World
The US military said on Wednesday that it has completed the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq, ending the 12-year mission to fight the Islamic State group. The last personnel left Erbil Air Base in the north under a deal between Baghdad and Washington, with a small group staying to protect diplomats. Iraq marked the departure with a new four-day national holiday called Sovereignty Day. Iran-backed groups celebrated, while officials in the Kurdish region said they worry about the loss of US air defences and a possible Islamic State comeback. Analysts say the effects will take time to show because the US presence had already been scaled down for years.
AP
Politics
The US Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the Trump administration to keep deporting immigrants to countries where they have no ties, while a legal challenge moves forward. The justices granted an emergency request from the government and set aside an appeals court ruling that called the process unlawful. The court's three liberal justices dissented. It is the second time the court has removed obstacles to the policy. More than 25,000 migrants have already been sent to 29 countries under it. Full arguments are set for December, and removal flights can continue until then. Immigrant advocates say the practice puts people at risk.
AP
Business
South Korea's exports jumped 83.5 percent in September from a year earlier to a record $120.9 billion, the first month the country has shipped more than $120 billion of goods. On a working-day basis, average daily exports more than doubled, rising 104.9 percent. Semiconductor shipments set their own record as spending on AI infrastructure keeps climbing, and chips now make up close to half of export earnings. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said annual exports could approach $1 trillion, while warning that protectionism and Middle East tensions remain risks. Factory surveys also pointed to a fourth month of expansion.
Reuters
Technology
The US Federal Trade Commission has opened a broad investigation into whether OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI companies have harmed consumers. The agency plans formal demands, similar to subpoenas, for documents and executive testimony, and will examine whether the companies broke federal laws barring unfair and deceptive practices, including misuse of consumer data or overstated product claims. A central question is the risk from autonomous AI agents. It is the first US enforcement action aimed at rogue agents, after incidents reported since July. The probe follows a White House meeting where AI firms agreed to voluntary safety standards.
Reuters
Science
A small fossil from Scotland that has been described for nearly 30 years as one of the earliest known reptiles belongs to a much older lineage, according to a study published on 30 September in Nature. Researchers at the American Museum of Natural History, the University of Oxford and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility rebuilt the specimen, nicknamed Lizzie, in three dimensions. The scans showed internal gills and a fish-like mouth lined with thousands of tiny teeth, identifying it as a derived stem tetrapod rather than an early amniote. The find changes how the fossil can be used as evidence for the move onto land.
Nature
Sports
The San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs twice to win their wild-card series 2-0 and advance to the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, who finished with the best record in baseball. It will be the first playoff meeting between the two clubs. The Padres swept the Brewers in San Diego in August and won four of six meetings this season. In the American League, the Rays face the Yankees and the Guardians meet the White Sox, while the Dodgers wait for the Braves-Phillies winner. All four Division Series start Saturday, 3 October.
MLB.com
Health
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is asking whether artificial intelligence should play a larger role in the annual wellness visit, a yearly preventive check-up covered for Medicare beneficiaries. The question sits in the proposed 2027 Physician Fee Schedule rule as a request for information with eight parts, covering realistic uses, tasks that still need a clinician, adoption barriers, payment policy and evaluation. Possible jobs for AI include pre-visit collection of health risk data, flagging patients for extra assessment and drafting follow-up steps. The American Academy of Family Physicians supports careful use; others worry about automating a conversation.
MedPage Today
Environment
Authorities declared a flood disaster zone across all 50 districts of Bangkok after days of heavy rain overwhelmed the capital's drainage system. Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said almost 300 millimetres, about 11.8 inches, had fallen since Thursday afternoon. Roads were submerged, residents near the canal network were told to move belongings upstairs, and the rail authority opened free park-and-ride spaces until 2 October. More than 700,000 people have been affected and at least two deaths confirmed. The government said the situation had stabilised, with draining expected to take two to three days.
Al Jazeera