“A shady trio was spotted emerging from a manhole just steps from the hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to stay during the United Nations General Assembly, cops and sources said. The three unidentified men were spotted around 4:35 a.m. climbing out of the underground pit on Park Avenue near East 61st Street on the Upper East Side, authorities said. They fled in two separate vehicles that headed north on Park Avenue, police said. Netanyahu and other dignitaries are expected to stay at the Loews Regency New York down the block, sources said. It was not immediately clear whether the sewer incident is linked to his stay.” (09/23/26)
“South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dissolved the country’s transitional unity government and appointed a caretaker administration as the country prepares for its first-ever national elections. The decree on Tuesday ended a power-sharing arrangement set up under a 2018 peace deal that halted years of civil war, and raised concerns that Kiir could now wield unchecked power. /// The decree came a day after the parliament approved changes to the National Elections Act that allowed Kiir to stay in power during the election period, while removing all vice presidents, who were appointed under the 2018 peace deal. The changes mean that South Sudan can move towards elections scheduled for December 22, without first completing a permanent constitution or census – two processes that were previously tied to the transition.” (09/23/26)
“Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a seven-day period if the US agrees to end its blockade and military pressure campaign, according to a report. The pitch was conveyed to US officials last week as both sides explored whether they can revive peace talks as their leaders converge on New York City for the United Nations General Assembly, Reuters said. … US officials have insisted that despite Iran’s efforts, they are getting oil through the Strait of Hormuz by using routes close to the shores of Oman, with Central Command claiming last week to have gotten 1 billion barrels through within the past several months. But passage through routes close to Iran’s shores has been seen as perilous because of concerns about mines and the theocratic regime carrying out drone attacks on the oil vessels.” (09/22/26)
“White House officials said in a court filing Tuesday that President Trump had determined that CNN, MS NOW and Politico had breached standards of conduct, leading to their expulsion from the grounds of the White House. The alleged violations, said the filing, include ‘trafficking in verifiable falsehoods about national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information.’ ‘Access to the White House is a privilege — not a right,’ reads the filing, which argues that Mr. Trump’s action against the three news outlets does not violate the First Amendment and aligns with a long history of presidents favoring some journalists over others. The filing, furthermore, claims that the White House’s denial of access is a preliminary matter and that the outlets have until Friday to contest the decision.” (09/23/26)
“Russia launched strikes at businesses and storage facilities in Ukraine overnight, injuring seven people across the country, according to local authorities. The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that its forces overnight carried out ‘group strikes’ using drones on Ukraine’s ‘military-industrial and energy sector facilities, logistics centers and maritime vessels.’ In Kyiv and the surrounding region, a storage facility and an industrial facility used for storing and making drones were hit, the ministry said.” (09/23/26)
“The digital extortion group known as ‘ShinyHunters’ said on Tuesday that it had breached the Federal Bureau of Investigation and stolen [sic] data on a huge number of current and former FBI employees. The bureau did not respond to repeated messages seeking comment on Tuesday. In a statement posted to its dark-web site and during an online chat with Reuters, ShinyHunters said it had targeted the FBI in response to a May 2026 agency announcement that detailed ShinyHunters’ methods and advised targets not to pay. It said it had stolen [sic] data ‘on almost ALL FBI Agents, and individuals who filed an application with the FBI for a job.’” (09/22/26)
“The US, Denmark and Greenland have signed a defence deal that allows Washington to build two new military bases in the Arctic territory, while reaffirming Copenhagen’s sovereignty over it. Before a signing ceremony at the UN General Assembly in New York, US President Donald Trump said ‘we will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate locations’. … The deal amends and updates a 1951 defence agreement between Denmark and the US.” (09/22/26)
“President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Tuesday to defend the nearly seven-month U.S. war with Iran, claim Tehran’s regional power has been broken, and raise the prospect of either a negotiated agreement or further escalation. … Trump also claimed credit for settling eight conflicts. … He listed Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, Pakistan and India, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the war in Gaza, which he said included the return of all hostages. Trump also said the U.S. had reached an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that would expand America’s Arctic security role.” (09/22/260
“The lawyer for Lindsay Clancy, who was charged in the deaths of her three children, has asked the judge in the case to investigate the holdout juror, Michael P. Desronvil, who refused to acquit Clancy, which led to a mistrial. The lawyer, Kevin Reddington, submitted the request Friday to Judge William Sullivan to get the juror’s mobile phone metadata from when he was deliberating the case. It also requests the court preserve the original questionnaires, jury notes and the court’s responses. … Also on Monday, Reddington and co-counsel Martin Weinberg filed a motion to dismiss the case against Clancy on double jeopardy grounds. They argued that the circumstances of the trial prevent the prosecution from trying her again.” (09/22/26)
“The developing El Niño climate phenomenon is now the strongest on record, according to scientists monitoring Pacific Ocean temperatures. Daily sea surface temperatures in a key region of the central-eastern Pacific were 3.05C above average on 19 September – exceeding the previous record of 3.02C set during the very strong El Niño of 2015. Some longer-term measures of El Niño have not yet hit record levels but this is likely to change, with the peak not expected until later this year. El Niño can cause major shifts in weather patterns around the world, with the Met Office saying many of the expected impacts are already being felt.” (09/22/26)
