes effect October 1 and broadens the formal mechanisms available for national mobilisation.

In markets

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield briefly rose above 5 percent in Monday trading before easing below that threshold. It was only the second time in 19 years the yield had crossed 5 percent, a level that can feed into borrowing costs for mortgages, business lending, and government finance.

At the Supreme Court

The court is set to hear a challenge to Alaska’s forfeiture of an 83-year-old charter pilot’s $95,000 plane after he was convicted over a beer shipment to a dry Alaska community. Ken Jouppi’s criminal fine was $1,500. The case asks whether taking an asset worth more than 60 times that fine violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on excessive fines.

In Europe

Latvia’s prime minister says the European Union is now taking Baltic warnings about Russia more seriously. She said the Baltic states’ experience of Soviet occupation gave them an earlier understanding of Moscow’s methods and willingness to use force.

UK asylum returns

A French health service has recorded bruising, fractures and other injuries among asylum seekers returned from the UK under the pilot “one in, one out” arrangement. The scheme sends some people who crossed the Channel in small boats back to France while allowing some people in northern France to enter the UK legally to seek asylum. It is scheduled to end on October 1.

In Northern Ireland

An inquiry into the killing of Robert Hamill found no collusion but identified multiple police failings in the investigation. Hamill died after being beaten by loyalists in Portadown, County Armagh.

At an east London mental health unit

An inquest heard that Rolando Torres-Pena, 22, was able to strangle Hugo Flint-Cahan to death on a hospital ward while staff were asleep. The evidence raises serious questions about supervision and safety at the unit.

In U.S. climate policy

The Trump administration is preparing to eliminate a rule limiting greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants, undoing a central piece of climate policy pursued under Presidents Biden and Obama. Power generation remains one of the country’s largest sources of emissions.

In Ukraine

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says a Russian drone strike on a passenger train near Poland will not weaken European support for Ukraine. Ukrainian Railways says the attack may have been aimed at an earlier train carrying Boris Johnson and former CIA director David Petraeus, which passed through ahead of schedule.

Ukraine also says one of its unmanned surface vessels destroyed a Russian naval drone in the Black Sea using a remotely operated machine gun. If independently confirmed, it would be the first reported combat between two unmanned boats.

In Washington

President Trump has accepted ethics restrictions, clearing the way for a Senate vote on the CLARITY Act, a major proposed framework for cryptocurrency regulation. Senator Cynthia Lummis, a leading backer, says the bill is needed to keep crypto firms from moving abroad.

The administration has also proposed ending the 60-day grace period for many H-1B visa holders who lose their jobs, potentially requiring skilled foreign workers to leave the country immediately after termination.

Trump says he will consider requests from families of Sept. 11 victims to release records concerning Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in the attacks.

In tech and security

Revolut says it disclosed customer data after fraudsters used a legitimate government agency email domain to submit fake information requests. The exposed material may include identity documents, verification selfies, transaction records, account statements, IBANs and personal details. Revolut says its systems and customer funds were not compromised, but has not said how many customers were affected.

In Britain’s economy

Oil and gas prices have surged after attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and threats to shipping routes. Brent crude rose above $108 a barrel, while UK gas prices climbed 5%, adding pressure on the Bank of England as it considers whether inflation warrants another rate increase.

In Sweden

Sweden’s centre-left bloc held a narrow lead with more than 90 percent of ballots counted, but the election was still too close to call. Regional authorities will automatically recount every vote, and a final result may take several days.

Oil routes under pressure

Brent crude climbed above $108 a barrel after a merchant vessel was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, killing one crew member. Saudi Arabia also shut its main pipeline bypassing the waterway, intensifying concerns over disruptions to a crucial global oil route.

In Ukraine

A Russian drone strike set a petrol station ablaze near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing with Poland, Ukrainian authorities said. Separately, President Trump said he had urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop Ukrainian attacks on Russian diesel refineries.

In the West Bank

Israeli human rights group B’Tselem says Israel has intensified restrictions affecting Palestinians’ work, education, healthcare, farming, family visits and municipal services across the occupied West Bank. The group says 1,107 Palestinians have been killed by Israel there since October 2023.

In Louisiana

A 47-year-old man has been taken into custody after four adults were found stabbed to death at two homes in Houma. A young child was also critically wounded.

In the Middle East

President Trump dismissed reports that Chinese entities gave Iran satellite imagery before a strike on a military base in Jordan that killed three U.S. soldiers. If substantiated, the reports would point to a more direct Chinese role in a conflict already pulling in regional powers and threatening commercial routes.

Pressure on energy supplies is growing. Houthi forces have seized territory near Yemen's Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Iran says a cargo ship was struck near Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, and satellite imagery shows major fire damage at a Saudi pumping station on the east-west pipeline to the Red Sea. Traders warn a prolonged outage could remove as much as 4% of global oil supply. Trump also urged Ukraine to pause strikes on Russian refineries, citing higher diesel prices, putting consumer fuel costs alongside Ukraine's campaign against Russia's war economy.

At the EPA

The Trump administration plans to end federal limits on greenhouse-gas pollution from coal- and gas-fired power plants. The EPA action would dismantle major Obama- and Biden-era climate rules and is expected to face court challenges. If it survives, it could also make it harder for future administrations to regulate power-sector emissions.

In aviation

Amazon has suspended work with cargo carrier 21 Air after one of the airline's jets overshot a runway at Miami International Airport, struck several vehicles, and caused a fatal crash. Details on the cause and the victim or victims were not provided.

In China and tech

Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed a China-led open-source AI zone for BRICS countries, announcing the plan at the bloc's summit in New Delhi. The proposal adds AI infrastructure and standards to Beijing's broader effort to expand its influence across the 11-nation group.

AI deployment

Perplexity says it is letting GPT-6 Astra handle end-to-end operational work, including writing communications, changing software and monitoring production systems, with human check-ins far less frequent than with earlier models. The company describes this as a step beyond AI as assistant and toward AI as operator.

President Trump rejected calls from technology executives to slow AI development, arguing that the United States must stay ahead of China. The race to deploy is moving faster than the debate over who is accountable when deployment goes wrong.

Cybersecurity

A new joint government alert says North Korea is increasingly using people in third countries as interview proxies to help its remote IT workers evade U.S. hiring checks and get jobs at companies abroad. The scheme can provide revenue, access and a foothold inside corporate systems.

The National Security Agency is beginning its largest internal restructuring in more than a decade. Senior leaders were presented with the new organizational design last week, though details have not been made public.

Nuclear forces

Britain says it remains committed to building up to 12 next-generation SSN-A nuclear-powered attack submarines under AUKUS, but will not settle the final number until the design phase concludes in 2028. The Defence Ministry says production capacity should reach one boat every 18 months by the mid-2030s.

New footage has shown China’s H-6N bomber carrying the nuclear-capable JL-1 air-launched ballistic missile. The aircraft gives China another potential nuclear delivery option alongside its land-based missiles and submarine force, though public information on the system remains limited.

Public health

A 40-year-old woman in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, has died from measles complications, according to the county coroner. It is the state’s third measles-related death this year, and state health officials are working with the coroner’s office.

Medical treatment claims

In the UK, Becky Jones is among more than 40 people pursuing legal action against a hospital trust over allegations that they received cancer treatment for illnesses they did not have. Jones says she underwent chemotherapy for 11 years. The claims are at the center of the legal action against the trust.

In Spain

A wildfire near Marbella has forced evacuations in Benahavís, including the Montemayor Alto estate, which has about 125 villas. Authorities say it may have begun at a small Catholic chapel before spreading through the hills. About 20 aircraft and more than 60 firefighters are battling the fire, with winds up to 30 miles an hour complicating containment.

On artificial intelligence

President Trump has argued against strong AI safeguards, saying the United States should not surrender its advantage to China. House Speaker Mike Johnson has also urged caution on regulation and rejected Arizona Representative Greg Stanton’s call to keep the House in session for an AI debate.

Meanwhile, OpenAI says it will match Anthropic’s pledge to give outside evaluators ongoing access to its systems, rather than limiting oversight to one-off reviews.

In Sweden

Exit polls put Sweden’s centre-left bloc ahead in the general election, with an early estimate of 51.3 percent of the vote. The count, rather than the exit polls, will determine whether that lead holds.

U.S. policy toward Iran

Trump said the United States could stay in Iran and keep its oil, comparing the prospect to a U.S. oil deal with Venezuela. Speaking in Ireland, he also said the conflict with Iran would end after the midterm elections, without explaining how that timetable would be achieved.