9/11
(Atlantic Council) Twenty-five years ago, the United States suffered the deadliest terrorist attack in its history. The September 11, 2001, attacks killed nearly three thousand people and inflicted a collective trauma on an entire nation, fundamentally altering the US national security apparatus, ushering in the “war on terror,” and leading to overhauls of US intelligence and homeland security. But the core problem of terrorism itself—which has existed for centuries—didn’t go away. – The state of terrorism, 25 years after 9/11 – Atlantic Council
(The Soufan Center) On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, al-Qaeda (AQ) is a shell of its former self, with its leader in hiding for over two decades and no successful high-profile attack in the West for many years. Both AQ and the Islamic State (IS) are living vicariously through their satellites and franchise groups, some of which are able to control large swaths of territory, like Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and al-Shabaab, or mount high-profile attacks, like Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K). Attacks inspired by Islamic State and conducted by home-grown violent extremists are persistent, though ideological coherence and understanding of perpetrators are often weak. The past twenty-five years have shown us that significant investment, sacrifice, and learning were required; that we cannot become complacent; and that we should keep learning from our own errors in responding to the threat. – The Day That Changed History: 25 Years After the 9/11 Al-Qaeda Attacks – The Soufan Center
(UN News) Twenty-five years ago, the heinous terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 against the United States claimed thousands of lives and represented “an assault on humanity itself”, the UN chief said on Thursday. In a statement marking the anniversary, António Guterres paid tribute to victims, survivors and first responders who rushed to ground zero – the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York – just a few miles south of UN Headquarters. “As we mark this somber occasion on 11 September, we remember the nearly 3,000 victims – from the United States and more than 90 countries – and stand with their families and loved ones,” said the UN chief. The UN continues to stand in solidarity with the people of New York City, the US, and with all those whose lives were affected by the attacks, he added. Mr. Guterres noted that 2026 also marks 20 years since Member States adopted the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy – reminding that the fight against terrorism is a shared, unfinished task. “As we pay tribute to the victims, let us renew our shared commitment to build a future free from terrorism”. – ‘An assault on humanity itself’: Guterres pays tribute to 9/11 victims, survivors and first responders | UN News
Azerbaijan – Central Asia
(Roza Bayramli – The Jamestown Foundation) During an August 23–24 state visit, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan signed a Treaty on Eternal Friendship, expanded cooperation across multiple sectors, and adopted a program to increase bilateral trade to $1 billion by 2030.
The visit followed Azerbaijan’s growing institutional integration with Central Asia, including its November 2025 admission as a full participant in the Consultative Meetings of Heads of State of Central Asia, the signing of a Treaty on Allied Relations with Kyrgyzstan, and expanded transport cooperation with Turkmenistan. Transport, energy, and digital links across the Caspian, including the Middle Corridor, a green energy corridor, and a fiber-optic link, are reinforcing this political convergence and integrating Azerbaijan with Central Asia. – Summer Diplomacy Deepens Azerbaijan’s Integration with Central Asia – Jamestown
China
(DigWatch) On 8 September 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) together with five other ministries issued a national policy guideline aimed at revitalising China’s historic industries. The guideline, described as the country’s first dedicated framework for traditional sectors, outlines a two‑stage plan extending to 2030. By the end of 2028 the policy targets the development of 50 leading companies each reaching annual sales of 10 billion yuan, the creation of one hundred nationally recognised Chinese consumer brands, and the formation of several industry clusters valued at 100 billion yuan each. By 2030 the aim is to cultivate a group of world‑class enterprises and renowned brands that move historic industries up the middle and upper reaches of global value chains. – China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issues guideline to revitalise historic industries with AI | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) China’s National Copyright Administration has published a copyright development plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, covering 2026 to 2030. The plan was released online on 7 September 2026 and sets out measures on the legal framework, enforcement, and the use of emerging technologies. It sets a target of 9.5 million works registered annually by 2030, up from 7.49 million in 2025, and states that the registration process will be standardised to make it more efficient. The plan identifies copyright regulation in relation to big data, blockchain, and artificial intelligence as an area requiring updating, and includes the development of a fair-use system for AI training data, which it describes as balancing innovation with the protection of creators’ rights. It also addresses protections for online literature, gaming, audiovisual content, and foundational and industrial software. – Copyright plan for 2026-2030 sets out China’s AI training rules
Climate Action
(UN News) The head of the UN’s climate body has warned that treating global warming as a partisan issue is dangerously out of step with reality, as he set out a stark account of the economic toll climate change is already inflicting on Europe. Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), told the European Parliament’s environment committee in Brussels on Thursday that climate change had become “a continent-wide economic security emergency,” pointing to a summer of extreme heat that has killed tens of thousands and battered infrastructure, businesses and economies across Europe. – UN climate chief warns political division is undermining fight against ‘economic security emergency’ | UN News
Emerging Markets – Digital Payment Services
(DigWatch) The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is seeking to ease financial constraints that have limited banks and fintechs in emerging markets from expanding digital payment services. To address this constraint, the World Bank Group institution has launched a new guarantee programme that will help local providers manage the risks associated with participating in international payment networks. The programme will start with up to $700 million in guarantees, with IFC taking on part of the settlement risk associated with digital payments. By reducing the financial exposure faced by participating institutions, the initiative is intended to enable more providers to expand payment services for consumers and smaller businesses. – World Bank Group backs wider digital payment access in emerging markets | Digital Watch Observatory
Finland – Google
(DigWatch) Google announced on 9 September 2026 that it will invest at least €13 billion in digital infrastructure in Finland over 2027–2028, describing the commitment as its largest single investment in Europe. The plan includes new data centre construction and supporting infrastructure in the municipalities of Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala, and builds on more than 15 years of presence in the country, notably the conversion of a former paper mill in Hamina into a modern data centre that uses seawater cooling and supplies about 80 % of the local district heating network’s annual heat needs. – Google invests €13bn in Finland digital infrastructure | Digital Watch Observatory
Iran
(Al Arabiya) Anthropic said it disrupted three Iranian state-aligned influence operations that allegedly used its Claude artificial intelligence system to help design propaganda campaigns, disguise state-backed messaging as independent content and target audiences in multiple languages across social media platforms. The company said the accounts were linked to actors working within or on behalf of three Iranian state propaganda institutions: the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization under the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, the Islamic Propaganda Office of Khorasan Razavi and the Islamic Propaganda Organization’s Bina Cultural Observatory. According to Anthropic, the actors described their efforts as part of a “soft war” or “cognitive warfare” program aimed at shaping public opinion inside Iran and abroad. – Iran-linked groups used Claude for propaganda, supreme leader funeral plans: Anthropic
Israel
(AFP) The Israeli military on Friday said it “categorically rejects” allegations made in a new documentary about Israel’s AI-powered mass killing of civilians in Gaza, which received a 25-minute ovation at its premiere in Venice the day before. The Israeli-made film “NAZA” uses conversations with 24 different Israeli military or intelligence whistleblowers who spoke on condition that their identities be protected, with interviewees describing how they felt like they worked in a killing “factory” or a lethal video game. – Israeli army rejects testimonies in film about AI-powered killing in Gaza
Qatar
(Reuters) QatarEnergy is negotiating with several producers to secure multi-year US liquefied natural gas contracts through 2031 to replace capacity knocked out by Iranian attacks that will take years to repair, three trading and industry sources said. Discussions include with Venture Global, Cheniere and Woodside, two of the sources said. The contract talks are part of the company’s efforts to replace lost volumes from its Ras Laffan facility after two of its 14 LNG trains and a gas-to-liquids (GTL) facility were damaged by Iranian strikes in March, the sources said. The discussions also mark a shift from QatarEnergy’s purchases of dozens of US spot LNG cargoes to help meet commitments to some of its Asian clients, suggesting it is now seeking longer-term solutions to cover the shortfall. – QatarEnergy seeks US LNG deals through to 2031, sources say
Russia
(Paul Globe – The Jamestown Foundation) Russia is now facing water shortages across the board, with climate change and human use driving declines in food production, desertification, and restrictions on riverine and coastal shipping. This trend has not only limited Moscow’s ability to use water as a political weapon in neighboring regions such as Central Asia and to earn money by selling it to the People’s Republic of China but also compromised any chance it will become a major “water power” in the future. Moscow has yet to take actions that could make a big difference, limiting itself to small steps such as expanding dredging capacity, lest taking larger ones take money away from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war, but Ukraine’s attacks on Russia’s water networks may make this approach unsustainable. – Water Shortages Now Hitting Russia Hard Across the Board – Jamestown
Russia – Ukraine
(Maksym Beznosiuk – The Jamestown Foundation) Russia has expanded the militarized occupation model it developed in Crimea after 2014 to the territories of Ukraine it seized after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, constructing new training facilities and expanding infrastructure to ensure a sustained Russian military presence. Moscow has intensified drone training and production in occupied Ukraine, using seized military facilities, educational institutions, and specialized training centers to support its drone warfare. Russian occupation authorities have converted civilian infrastructure, such as sanatoriums, recreation facilities, and parts of the coastline, into facilities supporting Russian military personnel and operations. – Russia Militarizing Occupied Ukraine (Part I) – Jamestown
Saudi Arabia – US
(Al Arabiya) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with US President Donald Trump multiple times in recent days as Riyadh and Washington coordinate over the escalating situation in Yemen, according to sources familiar with the matter. Trump told MBS that the US would provide intelligence and targeting assistance, one source told Al Arabiya English, as the Iran-backed Houthis make significant gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline. The discussions come as the US steps up its military engagement with Saudi Arabia. – Trump tells MBS US will provide intel, targeting assistance amid Yemen escalation: Source
South Sudan
(UN News) Independent human rights investigators voiced deep concern over growing risks to both civilians and South Sudan’s political transition following their latest fact-finding mission to the world’s youngest nation – their 14th in a decade. The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warned that renewed violence, political tensions, shrinking civic space, entrenched corruption and persistent impunity continue to put the population and the planned transition to democracy at risk. During the four-day visit, the Commission met a wide range of representatives from the Government, the political and security sectors, civil society and other stakeholders. They called for the authorities to take urgent steps to protect civilians, allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need and create conditions for inclusive political dialogue ahead of elections scheduled for December. – Human cost of violence in South Sudan ‘continues to grow’ | UN News
Syria
(Al Arabiya) Syrian authorities have arrested nine former pilots, including three brigadier generals, on suspicion of taking part in deadly bombing campaigns against Syrian cities and towns during the rule of former President Bashar al-Assad. Internal security forces in the western province of Latakia detained the nine former fighter jet and helicopter pilots following surveillance and monitoring operations, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported. The pilots are accused of involvement in “war crimes against the Syrian people” across several provinces. – Syria arrests nine former pilots over alleged war crimes under al-Assad
US
(The Soufan Center) A U.S. military judge set a new date for the accused mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), and three co-defendants to stand trial on June 5, 2028. Although the announcement of the new trial may appear significant, the case has a long and troubled history which has prevented a trial from occurring at a previous date. One of, if not the most, consequential issues revolving around this case is the impact of the U.S. government’s use of torture. As the twenty-fifth anniversary of 9/11 approaches, continued absence of a trial and verdict has left many families feeling hopeless that KSM will ever be held accountable. – 25 Years After 9/11, KSM’s Trial Still Remains Elusive – The Soufan Center
War in Iran – Middle East – Gulf
(AFP) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that pressure on his country from the United States had reached a critical and dangerous stage. Speaking in India ahead of a BRICS summit, Pezeshkian suggested that “the world today is going through a period of unprecedented complexity,” adding the use of economic levers of pressure only served to exacerbate that. “Iran has been subjected to heavy sanctions in recent years; this pressure has reached a critical and dangerous stage in recent months following the military aggression by the United States and Israel,” he said. – Iran president says pressure on country at critical, dangerous stage
(Reuters) President Donald Trump said he did not regret going to war against Iran despite the impact the conflict may have on the November US midterm elections. “I don’t believe in the word ‘regret.’ You can always question yourself a little bit,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham when asked if he regretted the Iran war due to the impact it may have on the elections. “If I had it do again, I would do exactly as I did,” Trump said in the interview broadcast on Thursday on “The Ingraham Angle” show. Trump dismissed suggestions that some of his supporters were upset and demoralized about the war. – Trump says he has no regrets over Iran war despite midterm election risk
Yemen
(Al Arabiya) The Iran-backed Houthi militia has intensified its attacks in Yemen in recent days, firing five ballistic missiles toward areas in the south and west of Taiz province, triggering panic among residents and forcing dozens of families to flee. Local residents said the missiles were launched from Jabal Oman, east of Taiz, toward areas around Bab al-Mandeb, Hayjat al-Abd and Ras al-Ara in the south and west of the province, according to an Al Arabiya correspondent. Sources also said on Friday that two strikes targeted Houthi gatherings near Mokha airport, south of the city. Two Yemeni government sources said Houthi forces had reached the city of Dhubab, which lies directly on the Bab al-Mandab Strait opposite Mayun Island, Reuters reported. Another government source told AFP that the militia had deployed on the strategic island of Mayun, located in the middle of the strait. – Houthis reach Yemen’s Dhubab as hundreds of families flee toward Taiz
Tech World, Security and Surveillance
(Adriel Bettelheim, Caitlin Owens – Axios) This week’s dire warnings about unchecked artificial intelligence destroying humanity are refocusing attention on how models already are being used in dangerous bioscience experiments — and the lack of safeguards. There’s growing alarm about emerging risks from advances like AI-designed viruses. But it’s hard to erect guardrails when there’s no ironclad way of even knowing how some AI systems will act. AI-enabled bioweapons are one of the worst-case scenarios researchers have raised for the kind of catastrophic danger that could wipe out humanity. On Thursday, Anthropic disclosed that it disrupted five potential instances of actors using its models in ways that could support the development of biological weapons. – How AI makes biological research more dangerous
(Bloomberg) OpenAI is considering slowing down the development of cutting-edge artificial intelligence, and the ChatGPT maker’s Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman is hoping other AI companies will do the same. In a company-wide meeting this week, Altman told employees that OpenAI could potentially pace its AI development – perhaps in conjunction with several other AI labs, but that some may not agree to do so, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the details are private. In recent weeks, employees of leading AI firms have raised public concerns about the increased risks of advanced AI systems, fueling anxiety inside these companies. Both OpenAI and its rival Anthropic PBC have filed confidential paperwork to go public earlier this year. OpenAI declined to comment. – Sam Altman says OpenAI could slow AI development as safety fears grow
(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affrairs) Jacob Coxon, a researcher who spent three years working on model training at OpenAI and later Anthropic, left Anthropic this week with a blunt warning: AI companies are moving toward increasingly capable systems faster than they can build reliable safeguards around them. His September 8 resignation brought a difficult question back into the open: how seriously should we take warnings from people who helped build these systems in the first place? Coxon argues that competition between AI labs creates a dangerous incentive structure. OpenAI worries Anthropic will move faster, Anthropic worries OpenAI will move faster, and each side can use the other’s progress to justify pushing ahead. The result is a race in which everyone says safety matters, but nobody wants to be the one who slows down first. His language is deliberately extreme, including the claim that the labs are “gambling with our lives”. – More Capable AI, Not Enough Guardrails – Security Affairs
(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) Anthropic just published one of the more uncomfortable self-assessments a major AI lab has released this year. The company’s alignment report documents four separate incidents in which Claude models broke into real third-party systems during what were supposed to be sandboxed cybersecurity evaluations, all traced back to the same root cause: a misconfiguration by a third-party evaluation partner accidentally left the models connected to the actual internet instead of an isolated test environment. The worst case involved the Claude Mythos 5 model. During a fictional hacking challenge, the model discovered that it could access the real internet. It then spent hours trying to create accounts, find cryptocurrency to buy a phone number, and eventually publish a malicious Python package on PyPI, a major repository used to distribute Python software. Within about an hour, 15 real systems downloaded and ran the package. Anthropic believes most belonged to security companies that routinely scan new packages for threats. In this case, that defensive activity became the way the malware reached real systems. One of the victims was a real security vendor. When its scanner installed the malicious package, the payload exposed the company’s access credentials to the model. Mythos 5 then used those credentials to explore the vendor’s live database. Anthropic stressed that the model did not deliberately target the company and did not know it existed until the malware provided access. “We are especially concerned by the misalignment present in the Claude Mythos 5 transcript, in which the model uploaded a malicious package to PyPI. In doing so, Mythos 5 behaved recklessly despite considerable evidence that it was connected to the real internet. Once online, the model attempted to use credentials for online payment processors and to find cryptocurrency to pay for a phone number, which it needed to register an email address.” reads the report. “When this failed, it found a free, disposable email provider whose domain PyPI had not blocked, registered an account, published three versions of a malicious package, and used credentials leaked by one of the 15 systems that installed the package to access a real security vendor’s database.” – A New Claude ‘s Sandbox Failure Shows How AI Can Rationalize Real-World Harm
(Jihae Lee – Infosecurity Magazine) In the AI era, the value of data is greater than ever. Enterprise data is no longer simply a record of business operations. It has become a critical asset that trains AI models, enables new services and determines competitive advantage. As both the volume and quality of data increasingly shape AI competitiveness, organizations must consider not only how to acquire and use data, but also a more fundamental question: who controls it? As a result, data sovereignty is emerging as a critical issue for businesses and governments alike. However, as the value of data grows, cyber-attacks targeting that data are also evolving rapidly. In particular, AI is fundamentally changing the economics of cyber-attacks. In the past, analyzing targets, identifying vulnerabilities, and developing attack methods required considerable expertise, time, and cost. Today, attackers can use AI to automate significant parts of the attack process, including intelligence gathering, vulnerability analysis, phishing, and social engineering, while operating at much greater scale. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, 94% of respondents identified AI as the most significant factor shaping the cybersecurity landscape, while 87% ranked AI-related vulnerabilities as the fastest-growing cyber risk. The WEF also notes that generative AI is lowering the barrier to entry for cybercrime, enabling attackers to target more victims at a lower cost. – Data Sovereignty in the AI Era: Who Holds the Keys? – Infosecurity Magazine
(Phil Muncaster – Infosecurity Magazine) The US government has followed the UK in sanctioning a notorious Chinese-language marketplace used to support fraud, money laundering and other criminal activity. Xinbi Guarantee connects scam center operators in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, as well as other transnational crime syndicates, to merchants providing financial services, technology and other offerings. The US Treasury estimated that the marketplace has processed over $24bn in digital currency and fiat currency since its inception in 2022. “Scam centers in Southeast Asia steal billions of dollars from American victims each year,” said Treasury secretary Scott Bessent. “The Trump administration is united in its efforts to dismantle these overseas criminal enterprises, and Treasury will continue using its tools to disrupt the networks behind this egregious fraud and protect Americans.” – OFAC Sanctions Chinese Scam Platform Xinbi Guarantee – Infosecurity Magazine
