International Relations

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic walks past a row of national flags at the European Council in Brussels

Croatia Strips Year-End Deadline From Montenegro’s EU Path

Leaders dropped a year-end deadline for Montenegro's EU accession talks from the summit conclusions after Croatia's prime minister tabled eight demands. The change leaves Montenegro's 2028 goal without a date, and Podgorica

October 16, 2026

Government and Politics·News

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani seated opposite Lebanese President Joseph Aoun beside the Lebanese flag at Baabda Palace

Qatar Offers to Fund Lebanon’s Power Plant, but Gives No Price or Date

Qatar's prime minister visited Beirut on Friday, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Qatar will finance and operate an electricity project at no upfront cost to the Treasury. A solar plant with

October 16, 2026

Business·Government and Politics·News

Liquid-cooled server board with CPU and DCU chips submerged in coolant at the World AI Conference in Shanghai

China Orders AI Export Registration, Spares Chatbot Access

Chinese firms must now register AI technology exports with the Commerce Ministry, including deals already under way. Chatbot access, APIs and open-source releases fall outside the draft rule, but its thresholds are

October 16, 2026

Artificial Intelligence·News·Technology

Pope Leo XIV raises his right hand in blessing at a clear lectern during the Sunday Angelus

Pope Leo Asks Putin for Oleshky Ceasefire; Kremlin Readout Never Says It

Pope Leo asked Putin for a ceasefire in Oleshky, the Holy See says, three days after his lung cancer surgery. The Kremlin's account of the same call never mentions one and says

October 16, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Singapore Orders Seven Indonesian Firms to Douse Fires as Haze Worsens

Singapore served preventive notices on seven Indonesian companies on Friday, as its air index ran as high as 222. The demands repeat NEA's 2015 notices word for word, and a 2021 ministerial

October 16, 2026

Climate·Government and Politics·News

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi seated in front of an Iraqi flag

Iraq Completes Its Cabinet With a US-Designated Militia Leader as Deputy PM

Iraq's parliament completed Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's cabinet on Thursday, seating a US-designated militia leader as deputy prime minister. The vote leaves the migration ministry vacant and the treasury's dollar shortage unsolved.

October 16, 2026

Government and Politics·News

EU leaders' negotiating room at the Europa building in Brussels during the October 15 summit, with a round table under a colourful ceiling

EU Leaders Seek Energy Aid as Greek Inflation Hits 5.1%, Germany’s 3.3%

Eurostat confirmed euro area inflation at 3.8% for September, with Greece at 5.1% and Germany at 3.3%, as EU leaders asked the Commission for targeted energy support. The ECB sets one rate

October 16, 2026

Business·News

Presidents Tokayev and Aliyev with officials in front of a map of the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic cable in Baku

Kazakhstan Gets a Caspian Data Route, but No Price or Traffic Figure

Presidents Tokayev and Aliyev launched a 380-kilometer fiber-optic line across the Caspian seabed on Thursday. Neither government has published the final cost or how much traffic the new route will carry.

October 16, 2026

News·Technology

Distillation columns, pipe racks and chimneys of the Ryazan oil refinery behind a yellow Rosneft road sign under a grey sky

Ryazan Refinery Burns, Schools Shut, and Moscow Says Kyiv Never Paused

Schools and kindergartens in two districts of Ryazan stayed shut after a fire at the city's oil refinery, which the Russian Defence Ministry says Ukraine attacked with 69 drones and four Flamingo

October 16, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Abdul Latif Al Bazzari, 59, with a bandage above his eye, touches olives on a branch in his family's grove near Nablus

West Bank Olive Harvest Opens With Settler Attacks Past Last Year’s Total

Settler attacks tied to the West Bank olive harvest have already passed last year's full-season total, the UN's humanitarian office OCHA said as the harvest officially opened. The counts of the dead

October 16, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

International Relations

Croatia Strips Year-End Deadline From Montenegro’s EU Path

Qatar Offers to Fund Lebanon’s Power Plant, but Gives No Price or Date

China Orders AI Export Registration, Spares Chatbot Access

Pope Leo Asks Putin for Oleshky Ceasefire; Kremlin Readout Never Says It

Singapore Orders Seven Indonesian Firms to Douse Fires as Haze Worsens

Iraq Completes Its Cabinet With a US-Designated Militia Leader as Deputy PM

EU Leaders Seek Energy Aid as Greek Inflation Hits 5.1%, Germany’s 3.3%

Kazakhstan Gets a Caspian Data Route, but No Price or Traffic Figure

Ryazan Refinery Burns, Schools Shut, and Moscow Says Kyiv Never Paused

West Bank Olive Harvest Opens With Settler Attacks Past Last Year’s Total

Radical Islam is being appreciated by Indian authorities too

Bangladesh; India’s Biggest Ally or China’s Dragon Nest?

Ahmadis in Bangladesh face fresh threat of persecution

Latest Posts

Croatia Strips Year-End Deadline From Montenegro’s EU Path

Qatar Offers to Fund Lebanon’s Power Plant, but Gives No Price or Date

Guam Tells Late-Term Mothers to Come to Hospital Before Typhoon Champi

China Orders AI Export Registration, Spares Chatbot Access

International Relations

Follow

Latest Posts