Conroy Gold oversubscribed private placement, increases limit to £1.7m
Conroy Gold private placement oversubscribed, limit raised to £1.7m
Trump scheduled to meet with leaders from both Republican and Democratic parties as impending government shutdown approaches | Latest updates on President Donald Trump
The US government faces a partial shutdown from Wednesday unless Republicans and Democrats can agree on a spending bill.
Published On 29 Sep 2025
United States President Donald Trump is set to meet with top Republicans and Democrats in Congress amid a looming deadline to keep funding the federal government.
Trump’s scheduled meeting with congressional leaders on Monday comes as the US government is facing a partial shutdown from midnight on Wednesday unless lawmakers can agree on a spending bill.
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The standoff comes after Democrats in the US Senate earlier this month rejected a Republican-drafted stopgap spending bill to keep the government running until November 21.
Democrats have argued that any spending bill should include provisions to expand healthcare coverage, including by reversing cuts to Medicaid that were included in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Republicans argue that healthcare-related provisions should be addressed separately as part of negotiations for a comprehensive spending package.
While Republicans hold 53 seats in the 100-member Senate, at least 60 lawmakers must approve spending bills in the upper chamber.
In interviews on Sunday, Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer traded blame for the impasse.
“The ball is in their court,” Thune told NBC News’s Meet the Press. “There is a bill sitting at the desk in the Senate right now, we could pick it up today and pass it.”
Speaking on the same programme, Schumer described the meeting with Trump and his Republican counterparts as “only a first step” to resolving the issue.
“We need a serious negotiation,” Schumer said.
“Now, if the president at this meeting is going to rant, and just yell at Democrats, and talk about all his alleged grievances, and say this, that, and the other thing, we won’t get anything done. But my hope is it’ll be a serious negotiation.”
The planned gathering comes after Trump last week called off a meeting with Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, citing what he described as “unserious and ridiculous demands” by Democrats.
If Democrats and Republicans fail to pass a spending bill by the deadline, federal government employees will not receive pay during the shutdown period – though they will be eligible for backpay – and those who are not considered essential will be furloughed.
There have been 14 government shutdowns since 1980, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Most of those only lasted a few days. The longest shutdown in US history, which took place in late 2018 and early 2019, lasted 34 days.
At least 4 killed and 8 injured as gunman in truck crashes into Michigan church and opens fire
At least four people were killed and eight injured when a gunman in a pickup truck smashed through the doors of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Michigan during a Sunday service attended by hundreds, opened fire and set the building ablaze. Police shot and killed the suspect, authorities said.
The attack occurred at about 10:25 a.m. The gunman got out of the four-door pickup with two American flags in the truck and started shooting, Police Chief William Renye told reporters. He apparently used gas to start the fire and also had explosive devices but it wasn’t clear if he used them, said James Dier of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Authorities identified the shooter as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of the neighboring small town of Burton. The FBI is leading the investigation and considered it an “act of targeted violence,” said Ruben Coleman, a special agent in charge for the bureau.
Officers responding to a 911 call were at the church within 30 seconds and killed the shooter about eight minutes later, Renye said. After the suspect left the church, two officers pursued him and “engaged in gunfire,” the chief said.
Renye said people inside the church during the attack were “shielding children” and “moving them to safety.”
Flames and smoke could be seen pouring from the large church for hours before the blaze was put out. The bodies of two of the victims were found as authorities searched the debris, Renye said.
He said authorities had yet to make it though the entire church and that more victims could be found. One of the wounded people was in critical condition Sunday evening and the seven others were stable.
Renye said “some” people were unaccounted for, but he didn’t have an exact number.
Michigan State Police Lt. Kim Vetter said bomb threats were made at other churches in the area after officers shot and killed Sanford. No bombs were found and police were investigating the threats.
The motive not yet clear
Investigators were searching Sanford’s residence but authorities did not say what they found or provide any additional details about him, including whether he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.
Sanford served in the Marines from June 2004 through June 2008, working as an automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator, according to military records obtained by The Detroit News. He was deployed to Iraq from August 2007 through March 2008 and had the rank of sergeant.
It was the latest of many shooting attacks on houses of worship in the U.S. over the past 20 years, including one in August that killed two children during Mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis.
It also was the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours. On Saturday night, a man in a boat opened fire on a crowd in Southport, North Carolina, killing three and injuring five,
President Donald Trump said in a social media post that he was briefed on the Michigan shooting and applauded the FBI for its response. Local authorities said the FBI was sending 100 agents to Grand Blanc Township, a community of roughly 40,000 people outside Flint.
“PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote.
The church building, circled by a parking lot and a large lawn, is near residential areas and a Jehovah’s Witness church.
Brad Schneemann, whose home is about 400 yards (365 meters) from the church, told The Associated Press that he and his daughter heard “two rounds of four to five shots” around 10:30 a.m. “Then, we really didn’t hear anything for a while” before they left their home to see what was going on.
Tight-knit church community
Timothy Jones, 48, said his family is part of another Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation, or ward, about 15 minutes away, but that his children were at the Grand Blanc Township ward Saturday night for a youth fall festival. He and his family moved to Flint two years ago in large part because of how strong the faith’s community is in the area, he said.
As people in his congregation got word of the shooting from texts and phone calls during their Sunday service, his ward went into lockdown and police came as a precaution, he said. His children were “frantically, just trying to get word that people were OK.”
Sundays are “supposed to be a time of peace and a time of reflection and worship,” Jones said. Yet in the wake of violence at other houses of worship, a shooting “feels inevitable, and all the more tragic because of that,” he added.
The shooting occurred the morning after Russell M. Nelson, the oldest-ever president of the Utah-based faith, died at 101. The next president is expected to be Dallin H. Oaks, per church protocol.
“The church is in communication with local law enforcement as the investigation continues and as we receive updates on the condition of those affected,” spokesperson Doug Anderson said.
“Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection. We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”
The impact of the shooting spread throughout the area
When striking nurses at nearby Henry Ford Genesys Hospital heard about the shooting, some left the picket line and ran the short distance to the church to help first responders, Teamsters Local 332 President Dan Glass said.
“Human lives matter more than our labor dispute,” Glass said.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement that her heart was breaking for the community. “Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable,” she said.
The impact spread quickly to neighboring communities, including the small city that shares a name with the township.
“Although we are two separate governmental units, we are a very cohesive community,” said city of Grand Blanc Mayor John Creasey. “This sort of thing is painful for our entire community.”
About 100 people gathered for a prayer service Sunday evening at The River Church in Grand Blanc, a nondenominational Christian church about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many bowed their heads, some cried softly. A few spoke their prayers aloud, asking for healing for the victims, the victims’ families and first responders.
“We live in days that are difficult and troubled, days that are weary and tiring,” said Pastor Chuck Lindsey, leading the congregation in prayer. “We’re exhausted by the evil, we’re exhausted by these things. But Lord, you are our refuge.”
Indian courts overwhelmed by backlog of cases
AFP via Getty ImagesThe Allahabad High Court – one of India’s oldest and most prestigious, once graced by figures like India’s first premier Jawaharlal Nehru and future Supreme Court judges – is back in the spotlight.
This time, though, for very different reasons.
With more than a million cases pending, it is among the most overburdened courts in the country. Matters ranging from criminal trials to property and family disputes have been pending here for decades, leaving thousands of people in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, trapped in legal limbo.
Consider Babu Ram Rajput, 73, a retired government employee who has been battling a property dispute for over three decades.
He bought land at an auction in 1992, but the previous owner challenged the sale – and the case remains unresolved to this day.
“I just hope my case is decided while I’m still alive,” Mr Rajput says.
The high court’s struggle mirrors a broader crisis in India’s judiciary, where too few judges and a constant flood of cases have caused crippling delays.
With a sanctioned strength of 160 that experts say has never been completely filled, the court is severely understaffed. Delays in police investigations, frequent adjournments, and poor infrastructure further add to the backlog, leaving the system stretched beyond capacity.
Each judge faces hundreds of cases a day – sometimes over 1,000. With just five working hours, that’s less than a minute per case. In practice, many aren’t heard at all.
Umang Poddar/BBCLawyers say urgent matters – like bail pleas or eviction stays – are heard first, pushing older cases further down the list.
Senior lawyer Syed Farman Naqvi says courts often issue interim or temporary orders in urgent cases – but once the immediate need is met, the matter lingers as new cases pile up.
Retired judge Amar Saran says the mounting backlog has forced judges into a “cut-grass approach” – issuing quick, standard orders, from nudging the government to act to directing lower courts to handle the matter.
In April, the court confronted the scale of its delays while ruling on a rape and murder case pending for over 40 years. By the verdict’s delivery, four of the five convicted men had died. Ordering the sole surviving convict to surrender, the court admitted it regretted not ruling sooner.
The backlog has even prompted legal action. Earlier this year, a group of Allahabad High Court lawyers petitioned for more judicial appointments, calling the court “paralysed” by a shortage of judges that leaves cases lingering for years.
The crisis has caught the attention of India’s top court. In January, the Supreme Court called it “worrisome” that case listings at the Allahabad High Court are unpredictable, saying the system had completely collapsed.
Uncertain hearing dates hit people hard, especially in vast Uttar Pradesh. Many travel hundreds of kilometres to Prayagraj where the court is located on just a few days’ notice for their hearing.
Mr Rajput is from Kanpur, 200km (125 miles) from Prayagraj. He spends around four hours travelling each time his case is listed – yet can never be sure it will actually be heard.
“I’m over 70,” he says. “I often learn just days in advance that my case is listed, “making travel a hassle.” He adds that many times his case isn’t heard because other matters take up the whole day.
Umang Poddar/BBCLawyers have long urged the court to set up another bench – a branch of the high court in a different city to ease access and speed up hearings – in the western part of the state. Currently, an additional bench exists in the city of Lucknow. A similar recommendation was made in 1985 by a government commission, but it has yet to be implemented.
Earlier this year, the state government reportedly urged the high court to set up another bench, but the letter was later withdrawn for unknown reasons. The push for more benches isn’t limited to Uttar Pradesh; a 2009 Law Commission report said all states would benefit from additional high court branches.
While new benches could help long-term, experts say quicker fixes – like appointing more judges – are needed.
But the process is slow and complex: senior high court judges first shortlist candidates, then the list is reviewed by the state and federal governments, and the Chief Justice of India. After this, senior Supreme Court judges forward the final list to the federal government for appointment.
Experts say picking the right candidates is often challenging. Former Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Govind Mathur notes that chief justices, often appointed from outside the state, may not know local lawyers or judges, complicating recommendations. Names can be rejected at any stage and remain confidential until the Supreme Court forwards them to the government.
Last year, the Supreme Court recommended just one appointment for the Allahabad High Court, despite nearly half the seats being vacant. Some progress came this year with 15 new judges, but almost half the posts remain empty after retirements and transfers. Earlier this month, 26 more names were sent to the government, raising hopes – but the impact on the backlog remains uncertain.
Experts say the backlog is so huge that even at full strength, each judge would handle over 7,000 pending cases. Some progress came this year, after 40 new judges were added – 24 of whom were appointed last week – but the backlog persists.
Mr Mathur says that deeper judicial reforms – like a “uniform policy for hearing and disposing of cases” – are essential, rather than leaving it to individual judges.
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Cale TeBeest, Wisconsin State Champion, Chooses Louisville for 2027 Commitment
By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam
Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Cale TeBeest from McFarland, Wisconsin has announced his commitment to continue his academic and athletic careers at Louisville beginning in fall 2027.
“I’m extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Louisville! I would like to thank my family, teammates, and coaches for their constant support. And a big thank you to Coach Albiero and the rest of the Louisville staff for this opportunity! Go Cards!️”
TeBeest swims for McFarland Spartan Sharks and finished his long course season at Summer Juniors. There he posted a lifetime best 51.06 in the 100 free to finish 27th. He also swam a best time 24.47 in the 50 fly during a swim off.
This past February, he alongside his brother Blake TeBeest led McFarland High School to a Division II Wisconsin Boys High School State Title. Cale swam to a win in the 100 fly posting a best time 48.44 while he also swam on the team’s winning 200 free, 400 free, and 200 medley relays. A month later, he concluded his short course season at Sectionals in Rochester, New York. There he posted a lifetime best in the 100 free with a 44.95.
TeBeest’s Best SCY Times Are:
- 50 free: 20.15
- 100 free: 44.95
- 100 fly: 48.44
The Louisville men finished 5th out of 15 teams at the 2025 ACC Championships with 814.5 points. UNC was just ahead of them with 852 points. Thomas Breid and Denis Petrashov each won an individual ACC title as Breid won the 400 IM with a 3:39.28 while Petrashov won the 100 breast with a 50.62.
TeBeest still has two years until his arrival with the Cardinals. It took a 19.41 in the 50 free, a 42.78 in the 100 free, and a 46.21 in the 100 fly to earn a second swim at ACCs. Louisville only scored 12 points in the 100 free, their lowest scoring event at 2025 ACCs.
TeBeest will arrive in fall 2027 as a member of the class of 2031. He is the first public commitment on the men’s side.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.
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Read the full story on SwimSwam: Wisconsin State Champion Cale TeBeest Commits To Louisville For 2027
Tiny Getaway Features a Unique Upside-Down Living Design
The Tiny Getaway only has a length of 7.2 m (23.7 ft), but sleeps a small family in comfort. To maximize available space, designer Eco Tiny House has employed a novel “upside-down” layout that places the living room upstairs and a bedroom below.
The Tiny Getaway is based on a double-axle trailer and is finished in thermally treated ayous wood, with a steel rear and a sloping metal roof. An optional deck extends living space outdoors. Its size is a little larger than many European models we’ve seen, though still compact compared to many North American homes on the market, such as the Tellico, which is more than 20 ft (6 m) longer.
The center of the home’s ground floor is occupied by its kitchen, which is well-stocked for a European tiny house of its size. It includes an oven, an induction cooktop, a sink, a dishwasher and a lot of cabinetry for its size. A comfortable temperature is maintained with a mini-split air-conditioning unit and an underfloor heating system.
Eco Tiny House
As mentioned, the layout on this one is unusual and places the living room upstairs. It is accessed by a few steps and hosts a sofa, plus a small coffee/dining table and some seats. Below this space is a secondary bedroom, which has a double bed and some storage space. Due to the upper floor, it’s arranged more like a loft bedroom and has a low ceiling.
Elsewhere on the ground floor lies the Tiny Getaway’s bathroom. This features shower, a sink, and a flushing toilet, plus there’s some storage space and a washer/dryer tucked away in there too.
Eco Tiny House
The Tiny Getaway’s master bedroom, meanwhile, is situated upstairs. It’s reached by a storage-integrated staircase and includes a double bed and more storage, plus a typical low ceiling. The home gets power from a standard RV-style hookup, though a full off-grid setup is also available including solar power, at extra cost.
The Tiny Getaway is located in Romania and available throughout Europe. We’ve no word from the firm on its price, however it’s listed on online marketplace Spassio from €55,756 (roughly US$65,000).
Source: Eco Tiny House
Russia-Ukraine conflict: Significant events on day 1,313 | Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine war
Here are the key events on day 1,313 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Published On 28 Sep 2025
Here is how things stand on Monday, September 29:
Fighting
- Russian forces killed four people, including a 12-year-old girl, and injured 13 in an attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, on Sunday night, Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, wrote in a post on Telegram. Those killed also included staff and patients at a cardiology centre, Tkachenko added.
- Polish news outlet RMF24, citing Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Pawel Wronski, reported that Poland’s embassy in Kyiv was also damaged in the attack.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that Russian bombardment also targeted the regions of Zaporizhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv and Odesa, wounding at least 40 people across the country.
- The Russian assault led to military responses in neighbouring Poland, where fighter jets were deployed early on Sunday as Russia struck targets in western Ukraine, according to the Polish army.
- Russia fired a total of 595 exploding drones and decoys, and 48 missiles, of which Ukrainian forces shot down or jammed 566 drones and 45 missiles, Ukraine’s air force said on Sunday.
- Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed that forces targeted the “military-industrial complex of Ukraine” with a “massive strike”, using “high-precision long-range air, sea-based weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles [drones]”.
- A civilian died in hospital after he was injured in a drone attack on the village of Novostroyevka-Pervaya, in Russia’s Belgorod region, Russia’s TASS news agency reported, citing Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
- Russian forces shot down 230 Ukrainian drones, six guided aerial bombs and six rockets in a 24-hour period, TASS reported, citing Russia’s Defence Ministry.
Regional security
- Zelenskyy said in his nightly address that “intelligence now indicates that the Russians are using tankers to launch and operate drones against European countries,” calling for Russian tankers, or at least their shadow fleet, to be banned from the Baltic Sea.
- Denmark’s military said on Sunday that the country was banning civilian drone flights, after drones were observed at several military facilities overnight, days after drone sightings caused the temporary closures of several Danish airports.
Politics and diplomacy
- Moldova’s governing pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) was in the lead over the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc, with 90 percent of votes counted in Sunday’s parliamentary election, the country’s electoral commission said.
- Pavel Durov, the Russian founder of the Telegram messaging app, accused French intelligence on Sunday of having asked him through an intermediary to censor some Moldovan voices in return for help with his court case in France.
- In a post in English on X, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs noted that Durov had made similar accusations about France trying to manipulate politics in Romania earlier this year, around the time of elections there. “After Romania, Moldova. @durov likes making accusations while elections are ongoing,” the ministry wrote.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state television that Zelenskyy’s recent threats – in which the Ukrainian president said that Kremlin officials should know “where the bomb shelters are” – were about “trying to demonstrate to the Europeans, who now act as the breadwinners, that he is such a brave soldier”, as Ukraine’s position at the front was “inexorably deteriorating”.
Trump is contemplating imposing tariffs on electronics depending on the amount of chips they contain – Reuters
Trump considering electronics tariffs based on chip content- Reuters
Shooting at Mormon church in Michigan leaves at least two dead and multiple injured
At least two people have been killed and nine others wounded after a gunman drove a vehicle into a church in Michigan and opened fire, police say.
Officials said the attack on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, a town 60 miles (100km) northwest of Detroit, happened during a Sunday service that attracts hundreds of people.
The suspect, identified by police as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford from nearby Burton, Michigan, allegedly also set part of the building on fire which has since been contained. Officials warned they may discover additional victims inside.
The alleged shooter was shot dead by police. Authorities said there was no ongoing threat to the public.
Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye told reporters that “hundreds” of people were attending services at about 10:25 local time (15:25GMT) when a gunman drove a vehicle into the building.
The attacker then opened fire with an assault-style rifle, “firing several rounds at individuals within the church,” Chief Renye said.
The police responded immediately to the scene, he said, adding officers “engaged in gunfire with that particular individual, neutralising that suspect”. He was killed at 10:33 local time, seven minutes after the shooting.
Eight people with gunshot wounds are being treated in hospital. Seven are in stable condition, and one is critically injured, police said.
“We are still trying to determine exactly when and where the fire ended up coming from and how it got started,” police chief said. “We believe it was deliberately set, though, by the suspect.”
Investigators are conducting a search of the suspect’s property and examining his cell-phone records as they work to establish a motive.
In a statement, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmed a gunman opened fire during worship services, and “multiple individuals were injured”.
“We pray for peace and healing for all involved,” it said.
Grand Blanc police said that 100 FBI agents have been deployed to assist with the investigation.
President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the shooting, and confirmed the FBI will be leading the federal investigation.
Writing on Truth Social, he described it as “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America”.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that she had received briefings on “what appears to be a horrific shooting and fire” at the church.
“Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling,” Bondi said. “Please join me in praying for the victims of this terrible tragedy.”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer condemned the incident, saying: “Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable,” adding that she was monitoring the situation.