South America

World Brief: September 12, 2026

Houthis hold Perim at Bab el-Mandeb as Trump tells Riyadh the U.S. will share intelligence but not fight them directly; Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline stays shut after drones from Iraq; and BRICS leaders in New Delhi urge maximum restraint in the Middle East. Ten stories as of Saturday morning, September 12.

1. Perim / Bab el-Mandeb. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis reached Perim (Mayun) Island at the mouth of the Red Sea on Friday, putting them in position to choke Bab el-Mandeb after seizing Mocha, Reuters reported. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked Trump for U.S. military help against the Houthis; Trump told him Washington would share intelligence but not intervene directly for now, three sources told Reuters. Trump confirmed Saturday he had spoken to the crown prince. Saudi Arabia has leaned on Red Sea export routes since Hormuz disruptions, BBC and Reuters reported.

2. Riyadh / East-West pipeline. Saudi Arabia shut its critical East-West oil pipeline as a precaution after drones launched from Iraq’s Maysan province hit sites in the Riyadh and Medina regions, causing injuries and damage, the Saudi energy and foreign ministries said. The line had been moving about 4–5% of global oil supply by routing crude to Yanbu and around Hormuz, Reuters reported. Riyadh said it would not retaliate for now at Baghdad’s request; Iraq dismissed the Maysan operations commander and opened an investigation, BBC and Al Jazeera reported. Brent has pushed above $100 a barrel.

3. New Delhi. BRICS leaders unanimously adopted a New Delhi Declaration on Saturday expressing “deep concern” over Middle East escalation and calling for maximum restraint and a multilateral approach, Reuters reported. The bloc includes both Iran and the UAE; the text also flagged concern over unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures. Member leaders are meeting this weekend at Bharat Mandapam under India’s chair.

4. Wonsan / East Sea. North Korea fired several ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea around 5:20 a.m. Saturday; they flew about 250 kilometers, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, Al Jazeera, AFP, Reuters, and AP reported. The launches came a day after U.S.–South Korea–Japan Freedom Edge drills ended. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the event did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. territory or allies.

5. Kyiv / New Delhi. Russian strikes killed civilians and wounded dozens across Ukraine; regional tallies put the overnight toll as high as 11 dead and 96 injured, with Odesa hard hit, Euronews and local officials reported. At the BRICS summit, Putin warned that deploying European troops to Ukraine would mean “a war with Russia,” while denying Moscow threatens Europe, AP and wires reported via The Independent.

6. Beirut / Rome. U.S.-mediated Israel–Lebanon talks scheduled for Rome next week were postponed to October, a U.S. official told Axios; Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors are due to meet in Washington instead, Reuters reported. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Saturday there are “no new negotiations with Israel at present,” insisting on Israeli withdrawal, prisoner returns, and reconstruction as southern Lebanon saw further strikes and demolitions, Al Jazeera reported.

7. Bogotá. Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella formally shut down all peace negotiations with illegal armed groups on Friday, ending Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” talks with the ELN, FARC dissidents, Clan del Golfo, and urban gangs, the presidency said. Negotiators’ credentials were revoked; groups face voluntary submission to justice or military confrontation, Anadolu Agency reported.

8. Dublin / Ottawa. In Dublin with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, President Trump said Canada wants a trade deal “very badly” and that one is likely “fairly soon,” without saying formal talks had resumed, Bloomberg reported. Formal Canada–U.S. negotiations were suspended in August; Canada’s matching counter-tariffs on about $27.6 billion of U.S. goods took effect September 8, per the Government of Canada.

9. Abuja / Johannesburg. Nigeria’s National Assembly suspended official visits to South Africa and ordered lawmakers to boycott South African-hosted legislative events over anti-migrant violence targeting Nigerians and other Africans, parliament spokesman Akin Rotimi said, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. Nigerian officials have cited dozens of Nigerian deaths in related attacks since 2022; South Africa’s foreign minister visited Abuja in July on the issue.

10. Ambae–Santo, Vanuatu. Inter-island ferry MV Matui sank Friday in rough seas between Ambae and Santo with 34 passengers and 11 crew aboard; seven people were rescued and about 38 remained missing as searches continued Saturday, police told Vanuatu broadcaster VBCTC, ABC News reported.

Coming up. Saturday–Sunday 12–13 September — BRICS summit, New Delhi (underway). Sunday 13 September — Sweden general election. Tuesday–Wednesday 15–16 September — Federal Open Market Committee with projections. Sept. 20 — Russia State Duma election. UNGA high-level week Sept. 22–26 and 28. The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; BBC; Al Jazeera; Associated Press; AFP; ABC News (Australia); Bloomberg; Anadolu Agency.

Flavio Bolsonaro Faces Corruption Probe Weeks Before Brazil Election: September 12, 2026

BRASÍLIA — Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, a leading right-wing candidate in Brazil’s presidential election, is under investigation for alleged ties to disgraced banker Daniel Vorcaro, according to court documents unsealed this week and reported by Al Jazeera and Reuters.

Documents show Supreme Court Justice André Mendonça opened a probe in July, at federal police request, into possible corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion linked to Vorcaro, former head of failed lender Banco Master. Police have put the alleged fraud at roughly $2.3 billion, with some 800,000 bank clients among the victims.

Data from Vorcaro’s phone showed about $12 million transferred to a U.S.-based fund linked to Flavio’s brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, in 2025, allegedly for the film “Dark Horse” about their father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. Eduardo told Reuters the transfers were not bribes. Flavio has denied wrongdoing, saying he sought private investment for the film.

Voters go to the polls October 4, with Flavio challenging incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Both candidates have called for full transparency in the expanding Banco Master scandal.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Reuters

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Colombia’s President Ends All Peace Talks With Armed Groups: September 12, 2026

BOGOTÁ — Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella on Friday formally shut down all peace negotiations with illegal armed groups, fulfilling a campaign promise to dismantle former President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” strategy, Anadolu Agency reported.

Executive resolutions revoked credentials for government negotiators and ended dialogue tables involving the National Liberation Army (ELN), FARC dissident factions, the Clan del Golfo cartel, and urban criminal gangs in Medellín, Buenaventura, and Quibdó.

The presidency said the government was ending “dialogue processes, the socio-legal forums, and the ‘false peace,’” and would offer neither political recognition nor judicial leniency to illegal combatants. De La Espriella said more than 7 billion Colombian pesos (about $1.7 million) had been spent on negotiator fees alone, excluding security and logistics costs.

Barely a month into office, he said groups that truly want to disarm must submit to the justice system, while those who keep attacking civilians will face the full force of security forces.

Sources: Anadolu Agency

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World Brief, Evening: September 11, 2026

Houthis reached Perim and Dhubab at Bab el-Mandeb; Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline was hit by drones from Iraq and shut as a precaution; and Brent settled near $105 with U.S. crude closing just above $100. Ten stories as of Friday evening, September 11.

1. Perim / Bab el-Mandeb. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis reached the strategic island of Perim (Mayun) in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, and two Yemeni government sources told Reuters forces also pulled out of the facing coastal town of Dhubab a day after Mocha fell. Witnesses and local officials described Houthi control of the Bab al-Mandab area; Houthi confirmation was not immediate. Government forces said they would try to retake captured Red Sea ground, BBC, Reuters, and Al Jazeera reported.

2. Riyadh / Medina. Saudi Arabia said drones launched from Iraq struck its East-West oil pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions, causing injuries and material damage, and the Energy Ministry temporarily shut the line as a precaution, Reuters and Al Jazeera reported. Riyadh said it would hold off on retaliation for now at Iraq’s request while reserving the right to act; Baghdad condemned the attack and opened an investigation. The 1,200-kilometer line has been moving about 4–5 million barrels a day as a Hormuz workaround.

3. London / New York. Brent settled at $104.61 and U.S. crude at $100.05 on Friday, down on the day but on track for a weekly gain of more than 8% and a weekly finish above $100 for the first time since mid-May, Reuters reported. U.S. diesel cleared $6 a gallon for the first time (GasBuddy). The IEA said Saudi crude supply fell to 6 million bpd in August, the lowest in more than three decades.

4. Washington. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump at least twice on Thursday seeking U.S. military help against the Houthis, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters; Washington said it would not take direct military action for now but would help with intelligence and targeting. In a September 11 anniversary speech, Trump again called Iran the world’s top sponsor of terror.

5. Kyiv / Saratov. Russia attacked two Kyiv petrol stations with jet-powered drones early Friday, killing two people; Mayor Vitali Klitschko said twelve others including a child were injured, and President Zelenskiy said the jet-powered Shahed campaign was becoming “increasingly terrorist in nature,” Reuters reported. Ukraine’s General Staff later said it struck Rosneft’s Saratov oil refinery in the Volga region, with fires detected at the site.

6. Stockholm. Sweden’s centre-left opposition held a narrow lead two days before Sunday’s election, three Friday polls showed, with combined support of about 49.3–50.8% versus about 47.6–49.0% for the ruling right and Sweden Democrats, Reuters reported. Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson remains favorite to return as prime minister, but one survey showed a margin of a single seat and the Liberals clearing the 4% threshold kept the race tight.

7. New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in New Delhi on Friday ahead of the BRICS Leaders’ Summit Saturday–Sunday, discussing trade toward a $100 billion target by 2030, defence, civil nuclear cooperation, and conflicts affecting Indian seafarers, Indian reporting and Reuters said. Putin said BRICS was “not against anyone”; Xi Jinping’s first India trip in seven years and Iranian President Pezeshkian’s attendance keep the Hormuz fight inside the room.

8. Brasília. Chief Justice Edson Fachin ordered thousands of Banco Master fraud-probe pages unsealed; records show Senator Flávio Bolsonaro — Lula’s leading runoff rival — is under investigation for alleged corruption and money laundering tied to banker Daniel Vorcaro’s film financing, Reuters reported. A full-court session is set for Tuesday on the Moraes–Mendonça clash; Lula backed full disclosure.

9. Kampala / Tooro. Uganda’s government is mediating last-ditch talks so King Oyo Nyimba can be buried Saturday after a succession fight: a royal-clan committee named cousin Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, while the late king’s sister says his will points to a biological son, Reuters reported. A new king is required to perform burial rituals.

10. Sydney. A controller shortage cancelled about 14 inbound flights and caused hour-plus delays at Sydney Airport Friday morning, Airservices Australia told a Senate committee, Reuters reported. Eight of 49 Sydney controllers are on long-term absence; flow measures lifted at 8:15 a.m. local after unplanned absenteeism. The ATSB is probing a recent string of near-misses.

Coming up. Saturday–Sunday 12–13 September — BRICS summit, New Delhi. Sunday 13 September — Sweden general election. Tuesday 15 September — Brazil Supreme Court full session. Tuesday–Wednesday 15–16 September — Federal Open Market Committee with projections. Sept. 20 — Russia State Duma election. UNGA high-level week Sept. 22–26 and 28. The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; BBC; Al Jazeera; AFP.

World Brief: September 11, 2026

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Houthis reached Perim Island at Bab el-Mandeb; U.S. diesel cleared $6 as oil stayed on track for a weekly finish above $100; and Trump said he does not regret the Iran war. Ten stories as of Friday morning, September 11.

1. Perim / Bab el-Mandeb. YemReuters, a day after seizing Mocha. Witnesses and a local official told AFP the Houthis had taken the Bab al-Mandab area and Mayun; Houthi confirmation was not immediate. Saudi Arabia has leaned on Red Sea shipping since Hormuz disruptions, BBC, Reuters, and Al Jazeera reported.

2. London / New York. Brent fell to about $104.35 and U.S. crude to about $99.07 on Friday but remained on track for a weekly gain of more than 8% and a close above $100 for the first time since mid-May, Reuters reported. U.S. diesel cleared $6 a gallon for the first time (GasBuddy); the IEA said Saudi crude supply fell to 6 million bpd in August, the lowest in more than three decades. Prices eased after the Financial Times reported Gulf ministers were seeking a temporary Hormuz shipping deal with Iran.

3. Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its navy struck a U.S. “Saildrone-type” unmanned vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, and the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre reported projectiles hitting two vessels off Oman, Al Jazeera reported. Vessel transits at Hormuz fell to seven on Thursday from 11 the day before, Reuters ship-tracking data showed.

4. Washington. President Trump told Fox News he does not regret the Iran war despite midterm risk — “If I had it to do again, I would do exactly as I did” — and again said the war “ends right after the election,” framing Tehran as trying to influence November, Reuters reported.

5. Islamabad / Dubai. Pakistan’s dual role as Riyadh’s defence partner and a backchannel to Tehran is under strain as Saudi–Houthi fighting escalates; Islamabad delivered a Saudi warning urging Iran to rein in the Houthis, Saudi, Pakistani, and Iranian sources told Reuters. Field Marshal Asim Munir spoke with Iran’s foreign minister on de-escalation; the foreign ministry said no military response to Houthi attacks was under discussion.

6. Kyiv. Russia attacked two Kyiv petrol stations with jet-powered drones early Friday, killing two people; Mayor Vitali Klitschko said twelve others including a child were injured, and President Zelenskiy said the jet-powered Shahed campaign was becoming “increasingly terrorist in nature,” Reuters reported. Ukraine said it struck Russian energy and logistics targets; Russian officials reported deaths in Tula and Kursk from Ukrainian drones.

7. Brasília. Chief Justice Edson Fachin ordered thousands of Banco Master fraud-probe pages unsealed; records show Senator Flávio Bolsonaro — Lula’s leading runoff rival — is under investigation for alleged corruption and money laundering tied to banker Daniel Vorcaro’s film financing, Reuters reported. A full-court session is set for Tuesday on the Moraes–Mendonça clash; Lula backed full disclosure.

8. Kampala / Tooro. Uganda’s government is mediating last-ditch talks so King Oyo Nyimba can be buried Saturday after a succession fight: a royal-clan committee named cousin Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, while the late king’s sister says his will points to a biological son, Reuters reported. A new king is required to perform burial rituals.

9. Sydney. A controller shortage cancelled about 14 inbound flights and caused hour-plus delays at Sydney Airport Friday morning, Airservices Australia told a Senate committee, Reuters reported. Eight of 49 Sydney controllers are on long-term absence; flow measures lifted at 8:15 a.m. local after unplanned absenteeism. The ATSB is probing a recent string of near-misses.

10. Gaza. Israel’s military said Friday it killed senior Hamas commander Mohammed Abdel Salam al-Yazouri in a Thursday Gaza airstrike, and Hamas’s armed wing confirmed his death, saying he helped plan the October 7, 2023 attacks, Reuters reported. The military said two other commanders were also killed in the strike.

Sources: Reuters; BBC; Al Jazeera; AFP.

Peru Joins U.S.-Led Shield of the Americas Alliance: September 11, 2026

Peru will join the U.S.-led Shield of the Americas, a regional security alliance that shares intelligence and cooperates against drug cartels, President Keiko Fujimori announced Thursday after talks in Lima with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Fujimori, sworn in in July after a security-focused campaign, said Peru knew from past fights with terrorism how hard it is to confront today’s criminal networks. Rubio called the pact a shield against transnational groups that “in many cases, have more money and better military equipment than the state.”

Peru is the world’s second-largest cocaine producer after Colombia. Protesters outside the government palace opposed deeper U.S. military involvement. Rubio said Washington would act only at partners’ request.

The visit capped Rubio’s three-country South America tour. Washington has also pressed Lima over Chinese investment, including the Chancay megaport, and earlier designated Peru a major non-NATO ally while advancing a possible $1.5 billion foreign military sale tied to Callao Naval Base.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Andina

Brazil Supreme Court Unseals Banco Master Fraud Probe: September 11, 2026

Brazil’s Chief Justice Edson Fachin ordered the unsealing Thursday of thousands of pages from a probe into alleged multibillion-dollar fraud centered on failed lender Banco Master, a court ruling seen by Reuters showed.

The investigation has implicated central bank officials, politicians, and even members of the Supreme Court. It comes weeks before a razor-tight presidential contest between leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.

Justice André Mendonça, who oversees the case, complied with Fachin’s request after earlier disclosures of messages that police say former Banco Master chief Daniel Vorcaro sent to Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Those revelations prompted calls to investigate a sitting justice; Moraes accused Mendonça of abusing authority.

Fachin scheduled a full-court session for Sept. 15 on the Moraes allegations. Hours before the unsealing order, Lula told SBT he favored opening everything: “Investigate everything, disclose everything, regardless of who it hurts.”

Sources: Reuters

World Brief, Evening: September 10, 2026

Iran-backed Houthis seized Mocha with Revolutionary Guard guidance, Brent spiked toward $109 as Red Sea and Hormuz risks stacked, and NATO allies revealed they foiled a Russian subsea-cable sabotage exercise near Svalbard. Ten stories as of Thursday evening, September 10.

1. Mocha / Bab el-Mandeb. The Houthi seizure of Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Mocha came with direct guidance from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seeking a new front in the U.S.–Iran war, Yemeni government, Iranian, and regional sources told Reuters. The advance tightens the chokehold on Bab el-Mandeb after Hormuz disruptions; Yemeni military sources said the coastal campaign was directed with IRGC input, while Iran publicly denies the Houthis are a proxy. Government forces also reported Houthi pressure toward the Hanish islands and Dhubab opposite Perim Island, Reuters and Al Jazeera reported.

2. London / New York. Brent crude surged as high as about $109.20 a barrel Thursday after the week’s tanker attacks and the Mocha advance, with U.S. crude topping $100 and AAA putting average U.S. regular gasoline near $4.28 a gallon, Al Jazeera reported citing AP and Reuters. Midday Brent had already jumped about 4% to $105.26. CME FedWatch odds of a rate hike at next week’s FOMC meeting rose toward about 70%, up from about 61% a day earlier.

3. Svalbard / Bear Gap. Britain, Norway, and the United States tracked and confronted Russian GUGI deep-sea vessels near Svalbard this spring as they simulated deploying a covert weapon meant to disable undersea cables without fingerprints, two Western officials told Reuters in an exclusive Thursday. No cables were damaged; Norways defence minister said Moscow was told any attempt on critical infrastructure would be detected and met with consequences. The cables feed SvalSat, a major NASA Near Space Network downlink.

4. Pavlohrad / Kyiv / Dnipro. Russian forces killed seven and injured 76 in a broad strike on the southeastern logistics hub of Pavlohrad, hit a Kyiv petrol station for the first time with a jet-powered drone (four injured), and struck a Bunge sunflower-oil plant in Dnipro (two dead), Reuters reported. President Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces hit eight Russian infrastructure sites in a day stretching from Arctic energy sites to the Caspian port of Makhachkala, the Guardian and Kyiv reporting said.

5. Berlin / Frankfurt. The ECB raised key rates 25 basis points Thursday, lifting the deposit facility to 2.50% from Sept. 16, citing Middle East energy inflation, the ECB / Banque de France said. Two sources later told Reuters policymakers see more tightening ahead and could move again as soon as the Oct. 29 meeting if energy prices keep feeding inflation.

6. Dallas. Republicans closed their first midterm convention with President Trump defending the Iran war, predicting it ends after Nov. 3, and pledging $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans keep Congress without detailing how it would be funded, the NBC News and Associated Press reported. Most other speakers largely avoided the unpopular war; Election Day is about 54 days away.

7. Nairobi. Kenya is expected to receive about $400 million in World Bank Rapid Response Option emergency financing within six weeks to help cover risks from high energy prices, a regional Ebola outbreak, and El Niño disruptions, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Nairobi first sought the facility after the Iran war drove oil higher; the Bank said it is helping finalise the crisis-access framework.

8. Lima. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrapped his Colombia–Ecuador–Peru swing in Lima, where President Keiko Fujimori said Peru joined the U.S.-led “Shield of the Americas” counternarcotics coalition, AFP / France 24 reported. Rubio said Washington would not take military action against traffickers inside partner countries without those governments’ approval, even as SOUTHCOM kept striking alleged drug boats in international waters.

9. Sydney. Nvidia said it plans to more than double Australia’s data-centre computing load through partnerships with Firmus, CDC, NEXTDC, and AirTrunk, targeting up to about 2 gigawatts of AI-related capacity by 2027, Reuters reported. Australia’s current computing capacity is about 1.6 GW; the buildout sharpens debates over energy and water use.

10. New Delhi. India hosts the BRICS Leaders’ Summit Saturday–Sunday with the Iran war splitting the bloc, and Russian President Vladimir Putin began a multi-day India visit for talks with Prime Minister Modi ahead of the meeting, The Hindu reported. Xi Jinping’s first India trip in seven years and Iranian President Pezeshkians attendance keep the Hormuz fight inside the room.

Coming up. Saturday–Sunday 12–13 September — BRICS summit, New Delhi. Sunday 13 September — Sweden general election. Tuesday–Wednesday 15–16 September Federal Open Market Committee with projections. Sept. 20 — Russia State Duma election. UNGA high-level week Sept. 22–26 and 28. The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; Al Jazeera; Associated Press; ECB / Banque de France; AFP / France 24; NBC News; The Guardian; The Hindu.

World Brief: September 10, 2026

Houthis seized Mocha on the Red Sea; Trump said the Iran war ends after the midterms and threatened Pickaxe Mountain; and the ECB lifted rates another quarter-point. Ten stories as of Thursday morning, September 10.

1. Mocha / Bab el-Mandeb. Iran-aligned Houthi forces seized Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Mocha on Thursday, four Yemeni government military sources told Reuters, tightening leverage over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as Brent rose about 3.5% above $100. Saudi Arabia has leaned more on Red Sea shipping since Hormuz largely closed.

2. Washington / Dallas. President Trump said Wednesday he expects the U.S. war with Iran to end immediately after November’s midterms and warned the United States may strike Pickaxe Mountain near Natanz, Reuters reported. Iran said it attacked 10 ships near Hormuz after the U.S. sank five Iranian tankers.

3. New York. AAA put U.S. regular gasoline at $4.22 a gallon — nearly 42% above the $2.98 prewar level — while diesel hit a record $5.94 as Brent settled near $101, with oil above $100 after the latest Middle East attacks, Reuters and established wire reporting showed. Trump said he does not expect oil to cool before the midterms.

4. Kyiv / Dnipro / Arctic Russia. Russian strikes killed civilians across Ukraine, including at a Bunge plant in Dnipro, while Ukrainian Special Operations Forces claimed their deepest strike of the war on Arctic gas plants more than 3,000 km inside Russia, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported.

5. Berlin / Frankfurt. The European Central Bank raised key rates 25 basis points on Thursday, lifting the deposit facility to 2.50% — the second hike this year — as Middle East energy costs keep inflation elevated, Reuters and The Guardian reported. Lagarde said inflation is set to remain well above the 2% target for an extended period.

6. New Delhi. India hosts the BRICS Leaders’ Summit on Sept. 12–13 with the Iran war splitting the bloc — member Iran and the UAE on opposite sides — and Xi Jinping due for his first India visit in seven years, Channel News Asia reported.

7. Wellington. Nearly 10,000 New Zealand public servants walked off the job Wednesday over pay offers they say leave them worse off in real terms, weeks before a national election, Reuters reported.

8. Brasília. Supreme Court Chief Justice Edson Fachin suspended rival rulings over the federal police chief’s tenure and called a full-court session for Sept. 15, framing the clash as the court’s biggest crisis since the return to democracy, Reuters reported.

9. Bukavu. A school fire in Bukavu, the eastern Congo city held by Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebels, killed at least 17 people including children, local and medical sources told Reuters. The cause was not immediately clear.

10. Quito / Lima. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended lethal U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats in Ecuador and said cartels would “eat these countries alive” if left unchecked, then flew to Lima amid protests, France 24 and AFP reported.

Coming up. Through today — ECB decision, Berlin. Sat–Sun — BRICS, New Delhi. Sunday — Sweden election. Sept 15–16 — FOMC with projections. Sept 20 — Russia State Duma election. UNGA high-level week Sept 22–26 and 28. Standing calendar: The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; Associated Press; Al Jazeera; ECB; Channel News Asia; AFP.

Rubio in Ecuador and Peru Pushes Anti-Drug Fight: September 10, 2026

QUITO / LIMA — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended lethal U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats during a Wednesday visit to Ecuador, warning that cartels would “eat these countries alive” if left unchecked, AFP reported via RFI.

After talks with President Daniel Noboa in Quito, Rubio said operations would continue and that Washington was finding partners willing to be “very aggressive” against criminal groups. Pentagon figures cited by AFP put deaths from the Caribbean and eastern Pacific campaign above 200. Rubio designated the Ecuadoran gang Los Tiguerones a terrorist organization and announced sanctions on seven former Ecuadoran officials.

Asked whether vessels would keep being destroyed, Rubio said decisions depend on threat, location and local law: “Well again, it depends, and we still blow up ships.” Later Wednesday, U.S. Southern Command said American forces killed three “narco-terrorists” in a Caribbean go-fast strike.

Rubio then flew to Lima for meetings with President Keiko Fujimori on the final stop of his South America tour, expected to advance the Shield of the Americas security partnership. Dozens of left-wing protesters gathered at Plaza San Martín against the visit and Peru’s participation in that initiative, EFE and France 24 reported, with slogans including “Out, Marco Rubio” and “Yankees out of Latin America.”

Sources: RFI / AFP, France 24, EFE via Infobae

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