World News

Carney Pitches Canada to Global Investors Amid U.S. Trade War: September 14, 2026

TORONTO — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is welcoming dozens of global investors to Toronto this week to pitch more than 160 mining, energy, technology, and infrastructure projects he says are key to weathering a trade war with the United States, Reuters reported Monday.

Confirmed attendees include BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Blackstone President Jon Gray, Temasek CEO Dilhan Pillay, and APG Groep CEO Annette Mosman, a source familiar with the event said. Carney has pledged to attract C$1 trillion ($721 billion) in investment over five years by cutting red tape.

“The world’s largest investors, managing over C$120 trillion dollars of assets, will come to ‘peer into our shop window’ because the world is looking at Canada differently,” Carney said at a welcome reception Sunday. A government source said major deals could take 12 to 18 months to materialize.

The summit aims to match about 100 investors with Canadian CEOs and officials. The prospectus seen by Reuters lists data centers, a photonic quantum computer project, the Crawford Nickel Project, and financing for a proposed Calgary–Edmonton high-speed transportation pod.

Sources: Reuters

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Kremlin Welcomes Trump Call for Ukraine to Halt Diesel Strikes: September 14, 2026

MOSCOW — The Kremlin on Monday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for Ukraine to halt strikes on Russia’s diesel-producing facilities, while saying upheaval in global energy markets stemmed mainly from conflict in the Gulf, Reuters reported.

Trump on Sunday urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to stop targeting Russian diesel infrastructure, saying the attacks were causing a fuel shortage that is “hurting the world.” A wave of long-distance Ukrainian drone attacks on refineries in recent months has cut Russian fuel output and triggered gasoline shortages across Russia.

“Any call on the Kyiv regime to stop attacks on civilian economic infrastructure can only be welcomed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Ukraine says striking Russian refineries raises the cost to Moscow of continuing its invasion.

Peskov said global energy markets were worsening mainly because of “instability and new rounds of escalation in the Persian Gulf region,” and that a Russian diesel export ban should help the domestic market ahead of parliamentary elections set for September 18–20.

Sources: Reuters

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Russian Drone Hits Ukrainian Train Near Poland Border: September 14, 2026

YAHODYN — A Russian drone hit a train near the Ukraine–Poland border shortly after former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other European security officials had passed through the area, the BBC reported Monday.

Ukrainian authorities said the strike at Yahodyn hit the locomotive’s engine and caused no casualties after passengers were evacuated. Johnson, Britain’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell, and others were returning from the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv on a different train that left earlier than planned.

Ukraine’s railway company said the drone’s target “could have been the diplomatic train.” Polish and Ukrainian officials said the strike was about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Polish border. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an emergency meeting, saying Russian escalation was “getting closer and closer to our border.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack Putin’s terror “knocking” on the doors of the EU and NATO. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accused Moscow of trying to scare Western countries. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian forces would continue operations across Ukraine.

Sources: BBC

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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.

South Korea Aims to Finalise U.S. Investment Plan Details This Week: September 13, 2026

SEOUL — South Korea will hold further talks with the United States early this week to finalise details of Seoul’s proposed $350 billion investment commitment to the U.S., Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said Sunday, Reuters reported.

Speaking after returning from the United States, Kim said a $200 billion ceiling for strategic investments — part of the broader $350 billion package — including a $20 billion annual cap, had already been agreed and would not change.

Kim said the two sides were close on many issues but that several matters remained unresolved. This week’s talks will be by videoconference. He declined to name specific projects before negotiations are finished.

Kim travelled to the United States last week for talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and other officials on the scale and conditions of the proposed package, tied to last year’s tariff agreement that lowered reciprocal U.S. rates from 25% to 15% in exchange for the investment pledge.

Sources: Reuters, Yonhap

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Australia Vows Stronger Telco Resilience After Optus Outage: September 13, 2026

SYDNEY — Australia’s government pledged on Sunday to bolster resilience in the nation’s telecommunications networks after an outage at Optus, the country’s No. 2 carrier, impacted users in three states and disrupted some emergency services calls, Reuters reported.

The 76-minute technical glitch on Friday affected Optus voice calling in parts of Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory, with some customers experiencing intermittent dropouts, according to Optus.

Communications Minister Anika Wells said no infrastructure is “100% resilient” and that systems must be made “as resilient as we can possibly make them.” Optus, owned by Singapore Telecommunications, apologised Saturday. The centre-left government called the outage “deeply concerning” and said it was being investigated.

The incident follows a prior Optus network failure that left hundreds unable to contact emergency services and resulted in two deaths. In 2024, Optus was fined A$12 million for failing to provide emergency call services during a 2023 nationwide outage.

Sources: Reuters

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Vessel Struck in Strait of Hormuz as Fire Breaks Out, UKMTO Says: September 13, 2026

DUBAI — A fire broke out aboard a vessel after it was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said Sunday, Anadolu Agency and RTE reported.

UKMTO said it received an initial report at 2300 GMT Saturday. An update Sunday said a fire had broken out and local authorities were assisting in evacuating crew. The agency advised vessels to exercise caution. Extent of damage and environmental impact remained unclear in early reports.

Separately, Qeshm city governor Amir Teymouri said a merchant vessel was struck around 5 a.m. local time off Hengam and Qeshm islands, killing one person and injuring three, Iranian state media said. Iranian outlets described the strike as a U.S. attack; attribution has not been independently confirmed by Western wires.

The incident comes a day before Iran is due to meet Gulf Arab states in Oman over the future of the strait, a chokepoint already disrupted by the U.S.–Iran war and now under added strain after Saudi Arabia shut its East-West oil pipeline.

Sources: Anadolu Agency, RTE

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Saudi Pipeline Outage Threatens Loss of 4% of Global Oil Supply: September 13, 2026

LONDON — Saudi Arabia will run out of oil stocks for exports if it does not restart its major East-West pipeline to the Red Sea within days, leading to a loss of up to 4% of global supply, Saudi oil buyers and traders told Reuters on Sunday.

Since Friday’s drone attacks forced Riyadh to shut the line, authorities have not given full details on damage or repair timelines. Industry sources gave estimates ranging from a partial restart sooner to five or six weeks for full repairs. Saudi Arabia’s government media office and energy ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters.

The pipeline has been rerouting about 4 million barrels per day — roughly 4% of global supply — to Yanbu after wartime disruption of the Strait of Hormuz. With the line offline, Yanbu has stocks to maintain exports for only five to seven days, three industry sources said. Additional stocks at Egypt’s Ain Sukhna and Sidi Kerir ports would also run down without resumed pumping.

Saudi oil supply already fell to a more than three-decade low in August, the International Energy Agency said Friday. Saudi Arabia told OPEC last week that August production dropped to 6.2 million barrels per day from 10.9 million in February before the war began.

Sources: Reuters

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More Than 2,000 Flee Yemen Fighting to Djibouti, UN Says: September 13, 2026

DJIBOUTI — More than 2,000 people fleeing hostilities in Yemen have arrived on Djibouti’s shores this week, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration said Sunday, RTE reported, citing IOM and AFP.

The first arrivals landed Thursday evening as Iran-backed Houthi forces pressed a week-long offensive that captured Mocha and strategic islands along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, cementing control near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Djibouti’s economy minister had put the figure at about 1,400 people on Saturday.

According to the UN, at least 76,000 people have been displaced in Yemen by fighting since July, with that number quadrupling in the last week amid the Houthi advance. Djibouti, opposite Yemen across the strait, is also a transit point for migrants seeking work in Gulf states.

The small Horn of Africa state hosts military bases from the United States, China, Japan, France, and Italy overlooking the Bab al-Mandab, which has become a critical oil route after Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Sources: RTE (IOM/AFP)

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Eritrea Accuses Ethiopia of Destabilising Horn of Africa: September 13, 2026

ADDIS ABABA — Eritrea on Saturday accused Ethiopia of destabilising the Horn of Africa, in the latest war of words between the fractious neighbours, AFP reported via The Hindu and Arab News.

An Eritrean Foreign Ministry statement accused Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party of “actively destabilising the Horn of Africa,” saying Addis Ababa had escalated “war rhetoric,” challenged international treaties, and “hosted, trained, and financed” proxy groups with a “regime-change” agenda against Eritrea.

Eritrea also accused Ethiopia of “harbouring, supporting and actively encouraging” Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary faction fighting Sudan’s army since 2023. Contacted by AFP, the Ethiopian premier’s spokesman did not immediately comment.

Ties normalised after Abiy took office in 2018, earning him a Nobel Peace Prize, and Eritrean forces later backed Ethiopia’s federal army in the Tigray war. Relations have soured since that conflict ended in late 2022, with Eritrea claiming landlocked Ethiopia has designs on its Red Sea port of Assab.

Sources: AFP via The Hindu, AFP via Arab News

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