Current-events digest: 26 September 2026

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War on terror

Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

2026 Afghanistan–Pakistan war

A Pakistani Taliban suicide bomber self-detonates at a police checkpoint in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, killing twelve people and wounding 30 more. (Al Jazeera) (AP)

Islamist insurgency in Niger

Islamic State militants kill more than 30 Nigerien soldiers in an attack near Birni-N'Konni, Tahoua Region. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2026 Bangkok floods

In Thailand, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt declares a flood disaster across the city as severe flooding kills at least two people and affects more than 84,000 nationwide. (AFP via France 24) (AP)

September 2026 nor'easter

A nor'easter is reported along the East Coast of the United States, forcing the cancellation of 400 flights and leaving more than 68,000 homes without power. One person is killed in New York City. (Reuters) (WABC-TV)

Seven sailors are injured and 25 are rescued after a fire breaks out aboard the Russian fishing vessel Triumf off the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Far East. (Reuters)

International relations

Eighty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly

Germany–Russia relations

German foreign minister Johann Wadephul and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov hold talks during the United Nations General Assembly, the first talks between Germany and Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Crime in South Africa

Eighteen people are killed and 14 more are injured in a mass shooting carried out by eight gunmen at a tavern in Wedela township, Gauteng, South Africa. Police launch a manhunt for the gunmen. It is suspected that the shooting is linked to a dispute over illegal gold mining. (The Citizen) (Reuters)

Four people are killed in a mass shooting by unknown gunmen on a street in the township of Khayelitsha in Cape Flats, South Africa. (Smile)

The body of a murdered woman is found in Ekurhuleni, South Africa. She is the tenth woman found killed in the city in the last three months. Police says that it can not rule out the possibility that the killings are carried out by a serial killer. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

India's Election Commission orders a review of its voter-roll software after concerns arise over changes that excluded millions of voters. A committee will examine whether the software complied with election laws and rules. (Reuters)

Sports

2026 AFL Grand Final

In Australian rules football, the Brisbane Lions defeat the Fremantle Dockers to win the 2026 Australian Football League season by seven points, winning their third consecutive premiership and sixth overall. (AFL) (The Guardian)

2026 Billie Jean King Cup finals

In tennis, Ukraine reaches its first Billie Jean King Cup final after defeating defending champion Italy 2–0 in the semifinals, with Elina Svitolina securing the decisive victory over Jasmine Paolini. (AFP) (AP)

2026 UCI Road World Championships

In cycling, the Netherlands' Demi Vollering wins the women's road race world title in Montreal, Canada, defeating Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney in the final sprint, while Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini takes bronze. (AFP)

Bids for the 2036 Summer Olympics

Germany's Olympic committee selects Munich as its candidate to host the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2036, 2040, or 2044. (AP)

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