International News 18 September 2026
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Russia Launches Massive Aerial Barrage on Kyiv and Energy Grid Hours After US Sanctions Vote
Russian forces unleashed a sweeping wave of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine overnight on Thursday, September 17, 2026, targeting the capital, Kyiv, and at least eight other regions. According to Reuters, the bombardment injured more than 20 people and inflicted widespread structural damage, with strikes intentionally zeroing in on regional energy infrastructure in the Sumy and Odesa oblasts. The nationwide assault unfolded just hours after the United States House of Representatives approved a new sanctions bill aimed at tightening economic pressure on Moscow. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia deployed a heavy, multi-vector arsenal comprising Oniks anti-ship missiles, ballistic missiles, four cruise missiles, and nearly 160 attack drones, marking one of the most concentrated aerial assaults on Ukrainian civilian and power infrastructure in recent months.
https://internasional.kontan.co.id/news/rusia-gempur-kyiv-usai-dpr-as-loloskan-rancangan-sanksi-baru
Singapore Onshore Oil Product Inventories Hit Nearly Four-Month High
Onshore oil product inventories in Singapore, Asia’s primary fuel-trading hub, rose to their highest level in nearly four months, according to official data released by Enterprise Singapore on Thursday, September 17, 2026. Total commercial stockpiles climbed to 42.64 million barrels in the week ending September 16, up from 40.47 million barrels recorded in the preceding week, Reuters reported. The inventory build points to an influx of refined product shipments and shifting regional demand dynamics across key Asian bunkering and storage hubs, even as broader geopolitical tensions and transit disruptions continue to overhang crude supply chains.
Trump Demands Aggressive Rate Cuts in Sharp Rebuke of Fed Chair Kevin Warsh
Shortly after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to combat sticky inflation, U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly pressured the central bank to abruptly reverse course. In a statement posted to Truth Social on Wednesday, September 16, Trump demanded that U.S. interest rates be slashed to 1% or lower, arguing that the nation’s unparalleled credit quality justifies significantly cheaper borrowing costs. "Lower interest rates for the United States, and do it quickly!" the President wrote. The remarks represent Trump’s sharpest public critique to date of Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, whom he appointed to succeed Jerome Powell. Despite the aggressive pushback against the central bank's recent monetary tightening trajectory, Trump noted that he continues to maintain confidence in Warsh's leadership.