Russia moves to take temporary control of poorly protected critical infrastructure amid Ukraine drone attacks
Russia has issued a decree allowing the state to take temporary control of critical infrastructure that regulators judge to be insufficiently protected from attack or too slow to repair. The measure comes as Ukraine continues a sustained drone campaign against Russian energy and other facilities, adding pressure to an economy already facing disruption from repeated strikes. The decree was published on Monday and sets out a mechanism for the state to step in when operators are seen as failing to secure sites or restore them quickly.Under the decree, ownership powers can be transferred to the Federal Agency for State Property... [Continue Reading]
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Trump threatens 50% tariffs on Canadian autos, parts, and steel starting Jan. 1, 2027
President Donald Trump made multiple posts on Truth Social in the last hour: - "Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years. Their ridiculously high tariffs on our Farmers and farm products has made life impossible for these great American Patriots, and has long created a 60 Billion Dollar Deficit between our two Countries. On January First, 2027, Tariffs on all Cars, Trucks, both large and small, Automotive Parts, and Steel, will be increased to 50%. Canada will be treated like a State no longer! On Trade, and in other ways, also, they are among the... [Continue Reading]
Warehouse burns near St Petersburg as Ukraine targets Ozon sites
A warehouse fire has been reported near St Petersburg in an incident linked to Ukraine targeting Ozon sites, according to the supplied report. The fire involved a logistics facility in the area around Russia's second-largest city. No further confirmed details were provided in the source material about the scale of the blaze or the extent of damage.The report identifies the event as taking place on 24 August 2026 and places it near St Petersburg. It also says the warehouse was connected to Ozon sites, indicating a logistics or storage facility was involved. The supplied material does not give a precise... [Continue Reading]
Macron to host Saudi Crown Prince in Paris for talks on security and energy routes
French President Emmanuel Macron is due to host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Paris for a two-day state visit beginning on Sunday evening. The visit will open with the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup before moving on to bilateral talks and a business forum on Monday. The discussions are expected to focus on regional security, energy routes and broader cooperation between France and Saudi Arabia.According to the supplied material, the two leaders are expected to address the main topics of regional importance within a framework of close collaboration between France and its partners in the Gulf.... [Continue Reading]
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South Korea sends first container ship through Arctic route on trial voyage
South Korea has launched its first commercial trial container voyage through the Arctic, with the PanStar Acro departing Busan New Port for Europe. The ship set sail on Saturday evening local time as part of a government-backed effort to test whether the Northern Sea Route can become commercially viable. The voyage is being watched closely because it could offer an alternative path for cargo between Asia and Europe.The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said the vessel departed at 9:30pm local time, or 12:30 GMT. The 2,758 TEU ship is carrying 837 TEU of cargo, including car parts, chemical products and... [Continue Reading]
DR Congo Ebola outbreak as more than 16,000 vaccine doses arrive in Kinshasa
More than 16,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine have arrived in Kinshasa as the Democratic Republic of the Congo tries to slow what officials describe as its deadliest-ever outbreak. The 16,250 doses landed in the capital late on Friday, forming the first shipment of a larger allocation pledged by the World Health Organization and partners. Health officials say the arrival is an important step, but it comes as transmission continues to accelerate in the east of the country.The World Health Organization and partners have pledged 70,000 doses in total for the DRC, according to the latest confirmed figures. Of... [Continue Reading]
Russian drone strike on Kryvyi Rih shopping centre kills 16 as EU threatens tougher sanctions
Ukrainian officials say the death toll from a Russian drone strike on a shopping centre in the central city of Kryvyi Rih has risen to 16, with 130 people injured. The attack hit the city's largest shopping complex in two waves on Friday, according to local and national officials. A second drone reportedly struck about half an hour after the first, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying it appeared to be targeting emergency responders.The head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, Oleksandr Ganzha, said the latest death toll had risen from earlier figures. Ukrainian emergency services initially reported 15 dead and... [Continue Reading]
Iran warns Bulgaria and southeastern Europe over support for US operations
Iran has warned Bulgaria that countries supporting US military operations against Tehran could become legitimate targets, according to a report published on Friday. The warning is linked to Bulgaria's Bezmer Air Base, which was approved in July for use in refuelling US military aircraft. The development has raised concern that the dispute could extend beyond the Middle East and into southeastern Europe.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly delivered the warning in a conversation with his Bulgarian counterpart. He said any country aiding what Tehran described as US "aggression" against Iran would be treated as a legitimate target for retaliation. The... [Continue Reading]
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PlayStation fans plan week-long boycott over Sony's move away from physical discs
PlayStation fans are preparing a week-long boycott in protest at Sony's decision to stop producing PlayStation game discs after 2027. The planned action, described by organisers as a "PS blackout", is due to run from Sunday, August 23, 2026, to Sunday, August 30, 2026. Supporters are being urged to avoid logging in, playing games or making purchases on PlayStation during that period.The protest is being organised through the X account DoesItPlay1, which posted a call for a "one week warning" for the blackout. The message said the minimum requirement was "no logins, no playing, no purchasing on PlayStation", while also... [Continue Reading]
Israel strikes Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria as Damascus denies Turkish base plans
Israel carried out air strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase near Aleppo on Tuesday, hitting the runway and storage facilities at the site, according to Syrian state media. The attack came amid rising tensions involving Israel, Syria and Turkiye over military activity in Syria. It was described as Israel's first strike on Syrian government assets since March.Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said there are no plans to establish a Turkish military presence at the airbase. In an interview with Axios, he said Turkish military officials had visited the site as part of training and broader military cooperation, but denied any... [Continue Reading]
US Interest in Northern Australian Bases Highlights Strategic Role of Tindal, Curtin and Learmonth
Australia's northern military bases are being cast as increasingly important strategic assets, after reporting highlighted both new infrastructure at RAAF Base Tindal and a separate US interest in using other northern airfields for fuel storage. The developments centre on the Northern Territory and north-west Western Australia, where bases are seen as useful for training, logistics and potential operational support. The reporting also points to the growing role of northern Australia in defence planning as regional security concerns continue to shape military preparations.At RAAF Base Tindal, near Katherine in the Northern Territory, newly built bomb shelters have been completed for F-35... [Continue Reading]
US Navy destroyer USS Benfold loses power in the Pacific for four days
A US Navy destroyer carrying about 300 sailors was left without power for four days after a major engineering failure in the Pacific Ocean. The USS Benfold suffered what the Navy described as an engineering casualty involving its generators, which cut off basic shipboard services. The incident left the crew without drinking water, meals, functioning toilets and air conditioning.Navy spokesman Commander Matthew Comer said the loss of power began on 24 July. He said there were no injuries among the crew and praised sailors for their response to the breakdown. According to his statement, the ship later received assistance from... [Continue Reading]
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Russian missiles kill 10 in Pechenihy as civilian toll rises in Kharkiv region
A Russian missile strike killed 10 people and injured at least 18 in the village of Pechenihy in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, according to Ukrainian officials. Two missiles hit the centre of the village on Tuesday morning, striking a busy intersection near a post office and shops. Local authorities said a post office, a cafe and five other stores were destroyed in the attack.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strike hit a location surrounded by residential buildings and vowed that Kyiv would respond. The regional governor said at least 18 people were injured, while video from the scene showed burnt-out cars,... [Continue Reading]
China's Sea Legend announces Arctic shipping route to Europe amid Red Sea disruption
China has announced a new Arctic shipping route linking Ningbo on its east coast with Felixstowe in eastern England, via Russia's Northern Sea Route. The service has been presented as an alternative trade corridor at a time when shipping through the Middle East has been disrupted. The route is being marketed under the name "Ice Silk Road," a reference to China's historic overland trade links with Europe.The announcement was made by the container shipping company Sea Legend, which said it formally launched the route last week. According to the supporting material, the company had already carried out a test voyage... [Continue Reading]
The Great Uncoupling: Abu Dhabi’s Sovereign Gambit
The UAE’s decision to cut ties with OPEC is far more than a mere adjustment of energy policy, for it functions as a political telegram written in barrels and sent directly to the heart of the global order. For nearly six decades, Abu Dhabi operated within the rigid architecture of producer discipline, where it accepted the rituals of quotas, the formality of communiqués, and the heavy burden of collective restraint. It played the long game of oil diplomacy with a patient hand, balancing its own massive national ambitions against the gravity of cartel discipline and the delicate logic of Gulf... [Continue Reading]
The Mirage of the Umbrella: The Shifting Sands of the U.S.-Israel-GCC Alliance
As I sat in a recent debate at the historic Carlton Club in London, listening to Faisal Abbas, the Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, I felt a tangible shift in the room, not because a new fact had been revealed, but because an old illusion had finally lost its last breath. The old-world order has not merely changed, it has evaporated, leaving the Gulf to realize it is no longer watching a distant fire from the safety of marble towers and air-conditioned ministries, but is instead standing directly inside the smoke. The GCC today is caught in a lethal crossfire between... [Continue Reading]
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