September 14, 2026

MIDDLE EAST WAR | Day 199.

• Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands in the southern Red Sea today, strengthening their control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait maritime shipping route and increasing concerns about further pressures on global oil transport. [more]
• An Iranian cargo vessel was struck off Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz early yesterday, according to Iranian state media. Tehran blamed a “terrorist enemy” for the attack in which at least one person was killed and four others were wounded. [more]
• Talks scheduled for today to discuss re-opening the Strait of Hormuz with Gulf-region foreign ministers have reportedly been postponed by Iran and Oman "at the request of some regional countries." [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,661 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Citing global supply issues, U.S. President Donald Trump called yesterday for Ukraine to halt airstrikes on Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure used to produce and distribute diesel fuel. [more]
• A Russian drone strike hit a train station at Yahodyn near the Ukraine-Poland border yesterday, just minutes after a separate train carrying senior visiting officials departed the area. Among those on the train that departed before the strike were former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Swedish leader Carl Bildt, and several security advisers from multiple European Union states, who had attended the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv. [more]

U.S. ELECTIONS | In a ruling similar to one already appealed by the Trump administration to the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols in Washington, D.C., yesterday ordered the U.S. Postal Service to not implement President Donald Trump’s executive order placing new restrictions on mail-in balloting. Nichols said in his ruling that implementing the executive order would result in an "increased risk that a significant number of otherwise appropriate absentee or mail-in ballots will ultimately not be counted in the upcoming elections,” and that "the public has a strong interest in ensuring that doesn’t happen." [more]

U.S. POLITICS | Seemingly contradicting President Donald Trump's earlier statement that he did not feel congressional authorization would be needed to spend about $1 trillion to send every adult in the U.S. $5,000 if Republicans retain control of both the House and Senate following this November's mid-term elections, House Speaker Mike Johnson said yesterday that the plan would need Congress' approval. [more]

PENNSYLVANIA | Health officials in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, say a 40-year-old female resident of the county died Saturday from complications associated with measles infection. The death, the third in a measles patient in the state this year, comes amidst Pennsylvania's ongoing outbreak of the disease, which had recorded 676 cases in 37 of the state’s 67 counties as of Friday. [more]

U.S. AND IRELAND | Speaking yesterday at the Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, Ireland, U.S. President Donald Trump said he plans to remove a 10% U.S. import tariff on Irish whiskey. [more]

GLOBAL SECURITY AND STABILITY | Speaking yesterday at the BRICS summit of leading developing nations in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned of increased global risks from rising geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, climate crises, and the weaponization of both technology and critical minerals. [more]

CANADA | Amidst ongoing U.S.-Canada trade tensions, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney who once headed the central banks of Canada and England and chaired the boards of Bloomberg L.P. and Brookfield Asset Management, is hosting some 300 senior executives from some of the world’s largest investment firms this week as part of the Canada Investment Summit. [more]

SWEDEN | Preliminary results appear to give the left-wing opposition, headed by former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, a three-seat advantage over Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s right-wing coalition following yesterday's parliamentary elections in Sweden. Reports note that about 6% of the vote is outstanding and that final results from the election may not be decided until Wednesday. [more]

NORTH KOREA | In its first such action in about three weeks, North Korea carried out live-fire military exercises involving missiles, artillery, and drones yesterday in action analysts say appears to suggest plans to develop the ability to overwhelm South Korean and U.S. air defenses. [more]

TURKEY | Authorities carried out coordinated crackdowns on multiple LGBTQ+ and HIV awareness groups and individuals in major Turkish cities yesterday, arresting dozens of people and, according to reports, searching organization offices and raiding popular hangouts. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said the operations were carried out to "protect children, the institution of the family, and public order." [more]

INDONESIA | Search and rescue efforts continue today in the Java Sea for at least 129 people who remain missing after a ferry traveling from Surabaya in Indonesia's East Java province to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province, on Borneo Island, capsized yesterday in rough seas. [more]

SYRIA | In the country's largest series of price hikes since the ongoing Middle East war began, the Syrian government on Saturday raised diesel fuel prices by 40%, gasoline prices by about 27%, and household and industrial gas prices by about 9%. The moves sparked widespread protests across Syria, including ones in which protesters blocked the highway linking the capital Damascus to the industrial hub of Aleppo. [more]

AI INDUSTRY | Following multiple recent high-profile warnings from artificial intelligence insiders about potential dangers, U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the potential need for some AI industry regulation yesterday but said he worries about ceding leadership in the field to China. Among recent commentary on the issue was that of Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who suggested over the weekend that the AI industry needs to slow its fast-moving development to give safety measures time to catch up. [more]

TENNIS | Alexander Zverev defeated Ben Shelton yesterday to win the men's title at the U.S. Open tennis tournament. On Saturday, Elena Rybakina beat Aryna Sabalenka to win the tournament's women's title. [more]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL | Following weekend games, Texas tops the AP Top 25 college football poll, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, and Miami. [full poll] [more]

BASKETBALL | The women's USA Basketball team won its fifth-straight FIBA World Cup title yesterday, beating France 97-79 in the tournament final. U.S. captain Breanna Stewart was named the tournament's most valuable player. [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "Practical Magic 2" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $30 million in receipts, followed by "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and "The Odyssey." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1847, U.S. General Winfield Scott's advance on Mexico City culminated with his forces entering the city, effectively ending the military phase of the Mexican-American War. [more history]