Author: staff
Published on 23/09/2026 – 11:59 GMT+2 UK police said they arrested six protesters after an anti-immigration demonstration in southern England “became hostile towards officers” as a boat carrying migrants spent 36 hours crossing the Channel from France. Facing a crackdown from French and British authorities, migrants desperate to cross to the UK have been adopting new strategies in recent months, including relying on larger dinghies and utilising new routes. That has sparked renewed anger in England, with anti-immigrant protesters gathering in southern coastal towns with plans to foil the arrival of asylum seekers. Around 200 protesters, some in black clothing…
The 48th edition of the WorldSkills Competition has opened in Shanghai. The ceremony featured a spectacular dance performance with humanoid robots and human performers, drawing cheers from the audience. Held from 22 to 27 September, the competition brings together 1,385 competitors from 68 countries for 64 events. The contests cover areas including construction, manufacturing, information technology, creative arts and personal services. China has entered 71 competitors across all 64 skills. The competition itself runs from 23 to 26 September at the National Exhibition and Convention Center.
Lonely Planet has just unveiled its 2027 Best in Travel list – and 10 places and experiences in Europe made the cut. Released annually ahead of the holiday booking season, the list has been curated by the guide book publisher’s community of travel experts based around the globe. The list is split into two: 25 best places to visit, and 25 best experiences to book. Places that made the cut this year range from Dunedin and the Waitaki, one of the “coolest and quirkiest” parts of New Zealand, to Fulidhoo in the Maldives, an affordable alternative to the standard resort…
Streeting’s comments followed a meeting between Trump and Andy Burnham in which the U.S. president described the agreement brokered by Burnham’s predecessor Keir Starmer as “terrible.” Under the most recent version of the plan — paused in April when Trump withdrew his support — Mauritius would gain sovereignty over the islands, which are one of Britain’s last colonial possessions. The military base at Diego Garcia would be leased back to the U.K. and U.S. for a cost of £101m a year. Critics of the deal, including right-wing politicians in the U.K., argue that it risks allowing China a crucial toehold…
Published on 23/09/2026 – 11:32 GMT+2•Updated 11:42 EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, where the two discussed diplomatic routes to ending the war between the United States and Iran and fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on X after the meeting, Kallas said ships should not have to pay to pass through the strait once the conflict ends. She noted that no tolls or fees were charged before the war, and said navigation must be “free and unimpeded” in…
ChatGPT, Grok and Claude provided full news summaries drawing on EU-sanctioned Russian state media outlets — including RT and Sputnik — sharing links and quotes without warning users that the content came from banned sources, according to a study by Reporters Without Borders published this month. The investigation, led by RSF technology desk head Vincent Berthier, tested six AI chatbots by explicitly requesting news from a list of sanctioned Russian outlets: RIA Novosti, Russia Today and its foreign-language editions, Rossiya RTR, Rossiya 24, Sputnik and the Strategic Culture Foundation. Where direct access was blocked, the researchers instructed the tools to…
At a time when every euro spent and saved is being scrutinised in the search for ways to reduce France’s deficit, Oxfam is targeting a tax break for inherited family businesses that it says disproportionately benefits the wealthiest heirs. In a report published on Tuesday, the NGO called for tighter limits on the Dutreil pact, which exempts 75% of a qualifying company’s value when gift or inheritance tax is calculated. Oxfam estimates that reforming the scheme could raise more than €3bn a year, as France searches for savings and additional revenue ahead of its 2027 budget. As the French public…
US President Donald Trump and UN Secretary-General António Guterres offered conflicting visions for how the world should manage artificial intelligence at the UN on Tuesday. Armed with a new UN science report that warns of a slight but real potential of catastrophic and irreversible harm, Guterres kicked off the parade of world leaders speaking at the General Assembly by calling for more oversight of AI, warning in vivid if not ominous terms of what could go wrong. “Let us resolve that life-and-death decisions must never be surrendered to machines. Killer robots must have no place in our future,” the UN…
From marathons in Amsterdam to HYROX in Hamburg, autumn is shaping up to be the season of the “race-cation”. Google searches for “marathon abroad” have soared by some 1,255% in the past year, as runners increasingly combine race day with a quick city break – and new data suggests they’re already planning what to do once they cross the finish line. Findings from Bókun, a Tripadvisor-owned company, have revealed that searches for overseas marathons have hit an all-time high in 2026, and it’s perfect timing, as research shows that a quarter of marathons globally take place in October. Now, searches…
French citizen Martin Ryan is being released from Azerbaijani prison, one day after Paris successfully lobbied Brussels to lift sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov. Ryan, who was convicted of espionage charges, was one of several individuals pardoned by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev. The Financial Times reported that the delisting was part of a deal that could see French nationals released from detention in Azerbaijan. Paris has significantly stepped up its role in the South Caucasus in support of Armenia, a pro-EU democracy that has spent decades locked in conflict with Azerbaijan.