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School Fire in Bukavu Kills at Least 17: September 10, 2026

DAKAR — A fire at a school in Bukavu, the eastern Congo city held by Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebels, killed at least 17 people including some children, local and medical sources told Reuters on Thursday.

A witness said he helped load 17 bodies of men and children into an ambulance. A local health centre said it received 10 bodies from the fire, while another hospital said it admitted more than 50 students, 14 of whom died.

Corneille Nangaa, coordinator of the rebel alliance, told Reuters he did not yet have an exact figure but put the death toll around 10. The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear.

Bukavu has been under AFC/M23 control since the group’s lightning offensive in eastern Congo last year.

Sources: Reuters

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World Brief, Evening: September 9, 2026

Iran and the United States traded the biggest declared wave of shipping attacks since the war began, Brent crude held above $100 a barrel, and Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s Arctic gas hinterland for the first time. Ten stories as of Wednesday evening, September 9.

1. Gulf of Oman / Strait of Hormuz / Al Azraq, Jordan. Iran said it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz — two U.S. vessels and eight tankers after U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian oil carriers overnight, in the biggest tit-for-tat shipping exchange of the six-month war, Reuters and the BBC reported. CENTCOM named Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1, and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman plus Derya near Kharg Island; crews were told to abandon ship. Iran also fired on the Muwaffaq Salti base near Al Azraq; Jordan said it intercepted 18 of 20 missiles. CBS later reported multiple U.S. aircraft were damaged there, including an A-10 missing a wing and about eight F-15s with light damage returned to service, Reuters said. A seafarer was killed aboard Hercules Star off Dubai; IRGC officials said a new enlarged maritime “prohibited zone” maps are coming.

2. London. Brent crude traded around $100.70 a barrel, up nearly 3 percent and the highest since late July, after the Gulf tanker strikes and Houthi attacks on Saudi energy sites that wounded 73 on Tuesday, the BBC reported. Hormuz flows have fallen as low as about 2 million barrels a day from 8–9 million before the latest flare-up, Rystad Energy told Reuters. Average U.S. retail diesel hit a record above $5.94 a gallon on Wednesday.

3. Washington / Ottawa. President Trump ordered import bans on specified Canadian alcoholic beverages, dairy products, and motorcycles and mopeds effective Sept. 29, a day after Canada’s counter-tariffs on about C$27.6 billion of U.S. goods took effect, the White House and ABC News reported. Extra 50 percent tariffs expand to more goods from Sept. 15. No new talks are scheduled.

4. Novy Urengoy / Kyiv. A drone attack set an industrial facility on fire in Novy Urengoy in Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets gas region — about 3,000 km from Ukraine — the first such hit on the country’s Arctic gas hinterland, Governor Dmitry Artyukhov and Reuters reported; Ukraine’s Special Forces claimed strikes on condensate plants in Novy Urengoy and Purovsky district, with no casualties reported by the governor. In Kyiv, daytime Russian drone strikes killed one person and injured at least 16–17 people, including two children, Mayor Vitali Klitschko and local authorities said, the Kyiv Independent reported.

5. Berlin. Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the Bundestag that the Alternative for Germany’s “remigration agenda is “nothing other than ethnic cleansing based on skin color and origin,” and accused the party of backing Russia against German interests, Reuters and the Guardian reported. The clash follows AfD’s near-44 percent win in Saxony-Anhalt; Merz again ruled out coalition with the far right.

6. Barranquilla. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella and moved to reboot security cooperation against drug trafficking, with Colombia seeking aircraft, drones, and related tools, Reuters reported. Rubio said Washington hopes to wrap trade deals with Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador soon and continues to Ecuador and Peru this week.

7. Ohakea / Wellington. Two Australian F-35A fighters are exercising in New Zealand with the NZ Army and Air Force, including Australia establishing an overseas Forward Arming and Refuelling Point for the first time outside Australia, Reuters reported. Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb said the partners are moving toward integration and interchangeability.

8. Kalimantan / Sumatra. Indonesian wildfires released 19.7 million metric tons of CO₂ from Sept. 1–7 more than one-third of the global total that week and ahead of Russia — in the most intense fire season in 11 years amid a super El Niño drought, Copernicus data cited by Reuters showed. Pontianak’s air quality index hit 394 on Wednesday; fires are expected through October.

9. Banjul. After protesters burned tires and chanted “Barrow must go” over blackouts lasting as long as 48 hours, President Adama Barrow pledged a 24-megawatt generator by end of October plus a planned 50-megawatt solar plant, calling the outages a national-security emergency, Al Jazeera and the BBC reported. The unrest comes ahead of December’s presidential election.

10. Dallas. Republicans opened their first midterm convention at the American Airlines Center, with President Trump delivering the opening-night keynote and set to close Thursday after Vice President JD Vance speaks, Associated Press and NBC News reported. RNC chair Joe Gruters cast it as putting the president at the center of the midterms, about 55 days before Nov. 3.

Coming up. Through Thursday 10 September — ECB Governing Council rate decision, Berlin. Saturday 12–Sunday 13 September — BRICS summit, New Delhi. Sunday 13 September — Sweden general election. Tuesday 15–Wednesday 16 September Federal Open Market Committee, with projections. UNGA high-level week runs Sept. 22–26 and 28. The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; BBC; Al Jazeera; The Guardian; White House; ABC News; Kyiv Independent; Associated Press; NBC News; Copernicus / Reuters fire data.

World Brief: September 9, 2026

U.S. forces struck five Iranian oil tankers and Iran fired on a base in Jordan; Brent crude climbed above $100; and Washington banned key Canadian imports after Ottawa’s counter-tariffs. Ten stories as of Wednesday morning, September 9.

1. Gulf of Oman / Jordan. U.S. Central Command said American forces destroyed five IRGC-linked crude carriers after Iran twice targeted a U.S. warship; the M/T Riesco sank, and Iran fired on Al Azraq in Jordan, the BBC and Al Jazeera reported.

2. London. Brent crude rose about 2% to trade above $100 a barrel for the first time since July as Hormuz risks mounted, the BBC and Guardian reported.

3. Washington / Ottawa. Trump ordered bans on certain Canadian alcohol, dairy, and motorcycles effective Sept. 29 after Canada’s counter-tariffs took effect, Reuters and the BBC reported.

4. Starokozache / Odesa. Russian drones killed two civilians and wounded three at the Ukraine–Moldova border crossing; Kyiv saw fires but no casualties, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported.

5. Berlin. Chancellor Merz told the Bundestag AfD’s remigration agenda is “nothing other than ethnic cleansing,” after the party’s Saxony-Anhalt win, the Guardian reported.

6. Barranquilla. Secretary Rubio and Colombia sealed memoranda on critical minerals and civil nuclear cooperation (the Barranquilla Accords), El País reported.

7. Wellington. Australian F-35As are exercising in New Zealand as partners push toward force integration, Reuters reported.

8. Kalimantan / Sumatra. Indonesian wildfires released 19.7 million tons of CO₂ Sept. 1–7 — over a third of the global total that week — Reuters reported, citing Copernicus.

9. Banjul. Blackout protests hit Gambia as President Barrow faces “Barrow must go” chants ahead of December’s vote, Al Jazeera and the BBC reported.

10. Dallas. Republicans opened a midterm convention with Trump set to keynote, about 55 days before the vote, ABC News reported.

Coming up. ECB rate decision through Thursday (Berlin). Sat–Sun — BRICS, New Delhi. Sunday — Sweden election. Sept 15–16 — FOMC with projections. UNGA high-level week Sept 22–26 and 28. Standing calendar: The Watch.

Sources: BBC; Al Jazeera; Reuters; The Guardian; El País.

Gambia’s Barrow Faces Blackout Protests in Banjul: September 9, 2026

BANJUL — Protesters burned tires and built barricades in the Banjul area Monday and Tuesday, chanting “Barrow must go” as rolling blackouts stretched as long as 48 hours in the hot season. Security forces used tear gas near the president’s residence and the headquarters of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC).

President Adama Barrow, who is seeking a third term in December’s presidential election, called the outages an emergency and a national-security issue. He pledged a 24-megawatt generator by the end of October and additional 50 megawatts of solar power soon.

“I know that the fans have stopped turning, children work in the dark, mothers throw away stale food, and the heat is unbearable by day and by night,” Barrow said.

NAWEC has cited a surge in demand, climate pressures, strained regional electricity imports, and knock-on effects from the Iran war, according to Al Jazeera.

Sources: Al Jazeera, BBC

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World Brief, Evening: September 8, 2026

U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers and Iran fired on a U.S. base in Jordan; Houthi strikes wounded 73 in Saudi Arabia; and Washington banned Canadian alcohol, dairy, and motorcycles as Ottawa’s counter-tariffs took effect. Ten stories as of Tuesday evening, September 8.

3. Saudi Arabia. Houthi strikes wounded 73 and halted some energy ops, Reuters.

6. Kauai. Hurricane Lowell: flooding, outages, mudslide risk, NHC.

7. Buenos Aires. Criminal case over Falklands oil drilling, Reuters.

10. Jakarta. Airports reopen after Krakatau ash; journalists’ boat missing, Reuters.

Coming up. ECB Sept 9–10; BRICS Sept 12–13; Sweden Sept 13; FOMC Sept 15–16. Calendar: The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; AP; BBC; Al Jazeera; NHC.

4. Ottawa / D.C. U.S. bans Canadian alcohol, dairy, bikes from Sept 29, BBC.

5. London / Tel Aviv. Settlement goods ban; Israel closing UK East Jerusalem consulate, Reuters.

8. Ituri. Congo Ebola: ~3,200 dead / 6,500+ cases, AP.

9. Sanaa. Government offensive aims to retake Sanaa, Al Jazeera.

1. Kyiv. Five dead, ~35 injured after the envoy pause; Zelenskyy cited “decent ideas,” Reuters.

2. Gulf / Jordan. CENTCOM destroyed five IRGC tankers; Iran fired on Al Azraq; Jordan intercepted 18 of 20, Reuters.

World Brief: September 8, 2026

Russia resumed deadly strikes on Kyiv after the U.S. envoy pause, Houthi attacks wounded 73 in southern Saudi Arabia, and Canada’s counter-tariffs on U.S. goods took effect. Ten stories as of Tuesday morning, September 8.

1. Kyiv. Russia hit Kyiv with drones and missiles early Tuesday after the three-day pause for U.S. envoys, killing five and injuring about 30, Reuters reported.

2. Southern Saudi Arabia. Houthi strikes wounded 73 and hit oil/utility sites, the Associated Press reported.

3. London / Tel Aviv. UK, France and Canada moved to block West Bank settlement imports; Israel said it is closing Britain’s East Jerusalem consulate, Reuters reported.

4. Ottawa. Canadian counter-tariffs on nearly C$28bn of U.S. goods took effect, the BBC reported; Carney said the pivot “will come at a cost.”

5. Canberra. Australia’s draft Digital Duty of Care would let users 16+ opt out of algorithmic feeds (“My Feed, My Way”), ABC News reported.

6. Ituri / Congo. Ebola burial teams are stretched as cases top 6,500 with nearly 3,200 deaths, AP reported.

7. Beijing. China’s August exports jumped 25% y/y on high-tech demand, Reuters reported; surplus hit $119.09bn.

8. Sao Paulo. About 28,500 joined Flávio Bolsonaro’s Independence Day rally on Paulista, BBC News Brasil cited USP monitors.

9. Strait of Hormuz. Iran threatened “economic warfare” and said it fired an advanced missile at U.S. ships, Reuters via Japan Times reported.

10. Jakarta. Airports reopened after Anak Krakatau ash cleared; 340,000+ travellers were disrupted, Reuters reported.

Coming up. ECB Sept 9–10; BRICS Sept 12–13; Sweden election Sept 13; FOMC Sept 15–16. UNGA session opened today. Standing calendar: The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; AP; BBC; ABC News; Prime Minister of Australia; BBC News Brasil; WHO Africa.

Congo’s Ebola Outbreak Tops 6,200 Cases as Response Shifts: September 8, 2026

KINSHASA / ABUJA — Eastern Congo’s Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has reached about 6,250 confirmed cases and 3,039 deaths across 60 health zones in six provinces since mid-May, government figures cited by Africa CDC show. Africa’s top public health agency said Thursday the outbreak has likely not yet peaked and that authorities are shifting to a village-centered approach to build trust and improve detection.

The U.S. CDC this week flagged gaps in community surveillance, contact tracing, treatment capacity, laboratory testing, and safe burials. Africa CDC estimated cases in the last three weeks should have generated about 97,600 contacts, but only 19% of that expected total have been traced. At least 63% of deaths in the past week occurred outside Ebola treatment centers.

Insecurity, displacement, and population movement in Ituri—the epicenter—and neighboring provinces continue to drive spread. Treatment centers had expanded to more than 1,300 beds by late August, with occupancy around 67%. WHO has said several Ituri facilities were saturated and that North Kivu lacked enough referral options.

The outbreak is Congo’s 17th and among the largest on record. Existing Ervebo vaccine and therapies were developed primarily for Zaire ebolavirus; Bundibugyo has no licensed specific vaccine, complicating the response even as frontline vaccination campaigns proceed under compassionate-use protocols.

Sources: AP, WHO/ReliefWeb

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World Brief, Evening: September 7, 2026

Hurricane Lowell’s core neared Kauai County under a Hurricane Warning, Chancellor Merz said Saxony-Anhalt’s AfD win shook his party “to its very foundations,” and NTSB investigators walked the Miami Amazon cargo overrun that killed five. Ten stories as of Monday evening, September 7.

1. Kauai / Hawaii. Category 3 Hurricane Lowell was centered about 230 miles southwest of Lihue at 2 p.m. HST Monday with 110 mph winds, moving north-northeast near 18 mph, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said in Intermediate Advisory 47A. A Hurricane Warning covers Kauai County (Kauai and Niihau) and Papahānaumokuākea from Nihoa to French Frigate Shoals; a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Oahu. The core is forecast to pass near or just west of Niihau tonight into early Tuesday, with hurricane conditions expected in Kauai County beginning Monday afternoon or evening, 6–10 inches of rain on Kauai (locally up to 16), 2–4 feet of storm surge in Kauai County, and flash-flood and mudslide risk.

2. Magdeburg / Saxony-Anhalt. A day after the far-right Alternative for Germany took about 43.8% in Saxony-Anhalt — 39 of 83 seats, three short of a majority — Chancellor Friedrich Merz told his CDU board the result shook the party “to its very foundations” but again ruled out cooperating with the AfD, Reuters reported, citing Bild. An Infratest dimap poll for ARD found 87% of voters in the state unhappy with Merz’s government. French officials called the outcome a worrying signal for Europe’s broader populist wave. The new Landtag must convene by October 6; mainstream parties kept their firewall against coalition with the AfD.

3. Strait of Hormuz / Persian Gulf. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran will announce a new restricted zone in coming days from the U.S. Navy blockade line toward Hormuz and into the Gulf, with any ship entering placed on Iran’s sanctions list, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. Rezaei also said Iran–Oman corridor maps should be signed soon. On Monday, oil prices rose on the weekend shipping strikes; Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that U.S. oil and gas companies in the region were “exposed”; and UAE officials said they were building alternative export routes. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said strait transits were averaging more than 9 million barrels a day.

4. Kfar Rumman / southern Lebanon. Israeli air strikes overnight killed at least 12 people in and around Kfar Rumman, including two children, four women, and a paramedic, Lebanon’s health ministry told the BBC and Reuters. One strike destroyed a residential building; a second hit a vehicle carrying medics. The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure and fighters transferring weapons after drone attacks on troops, and said claims that uninvolved people were harmed were under review. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the attacks a dangerous escalation jeopardizing June’s U.S.-brokered ceasefire.

5. Miami. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Monday the five people killed when an Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 overran a Miami runway Sunday were in a cleaning-company van carrying seven people and an SUV struck outside airport property; the jet traveled about 1,300 feet past the paved surface through fencing and vehicles in what she called “utter devastation,” the Associated Press reported. Flight data and cockpit voice recorders were recovered for review in Washington, with more detail expected Tuesday. Two of four runways remained closed Monday, and the airport logged dozens of additional cancellations.

6. Jakarta / Anak Krakatau. Indonesia’s Geological Agency said Monday that Anak Krakatau’s continuous eruption episode had ended early Sunday but the volcano remains at Level III (Siaga) with high seismicity and a 3 km exclusion zone, while ash from the weekend still disrupted aviation into Monday, including Singapore–Jakarta cancellations, BBC and Indonesia’s Geological Agency (ESDM) reported. Authorities said further eruptions remain possible; there was no tsunami warning.

7. Fogo Island / Cape Verde. At least 25 people, many of them schoolchildren and teenagers, were killed when a bus plunged about 30 meters into a ravine on a mountain road late Saturday, Reuters reported. The outing was a privately arranged trip; the driver was among the dead. President José Maria Neves called it a great catastrophe, and the government ordered national mourning while a prime ministerial delegation traveled to the island.

8. Viacha / Bolivia. Bolivia’s Defense Ministry held the death toll from Friday’s twin blasts at an army explosives facility in Viacha at six, with about 11 people still missing and dozens injured earlier, AFP reported. Officials say the site stored confiscated fireworks, grenades, and TNT-based explosives; search work continues under high explosive risk.

9. Canberra / Honiara. Australia and Solomon Islands have reached an in-principle agreement on a new bilateral treaty, with talks described as substantively concluded and a possible signing in coming weeks, ABC News reported. A verified message from Australia’s high commissioner outlined more than A$980 million in additional funding tied to the deal, including support for free education and security requests.

10. Ottawa / Washington. Canada’s dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs on about C$27.6 billion of U.S. goods remain set for 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, September 8 — hours away as of Monday evening Pacific — covering steel, dairy, appliances, pulp and paper, and electronics at 15–50 percent rates, per the Department of Finance. Trade talks have been frozen since late August. Goods already in transit when the surtaxes take effect are exempt.

Coming up. Tuesday 8 September — 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly opens, New York; Canadian counter-tariffs take effect. Wednesday 9–Thursday 10 September — ECB Governing Council rate decision. Saturday 12–Sunday 13 September — BRICS summit, New Delhi. Sunday 13 September — Sweden general election. Tuesday 15–Wednesday 16 September — Federal Open Market Committee, with projections. The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Central Pacific Hurricane Center / NHC; Reuters; Al Jazeera; BBC; AP; AFP; ABC News (Australia); Canada Department of Finance; BBC; Indonesian Geological Agency (ESDM).

World Brief: September 7, 2026

Germany’s AfD pressed for power after a historic Saxony-Anhalt win, Iran said it will announce a new restricted zone near Hormuz, and Hurricane Lowell put Kauai under a hurricane warning as it neared the western islands. Ten stories as of Monday morning, September 7.

1. Magdeburg / Saxony-Anhalt. The far-right Alternative for Germany won about 43.8% in Sunday’s Saxony-Anhalt election — short of an absolute majority by three seats — and on Monday pressed other parties to help it govern, the BBC and Reuters reported. AfD state leader Ulrich Siegmund claimed a clear mandate; mainstream parties kept their firewall against coalition with the AfD. Chancellor Friedrich Merz told his CDU board the result shook the party “to its very foundations” but again ruled out cooperating with the AfD, Bild reported via Reuters. An Infratest dimap poll for ARD found 87% of voters in the state unhappy with Merz’s government.

2. Strait of Hormuz / Persian Gulf. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran will announce a new restricted zone in coming days starting from the U.S. Navy’s blockade line and extending toward Hormuz and into the Gulf, with any ship entering placed on Iran’s sanctions list, Al Jazeera reported. Rezaei also said maps for an Iran–Oman managed corridor through Iranian and Omani waters should be signed soon. The U.S. military again denied an Iranian claim that Tehran struck an uncrewed American vessel in the strait, calling it a “total lie,” per the Associated Press. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said strait transits were averaging more than 9 million barrels a day.

3. Kfar Rumman / southern Lebanon. Israeli air strikes overnight killed at least 12 people in and around Kfar Rumman, including two children, four women, and a paramedic, Lebanon’s health ministry told the BBC. One strike destroyed a three-storey residential building; a second hit a vehicle carrying medics. The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure and fighters transferring weapons after drone attacks on troops in an occupied area, and said claims that uninvolved people were harmed were under review. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the attacks a “dangerous escalation” jeopardizing June’s U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Health ministry tallies put at least 27 killed across southern Lebanon over three days.

4. Miami. An Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767-300 operated by 21 Air overran a runway at Miami International Airport about 2 p.m. Sunday after arriving from San Juan, struck vehicles, and caught fire, killing five people and injuring five, the BBC and FAA statements reported. The NTSB launched a go-team investigation, with a news conference planned Monday. FlightRadar24 data cited in reporting showed the jet still around 112 knots as it left usable runway. Amazon said it was cooperating with investigators.

5. Kauai / Hawaii. Category 3 Hurricane Lowell was centered about 375 miles southwest of Lihue early Monday with 115 mph winds, moving north-northeast near 14 mph, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said in Advisory 46. A Hurricane Warning covers Kauai County (Kauai and Niihau) and Papahānaumokuākea from Nihoa to French Frigate Shoals; a Tropical Storm Watch was issued for Oahu. Hurricane conditions are expected in Kauai County beginning Monday afternoon or evening, with 6–10 inches of rain possible on Kauai (locally higher) and flash-flood and mudslide risk.

6. Viacha / Bolivia. Bolivia’s Defense Ministry raised the death toll from Friday’s twin blasts at an army explosives facility in Viacha to six after three more bodies were recovered Sunday, AFP reported. About 11 people remain missing and more than 80 were injured. Officials say the site stored confiscated fireworks, grenades, and TNT-based explosives; the larger second detonation’s cause is still under investigation, and search work continues under high explosive risk.

7. Fogo Island / Cape Verde. At least 25 people, many of them schoolchildren and teenagers, were killed when a bus plunged about 30 meters into a ravine on a mountain road in Campanas de Cima late Saturday, the Associated Press and Reuters reported. The vehicle carried about 39 people returning from a privately arranged outing; the driver was among the dead. President José Maria Neves called it a great catastrophe, and officials held funerals and ordered an inquiry into road conditions and oversight.

8. Jakarta / Anak Krakatau. Roughly 270,000 passengers remained stranded across Indonesia after Anak Krakatau’s weekend eruptions grounded more than 2,000 flights, the BBC reported. Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta and other hubs extended closures again Monday as ash lingered; Soekarno-Hatta later said flights would aim to resume at 23:59 local. Indonesia’s Geological Agency warned further eruptions remain likely. Authorities kept a 3 km exclusion zone around the crater and said there was no tsunami warning.

9. Kyiv. Kyiv is recording more daily air-raid alerts than at any time since Russia’s full-scale invasion, a BBC Verify analysis of government figures found, as Russia shifts to round-the-clock drone waves including faster jet-powered models. Alerts have averaged about 10 a day since late August, with as many as 13 in a single day. Strikes on the capital paused briefly over the weekend while U.S. envoys were in town; schools, businesses, and transport are struggling with the daytime pattern. Ukraine is testing a two-tier yellow/red warning system to cut disruption.

10. Canberra / Honiara. Australia and Solomon Islands have reached an in-principle agreement on a new bilateral treaty, with talks described as substantively concluded and a possible signing in coming weeks, ABC News reported. A verified message from Australia’s high commissioner outlined more than A$980 million in additional funding tied to the deal, including support for free education and security requests. The push follows Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale’s survival of a no-confidence challenge and Canberra’s effort to deepen ties in the Pacific.

Coming up. Tuesday 8 September — 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly opens, New York; Canadian counter-tariffs take effect. Wednesday 9 September — state funeral of Norway’s King Harald V, Oslo. Wednesday 9–Thursday 10 September — ECB Governing Council rate decision. Saturday 12–Sunday 13 September — BRICS summit, New Delhi. Sunday 13 September — Sweden general election. Tuesday 15–Wednesday 16 September — Federal Open Market Committee, with projections. The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: BBC; Reuters; Al Jazeera; AP; Central Pacific Hurricane Center / NHC; AFP; ABC News (Australia).

Niger Accuses France of Orchestrating Failed Capital Mutiny: September 7, 2026

NIAMEY — Niger’s military government accused France of orchestrating a failed mutiny that rocked the capital last week, a charge Paris dismissed as “pure fantasy,” Al Jazeera reported.

Renegade soldiers targeted Base 101 inside Niamey’s airport complex shortly after midnight on August 29, with fighting spreading toward the presidential palace and briefly knocking the state broadcaster off air before the army, aided by Russian Africa Corps fighters, contained the revolt. State media said hundreds of soldiers took part, with dozens killed or arrested. Government spokesperson Soumana Boubacar said Friday the plot was “instigated and sustained by a vast network of collusion headed by the French regime” of President Emmanuel Macron. Niger also blamed ECOWAS and some regional states; Benin rejected the accusation. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told RFI France had neither intention nor means to stage such an operation.

Since the 2023 coup, ACLED counts nearly 6,000 people killed in more than 1,400 violent incidents — a sharp rise from the prior three years — as Niamey fights Islamist armed groups.

Sources: Al Jazeera.