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Two Mass Shootings in South Africa Leave 27 Dead: September 27, 2026

JOHANNESBURG — Twenty-seven people were killed in two mass shootings hours apart in South Africa, the latest surge of gun violence in a country already struggling with gang-related killings, BBC News reported.

Seventeen people died when eight gunmen stormed a bar near Johannesburg on Saturday evening, with 15 more injured; police said thirteen men and four women were among the dead. In a separate attack early Sunday near Cape Town, 10 people were killed outside an entertainment venue and 11 injured. No arrests had been made in either case by Sunday morning. Police have not publicly established motives, though a Johannesburg officer said the bar attack may have been retaliation for a shooting last month.

The killings came days after 11 people died when gunmen stormed a house in Durban’s KwaMakhutha township. South Africa records roughly 60 murders a day. President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year called organised crime “the most immediate threat to our democracy,” and the military has been deployed alongside police in high-murder areas.

Sources: BBC News, Reuters

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World Brief, Evening: September 26, 2026

President Trump said Saturday he has rejected Iran’s seven-day Hormuz plan; Russian and Ukrainian strikes left at least ten dead as Lavrov accused Europe of blocking talks; and Ethiopia’s Tigray front flared again. Ten stories as of Saturday evening, September 26.

1. Washington / Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday that he has rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the wider Middle East war within seven days, Reuters reported. “I reject their proposal,” he said, arguing Tehran wants the strait open because it is “losing so badly.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had floated the plan at the U.N. via Qatari mediators. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told CBS Face the Nation Tehran is ready for talks on its nuclear programme but will not accept “bullying or coercion.” The Wall Street Journal earlier cited officials saying Trump sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely after the November midterms.

2. Kyiv / Zaporizhzhia / Krasnodar. Russian and Ukrainian attacks killed at least ten people on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported, citing AFP and AP. Russian strikes killed four in Ukraine — including two women under rubble in Zaporizhzhia and two in Sumy — while Ukrainian strikes killed six in Russia and Russian-occupied territory, officials said. A Ukrainian drone hit in Krasnodar killed three. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is “not preparing to end the war” and that partners must choose stronger responses. He also said Washington had proposed a Russia–Ukraine–U.S. meeting in the United Arab Emirates and that Kyiv was awaiting a date.

3. New York. Russia’s Sergey Lavrov and Germany’s Johann Wadephul held their first foreign-minister talks since before Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, meeting on the U.N. General Assembly sidelines Saturday, Reuters reported. Wadephul pressed for steps to restore Black Sea grain exports and called for an immediate cease-fire focused on grain and energy infrastructure. Lavrov told a news conference he learned nothing new. At the Assembly, Lavrov accused Europe of doing “everything it can to thwart peace talks” that interest the Trump administration.

4. Tigray / Ethiopia. Intensified fighting between Ethiopia’s federal army and Tigrayan forces raised fears the 2022 Pretoria peace deal could collapse, Al Jazeera reported Saturday. Escalation followed a new seven-group alliance — including the TPLF, Amhara Fano, and Oromo Liberation Army — that seeks to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Fighting spread into Afar and Amhara; Tigrayan forces seized airports at Mekelle, Axum and Shire. The African Union called for an immediate halt and asked former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to re-engage the parties.

5. Bangkok. Authorities declared a flood disaster across all 50 districts of Thailand’s capital on Saturday after nearly 300 millimetres of rain since Thursday, Al Jazeera reported with AFP and AP. Governor Chadchart Sittipunt urged residents near filled canals to move belongings higher; about 980 people were in temporary shelters. Officials later said the situation had “stabilised” but that draining could take two or three days if rain holds off. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cut short a London trip to return.

6. Riyadh / Yemen. Yemen’s Saudi-led coalition said early Saturday it had intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones launched by Iran-backed Houthis toward the kingdom, Reuters reported. Missiles were headed toward Khamis Mushait and drones toward Riyadh. The Houthis have attacked Saudi targets since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, adding pressure on Red Sea routes while Hormuz traffic remains largely blocked. Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish military chiefs met in Riyadh under their new Mecca joint defense pact.

7. Ecuador / Eastern Pacific. The Guardian reported Saturday that U.S. forces, with open support from Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, have destroyed multiple Ecuadorian fishing boats in joint counter-narcotics operations — removing crews before sinking vessels they say were used as floating refuelling stations. Fishers deny the allegations; a local human-rights group says more than 220 fishers have faced violent boardings and vessel destruction this year. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will “still blow up ships if need be.” Noboa has granted U.S. personnel immunity in the operations.

8. Kenge / Democratic Republic of Congo. Congo’s transport ministry said Saturday the death toll from Friday’s plane crash near Kenge, Kwango province, is 17 — all aboard — and immediately suspended TRACEP Congo Aviation’s air operator certificate, Xinhua reported. The Let L-410 had been flying toward Kinshasa when it developed a fault, circled looking for a landing site, then crashed into a residential compound and caught fire; no ground casualties were reported. Senior military justice officials were among the dead. President Félix Tshisekedi had ordered an investigation. Earlier reporting: Al Jazeera.

9. Hobart / Southern Ocean / Antarctica. A seven-metre uncrewed Saildrone vessel has begun a roughly 22,000-kilometre circumnavigation of Antarctica to measure ocean and atmospheric carbon dioxide, The Guardian reported, citing CSIRO scientists. Powered by wind and sun after leaving Hobart, it is expected to take seven to nine months via the Drake Passage and past South Africa. Dr Elizabeth Shadwick said the Southern Ocean absorbs a large share of human emissions and needs better year-round observation, including polar winter.

10. Washington. President Trump said Saturday he wants Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to “settle with Putin,” and hoped a deal might come “before the heavy winter,” as Saturday’s aerial war continued and Russia’s foreign minister insisted Moscow’s war aims would be achieved “no matter the circumstances,” wire reports and Al Jazeera said. Zelenskyy has urged Trump to implement new U.S. sanctions authority against Russia and those financing its war.

Coming up. Monday 28 September — UN General Assembly high-level week continues in New York. Tuesday–Wednesday 30 September–1 October — G20 trade ministers, Milwaukee. Sunday 4 October — Brazil general election (first round; runoff 25 October if needed). The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; Associated Press; Al Jazeera; AFP; The Guardian; Xinhua; CSIRO.

World Brief: September 26, 2026

President Trump said Saturday he has rejected Iran’s seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; Russian and Ukrainian strikes killed seven people as the aerial war intensified; and the U.N. said nearly 1.5 million Haitians are now displaced by gang violence. Ten stories as of Saturday morning, September 26.

1. Washington / Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday that he has rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the wider Middle East war within seven days, Reuters reported. “I reject their proposal,” he said, arguing Tehran wants the strait open because it is “losing so badly.” Iran had floated the plan at the U.N. via Qatari mediators, conditioning a pause on lifting the U.S. naval blockade, releasing frozen funds and waiving oil sanctions. The Wall Street Journal earlier cited officials saying Trump sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely after the November midterms.

2. Kyiv / Zaporizhzhia / Krasnodar. Russian attacks killed four people across Ukraine on Saturday and a Ukrainian drone strike in Russia’s Krasnodar region killed three more, the Associated Press reported. Two women died under rubble in Zaporizhzhia; two people were killed in Sumy. Drones hit several Kyiv districts, injuring four, and Russia’s Defense Ministry said a data center supporting cellphone and Starlink services was damaged. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote that Russia is “escalating every single day” and urged partners to choose stronger responses.

3. Port-au-Prince / Artibonite. Nearly 1.5 million people are internally displaced across Haiti as gang violence pushes families far beyond the capital, the International Organization for Migration said Friday; Reuters carried the figures. Nearly 80 percent of those uprooted now live outside Port-au-Prince, with the sharpest recent rise in Artibonite. Armed attacks in Kenscoff displaced more than 4,000 people. IOM warned hundreds of thousands in informal settlements face hurricane-season risk: “For families already displaced by violence, a major storm could trigger another humanitarian emergency.”

4. Brussels. EU member countries agreed to release €6.6 billion ($7.5 billion) in European Peace Facility funds linked to military aid for Ukraine, foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Friday, Reuters reported. Of that, €900 million goes to the EU training mission, €1 billion to joint procurement, and €4.7 billion to reimburse member states. “That’s good news for Ukraine and bad news for Russia,” Kallas said. The package had been stalled since 2023 under a Hungarian veto that lifted after a change of government in Budapest.

5. Kenge / Democratic Republic of Congo. At least 17 people, including two army generals, were killed when a military plane crashed into a residential area in Kenge, Kwango province, on Friday, Al Jazeera and local officials reported. The aircraft was flying from Kikwit toward Kinshasa when it developed a technical fault; with no landing strip in Kenge it crashed and caught fire. The army said the dead included Lt. Gen. Joseph Mutombo, first president of the High Military Court, and Lt. Gen. Lucien-René Likulia, the military’s auditor general. President Félix Tshisekedi ordered an investigation.

6. São Paulo / Brasília. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Friday announced a ban on online betting operations less than two years after Brazil legalized the industry, Reuters reported. The executive order takes immediate effect but needs congressional approval within 120 days; Finance Minister Dario Durigan’s team said app stores and providers must block betting sites from October 6. The move comes days before the October 4 first-round election, where Lula faces Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in a tight race; Bolsonaro called the ban “populist” and “politically motivated.”

7. Washington / Ottawa. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Friday the Trump administration sees “no urgency” to strike a Canada trade deal even as new U.S. import bans on Canadian goods take effect next week and Washington threatens 50% tariffs on Canadian autos, parts and steel from January, Reuters reported. “We’re comfortable with where we are,” Greer told CNBC, noting the U.S. is still receiving Canadian oil, gas and potash. Canada’s retaliatory tariffs took effect earlier this month after U.S. duties on roughly $20–28 billion of Canadian goods.

8. Bogotá. Colombia on Friday extradited Geovany Andrés Rojas — known as “Spider,” an alleged Border Commands FARC-dissident leader — to the United States, the first transfer of a senior illegal-armed-group commander under President Abelardo De La Espriella, Reuters reported. U.S. prosecutors accuse him of drug trafficking and conspiracy tied to operations in Colombia and Ecuador since 2017. De La Espriella, who took office in August, said his government has carried out 94 extraditions and that “Colombia will not be a refuge for drug traffickers.”

9. Taipei. After Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping ended a three-day Washington summit with no major public breakthrough on Taiwan, Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu said Saturday that arming the island so it can defend itself and keep supplying semiconductors remains in the U.S. national interest, Reuters reported. Xi pressed Trump to oppose Taiwan independence; Trump has yet to approve a pending roughly $14 billion arms package he said in May he was holding in abeyance. U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue said Friday there has been no change in Taiwan policy under the Taiwan Relations Act.

10. Suva / Fiji. Pacific defence ministers wrapping up the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Fiji signalled a phased approach to any expansion of the Pacific Response Group into civil-unrest “stabilisation” missions and voiced “grave concern” over China’s ballistic missile test into the Blue Pacific “without appropriate notice,” RNZ reported. Australia, Chile, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga took part. Australian Defence Force chief Adm. Mark Hammond said there must be “absolute consensus” and respect for sovereign constitutional processes.

Coming up. Monday 28 September — UN General Assembly high-level week continues in New York. Tuesday–Wednesday 30 September–1 October — G20 trade ministers, Milwaukee. Sunday 4 October — Brazil general election (first round; runoff 25 October if needed). The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; Associated Press; Al Jazeera; International Organization for Migration; RNZ.

Congo Army Plane Crash Kills at Least 17, Including Two Generals: September 26, 2026

KENGE, Democratic Republic of Congo — At least 17 people, including two Congolese army generals, were killed when a military plane crashed into a residential area in southwest Congo on Friday, Al Jazeera reported, citing local officials and the army.

The aircraft was flying from Kikwit toward the capital, Kinshasa, when it developed a technical fault and tried to land at Kenge in Kwango province. “With no landing strip available in Kenge, the plane crashed into a residential plot,” Deputy Governor Remy Saki Bokinda said, adding that the aircraft caught fire. The death toll was revised upward Saturday to 16 adults and one baby after the fire was controlled.

The army said the dead included Lt. Gen. Joseph Mutombo, first president of the High Military Court, and Lt. Gen. Lucien-René Likulia, the military’s auditor general. President Félix Tshisekedi ordered a thorough investigation and extended condolences to victims’ families and the security forces.

Sources: Al Jazeera (with AP and Reuters)

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World Brief, Evening: September 23, 2026

Qatari-mediated U.S.–Iran talks on the UN sidelines produced no breakthrough as Iran’s president rejected Trump’s “annihilation” threat and tied any Hormuz reopening to ending the war; Russia hit Kyiv with daytime drones before Zelenskyy’s UN address; and Xi Jinping landed in Washington to a rare planeside welcome from Trump. Ten stories as of Wednesday evening, September 23.

1. New York / Tehran. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that Tehran will not bow to U.S. pressure a day after President Trump threatened from the same rostrum to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if no deal is reached, Al Jazeera and the BBC reported. Pezeshkian left the door open for diplomacy, saying Iran “extends its hands towards the world,” while insisting free use of the Strait of Hormuz cannot coexist with a U.S. naval blockade and war. On the sidelines, Qatari-mediated shuttle talks between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner completed a round without a public breakthrough; a senior Iranian official told Reuters the sides remain far apart on blockade relief and Hormuz terms.

2. Kyiv. Russia pounded Kyiv with drones in daylight attacks Wednesday that killed two people and wounded 41 as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the UN General Assembly in New York, the Associated Press reported. Zelenskyy urged partners to keep limiting Russian oil revenues and met European leaders; he was also due to talk with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said Moscow is open to talks but would not accept a pause in hostilities before a peace deal. Rubio said Trump has invited Putin to the December G20 in Miami.

3. Washington. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived Wednesday for a three-day state visit and received a rare planeside welcome from President Trump and Melania Trump at Joint Base Andrews, the Associated Press and AFP via CNA reported. The itinerary includes Oval Office talks and a White House state dinner Thursday and a National Archives tour Friday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a U.S.–China trade truce due to expire November 10 would be extended to January 10. Expectations for major breakthroughs remain low; Iran, AI, and trade are on the agenda.

4. Yemen / Red Sea. An Associated Press reconstruction published Wednesday said Iran-aligned Houthi forces seized Yemen’s Red Sea coast from pro-government forces in under 48 hours, with Iranian Revolutionary Guard advisers directing the battle in the field — Iran’s most direct intervention for the Houthis since 2014, according to officials and soldiers who spoke to AP. The rebels took the port of Mokha around September 10 after government-allied forces retreated amid communication breaches and rivalries; the gain strengthens Houthi leverage over Red Sea shipping as the wider U.S.–Iran war continues.

5. United Nations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue told the UN Security Council on Wednesday — in what France cast as the Council’s first dedicated session on AI safety risks — that poorly managed AI could threaten humanity and that states must set safeguards, the Associated Press reported. Amodei warned AI could be “a risk to humanity as a whole”; Altman said “we could lose control of the future to AI.” British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the warnings cannot be ignored; White House science adviser Michael Kratsios rejected pausing development or new global governance structures.

6. São Paulo / Brasília. An AtlasIntel/Bloomberg poll published Wednesday showed President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro statistically tied in a simulated runoff ahead of Brazil’s October 4 election — Lula at 47.7% and Bolsonaro at 47.4%, within a one-point margin of error, Reuters reported. In a first-round scenario Lula led 45.8% to 43.4%. A runoff, if needed, would be October 25. Lula used his UN address Tuesday to warn against foreign interference in the vote and said “Brazil is nobody’s backyard,” Reuters reported.

7. Durban / KwaMakhutha. Gunmen killed at least 11 people at a house in KwaMakhutha township south of Durban late Tuesday, storming a gathering of 14 people; ten died at the scene and one of four taken to hospital later died, the BBC reported, citing South African police. Police said three men opened fire with pistols and rifles and that a feud between rival groups could not be ruled out; a manhunt is under way. South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, and mass shootings have drawn renewed calls for stronger action against organized crime.

8. Canberra / Wellington. Australia and New Zealand signed Plan Tasman to deepen cooperation between their navies across personnel, training, capability development, warfighting, engineering, regulation, and international engagement, RNZ reported. Royal Australian Navy Deputy Chief Rear Admiral Darren Grogan and Royal New Zealand Navy Deputy Chief Commodore Karl Woodhead signed the pact; Woodhead described a shift “from a history of cooperation based on tradition to integration by design.” Coverage this week also noted the RAAF’s first overseas forward arming and refuelling point at Ohakea in New Zealand.

9. Poland / Kaliningrad. Poland’s military said a Russian helicopter briefly violated Polish airspace Wednesday on the border with Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, the Associated Press reported alongside the Kyiv strikes. Warsaw said the nature of the incident suggested Russia was again testing the readiness of Polish air defenses. The episode adds to a string of near-NATO air and drone incidents as Zelenskyy pressed allies in New York for sustained pressure on Moscow’s war finances.

10. Brasília / Amazon. Lula’s campaign on Wednesday asked Brazil’s Supreme Court and electoral court to investigate alleged U.S. interference in the October election and accused Flávio and Eduardo Bolsonaro of abuse of power tied to White House contacts, Folha de S.Paulo reported. Separately, Reuters said a record 191 Indigenous candidates are running in the general elections — the highest since ethnicity data began in 2014 — campaigning on territorial recognition amid agribusiness and energy-project pressure.

Coming up. Through Saturday 26 and Monday 28 September — UN General Assembly high-level week, New York (ongoing). Tuesday–Wednesday 30 September–1 October — G20 trade ministers, Milwaukee. October 4 — Brazil general election (runoff October 25 if needed). October 12–18 — IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings, Bangkok. The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Associated Press; Reuters; BBC; Al Jazeera; RNZ; Folha de S.Paulo; AFP via CNA; PBS NewsHour.

World Brief, Evening: September 15, 2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKh14nL4r2Y

Houthis claimed a fresh missile-and-drone wave on Saudi Arabia’s Khamis Mushait airbase as Gulf–Iran Hormuz talks were postponed; CENTCOM disputed an IRGC account of how the El Gaia tanker was damaged; and Kyiv conditioned any pause in strikes on Russia on a partner-backed halt to attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Ten stories as of Tuesday evening, September 15.

1. Riyadh / Khamis Mushait. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said Monday they fired dozens of missiles and drones at a military airbase in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia, targeting hangars, radar, runways, and ammunition depots in retaliation for Saudi airstrikes, Reuters reported. Saudi authorities issued emergency alerts there and in other southern cities; the Saudi-led coalition said 13 civilians were wounded. The East-West pipeline that bypasses Hormuz remained offline after Thursday’s attack. Oman postponed Monday’s Gulf–Iran meeting on reopening the Strait of Hormuz; Iran said the delay was at Saudi Arabia’s request. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met U.S. Central Command’s Adm. Brad Cooper in Jeddah on Monday, Saudi state media said.

2. Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the Panama-flagged tanker El Gaia struck sea mines south of the strait. U.S. Central Command called that false, saying the ship was hit by an Iranian missile last month and left inoperable; Al Jazeera’s live coverage added that CENTCOM said an Iranian drone struck it again while it sat off Oman this weekend. The UN’s International Maritime Organization said the vessel was damaged Saturday and that two seafarers were missing, without stating a cause. The IRGC separately repeated that it considers the strait closed under its control.

3. Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Ukraine is ready to halt strikes on Russian territory if partners can secure a genuine Russian commitment not to hit Ukraine’s electricity system, other energy sites, critical infrastructure, and food-supply routes, the Associated Press and Reuters reported. The statement followed President Trump’s claim that both sides had already agreed not to hit energy targets. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is not convinced Moscow will stick to any deal and that he expects specifics from partners.

4. Brussels. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that Russian drone strikes close to NATO territory show President Vladimir Putin’s “desperation,” and that Russia is “growing increasingly reckless” in its war against Ukraine, speaking at alliance headquarters after the weekend attack near Poland’s border. A Russian drone had struck a Kyiv–Warsaw passenger train’s locomotive about two kilometers from the Polish border at Yahodyn on Sunday; no passengers were reported injured. Rutte said Putin aims to sow fear and weaken Western support — “He is wrong” — and framed the response as more aid to Ukraine while Allies protect Allied territory. See Kyiv Independent and ABC.

5. Houston. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Monday, on the sidelines of G20 energy ministers’ meetings in Houston, that the agency had finalized repeal of the Biden-era 2024 carbon standards for coal- and gas-fired power plants and proposed scrubbing remaining greenhouse-gas rules for the power sector, Reuters and the EPA reported. The administration cast the move as clearing the way for new generation to meet rising electricity demand; Energy Under Secretary Kyle Haustveit said President Trump had “ended the war on beautiful, clean coal.” Environmental groups warned of higher pollution and climate harm.

6. Aleppo / Damascus. A weekend diesel price hike of 40% — to 175 Syrian pounds a litre — plus smaller increases in gasoline and cooking gas triggered the widest protests across Syria since Bashar al-Assad’s fall, Reuters reported from Aleppo. Demonstrators burned tires, blocked the Damascus–Aleppo highway and other roads, and stopped crude tankers headed for refineries. The Energy Ministry called the increases temporary and blamed higher import costs and the long maintenance shutdown at the Baniyas refinery. The UNDP estimates about 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line.

7. Java Sea. Indonesian rescuers were still searching Monday for 129 people missing after the passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8 capsized Sunday en route from Surabaya to Banjarmasin with 243 aboard, Reuters and Al Jazeera reported. Authorities said 108 people were rescued and at least six died. Rough seas kept divers from underwater work; more than 600 personnel and about a dozen ships were in the search. Transport officials said the vessel’s capacity was 500 and that it was not overloaded; the cause remains under investigation.

8. Lagos. Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote on Monday opened Africa’s largest share sale yet — the IPO of his Lagos-area oil refinery — aiming to raise 2.15 trillion naira (about $1.6 billion) if fully subscribed, or roughly $2.1 billion with a greenshoe, Reuters reported. Marketed as a “people’s IPO” of roughly a 3% stake, the offer lets investors buy as few as 10 shares. The plant processes about 700,000 barrels a day and has exported jet fuel to western Europe amid Iran-war supply disruptions. Dangote said a U.S. secondary listing could follow in three to four years.

9. Bogotá. Colombia’s Congress on Monday approved a 2027 spending budget of 634.9 trillion pesos (about $206.6 billion), projecting a record fiscal deficit of 9.4% of GDP to be financed largely with more public debt, Reuters reported. The new government of President Abelardo De La Espriella folded in extra needs, including costs tied to August’s 7.4-magnitude earthquake. Finance Minister Miguel Gomez said it was not the budget they wanted but what the economy can afford; officials plan a “Rescue Law” package aimed at cutting the deficit toward 7.2% of GDP.

10. Wellington. A The Post/Freshwater Strategy poll published Tuesday showed both of New Zealand’s major parties under 30% with the election less than two months away — Labour at 28% and National at 27% — leaving seat math that points to a possible hung parliament, RNZ reported. The Greens, New Zealand First, and ACT all rose; Opportunity cleared the 5% threshold at 6%. Chris Hipkins led Christopher Luxon 45%–35% as preferred prime minister; 56% of respondents said the country is heading in the wrong direction.

Coming up. Tuesday–Wednesday 15–16 September — Federal Open Market Committee, Washington, with the Summary of Economic Projections (rate decision Wednesday). Sunday 20 September — Russia State Duma election. Tuesday 22–Saturday 26 and Monday 28 September — UN General Assembly high-level week, New York. October 4 — Brazil general election (first round). The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; Associated Press; Al Jazeera; EPA; NATO; Kyiv Independent; ABC (Australia); RNZ; The Post (NZ).

Ramaphosa Orders Priority Probe as Sixth Woman Found Dead in Ekurhuleni: September 15, 2026

JOHANNESBURG — President Cyril Ramaphosa directed South African law enforcement to prioritize investigations into recent killings of women in and around Kempton Park after a sixth body was found dumped beside a road in KwaThema, Springs, on Tuesday, TimesLive and SAnews reported.

“I have directed that these cases be prioritised and that no stone will be left unturned in bringing those responsible to justice,” Ramaphosa said after a briefing from senior police officials. He expressed condolences to victims’ families, including that of Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, identified Monday — a mother who vanished after her usual neighborhood run.

Police have formed a multidisciplinary team of detectives, intelligence officers, trackers, and forensic experts. National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said all six women appeared to be in their 30s and that investigators have not yet confirmed links or motives. One suspect remains in custody over the first killing in July.

Deputy National Commissioner Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili warned perpetrators their “freedom is temporary” and called on men nationwide to help protect women. Additional officers have been deployed to increase patrols across Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg.

Sources: TimesLive, SAnews

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World Brief: September 14, 2026

A Russian drone struck a Ukrainian passenger train near the Polish border; Oman postponed Monday’s Iran–Gulf Hormuz meeting with no new date; and a Reuters poll finds most economists now expect the Fed to hike a quarter point this week. Ten stories as of Monday morning, September 14.

1. Yahodyn / Poland border. A Russian drone struck the locomotive of a Kyiv–Warsaw passenger train about 2 km from the Polish border at Yahodyn shortly after former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European security officials had passed on another train, the BBC and Reuters reported. Ukrainian rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia said there were no casualties and that passengers had been evacuated about 15 minutes earlier. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an emergency meeting as Poland issued air-threat alerts in border counties of Lublin Voivodeship.

2. Salalah / Strait of Hormuz. Oman postponed Monday’s meeting in Salalah between Iran and Gulf states on Strait of Hormuz shipping “in the interests of consensus,” Oman’s Foreign Ministry and Reuters reported; Iran said Saudi Arabia requested the delay citing events in Yemen, Al Jazeera reported. No new date was set. The postponement follows an Iranian commercial ship strike that killed one and wounded four, and a UKMTO report of a projectile strike on a vessel in the strait.

3. Washington. Eighty-six of 101 economists in a Reuters poll conducted after Friday’s inflation report now expect the Federal Reserve to raise rates by 25 basis points to a 3.75%–4.00% target range at its September 15–16 meeting — the first hike since July 2023 — reversing last week’s hold consensus. Interest-rate futures priced close to a 90% chance of an increase this week. A near-majority of forecasters, 37 of 70, expect at least one further hike by end-March. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh faces pressure from President Trump, who has pressed for cuts.

4. Kinshasa / DRC. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak — the country’s worst on record — has passed 7,022 cases, with 3,398 deaths and 1,671 recovered, and has reached a seventh province, South Ubangi, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. The government said the epidemic peaked in mid-to-late August and that cases are declining in some zones.

5. São Paulo. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva regained a slim lead over Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in a simulated runoff, a BTG Pactual/Nexus poll showed Monday, Reuters reported. Lula would take 47% to Bolsonaro’s 46% in a runoff scenario — statistically tight given a 2-percentage-point margin of error — reversing a September 8 survey that had Bolsonaro ahead 46% to 45%. In a first-round scenario Lula led 42% to 37%. Separately, Brazil’s Supreme Court unsealed further material on a Bolsonaro biopic-financing probe. The first round is October 4.

6. Toronto. Prime Minister Mark Carney opened a two-day summit pitching more than 160 Canadian projects to global investors — including BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Blackstone’s Jon Gray, Temasek, and Dutch pension giant APG — amid the U.S. trade war, Reuters reported. Ottawa is targeting C$1 trillion in investment over five years.

7. Air Force One / US–China–Iran. President Trump brushed aside a Wall Street Journal report that Chinese entities supplied Iran with satellite imagery of a Jordan base before a July strike that killed three U.S. troops, equating U.S. and Chinese spying, Reuters reported. China rejected the accusations.

8. Naha / Okinawa. LDP-backed Genta Koja won about 59% of the vote to defeat Governor Denny Tamaki, ending 12 years of anti-base-leaning governors in Okinawa, Reuters and Al Jazeera reported. Koja accepts the Henoko base relocation, a result that may give Tokyo a freer hand on military buildup.

9. Panguna / Bougainville. Autonomous Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama condemned an attack on the Panguna mining camp in which machinery was burned at a site linked to Lloyds Metals, Reuters and RNZ reported. Toroama said he will continue to press for a copper-mine restart.

10. Moscow. The Kremlin welcomed President Trump’s call for Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian diesel facilities; spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Gulf instability is driving energy markets, Reuters reported. Russia’s diesel export ban remains in focus ahead of the State Duma election September 18–20.

Coming up. Tuesday–Wednesday 15–16 September — Federal Open Market Committee, Washington, with the Summary of Economic Projections. Sunday 20 September — Russia State Duma election. Tuesday 22–Saturday 26 and Monday 28 September — UN General Assembly high-level week, New York. October 4 — Brazil general election (first round). The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; BBC; Al Jazeera; Oman Foreign Ministry; RNZ; Associated Press.

Congo’s Worst Ebola Outbreak Passes 7,000 Cases: September 14, 2026

KINSHASA — More than 7,000 Ebola cases have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s worst-ever outbreak of the disease, Congolese authorities said, AFP and Al Jazeera reported.

Figures released over the weekend put confirmed cases at 7,022 since mid-May, with 3,398 deaths and 1,671 recoveries. The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment, though several candidates are being tested.

The epidemic began in northeastern Ituri province and spread through conflict-hit eastern and northern regions with weak health infrastructure. A case was recently confirmed in South-Ubangi, bordering the Central African Republic and Republic of Congo.

Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya wrote on X that the peak came in the third week of August and that indicators show a decrease, with 10 of 61 affected health zones recording no new cases for at least 21 days.

Sources: AFP via The Japan Times, Al Jazeera

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World Brief, Evening: September 13, 2026

Sweden’s centre-left opposition is projected to take a one-seat Riksdag majority after Sunday’s vote; Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline remains shut with Yanbu stocks good for only days of Red Sea exports; and Oman postponed Monday’s Gulf–Iran Hormuz meeting as another vessel was struck in the strait. Ten stories as of Sunday evening, September 13.

1. Stockholm. Sweden’s centre-left opposition bloc, headed by Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson, was projected to win 175 seats in the 349-seat Riksdag against 174 for Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s right-wing governing bloc, the election authority said based on votes from 4,853 of 6,312 districts, Reuters reported. Public broadcaster SVT’s forecast put roughly 90% confidence on that 175–174 split, while overseas ballots due midweek could still move seats. Andersson said her side was ready to take responsibility if the lead holds; the hard-right Sweden Democrats lost ground from 2022, DW reported. Final certification is expected later this week.

2. Riyadh / Yanbu. Saudi Arabia’s 1,200-km East-West oil pipeline stayed offline after Friday’s drone strikes, and traders and Saudi oil buyers told Reuters that Yanbu Red Sea stocks may sustain recent exports for only five to seven days. Beyond that, up to about 4% of global supply could be at risk on top of Hormuz disruption already underway. Repair timelines cited to Reuters ranged from days to five or six weeks. U.S. retail diesel rose to another all-time high above $6.20 a gallon on Sunday, Reuters reported. Saudi state media also released video of damage in southern Jazan province from what Riyadh called a Houthi attack; the Houthis claimed a strike on a Saudi military base in a neighbouring province. See also Reuters on Sunday’s Gulf strikes.

3. Strait of Hormuz / Salalah. The British maritime agency UKMTO said a vessel was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, causing a fire and forcing crew evacuation, Reuters reported. Iran said one person was killed and four wounded aboard an Iranian commercial ship struck off its coast. Late Sunday, Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said a regional meeting set for Monday in Salalah between Iran and Gulf states on Hormuz shipping had been postponed “in the interests of consensus,” according to Oman’s Foreign Ministry and Reuters. Bahrain had already said it would not sit with Iran while diplomatic ties remain broken.

4. Perim / Bab el-Mandeb. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis completed their takeover of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline after capturing Mocha and overrunning Perim (Mayun) Island, Al Jazeera reported, positioning them about 20 km from the African shore at the southern mouth of the Red Sea. The advance deepens the bind on Washington after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked President Trump for military help and was offered intelligence support for now, three sources told Reuters. Trump confirmed he spoke with the crown prince and said the Houthis had also contacted his administration asking the U.S. to stay out.

5. Kyiv / Yahodyn. Russia launched 453 Shahed-type and other drones plus S8000 Banderol missiles overnight into Sunday; Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 405 drones and six Banderol missiles, with hits at 13 locations, Ukraine’s Air Force said, the Kyiv Independent reported. Regional authorities said Russian attacks over the past day killed at least six civilians and injured 43. A Russian drone struck the locomotive of a Kyiv–Warsaw train about 2 km from the Polish border at Yahodyn; no passengers were injured, Ukrzaliznytsia said. Poland issued air-threat alerts in counties of Lublin Voivodeship near the border.

6. Brasília. Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino on Sunday unsealed further material on the production of a film about former President Jair Bolsonaro, citing suspicions the movie’s financing had ties to a criminal network, the Associated Press reported. The unsealing adds pressure on Senator Flávio Bolsonaro — Lula’s leading right-wing challenger ahead of the October 4 election — already under a July investigation for alleged corruption, money laundering, and related counts tied to financing from failed lender Banco Master’s former CEO Daniel Vorcaro, Reuters and AP reported. Flávio denies wrongdoing.

7. Ambae–Santo, Vanuatu. One person is dead and more than 30 remain missing after the inter-island ferry MV Matui sank Friday in rough seas between Santo and Ambae, Prime Minister Jotham Napat’s office said Sunday, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. Fifteen people have been accounted for alive. The government said open-water search was being scaled back toward the south-east coast, where currents may have carried survivors, and that the sinking appears tied to strong winds, marine warnings not being heeded, and possible negligence including overloading. A French armed forces aircraft joined the search from New Caledonia, AFP reported.

8. Obock, Djibouti. More than 2,000 people fled Yemen to Djibouti over about 24 hours as fighting along the Red Sea coast intensified, the International Organization for Migration said, Al Jazeera reported. Arrivals in Obock — roughly 20 km from Yemen’s shore — received food and water, with IOM warning more support is needed. Overall displacement inside Yemen has topped 85,000 in the latest surge tied to the Houthi coastal offensive.

9. New Delhi. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday pushed “Greater BRICS” initiatives spanning AI to trade as India closed its chair year and China prepares to take the chair in 2027, Reuters reported, citing Xinhua. BRICS leaders had adopted the New Delhi Declaration on Saturday after a last-minute Iran–UAE compromise on Middle East language. Indian officials separately said members discussed protecting energy flows and supply chains amid the West Asia crisis.

10. Toronto / Ottawa. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday Canada seeks a “unique alliance” with the European Union but is not looking to become an EU member, after the Wall Street Journal reported exploration of a yet-to-be-created associate-member status, Reuters reported. Carney will address the European Parliament next week and meet French President Emmanuel Macron on September 20 in Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Separately on Sunday, President Trump called Canada “the worst country to deal with” while saying Ottawa was “dying to make a deal,” and reiterated plans for new tariffs on Canadian cars, trucks, and auto parts from January 1, Reuters reported.

Coming up. Tuesday–Wednesday 15–16 September — Federal Open Market Committee, Washington, with the Summary of Economic Projections. Sunday 20 September — Russia State Duma election. Tuesday 22–Saturday 26 and Monday 28 September — UN General Assembly high-level week, New York. October 4 — Brazil general election (first round). The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; Associated Press; Al Jazeera; BBC; AFP; DW; The Guardian; Kyiv Independent; Oman Foreign Ministry.