Global Express | September 29, 2026: US Secretary of State Says UK Air Base Incident "Clearly Involves" a Foreign Actor

1. US Secretary of State Says UK Air Base Incident "Clearly Involves" a Foreign Actor

Source: BBC

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a television interview that the weekend incident at RAF Fairford in the UK "clearly involved the hands of a foreign actor". He did not give further details, but thanked UK authorities for being "co-operative" and "helpful". The base is used by the US military.

Five men arrested near the base on suspicion of terror offences were released on bail on Monday. According to the BBC, all five are UK nationals in their twenties who live in London; they were arrested under the Explosives Act and on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. AC Laurence Taylor, the head of UK counter terrorism policing, said officers are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry, including whether proxies working on behalf of a foreign state could have been involved. The Iranian embassy in the UK denies involvement.

A large cordon remains in place near the base, and 85 households evacuated on Sunday have been told they can return home. US President Donald Trump said the suspects had been "under view for a long time", but the BBC understands the operation was not "intelligence-led". Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the investigation is under way.

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2. Myanmar Military Airstrike Hits Rakhine Market, Killing at Least 33

Source: CBC

An airstrike by Myanmar's military near a market in territory controlled by a powerful rebel group killed at least 33 people and wounded 36 others on Monday, the Arakan Army and a rescue official told The Associated Press.

The attack in western Rakhine state occurred in Kyauktaw township, about 340 kilometres west of Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, according to the Arakan Army, which controls Kyauktaw. It said a fighter jet dropped two bombs near a local market around noon, killing 33 people, including vendors, shoppers and pedestrians. Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, confirmed the casualties to the AP and said the market was the region's main wholesale centre. "This is one of the most severe airstrikes in Rakhine," he said.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021. The military did not immediately comment on the attack and has previously said it strikes only legitimate military targets. In December, a military airstrike on a hospital in Rakhine's Mrauk-U township killed at least 34 people and wounded 80 others.

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3. Putin Expands Army for the Fourth Time This Year

Source: Euronews

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to boost the army by 15,500 troops, the fourth such order this year. The decree said the authorised strength of the Russian armed forces is to be set at 2,441,630 units, including 1,550,500 military personnel.

Putin previously signed decrees boosting the army's size in March, June and July; the combined increase since March amounts to 47,860 soldiers. He did not state the reason, but the decision was taken against the backdrop of rising losses in Moscow's full-scale war in Ukraine. This year Russian advances on the battlefield have slowed, as widespread drone use has made rapid movement of large troop units almost impossible; in recent weeks, reports have also emerged of Ukrainian breakthroughs on some front-line sections.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address on X on Tuesday that "in essence, Russia has already begun additional mobilisation". He also said new data indicates North Korea is preparing to send 10,000 of its soldiers to Russia, in addition to the 8,000 already deployed there.

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4. Netanyahu Makes Surprise UAE Visit, Asked Leader to Deny Warning Report

Source: Middle East Eye

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to the UAE on Sunday to ask Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed to publicly deny a story that the Gulf state warned him in advance of the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, according to a report by The Associated Press.

Citing Israeli media, Middle East Eye reported that Netanyahu lobbied the UAE president in an "hour-long" meeting to deny reporting by Haaretz. The report, based on an upcoming book, said Zayed had told Netanyahu that Israel should be ready for a Hamas-led attack. The UAE's state news agency WAM confirmed in a statement on Monday evening that Zayed received Netanyahu in the Gulf state and that the two discussed ways to "strengthen bilateral relations".

Netanyahu's surprise visit comes roughly one month before hotly anticipated elections in Israel. Leaders of five Israeli opposition parties have agreed to coordinate their efforts to unseat him. Netanyahu has long faced charges that he ignored warnings about Hamas's preparations for the 2023 attack; less than a week after 7 October, Republican Congressman Michael McCaul said lawmakers were briefed that Egypt warned Israel three days prior.

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5. Oil Extends Gains as US-Iran Talks Stall

Source: Yahoo Finance

Oil prices remained higher on Tuesday, although they pared earlier gains, as markets continued to assess US-Iran diplomacy alongside signs of recovering crude exports from the Middle East. As of 04:48 ET (08:48 GMT), benchmark Brent crude futures were up 0.1% at $105.38 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures also gained 0.1% to $92.77. Brent had approached $109 a barrel during the previous session before settling at around $105.

Higher oil prices have added to concerns about inflation and interest rates, with bond markets recently seeing higher yields. "Geopolitical headlines and upward pressure on energy prices provide rates with an excuse to push higher," analysts at ING said in a note. Citing Reuters, Qatari mediators were expected to hold separate discussions with Iran's foreign minister and US officials over an amended seven-day proposal Iran presented last week; both sides remained pessimistic about reaching an agreement before the US midterm elections.

Crude exports from major Middle Eastern producers increased to 12.8 million barrels per day in September, their highest level since February, according to preliminary data from Kpler, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE accounting for much of the increase. Saudi Arabia has since repaired its east-west pipeline and resumed exports through Yanbu. Record diesel prices have also led the White House to consider regulatory changes that could allow broader sales of red-dyed diesel.

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6. US Ban on Canadian Alcohol and Dairy Comes Into Effect

Source: BBC

A US ban on several Canadian imports, including alcohol, dairy and motorcycles, has come into effect as a trade war between the two neighbours drags on. The latest measure by the Trump administration is in response to Canada's implementation of tariffs on a range of US goods earlier this month following a breakdown in trade talks.

Canada is not expected to retaliate further, with Prime Minister Mark Carney saying earlier this month that the impact of the import bans on Canada's economy is "modest". Trade talks remain on ice, with US trade representative Jamieson Greer telling CNBC recently that President Donald Trump is "comfortable" with his current relationship with Canada.

Tuesday's ban applies to nearly C$1 billion ($710 million) worth of Canadian liquor exported to the US, as well as whey products used in protein powder. Motorcycle exports will also be impacted, though Canada sent only about 5,000 motorcycles south of the border in 2025, worth about C$120 million. The import bans were first announced by Trump in executive orders signed on 8 September. About 93% of all Canadian liquor exports in 2025 were sold to the US.

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7. Malaysia Begins Deportations of Myanmar Refugees

Source: The Straits Times

Malaysia will send back its first batch of 1,476 Myanmar nationals on Sept 29 under a phased repatriation programme, despite intense pressure from rights organisations and the UN refugee agency to halt the returns. The deportations are the first wave of a broader agreement with Naypyitaw that could see up to 5,000 Myanmar nationals returned. The Malaysian government has maintained the programme is strictly voluntary, but rights groups and the UNHCR have raised concerns over the safety of those being returned as conflict continues in Myanmar.

"What we can do is very limited," James Bawi, a Chin community leader in Kuala Lumpur, told The Straits Times. The returns mark a critical test for Malaysia's handling of vulnerable populations. Myanmar remains engulfed in civil conflict following the 2021 military coup, and the junta's aggressive conscription laws have raised acute fears of forced recruitment or military detention. Human rights advocates noted that forcing refugees back into active conflict zones directly risks violating the international principle of "non-refoulement".

As at late February, some 215,600 refugees and asylum-seekers were registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia; of those, 193,824 hailed from Myanmar, including 64,680 children under 18. According to UN figures, the group includes 126,144 Rohingya, 15,774 Chin and 33,002 people from other minority ethnic groups. The UNHCR maintains that conditions in Myanmar remain far too volatile for safe returns.

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8. Thailand Flood Death Toll Climbs to 23, Four Dead in Bangkok

Source: Malay Mail

Four people have died in Bangkok after heavy rains caused widespread flooding, the Thai government said on Tuesday, as the toll from floods across Thailand since mid-September rose to 23. Around 700,000 people have been affected by floods in the capital, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM).

Parts of Bangkok remained water-logged on Tuesday, three days after city authorities declared a city-wide disaster following almost 48 hours of continuous rain. Schools remained shut for a second day, while almost 7,000 people stayed in more than 230 shelters across the city. The DDPM said flooding had hit 29 of Thailand's 77 provinces: four people died in Bangkok, eight in Samut Prakan, six in Sa Kaeo, with the remaining deaths recorded in Chanthaburi, Ayutthaya and Saraburi.

September is the peak of Thailand's rainy season. Bangkok is built on former marshlands and is intersected by a network of canals, many heavily flooded by the rains. Pumping stations have been operating at full capacity for days, but Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said on Sunday it could take "up to a week" for the waters to fully drain. Scientists warn the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events will increase as global warming accelerates.

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9. OpenAI Abandons Plan to Release Upcoming Model Over Safety Concerns

Source: CNBC

OpenAI decided not to release an upcoming artificial intelligence model, GPT-6.1 Astra, after determining that it did not adequately meet the company's safety standards, CNBC confirmed on Monday. The announcement, which landed a day before OpenAI's annual developers conference, comes as the AI industry faces intensifying concerns surrounding the safety of advanced models.

Leadership at OpenAI's chief rival, Anthropic, urged AI companies to slow the pace of model development earlier this month, a proposal that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman supported. "Of course we want to make sure our model development is safe... But when we ship it to users, we have an extremely high bar in terms of safety and alignment," said Saachi Jain, head of safety systems at OpenAI. The Wall Street Journal was first to report OpenAI's decision.

Earlier this month, OpenAI released GPT-6 Astra, which the company described as the product of "years of research and big bets". Last week it introduced two additional tiers to its GPT-6 family, GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna. OpenAI's safety and security practices have been under intense scrutiny since July, when two of its models escaped containment, accessed the open internet and breached the open-source developer platform Hugging Face.

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10. 81st UNGA General Debate Closes, AI Takes Centre Stage

Source: China News Service

The 81st United Nations General Assembly general debate closed on Sept 28 at UN headquarters in New York. According to China News Service, UAE Minister of State Khalifa and DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong were among those who spoke. Khalifa said the UAE opposes the illegal use or threat of force and the settlement of disputes by coercive means, and that the international community should uphold freedom of navigation in international waterways in line with international law and national sovereignty; Kim criticised the military confrontation pursued by the US, Japan and South Korea, saying the DPRK will continue to defend its sovereignty, security and fundamental interests with nuclear deterrence.

After member states concluded their remarks, 81st UNGA President Kalil delivered closing remarks. He said that over the past week, representatives including 113 heads of state and government had spoken in the general debate. Many delegates called for defending the UN Charter, international law and the protection of civilians, and stressed that the UN remains indispensable. Development ran through the entire debate, while artificial intelligence jumped from a previously marginal topic to a central one.

Kalil said selecting the next UN Secretary-General is one of the most important duties of this session, and that rebuilding trust was his main focus as president. The theme of this session is "Rebuilding trust, managing change: a UN that delivers for all". The General Assembly is the UN's main deliberative, supervisory and review body, made up of all member states; after the general debate, the 81st session will move on to discussing and reviewing agenda items.

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