By Angel No Lie | KPD Online | September 16, 2026

KYIV, Ukraine — September 16, 2026: A Russian drone strike hit a passenger bus in southeastern Ukraine on Wednesday, killing five people and injuring at least seven others, according to Ukrainian regional officials.

The attack occurred in the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk region, an area near the front line that has been repeatedly targeted during the war. Regional Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said the vehicle was a scheduled passenger bus.

Five Killed in Bus Attack

According to Ukrainian authorities, the five people killed were four men and one woman. Seven other people were injured and taken for medical treatment. Images released by Ukrainian officials showed a white minibus with shattered windows following the strike.

Mykola Lukashuk, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional council, said the bus was carrying people travelling on their normal daily journeys. Russia had not immediately issued a public comment on the specific attack when the reports were published.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly denied deliberately targeting civilians during the war.

Passenger Train Also Hit

A separate Russian drone attack struck a passenger train in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region, according to Ukrainian officials.

The train was carrying 168 passengers and crew members. Acting regional governor Heorhii Reshetilov said everyone aboard was evacuated safely and no injuries were reported. He also said the train came under additional drone attacks after the initial strike.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said a locomotive near Kovel, close to the Polish border, was struck.

Rail Network Under Increasing Pressure

The latest incidents come amid repeated attacks on Ukraine’s railway infrastructure, which has become a crucial means of transportation since the country’s airspace was closed following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

According to Ukraine’s state railway operator, Russian attacks have damaged 120 passenger railcars, 304 locomotives and 43 railway stations during 2026. The operator said approximately 1,700 railway facilities had been attacked since the beginning of the year.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of deliberately attacking transportation infrastructure, while Russia has not publicly accepted responsibility for the specific passenger-bus attack reported Wednesday.

The attacks come as both sides continue using drones extensively against military, industrial, energy and transportation targets.

Civilian Casualties Continue to Rise

The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that at least 1,396 civilians were killed and 7,978 wounded during the first six months of 2026, representing an increase compared with the same period in 2025. The monitoring mission also recorded civilian casualties inside Russia resulting from Ukrainian attacks.

The latest strikes underscore the continuing risks faced by civilians and transport workers as the Russia-Ukraine war enters another period of intensified drone warfare.

We are here today because the Institute for Economic Research and Public Policy, IERPP, has serious concerns about the National Petroleum Authority Bill, 2026, currently before Parliament.
Let us be clear from the outset:
IERPP is not against strong regulation.
Ghana needs a strong, effective and independent regulator of the downstream petroleum sector. Our concern is much more specific.
We believe that, in its current form, the Bill risks giving the National Petroleum Authority and the sector Minister greater control over decisions that BOST Energies needs to make independently in order to perform its national mandate effectively.

And we must ask:
Why weaken a company that is finally showing strong financial performance?
According to the 2025 State Ownership Report, BOST Energies recorded a remarkable improvement in its financial performance. Its total revenue increased from approximately GH¢1.33 billion in 2024 to GH¢3.84 billion in 2025, an increase of about 189 percent.
Operating revenue increased from GH¢1.293 billion to GH¢3.809 billion, representing approximately 195 percent growth.
Operating profit rose to GH¢19.97 million, while net profit increased from GH¢398.40 million to GH¢683.96 million, an increase of about 72 percent.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are not small numbers.

They tell us that BOST Energies is growing. Its total assets increased to approximately GH¢3.989 billion, while equity increased to approximately GH¢1.74 billion.
Its return on assets stood at 17.66 percent, and its return on equity stood at 46.40 percent.
Its liquidity position also improved, with the current ratio rising to approximately 1.25–1.28:1.
And perhaps most importantly, its interest-cover ratio improved dramatically, from 7.99 times to 23.89 times.
Its debt-to-assets ratio also fell from 1.12 in 2021 to just 0.31 in 2025.

So, what are we seeing?
We are seeing a state-owned company that has grown its revenues, increased its profits, strengthened its balance sheet, reduced its dependence on debt and improved its ability to meet its obligations.
Indeed, for the first time in 32 years, BOST Energies paid a 5 percent dividend of GH¢34.2 million to government from its 2025 profit.

By Angel No Lie | KPD Online | September 16, 2026

BEIJING, China — September 16, 2026: China has urged the United States to halt its military expansion in outer space, warning that the deployment of weapons in orbit could intensify an emerging global competition over space-based military capabilities.

The warning came after U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink acknowledged that the United States has deployed what he described as “on-orbit space control weapons” capable of defending U.S. forces against hostile actions. Meink did not disclose the number, type or precise capabilities of the systems.

Beijing Raises Alarm

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing opposes the weaponization of outer space and warned against turning orbit into a potential battlefield.

“We urge the U.S. to stop expanding military build-up in outer space, and uphold global strategic stability with concrete actions,” Guo said at a regular briefing, according to Reuters.

Chinese state-backed media has also criticized Washington’s move. The Global Times described the disclosure as evidence of what it called a pursuit of “space hegemony” and warned that other countries could respond by strengthening their own counter-space capabilities.

Chinese military analyst Song Zhongping told the newspaper that the announcement represented a shift toward directly deploying weapons in orbit rather than relying primarily on systems based on Earth.

Washington Cites Defense Needs

The United States has presented its space capabilities in the context of protecting satellites and military forces from potential attacks.

U.S. officials have increasingly identified China and Russia as developing capabilities that could interfere with or threaten American satellites. Those capabilities can include electronic jamming, lasers, cyber operations and anti-satellite technologies.

The Pentagon’s public acknowledgment of orbital weapons therefore comes amid a broader expansion of military activity in space. U.S. officials have not provided a detailed public inventory of the systems referred to by Meink.

A Growing Competition in Orbit

The dispute comes as China and the United States expand their space programs and develop technologies that could be used in military operations.

A Reuters investigation published earlier this month reported that Chinese researchers linked to the military are working on technologies involving satellites capable of approaching and potentially interacting with other spacecraft. The United States is also developing and operating maneuverable spacecraft and other counter-space capabilities.

Satellites have become increasingly important to modern militaries because they support communications, navigation, surveillance, intelligence gathering and missile-warning systems. This has made space infrastructure an increasingly important component of national security.

The U.S. Space Force has also publicly highlighted China’s rapidly expanding satellite infrastructure and space capabilities. Its latest threat assessment says China had more than 1,500 on-orbit payloads by June 2026 and more than 510 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance-capable satellites.

Concerns Over Escalation

The central concern raised by Beijing is that military measures intended by one country to protect its satellites could be interpreted by another country as preparations for offensive action.

Chinese state media has described this as a potential “security dilemma,” in which countries respond to perceived threats by developing additional military capabilities, potentially prompting further responses from their rivals.

Russia has also criticized the U.S. announcement, arguing that the deployment of orbital weapons could undermine long-term stability in space.

The latest developments highlight a growing debate over how existing international rules should apply to increasingly sophisticated military technologies in orbit.

What happens next?

For now, the United States has not publicly disclosed detailed information about the weapons acknowledged by Meink, while China continues to call for limits on the militarization of outer space.

The dispute is likely to keep attention focused on whether Washington, Beijing and other major space powers can establish clearer rules governing military operations in orbit while maintaining their respective national-security capabilities.

By Angel No Lie | KPD Online | September 16, 2026 | Caracas

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is considering returning to Venezuela, but the timing of her homecoming has become a sensitive issue as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump appears reluctant to see her return immediately, according to opposition sources and political analysts cited by Reuters.

Machado has been outside Venezuela since late 2025, when she left the country to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She has repeatedly said she intends to return, but plans have been delayed amid political developments and major earthquakes that struck Venezuela in June.

A complicated return

Machado’s possible return comes at a pivotal moment for Venezuela. Former President Nicolás Maduro was removed from power in January, after which the United States backed an interim political arrangement led by Delcy Rodríguez.

Washington has subsequently supported talks intended to reshape Venezuela’s political system ahead of eventual elections. Machado’s political movement, however, has not been included in those negotiations.

The situation has left Machado facing a difficult political calculation: returning could allow her to rebuild a direct presence inside Venezuela, while doing so without U.S. backing could create friction with Washington and the interim authorities.

Reuters reported that U.S. officials have privately encouraged Machado to delay her return, while sources familiar with her plans say she could travel first to the United States before eventually going back to Venezuela.

Machado’s political standing

Machado remains one of the most prominent figures in Venezuela’s opposition. However, Reuters reported that her approval rating among Venezuelan political figures fell from 72% in July to 53% in August, according to polling cited in its report.

The decline comes as some Venezuelans express frustration with the slow pace of political change following Maduro’s removal and uncertainty over the country’s future political arrangements.

Machado’s supporters argue that her return is important to maintaining pressure for competitive elections. Some Venezuelans interviewed by Reuters have also said they believe her presence inside the country would strengthen the opposition’s position.

Washington’s position

The U.S. position has evolved over the course of 2026.

Earlier in the year, Machado publicly said she wanted to return as soon as possible. In March, she announced plans to return within weeks, but the timetable did not materialize. 

In July, a senior U.S. State Department official told Congress that Washington would not obstruct Machado’s return, while also saying that work was needed to ensure she would not be arrested when she came back.

The latest reporting indicates that the administration’s immediate concern is the effect Machado’s return could have on the U.S.-backed transition process. Reuters reported that Washington fears her presence could disrupt current efforts to establish a new political framework. 

What comes next

Machado has said she wants Venezuelans to have the opportunity to choose their government through elections. The United States and Venezuela’s interim authorities, meanwhile, are pursuing their own negotiations over the country’s political future.

Her return would therefore carry significance beyond the personal decision of an exiled opposition leader. It could affect opposition coordination, negotiations with the interim government and the debate over how and when Venezuela holds elections.

For now, Machado remains outside Venezuela, with her precise timetable for returning still uncertain.

Motorists across Ghana are facing new fuel prices following the latest adjustment in petroleum product prices, with Star Oil announcing revised rates effective Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

The new prices took effect from 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday across Star Oil outlets.

Under the latest adjustment, Super petrol is selling at GH¢16.77 per litre, while diesel is priced at GH¢17.77 per litre. The company has also listed RON 95 at GH¢18.97 per litre.

The announcement by Star Oil comes after the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) increased the price floors for petroleum products for the second pricing window of September.

The NPA has raised the minimum price for petrol from GH¢14.53 to GH¢16.00 per litre, representing an increase of GH¢1.47 per litre.

The price floor for diesel has also gone up from GH¢15.60 to GH¢16.77 per litre, reflecting an increase of GH¢1.17 per litre.

For Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), the minimum price has been adjusted from GH¢10.85 to GH¢10.97 per kilogramme, an increase of GH¢0.12 per kilogramme.

The NPA sets price floors for deregulated petroleum products during each pricing window. These floors serve as minimum benchmarks, while Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) determine their pump prices based on factors including their operating costs and prevailing market conditions.

Star Oil’s latest notice confirms the prices applicable at its outlets from the stated effective time, although actual pump prices may vary among different fuel stations depending on their pricing arrangements.

The increase is expected to put additional pressure on motorists, transport operators and businesses that depend heavily on fuel. Households and commercial operators using LPG could also experience higher energy costs.

The latest domestic adjustment comes amid movements in international crude oil prices and other developments in the global petroleum market, which can affect the cost of petroleum products imported and sold in Ghana.