WORLD

 OTTAWA, 11 September 2026 (Ghufran): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Canada seeking increased military and financial support for Ukraine as the country faces intensified Russian air attacks ahead of winter. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada plans to produce millions of drones over the next two years, with one-third of the drones to be sent to Ukraine to support its defense. Carney said newly announced contracts would increase Canada’s military drone fleet tenfold from its current level of around 2,000 drones. Canada also announced a package of air-defense interceptors worth 350 million Canadian dollars ($254 million), to be delivered to Ukraine through a U.S. mechanism, while Zelenskyy described the assistance as crucial amid a global short...

LONDON, 11 September 2026 (Kamran Raja): Princess Diana’s iconic “revenge dress”, one of the most memorable fashion statements in royal history, is set to go on sale for the first time in nearly three decades, with the legendary black evening gown expected to fetch up to $300,000 at auction. Designed by Greek fashion designer Christina Stambolian, the figure-hugging silk dress will be unveiled at Sotheby’s London on September 18 before travelling to Hong Kong, Geneva and New York ahead of the December 9 auction. Diana wore the striking shoulder-baring dress to a party at London’s Serpentine Gallery on June 29, 1994, the same day her then-husband, now-King Charles III, publicly admitted in a television documentary that he had been unfaithful. She completed the look with black heels, a clutc...

ERBIL, September 11, 2026 (Ghufran): The US-led coalition has begun withdrawing its forces from Iraq’s Kurdistan region ahead of the September 30 deadline to end its military mission in Iraq, Kurdish Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed said on Thursday. The coalition had already withdrawn from its other bases in Iraq in January and is now stationed only in the northern autonomous Kurdistan region, with forces currently deployed at Erbil International Airport. Under a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington, the coalition is scheduled to complete its withdrawal by September 30 after concluding its mission against the Islamic State (IS). Ahmed said the withdrawal process had already started, with coalition personnel being transferred daily to locations outside Iraq. A senior Iraqi official a...

 WASHINGTON, 11 September, 2026 (Ghufran): Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called U.S. President Donald Trump twice on Thursday and urged him to launch strikes against the Houthis, Axios reported, citing two U.S. official .According to the report, Trump rejected the request, while U.S. officials said the administration does not intend to take direct military action against the Houthis at this time. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The White House and the Saudi Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours. Axios reported that the United States is increasingly concerned about the rapidly escalating conflict in Yemen and is strengthening support for Saudi Arabia while seeking to avoid direct military i...

 OSLO, 10 September, 2026 (Nosheen): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s plane was nearly hit by a drone while preparing to take off from Moldova, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Wednesday. Stoere told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that Zelenskiy’s aircraft was “almost hit by a drone” as it was about to depart Moldova, highlighting the security risks facing the Ukrainian president amid Russia’s ongoing aerial attacks. Moldovan authorities temporarily closed the country’s airspace on Tuesday following reports of drone activity, delaying Zelenskiy’s departure. A government spokesperson said the aircraft was cleared for take-off after authorities confirmed that a Russian drone had fallen on Moldovan territory. Two Russian drones entered Moldovan airspace o...

 CAIRO,10 September, 2026 (Ghufran): Iran-aligned Houthis have seized control of Yemen’s port city of Mocha, according to Yemeni military sources, raising concerns over global energy supplies and international shipping. Four Yemeni government military sources said the Houthis had strengthened their position near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major shipping route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, and were launching attacks on the strategic Hanish Islands. The development comes hours after US President Donald Trump said he expected the war to end after the mid-term elections.

NEW DELHI, 10 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India this week, his first in seven years, is expected to help improve diplomatic relations between the two countries, but business ties remain affected by mistrust and regulatory hurdles. Xi will attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi, with a possible meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to be important for the future of bilateral relations. Although ties have improved since the 2020 border clashes, businesses continue to face investment restrictions, visa delays and other barriers. India has recently eased some restrictions on Chinese investment and approved selected joint ventures, but major Chinese companies remain cautious about expanding their operations in the country.

 NEW DELHI, 10 September, 2026 (Nosheen): India will host the BRICS Leaders’ Summit on September 12-13 in New Delhi, seeking to strengthen the bloc’s global profile as the U.S.-led war on Iran tests unity among its members, with Iran and the United Arab Emirates on opposing sides of the conflict. The summit comes more than six months after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, which joined BRICS in 2024. The conflict has virtually shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil-trade route, pushing crude prices above $100 a barrel. The UAE, after being targeted by Iranian missiles since the war began, suspended all trade and financial transactions with Iran in August. Foreign policy experts said a key challenge for BRICS would be finding language on the Middle Ea...

BEIJING, 10 September, 2026 (Ghufran): At least 20 people were killed after a foreign-flagged cargo ship caught fire while undergoing repairs at a shipyard in Qingdao, eastern China. According to Chinese media, the vessel, identified as the Ocean Melody, was undergoing repairs at Beihai Shipbuilding when the fire suddenly broke out. The ship was flying the Liberian flag. A total of 42 people were aboard the vessel, of whom 12 were safely evacuated, while five injured people were taken to hospital and reported to be in stable condition. Five others remain missing. Rescue teams battled the blaze for more than three hours before bringing it under control. The fire broke out at around 11 a.m. local time and was extinguished by about 2:30 p.m. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang e...