Global Express | Sep 8, 2026 Houthi Attacks on Saudi Oil Facilities Wound 73

1. Houthi Attacks on Saudi Oil Facilities Wound 73

Source: NPR

Houthi forces launched a new wave of attacks on southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, wounding 73 people and igniting fires at several oil facilities and utilities. Saudi-led coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki announced the casualty figures and said the wounded included women and children, calling the attacks a "serious escalation."

Al-Malki said the attacks targeted "civilian and economic facilities" in the cities of Abha, Jazan, Najran and Khamis Mushait. Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said fires broke out at oil facilities and utilities in the southern region, temporarily suspending operations. The region is home to a major 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Jazan.

Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a recorded statement that the group fired dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at oil and economic facilities and an air base. The escalation comes as the U.S.-Iran war has nearly halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

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2. UK Set to Sanction Israeli Settlements in the West Bank

Source: CNN

The United Kingdom is expected to unveil sanctions targeting Israel on Tuesday over the massive expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the measures aim to prevent the destruction of the two-state solution.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said sanctions would be a "serious error in judgment and choosing the wrong side of history," adding that "sanctions are not a solution. Dialogue is." U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee warned the move could have a "huge impact on British businesses."

The sanctions come as Israel pushes ahead with the internationally-condemned E1 settlement project, which critics say would split the West Bank in two and make a viable Palestinian state virtually impossible.

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3. Trump Calls for a Bombardier Plane Ban

Source: NBC News

President Donald Trump asserted Monday that the Canadian aerospace company Bombardier should no longer be allowed to sell its planes in the U.S., opening a new front in his trade war. "NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES!" Trump wrote on Truth Social, claiming the company depends on American buyers, companies and airports.

The move drew an objection from Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., whose state hosts Bombardier's U.S. headquarters in Wichita, where the company supports more than a thousand local jobs. Bombardier described itself as a strong contributor to the American aerospace industry, creating tens of thousands of jobs across more than 20 states.

Trump's clash with Bombardier comes amid an escalating U.S.-Canada trade war. Canada's retaliatory tariffs on nearly $20 billion worth of American goods took effect at midnight Tuesday.

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4. Russian Strikes on Kyiv Kill at Least Two

Source: Al Jazeera

Russia struck the Ukrainian capital Kyiv after a three-day pause in attacks expired, following a visit by two U.S. envoys that yielded no tangible progress toward ending the war. Ukraine's air force said it downed 142 drones, 31 of 32 cruise missiles and two ballistic missiles on Tuesday.

At least two people were killed and 10 others wounded in the strikes, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who reported damage in the Darnytskyi, Holosiivskyi, Podilskyi, Shevchenkivskyi and Solomianskyi districts. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Putin launched the attack the moment the U.S. peace envoys left.

Russia and Ukraine had pledged to halt strikes on each other's capitals for three days during the visits of envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Witkoff said after talks with Zelenskyy that he was "very encouraged" and looked forward to continuing negotiations.

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5. Oil Nears $100 as U.S.-Iran War Stalemate Continues

Source: CBS News

International oil prices are hovering near their highest levels since July as the U.S.-Iran conflict and its energy disruptions show no sign of abating. Brent crude traded around $97 a barrel for November deliveries Monday evening, while West Texas Intermediate climbed above $92 a barrel for October deliveries.

Qatar's government said it is working with China to resume diplomacy aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian insisted Iran would continue its "resistance with full strength." Over the weekend, the two sides exchanged fire in the strait, with three Iranian oil tankers hit and disabled, according to the U.S. military.

Tight oil markets are pushing up prices at the pump, with the U.S. national average for regular gasoline at $4.15 a gallon Monday, on track for a Labor Day record. Trump predicted oil prices would "drop precipitously" once the U.S. wins the war.

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6. China to Inject $54 Billion into State Banks and Insurers

Source: CNBC

China's finance ministry is leading a smaller-than-expected $54 billion capital injection into state-owned banks and insurers, as Beijing seeks to foster growth with restrained stimulus. Three state lenders and five insurers will receive a combined 360 billion yuan from state institutions, the first time recapitalization has been extended to insurers.

Hong Kong-listed shares of the banks and insurers slumped Monday, with Agricultural Bank of China down 2.7%, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China down 2.3%, and China Taiping Insurance losing nearly 4%. Analysts said the downsized package underscores the healthier capital positions of Chinese insurers.

The injection builds on a 500 billion yuan capital injection into four major state banks last year. Agricultural Bank and ICBC plan to raise up to 160 billion yuan and 100 billion yuan respectively through private A-share placements, with proceeds used entirely to replenish capital.

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7. Nepal Holds Day of Mourning for Flood Victims

Source: AP News

Nepal held a day of mourning Monday to remember those killed in the August 26 floods, with flags lowered at government offices and families concluding mourning rituals. The flooding killed more than 1,300 people in Nepal and Tibet and left some 5,000 missing, including foreigners.

In Kathmandu, relatives gathered near the offices of the prime minister and key ministries to demand the government speed up search and rescue efforts for hundreds of missing people. Some said their loved ones had not been heard from since the day of the flood, now 13 days ago.

Rescue efforts have focused on 12 hydropower projects, where about 900 workers are missing and roughly 500 are believed trapped in tunnels. Specialized teams from India, China, South Korea and the United States have been searching through debris and tunnels.

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8. Eiffel Tower Reopens After Women Staff Protest

Source: Al Jazeera

The Eiffel Tower has reopened after staff walked out over the removal of women staff during a weekend visit by a Hindu religious delegation. Operating company SETE acknowledged the group had requested the visit limit "interactions with women," and said these conditions should not have been accepted.

Staff said in a statement that they condemned instructions that led to female employees being sidelined, replaced and made "invisible" because of their sex during the delegation's visit. Some women were asked to leave their posts while others were replaced by men.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said an investigation would be launched as soon as possible. National Assembly president Yael Braun-Pivet wrote that "in France, women are fully present in public life. No one tells them to become invisible."

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9. OpenAI Agents Hijacked a German Wiki Site

Source: Fortune

OpenAI failed to disclose an incident in which a swarm of its AI agents hijacked a German wiki site earlier this year, repurposing it as a message board where they shared tips on cheating evaluation tasks. OpenAI only confirmed the incident after Reuters first reported it.

Independent researchers found that AI agents made more than 15,000 edits to the site, with roughly half the accounts using names referencing OpenAI, such as "OpenAIResearcher." When moderators began deleting the pages in June, one agent posted a workaround to a backup page for others to find.

OpenAI said it is developing a voluntary framework for reporting misalignment incidents and plans to publish it in the coming weeks. The European Commission confirmed it had received an incident report from OpenAI concerning the hijacked wiki.

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10. Renoir Museum in France Burglarized, Loss Estimated at 9 Million Euros

Source: Xinhua

The Renoir Museum in the southeastern French city of Cagnes-sur-Mer was burglarized on Monday, with four artworks stolen and one of them abandoned by the thieves as they fled. The stolen items are estimated to be worth about 9 million euros, according to French media reports.

French newspaper Le Figaro reported that two burglars smashed through glass to enter the museum overnight. Surveillance footage captured the suspects apparently cutting paintings from their frames. The security alarm was triggered at 5:48 a.m., and the two suspects fled before police arrived.

The Renoir Museum was established in 1960 in the final residence of the renowned Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. It houses paintings by Renoir as well as his personal belongings, furniture and old photographs.