
Sweden Has Done Its Part on NATO Bid, Premier Says
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said there are no outstanding demands on his country from Turkey to secure
1970-01-01 08:00

Equifax Hit With £11 Million UK Fine Over Massive Cyber Hack
Equifax Inc.’s British unit was hit with an £11 million ($13.4 million) fine after failing to protect the
1970-01-01 08:00

Teacher ‘killed and several injured’ in knife attack at France high school
A teacher has been killed in a knife attack at a high school in France, the country’s interior minister has said. The attack took place at the Gambetta secondary school in the town of Arras in northern France on Friday at around 11am, local media has reported. A teacher is reported dead and several other injured. One pupil told outlet La Voix du Nord: “We were leaving class to go to the canteen when we saw the guy with two knives attacking the teacher, who had blood on him. He tried to calm him down and protect us. “He told us to leave, but we didn’t really understand, so we ran and others went back upstairs.” A post on X, formerly Twitter, French interior minister Gérald Darmanin said: “A police operation took place at the Gambetta high school in Arras. The perpetrator was arrested by the police.” A man has been arrested by police. French media reported that pupils are being kept in classrooms, while other schools in the town have also been sealed off. This is a breaking news story - updates to come Read More Police around world brace for days of pro-Palestinian protests AP Week in Pictures: Europe and Africa French police probe ‘poisoning’ of journalist who denounced Putin’s war live on TV
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Deutsche Bank CEO Says Hard Times Ahead for Commercial Real Estate
Deutsche Bank AG Chief Executive Officer Christian Sewing said commercial real estate is facing tough times in the
1970-01-01 08:00

Orsted Slumps as US Wind Cost Ruling Stokes Writedown Fear
Shares in Orsted A/S fell the most in more than a month after New York regulators ruled against
1970-01-01 08:00

Putin makes first trip abroad since international arrest warrant issued over Ukraine invasion
Russian president Vladimir Putin is visiting Kyrgyzstan for his first trip abroad since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him over war crimes in Ukraine. Mr Putin arrived in the central Asian nation on Thursday for a two-day state visit for bilateral meetings and a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the founding of Russia’s Kant military airbase outside Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital. The Kremlin chief has rarely taken trips abroad since he launched what he called a “special military operation” in Ukraine in early 2022 and is not known to have stepped out of Russia since the ICC warrant was issued. The ICC issued a warrant in March on charges of overseeing the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine. Russia, which does not recognise the ICC’s jurisdiction, has rejected the warrant as “illegal” and politically motivated. But its issuing has complicated Mr Putin’s plans for international travel, seeing him miss a key summit of the Brics group of developing nations in South Africa – which is an ICC member. Mr Putin is due to travel to China next week for the third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing. Neither Kyrgyzstan nor China are members of the ICC, which was established to prosecute war crimes. During his visit to Bishkek, Mr Putin promised to continue to deliver modern weapons to its military base in Kyrgyzstan. “For my part, I would like to offer assurances that the Russian leadership will continue to pay close attention to the issues of providing the air base with advanced types of weapons, modern technology and equipment,” said Mr Putin. "This military outpost significantly contributes to boosting Kyrgyzstan’s defensive power and ensuring security and stability in the whole region of Central Asia," he added. The leader highlighted double-digit growth in Russia and Kyrgyz trade, which analysts suggest is due to violation of Western sanctions by Russian businesses. He reiterated Russia’s importance as a strong trade partner for Kyrgyzstan. “Our country is the main supplier of oil products to Kyrgyzstan, we fully supply Kyrgyz consumers with gasoline (petrol) and diesel,” Mr Putin told a briefing. “Russia is one of the leading trade partners of Kyrgyzstan. Our trade turnover grew 37 per cent last year to a record of nearly $3.5bn. In the first half of this year it grew a further 17.9 per cent,” he added. The Russian president is expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings including with Kyrgyz president Sadyr Japarov and Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, and conclude with his attendance at a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a grouping of former Soviet nations. Moscow’s relationships with other nations in a region it has historically considered its sphere of influence have faced challenges due to Western sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the situation in Ukraine. Last week, the central bank of Kyrgyzstan called upon domestic banks to enhance their monitoring and enforcement measures to ensure better adherence to Western sanctions targeting Moscow. It comes after the US imposed sanctions on four Kyrgyz companies in July for re-exporting electronics components and other technology to Russia. Additional reporting by agencies Read More IOC bans Russian Olympic Committee for including annexed Ukraine territories Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin’s ‘exhausted’ troops ‘suffer significant losses in key town Avdiivka’ French police probe ‘poisoning’ of TV journalist who denounced Putin’s war live on air The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
1970-01-01 08:00

Asia Natural Gas Buyers Hold Back Purchases After War Risk Boosts Prices
Liquefied natural gas buyers in North Asia are pausing plans to procure additional fuel for winter after the
1970-01-01 08:00

Ukraine holds out as Russia steps up relentless assault on Avdiivka: ‘The enemy does not stop’
The Ukrainian military continues to hold its ground in the face of Russia’s relentless assault on the eastern city of Avdiivka, Volodymyr Zelensky, as the battle intensified for a third day. Russia has moved a large armoured column of three battalions, including some 2,000 troops, dozens of armoured vehicles and jets into the northern flank of the Avdiivka front for what has been described as the biggest military offensive in months. The Ukrainian forces said they repelled more than 20 attacks by the Russian army in Avdiivka and the surrounding regions in the past 24 hours, in what was described as a blow to Moscow’s attempts to use the offensive to show the tide of the war turning in its favour. Mr Zelensky said: “Avdiivka. We are holding our ground. It is Ukrainian courage and unity that will determine how this war will end. We must all remember this.” Municipal officials said the Russian attacks were relentless and the enemy was attacking from all sides. Vitaliy Barabash, head of the city military administration, told Ukrainian television: "The enemy does not stop storming, they come from all directions." Ukrainian Special Operations Forces said Kyiv’s troops had "foiled the plans of the crazed enemy, repelled all attacks and held their positions". Avdiivka holds significant strategic importance for Russia, serving as the crucial gateway to Donetsk, the primary communication hub within the occupied territories. To gain a foothold in occupied Donbas, the Kremlin aims to shift the front line away from Donetsk. In 2022, Russian forces initiated an offensive against Avdiivka, attempting to encircle the city deeply from both sides. This offensive was halted and the region has become a symbol of resistance, holding out against Russian troops ever since. "On average, there are 50-60 instances of intense shelling with artillery and rockets targeting the town," said Mr Barabash. "As for military positions, they get hit at least 500-600 times a day." Oleksandr Shtupun, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern group of forces, said Russia saw Avdiivka as an opportunity to win a significant victory and "turn the tide of fighting". "Today the capture or encirclement of Avdiivka is probably the most it can achieve at this stage," he said. Geolocated footage of the area showed Russia had advanced in some villages southwest and northwest of Avdiivka this week, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), an American non-profit research group and think-tank. Around 64 clashes have been reported in the last 24 hours involving 4 missile attacks, 65 airstrikes and around 54 attacks using multiple launch rocket systems on Ukrainian troops and various settlements, the general staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in an update on Facebook. In the latest overnight attacks, Russia intensified strikes on Danube River ports in the southern Odesa region that have become Kyiv’s main route for food exports since Moscow quit a deal allowing shipments via the Black Sea in July. A military spokesperson said Russia had hit a grain storage facility in the Odesa region and some grain had been damaged but did not say how much. It comes amid fears that Moscow will intensify attacks on power infrastructure to freeze Ukrainians as winter sets in in the repeat of events from last winter. Read More IOC bans Russian Olympic Committee for including annexed Ukraine territories French police probe ‘poisoning’ of TV journalist who denounced Putin’s war live on air Ukraine-Russia war – live: IOC bans Russian Olympic Committee for including annexed territories The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
1970-01-01 08:00

French Lawmakers Seek to Extend Windfall Taxes on Oil and Power
French lawmakers are seeking to extend windfall taxes on the profits of oil refiners and utilities into next
1970-01-01 08:00

Shelved Junk Debt Sales Signal a Tough and Pricey Market
A handful of European companies have stepped away from their plans to sell junk debt recently, underscoring the
1970-01-01 08:00

Swedish Inflation Persists, Paving Way for More Tightening
Sweden’s core inflation rate declined less than expected in September, adding to arguments in favor of a final
1970-01-01 08:00

Ukraine Recap: Kyiv Counters Major Russian Assault in Donetsk
Russia’s assault on the town of Avdiivka in the eastern Donetsk region has been repelled so far, with
1970-01-01 08:00