Author: staff

Uzbekistan has announced a five-part business reform plan, with nearly €1 billion in explicitly earmarked funding across measures covering finance, artificial intelligence, exports and business expansion. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev presented the measures during his annual open dialogue with entrepreneurs in Khiva, in western Uzbekistan, on Entrepreneurs Day, marked in the country on 20 August. Around 25,000 business representatives took part from across the country, including via district studios. The format was launched five years ago. Over that period, the business loan portfolio has nearly tripled to about €33 billion and investment by companies in fixed capital has also tripled, according…

With the trade war with the US heating back up, Canada’s Prime minister Mark Carney has delivered another pledge to deepen his country’s economic and security partnership with the EU. His statement came after trade talks between Ottawa and Washington collapsed last week, with Canada accusing the US of interfering in its sovereignty by demanding French-language concessions. In retaliation, US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that on 1 January 2027, tariffs on cars and trucks will be increased to 50%. “WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US!” he wrote. “They do 95% of their business with the US,…

Published on 26/08/2026 – 8:19 GMT+2•Updated 12:08 A fire at a hospital’s maternity ward in a major government hospital in Pakistan’s capital killed at least 14 newborn babies early on Wednesday, according to hospital officials and the government. The fire broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health Ward at the public Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital, according to the district administration. Rescue officials said the fire broke out at around 6:45 am (3:45 am CEST) after an air-conditioning unit compressor apparently exploded inside the nursery, located in the hospital’s gynecology ward. Sohail Ashraf,…

Published on 20/08/2026 – 19:10 GMT+2•Updated 21/08/2026 – 9:13 GMT+2 The board of Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (Mps) has approved a plan by chief executive Luigi Lovaglio to launch two separate public exchange offers for Banco Bpm and Banca Generali, in a bid to build an industrial alternative to Intesa Sanpaolo’s public tender and exchange offer (Opas) for the Siena-based bank. Under Italian takeover rules, an Opas (offerta pubblica di acquisto e scambio) is a public bid combining cash and shares, while an Ops (offerta pubblica di scambio) is share-only. Intesa Sanpaolo’s Opas is the bid for Mps;…

Attal, who leads Macron’s centrist party Renaissance, did not address — nor was he questioned in the interview — that potential conflict. Spokespersons for the two politicians both declined to comment for this story. But Attal said in his interview that he and Séjourné, who both rose to prominence while working for Macron, keep their careers separate. “We have always separated our careers. We are two public figures, but we don’t put ourselves on show together … we each follow our own paths separately,” he said. The pair were in a civil partnership from 2017 to 2022, while Attal held…

Published on 26/08/2026 – 15:05 GMT+2 CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s surprise visit to Moscow on Tuesday sparked speculation about the trip’s sudden nature and what message Washington considered important enough for the US spy chief to deliver in person. The Kremlin confirmed that Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials during his hours-long visit, but said he did not meet Vladimir Putin. “No meetings with Putin were planned,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin was briefed on the outcome of the discussions, according to the Kremlin. Neither Washington nor Moscow have disclosed what was discussed, leaving the purpose of the…

Published on 26/08/2026 – 9:40 GMT+2 At least 47 people were killed and more than 50 kidnapped after armed men attacked a community near Haiti’s capital earlier this week, the United Nations (UN) said on Tuesday. The assault is believed to be one of Haiti’s largest mass kidnappings in recent years. Kenscoff resident Marc Paul, 42, said his brother, stepmother, stepfather and two cousins were among those kidnapped. His 16-year-old niece was also abducted and raped before managing to escape and reunite with him. “I had to run over bodies,” Paul said, recalling his escape from the attack. “I can’t…

Published on 21/08/2026 – 12:42 GMT+2 The world’s largest cryptocurrency touched an intraday high of $79,500 on Friday, its best level in months, before easing to around $77,700 at the time of writing, leaving it up more than 25% since Monday. The rally caps one of Bitcoin’s most dramatic weeks in years, following a stretch in which the token had lagged well behind its 2025 highs for much of 2026. For six straight weeks, Bitcoin had been stuck grinding between $62,000 and $66,000, having fallen over 50% from the all-time high of around $126,000 it reached last year in October,…

Regulation, regulation, regulation The technology was badged as a simpler solution for renters or other people without space at home for traditional rooftop panels.  People who want to install the kit may need permission from landlords, freeholders or councils, therefore. And some are already not playing ball.  One housing association, Sovereign Network Group — which manages 86,000 homes across London and the south of England — said it has a blanket ban on letting residents install plug-in solar in the buildings it manages.   “While solar panels may be installed through our planned retrofit programme, we do not permit plug-in or…

Published on 26/08/2026 – 15:11 GMT+2•Updated 16:02 Belgian potato farmers are warning that this year’s crop could be too small to make the country’s famous fries after extreme weather hit harvests. In Amay, near the eastern city of Liège, farmer Mathieu Comijn is pulling Bintje potatoes from parched soil that are barely the size of ping-pong balls. “You can see the soil is extremely dry,” Comijn said. “Normally, they should be at least four times this size. At the moment we can’t make fries with these potatoes.” Heavy rain and storms at the end of spring weakened the soil before…