Author: staff
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Friday, Oct. 30, that two oil tankers had encountered incidents while attempting to navigate routes Tehran considers unauthorized in the eastern and western sections of the Strait of Hormuz. Both vessels were subsequently stopped in the waterway’s southern waters. According to Iranian state media, the Guard claimed the tankers had switched off their navigation and positioning systems and were attempting to leave the strait through routes opposed by Tehran, with the support of the U.S. military. The Guard said the vessels continued sailing despite repeated radio warnings before encountering trouble in what it described…
The eurozone’s four largest economies published fresh inflation data on Friday, offering an early read on what is shaping up to be another hot month for price pressures across Europe. The October’s inflation ranking was clear. Italy came out on top, with prices rising 5.4% from a year earlier. Spain followed at 4.9%, France at 3.4% and Germany at 2.8%. The more telling story, however, is the direction. Inflation accelerated sharply in Italy and France, held steady in Spain and fell in Germany, even though all four major economies are dealing with the same surge in energy costs. So, why…
Published on 30 October 2026 – 15:31 GMT+1 Paris Saint-Germain will return to Qatar in December to defend their FIFA Intercontinental Cup title, after the country was confirmed as host of the tournament’s final three matches for a third consecutive year. The French club will play in the final on 16 December at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, returning to the venue where they lifted the trophy last year. The other two matches will take place on 9 and 12 December, organisers announced on Thursday. PSG secured their place by retaining the UEFA Champions League title in the…
Police found a large amount of evidence suggesting that the man took pictures of strategic infrastructure systematically. “There were photographs of various places and important communication facilities, not only in Poland,” Łukasz Dutkowiak, a spokesperson for the Lower Silesian police, told Radio Wrocław. Prosecutors are now investigating “activities for foreign intelligence against the Republic of Poland,” the regional authority added. Poland has faced multiple sabotage attacks against its military and railway infrastructure over the past year. Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused Ukrainian nationals of “cooperating with Russian services” after a November 2025 attack damaged a rail line close to the…
Meerkats searched carved pumpkins for worms on Friday, 30 October, while cheetah cubs played with their own Halloween surprise and a caracal was filmed licking another. Keepers provided extra treats as pumpkins of different shapes, sizes and colours were distributed around the zoo, where 14 animal species are expected to join the celebrations. The Halloween activities are also designed to encourage natural behaviour through animal enrichment, a technique that introduces new objects, food and challenges into an animal’s environment. For the meerkats, searching for worms inside hollowed-out pumpkins turns feeding time into an opportunity to explore and forage. Cheetah and…
Published on 30 October 2026 – 13:17 GMT+1 AstraZeneca, Britain’s biggest pharmaceutical company, said on Friday that its profit after tax rose 23% to $3.12 billion (€2.79bn) for the July to September period, driven largely by its cancer treatments. That marks a sharp pick-up from the rise of just over 2% in the previous quarter. The firm also launched a plan to generate $1.5 billion (€1.34bn) in annual savings, which it intends to reinvest mainly in the drugs it has in development. Revenue grew 7% to $16.2 billion (€14.5bn). Oncology, its biggest business, accounted for 48% of the total, with…
Times Square in New York City might just be the world’s most iconic address, known for its dazzling billboards, its proximity to Broadway, and, of course, its New Year’s Eve celebrations. And in the next few years, there’s going to be a new address to know about here: The StandardX Times Square. The newly announced hotel, set to open in the second half of 2028, will offer a new perspective on the locale, with an enclosed free-fall thrill ride on its upper floors, an observation deck more than 1,000 feet above Manhattan, and a rooftop pool. The 1,800-key hotel will…
They are facing a divided field of mainstream candidates on the center and center-right, including two former prime ministers under Macron in Gabriel Attal and Edouard Philippe, and Bruno Retailleau, a former interior minister. These candidates have struggled to settle on a common message in response to the crisis — let alone agree on who the best candidate would be to avoid their nightmare scenario of a runoff between Mélenchon and Le Pen. ‘Out of ideas’ Three officials supporting centrist and conservative candidates told POLITICO that they were concerned the events of the past few weeks would cause lasting damage…
By Dogyu Lee Published on 30 October 2026 – 13:32 GMT+1 North Korea fired around a dozen short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea on Thursday, South Korea’s military said, a day after Seoul renewed its call for talks to prevent accidental clashes along their heavily fortified border. The missiles were launched from the eastern coastal area of Wonsan at about 12.30pm local time and travelled around 250 kilometres, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. South Korea said it had stepped up surveillance for further launches and was sharing information with the United States and Japan. Seoul proposed military talks…
Published on 30 October 2026 – 13:29 GMT+1 The increase, which was well above the European Central Bank’s eurozone inflation target of 2%, was mainly due to rising energy, food and transport prices, the agency said. It comes, however, as the eurozone economy grew more than expected in the third quarter, official data showed Friday, demonstrating resilience despite the impact of the Middle East war and surging energy costs. Economists said the single currency area’s growth held up well but warned of the potential for stagflation – a nightmare mix of stagnant growth and high inflation. The EU’s statistics agency…