måndag 28 september 2026
TOP NEWS
Oil Market
UK seeks to prevent US export ban
The UK is holding talks with US authorities in an effort to prevent the US from imposing a ban on diesel exports. This was stated by British Financial Secretary John Healey to the BBC.
"Fundamentally, what we need is a solution in the Middle East," he says.
Diesel prices in the UK reached record levels today. About a third of the diesel the country imports comes from the US.
Donald Trump said over the weekend that he is considering a halt to diesel exports—reportedly in the hope of driving down prices for Americans ahead of the midterm elections—according to sources.
Political Situation in Myanmar
At least 33 dead in airstrike near market in Myanmar
At least 33 people have been killed in an airstrike carried out by the Myanmar military on a rebel-controlled area in the western part of the country, the AP reports. Another 36 people were injured.
According to the armed group the Arakan Army, a fighter jet dropped two bombs near a market in the middle of the day. Civilians shopping and working at the market were among the dead, the group stated. The death toll has been confirmed by local authorities.
This is the latest in a series of deadly attacks against pro-democracy resistance movements and armed groups in Myanmar.
The Myanmar military has not yet commented on the incident. South Korea–Ukraine Relations
South Korea demands apology and explanation from Ukraine
After Ukraine revealed that it had handed over two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, the South Korean presidential office is now demanding both an apology and an explanation, Reuters reports.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the secret prisoner handover during his speech at the UN General Assembly last week—a move that, according to South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung, violated the confidentiality agreement the two countries had reached.
According to one of Lee’s presidential secretaries, the disclosure has seriously damaged trust between the two nations.
Ukraine has previously claimed that no such confidentiality agreement existed.
Russian invasion Sanctions
Ukrainian politician: Is the EU’s stance on Russia for sale?
The EU has imposed strict sanctions on Russian oligarchs following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. But just how tough is the European stance, really? This question has been raised by Ukrainian MP Kira Rudik after France lifted sanctions on one of the billionaires, *Berlingske* reports.
"Arrest an EU citizen, apply enough pressure, and suddenly sanctions become negotiable," Rudik wrote on X.
According to her, this is exactly what happened when French citizen Martin Ryan was released as part of a diplomatic negotiation between France and Azerbaijan earlier this week. His release came just hours after Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov was removed from the EU sanctions list.
Political situation in Northern Ireland
Tensions in Northern Ireland as controversial march is permitted
For the first time since 1997, the Protestant "Orange Order" brotherhood has requested permission to march along Garvaghy Road in Drumcree, Northern Ireland, the BBC reports. Sunday’s march—held to commemorate the Protestant movement's revolt against the Catholic King James II in 1688—raises fears that it could inflame nationalist factions that have remained relatively calm since the 1998 peace agreement.
Senior politicians from both Sinn Féin and the SDLP have appealed to the police and authorities to halt the march, but a court ruling has determined that it may proceed.
"This is primitive behavior for 2026," says Michelle O’Neill, representing Sinn Féin.
Around 30 people are participating in the march, which began around 8:00 a.m. local time. Opponents have stated their intention to block the brotherhood from entering Garvaghy Road.
Political situation in Spain
25,000 Spaniards took to the streets for Maricarmen
On Saturday evening, 25,000 Spaniards protested against the country's housing market. The protests followed the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen from her apartment after her landlord drastically raised her rent by 230 percent, *El País* reports.
The protests have intensified since Wednesday, when the news about Maricarmen first broke. "The eviction has become a symbol of a major problem regarding housing," political scientist Cristina Monge tells The Guardian.
Trade unions have singled out investment firms as scapegoats and called for tax hikes on them. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, for his part, has placed the blame on Madrid’s right-wing politicians.
Terror plot against English airbase
Suspects in terror plot are British citizens
The five men suspected of attempting to carry out a terrorist attack against an airbase in England are British citizens. Police have confirmed this, according to The Guardian.
All five are from London and are aged between 23 and 25. British police have previously stated that they are investigating whether Iran might be behind the attack, which was thwarted on Sunday morning.
Iran "categorically" denies the allegations of involvement, the Iranian embassy in London wrote in a post on X.
Terror suspects released on bail
The five men suspected of attempting to carry out a terrorist attack against the RAF Fairford airbase in the UK are being released on bail today, Reuters reports.
The investigation is ongoing. According to British police, the incident is being investigated "from all angles." Among other things, police are looking into whether the men may have acted—knowingly or unknowingly—on behalf of a foreign state.
Analysis: More questions than answers regarding suspected terror plot
Police handling of the suspected terror plot against the RAF Fairford airbase in the UK leaves one with more questions than answers, according to analyses in British media.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner notes that the entire country is likely muttering a disbelieving "what?" He writes that the fact that the suspected men were quickly released on bail undermines any talk of a catastrophe having been averted. At the same time, an emergency meeting on national security has been convened, suggesting that the government is taking the incident extremely seriously.
In his analysis for *The Guardian*, Dan Sabbagh addresses questions regarding possible links to Iran.
The fact that Iran has singled out Fairford as a "legitimate target" gives the base obvious value as a target for a terrorist attack. However, it remains unclear why anyone from London would be bold enough to attack a military base, he writes.
US-China Relations
Ambassador: Trump asked Xi if he wanted to buy weapons
US President Donald Trump asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping if he wanted to buy American weapons. This was revealed to the AP by the US Ambassador to China.
If Xi were—against all odds—to say yes, it would upend US policy regarding China and Taiwan, and furthermore place American technology in the hands of a potential adversary, according to Ambassador David Perdue.
In a statement, the US State Department noted that the US prohibits arms sales to China and that there are no offers or plans to sell weapons to China in the future.
Xi Jinping visited Trump in the US last week.
US and China to lower tariffs on goods worth 600 billion following summit
China and the US have agreed to lower tariffs on goods totaling $60 billion—nearly 600 billion kronor—that the countries import from one another, Reuters reports.
The agreement covers thousands of non-sensitive goods valued at $30 billion in each direction, which will receive more favorable tariff treatment, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated on Sunday.
The goods include, among other things, American corn and cosmetics, as well as Chinese household appliances and toys.
The reciprocal tariff reductions and an extension of the trade truce were two of the key outcomes of last week's summit between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, the news agency writes.
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