September 2026
All columns and Brief analyses.
10 results
Trump calls the Iran conflict ‘small potatoes’ as accounts detail the exchange
Al Jazeera and AP News separately reported Donald Trump’s remarks about the Iran conflict in a White House exchange. Both accounts describe his defence of JD Vance’s position and his characterization of the fighting; AP also reported that Trump described US strikes as intermittent.
UN raises crimes-against-humanity concerns over the emptying of three West Bank camps
The UN Human Rights Office reported that Israel’s Operation Iron Wall displaced the entire populations of three refugee camps and that residents remained barred from returning. It said the prolonged displacement of more than 33,000 people raised serious concerns of the crime against humanity of forcible transfer. The report detailed home demolitions and cuts to basic services in Jenin, Nur Shams and Tulkarm. Israel said it spread misinformation.
US 10-year Treasury yield reaches 4.8 per cent
The US 10-year Treasury yield reached 4.8 per cent on Friday, up from 4.64 per cent ten days earlier, while the 30-year yield touched its highest point since 2008. With public debt above 40 trillion dollars, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued that oil and bond yields could retreat after the war ends.
US August payrolls rise 162,000 as unemployment holds at 4.1 per cent
The US Labor Department reported that nonfarm payrolls rose 162,000 in August and unemployment was 4.1 per cent. AP News reported a 0.4 per cent fall in the S&P 500 and a two-year Treasury yield of 4.37 per cent on the day of the release. The sources record both the official number and market prices on the same day.
US diesel average reaches a record 5.85 dollars a gallon
AP News and Al Jazeera reported that the US diesel average reached a record 5.85 dollars a gallon. Both reports also describe disruption to energy trade during the Iran war. Diesel’s wide use in freight, farming and construction means the price is watched beyond drivers.
US jobs surprise strengthens bets on a Fed rate increase
After US August employment beat expectations, traders priced roughly a 60 per cent chance of a quarter-point Fed rate increase this month, up from approximately even odds before the release. The dollar recovered some ground on Friday, although the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index still ended the week down 0.7 per cent. Stocks fell and the two-year US Treasury yield rose.
US strikes three Iranian oil tankers after missile fire at its warships
US Central Command said Iran’s Revolutionary Guard fired ballistic missiles at two American warships before US forces disabled two Iranian crude carriers and destroyed a third. The command reported no harm to its personnel but gave no information about deaths or injuries aboard the tankers. The strikes came one day after Donald Trump played down the Iran campaign, in which 18 US service members have died.
Voice disorders showed a stronger risk link to cognitive decline in a large records study
Medical Xpress and Drexel University report that, in records from 833,417 patients, a diagnosed voice disorder was associated with a 58 per cent higher risk of cognitive impairment or dementia. Hearing loss alone carried a 27 per cent rise, and the strongest relationship appeared when both disorders were present. The observational study does not establish causation, and the role of specific voice disorders remains unknown.
Vucic’s party proposes making him prime minister if it wins the election
Serbia’s governing Progressive Party proposed that President Aleksandar Vucic become prime minister if it wins an early parliamentary election. At its Nis meeting, Vucic said he would call the vote within days and resign the presidency to campaign. The previous evening, he outlined a government of no more than 12 ministers. The ballot follows prolonged youth-led protests over corruption.
Witkoff and Kushner arrive in Moscow with Trump’s peace proposal
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow carrying what Trump described as a proposal to end the war. Their first visit to Kyiv is planned for Sunday. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced that Putin had ordered a three-day pause in strikes on Kyiv for the visit. Zelenskyy linked overnight airport strikes to preparations for the delegation potentially arriving by air.