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Ukraine launched drone strikes targeting Moscow on the first day of Russia's presidential election, the vote widely expected to extend Vladimir Putin's rule. The timing drew heavy attention, with many viewing the attack as a symbolic challenge to Putin's grip on power and an effort to bring the war home to Russians during the carefully staged election period.

Andy Burnham is expected to announce a new help-to-buy scheme called 'Your First Home' next week. Under the plan, young people would be able to buy their first home with a deposit of just 2.5%. The announcement is drawing attention amid ongoing debate about housing affordability for first-time buyers in Britain.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the country's first central bank digital currency, presented as a step toward greater transparency in the delivery of funds and welfare mechanisms. The move ties India to a growing list of nations experimenting with digital rupee-style state currencies, and officials frame it as a way to cut leakage and make transactions traceable.

A new Senate bill would give first-time homebuyers a five-to-one match from the Department of Housing and Urban Development on personal savings of up to $10,000, capped at $50,000. To qualify, the home would have to be priced at or below the area median, and only the buyer's own savings would count toward the match. The proposal is being shared as a potential boost for affordability.

India won the toss and chose to bowl in the first one-day international against the West Indies. The decision puts the home-side bowlers into action first as the two teams open their ODI series. Fans are following the match closely, with discussion centring on team selections and whether the toss call will pay off on the day's pitch conditions.

The UK government has announced a new home-buying scheme that will allow buyers to purchase properties with just a 2.5% deposit, subject to a £600,000 price cap. The initiative aims to help first-time buyers and those struggling to save for large deposits get onto the property ladder, with details now emerging on how the programme will operate.

Spain, fresh off their World Cup triumph, travelled to England for their first match as champions in the Nations League. Ferran Torres and Fabian Ruiz started, and Lamine Yamal scored after just two minutes to silence the home crowd. Coach Luis de la Fuente said his players have yet to reach their ceiling, while Ruiz spoke of targeting the Nations League title. The match is drawing attention across Europe.

Beneficiaries will learn their 2027 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment when it is announced in October, while Medicare Part B premium changes are revealed a month later in November. Because the Part B deduction is taken directly from benefit payments, the January 2027 deposit will be the first to show the combined effect of both changes, giving retirees a true picture of their net increase.

A new ranking places the New York City metropolitan area as the fifth-most-difficult US metro for first-time homebuyers. The assessment reflects the city's notoriously high purchase prices and the growing gap between local incomes and housing costs. The finding fuels ongoing debate about affordability in one of America's priciest property markets, where many aspiring buyers say ownership remains out of reach.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has announced a new housing programme, including plans to revive a Help to Buy-style scheme aimed at boosting housebuilding and helping first-time buyers onto the property ladder. The Financial Times reports the initiative is designed to stimulate construction, while The Times highlights its focus on getting young people into home ownership. The proposals position Burnham as an active voice on housing policy.

In a Major League Baseball game, home plate umpire called strike three on a batter, but the call was overturned after Dodgers first base coach Danny Karros, or a player named Karros, successfully challenged the pitch using MLB's automated ball-strike (ABS) system. It marks another visible example of the robot umpire review system changing a strikeout outcome in real time, fuelling ongoing debate about technology in officiating.