Author: staff
Published on 25/08/2026 – 15:04 GMT+2 Qatar and Pakistan are continuing efforts to revive negotiations between the US and Iran, with officials speaking to the parties daily to explore possible ways forward, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday. “Our officials are on the phone on a daily basis trying to workshop ideas, workshop ways of getting back to the negotiations,” Majed Al-Ansari told reporters in Doha. Al-Ansari did not provide details of the proposals being discussed but said Qatar remained focused on reaching a diplomatic solution to the ongoing war between the two sides. “Our priority was always reaching…
Since launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has stepped up efforts to bring privately owned assets — including industrial and defense-related companies — under state control. Around 805 companies were transferred to the state between 2022 and 2026, according to Vadim Yakovenko, head of the Federal Agency for State Property Management. “We are not talking about nationalization,” Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said in a press conference Tuesday, according to the state-owned news agency TASS. He blamed business owners for approaching threats “with varying degrees of responsibility.” In some cases, “ensuring the security…
The detention of a German rescue ship in Italy has reignited a long-running dispute over the role of private vessels rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean. Italian authorities detained the Sea-Watch 5 for 45 days last weekend and fined the German organisation operating it €7,500. On 13 August, the vessel rescued six people in the Mediterranean and, according to Sea-Watch, encountered an unidentified armed boat and documented the deaths of eight people. The Italian Interior Ministry said the vessel was detained for failing to inform the Libyan coastguard about the rescue operation. Sea-Watch said it planned to appeal against the detention,…
Published on 25/08/2026 – 14:31 GMT+2 President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he is considering changing the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” as the trade war between the United States and Canada intensifies. Such a change would be reminiscent of the Republican president’s unilateral action last year by executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The United States and Canada are locked in a trade dispute, with Canada expected to announce retaliatory measures on Tuesday. That’s in response to the Trump administration enacting 50% tariffs on $20 billion (€17 billion) of…
Published on 25/08/2026 – 12:31 GMT+2 Kanye ‘Ye’ West was set to become biggest western act to play in Russia since the country invaded Ukraine in 2022. The controversial American rapper, who has mainly made headlines due to his antisemitic outbursts and cancelled European shows, was set to perform on 10 and 11 October at St Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena. Russian fans rushed to secure tickets after the shows were announced and the concerts had all but sold out. Now, in a fresh twist, Gazprom Arena said it would not host the rapper, as no rental agreement has been signed. In…
Published on 25/08/2026 – 13:42 GMT+2•Updated 13:42 Finnair has cancelled all flights between Helsinki and Dubai for the coming winter season, citing continuing security concerns in the Middle East. The Finnish carrier said on Tuesday that services to the United Arab Emirates would remain suspended from 25 October 2026 until 27 March 2027. “The security situation in the Middle East has remained unstable, with no clear signs of improvement,” Finnair said, adding that it would contact passengers affected by the cancellations. The decision extends the disruption that began after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on 28…
Russian security forces are detaining civilians off the streets and pressuring them to sign military contracts, as reports emerge that the Kremlin is preparing for a new wave of mobilisation for its ongoing all-out war in Ukraine. In mid-August, the Russian human rights project Idite lesom received 14 appeals from people who said security forces had detained them and forced or pressured them into signing military contracts, either at police stations or directly at military enlistment offices. The project, which helps Russians avoid taking part in the war, said the peak began on 10 August. “There were only isolated round-ups…
Published on 25/08/2026 – 12:07 GMT+2 The German economy expanded more than previously thought in the second quarter. According to revised data from the Federal Statistical Office, gross domestic product grew by 0.3% from April to June compared with the first three months of the year. An initial estimate in July had put growth at 0.2%. Year on year, GDP increased by 1%, revised up from a preliminary estimate of 0.9% and up from a 0.8% in the first quarter. The revision suggests that the German economy is coping with the energy shock unleashed by the Iran war and the…
Australia has banned largely or wholly AI-generated songs from its official music charts, requiring releases to be “substantially human made”. The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) says the new rules are designed to “promote the human nature of artistry” as AI-generated tracks increasingly find their way onto streaming services, radio stations and even the charts. The move follows controversy surrounding Australian DJ Josh Fawaz, whose AI-assisted cover of Madonna’s ‘Like A Prayer’ recently reached No. 1 on the ARIA dance singles chart and peaked at No. 2 overall. Following a backlash, Fawaz added generative AI credits to the song, which…
Saint-Gilles has been grappling with drug-related violence for years, particularly around the train station. In June 2024, two people were killed and three others injured when gunmen opened fire with Kalashnikovs at a café near Brussels-Midi station, in an incident authorities linked to drug trafficking. Authorities subsequently stepped up police presence in several hotspots in the area, but not sufficiently, according to Spinette. “I’ve been asking for reinforcements for three years,” he said. Around 700 police officers work across Saint-Gilles and the wider Midi police zone, while the municipality increased its annual contribution to the police force by €1.8 million…