Author: staff
In the interim, a No. 10 spokesperson said “the business of government will continue” in line with precedent. “Where a process is already under way or collective agreement is in place, government business will continue,” they said. “All ministers remain in office and may carry usual activities.” However, they said the prime minister has “agreed that there will be no new major policy or spending commitments initiated during this period.” This does not include publication of the widely anticipated Defense Investment Plan, they added, reiterating the government’s intention to publish it ahead of a NATO summit on July 7. The…
Published on 23/06/2026 – 15:51 GMT+2 An intensifying public row between Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky undermines political unity and plays directly into Russia’s hands, the European Commission has warned. “If there’s something we have learned over the past five years (of) facing this unprovoked war in Ukraine is that unity is our strongest tool, and that anything that undermines that unity, including disputes, in this case, between a member state and Ukraine, is not helpful,” Paula Pino, the Commission’s chief spokesperson, told journalists on Tuesday. “There is only one happy observer in this type of…
The vote of 23 June 2016 was meant to settle a question. A decade on, it has settled remarkably little. In particular, the economic verdict on Brexit remains one of the most contested in modern Britain, entangled with a pandemic, an energy shock and the steepest monetary tightening in over a generation. Two detailed assessments published this week, from Allianz Research and Deutsche Bank, reach a strikingly similar judgement: the doom was overstated, but so was the dividend. Allianz captures it in three words: “resilience without revival”. The timing could hardly be sharper. On Monday, the day before the Brexit…
Published on 23/06/2026 – 15:37 GMT+2 Japan’s famous bullet trains are getting a luxury upgrade. Later this year, passengers will be able to book private suites complete with lockable doors, reclining seats and dedicated Wi-Fi as rail operators roll out a new ‘Supreme Class’ service. On 1 October, the already famously comfortable Shinkansen will add on the private compartments, which will also boast air conditioning and adjustable lighting. It’s planned that the suites, similar to those found in first class on aeroplanes, will be available on around 12 trains per day from their launch, rising to 30 by the end…
Published on 23/06/2026 – 15:22 GMT+2 According to the German Federal Agency for Real Estate, finds of this kind usually yield only isolated remains or vehicle parts. In this case, however, workers came across an almost completely preserved assault gun, a rare relic from the final months of the Second World War in north-west Germany. The vehicle discovered is a StuG III assault gun, one of the Wehrmacht’s most-produced tracked vehicles. Unlike conventional tanks, the vehicle did not have a rotating turret. Instead, the gun was fixed pointing forwards, meaning the entire vehicle had to be moved to aim. At…
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on Tuesday announced she will lead Kyiv’s delegation to this week’s Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set to skip the event amid a growing diplomatic dispute with his Polish counterpart, Karol Nawrocki. “I am leading Ukraine’s delegation and our overall work at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 in Gdańsk,” wrote Svyrydenko on X. The Ukrainian team will include business leaders, officials, lawmakers and local community representatives looking to secure “concrete agreements” on Ukraine’s defense capabilities, resilience and energy sector, she said. The conference, which is co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine and…
Published on 23/06/2026 – 14:59 GMT+2 The president of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, has appealed to the country’s Constitutional court amid a dispute over his participation in the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. Pavel, who served in the Czech armed forces for more than three decades, took office in March 2023 and has attended every NATO summit since then. But Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced on Monday that Pavel would not be included in a delegation travelling to Turkey in July, with only the PM and defence and foreign ministers set to go. Babiš, the leader of the…
Montenegro’s President Jakov Milatović arrived in Kazakhstan over the weekend for the first state visit by a Montenegrin head of state to the Central Asian country, with talks focused on expanding cooperation in transport and logistics. At a meeting with Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, the Montenegrin side highlighted the Central Asian nation’s role as a logistical hub between Europe and Asia. The country is a key transit point along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). Given Montenegro’s strategic location on the Adriatic coast, the two sides discussed the possibility of integrating the Port of Bar into the TITR network.…
As shifting trade routes, geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty reshape investment decisions, attention is increasingly turning towards a region long overlooked by international markets: the Caucasus and Central Asia. The search for new investment opportunities and trade corridors was at the heart of the Investment Outlook Forum, which formed part of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group Annual Meetings, bringing together policymakers, investors, development finance institutions and business leaders for deal-making and panel discussions. All 57 member countries came together, displaying a determination to strengthen regional cohesion. They also examined how Azerbaijan and the wider region can attract long-term investment…
Published on 23/06/2026 – 13:29 GMT+2 If you’re thinking of taking a few pics or a cheeky video with your phone during a performance at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), word of warning: don’t. The 2026 edition of the festival, which boasts a “hand-picked programme of the finest performers in dance, opera, music and theatre”, will be a “phone-free” environment, with organisers confirming that every show in its Queen’s Hall series will be free of any telephone disruption. The festival’s new ‘Lights Down, Phones Off’ policy urges audience members to “lose yourself in the moment”. “We’re acting on what…