Iran — Trump Says the War ‘Will End Immediately’ After the Midterms, Oil Tops $100#

President Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday that the US-Iran war “will end immediately” after the November 3 midterm elections, saying Iran “can’t hold out any longer.” Trump said the US is no longer seeking a negotiated end to the conflict — though he left open the possibility of talks — and accused Iran’s leadership of deliberately prolonging the war to damage him politically ahead of the vote: “They’re desperate to try and affect the election so that we can get a nice, weak group of people in there.” He predicted oil prices would fall once the war ends.

The comments came as Brent crude closed above $100 a barrel on Wednesday for the first time since May, rising more than 3.5% after this week’s tanker strikes and Iran’s retaliatory attack on the Al Azraq base in Jordan reported in September 9’s roundup. The war, which began February 28 with the joint US-Israel strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is now in its seventh month with no ceasefire in sight.

Sources: Al Jazeera — Trump says Iran war ‘will end immediately’ after US midterm elections · CNN — Trump says Iran war will end after the midterms and gas prices will fall · The National — Trump says Iran war will end ‘immediately’ after midterm elections · Washington Times — Brent crude hits $100 a barrel as Iran war escalates

Ukraine — Drone Nearly Hits Zelenskyy’s Plane Over Moldova, Deadly Sumy Strike#

A suspected Russian Shahed-type drone violated Moldovan and then Romanian — and therefore NATO — airspace on Tuesday evening, nearly hitting President Zelenskyy’s plane as it prepared to leave Chișinău for Oslo, where he was due to attend the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V. Moldova’s military first detected the drone at 4:20pm CEST; by 4:37pm Romania’s defense ministry confirmed the incursion, triggering airspace closures, emergency alerts, and the scrambling of NATO fighter jets before the drone came down and exploded roughly 100 miles from Chișinău’s airport. Zelenskyy’s flight departed after a delay once the restrictions lifted; Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre later disclosed how close the drone had come to the aircraft.

Separately, a Russian drone struck the Manufaktura shopping center in central Sumy on Wednesday evening, killing a 21-year-old man and woman and injuring at least 20 people, three of them teenagers. It followed an attack on a passenger train in Sumy Oblast a day earlier that killed two women. The incidents came days after the “frank” Trump-Putin call covered in September 9’s roundup, which produced no ceasefire.

Sources: Washington Post — Flight carrying Zelenskyy to Norway was delayed in Moldova because of drone incursion · Euronews — Timeline: How a Russian drone nearly hit Zelenskyy’s plane in Moldova · Kyiv Independent — Deadly Russian drone strike targets Sumy shopping center, killing 2, injuring 20, including 3 children

Apple — iPhone Duo, Apple’s First Foldable, Unveiled at $1,999#

Apple officially unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, at Wednesday’s “Surprise and Shine” event — the first major launch presented by CEO John Ternus since he succeeded Tim Cook on September 1. The book-style device starts at $1,999 for 256GB and rises to$3,000 for the 2TB configuration, with a roughly 7.6-inch inner display. Apple also introduced the C2 modem, its second in-house cellular modem, which the company says runs 50% faster than its predecessor, adds 5G millimeter-wave support in the US, and uses 15% less energy.

Alongside the Duo, Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max — both $100 more than last year’s models — along with AirPods 5 and Apple Watch Series 12. As previewed in September 9’s roundup, there is no standard iPhone 18 this cycle; the more affordable line moves to spring 2027.

Sources: CNBC — Apple event 2026: Folding iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, added AI features and more · TechRadar — Apple Event 2026 recap — foldable iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Watch Ultra 4, and more

Tech & Law — Huawei’s Racketeering Trial Opens in Brooklyn#

Huawei’s long-delayed criminal trial began in Brooklyn federal court this week, eight years after US prosecutors first charged the company. The indictment before US District Judge Ann Donnelly covers racketeering, bank fraud, trade-secret theft, sanctions violations, money laundering, and obstruction. Prosecutors allege Huawei routed its Iran business through a Hong Kong shell company, Skycom, to acquire embargoed US technology while funneling proceeds through the international banking system; they also allege Huawei conspired to steal trade secrets from five US tech companies, did business in North Korea in violation of sanctions, and supplied surveillance equipment Iranian authorities used against 2009 protesters. Huawei has pleaded not guilty on all counts and denies the accusations. The trial, before a jury vetted on their views of the Chinese and Iranian governments, is expected to run about three months.

Sources: Washington Examiner — Huawei fraud trial set to begin over Iran dealings · Arkansas Democrat-Gazette — Huawei heads to trial in US over Iran deals · Aroged — Huawei denies U.S. accusations of stealing U.S. company secrets and violating sanctions on Iran

Health — Bangladesh’s Worst Measles Outbreak on Record Passes 1,000 Deaths#

Bangladesh’s measles outbreak has killed more than 1,000 children since March, with 1,002 suspected and confirmed deaths and 187,484 infections recorded, health authorities said this week — the country’s deadliest outbreak in decades. Hospitals are struggling with overcrowding and shortages as sick children continue to arrive. The WHO and UNICEF have traced the crisis to gaps in Bangladesh’s immunization program that opened in 2024 and 2025 during the political turmoil following the ouster of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, when a planned vaccination campaign was disrupted.

Sources: Al Jazeera — Bangladesh measles deaths surpass 1,000 after vaccination drive falls short · CBC News — Bangladesh in grips of world’s worst measles outbreak, with 1,000 dead in last 6 months · NBC News — Suspected measles cases kill nearly 1,000 as Bangladesh struggles to contain outbreak