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Iran is asking Washington to clarify its position after President Trump rejected a proposed cease-fire, according to a New York Times report citing developments around the Strait of Hormuz. The move signals mounting tension between Tehran and the U.S. administration, with diplomats seeking to understand whether negotiations over the cease-fire proposal can continue or have collapsed entirely.

The Spanish government has held urgent talks over the country's growing housing crisis, which is being attributed in part to mass tourism. Short-term tourist rentals are said to be pushing up rents and pricing out local residents, particularly in popular cities and coastal areas. The issue has fuelled anti-tourism sentiment across Spain, and debate is growing over possible measures to limit tourist accommodation.

A New York Times report published under the headline 'A Growing North Korea Problem' examines the North Korea issue in connection with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and sanctions policy. Details beyond the headline are limited, but the piece frames Pyongyang as an increasingly difficult challenge for regional diplomacy and international sanctions enforcement.

OpenAI is reportedly preparing a new always-on ChatGPT assistant, referred to as "o," that could manage tasks such as handling email. The system would run continuously in the background and act on behalf of users rather than responding only to prompts. The report has drawn attention in technology circles, with observers weighing the convenience of an AI personal assistant against privacy questions raised by always-on access to personal communications.

A Blue House official says Donald Trump asked his chief of staff to arrange golf diplomacy with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung during the G20 summit in Miami. The reported move points to an informal attempt at building rapport between the two leaders, with golf long a favored tool of Trump's personal diplomacy. The claim has drawn attention in both Korean and international media as observers weigh what it signals for Seoul-Washington ties.

South Korea's Democratic Party is consolidating its support behind Lee as his leadership faces its first major test from a difficult economic environment. Lee has built his political identity on compromise across party lines, but worsening conditions - including trade pressure, slowing growth and domestic cost-of-living strains - are raising questions about how long conciliatory politics can hold, both within his own party and among opponents.

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy are reshaping sleep medicine, with clinicians reporting improved sleep apnea symptoms in patients losing significant weight and drugmakers seeking apnea indications. Sleep specialists are debating whether medication could reduce reliance on CPAP machines, while researchers caution that long-term effects on sleep disorders remain largely unstudied.

OpenAI is reportedly developing an assistant called "o," an always-on version of ChatGPT designed to proactively help users with tasks such as managing and handling their email. The project suggests a shift from reactive chatbots toward assistants that continuously monitor context and act on a user's behalf, intensifying competition in the AI assistant space.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is weighing the risks of the country's powerful, heavily centralised presidency, a system critics call an 'imperial presidency'. Following the impeachment of his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law declaration, debate has intensified over whether constitutional reform is needed to curb presidential powers and prevent future abuses.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung addressed the United Nations, with the appearance falling during the Chuseok harvest festival holiday. The overlap of a major presidential diplomatic moment with Korea's most important traditional holiday has drawn attention at home, as many Koreans marked the festival while following news of the president's speech on the international stage.

Goldman Sachs says about 80% of ultra-high-net-worth investors are reducing stock exposure and moving money into alternative assets rather than bonds. The bank's findings point to private markets, real assets and other alternatives as the preferred destination for wealthy portfolios. The shift suggests rich investors are seeking diversification beyond traditional stocks and bonds, a signal analysts say could matter for broader market sentiment and asset allocations.

Water defenders and environmental activists have convened in Mendoza, Argentina, in what is being called the 'Abrazo de Mendoza', a gathering in response to the criminalization of environmental protest. Participants are denouncing legal persecution faced by those defending water resources and calling for protection of frontline communities. Independent outlets report solidarity among activists across the region facing similar repression.

South Korea's government under President Lee is restructuring its support for small and medium-sized enterprises, directing more funding toward technology development and startups while cutting back on loan programmes and job-related subsidies. The reorientation signals a policy preference for innovation-driven growth over traditional employment and financing support, and is drawing attention as businesses assess how the changes will affect their access to public assistance.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is seeing his approval rating decline, a trend that could complicate his administration's efforts to confront market forces, most likely in real estate policy. Political observers are watching whether weakening public support will undermine the government's leverage in its economic battles, as low approval ratings typically reduce a leader's ability to push through contentious market interventions.

Andrew Yang, the former US presidential candidate known for championing universal basic income, took part in a debate segment for Jubilee's show about whether artificial intelligence will eliminate jobs. Yang argued the disruptive potential of AI echoes his long-standing warnings about automation, drawing reactions from viewers on both sides about how serious the threat to workers really is.

Anthropic has turned its Claude assistant into an AI marketplace, offering more than 2,000 plugins and connectors that extend what the chatbot can do. The move positions Claude as a platform rather than a single tool, letting users plug it into external services and workflows. It intensifies competition with other AI assistants racing to build their own ecosystems of extensions and integrations.

Premier League matches played on 20 September 2026 ended with Liverpool beating Bournemouth 1-0 away, Leeds drawing 0-0 with Crystal Palace, and Manchester City defeating Sunderland 5-3 in a high-scoring game at home. Fulham's match finished level at 1-1. Fans are sharing the final scores and reacting to the eight-goal thriller at the Etihad as the standout result of the day.

New research highlights a paradox in REM sleep: the brain's fuel supply appears to rise during dreaming, yet energy is still being drained. Scientists suggest that the intense neural activity behind vivid dreams may consume more energy than the increased supply can offset. The findings could reshape understanding of why sleep is restorative and how dreaming supports brain function.

The campaign launches of the two main contenders for mayor of New Taipei City are drawing attention. The KMT has put forward Hammer Lee (李四川), a former deputy mayor of Taipei City, while the DPP is running Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧). Analysts note New Taipei is widely seen as a barometer of Taiwan's local elections, giving the contest national significance.

Uber is set to add Zoox robotaxis to its ride-hailing fleet, according to a report picked up by retail traders. Retail investors reacted by saying the deal 'makes the most sense for Amazon', which owns Zoox, framing it as a way for the company to monetize its autonomous vehicles without building its own consumer ride-hailing service.

The Devil Ray, an unmanned robotic boat, is being highlighted for its potential to launch and deploy an entire fleet of drones at sea. The concept points to a shift in naval warfare, where autonomous surface vessels could act as mobile launch platforms for swarms of aerial drones, extending reach without risking crews. Details about the craft's specifications and developer have not been widely reported.

Killeen's housing market is tilting in buyers' favor. The Killeen Daily Herald reports that inventory is growing while home sales slow, prompting sellers in the Central Texas city to adjust their pricing strategies to attract offers. The shift marks a change from the tighter conditions of recent years, giving prospective buyers more choice and greater negotiating leverage.

English golfer Tommy Fleetwood has pulled out of the Open de France after falling ill. The Ryder Cup star was among the headline names for the DP World Tour event near Paris, and his late withdrawal removes one of the biggest draws from the field as the tournament gets under way.

The film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel 'Verity' is being promoted through cast interviews, with a movie critic speaking to the actors ahead of release. The film follows Hoover's 'It Ends With Us' as another big-screen version of her work, keeping the author's controversial and commercially successful romance-thriller titles in the entertainment conversation.