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Yearly Archives: 2026

Tamara News  /  Blog  /  2026
28 Sep 2026
Golden crown and cross atop the Lourdes sanctuary during the Pope Leo Lourdes visit

800,000 Came to See Pope Leo. Seven Came for a Private Reason.

Categories World

Pope Leo XIV spent four days in France, from September 25 to 28, 2026. His trip took him from a massive open-air Mass in Paris to the sanctuary at Lourdes. The Pope Leo Lourdes visit combined enormous public crowds with one deliberately quiet moment. That moment was a private meeting with seven survivors of clergy sexual abuse.

The Vatican estimated roughly 800,000 people attended the outdoor Mass at Paris’s Place de la Concorde, according to Euronews. That turnout beat the roughly 600,000 who had pre-registered. It ranks among the largest crowds of Leo’s papacy so far.

What happened during the Pope Leo Lourdes visit

After Paris, Leo traveled to Lourdes, the Catholic pilgrimage site in southern France tied to reported 19th-century apparitions of the Virgin Mary. He arrived on Saturday evening and prayed at the Grotto of the Apparitions. This was the fifth international trip of his papacy. Earlier trips touched on artificial intelligence, peace, and European unity.

His itinerary also included Metz and Saint-Denis. In Metz, he delivered an English-language address titled “To the roots of Europe for Peace and Unity.” He met civil authorities, young people, and local clergy at several stops. He also visited a UNESCO headquarters event in Paris.

A private meeting that drew public attention

Leo met privately with seven survivors of sexual abuse by priests and other Catholic personnel during the trip, according to a separate Vatican News briefing. The Vatican did not publicize details of the conversation. Critics have said for years that the Church has not done enough to address abuse within its ranks. The meeting drew attention precisely because it stayed private, not staged for cameras.

Ornate church interior with an altar, evoking the sanctuary setting of the Pope Leo Lourdes visit

Leo also spoke out against assisted dying

While in Lourdes, Leo criticized assisted dying, a policy debate active in French politics. He did not offer a detailed policy proposal in the remarks reported so far. His comments align with longstanding Catholic teaching against euthanasia. Previous popes have taken the same position.

What happens next for Pope Leo’s papacy

Leo has not announced his next international trip. His France visit adds to a travel record that already spans several continents in under two years as pope. Vatican watchers will look for one thing next. Will the private abuse survivor meeting lead to any policy announcement? Past papal meetings with survivors have sometimes preceded new Church guidelines.

Questions readers are asking

How many people attended Pope Leo’s Paris Mass?

The Vatican estimated about 800,000 people attended the outdoor Mass at Place de la Concorde, more than the roughly 600,000 who had pre-registered.

Why did Pope Leo visit Lourdes?

Lourdes is a major Catholic pilgrimage site in southern France. The Pope Leo Lourdes visit was part of a four-day trip that also included Paris, Metz, and Saint-Denis.

Did Pope Leo meet with abuse survivors?

Yes. He met privately with seven survivors of sexual abuse by priests and other Catholic personnel during the trip. The Vatican has not released details of what was discussed.

What did Pope Leo say about assisted dying?

He criticized assisted dying while in Lourdes, a topic under active debate in French politics, without laying out a detailed policy position in the remarks reported so far.

What other cities did Pope Leo visit in France?

Besides Paris and Lourdes, his itinerary included Metz, where he gave an English-language address on European peace and unity, and Saint-Denis.

Keep reading on Tamara News

For more world news, see our coverage of Netanyahu’s UN Assembly speech, the White House press access ruling, and the Falklands sovereignty dispute.

28 Sep 2026
Protest signs against evictions during the Madrid housing crisis protests

She Was Evicted at 87. Now Madrid Won’t Stop Protesting.

Categories Spain, World

Tens of thousands of people marched through Madrid over the weekend. They were protesting the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from the apartment she had lived in for 70 years. The Madrid housing crisis protests that followed have become one of Spain’s largest housing demonstrations in years, and they have pushed the government to promise new rules within days.

Court officials carried Maria del Carmen Abascal out of her Retiro-neighborhood apartment on a stretcher on September 23, 2026. Supporters had tried to block the eviction. Her rent had risen from 500 euros a month to 2,650 euros. An investment fund had bought the building in 2018, according to US News.

How the Madrid housing crisis protests grew

Marchers filled central Madrid on Saturday. Many then camped overnight at Puerta del Sol, a historic plaza in the city center. More protesters joined on Sunday. Reporting from NBC News described a crowd that spanned generations, from students to retirees, camped out with handmade signs.

Demonstrators are demanding three specific changes. They want indefinite rental contracts instead of short-term leases. They want stronger measures against fraud in the rental market. They want a ban on evictions when no alternative housing is available.

The numbers behind Spain’s housing crunch

The Bank of Spain estimates the country is short roughly 550,000 homes. Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia face the sharpest shortfalls. Spain also ranks near the bottom of OECD countries for subsidized public rental housing, at under 2% of the total. The EU average is about 8%.

Investment funds have bought up buildings across Spanish cities in recent years. Rents have climbed well beyond what many pensioners and lower-income tenants can afford. That is true even as Spain’s overall economy has grown strongly.

Modern apartment building with balconies, the kind of housing at the center of the Madrid housing crisis protests

What the government has promised

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez responded directly to the protests. “The government is working around the clock to bring a Royal Decree on housing next Tuesday,” he said. US News cited the remark in its report. His Socialist-led government plans to unveil new measures at its weekly cabinet meeting.

The government has not published the decree yet. Its exact contents will stay unknown until the cabinet meets and releases the text.

What happens after the Royal Decree

The immediate test is whether Sanchez’s government delivers concrete rent and eviction rules, not just a promise. Tenant groups have said they will keep pressure on lawmakers until legislation is passed, not merely announced. A decree alone does not guarantee new protections become law; Spain’s parliament would likely need to approve lasting changes.

Watch for the specific text of the Royal Decree, and for how landlords and investment funds respond once it appears.

Common questions about the protests

Why are people protesting in Madrid right now?

The Madrid housing crisis protests began after court officials evicted 87-year-old Maria del Carmen Abascal on a stretcher from the home she had lived in for 70 years, after her rent nearly quintupled.

How many people have joined the protests?

Tens of thousands marched through central Madrid over the weekend, with demonstrators camping overnight at Puerta del Sol plaza.

What is driving Spain’s housing shortage?

The Bank of Spain estimates a shortfall of about 550,000 homes, worsened by low levels of subsidized public rental housing and rising rents in cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia.

What has the Spanish government promised?

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his government would bring a Royal Decree on housing to the following Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, though its exact contents have not been published.

What are protesters asking for specifically?

Demonstrators want indefinite rental contracts, stronger fraud protections for tenants, and a ban on evictions when no alternative housing is available.

More world news from Tamara News

For more international news, see our coverage of the Falklands sovereignty dispute, the stalled Sudan peace talks, and EBRD’s Africa growth outlook.

28 Sep 2026
Fighter jets on a tarmac, symbolizing the Trump arms offer China controversy

Trump Offered China US Weapons. There’s Just One Problem.

Categories World

President Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping if he wanted to buy American weapons. The exchange happened during Xi’s visit to the United States last week. US Ambassador to China David Perdue described it in a Fox News interview. The Trump arms offer China story broke on September 28, 2026. It raises an immediate legal problem: China has been under a US arms embargo since 1989.

“President Trump continues to say, ‘Hey, we sell arms to other people around the world,'” Perdue said. “He actually asked President Xi if he would like to buy some, at one point.” Perdue did not say how Xi responded. The White House has not given its own account of the remark.

What Ambassador Perdue actually said

Perdue’s comments were reported by Euronews and The Hill. They came days after Xi’s trip to Washington. That trip was framed around trade talks. Photos of the two leaders together were taken on September 25, 2026. Trump later called the summit “one of Friendship, Strength, and Success,” Perdue said.

Perdue’s remarks were meant to defend the administration’s China policy. They were not a criticism of it. He argued that Trump has sold Taiwan “50% more arms” than any other president since 1979. Those figures come from Perdue himself. They have not been checked against Pentagon arms-sale data.

Why a Trump arms offer China would break US law

The United States has barred arms sales to China since June 1989. Congress and the White House imposed the embargo after the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Every administration since has kept it in place, Republican and Democratic alike. It covers weapons, defense articles, and related technology. Lifting it would require an act of Congress. No lawmaker has seriously proposed that.

That legal reality is why Perdue’s account reads like a passing remark. It does not look like a real negotiating position. Nothing in the public record shows China formally asked for US weapons. No official has described a concrete deal under discussion.

The Taiwan question hangs over the Trump arms offer China episode

The bigger worry for Taiwan is not that Washington might arm Beijing. It is that Trump has floated Taiwan arms packages as a bargaining chip before. Washington approved an $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan in December 2025. Perdue cited that package as proof the administration has not gone soft on Taipei. Still, analysts who track cross-strait tensions have flagged a risk. Treating Taiwan’s defense needs as leverage, even in passing, can send Beijing an unwelcome signal.

Great Wall of China winding through hills, evoking the Trump arms offer China standoff

What happens next

No legislative or executive action has followed Perdue’s remarks so far. Congress would need to act before any arms sale to China could move forward. There is no sign that process has begun. Trade talks between Washington and Beijing continue on a separate track. Those cover tariffs and technology exports, not weapons.

Watch for two things. First, whether the White House confirms or walks back Perdue’s account. Second, whether Taiwan’s government responds in public. Taipei has stayed quiet so far. A formal reaction would mark a shift in tone.

Frequently asked questions

Did Trump actually offer to sell weapons to China?

According to US Ambassador David Perdue, Trump asked Xi Jinping if he wanted to buy American weapons during Xi’s September 2026 visit. The White House has not confirmed or denied the account on its own.

Is it legal for the US to sell arms to China?

No. A US arms embargo on China has been in place since 1989, after the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Congress would have to lift that embargo before any sale could proceed.

What does this mean for Taiwan?

Nothing has changed in US arms sales to Taiwan so far. Washington approved an $11.1 billion package in December 2025. Analysts worry that Trump has floated Taiwan arms deals as leverage with Beijing, not that Taiwan’s support is ending.

When did Xi Jinping visit the United States?

Xi’s visit and meetings with Trump took place around September 25, 2026, based on photos and reporting from that week.

Has China responded to the reported offer?

No official Chinese statement has addressed Perdue’s comments as of this writing.

Related coverage on Tamara News

For more on the broader US-China relationship, see our coverage of the Trump-Xi trade summit, the Nvidia chip export loophole to China, and the Venezuela envoy’s Washington visit.

27 Sep 2026
S&P 500 record highs 2026

The S&P 500 Keeps Hitting Records Even as Bond Yields Climb

Categories Business

The S&P 500 gained 1.2% over the week ending September 26, 2026, closing roughly 0.7% below its all-time high even as a fresh surge in 10-year Treasury yields failed to derail the advance. The resilience is notable given how directly rising yields typically pressure equity valuations, and it points to a market still willing to reward growth-oriented sectors even as the cost of borrowing climbs.

What drove the week’s gains

Large-cap growth stocks led the advance, with the “Mag 7” and broader technology sector outperforming, while smaller companies, real estate investment trusts and commodities lagged, according to market data summarized in weekly coverage of the session. Growth stocks substantially outperformed value stocks over the period — an unusual pattern to see alongside rising rates, since higher yields typically weigh more heavily on the long-duration cash flows growth companies are priced on, not less.

27 record closes and counting

This week’s move extends a pattern that has defined 2026: the S&P 500 had already closed at all-time highs 27 times through August 26, 2026, part of a year-to-date gain of roughly 13%, according to Yahoo Finance’s analysis of the index’s performance. Historical data spanning January 1988 through December 2023 shows that in the 12 months following a record close, the S&P 500 has averaged a 13.4% gain — compared with an 11.9% average across all 12-month periods — leading the analysis to note that “it has historically been better to buy after a record close than to buy stocks on the average day.”

The risks investors are still watching

The same analysis flags several headwinds that could yet interrupt the streak: the ongoing Iran conflict, elevated 30-year Treasury yields, and the possibility of further Federal Reserve interest rate increases. None of these guarantee an imminent correction, but they are cited as the main reasons record highs are not being treated as an unambiguous green light by every market participant. One analyst tracking the week’s action said they remain invested but are “gradually increasing cash reserves to hedge against a potential market correction” — a hedge-while-still-participating posture that seems to capture the market’s current mood better than either straightforward bullishness or alarm.

Why record highs aren’t automatically a warning sign

Despite the instinct to treat repeated record closes as a sign a pullback is overdue, the historical pattern cited in the Yahoo Finance analysis suggests the opposite has generally been true: markets hitting new highs tend to reflect genuine earnings growth and sustained momentum rather than an unsustainable bubble on the verge of popping. That does not mean this cycle is immune to a correction — only that the mere fact of hitting record 27 has historically told investors less than the underlying earnings and rate trends driving it.

What happens next

With the index sitting just 0.7% below its all-time high, a fresh record close looks within reach barring a shock from the Treasury market or an escalation tied to Iran. Watch the 10-year and 30-year yields closely in the coming weeks: continued increases without a corresponding equity pullback would extend an already unusual pattern, while a sharper yield spike could finally be the catalyst that tests how much further growth stocks can run.

More business coverage

Related reading: last week’s broader market gains, the Federal Reserve’s latest rate decision, and AMD’s trillion-dollar valuation.

S&P 500 record highs questions answered

How did the S&P 500 perform the week of September 26, 2026?

It gained 1.2% for the week, closing roughly 0.7% below its all-time high, even as 10-year Treasury yields surged.

How many record highs has the S&P 500 set in 2026?

27 record closes through August 26, 2026, part of a year-to-date gain of roughly 13%.

What does history say happens after a record close?

From January 1988 through December 2023, the S&P 500 averaged a 13.4% gain in the 12 months following a record close, compared with an 11.9% average across all 12-month periods.

What sectors led this week’s gains?

Large-cap growth stocks, particularly the ‘Mag 7’ and broader technology sector, while smaller companies, REITs and commodities underperformed.

What risks are analysts watching?

The ongoing Iran conflict, elevated 30-year Treasury yields, and the possibility of further Federal Reserve rate increases, though none of these guarantee an imminent correction.

Sources

27 Sep 2026
oil demand outlook Hormuz

Why the World’s Top Oil Forecasters Just Got a Lot More Pessimistic

Categories Business

The IEA’s oil demand outlook has darkened sharply, with the agency’s September 2026 Oil Market Report now projecting world oil demand will decline by 2.5 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2026 before recovering by 2.6 mb/d in 2027. The steeper-than-expected decline is attributed directly to what the agency calls “the continuing impasse in negotiations between the United States and Iran,” underscoring how much of the current global energy picture is being shaped by a single unresolved standoff rather than ordinary shifts in consumption.

Supply is falling too

It is not just demand forecasts moving. According to the IEA’s September 2026 report, global oil production fell to 100.1 mb/d in August 2026, down 1.6 mb/d from the prior month. Annual supply for 2026 is now forecast at 100.7 mb/d, a 5.7 mb/d decline year-over-year, though the agency expects production to rebound by roughly 8 mb/d in 2027 once current disruptions ease.

The Strait of Hormuz is the choke point

The report points to more than 10 mb/d of Gulf output remaining shut in because of heightened security risks. Net exports of diesel and gasoil from Gulf countries averaged just 390,000 barrels per day in August — a little over a quarter of pre-war levels — as flows through the Strait of Hormuz stayed severely constrained. The IEA also flags “renewed attacks” in both the Gulf and the Red Sea’s Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint as compounding the disruption, alongside separate losses to Russian refining capacity that are squeezing supply from another direction entirely.

OPEC’s view has been more cautious than alarmed

Earlier in the summer, OPEC’s own reporting still anticipated demand growth for 2026, even as it trimmed its forecast — from 780,000 bpd of growth projected in July down to 580,000 bpd by August — citing the same Hormuz-related disruption and stalled US-Iran talks the IEA has now folded into a full downward revision. The gap between OPEC’s continued (if reduced) growth call and the IEA’s outright decline forecast reflects how differently the two organizations are weighing the odds of the Strait reopening to something resembling normal flow in the near term.

Why the earlier assumptions broke down

Both organizations had previously built their models around a gradual restoration of oil flows through Hormuz as tensions eased. That assumption is now obsolete: the continued shut-in of Gulf output, renewed attacks along regional shipping routes, and the lack of any breakthrough in US-Iran negotiations have combined to keep the corridor operating at a fraction of its normal capacity for far longer than either forecaster initially modeled.

What happens next

Barring a genuine diplomatic breakthrough on Hormuz access or the broader US-Iran impasse, expect the IEA’s 2.5 mb/d demand decline and constrained supply picture to hold through the rest of 2026, with the agency’s projected 8 mb/d production rebound in 2027 contingent on exactly the kind of de-escalation that has so far failed to materialize. Energy-importing economies and shipping-dependent industries should plan for continued elevated freight and insurance costs on Gulf routes rather than a near-term return to pre-disruption flows.

More business coverage

Related reading: Iran aviation sanctions and flight disruptions, the recent Treasury yields bond rout, and the renewed Iran travel warning.

Oil demand outlook questions answered

How much is oil demand expected to fall in 2026?

The IEA’s September 2026 report projects world oil demand will decline by 2.5 million barrels per day in 2026, before recovering by 2.6 mb/d in 2027.

Why is demand falling so much?

The IEA attributes the steeper-than-expected decline directly to the continuing impasse in US-Iran negotiations and the resulting disruption to Gulf oil flows.

How much Gulf oil output is currently shut in?

More than 10 million barrels per day of Gulf output remains shut in due to heightened security risks around the Strait of Hormuz.

Does OPEC agree with the IEA’s outlook?

Not entirely. As of its August 2026 report, OPEC still expected demand growth, though it cut its forecast from 780,000 bpd of growth in July to 580,000 bpd, citing the same Hormuz disruption.

What happened to diesel and gasoil exports from the Gulf?

Net exports averaged just 390,000 barrels per day in August 2026, a little over a quarter of pre-war levels, as Strait of Hormuz flows stayed severely constrained.

Sources

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