September 2026
All columns and Brief analyses.
10 results
Belgium to try former BelGaN researcher in chip-secrets case
Belgian federal prosecutors accuse a 52-year-old Chinese-Belgian former senior BelGaN researcher of transferring trade secrets for gallium nitride chips abroad. He was detained on May 10 before boarding a flight to Beijing and remains jailed awaiting trial. He denies the allegations, while investigators continue to pursue a second suspect who has not been arrested.
CADD522 protected bone and reduced fat in mice; human effects remain unknown
Over eight weeks, CADD522 improved bone volume and microarchitecture while lowering fat measures in mice whose ovaries were removed to model post-menopausal bone loss. The efficacy groups contained only eight mice each. Rat and dog studies showed oral bioavailability, but rapid clearance remains a constraint; short-term animal tolerability does not establish safety or osteoporosis treatment in people.
Dangerous haze pushes West Kalimantan classrooms online
Wildfire haze remained dangerous across West Kalimantan on September 7 despite rainfall. Pontianak schools stayed online, while neighbouring Kubu Raya extended remote learning through September 9 as PM2.5 reached 518.1 micrograms per cubic metre. The local decisions show that classroom teaching will remain suspended until officials judge the air safe.
Dangote Refinery signs its IPO terms
Dangote Petroleum Refinery fixed its IPO price at 525 naira a share and the minimum subscription at 10 shares, or 5,250 naira, at a signing ceremony in Lagos. The 4.1 billion-share offer is due to open on September 14 and list on the Nigerian Exchange's main board; a fully subscribed sale could raise about 2.15 trillion naira.
EU unveils a €200 million investment package for Greenland
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a €200 million package to be invested with Greenland in 2026 and 2027. It covers education, fisheries, digital connectivity, hydropower, critical raw minerals, housing, small businesses and sustainable tourism. Von der Leyen also signed a joint declaration reinforcing the EU-Greenland-Denmark partnership with Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Euro-area second-quarter growth is revised to 0.6 per cent as Ireland surges
The euro-area economy grew 0.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, up from a 0.4 per cent flash estimate. European Union growth was also revised from 0.5 per cent to 0.7 per cent. Ireland drove much of the change after its rate was raised from an initial 3.9 per cent to 10.2 per cent. Irish modified domestic demand fell 0.8 per cent, highlighting the gap between headline GDP and domestic activity.
Fighting grows along the Taiz-Mokha route as casualty tallies diverge
An AFP tally carried by Al-Monitor puts the toll in Yemen's latest fighting above 300. Al Jazeera reported more than 60 deaths, while Anadolu Agency separately covered fierce fighting in the Al-Kadhah sector linking Taiz and Mokha. Independent reports confirm fighting along the route, but there is no common verified total.
Germany challenges the UN court’s power to hear Nicaragua’s Gaza case
Germany wants Nicaragua’s case over its military support for Israel dismissed. Four days of hearings beginning Monday in The Hague will address the UN court’s jurisdiction and the admissibility of certain claims. The International Court of Justice rejected emergency measures to halt aid in 2024 but kept the case open. Accepting Berlin’s preliminary objections could end the case; rejecting them could allow examination of the merits.
Google and Cathay Pacific expand their contrail trial into a larger randomized study
Google and Cathay Pacific are turning a contrail-avoidance trial covering more than 80 flights into a larger randomized controlled study. With Contrails.org joining, the second phase will test operational feasibility on ultra-long-haul routes across Asia and the Pacific. The estimated 40 percent reduction in warming impact from the first phase is an early result from Google's satellite analysis, not an independent measurement, and no extra-fuel figure has been published.
How firm is the 4,000-job estimate in JLR's voluntary redundancy plan?
JLR confirmed a voluntary redundancy programme; the 4,000 jobs and two-year timetable remain a reported estimate. Two publishers separate the confirmed decision from that estimate and agree on the 1.7 billion pound savings target.