Category: World

Belgium became the European Union’s third-largest air freight market in 2025 as cargo volumes at its airports climbed by almost 13%, strengthening the country’s role as a gateway for e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, express parcels and time-sensitive industrial shipments.More than two million tonnes of freight and mail passed through Belgian airports during the year, placing the country behind only Germany and France among the EU’s 27 member states. The performance was led by Liège Airport, one of Europe’s biggest dedicated cargo centres,

European Parliament lawmakers have approved the revival of temporary rules allowing online platforms to voluntarily detect child sexual abuse material, while shielding end-to-end encrypted communications from the measure.The vote on Thursday did not approve unrestricted monitoring of private messages, as some social media posts claimed. Parliament backed a modified framework that permits companies to scan certain communications voluntarily but excludes encrypted services such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram from the proposed extension.The decision marks the latest turn in a prolonged

ADNOC Distribution has agreed to buy Shell Downstream South Africa in a $1 billion deal that gives the Abu Dhabi fuel retailer control of one of South Africa’s largest petrol station networks and marks a decisive expansion of Gulf capital into Africa’s downstream energy market.The agreement covers 100 per cent of Shell Downstream South Africa from Shell South Africa Holdings, with the enterprise value subject to adjustments for net debt and working capital. The business includes 580 company-owned and dealer-owned

Spain reached the World Cup quarter-finals by beating Portugal 1-0 in Arlington, Texas, while setting a tournament record with a sixth consecutive match without conceding a goal.Mikel Merino scored in the 91st minute to settle a tight Round of 16 tie at AT&T Stadium, sending Spain through and ending Portugal’s campaign after a match shaped more by control, discipline and defensive concentration than attacking fluency. The result extended goalkeeper Unai Simón’s World Cup shutout sequence to 609 minutes, surpassing the

Emergency crews began stabilising a structurally compromised Midtown Manhattan high-rise after buckled columns, cracked floors and visible deflection forced evacuations around a major office-to-residential conversion site near Grand Central Terminal.The 37-storey building at 235 East 42nd Street, formerly part of Pfizer’s global headquarters, was declared unstable after workers reported structural distress on Tuesday morning. By evening, engineers had entered the affected area, installed jacks and started placing temporary steel supports designed to redistribute the load around the damaged section.The alarm

A Ukrainian drone attack set off a fire at Russia’s Saratov oil refinery overnight, extending Kyiv’s campaign against fuel assets that support Moscow’s military operations and domestic supply network.Footage circulating from the Volga region showed flames and smoke rising from the refinery area after explosions were reported around 3am local time. Saratov regional governor Roman Busargin acknowledged a drone threat and said warning systems could be activated in areas at risk, but Russian authorities did not immediately confirm damage to

FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s automatic one-match ban has cleared the United States forward to face Belgium in Monday’s World Cup last-16 tie in Seattle, triggering a sharp protest from the Royal Belgian Football Association and fresh scrutiny of football’s disciplinary system.Balogun had been expected to miss the knockout match after being sent off during the United States’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1. The 25-year-old, who had scored his third goal of the tournament in

Norway reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time after Erling Haaland struck twice late on to seal a 2-1 win over Brazil in East Rutherford, New Jersey, ending the five-time champions’ campaign at the last-16 stage.Haaland broke the deadlock in the 79th minute with a powerful header and added a second in the 90th minute, turning a tight knockout match into one of the defining shocks of the 2026 tournament. Neymar converted a stoppage-time penalty in the 100th

Global equities advanced after weaker US employment figures reduced expectations of an imminent Federal Reserve rate increase, pushing investors back into risk assets while lifting gold and easing pressure on the dollar.The rally followed the June employment report, which showed non-farm payrolls rising by 57,000, well below market expectations of roughly 110,000. The unemployment rate eased to 4.2 per cent, but the decline was clouded by a fall in labour force participation to 61.5 per cent, suggesting that fewer people

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is turning into a wider economic emergency, with the United Nations Development Programme warning that the crisis could cost African economies up to $3.6 billion and put about 328,000 jobs at risk if transmission spreads beyond the current hotspots.The warning has sharpened concern that a public-health crisis driven by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment, could reverse fragile gains in poverty reduction, disrupt cross-border

Cape Verde’s breakthrough World Cup campaign ended in Miami Gardens after the Blue Sharks pushed defending champions Argentina to extra time before falling 3-2 in a round-of-32 match that turned one of the tournament’s smallest teams into one of its defining stories.Argentina advanced to a round-of-16 meeting with Egypt, but the night belonged almost as much to Cape Verde, whose players twice came from behind and stood within minutes of forcing a penalty shootout against a side led by Lionel

China’s cinemas are being encouraged to add AI agents, karaoke rooms, coffee bars, retail corners and cultural events as regulators seek to turn theatres into broader entertainment venues rather than spaces dependent only on film screenings.The policy direction was set out in a notice issued by the National Film Administration and the State Administration for Market Regulation, outlining 10 measures across business diversification, brand management and service upgrades. The move comes as theatre operators face pressure to stabilise footfall outside

Germany have opened talks with Jürgen Klopp after Julian Nagelsmann left the national coaching job following the team’s World Cup exit to Paraguay, setting up a possible high-profile return to the dugout for one of the country’s most successful modern managers.The German Football Association confirmed Nagelsmann’s departure with immediate effect after the national side’s elimination in the last 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Germany were beaten by Paraguay on penalties after

China widened its export-control campaign against Japan by placing 40 more entities under restrictions, intensifying a political and security feud with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government over defence policy, Taiwan and the use of critical dual-use technologies.The measures announced on Monday add 20 entities to a restricted export list and place another 20 on a watch list, tightening Beijing’s scrutiny of Chinese-origin goods, software and technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. The curbs take effect

Bahrain reported an Iranian drone attack and a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, putting a fragile US-Iran ceasefire under its sharpest test since Washington and Tehran agreed to pause fighting and reopen the Gulf’s most important energy corridor.The incidents triggered new US strikes on Iranian military targets and prompted fresh accusations from both sides that the other had breached the interim understanding. Bahrain said its territory had been targeted by an Iranian drone attack, while