Author: staff

Published on 02/07/2026 – 14:06 GMT+2 OpenAI has offered the US government a 5% stake in the company, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, as the ChatGPT maker tries to head off growing political heat in Washington. That slice would be worth around $42.6 billion (€37.4bn), a significant sum even for a company as flush as OpenAI. The figure is based on the $852 billion (€749bn) price tag investors put on the firm just three months ago, when OpenAI raised fresh funds in March. According to the reporting, Sam Altman wants other big American AI players — Anthropic, Google and…

“The thing about football – the important thing about football – is that it is not just about football.” British author Terry Pratchett was right about “the beautiful game” when he wrote those lines in his Discworld novel “Unseen Academicals”. And some are taking it too far. While Germany is licking its wounds over its penalty shootout failure and some Dutch fans are facing police investigation for racially abusing their players who missed their spot kicks, the reactions to South Korea’s exit threatens to bring the culture of football into further disrepute. In case you haven’t been keeping track of…

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday announced Ukraine-style autonomous trade measures for Armenia aimed at helping the country withstand growing economic pressure from Russia. Von der Leyen unveiled the package during a visit to Yerevan alongside Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, where the pair met Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The trip marks the first visit by a foreign leader since Pashinyan’s pro-European government secured another parliamentary majority last month, cementing Armenia’s shift away from Moscow. “The recent elections have shown the strength of Armenia’s democracy,” von der Leyen said, according to a press release. “The Armenian people have…

The Vatican has declared the automatic excommunication of leading figures of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X, the Lefebvrists, following the controversial ordination of four new bishops carried out without papal approval. The decree, issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and signed by Prefect Víctor M. Fernández, describes the act as “of a schismatic nature” and refers to the sanctions provided under canon law for the crime of schism. The decree states that Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, together with the newly ordained bishops Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry and Marc Hanappier, are…

Published on 02/07/2026 – 13:46 GMT+2 An 11-year-old boy died from rabies in Canada after he woke up to find a bat “on his nose and mouth,” according to a report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The boy died in hospital in Ontario after developing severe symptoms including bulbar palsy, a neurological condition affecting the nerves controlling muscles used for speaking, swallowing, and breathing. His family said that around 19 days before the onset of initial symptoms, he had been staying in a cottage in northern Ontario, where he had been awoken by a bat on his face. The…

End of the special economic zone in Cala Finanza, in north-eastern Sardinia. The Tavolara glamping site was in danger of turning into an Albanian-style national scandal. There are many similarities between the resort Donald Trump’s son-in-law wants to build in the lagoon near Vlorë and the Tavolara Bay project in Cala Finanza, in north-eastern Sardinia. But the Italian government has stepped in and withdrawn the authorisations, upholding the demands of those who were protesting. As of 2 July, the luxury tourism project in the municipality of Loiri Porto San Paolo – opposite the island of Tavolara and 20 km south…

The chancellor’s approval ratings have fallen to new lows recently, mirroring the declining popularity of his governing coalition. Only 12 percent of Germans said they were satisfied with the government’s performance in last month’s benchmark ARD Deutschlandtrend survey. At the same time, the AfD is leading national opinion surveys and maintaining an even bigger lead in the polls in two eastern German states that will hold elections in September — something that would put the far-right party in a position to potentially assume real governing power for the first time since its founding in 2013. Merz framed the blueprint tax…

Published on 02/07/2026 – 12:32 GMT+2 EU countries must match Europe’s defence ambitions in the upcoming budget negotiations, European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said at a conference on Thursday. “If you want peace, prepare for war,” Kubilius said, citing an Ancient Roman proverb to argue that strength and readiness are the best deterrents against being attacked. Kubilius argued that saving money on defence comes at the expense of the future, pointing out the enormous economic damage that accompanies the escalation of tensions into open conflict. “In order to avoid the case for war, [the member states] need…

Published on 02/07/2026 – 11:22 GMT+2 Queen Camilla posted a photo of her meeting Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling to discuss encouraging reading among young people. The pair discussed their “shared passion for books” to mark the start of Royal Week in Edinburgh – also known as Holyrood Week – which celebrates Scottish culture and achievements. In a statement published on social media, the Royal Family said the Queen and Rowling “had a deep commitment to children reading for pleasure”. They added: “Her Majesty and Ms Rowling discussed the importance of ensuring that young people have access to books and…

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