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September 18 - The State Council Information Office will hold a press conference on the theme of "Starting the 15th Five-Year Plan" at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 18. Chen Shaowang, spokesperson and vice minister of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, will introduce the relevant situation of promoting high-quality development of housing and urban-rural construction during the 15th Five-Year Plan period and answer questions from reporters.

September 18th - According to Axios, US President Donald Trump is planning his first meeting with Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez as early as next week. Sources say the talks may take place during the UN General Assembly in New York. Trump plans to discuss the situation in Iran with Gulf leaders concurrently and hopes to arrange a meeting with Rodriguez. A Trump advisor stated that Venezuela is one of the Trump administration's key achievements, and Rodriguez is a key figure in promoting US-Venezuela relations. A senior US government official said the meeting is not yet finalized and the final arrangements depend on Trump himself. Trump previously responded "maybe" when asked if he would meet with Rodriguez. Rodriguez assumed power after the capture of former leader Nicolás al-Nimadro in a US military operation and has worked with the Trump administration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to normalize US-Venezuela relations, including a previously reported major Venezuelan oil deal. The report points out that Trump's side is more focused on domestic political issues such as energy prices and immigration policy than on promoting democratic elections in Venezuela.

Disney (DIS.N) said that pressure from the Trump administration’s previous criticism and regulatory actions against ABC has led it to ask the court to block the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reviewing its broadcast license ahead of schedule.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission approved foreign funding for the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros.

September 18th - The Iran war has led to increased fuel costs, causing global container shipping prices to continue rising. Analysts say that freight rates on some major routes may again approach or surpass the historical highs reached during the pandemic. According to data from freight pricing platform Xeneta, the spot freight rate for a 40-foot container on a major ocean container route has risen to $10,948, more than four times the rate since the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28th, approaching the historical record of $11,900 set in January 2022. Marine low-sulfur fuel oil prices have currently risen to $901.5 per ton, compared to $543.5 on February 27th, but are still below the peak of $1,053 set on March 20th. As companies accelerate inventory replenishment ahead of the traditional peak season, shipping demand may further push up freight rates. Xeneta analysts stated that with the continued rise in fuel surcharges, freight rates on relevant container routes may exceed the peaks reached during the pandemic.

According to the Financial Times, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Johily will urge EU finance ministers on Friday to include the UK in the “Make in Europe” industrial policy to avoid repeating the failures of previous UK-EU defense cooperation.

On September 18th, Anthropic released a new metrics system to measure the speed of AI development in its cutting-edge labs. This system aims to provide a more transparent understanding of AI model development progress by making measurement tools readily available. Anthropic stated that society needs more information to assess the speed of cutting-edge AI development. The metrics system focuses on three main aspects: the extent to which AI is involved in next-generation AI development, the ability to supervise the behavior of AI agents, and the resources invested in developing more powerful models. Among these, Anthropic established an "AI R&D Automation Index" to measure the proportion of Claude's involvement in the company's AI R&D work. As of August 2026, Claude has not yet achieved fully autonomous R&D in any measurement scope, but it has already "led" approximately 26% of Anthropic's AI R&D work, with over 90% of the R&D work reaching a level of "AI collaboration" or higher.

On September 18, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China received two batches of 64 cultural relics, artworks, and paleontological fossils returned by the United States at the Chinese Embassy in the United States and the Chinese Consulate General in New York on September 16 and 17, respectively.

Anthropic: As of August 2026, Claude accounted for 26% of AI R&D usage.

On September 18th, NBC reported, citing seven current and former U.S. and Western officials, that the Pentagon is assessing a significant reduction in U.S. military deployments in Europe, potentially withdrawing approximately 25,000 troops, roughly one-third of the current U.S. troop presence in the region. The proposed reduction could even extend to a maximum of 40,000 troops. If implemented, this would be the largest adjustment to the U.S. military presence in Europe since the end of the Cold War. Currently, the U.S. has approximately 80,000 troops stationed in Europe, primarily in Germany, Italy, and Spain. The report states that the Pentagon launched a six-month review of its European troop presence in June. European Command Commander Alex Greenkiewicz is expected to submit the assessment to Defense Secretary Hergsays soon, with plans potentially involving reductions in air and naval personnel, ground troops, or adjustments to troop deployment locations. Pentagon officials stated that the review aims to ensure U.S. military deployments align with the "America First" strategy. Some European countries and U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern about the large-scale withdrawal, arguing that it could weaken NATO's deterrent capabilities. Supporters, however, believe the U.S. should reallocate its overseas military resources, assigning more regional defense responsibilities to Europe. The relevant plan has not yet been finalized, and any withdrawal is expected to proceed after the final recommendation is submitted to the president for approval.

OpenAI launches a new AI model for law firms.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 316.14 points, or 0.61%, to close at 51,778.04 on Thursday, September 17; the S&P 500 rose 85.91 points, or 1.14%, to close at 7,637.72; and the Nasdaq Composite rose 439.87 points, or 1.69%, to close at 26,418.30.

On September 18, voting began in the Kamchatka Krai and Chukotka Autonomous Oblast for the election of Russia's ninth State Duma (lower house of parliament) at 8:00 a.m. local time. This is the first nationwide parliamentary election held in Russia since the special military operation against Ukraine in 2022.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu: We must carry this mission through to the end and overthrow the Iranian regime.

OpenAI: Appoints Brian McCarthy as Vice President of Global Sales, following his previous role at SpaceX (SPCX.O).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: We have many friends and supporters, and we need to know how to influence them. We are working hard to maintain, and even strengthen, our cooperation with our great friend, the United States.