U.K. Terror Plot, WNBA Playoffs, & a Treasure Hunt

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Adam Rogers
September 28, 2026

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British police arrested five men near RAF Fairford on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack and explosives offenses after three suspicious vehicles were spotted moving toward the base early Sunday. Authorities evacuated 85 nearby homes and deployed an Army bomb disposal team to examine the vehicles.
The U.S. Air Force has used RAF Fairford to support operations against Iran, and security around the base had recently been increased. Britain authorized the U.S. to use its bases for limited operations against Iran in March, and Iran's Revolutionary Guard later warned that bases used to attack Iranian territory could become targets.
Police said the investigation remains in its early stages and have not identified the suspects or disclosed a possible motive. The operation reportedly began after a resident spotted the suspicious vehicles, not through prior intelligence. Investigators are examining seized materials to determine whether they could have been used in an attack.

The White House released new details from President Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, showing several concrete agreements after the leaders initially disclosed little about their 90-minute talks.
The countries announced new cooperation spanning trade, artificial intelligence, fentanyl, and global security. China agreed to purchase at least 10 million metric tons of U.S. coal in both 2027 and 2028 and imposed new controls on two chemicals used to make fentanyl. The countries also established an investment board and agreed to continue negotiations over Chinese restrictions on rare earths and other critical minerals.
The countries created a formal dialogue on AI risks and a direct communication channel for AI incidents. Trump and Xi also discussed Iran, Russia, and North Korea and agreed that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon and that no country should impose tolls on international waterways.

The WNBA playoffs began Sunday with eight teams chasing a championship after one of the league's most competitive regular seasons. Seeding wasn't finalized until the final day, and the first round opens with four best-of-three series before the championship is decided in late October. (See brackets and scores here)
The field includes defending champion Las Vegas alongside New York, Minnesota, Indiana, Washington, Atlanta, Dallas, and Golden State, which reached the playoffs in just its second season as an expansion franchise. Minnesota finished with 33 wins, and even the eighth seed reached 26 victories, leaving no clear favorite entering the postseason.
Several contenders enter with major questions. Minnesota stars Napheesa Collier and Olivia Miles are managing injuries, while Indiana center Aliyah Boston has battled a leg issue and Las Vegas has lost NaLyssa Smith for the season.

Two giant pandas arrived at Zoo Atlanta on Sunday after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the 10-year loan during his U.S. visit. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will spend about a month in quarantine before going on public display. (More)

President Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart nuclear talks despite Tehran offering to allow U.N. nuclear inspectors back into the country. (More)

The U.S. government has spent more than $1.2 million airing pro-Trump ads ahead of the midterms, drawing bipartisan scrutiny over whether taxpayer money is being used for political propaganda. (More)

Rio community groups are steering young people away from gangs through mentorship, martial arts, education and job training as crime dominates concerns ahead of Brazil’s presidential election. (More)

Pope Leo XIV celebrated an open-air Mass before an estimated 800,000 people in Paris on Saturday, drawing a massive crowd to the Champs-Élysées. (More)

Four Americans were among six people killed after an explosion collapsed a two-story building Friday in Athens’ tourist-heavy Plaka neighborhood near the Acropolis. (More)

U.S. stock markets closed higher on Friday (S&P +0.51%, Nasdaq +0.50%, Dow +0.93%) as all three indexes finished positive after a volatile trading week. (More)

A federal appeals court ruled Ohio and Tennessee can regulate sports prediction markets under state gambling laws, handing platforms like Kalshi another major legal defeat. (More)

A federal jury awarded Taction Technology more than $5.7 billion after finding Apple infringed two patents covering haptic vibration technology used in its devices. (More)

The U.S. rallied from a three-point deficit Sunday to win its 11th straight Presidents Cup. Jackson Koivun helped fuel the comeback before Jacob Bridgeman clinched the winning point against Min Woo Lee. (More)

George Russell won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by just 0.196 seconds over Max Verstappen and cut Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli’s Formula 1 championship lead from 81 points to 66. (More)

Florida jumped 13 spots to No. 8 in the AP Top 25 after beating then-No. 4 Mississippi by 24 points. Texas, Georgia, and Notre Dame remain the top three. (More)

Favorite music triggers stronger brain activity than neutral music in dementia patients. The response remains largely intact in Alzheimer’s patients. (More)

A mouse study found the cerebellum helps anticipate rewards and drive reward-seeking behavior, expanding its known role beyond movement and coordination. (More)

Researchers discovered two new species of hairy-legged, red-eyed sea spiders in the Salish Sea. (More)

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