EFI

According to the New York Times, gold brought to the United States from Venezuela under the Trump administration is facing an unexpected obstacle: American refiners are refusing to process it. The refusal reportedly stems from concerns over the gold's origins and the legal and reputational risks of handling Venezuelan material under US sanctions and related restrictions, leaving the imported gold in limbo.

The White House says Iran 'backed down' to President Trump by agreeing to a ceasefire. The announcement frames the truce as a result of pressure from Washington, though details of the agreement and Iran's own account of the talks remain unclear. The claim is drawing attention as observers weigh whether the ceasefire will hold and what concessions, if any, were made on either side.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the War Powers resolution deadline for notifying Congress about military action does not apply to the US strikes on Iran, arguing that the subsequent ceasefire with Iran changed the legal situation. The claim is drawing scrutiny over the administration's stance on congressional authority over military force.

Milan Fashion Week's key shows are being credited with defining the season, and fashion outlet Who What Wear has identified seven trends from the runways it expects to become major. The roundup distils the collections into looks shoppers and editors will likely adopt in the coming months.

Firefighters in Las Vegas rescued a man who fell into a drainage tunnel as a storm moved through the area, according to local station KSNV. Details about his condition and how he fell were not immediately released, but the incident highlights the dangers of the city's flood channels during heavy rain.

Teachers, healthcare workers, firefighters and other public sector unions across France are planning hundreds of strikes, with tens of thousands of demonstrators expected in Paris. Unions including the CGT and FO are behind the mobilisation, which is set for September 29. The action targets pay and working conditions in public services, and organisers are encouraging broad participation across sectors.

A Virginia-based NBC affiliate, WWBT, reports that new technology is being introduced to help combat fraud in the SNAP benefits program, which provides food assistance to low-income Americans. The technology aims to protect recipients' benefits from theft and scams, an issue that has increasingly affected households relying on food assistance.

A banking engineer describes a settlement system that failed for months twice a year before anyone spotted the pattern: the 23:00 local-time settlement cutoff had been converted to UTC at deploy time and hardcoded, so each daylight saving change silently shifted the cutoff by an hour and broke reconciliation. The story has struck a chord with developers who recognise time zone and DST bugs as a classic source of hidden production failures.

A government watchdog has issued a warning about 'deficiencies' at the US Federal Reserve, according to the Financial Times. The report comes amid heightened scrutiny of the central bank's operations and governance. Details of the findings and the Fed's response remain limited, but the criticism adds to ongoing debate about the institution's accountability and oversight.

Anthropic, the San Francisco AI lab behind the Claude chatbot, is reportedly preparing an initial public offering that would rank among the largest in history, with the company structured as a public benefit corporation. The report, carried by The Economic Times, is drawing attention given Anthropic's status as a leading rival to OpenAI and the unusual governance model it would bring to a public market debut.

A new report on current mortgage refinance rates has been published for September 30, 2026, offering homeowners an updated snapshot of refinancing costs. Rate reports like this are closely followed by borrowers weighing whether refinancing now would lower their monthly payments, and by analysts tracking where lending costs are heading.

The Board of Peace has presented a plan for Gaza's recovery, outlining reconstruction steps for the devastated territory. At the same time, Israel says it recorded 18 violations of the ceasefire between September 15 and 29. The combination of a reconstruction roadmap and continued reported breaches highlights how fragile the truce remains as international efforts to stabilise and rebuild Gaza move forward.

Firefighters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa were called to a report of smoke coming from a business at Northland Square. Crews responded to the scene to investigate and address the source of the smoke. No injuries or details about damage have been reported so far, and the cause remains under investigation.

An explosion at the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals facility near Jokatte in Karnataka triggered a fire, which authorities say has been brought under control. Details on casualties or damage remain limited so far. The incident is drawing attention as locals report the blast and officials work to confirm the cause and assess the situation at the site.

Notre Dame Church has been closed indefinitely after the Diocese ordered an assessment of structural damage to the building. Parishioners will not be able to use the church until inspectors determine whether it is safe, with no timeline given for repairs or reopening. The closure affects local worshippers who must find alternative arrangements in the meantime.

Behavioral Health Business reports on how 'connected safety' systems are being positioned as a defining feature of the psychiatric hospital of the future. The piece examines how real-time monitoring and connected devices are being used to protect patients in behavioral health settings and reduce risk, framing technology integration as a shift in how inpatient psychiatric care is designed and delivered.