POLITICS

The Trump administration is seeking to cancel $810m in Congress-approved funding through a legally disputed pocket rescission, prompting criticism over timing and presidential spending powers.

Longtime Donald Trump allies are reportedly urging him to intervene in the 2026 midterm elections, including through martial law, while White House advisers oppose the proposals.

US and Russian diplomats reportedly removed key safeguards from a draft on lethal autonomous weapons, including human review of AI-selected targets, before November's UN review conference.

Barack Obama said governments led by women could produce better outcomes, while discussing US political divisions, democracy and the importance of bringing younger people into politics.

Pope Leo XIV welcomed journalists amid a dispute over White House access for CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO, while stressing that he was not directly commenting on the lawsuit.

Macklemore has announced Free Palestine concerts in Dublin, Paris and London for October 2026, with proceeds set to benefit 12 organisations supporting Palestinians.

The Trump administration has invoked a disputed 'pocket rescission' to withhold $810 million in Congress-approved funding, prompting criticism from lawmakers and the Government Accountability Office.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has urged military commanders to encourage service members to vote, prompting criticism over references to heavily Democratic cities.

Former Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene has declared that 'MAGA is dead,' accusing the president of betraying supporters and Republicans of refusing to hold him accountable.

Candace Owens says a Utah Valley University review supports her questions about TPUSA's role in arranging Charlie Kirk's event, while the report documents planning failures but no assassination plot.

A body language expert analysed Donald Trump and Xi Jinping's White House dinner, saying Trump appeared focused on connection rather than dominance.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says Ottawa examined the possibility of US military action as a contingency, while stressing that an attack is not considered likely or imminent.

Natalie Harp was not visible during Trump's public welcome for Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews, although she had been photographed there earlier. Her whereabouts remain unexplained.

Russian blogger Stanislav Morozov was sentenced to 14 days in administrative detention after filming himself writing an insult about Vladimir Putin on a parliamentary election ballot.

Benjamin Netanyahu told UN delegates that ballistic missiles could obliterate the organisation, using the hypothetical scenario to illustrate Israel's stated experience of attacks during the war with Iran.

Susan Sarandon, Hannah Einbinder and other prominent figures were detained during a Jewish Voice for Peace protest in New York opposing Benjamin Netanyahu's UN appearance

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to intervene after an appeals court invalidated DHS guidance on third-country removals and required stronger procedural protections

Barack Obama said governments around the world would be better if women led them for two years, repeating a view he previously expressed while discussing leadership and political renewal.

Nevada officials said all 185 people identified by DHS as potential noncitizens on a voter list were US citizens, amid scrutiny of the agency's nationwide investigations.

Democratic groups and congressional leaders have sued the Trump administration, arguing that possible armed federal-agent deployments near polling places could violate voting-rights protections and deter voters.

Footage of Melania Trump walking behind Donald Trump during a welcome for Xi Jinping prompted jokes and renewed diaper rumours online, despite no verified evidence supporting the claims.

A Truth Social image of Donald Trump beside Xi Jinping appears inconsistent with footage of their welcome, removing both first ladies and altering other visual details. No forensic analysis has established how it was changed.

During a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping, Donald Trump invited guests including senior officials, Supreme Court justices and technology executives to tour the unfinished White House ballroom.

Tucker Carlson claims Donald Trump dismissed his concerns about the Iran war during a private Oval Office meeting, but the alleged remark has not been independently verified.

A resurfaced clip shows Wallace Shawn comparing Israel's conduct in Gaza with Nazi persecution. The remarks came from a January 2025 interview, not a new statement.

JD Vance and the Iran briefing at the centre of a press fight: learn what the June call involved and what the White House note left unsaid.

Hannah Einbinder and Susan Sarandon were detained near the UN as police cleared a Jewish Voice for Peace sit-in against Netanyahu, days after Sarandon said activism cost her roles.

Representative Steve Cohen has filed 26 articles of impeachment against President Trump, calling him the most impeachable leader in US history, though the measure has no path in a Republican House.

Netanyahu called 77 walkout delegations 'moral cowards' at the UN, but his defiant speech was really aimed at Israeli voters heading to a 27 October election seen as a referendum on October 7.