G7 Finance Ministers to Thrash Out Ukraine Aid Plan

Finance ministers of G7 nations alongside other officials pose for a photo at Lancaster House in London on June 5, 2021. Henry Nicholls, AP
Finance ministers of G7 nations alongside other officials pose for a photo at Lancaster House in London on June 5, 2021. Henry Nicholls, AP
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G7 Finance Ministers to Thrash Out Ukraine Aid Plan

Finance ministers of G7 nations alongside other officials pose for a photo at Lancaster House in London on June 5, 2021. Henry Nicholls, AP
Finance ministers of G7 nations alongside other officials pose for a photo at Lancaster House in London on June 5, 2021. Henry Nicholls, AP

G7 partners meet Thursday hoping to find a solution for Kyiv's budget troubles as the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to roil the global economy.

Finance ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations are holding talks in Koenigswinter in western Germany to coordinate their response.

"The bilateral and multilateral support announced so far will not be sufficient to address Ukraine's needs, even in the short term," United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a speech in Brussels on Tuesday.

Yellen, who is attending the meeting in Koenigswinter, called on US partners to "join us in increasing their financial support" for war-scarred Ukraine.

The United States has forged ahead with a $40 billion (38 billion euros) aid package to fill Kyiv's coffers and military stores.

But domestically, the world's top economy is faced with soaring inflation, while fears mount that the country could tip into recession.

The story is similar in Europe, where the disruptions caused to supplies of raw materials, components and agricultural goods have darkened the outlook.

The continent's heavy reliance on Russian energy imports also leaves it exposed to further fuel price rises or potential disruptions to supply.

- Financial support -
G7 partners have to "assure Ukraine's solvency within the next days, few weeks," German Finance Minister Christian Lindner told German daily Die Welt ahead of the meeting.

The war has blown a hole in Ukraine's finances, as tax revenue has dropped sharply, leaving it with a shortfall of around $5 billion a month.

Around $7.5 billion of the US aid package is earmarked to help plug the hole in Ukraine's government budget caused by the war, a source close to the G7 organisers said.

Ahead of the meeting on Wednesday, the European Union also proposed to boost its aid to Ukraine by up to nine billion euros.

Announcing the new funding, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was time to think about rebuilding Ukraine whenever the war ends, adding the EU has "a strategic interest" to support the effort.

The discussion on how to finance Ukraine's long-term reconstruction was however "just beginning", Yellen said at a press conference in Koenigswinter Wednesday.

- 'Turbulence' -
The outbreak of the war has diminished growth prospects globally and pushed inflation rates even higher.

The US Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates aggressively in response to high inflation rates has created concerns that the central bank could step on the brakes too hard, hurting growth.

Yellen said Wednesday she did not "expect" a recession in the United States, but warned of the risks for Europe.

The continent, which has also been battling decades-high inflation, was "more vulnerable and of course more exposed on the energy front" as prices rise following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she said.

Europe's reliance on Russian energy imports for much of its needs means further disruptions to supply could come at a heavy cost for industry.

Shortages of raw materials and agricultural products caused by the conflict also threatened to heap extra pressure on consumers.

The rise in energy and food prices was being felt particularly hard in developing nations, German finance minister Lindner said, just as rising dollar interest rates made their debts harder to finance.

The combined pressures "risked turbulence", the G7 host added, calling on China, one of the world's biggest creditors, to be more transparent about its lending.



Trump in Address to World Leaders at UN Defends His Decision to Start War Against Iran

US President Donald Trump speaks during the 81st United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/Pool via REUTERS
US President Donald Trump speaks during the 81st United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/Pool via REUTERS
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Trump in Address to World Leaders at UN Defends His Decision to Start War Against Iran

US President Donald Trump speaks during the 81st United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/Pool via REUTERS
US President Donald Trump speaks during the 81st United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/Pool via REUTERS

President Donald Trump returned to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday at and started his address ticking off progress — including adding private sector jobs, stemming illegal migration and curbing crime before turning to a fulsome defense of his decision to start a war with Iran.

Trump accused Iran of stalling to make a deal to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and negotiate an endgame to the war until after the midterm elections in the United States

“I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran," Trump said. "It doesn’t even enter my mind.”

Iran's delegation walked out as Trump railed against Tehran.

As he arrived at the UN, Trump briefly spoke to reporters, telling them it was an honor to address the world body before his attention suddenly shifted to his resentments with the news media.

Trump over the weekend announced a White House ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico, claiming that their coverage of his presidency was biased. The news outlets have filed a lawsuit to restore their access to White House grounds. Trump snapped at a CNN reporter in the UN scrum.

“I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me,” Trump said. “You shouldn’t be here."

After his speech to the annual gathering of world leaders, Trump is expected to hold talks with new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and a more informal meeting with Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez, according to the White House.

The visit to the UN comes when Trump's foreign policy approach — particularly his decision to start a war with Iran — has become a drag on his fellow Republicans' hopes of retaining control of both chambers of Congress during the coming midterm elections. Nevertheless, Trump is making the case in his address that the world is better off for his leadership.

“As president of the most extraordinary nation in history," Trump said. "I have no interest in leaving dangers to grow for another day. I do not believe in letting problems fester."

Iran war to loom large In last year's address at the UN, Trump claimed the US had “demolished” Iran's nuclear capabilities after he ordered the June 2025 bombardment of three key facilities.

He returned to the General Assembly nearing the seven-month mark of a new war against Iran that he insists is necessary to address a nuclear threat posed by Iran.


Iran Ready to Reopen Strait of Hormuz if US Eases Military Pressure, Lifts Blockade

FILE PHOTO: Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 31, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 31, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
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Iran Ready to Reopen Strait of Hormuz if US Eases Military Pressure, Lifts Blockade

FILE PHOTO: Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 31, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 31, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Iran can reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday.

On Sunday, Iran's military central command said it was informed the US was preparing to restart military operations with the support of regional countries, and warned this would lead ⁠to Tehran's retaliation "without ⁠limitations and considerations.”

"The US needs to announce that it wants to resolve the issue diplomatically, make that official, and then agree on a timeline for how the process will move forward,” the senior Iranian official ⁠said, adding the Iranian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly is in New York and has full authority to revive diplomacy with the United States.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, who left Tehran for New York on Tuesday morning, will not meet US President Donald Trump at the UN headquarters in New York, the official told Reuters.

The Iranian official said ⁠details ⁠on an agreement to end hostilities with Washington can be discussed in New York via mediators, explaining that Tehran's proposal was delivered to the US through mediators on September 16.

"The UN General Assembly is a golden opportunity for the US to return to diplomacy," the official said, adding that Tehran would welcome a revival of diplomacy if Washington takes tangible steps.


Student Opens Fire Outside School in Türkiye, 11 Pupils Wounded

This handout photograph taken and released on September 22,2026 by Turkish news agency DHA (Demiroren News Agency) shows ambulances and police officers waiting in front of a high school outside which a gunman opened fire and was detained shortly afterwards, in Turgutlu, an area west of the resort city of Izmir. (Photo by Handout / DHA (Demiroren News Agency) / AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released on September 22,2026 by Turkish news agency DHA (Demiroren News Agency) shows ambulances and police officers waiting in front of a high school outside which a gunman opened fire and was detained shortly afterwards, in Turgutlu, an area west of the resort city of Izmir. (Photo by Handout / DHA (Demiroren News Agency) / AFP)
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Student Opens Fire Outside School in Türkiye, 11 Pupils Wounded

This handout photograph taken and released on September 22,2026 by Turkish news agency DHA (Demiroren News Agency) shows ambulances and police officers waiting in front of a high school outside which a gunman opened fire and was detained shortly afterwards, in Turgutlu, an area west of the resort city of Izmir. (Photo by Handout / DHA (Demiroren News Agency) / AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released on September 22,2026 by Turkish news agency DHA (Demiroren News Agency) shows ambulances and police officers waiting in front of a high school outside which a gunman opened fire and was detained shortly afterwards, in Turgutlu, an area west of the resort city of Izmir. (Photo by Handout / DHA (Demiroren News Agency) / AFP)

A student opened fire in front of their high school in Türkiye's western province of Manisa early on Tuesday, wounding at least 11 other pupils, Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said.

Two of the wounded were in a critical condition, Gurleksaid. The assailant was caught and their mother, father, and grandfather — who owned the weapon used in the attack —have been detained, the minister added.

"When the security of our children is the issue, it is not possible for any ⁠negligence, any irresponsibility ⁠to be overlooked," the minister said on X, according to Reuters.

"The circumstances under which the child obtained the gun used in the attack, the conditions of the weapon's storage, the parents' obligations regarding care and supervision, and allegations of bullying prior to the incident ⁠are being investigated thoroughly and from multiple angles," Gurlek added.

 

This handout photograph taken and released on September 22,2026 by Turkish news agency DHA (Demiroren News Agency) shows ambulances and police officers waiting in front of a high school outside which a gunman opened fire, and was detained shortly afterwards, in Turgutlu, an area west of the resort city of Izmir. (Photo by Handout / DHA (Demiroren News Agency) / AFP)

Images and video posted online showed a male figure walking on a street near the school with a rifle in his hands. He was then seen running back from the same street.

Video outside the school showed police pushing away families and others outside the premises.

The motive for the attack was not immediately clear.

The local governor's office has said ⁠the ⁠attack took place at around 8:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) at the Inci Uzmez Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in the Turgutlu district.

Two deadly school shootings in April caused outrage in Türkiye and prompted officials to bring innew security measures for the 2026-2027 academic year, including tighter gun controls.

Before then, the country had not had a history of such attacks.