Lead Story
Hague court sentences former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci to 25 years for war crimes
A panel of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague sentenced former Kosovo president and Kosovo Liberation Army leader Hashim Thaci to 25 years in prison on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, after convicting him of war crimes including the murder of 96 people, the torture of 303 detainees and the arbitrary detention of 385 people during the 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia. Co-defendants were also sentenced: Jakup Krasniqi received 25 years, Kadri Veseli 18 years and Rexhep Selimi 13 years, with time already served counted toward each term. Thaci, who resigned as president nearly six years ago to face the EU-backed tribunal, maintains his innocence, and the verdict triggered an angry public response from thousands of Kosovar Albanians in Pristina who view him as a hero of the independence struggle.
Read more →Lead Story
Hague court sentences former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci to 25 years for war crimes
A panel of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague sentenced former Kosovo president and Kosovo Liberation Army leader Hashim Thaci to 25 years in prison on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, after convicting him of war crimes including the murder of 96 people, the torture of 303 detainees and the arbitrary detention of 385 people during the 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia. Co-defendants were also sentenced: Jakup Krasniqi received 25 years, Kadri Veseli 18 years and Rexhep Selimi 13 years, with time already served counted toward each term. Thaci, who resigned as president nearly six years ago to face the EU-backed tribunal, maintains his innocence, and the verdict triggered an angry public response from thousands of Kosovar Albanians in Pristina who view him as a hero of the independence struggle.
War-damaged Gaza building collapse kills at least 20, dozens still trapped
A seven-story residential building in the Tal al-Hawa area of Gaza City, previously struck and structurally weakened by an earlier Israeli bombing, collapsed onto nearby homes and tents on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, killing at least 20 people including six children and injuring 14 others. Gaza's Civil Defence said nearly 100 people were believed to still be under the rubble as recovery efforts continued into Thursday. The collapse came as Israeli forces were reported to have continued intermittent strikes and gunfire in Gaza for a 343rd consecutive day despite the ceasefire agreement in place since October 2025, underscoring the fragility of the truce and the danger posed by damaged buildings still housing displaced families.
Read more →War-damaged Gaza building collapse kills at least 20, dozens still trapped
A seven-story residential building in the Tal al-Hawa area of Gaza City, previously struck and structurally weakened by an earlier Israeli bombing, collapsed onto nearby homes and tents on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, killing at least 20 people including six children and injuring 14 others. Gaza's Civil Defence said nearly 100 people were believed to still be under the rubble as recovery efforts continued into Thursday. The collapse came as Israeli forces were reported to have continued intermittent strikes and gunfire in Gaza for a 343rd consecutive day despite the ceasefire agreement in place since October 2025, underscoring the fragility of the truce and the danger posed by damaged buildings still housing displaced families.
World leaders convene in New York as UN's SDG Moment opens General Assembly high-level week
The United Nations held its 'SDG Moment' on Friday, September 18, 2026, in the General Assembly Hall in New York, convened by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres under the theme 'Together, We Can Get There' as a milestone on the road to the 2027 SDG Summit. The event, part of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly which opened September 8 under the theme 'Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation,' spotlighted initiatives advancing the Sustainable Development Goals ahead of the full General Debate running September 22-28, where more than 190 world leaders are expected to address conflicts, climate change, pandemic preparedness and the fight against racism against a backdrop of strained global cooperation.
Read more →World leaders convene in New York as UN's SDG Moment opens General Assembly high-level week
The United Nations held its 'SDG Moment' on Friday, September 18, 2026, in the General Assembly Hall in New York, convened by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres under the theme 'Together, We Can Get There' as a milestone on the road to the 2027 SDG Summit. The event, part of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly which opened September 8 under the theme 'Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation,' spotlighted initiatives advancing the Sustainable Development Goals ahead of the full General Debate running September 22-28, where more than 190 world leaders are expected to address conflicts, climate change, pandemic preparedness and the fight against racism against a backdrop of strained global cooperation.
UN fact-finding mission tells Human Rights Council Venezuela's 'repressive apparatus' remains intact
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela presented a report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Friday, September 18, 2026, finding that while long-term detentions and enforced disappearances declined sharply following the US military operation that captured then-president Nicolas Maduro on January 3, the institutions responsible for repression and crimes against humanity remain structurally unchanged. Mission chair Sofia Macher said 'the reduction in some of the harshest forms of repression is notable, but it does not yet amount in any way to a transformation of the system that made them possible,' noting that non-governmental groups estimate between 379 and 500 people remain detained under conditions with severely restricted access to water, food and medical care.
Read more →UN fact-finding mission tells Human Rights Council Venezuela's 'repressive apparatus' remains intact
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela presented a report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Friday, September 18, 2026, finding that while long-term detentions and enforced disappearances declined sharply following the US military operation that captured then-president Nicolas Maduro on January 3, the institutions responsible for repression and crimes against humanity remain structurally unchanged. Mission chair Sofia Macher said 'the reduction in some of the harshest forms of repression is notable, but it does not yet amount in any way to a transformation of the system that made them possible,' noting that non-governmental groups estimate between 379 and 500 people remain detained under conditions with severely restricted access to water, food and medical care.
AI rivalry overshadows preparations for Xi's September 24 White House visit
With Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the White House set for September 24, 2026, US and Chinese officials remain far apart on artificial intelligence policy, with prospects for the intergovernmental AI dialogue the two leaders agreed to launch at their May Beijing summit looking dim ahead of the meeting. Trump administration officials are weighing a separate meeting with American AI executives on the sidelines of the summit, though Xi himself is not expected to attend such a session. The tension follows Beijing's rejection days earlier of Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's warning that a Chinese lead in AI would pose 'grave danger,' with disagreements over chip export controls, cyber operations and digital sovereignty continuing to overshadow the broader US-China relationship.
Read more →AI rivalry overshadows preparations for Xi's September 24 White House visit
With Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the White House set for September 24, 2026, US and Chinese officials remain far apart on artificial intelligence policy, with prospects for the intergovernmental AI dialogue the two leaders agreed to launch at their May Beijing summit looking dim ahead of the meeting. Trump administration officials are weighing a separate meeting with American AI executives on the sidelines of the summit, though Xi himself is not expected to attend such a session. The tension follows Beijing's rejection days earlier of Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's warning that a Chinese lead in AI would pose 'grave danger,' with disagreements over chip export controls, cyber operations and digital sovereignty continuing to overshadow the broader US-China relationship.