Edition, 17 stories.

Morning NOISE, Sep 13

World, 07:17, 4 sources, Update.

Xi urges Middle East peace as China advances AI cooperation at BRICS summit

At the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a political solution and a permanent, comprehensive ceasefire in the Middle East, while backing a two-state solution and offering China’s role in peace efforts, CNBC reported. Bloomberg highlighted Xi’s proposal for a BRICS open-source AI community, including cooperation on large language models, seminars and training courses. Wire reports said BRICS adopted a New Delhi Declaration and that Iran and the UAE backed a joint statement urging restraint.

Follow-up to BRICS adopts New Delhi Declaration urging Middle East restraint, September 12

Signal read, turbulent. Sea fog. Illustration: NOISE.

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CNBCChina's Xi urges BRICS nations to work towards peace in the Middle East BloombergXi Pitches His AI Vision at BRICS Summit as China Duels With US

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Turbulent

BRICS peace efforts, AI safety warnings, ferry sinking and drone strikes on train and pipeline dominate.

Sep 7, Turbulent. Sep 8, Turbulent. Sep 9, Tense. Sep 10, Tense. Sep 11, Tense. Sep 12, Tense. Sep 13, Turbulent, latest.

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U.S., 4 stories

A federal judge ruled the administration's 50 percent cut to FEMA staff unlawful, saying it would hamper hurricane and wildfire response. President Trump meanwhile spent a second day in Ireland amid protests and questions over war with Iran.

07:00 Teenagers' global test scores fall to record lows The FT reports OECD PISA scores in science, mathematics and reading have plunged to record lows across developed nations, with declines since the early 2010s and steep drops between 2018 and 2022 linked to pandemic disruptions. The outlet links weaker performance to smartphone distraction, daily chatbot use to replace thinking, teacher quality and moves away from core knowledge teaching, noting Finland, Sweden and Scotland fared worse while England, Estonia and east Asian nations stemmed declines. The FT reports immigrant background alone does not explain the trend and points to attention, core knowledge, quality teaching and home support as enduring factors for effectiveness.

4 sources

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FTWhy teenagers are doing worse at school

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07:00 Star Trek faces uncertain future after 60th anniversary NPR reports Star Trek marked its 60th anniversary last week, six decades after its 1966 debut on NBC. With current series planning to wrap their runs, no definitive new film or TV project has been announced. If none is revealed soon, next year may be the first in about a decade with no new Star Trek series or movie in production.

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NPRCan you imagine a universe without a new 'Star Trek' on the horizon?

01:16 Trump continues Ireland visit amid united Ireland remarks and protests Update Trump is spending the second day of his Ireland visit at his Doonbeg golf resort, where the Irish Open is being held, after meeting Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Dublin. Coverage reports that Trump called a united Ireland a future “fantastic thing,” while more than 10,000 people protested in Dublin and he faced questions about the Iran war.

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Follow-up to Trump backs united Ireland during visit, prompting unionist backlash, September 12

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EconomistTrump: US President continues two-day visit of Ireland

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Sat 20:20 Federal judge rules Trump FEMA workforce cuts unlawful Update U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ruled Friday that the Trump administration acted unlawfully when the Department of Homeland Security ordered a 50 percent cut to Federal Emergency Management Agency employees, including thousands of on-call responders. The Washington Post reported the judge called the plan arbitrary and capricious and said it would hamper FEMA's ability to meet its legal obligations after hurricanes and wildfires, a finding CNN corroboration echoed as an illegal order to fire staffers. The court directed the workers' union and the administration to confer on relief, with a joint statement due if they do not agree by Oct. 9.

1 source

Follow-up to Federal judge blocks Trump plan to cut FEMA workforce in half, September 12

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WaPoFederal judge rules Trump plan to cut FEMA by 50 percent was illegal

World, 4 stories

Rescuers searched the Java Sea for about 130 missing after a ferry sank, while a Russian drone struck a Kyiv to Warsaw train near Poland. Divided Brics leaders met in Delhi as Turkey raided LGBTQ groups.

06:31 Indonesian ferry sinks in Java Sea with 130 missing The Virgo Transport 8 carrying 243 people overturned and sank in bad weather in the Java Sea early Sunday while traveling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin, with 107 people rescued, six bodies recovered and about 130 still missing. Authorities deployed navy and rescue vessels, a helicopter and about 280 personnel to search waters about 148 kilometers from Banjarmasin. NPR highlights distraught relatives waiting at Trisakti port and Indonesia's history of ferry disasters, while BBC details the rescue timeline and accounts from families of those aboard.

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NPRIndonesian passenger ship overturns, sparking search for about 130 missing BBCSix dead, 107 rescued from Indonesian ferry that went missing in Java Sea

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06:52 Russian drone hits Kyiv to Warsaw train near Polish border Bloomberg reported that a Russian drone struck the locomotive of a Kyiv to Warsaw passenger train carrying 208 people about two kilometers from the Ukraine-Poland border at Yahodyn, with no injuries reported. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski described the strike as escalation near NATO and EU territory, with Poland noting no border violation. Ukrzaliznytsia said it was the second rail strike of the weekend, as social media showed a fire near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk crossing and Vilnius airport briefly closed while NATO jets responded to a possible drone sighting.

2 sources

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BloombergUkraine Says Passenger Train Headed to Warsaw Hit by Drone

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07:23 Iran war reshapes Brics ties but exposes bloc divisions Update BBC reports the Brics summit in Delhi gathered leaders including Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian, but the Iran war exposed divisions over how to act as a counterweight to Western influence. Modi said the group is not against anyone, reflecting India's reluctance to cast Brics as anti-Western while other members push that direction. The New Delhi Declaration urged maximum restraint, condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities without assigning blame, made no mention of Russia's war in Ukraine, and criticized tariffs and sanctions without naming the United States. The summit still provided rare sideline talks between Pezeshkian and Abu Dhabi's crown prince and Xi's first visit to Delhi in seven years to discuss trade and transport.

2 sources

Follow-up to BRICS adopts New Delhi Declaration urging Middle East restraint, September 12

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BBCIran war reshapes Brics ties but also exposes divisions

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06:15 Turkey detains 26 in raids targeting LGBTQ+ groups Turkish authorities detained 26 people and searched the offices of six LGBTQ+ associations in raids across 12 provinces over allegations of prostitution and obscenity, Reuters reported. Prosecutors said the operation, called My Family is Safe, supports the government campaign to protect family values under President Tayyip Erdogan's Decade of Family and Population initiative. LGBTQ+ group Kaos GL put the number detained at 50 and said websites were blocked, while rights advocates described the raids as discrimination and pressure on civil society.

1 source

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ReutersTurkey detains 26 people after raids targeting LGBTQ+ groups

Business, 2 stories

04:01 Saudi shares fall after drone strikes hit critical oil pipeline Update Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index fell 1.0% in early trade after drone strikes prompted a precautionary shutdown of the East-West crude pipeline, Reuters reported. Saudi Aramco slipped 1.1%, while Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical fell 7.3%; Qatar’s benchmark rose 0.2%. The disruption highlighted vulnerabilities in regional oil infrastructure and raised concerns about energy supplies.

2 sources

Follow-up to Saudi Arabia shuts oil pipeline after drone attack from Iraq, September 12

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EconomistSaudi shares drop after drone attacks target key oil pipeline

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07:11 Rising yields raise US debt servicing burden Axios reports long-term rates are surging alongside near-term inflation pressures and years of fiscal imbalance. The US spends about $2 trillion a year more than it collects with debt near 100 percent of GDP, while interest of about $1 trillion a year is on track to reach $2 trillion. If the recent rate surge is sustained, borrowing will cost more for the foreseeable future.

1 source

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AxiosThe tab is coming due for America's borrowing binge

Tech, 3 stories

Frontier AI labs are finally talking about slowing down, with Altman and Musk backing Amodei's evaluator access plan amid staff extinction warnings. Meanwhile AI agents are already unearthing old flaws faster than defenders can patch.

00:03 Altman, Musk back Amodei call to pace AI development Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei proposed a three-step plan to pace frontier AI development, starting with unilateral employee-level access for third-party evaluators, followed by common industry safety standards and coordination between democratic and authoritarian governments. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said an IPO this year would be ill-advised and pledged matching evaluator access, while Elon Musk also endorsed the proposal. CNBC emphasized the IPO delay and commercial impact, while The Verge focused on Amodei's safety rationale including recursive self-improvement and recent autonomous cyberattacks.

8 sources

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CNBCOpenAI rules out IPO this year as Altman, Musk & Amodei warn AI is moving too fast VergeAnthropic CEO says it’s time to pump the brakes on AI

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07:13 Anthropic staff warn of AI extinction risk as CEO urges slowdown BBC emphasized former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon saying staff are genuinely frightened about rapid progress and warning of possible human extinction, with other researchers citing more than 10 percent risk within a decade. TC reported CEO Dario Amodei proposed pacing frontier development through embedded third party evaluators, coordination among companies in democratic countries and cooperation with China on dangerous uses. Altman said OpenAI would match the evaluator commitment and Musk said Amodei was right, while Anthropic said it uses strong safeguards and supports verifiable industry pacing.

3 sources

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BBCAI staff 'genuinely frightened' for humanity's future, ex-Anthropic researcher tells BBC TCAnthropic CEO outlines plan to slow AI development

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07:21 AI kills security through obscurity, forcing defense rethink The Register reports that AI agents used by researchers and attackers are finding decades-old vulnerabilities, contributing to record disclosures including Microsoft's Patch Tuesday fixing 974 CVEs. The outlet notes obscure components patched such as Telnet client and Windows RNDIS, plus AI-shortened patch gaps seen in Chromium exploits and intrusions using AI-generated scripts against Siemens S7 controllers at critical facilities. Security experts cited warn obscurity no longer protects OT systems and say AI-generated fixes remain unreliable, urging process improvements over bug-by-bug patching.

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RegisterSecurity through obscurity is dead, and AI delivered the fatal blow

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Sports, 3 stories

06:03 Chelsea to renew pursuit of Roma midfielder Manu Koné in January ESPN reports Chelsea are ready to reignite interest in AS Roma midfielder Manu Koné in January, citing Tuttomercato. A €60 million offer in late August was rejected, and Liverpool may now compete for the France international. Koné is under contract with Roma until June 2029.

1 source

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ESPNTransfer rumors, news: Chelsea to return for Roma star Koné

07:30 Joey Porter Jr. unlikely to play opener amid contract dispute Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is unlikely to play Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons because of a back injury, ESPN reported, citing sources. The absence follows a summer contract dispute with no extension reached and continued trade speculation, with Pittsburgh reportedly listening to offers but seeking a premium draft pick. If Porter is out, Asante Samuel Jr. is expected to take an elevated role for the Steelers.

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ESPNSources: Joey Porter Jr. unlikely to play amid uncertain Steelers future

00:55 Garcia targets Lopez after knockout win over Benn Ryan Garcia retained his WBC welterweight title with a second-round knockout of Conor Benn on Saturday in Las Vegas and said he wants a unification bout with WBA champion Teofimo Lopez next. ESPN reported Garcia predicted he would knock out Lopez and called that fight the easiest to make. Garcia also addressed potential bouts with Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson, saying future opponents must meet him at 147 pounds.

1 source

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ESPNGarcia wants Lopez next; what about Shakur, Haney and 'Tank'?

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FP1	Thu 4:30 ET
FP2	Thu 8:00 ET
FP3	Fri 4:30 ET
Qual	Fri 8:00 ET
Race	Sat 7:00 ET

Scores from ESPN. Alternative and saved schedules are labeled on each game; game links open ESPN.

Xi urges Middle East peace as China advances AI cooperation at BRICS summit

U.S., 4 stories

World, 4 stories

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Tech, 3 stories

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