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Democratic House leader Jeffries flags concerns as House passes Russia sanctions billHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said the Russia sanctions bill had “so many loopholes” as Congress passed the sweeping bill to give Donald Trump the power to raise tariffs on top buyers of Russian energy.The Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 passed in a 262-159 vote on the last day before Congress goes on recess ahead of the midterm elections. Graham, who died earlier this year, co-authored and submitted the bill more than a year and a…

The political equation in Abia State ahead of the 2027 elections has taken a fresh turn after FCT Minister Nyesom Wike said Governor Alex Otti is backing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, prompting the Abia State Government to acknowledge the governor’s close relationship with the president but stop short of confirming his support. Okey Kanu, Abia commissioner for information, told PREMIUM TIMES that while Mr Otti’s relationship with Mr Tinubu is “very cordial,” any definitive declaration on the president’s 2027 ambition would have to come from the governor himself. “At an appropriate time, such confirmation would come from my governor,”…

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday issued an order creating a regulatory pathway for certain trading venues to issue tokenized representations of publicly traded U.S. stocks, effective immediately.The so-called Innovation Exemption provides certain trading platforms and liquidity providers with the regulatory relief needed to facilitate tokenized stock trading, provided they meet certain conditions. Two of the requirements have emerged as key points of contention in the investment community: Holders of stock tokens must retain the same rights they would have with traditional equity holdings, and companies must be able to object to having their securities represented as tokens.The long-awaited move by the…

Since then, he wrote in his statement to Congress, he has “been prevented from resuming my prior employment” and remains “blacklisted from certain agencies within the Intelligence Community.”Other UAP whistleblowers have faced similar issues after coming forward, from break-ins at their homes to leaked personal details.The new waiver also only covers those who have worked with the Pentagon, leaving a CIA-sized hole in it.“I’m glad that they’re waiving NDAs for everybody who was on the [Defense Department] side,” Borland says. “It doesn’t change the [Intelligence Community] side.”He pointed to the need to offer similar protections to the alphabet soup of…

In address to European parliament, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney listed areas where he wants to boost cooperation.Published On 17 Sep 202617 Sep 2026Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed the prospect of his country becoming the European Union’s first associate member, saying such an alliance is aimed to be a “beacon for democracies” and not to “dominate others”.Speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Carney said Canada “welcomes” von der Leyen’s ambition to make the country an associate member.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list“We are not fair-weather allies. We do not pursue zero-sum deals. We hold common…

Astronomers have confirmed the youngest known planet yet, a world less than 1 million years old that is still surrounded by the gas and dust from which it formed. The planet, called Elias 2-24 b, was identified using observations preserved in NASA-funded archives. It is still orbiting within its young star’s dusty disk, giving scientists a rare opportunity to study planet formation while it is still happening. “Our planet-formation models already struggled to explain the previous record holders for the youngest known planet — a four-way tie between two planets orbiting the star PDS 70 and two planets orbiting the…

Key eventsAn email drops in the CCLive box. “Dear Tanya,” lovely to hear from you Peter Walker.”If Leicestershire can be treated so harshly when “This is not a case of cheating”, one wonders what would have happened had this been deliberate. It’s no way to decide Championships and promotion/relegation, and I say this as a disappointed Essex supporter. There was a time, in the dim and distant past, when Essex were deprived of the Championship for a points deduction at Southend, and they no longer pay there.”In this round, there were plenty of grounds on Day 1 where the wickets…

Nume Ekeghe Linkage Assurance Plc has unveiled DiasporaCare+, an insurance solution designed to provide Nigerians living abroad with protection for their families, assets, liabilities and other interests in Nigeria. The product, unveiled by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Linkage Assurance, Daniel Braie, is part of the insurer’s strategy to deepen insurance penetration and develop products that respond to the changing needs of Nigerians at home and in the diaspora. Speaking at the unveiling, Braie said DiasporaCare+ was designed to give Nigerians abroad greater confidence that the people and interests they care about at home are adequately protected. “DiasporaCare+ is…

The Lagos State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said he has learnt Yoruba and can now campaign in the language as he seeks to govern the state. Rhodes-Vivour, who spoke during an interview on Arise TV on Thursday, said he had engaged a Yoruba teacher and had developed his ability to speak the language. He said culture and language were important but stressed that his major concern was addressing the challenges facing Lagos residents. “Culture and language is very, very important, and I’ve gotten a Yoruba teacher, and I’ve learned Yoruba, and I can campaign…

The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold as it warned a continuation of the bitter fighting in the Middle East could force it to raise borrowing costs amid mounting fears over inflation.It also announced a surprise plan to sell billions of pounds in UK government bonds back to the Treasury to avoid fuelling turbulence in the gilt market, a decision that could have significant consequences for the public finances before next month’s budget.As the fallout from war in the Middle East fuels a rise in energy prices, the Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority…