Missing Gulf Oil: One Third Undetected Despite Dark Crossings Data

Clandestine oil shipments sailing without transponder signals through the Strait of Hormuz have helped ease a global crude shortage, yet persistent uncertainty over exact export volumes has driven international oil prices higher, according to market data analyzed by Reuters. Crude Flows and the ‘Dark Crossing’ Phenomenon Tankers carrying Middle Eastern crude have increasingly relied on … Read more

Sweden Pays Immigrants to Leave Ahead of Election

Sweden is offering foreign-born residents from outside the European Union up to 350,000 Swedish crowns, roughly $37,000, to voluntarily leave the country under a new government scheme aimed at curbing immigration ahead of the September 13 election, according to Reuters reports. Sweden Remigration Grants and Political Stakes The coalition government, which took power in 2022 … Read more

Ukraine War Drives Near-Record Cluster Bomb Casualties

Cluster munitions killed or wounded at least 1,063 people in 2025, with the vast majority of casualties occurring in Ukraine according to the Cluster Munition Coalition’s annual report released on Tuesday. The toll marks the third-highest annual total recorded since tracking began in 2010, driven heavily by ongoing warfare where unexploded bomblets continue to threaten … Read more

Ebola Outbreak in Congo Exceeds 6,000 Cases

According to government data released on Monday, confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surpassed 6,000, creating the largest epidemic in the central African country’s history. The current outbreak has officially exceeded the previous worst outbreak, which lasted from 2018 to 2020, according to official figures shared by the communication ministry on … Read more

Kremlin Calls US-Ukraine Talks Useful Despite No Breakthrough

Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, held more than three hours of talks in the Kremlin on September 5, 2026, though a Kremlin aide confirmed the meeting yielded no immediate breakthrough. Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin aide, stated that the Americans outlined ideas for a potential settlement, … Read more

Vance Dismisses Iran Conflict as War, Offers No Timeline for End

According to U.S. Vice President JD Vance, the United States has ended major combat operations with Iran, though ongoing hostilities entering their seventh month continue to exert pressure on the Trump administration ahead of the November midterm elections. Speaking at a White House briefing on Sept. 3, 2026, Vance stated that the bilateral fighting does … Read more

Russia and US Explore Financial Ties Revival, Says Finance Minister

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held a bilateral meeting on Monday at the G20 finance leaders conference in North Carolina to discuss financial ties. While Siluanov expressed a desire to find common ground in economic dialogue, a source familiar with the meeting told Reuters that Bessent maintained that no economic relief for Russia is possible until … Read more

Bessent Urges BOJ Chief to Ensure Sound Policy and Curb Yen Volatility

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda to conduct sound monetary policy to anchor inflation expectations and avoid excessive yen volatility during a G20 meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. The high-level discussions, held on September 1, 2026, cement the case for an impending Japanese … Read more

Bessent Anticipates Yen Boost from Japan and Signals BOJ Rate Hike

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Japan’s government and central bank will take measures to strengthen the yen, signaling a strong probability of a Bank of Japan interest rate hike in September. According to CNBC and Reuters reports from Asheville, North Carolina, Bessent indicated during a Group of 20 finance leaders gathering that markets … Read more

The Battle to Build a Global Defence Bank: Geopolitics and Finance

The Defence, Security and Resilience Bank has raised about €5 billion in upfront commitments from nine founding nations led by Canada, according to officials involved in the project. The newly proposed global lender aims to secure a €100 billion war chest to finance military rearmament, though major European economies have yet to join ahead of … Read more