Threads
Stories that unfold over weeks: where things stand, what has changed and what comes next.
Latest changes
Thursday 24 September
Anthropic reports Claude agents discovered novel CRISPR-like enzyme system
Anthropic announced on 24 September that 950 Claude agents identified a novel CRISPR-like enzyme structure, named ART, in bacteriophage DNA after a 21-hour computational search.
Administration to ask Supreme Court to revive third-country deportations
Attorney General Blanche said on 24 September the administration will seek emergency Supreme Court relief after the First Circuit upheld a ruling blocking third-country removals. The policy has sent over 25,000 migrants to at least 29 countries.
Turkey urges Russia and Ukraine to stop attacks on Black Sea commercial shipping
President Erdoğan told Zelenskyy on 24 September that attacks on commercial vessels were "inexplicable" and said Ankara was ready to support renewed direct negotiations, awaiting responses from both sides on Black Sea navigational safety and grain shipments.
Yemeni government forces repel Houthi assault on Aden supply route
Yemeni government forces blocked an overnight Houthi assault on the Hejat al-Abd mountain pass on 24 September, a major supply route to the government's southern base in Aden. The clash followed Houthi coastal advances toward the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint.
Ifo business-climate index rises to 89.9 in September
The Ifo business-climate index rose to 89.9 in September from 88.8 in August, figures reported on 24 September showed.
Russian drones and missiles strike Kyiv on 23 and 24 September despite ceasefire diplomacy
Russian drones struck Kyiv on 23 September killing at least two, and ballistic missiles hit the capital again early on 24 September, sending emergency crews to several districts. The attacks came hours after Zelenskyy met Trump and as Rubio pursued narrow ceasefire terms.
Federal court orders return of migrant deported to African country
A US federal court ordered the government to return a migrant who had been deported to an African country, El País reported on 24 September. The order adds to due-process constraints on the administration's third-country removal programme.
EU sanctions Russian commentator Fedorova after French expulsion
The EU froze the assets of Russian commentator Xenia Fedorova and banned her from entering the bloc, following her August deportation from France over foreign-interference allegations. The designation targets individual influence operations rather than Russia's war economy.
Outlets seek emergency hearing over continued White House press ban
CNN, MS NOW and Politico asked a federal judge on 24 September for an immediate hearing, alleging the administration continues barring their journalists despite a court order restoring access. The judge had found the ban likely unconstitutional.
Saudi Arabia intercepts six Houthi ballistic missiles targeting Yanbu
Saudi-led coalition forces intercepted six Houthi ballistic missiles fired toward Taif and the Yanbu region on 24 September. The strike targeted Saudi oil-export infrastructure used as a Hormuz alternative, widening the Houthi role in the US-Iran conflict.
Trump and Xi meet at White House, reject new global AI regulations
Trump hosted Xi at the White House on 24 September, agreeing to extend the bilateral trade truce to 10 January 2027 and jointly rejecting new global regulations on artificial intelligence. The AI stance narrows the scope for EU-led governance initiatives.
Sixteen EU countries question cost of planned AI-chips facility
Sixteen EU member states questioned on 24 September whether a proposed AI-chips facility could consume too much of the EU budget, exposing internal disagreement over the bloc's compute infrastructure spending priorities.
European ministers warn at UNGA of intensifying Russian sabotage and cyber operations
EU foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas and ministers from Romania and Poland told the UN General Assembly on 24 September that Russian sabotage, cyberattacks, and airspace violations are increasing to pressure governments into cutting aid to Kyiv.
EU member states sanction former RT executive Fedorova over pro-Russian narratives
EU member states agreed sanctions on 24 September targeting former Russia Today executive Xenia Fedorova over alleged dissemination of pro-Russian narratives, extending the bloc's enforcement against individuals tied to state-directed information operations.
EU Commission warns Washington against diesel export ban
The European Commission said on 24 September it views reported US plans for a 90-day diesel-export ban with concern, warning that disruption could harm both sides and that high-level contacts with Washington are continuing.
White House asks OpenAI and Anthropic to withhold frontier models from UK safety testers
The US administration asked OpenAI and Anthropic on 24 September not to provide new models to the UK's AI Security Institute until a US security review is completed.
Government-funded ad promoting Trump airs on cable networks
A 30-second commercial promoting President Trump began broadcasting on Fox News and Newsmax on 24 September, carrying a disclaimer that it was paid for by the US government. Federal funding of presidential self-promotion advertising has no clear precedent.
Federal judge orders White House to restore press credentials for CNN, MS NOW, Politico
A federal judge ordered the administration on 24 September to restore press access for reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico after their credentials were withdrawn. The ruling imposes a judicial check on the administration's media access restrictions.
US government moves to join Musk's legal challenge against EU fine on X
The US government sought on 24 September to join Elon Musk's legal challenge against the EU's €120 million fine on X, inserting a foreign state directly into a regulatory dispute between Brussels and a platform.
Netanyahu rebukes France at UN over Macron's Hamas remarks
Netanyahu promised a response to France and other states accusing Israel of violating international law, after Macron made remarks about Hamas that Israel contested. Paris clarified Macron meant Hamas does not govern the West Bank, not that it had never operated there.
European EV sales jump 52% year on year in August
Battery-electric car registrations across Europe rose 52% year on year in August, ACEA reported on 24 September, with German sales up roughly three quarters and French sales more than doubling. The data adds market momentum to the EU's 2035 zero-emission new-car trajectory.
European EV sales jump 52% as record fuel prices accelerate shift from combustion engines
European electric-car sales rose 52% as fuel prices reached record highs, Bloomberg reported on 24 September. The jump indicates the energy shock is accelerating the shift from combustion engines while adding pressure on household budgets.
Allianz estimates summer heat cut European output by €113 billion
Allianz published estimates on 24 September that summer heatwaves cut European economic output by €113 billion, nearly 0.5% of projected annual GDP. Italy faces the largest loss at €28 billion, followed by Germany at €25 billion.
German economic institute projects up to €900 billion in extreme-weather losses by 2050
The German Institute for Economic Research told the Extremwetterkongress in Hamburg on 24 September that Germany's cumulative extreme-weather losses could reach €900 billion by 2050, or €280 billion if climate protection advances rapidly.
Carney confirms Canada evaluated contingency plans for US military action
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated on 24 September that his government analyzed the remote risk of US military action against Canada following repeated annexation remarks from Trump.
German institutes raise 2026 forecast to 1.3% but project 0.4% growth in 2028
Germany's leading economic institutes raised their 2026 growth forecast to 1.3% and 2027 to 1.1% in reporting published on 24 September, but projected only 0.4% growth in 2028 as a shrinking labour force caps potential output.
Trump approves licenses for Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles
Trump granted final approval for Ukraine to domestically produce Patriot air-defense interceptors, Zelenskyy said after a meeting in New York on 24 September. Building production lines will take 12 to 18 months, meaning first Ukrainian-made interceptors could arrive in late 2027.
Google announces Project Suncatcher satellite to test AI chips in space
Alphabet will launch an experimental satellite carrying four Tensor Processing Units on 1 October to assess whether AI computing hardware can function in low Earth orbit, extending the frontier-model infrastructure race beyond terrestrial data centres.
Danish intelligence raises sabotage alert as Poland evacuates eastern border crossings
Danish intelligence raised threat levels for sabotage and cyberattacks on 24 September. Poland temporarily evacuated eastern border crossings during Russian strikes on Ukraine, underscoring the spillover pressure on NATO frontline states.
Around 80 countries demand Iran reopen Hormuz at UN
A joint statement by around 80 countries, including Gulf Arab states and major Western powers, was read at the UN on 24 September, condemning Iran's disruption of Hormuz navigation and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping.
US applies to intervene in Musk's EU court challenge over X fine
The Trump administration applied on 24 September to intervene in Elon Musk's challenge before the EU General Court against the Commission's €120 million fine on X. The filing inserts the US government directly into an EU regulatory enforcement action, deepening the digital-policy dispute between Washington and Brussels.
Bessent announces two-month extension of US-China trade truce
US Treasury Secretary Bessent said on 24 September that Washington and Beijing agreed to extend their trade arrangement by two months beyond its 10 November expiry.
US and Japan discuss yttrium supply bottlenecks from China controls ahead of summit
US and Japanese officials and industry representatives met on 24 September to discuss access to yttrium, a rare earth used in aerospace and chipmaking.
US airline sanctions ground Iranian flights to Gulf
Iranian flights to the UAE and other Gulf destinations were cancelled after the US Treasury deadline took effect on 23 September, isolating Iran's civilian aviation sector and complicating President Pezeshkian's return from the UNGA.
Wright says voluntary diesel approach under consideration, not blanket ban
Energy Secretary Wright said on 24 September a voluntary approach to diesel exports was under consideration, disputing reports of a planned blanket 90-day ban. The clarification narrows earlier White House preparations that sent European diesel premiums higher.
Russian strikes kill eight across Ukraine on 24 September
Russian drone and missile attacks killed at least eight people across Ukraine on 24 September, including six agricultural workers in Kharkiv region and two in Kyiv. Odesa also came under heavy bombardment. Moscow said it targeted military-industrial, energy and logistics sites.
US and China establish AI incident-warning channel at summit
The two sides established an AI channel for incident warnings, USTR Greer said on 24 September, while confirming that export controls are not on the summit agenda. The mechanism is the first dedicated AI communication line between the two governments.
European gas prices above €80/MWh push coal past gas in power merit order
European gas prices rose above €80/MWh on 24 September, a three-year high, after disruptions to LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Bloomberg Intelligence projects EU and UK adaptation spending above €500 billion through 2035
Bloomberg Intelligence estimated on 24 September that EU and UK climate-resilience spending could exceed €500 billion through 2035, rising from €28.7 billion in 2026 to about €80 billion annually by 2035, covering flood defences, wildfire response, infrastructure repair and other physical climate-risk measures.
Trump welcomes Xi to Washington for state visit
Trump greeted Xi at Joint Base Andrews on 24 September, opening a state visit focused on trade, artificial intelligence, and regional security.