Gains

• India's Quimcy Dsouza lost to Japan's Yuina Sakamoto in the women's singles bronze medal teqball match on Sunday, September 20. • Teqball is one of six sporting disciplines making its first appearance at the Asian Games 2026. • The result determines the final podium placement for India in a newly introduced Olympic-style sport.

The FBI says Daejon Love and his alleged accomplice, Taylor Chan, defrauded women they met on dating apps out of $1.3mAt least 35 additional women have come forward with fraud allegations against Daejon Love, the man accused last month of masquerading as a San Francisco 49ers player and wealthy investor, the FBI announced on Friday. Federal authorities had previously said Love conned more than two dozen women, many of whom he met on dating apps, out of $1.3m.Love, 35, and alleged accomplice Taylor Chan, 18, who posed as his financial adviser, were arrested in August and have been charged with wire fraud. Continue reading...

• The US dollar rose 0.52% against the Hungarian forint today, reaching a trading value of Ft317,755. • This increase follows a Federal Reserve interest rate hike and a rise in US Treasury yields. • Traders face a 62% probability of further upward movement, meaning the dollar may continue to strengthen against the forint.

• President Trump signed H.R. 5334, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, to expand trade restrictions and sanctions against Russia. • The law prohibits U.S. investment in Russia and targets senior officials, state-linked banks, the energy sector, and the "shadow fleet" used to evade sanctions. • These measures increase financial and operational pressure on Russian state entities and the networks they use to bypass international trade laws.

• Former President Trump signed a law imposing severe sanctions on Russia's energy sector, financial institutions, and military leadership. • The legislation allows the United States to apply tariffs of up to 100% on goods from countries that continue to purchase Russian energy resources. • These measures create significant financial risks for global trade partners and markets that rely on Russian oil and gas.

• Gold prices rose for a second straight session on Friday to reach a one-week high. • Spot gold increased 1.1% to $4,387.69 per ounce by 0829 GMT, while US gold futures rose 0.6% to $4,428. • Investors are shifting toward gold as a safe haven while monitoring falling oil prices and the conflict in the Middle East.

• The Indian stock market saw mixed results on September 18, 2026, as the Sensex slipped while the Nifty 50 gained 75 points by the close. • Singapore reported a 46.2% year-on-year surge in August exports, which was driven primarily by demand for artificial intelligence technology. • Brazil's central bank implemented its fifth consecutive interest rate cut to stimulate economic activity.

• Singapore reported a 46.2% year-over-year surge in August exports driven by demand for artificial intelligence technology. • Brazil's central bank implemented its fifth consecutive interest rate cut while remaining undecided on future adjustments. • These shifts in global trade and monetary policy impact international investors tracking emerging market stability and tech demand.

Former prime minister says US would ‘scuttle itself back to San Diego’, leaving Australia to deal with retribution from ChinaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastAukus critic Paul Keating has said the submarine deal is locking Australia in to any future US conflict with China – “a war America would certainly lose” – and making Australia a target for retribution.The former prime minister seized on comments reported out of Washington this week from Republican congressman Michael McCaul – a China hawk and co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Australia caucus – who said “Australia is a target” for enemies of the US already. However, McCaul argued that greater integration with the US military would better protect Australia rather than leaving it more vulnerable. Continue reading...

President’s United Russia party faces no meaningful opposition after liberal anti-war party barred from ballotRussians are going to the polls to elect a new State Duma in a tightly controlled vote stripped of meaningful competition and with little doubt about the result.Vladimir Putin’s United Russia is expected to extend the grip on parliament it has held for 23 years, alongside a handful of nominal opposition parties that reliably vote with the Kremlin on the issues that matter. The three-day vote begins on Friday, with results expected after polls close on Sunday. Continue reading...

• The Federal Reserve unanimously raised interest rates by 25 basis points in its most recent meeting. • Median projections from the Fed indicate one more rate hike is expected by the end of the year before rates stay on hold through 2027. • US stocks finished lower and the US Dollar Index held onto gains as Chair Warsh reiterated a commitment to price stability.

• Iran-backed Houthi rebels swept down the west coast of Yemen this month, gaining control of a strategic strait. • The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 125,000 people have already been displaced by this latest round of conflict. • The resurgence of fighting threatens to deepen a long-running humanitarian crisis for the Yemeni population.

Rapper dropped from tour after pro-Palestine remarksFormer NFL star settled case over collusion in 2019Colin Kaepernick has accused NFL owners of colluding against Macklemore after the rapper was removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour over comments he made onstage about Palestine.Kaepernick, whose NFL career was effectively ended in the wake of his protests against police violence, says he sees parallels between himself and Macklemore. Continue reading...

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen backed the creation of a European Security Council on Wednesday to address growing threats to peace. • The proposed council would include leaders from the EU, Britain, Norway, Ukraine, and Canada, with permanent seats for large nations like Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Poland. • This initiative aims to establish a coordinated "playbook" to defend the continent against sabotage and security risks.

• The Euro is trading near a one-month low against the US Dollar on Tuesday as rising US Treasury yields strengthen the greenback. • Market participants expect the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to a range of 3.75%-4.00% during its policy announcement on Wednesday. • This anticipated rate hike is weighing on risk assets, causing Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market to correct.

Even as the ‘extremist’ AfD seeks further election gains in Germany, Europe’s leaders can learn from Sweden’s dangerous embrace with far-right ideologyDon’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereEurope’s focus turned nervously to Sweden on Sunday, after an explosive election in Germany just a week earlier placed a far-right party, officially classed as “extremist”, on the brink of power in a German state for the first time since the Nazi era. A party with neo-Nazi roots has been pulling the government’s strings in Sweden for the last four years – would the country’s general election put the far right formally in government? Or would enough Swedes opt for a gear change, having seen the Sweden Democrats’ hardline (some would say poisonous) agenda in action?Votes were still being counted on Wednesday but it was immediately clear that the far-right Sweden Democrats had suffered a setback; their first loss of support among voters since it entered parliament for the first time 16 years ago. The party slipped from being the country’s second biggest party to its third. Continue reading...

Armed group appears to reach agreement with Trump administration over safety of Red Sea shippingOfficials from the US met Houthi leaders over the weekend at the country’s embassy in Muscat, Oman, it has been confirmed, leading to the US decision not to intervene to help Saudi Arabia drive back a Houthi advance inside Yemen.The Houthis reassured the US that the ceasefire agreement between the two sides struck in 2025 still held and the movement had no intention of attacking US shipping in the Red Sea. Only Saudi-linked shipping was regarded as a target owing to its blockade of Yemen, the Houthis confirmed. Continue reading...

Kasim and Sulaiman Khan tell Guardian they believe ex-PM is being ‘slowly killed’ by harsh treatment, driven by Asim MunirThe sons of Imran Khan have accused Pakistan’s powerful army chief of a “personal vendetta” against the incarcerated former prime minister and expressed fears their father is being “slowly killed” in jail, as international pressure mounts over his prison conditions.Kasim Khan, 27, and Sulaiman Khan, 29, have become strong advocates for the release of their father, who has been held in Adiala prison in Rawalpindi since his arrest in 2023, and is serving a 14-year sentence on corruption charges. Continue reading...

• Sweden's center-left political bloc currently leads in a close election against the incumbent right-wing government. • The outcome will determine if Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson can continue his policy of a hard-right clampdown on migration. • A victory for the center-left would halt the country's recent shift away from its liberal traditions.

• Dr. Mike Krupa discussed a growing "Poland first" sentiment among Polish citizens in a September 12, 2026, conversation with Ian Proud. • The movement emphasizes refusing to treat every demand from Kyiv or directive from the European Commission as an automatic Polish interest. • This shift indicates a move toward prioritizing national sovereignty over the political expectations of Ukraine and the European Union.

• Prime Minister Modi announced that all BRICS members reached a full consensus to adopt the New Delhi Declaration in 2026. • The agreement specifically emphasizes the need for women to have equal and meaningful participation in peace and security processes, including conflict resolution and humanitarian relief. • This consensus signals a unified diplomatic front among member nations on global governance reforms and counter-terrorism efforts.

• European music revenue approached $7 billion in 2025 as streaming services continued to grow. • Romania saw the highest year-over-year recorded revenue increase at 16.1%, followed by Slovakia and the Baltics at 15.9%. • These gains indicate a rising number of paid account users across European markets, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Baltics.

Former SBS newsreader had been accused by Zionist Federation of Australia of breaching Racial Discrimination Act when sharing X postsFederal court proceedings brought by the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) against journalist Mary Kostakidis have been discontinued “by consent” with “no order as to costs”.The former SBS newsreader had been accused by the federation of breaching the Racial Discrimination Act (RDA) by sharing two X posts about a speech by the late Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah in January 2024. Continue reading...

• Saudi Arabia and its partners have failed to defeat Houthi rebels in a civil war that has persisted since 2014. • The Saudi-led military operation began in March 2015 and has resulted in steady losses for the coalition over the last decade. • This prolonged conflict demonstrates the inability of the Saudi military to achieve its strategic goals against the rebel forces.

Darren Conway admits 11 charges after the Met identified him as a member of an online sexual offending forumA man has admitted using an online sexual abuse network to commit a host of sexual crimes, along with another man, against the latter’s unconscious wife.Darren Conway, 52, pleaded guilty to 11 charges at Wood Green crown court. They included voyeurism, possession of extreme pornography and encouraging the other man to sexually abuse his wife on Conway’s behalf. Continue reading...

Bill fails at second reading despite near-identical legislation being approved by Commons in last parliamentA bill to permit assisted dying in England and Wales has been voted down by MPs, almost certainly stopping such a measure from being enacted before the next general election.In the second reading of the bill, put forward by Labour’s Lauren Edwards, MPs voted by 286 to 270 in the Commons for the bill to be blocked. Continue reading...

• Leading European tech founders and investors are urging EU policymakers to protect five core provisions of a landmark reform intended to unlock the Single Market. • These industry leaders warn that watering down these specific rules will make the reform unusable for scaling technology companies. • The outcome determines whether European startups can easily expand across borders or remain hindered by fragmented national regulations.