博客

Republican Senator Wicker says US security commitments to Taiwan must be upheld

2026-09-30 03:29:44 GMT / Reuters

By Kanishka Singh

September 30, 2026 3:29 AM UTC Updated 13 mins ago

A person rides a scooter past Taiwan flags, above the entrance to Nanjichang Night Market, in Taipei, Taiwan, September 24, 2026. REUTERS/Ann Wang

• Summary

• US bound by law to provide weapons to Taiwan
• Four other US Republican senators last week called on Trump to release stalled assistance for Taiwan
• Trump met Xi last week in Washington
• Beijing ​claims Taiwan as its own territory; Taiwan rejects that claim

WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Republican US Senator and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker said Washington’s security commitments to Taiwan must be upheld, following a meeting on Tuesday with Alexander Yui, the democratically governed island’s representative to the US.

Four other senators ​from US President Donald Trump’s Republican Party called on his administration last week to release more ​than $15 billion in stalled national security assistance for Taiwan.

The Misinformation Monitor newsletter rounds up international misinformation narratives, with a “Real or Fake?” quiz in every edition. Sign up here.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

The United States does not have ⁠formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but is the island’s most important international backer and ​weapons supplier.

Washington is bound by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan, which Beijing claims as ​its own territory, with the means to defend itself.

“As members of Congress, we have a duty to make sure this law is adhered to and that decisions about the defense needs of Taiwan are based on ​our joint assessment of military necessity,” Wicker said in a statement.

Wicker also said he discussed ​with Yui what he called the rise of Chinese aggression against the United States’ Indo-Pacific allies.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

“In response — and ‌in ⁠accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act — Congress has authorized and appropriated a surge in resources to provide Taiwan with enhanced training, security assistance, and arms sales. These authorities must be used for the purposes that Congress intended,” Wicker added.

China has repeatedly called for Taiwan arms sales to ​end, and in May, ​following a Beijing trip, ⁠Trump said he was keeping a new package worth some $14 billion in abeyance.

However, after meeting President Xi Jinping in Washington last week, Trump ​said only that the Chinese leader understood his position on Taiwan.

Wicker urged ​the US ⁠to uphold a precedent when then-President Ronald Reagan said Washington would not consult Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan.

Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide their ⁠future.

blob:https://www.reuters.com/8de295fd-c3fd-486d-9931-e5cb23cb0afc

Taiwan ​is in continuous talks with Washington about arms sales ​and had received reassurances since the summit between Trump and Xi that US policy on Taiwan had not changed, Taiwan Defence ​Minister Wellington Koo said earlier on Tuesday.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Kate Mayberry

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Backpack voted Fat Bear Week 2026 winner, beating out another offspring of former champ

2026-09-29 9:14 PM EDT / CBS News

Backpack has been crowned the 2026 Fat Bear Week champion, beating out a fellow offspring of a former Fat Bear Week winner.

Voters were split between bear 910 and 89 Backpack in the final round of the weeklong contest to see who is the chunkiest bear at Katmai National Park & Preserve in Alaska. Backpack received 103,334 votes, and the runner-up received 98,253 votes, according to Explore.org.

“Your votes, your posts, your favorite bear campaigns, and your shared love for Katmai’s wild places turned this week into a collective story shaped by thousands of voices. It’s a reminder that just like America’s 250th anniversary, traditions endure because people keep them alive,” Katmai National Park & Preserve said in a social media post.

“This year, we honored resilience in our bears and in our nation, recognizing the landscapes, communities, and shared stories that connect us.”

Explore.org/Katmai National Park and Preserve

Sixteen total bears faced off for Fat Bear Week 2026, but Backpack stood out as an early favorite, beating out other contenders in the first two rounds by more than 100,000 votes each.

The competition got tougher in the semifinal rounds, with Backpack barely edging out 164 Bucky — while 910 easily overtook 132.

In the end, Backpack made his mother, Holly — also the 2019 Fat Bear Week champion — proud.

Explore.org/Katmai National Park and Preserve

Holly introduced Backpack to Brooks River at the Katmai National Park and Preserve in 2006, according to park officials. The first-year cub’s name was inspired by his habit of climbing onto Holly’s back when the two waded through the river.

When he was about 2 years old, Backpack suffered a significant leg injury, and park rangers questioned his chances of survival. But eventually, he recovered and became independent in 2008, and has since grown into the large adult worthy of joining the Fat Bear Week Hall of Champions.

How Fat Bear Week 2026 “broke the internet”

The bracket for this year’s contest expanded from last year’s 12 competitors, and the first round of voting was so popular, park officials said it “broke the internet.”

Voting, which started Tuesday, Sept. 22, had to be extended an additional day after bear lovers overwhelmed the website and some voters weren’t able to access the polls “because apparently the internet was not prepared to handle this much fat bear,” Katmai officials said on social media last week.

The voters had to enter an email address each time for their vote to count.

The competition, which started in 2014 as a one-day event to showcase southwest Alaska bears, in 2025 received more than 1.7 million votes from more than 100 countries, according to the National Park Service.

Past Fat Bear Week winners

Over the past 12 years, there have been six champions, three of whom have been repeat winners of Fat Bear Week.

The most dominant contestant has been 480 Otis, winning the first-ever Fat Bear event in 2014 and taking the crown again in 2016, 2017 and 2021. Otis is one of the older bears at Brooks River and hasn’t been observed since the year he last won.

One of Otis’ biggest competitors was 409 Beadnose, a repeat winner in 2015 and 2018. She’s also 910’s mother. She was estimated to be in her 20s, and she also hasn’t been spotted since she last won. Brown bears can live to be approximately 30 years old in the wild.

After several years as a favorite, 435 Holly became the first winner in 2019 who wasn’t Otis or Beadnose.

The other two repeat winners are 747 (2020, 2022) and 128 Grazer (2023, 2024), the mother of one of this year’s contenders.

Last year’s winner was 32 Chunk, who unfortunately did not make it out of the first round of voting this year.

美国制裁中俄等13个涉伊朗购武实体与个人

2026年9月30日 08:27 / 联合早报

美国财长贝森特说，美国财政部将继续识别、揭露并孤立伊朗的协助者。 （路透社）

美国宣布对13个协助伊朗采购武器及相关零部件的个人与实体实施制裁，其中包括位于俄罗斯、中国、中国香港、巴基斯坦的个人与实体。

路透社报道，美国财政部和国务院于星期二（9月29日）宣布的这些制裁措施，是特朗普政府旨在从经济上孤立伊朗，并迫使德黑兰通过谈判结束战争的举措之一。

美国财长贝森特说：“财政部绝不容忍任何支持伊朗政权的行为，并将继续识别、揭露并孤立伊朗的协助者。”

美国财政部称，制裁的目的在于打击德黑兰重构武器计划的能力，同时提高那些为伊朗采购提供支持的人员和实体的成本。

美国制裁中俄等13个涉伊朗购武实体与个人

2026年9月30日 08:27 / 联合早报

美国财长贝森特说，美国财政部将继续识别、揭露并孤立伊朗的协助者。 （路透社）

美国宣布对13个协助伊朗采购武器及相关零部件的个人与实体实施制裁，其中包括位于俄罗斯、中国、中国香港、巴基斯坦的个人与实体。

路透社报道，美国财政部和国务院于星期二（9月29日）宣布的这些制裁措施，是特朗普政府旨在从经济上孤立伊朗，并迫使德黑兰通过谈判结束战争的举措之一。

美国财长贝森特说：“财政部绝不容忍任何支持伊朗政权的行为，并将继续识别、揭露并孤立伊朗的协助者。”

美国财政部称，制裁的目的在于打击德黑兰重构武器计划的能力，同时提高那些为伊朗采购提供支持的人员和实体的成本。

金与正：韩国借地雷事件挑衅朝鲜

2026年9月30日 08:35 / 联合早报

朝鲜劳动党中央委员会部长金与正警告韩方，将会为其挑衅行为承担责任。 （路透社）

朝鲜劳动党中央委员会部长金与正指责韩国借地雷爆炸事件挑衅朝鲜。

朝中社星期三（9月30日）报道，金与正29日发表谈话，称近日南部边境一带发生一起地雷爆炸事件，韩国企图捏造“物证”，将这起事件的责任推卸给朝方，这种做法非常荒谬。

金与正还警告，韩方将会为其挑衅行为承担责任。金与正为朝鲜领导人金正恩的胞妹。

韩国军方29日首次确认，西部前线非军事区爆炸现场发现的朝军地雷是人为埋设，且爆炸点及新发现的地雷均位于军事分界线以南。若最终确认由朝军所为，将涉及违反《朝鲜停战协定》，但是否蓄意针对韩军仍待调查。

据悉，韩国陆军第25师侦察营21日在京畿道坡州军事分界线附近执行任务时，接连发生两次地雷爆炸，造成两名官兵重伤。

韩国总统李在明29日要求军方迅速查明真相，并表示政府将视调查结果采取必要措施。

‘F— her’: Jasmine Crockett torched by ex-Dem colleague over who she left off endorsement list

Wild called Crockett a ‘narcissistic drama queen’ for omitting the Democratic nominee for Texas Senate

2026-09-29 8:00pm EDT / Fox News

By Leo Briceno Fox News

Published September 29, 2026 8:00pm EDT

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, drew backlash from a former colleague for leaving James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, off her list of endorsements Monday.

Talarico, who beat Crockett in the party’s Senate primary earlier this year, was not among 14 candidates supported by Crockett’s Feuling Individual Rights Everywhere (FIRE) PAC. To former Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., who served three terms in Congress, the list is clear evidence Crockett is putting personal reservations over the party’s success in the Lone Star State.

“F— her. That’s all I can say. And that statement has nothing to do with blind loyalty to Dems,” Wild said in a post to X.”It has everything to do with her being a narcissistic drama queen who has used her platform (such as it is) only to advance herself. Karma will suck.”

Wild’s post is just the most recent controversy surrounding Crockett, a progressive who has called on her party to inch further left through fiery rhetoric that’s garnered national attention during her time in Congress.

LONGTIME GOP AIDE DEFECTS TO DEM RISING STAR AS TEXAS SENATE BATTLE FOR CORNYN’S SEAT HEATS UP

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, speaks to reporters after announcing her run in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Dec. 8, 2025, in Dallas.(AP Photo/LM Otero)

In the past, Crockett has drawn scrutiny for incendiary comments, like calling Gov. Greg Abbott, who is permanently in a wheelchair, “Governor Hot Wheels,” describing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., as having a “beach-blond, bad-built, butch body,” and describing MAGA Latino voters as having a “slave mentality.”

Most recently, Crockett received public backlash for entering Chris Brown into the congressional record, honoring his musical legacy in the Black community despite a history of violence against women.

JASMINE CROCKETT TORCHED FOR HONORING SINGER WITH NOTORIOUS HISTORY OF VIOLENCE: ‘COMPLETELY VILE’

Rep. Jasmine Crockett speaks with supporters during her Senate primary election night party on March 3, 2026, in Dallas, Texas.(Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Crockett posted her own reply to Wild and others, noting that she had personally extended congratulations to Talarico after he beat her earlier this year in the March primary.

“Y’all are corny! Keep receipts. I’ll be happy when people either give a damn about FACTS or news media goes back to the news instead of deciding to ride the tabloid lane. NOW FOR THE 1000th time maybe write an article about KEN F*in PAXTON. Y’all sound like corny groupies,” Crockett wrote.

Crockett, who lost to Talarico by a margin of 52.4% to 46.2%, did endorse Talarico the day after the election after results were finalized.

“This morning I called James and congratulated him on becoming the Senate nominee. Texas is primed to turn blue, and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person. This is about the future of all 30 million Texans and getting America back on track. With the primary behind us, Democrats must rally around our nominees and win,” Crockett wrote.

“I’m committed to doing my part and will continue working to elect Democrats up and down the ballot.”

SHOCK POLL: TALARICO TIES PAXTON IN TEXAS SENATE RACE, THREATENING GOP STRONGHOLD

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, a candidate for U.S. Senate, participates in a debate with Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, during the Texas AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education Convention Jan. 24, 2026, in Georgetown, Texas.(Bob Daemmrich/Texas Tribune via AP, Pool)

Crockett’s FIRE PAC has raised only $144,960 and mostly focuses on smaller races. All 14 candidates listed on the post highlighted by Wild are state or local candidates. Gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa was also not on the list.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Representatives for Crockett did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.

金与正：韩国借地雷事件挑衅朝鲜

2026年9月30日 08:35 / 联合早报

朝鲜劳动党中央委员会部长金与正警告韩方，将会为其挑衅行为承担责任。 （路透社）

朝鲜劳动党中央委员会部长金与正指责韩国借地雷爆炸事件挑衅朝鲜。

朝中社星期三（9月30日）报道，金与正29日发表谈话，称近日南部边境一带发生一起地雷爆炸事件，韩国企图捏造“物证”，将这起事件的责任推卸给朝方，这种做法非常荒谬。

金与正还警告，韩方将会为其挑衅行为承担责任。金与正为朝鲜领导人金正恩的胞妹。

韩国军方29日首次确认，西部前线非军事区爆炸现场发现的朝军地雷是人为埋设，且爆炸点及新发现的地雷均位于军事分界线以南。若最终确认由朝军所为，将涉及违反《朝鲜停战协定》，但是否蓄意针对韩军仍待调查。

据悉，韩国陆军第25师侦察营21日在京畿道坡州军事分界线附近执行任务时，接连发生两次地雷爆炸，造成两名官兵重伤。

韩国总统李在明29日要求军方迅速查明真相，并表示政府将视调查结果采取必要措施。

鲁比奥：英国空军基地事件涉及外国势力

2026年9月30日 10:00 / 联合早报

鲁比奥9月29日在福克斯新闻的节目中说，在费尔福德皇家空军基地发生、差一点发生以及有可能发生的事，性质极其严重。 （路透社）

美国国务卿鲁比奥说，英国费尔福德皇家空军基地事件涉及“外国势力”。

路透社报道，鲁比奥星期一（9月29日）在福克斯新闻的节目中说：“上周末在英国发生、差一点发生以及有可能发生的事，性质极其严重。这显然有外部势力在幕后操纵。目前我不会透露太多。”

鲁比奥未提供证据或具体细节。

另据彭博社报道，英国反恐警察说，在调查现场发现燃油，但未发现爆炸物。

27日凌晨，五名男子在美军使用的费尔福德皇家空军基地（RAF Fairford）附近被捕，涉嫌触犯爆炸物法令及恐怖主义相关罪名。五人都是住在伦敦的英国公民，已获准保释。英国警方目前正在调查是否有外国势力涉案。

费尔福德皇家空军基地是美国空军全球打击司令部在欧洲首选的轰炸机前沿作战基地。今年7月，英国首相伯纳姆批准美军使用这个基地对伊朗实施“防御性打击”，延续了前任首相斯塔默的政策。

彭博社30日报道，英国反恐警务处处长泰勒（Laurence Taylor）在一份电邮声明中说：“现场未发现简易爆炸装置，但查获了一定数量的汽油。”

他还说，针对五名获准保释男子的调查仍在继续，并为释放五人的决定进行辩护。

泰勒说：“我理解这个决定可能会让很多人感到意外，但我必须重申，这是一项基于经验并在审慎考虑警务权限后做出的决定。”

美国总统特朗普星期一在白宫对记者说，英国费尔福德皇家空军基地事件“可能”与伊朗有关，他不会批准让这些嫌疑人保释。

鲁比奥：英国空军基地事件涉及外国势力

2026年9月30日 10:00 / 联合早报

鲁比奥9月29日在福克斯新闻的节目中说，在费尔福德皇家空军基地发生、差一点发生以及有可能发生的事，性质极其严重。 （路透社）

美国国务卿鲁比奥说，英国费尔福德皇家空军基地事件涉及“外国势力”。

路透社报道，鲁比奥星期一（9月29日）在福克斯新闻的节目中说：“上周末在英国发生、差一点发生以及有可能发生的事，性质极其严重。这显然有外部势力在幕后操纵。目前我不会透露太多。”

鲁比奥未提供证据或具体细节。

另据彭博社报道，英国反恐警察说，在调查现场发现燃油，但未发现爆炸物。

27日凌晨，五名男子在美军使用的费尔福德皇家空军基地（RAF Fairford）附近被捕，涉嫌触犯爆炸物法令及恐怖主义相关罪名。五人都是住在伦敦的英国公民，已获准保释。英国警方目前正在调查是否有外国势力涉案。

费尔福德皇家空军基地是美国空军全球打击司令部在欧洲首选的轰炸机前沿作战基地。今年7月，英国首相伯纳姆批准美军使用这个基地对伊朗实施“防御性打击”，延续了前任首相斯塔默的政策。

彭博社30日报道，英国反恐警务处处长泰勒（Laurence Taylor）在一份电邮声明中说：“现场未发现简易爆炸装置，但查获了一定数量的汽油。”

他还说，针对五名获准保释男子的调查仍在继续，并为释放五人的决定进行辩护。

泰勒说：“我理解这个决定可能会让很多人感到意外，但我必须重申，这是一项基于经验并在审慎考虑警务权限后做出的决定。”

美国总统特朗普星期一在白宫对记者说，英国费尔福德皇家空军基地事件“可能”与伊朗有关，他不会批准让这些嫌疑人保释。

Iran appeals to US voters as American troops leave Iraq

2026-09-30T02:48:37.369Z / reuters.com

BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps urged Americans to vote out US President Donald Trump’s allies in Congress as US forces were due to withdraw from their remaining bases ​in neighbouring Iraq on Wednesday in a departure celebrated by Tehran.

Meanwhile, Qatar continued to promote its shuttle diplomacy aimed at ending the seven-month-old war between Iran and ‌the United States. Trump once again predicted a swift surrender for Iran.

The Misinformation Monitor newsletter rounds up international misinformation narratives, with a “Real or Fake?” quiz in every edition. Sign up here.

The 26-page letter by the Guards, published on Tuesday, urges Americans to use their political power to remove current leaders from office and reject US support for Israel and military intervention abroad.

While the missive was unlikely to sway US voters who may not even see the text published by Iranian media, it identifies issues that US political analysts say are working against Trump and the Republican Party ​ahead of November 3 congressional elections, when the opposition Democrats could retake control of one or both legislative chambers, potentially impeding Trump’s political agenda.

“Remove from power the evil, deceitful, and ​violent politicians who are responsible for America’s current state,” the letter said. “Make sure your politicians understand that the world has changed.”

Trump campaigned in 2024 pledging to ⁠avoid new wars, end existing conflicts and bring down inflation, but the war with Iran, which Trump launched alongside Israel, has contributed to higher global fuel prices and spread in the Middle East.

A Reuters/Ipsos ​poll published September 21 found just 17% of respondents approved Trump’s handling of the cost of living – the top issue Americans say will determine how they vote in November. Only 34% approved of the ​strikes on Iran.

Trump, who broke with Republican orthodoxy in 2016 when he called the US invasion of Iraq a major mistake, allowed the final withdrawal from Iraq on Wednesday, which was agreed in 2024 by former President Joe Biden.

The withdrawal comes 23 years after US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein, then triggered upheaval that culminated with the rise of Islamic State.

QATARI MEDIATION

The US war in Iran has drawn in Iranian allies in the region, including the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah ​in Lebanon and militias in Iraq, which Riyadh blamed for the September 10 attack that knocked the East-West Pipeline in Saudi Arabia offline.

Iran, which says its ultimate aim is to force American ​forces to leave the entire Middle East, casts the US withdrawal from Iraq as a triumph for its “axis of resistance” of allied armed groups across the region.

People ride on motorcycles as they participate in a march in Tehran, Iran, September 25, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

The US and Iran have not found an off-ramp from the war despite rounds ‌of talks ⁠and several ceasefires.

Negotiations appeared to intensify during last week’s UN General Assembly meeting in New York, but have so far not yielded any agreement to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the war started in February.

Qatar has again emerged as would-be peacemaker after previously playing a supporting role in producing a June memorandum of understanding that led to a brief ceasefire. US and Iranian officials spoke separately with Qatari mediators on Monday, but it was unclear if exchanges took place on Tuesday.

“We are exchanging messages between the parties, and we’re working ​towards establishing a common ground in order to ​get into a deal that would save ⁠all of us from the repercussions of the conflict,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told reporters.

Trump meanwhile repeated his position that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon and that the war would be over soon.

The conflict has degraded Iran’s conventional forces and damaged its already ailing economy, but ​Tehran has fought back with missile and drone strikes on US allies in the Gulf and by restricting oil tanker traffic in the strategic ​Strait of Hormuz, which has ⁠pushed up world energy prices.

“I don’t know if they are going to give up yet but they’ll give up,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

“They are doing very poorly,” he added.

At the United Nations General Assembly last week, Iran floated a peace proposal that would trigger a seven-day countdown to reopening the strait and a pause in fighting.

Trump on Saturday rejected the plan although Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that Washington ⁠had not ​officially relayed a US rejection through mediators.

Trump has cited weakening Iran’s nuclear capabilities as one of his war objectives, along ​with ending its ability to attack its neighbours and creating conditions for Iranians to topple their leadership.

Iran, which does not have nuclear weapons, denies seeking them. The US is nuclear-armed. Tehran says it has the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful ​purposes as a party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.