RSA

The United States is marking 25 years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, with commemorations honoring the nearly 3,000 victims. Campus and community observances describe the country as being in mourning, reflecting on the lasting impact of the attacks on American society, security policy, and collective memory a quarter-century later.

Ambassador Mike Waltz says the United States held conversations with China regarding dealings connected to the Iran conflict. The comments point to diplomatic contact between Washington and Beijing over the war, though details of what was discussed have not been made public. The remarks come amid heightened attention to Iran and the international role of major powers in the conflict.

Daniel Gultsch, developer of the Android XMPP chat app Conversations, has announced the app is breaking up with Google Play and is now free. The move ends distribution through Google's app store, and the essay explains the reasoning behind leaving the platform and making the app available at no cost.

SpaceX has completed a launch rehearsal of its Starship system at Starbase, Texas, in preparation for the upcoming Flight 14 test. The wet dress rehearsal, which fuels the rocket without launching it, is a key preflight milestone. Space enthusiasts and analysts are watching closely to see what improvements the next flight will demonstrate and when it might lift off.

A news segment examines the state of scientific knowledge on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the brain condition linked to repeated head impacts in contact sports. The report outlines what researchers have established so far and highlights the significant gaps that remain, including how to diagnose CTE in living patients and who is most at risk. The topic continues to draw attention amid ongoing concern over head injuries in football and other sports.

The United Nations is preparing an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the 2001 World Conference against Racism held in Durban, South Africa. The anniversary commemoration is drawing attention because the original Durban conference remains controversial, particularly over debates about Israel and antisemitism at the 2001 gathering.

SpaceX has completed its launch rehearsal for Starship Flight 14 and received the final FAA approval needed to proceed, with liftoff scheduled for Monday. The dress rehearsal, a full countdown and fueling test, is a standard final step before launch. Space watchers are tracking whether the flight will build on the progress of previous Starship test missions.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly dealing with unresolved questions about their security arrangements as the world marks the anniversary of Princess Diana's death. The story links the couple's ongoing concerns over protection, following their step back from royal duties, with renewed public attention to Diana's legacy and the circumstances surrounding her death in Paris.

Scientists have observed that the amount of dust in Earth's atmosphere has declined, reversing a previous trend. NBC News reports the shift is described as mysterious, with the cause of the reversal not yet explained. Dust in the atmosphere affects climate, air quality and weather patterns, so researchers are paying close attention to what is driving the change.

Greg Abel has broken Berkshire Hathaway's 14-quarter streak of net stock sales, reportedly buying a net $20 billion of equities last quarter. The reversal marks a sharp shift in the company's investing posture under its new leadership and is drawing attention to how Abel will deploy Berkshire's cash pile compared with Warren Buffett's long-running caution.

NBCUniversal is reportedly considering a move into video games as Comcast prepares to separate the media company into a standalone entity. The plan would mark a significant push into gaming for the studio behind major franchises, though no official announcement or details on timing and investment have been confirmed.

Protesters gathered outside the ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas, in a demonstration against the facility and US immigration enforcement. Local outlet KSAT reported on the rally, which adds Pearsall to the list of Texas cities where immigration detention sites have drawn public protests. Details on the size of the crowd, the organisers and specific demands were not immediately reported.

The United Nations has declared September 29 as the International Day for Universal Access to Information. The designation gives global recognition to the right of the public to seek and receive information, including from governments and public bodies. Observers see it as a boost for transparency, press freedom and open-government efforts, and it is expected to be marked annually with events promoting access-to-information laws worldwide.

A new paper posted on the IACR ePrint archive describes a method for forging 1024-bit RSA signatures in time close to that required by the Special Number Field Sieve. The work matters because 1024-bit RSA remains in use in some legacy systems, and any practical improvement in factoring-based attacks weakens the security margin of keys that experts already consider too small.

A Washington Post opinion column argues that a foreign policy which rewards adversaries while taking allies for granted ultimately leaves a country isolated. The piece contends that siding with rivals over long-standing partners erodes trust, pushes friendly nations to hedge or look elsewhere, and weakens a state's own influence. The argument is resonating amid ongoing debates about alliance management and great-power competition.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed India's policy of 'zero tolerance against terrorism' ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 2016 surgical strikes across the Line of Control. His remarks come as India commemorates the operation launched in response to the Uri attack, with the anniversary prompting renewed focus on the government's national security record.

Universal's film releases have generated substantial box office revenue in 2026, according to a report by Gizmodo. The piece highlights the studio's strong financial performance at the movie box office this year, though the specific titles and figures driving the total are not detailed in the available information.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has set out a plan for universal free social care, urging the government to 'rip the plaster off' and confront the issue of how to fund and reform the system. The proposal would remove means-testing and charges for care, positioning Burnham as a voice for bolder reform in the Labour Party ahead of potential leadership discussion.

Google and OpenAI are competing to make voice conversations with AI chatbots feel more natural and less awkward. A new comparison of Gemini Live and ChatGPT Voice, reported by Engadget, examines which assistant handles spoken interaction better, as both companies push to make talking to AI feel closer to a real human conversation.

Nintendo is ending service for Mario Kart Tour, its mobile Mario Kart game that launched on 25 September 2019. The shutdown will come just five days after the game's seventh anniversary. Gamers are marking the occasion and raising concerns about preservation, since smartphone titles that rely on servers typically become unplayable once official support ends.