US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on the sidelines of the G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors in Asheville, North Carolina, laid out Washington’s position in stark terms during a conversation with his Russian counterpart, Anton Siluanov. According to a source familiar with the bilateral meeting, Bessent stated...
UK defense chiefs warned of growing Kremlin threat amid Russian spy fears
Company executives were warned about growing threats from the Kremlin during a roundtable attended by senior officials and CEOs. The newspaper’s source did not name those present, but they were believed to include representatives of companies supplying Ukraine with drones and weapons. The meeting, organized by the Foreign, Commonwealth and...
One in five Germans is prepared to leave the country if the AfD comes to power
According to a survey conducted by the opinion research institute Insa, reported by “Bild am Sonntag,” more than one in five Germans stated that they would consider emigrating if the AfD were to come to power at the federal level. Specifically, 22 percent agreed with the statement, “If the AfD...
A Dutch institute issues a ‘Red Alert’ over potentially lethal Trump-shaped ecstasy pills
A Dutch drug addiction and mental health institute warned users on Friday about potentially lethal ecstasy pills shaped to look like the head of U.S. President Donald Trump. The respected Trimbos Institute said that several of the pills have been handed in recently at a network of centers that test...
Cyberattacks against the Ministry ahead of the new school year
More than 850,000 teachers across France began the new academic year on 31 August amid the continuing consequences of a summer cyberattack targeting the Ministry of National Education. In several education districts, including Toulouse and Nantes, digital systems remain partially or fully unavailable, complicating student enrolment and the allocation of...
Fifteen Britons among 261 foreigners missing in China after floods
Total number of missing Britons between Tibet and Nepal at 48 as Beijing mobilises more than 2,100 rescue workers. Nepali and Chinese authorities confirmed an updated death toll of at least 810 on Sunday. More than 3,000 people are believed missing after flash floods triggered by a massive glacier collapse...
Controversy over Poland’s “Lex Szarlatan” Bill
The government-backed “Lex Szarlatan” bill was intended to prohibit pseudo-medical practices that could pose a risk of serious injury or death to patients when provided by individuals without appropriate medical qualifications. It was also designed to protect patients from misleading diagnoses and unverified therapies. Polish President Karol Nawrocki referred the...
Police probe Orbán Father’s company over alleged overpricing
The Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK) has launched an investigation on suspicion of mismanagement in connection with contracts between companies owned by Orbán Győző, the father of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and companies associated with Hungarian businessman Mészáros Lőrinc. The investigation seeks to establish whether Orbán Győző’s company, Dolomit Kft.,...
Poland’s position on nuclear sharing within NATO
Poland seeks to participate in NATO’s nuclear deterrence arrangements; however, this does not envisage the physical deployment of nuclear warheads on Polish territory. Previously, Poland had expressed scepticism towards the deployment of nuclear weapons while simultaneously holding preliminary talks with the United States on strengthening the US nuclear deterrence posture...
Norway’s crown prince becomes King Haakon VIII after his father’s death
Crown Prince Haakon, 53, became King Haakon VIII when his father, died Friday. Haakon’s oldest child now becomes Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and the heir to the throne. Haakon knows the ropes. As his father aged and his health began to fail in recent years, the prince stepped in as the...