Author: staff
As shifting trade routes, geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty reshape investment decisions, attention is increasingly turning towards a region long overlooked by international markets: the Caucasus and Central Asia. The search for new investment opportunities and trade corridors was at the heart of the Investment Outlook Forum, which formed part of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group Annual Meetings, bringing together policymakers, investors, development finance institutions and business leaders for deal-making and panel discussions. All 57 member countries came together, displaying a determination to strengthen regional cohesion. They also examined how Azerbaijan and the wider region can attract long-term investment…
Published on 23/06/2026 – 13:29 GMT+2 If you’re thinking of taking a few pics or a cheeky video with your phone during a performance at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), word of warning: don’t. The 2026 edition of the festival, which boasts a “hand-picked programme of the finest performers in dance, opera, music and theatre”, will be a “phone-free” environment, with organisers confirming that every show in its Queen’s Hall series will be free of any telephone disruption. The festival’s new ‘Lights Down, Phones Off’ policy urges audience members to “lose yourself in the moment”. “We’re acting on what…
Murrell is the ex-husband of the former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, who has said she has “no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that [Murrell] was using SNP funds for personal purposes.” A criminal inquiry cleared Sturgeon in March; in January 2025, she announced she was divorcing the disgraced former party official. Both had resigned from their positions in the SNP before Murrell’s arrest in April 2023. “Your actions involved a significant breach of trust to the organization which you led and to the individual members and donors of that organization,” Judge Andrew Young told Murrell Tuesday as he delivered the sentence…
Published on 23/06/2026 – 14:00 GMT+2 The Russian foreign minister said on Tuesday that Europe is “becoming a major threat to international peace and security” by providing military support to Ukraine, and claimed that the US was no longer trying to be an “objective mediator” to broker an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. “As for the United States, judging by their actions, they appear to be abandoning any claim to the role of an objective mediator and are instead pursuing a course of escalating sanctions pressure on Russia,” Sergei Lavrov told foreign envoys in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s…
Published on 23/06/2026 – 13:38 GMT+2 Former La Liga striker Rade Bogdanović has apologised after a racist comment he made during a World Cup fixture on Sunday sparked outrage online. During the game, Bogdanović, who was working as a pundit on Serbian TV, questioned the concentration and focus of Black players. “I’ve always said those players – and I’m really not racist – but Black players lack the concentration to last more than 60 to 80 minutes,” he said. “When we played, we sometimes had to protect our own players to stop them making mistakes,” he added. Another pundit pushed…
Passengers travelling on the Eurostar this week should be aware that some trains have been cancelled due to “adverse weather”. The operator has said that two services a day will not operate between Monday 22 June and Thursday 25 June. Cancellations include the 1.31 pm on 23-24 June, the 6.08 pm on 24 June, and the 3.31 pm and the 8.08 pm on 25 June. The news comes as both France and the UK issue red heat alerts. London will hit highs of 36C on Tuesday and Thursday, and 37C on Wednesday. Paris, meanwhile, will see temperatures of 37C on…
The president pointed out that his predecessors had attended all previous NATO summits, and that he had been present at every one of the alliance’s gatherings since he took office in 2023. After months of contention over who would represent Prague in Ankara, Babiš on Monday announced the head of state could not join the official delegation because “this summit will be different from previous ones.” During the upcoming gathering, the prime minister will be expected to justify his decision to cut core military spending to around 1.8 percent of GDP, below the 2 percent NATO target. Babiš’s move to…
Published on 23/06/2026 – 12:50 GMT+2 Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party and ex-husband of Nicola Sturgeon, has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison for embezzling £400,000 of party funds. Police became aware of possible mismanagement of the SNP’s finances in March 2021 after receiving a complaint. An investigation was then launched after further complaints followed. Officers carried out a search of Murrell’s home on 5 April 2023 and Murrell was arrested. The 61-year-old, who was convicted on 25 May 2026, purchased an array of expensive items using the SNP’s main…
Published on 23/06/2026 – 10:32 GMT+2 With a seemingly never-ending comeback rollout, 2026 is the year Céline Dion became a teasing master. The Canadian icon is ready to say hello, sorry and thank you, as per the title of her new French-language single ‘Pardon, Bonjour, Merci,’ announced in a triptych of social media posts on Monday. “There is a line missing from this poem,” Dion cryptically wrote under the first post which featured only the world “merci” in her handwriting. Written by French composers Renaud Rebillaud and Ycare, the song is scheduled for release on 3 July and the most…
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