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The Trump administration canceled a grant studying two low-income, majority Black neighborhoods in PittsburghScientific funding cuts imposed by the Trump administration may force researchers to close a study on Alzheimer’s disease risk among 600 aging people without sharing the results of cognitive tests with participants – even though researchers have all the data to do so.The Trump administration canceled a federal research grant studying two low-income, majority Black neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in August. Researchers were given 90 days to shut down the study – more than five months earlier than planned. Now, they lack the time and money to assess data collected from trial participants. Continue reading...

Fugitive property developer beams in from Beirut bedroom to declare ‘I’m not corrupt’ and waves handwritten notes at counsel assisting Peggy DwyerFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFugitive property developer Jean Nassif has declared he cannot be silenced as he ranted about “crook” politicians and proclaimed his innocence during an expletive-laden tirade at the New South Wales anti-corruption watchdog.Nassif, 58, on Tuesday dialled into the Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry via video link from his Beirut bedroom. Continue reading...

Price spike comes as rebel Houthis in Yemen target oil infrastructure and capture strategic island in Bab al-Mandab straitBusiness news – live updatesOil prices have climbed above $107 a barrel after a series of drone attacks forced Saudi Arabia to close its east-west crude pipeline.Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, surged to as much as $108 a barrel at one point on Monday, later easing back to $107.7 – a 3% increase on the day. Continue reading...

• AI executives Sam Altman and Dario Amodei publicly called for a slowdown in the development of new artificial intelligence systems this week. • These warnings follow a broader trend of researchers urging caution regarding the speed of technology deployment. • A slower development pace could alter the competitive landscape and safety protocols for companies building large-scale AI models.

Riyadh has increased its use of the East-West pipeline since the start of the Middle East war to bypass the closure of the strait of HormuzSaudi authorities said Friday drones launched from Iraq led to the temporary closure of a crucial oil export route used to bypass the lockdown of the strait of Hormuz.Riyadh has increased its use of the East-West pipeline, which links Abqaiq, near the Gulf, to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, since the start of the Middle East war to bypass strait of Hormuz closed by Iran. Continue reading...

• OpenAI has informed House Democrats that it is developing an automated shutdown capability for its AI systems to enhance safety and control. • This move follows regulatory precedents in Brussels, where authorities have had the power to order the withdrawal of AI models from the EU market since August. • The initiative matters as it addresses growing congressional and international concerns regarding the potential for AI systems to operate beyond human oversight.

• The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to pass a short-term funding bill, preventing a government shutdown that would have occurred at the end of September. • The legislation, which had already been approved by the Senate, maintains current spending levels through December 11. • This move allows Congress to clear its primary legislative hurdle and avoid a fiscal crisis immediately preceding the upcoming midterm elections.

• The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to approve legislation extending government funding, successfully averting a potential shutdown. • The approved funding measure ensures that government operations will continue through mid-December, pushing the next deadline past the upcoming midterm elections. • This move is significant as it eliminates a politically perilous situation for lawmakers just weeks before voters head to the polls.

• The House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution with a 370-48 vote to approve government spending and avoid a shutdown before the midterms. • The bill extends funding until December 11 and includes a delay on a White House Office of Management and Budget rule that Democrats feared would allow the Trump administration to cancel grants arbitrarily. • This bipartisan agreement follows a period of instability where Democrats used Senate filibusters to force policy compromises after losing control of Congress in the 2024 elections.

• House Republicans passed a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown that was scheduled to occur at the end of the month. • The measure effectively delays the broader spending fight until after the upcoming midterm elections, allowing lawmakers to return to their home states. • The move is strategically timed for campaigning, as Republicans currently hold 16 of the 21 toss-up seats identified by the Cook Political Report.

• The House of Representatives passed a short-term funding bill in a 370-48 vote to keep the government operational into early December. • This legislative action was taken specifically to prevent a government shutdown from occurring before the upcoming midterm elections. • Key provisions include blocking the Department of Homeland Security from transferring funds to the Border Patrol and delaying rules that would grant Trump administration appointees more authority over federal grants.

• The House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday to extend government funding until December 11, successfully averting a potential shutdown before the upcoming midterm elections. • The final measure differs from the initial House proposal by omitting funding for Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as both agencies remain funded through the end of the Trump administration's term. • The legislation includes a temporary block on a proposed administration rule that critics argue would lead to the further politicization of federal grants.

Continuing resolution to approve government spending until 11 December passes 370-48 and will now go to Trump The US House of Representatives on Tuesday approved legislation to prevent a government shutdown through the midterms, as both parties opted to defuse a volatile dispute ahead of the November elections that will decide the balance of power in Congress for the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency.A continuing resolution (CR) authorizing government spending until 11 December passed the House by a 370-48 vote, with only 19 Republicans and 29 Democrats in opposition. Had it not passed, lawmakers would have had until the end of September to approve new funding or face a government shutdown. Continue reading...

• The U.S. House is expected to vote this Tuesday on a short-term spending measure designed to prevent a government shutdown. • The proposal aims to keep the government operational through the November midterm elections, allowing members of both parties to focus on their campaigns. • GOP hard-liners from the House Freedom Caucus are resisting the measure, citing objections to funding for Planned Parenthood and the absence of a ban on specific hemp products.

• The Premier League transfer window is closing, with English clubs adhering to a deadline of 7pm BST. • Major European leagues in Germany, France, and Italy have aligned their schedules to close at 8pm local time. • Spain remains an outlier, maintaining a later deadline of 11:59pm local time (10:59pm BST).

• House Speaker Mike Johnson is launching a floor vote on a stopgap funding bill to prevent a federal government shutdown before the November midterm elections. • The short-term measure aims to keep the government fully funded through early December, avoiding a lapse in services. • To secure Democratic support, the Senate modified the bill to delay an Office of Management and Budget rule that would have increased political appointees' control over federal grants.

Speaker Mike Johnson to launch a floor vote designed to prevent any federal shutdown before the November midtermsHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.House speaker Mike Johnson will launch a floor vote to pass the stopgap funding bill designed to keep the federal government fully funded through early December, removing the possibility of a shutdown before the midterm elections.The Supreme Court allowed Donald Trump to continue building his $400m White House ballroom project. In a 5-4 decision along political lines, the justices found that a group issuing a legal challenge against the ballroom did not have standing to bring their case. Trump celebrated with a post on his Truth Social platform while Democrats criticized the decision.Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down from his role after 18 months on the job, leaving another top military position vacant. Driscoll and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had reportedly butted heads for some time.Trump vowed further strikes on Iran and called it a “failed nation”. The remarks came as Washington and Tehran exchanged their first military strikes in a month.JD Vance gave a speech in Michigan that included an attacked against Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. “There’s something about Abdul El-Sayed that is very, very evil,” Vance told the crowd.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of turning their trade dispute into a “political shouting match”. Carney had rejected the Trump administration’s terms that would have given the US government extensive power over Canada’s trade policy.California Governor Gavin Newsom vowed to block the appointment of election denier Tina Peters, who was convicted in 2024 in relation to a plot to chase pro-Trump election conspiracies. Newsom announced he would take measures to prevent Peters from working as an election consultant for Northern California’s Shasta county. Continue reading...

• House Republicans are returning to Washington with plans to vote on a Senate-passed funding bill this Tuesday to prevent a government shutdown. • GOP leadership also intends to vote on a resolution condemning "socialism in all its forms," specifically targeting the growth of the Democratic Socialists of America in the 2026 elections. • This political maneuver aims to force Democrats to take a public stance on socialism ahead of the upcoming November elections.

• The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has returned from a five-week recess with the primary goal of preventing a government shutdown. • Lawmakers plan to vote on a funding bill to keep the government operational leading up to the November midterm elections. • In addition to funding, the chamber may vote on imposing sanctions against Russia and the censure of a fellow Republican member.

X2 ride at Magic Mountain has been closed for a month after one rider experienced brain compression and another remains in comaAn infamous Six Flags Magic Mountain rollercoaster, long favored by intrepid theme park goers, has been closed for more than a month after two people say they experienced brain injuries after riding it, according to a new CNN investigation.The X2 rollercoaster can send riders plummeting and twisting hundreds of feet, reaching up to 76mph (about 122km/h), as the seats rotate 360 degrees. On the southern California theme park’s website, it’s advertised as a rite of passage for daredevils. Continue reading...

Incident marks apparent escalation by Tehran in its in retaliation against UK over allowing US to use British basesHackers linked to Iran have been blamed for a cyber-attack that caused a British power plant to be temporarily shut down.The incident involved a small-scale energy generator, according to the UK government and at no point was there there risk to the wider energy system. Continue reading...

• Polling firm Median Strategies has shut down and retracted previous polls that showed wide leads for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and former Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong. • The company claimed its data collection was part of a "social experiment" rather than legitimate political polling. • This revelation undermines the perceived electoral strength of the featured candidates and raises concerns about the proliferation of fake data in political reporting.

• Median Strategies has shut down after admitting that its polling data for the Los Angeles mayoral race and the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary were fabricated. • The firm claimed the fake polls, which involved candidates Karen Bass and Francesca Hong, were conducted as a "social experiment." • This admission highlights significant vulnerabilities in political data integrity and the potential for misinformation to influence public perception of elections.

• Eli Lilly and Company is urging online platforms, payment processors, and regulators to dismantle the illegal black market for retatrutide. • Retatrutide is currently an investigational molecule in Phase 3 clinical trials for obesity and type 2 diabetes and has not been approved for human use by any global regulatory agency. • The company warns that "research-use only" products are of unknown quality and potentially harmful, noting that the FDA has declared the sale and compounding of the drug illegal.

Cernavoda shutdown poses immediate problems for Moldova, which relies on Romanian power ​to cover its own electricity shortagesRomania has been forced to shut down the last working ⁠reactor at its only nuclear plant after drought caused the Danube river to fall to record lows – a rare move that will immediately affect power supplies in neighbouring Moldova.Drought and record-low water levels have deepened fears of an energy crisis across Europe, which is facing a new summer heatwave. Continue reading...

Exhibition in Port Talbot is part of project exploring how communities experience endings and transitionsMargaret Heggett, 95, does not remember a time when Port Talbot was ever quiet. Born and raised in the shadow of the steelworks, with a father, brother and husband who worked there, she never imagined what the town could look or sound like without its blast furnaces.“I’m not saying it was beautiful, but there were jobs. We did know the closure was coming and we have to move with the times but it’s affected the town a lot and it’s very sad,” she said. Continue reading...

Staff at North Devon district hospital given training in difficult births in case mothers-to-be cannot get to ExeterDoctors at one of England’s remotest hospitals have been given a “crash course” in birth emergencies after its maternity unit was shut and as fears grow that the safety of women and babies may be put at risk.From Tuesday, the maternity service at North Devon district hospital (NDDH) in Barnstaple has been suspended indefinitely owing to staff shortages, leaving many pregnant women facing a journey of at least an hour and a half when they go into labour. Continue reading...

Bill must still be approved by House but would keep government running at current funding levelsThe US Senate on Friday passed a government funding bill that will prevent a shutdown through the midterm elections, though it still must be approved by the House of Representatives.The continuing resolution (CR) passed by a 90-6 vote will keep the government running at its current funding levels until 11 December, more than a month past the midterms in which Democrats are hoping to regain control of Congress and block Donald Trump’s legislative agenda for the final two years of his presidency. Continue reading...