Pasitinkant rudens lygiadienį, orai vasariška šiluma nebelepina. Kaip sako meteorologė Elvyra Latvėnaitė, nors tai dar astronominė vasara, „vasaros jau nė kvapo neliko – audringesni ir lietingi ciklonai iš vakarų ją pavogė“. Tokios bus ir artimiausios dienos, lis ir plūs vėsa. Tačiau sekmadienį jau galime tikėtis malonių pokyčių.

Ukrainos ministrų kelionė į Bukovelį Kremliaus žiniasklaidai tapo proga skelbti apie valdžios „pabėgimą“ atostogauti. Pašaipiose antraštėse akcentuojamas kurortas ir šalies biudžeto sunkumai, o pačiuose pranešimuose minima tarptautinių renginių programa lieka antrame plane. Tačiau tikrasis kelionės tikslas buvo visai ne atostogos, o poreikis svarbius Ukrainai klausimus aptarti su daugelio užsienio šalių atstovais.

Sinkevičius told BBC Newsnight Lithuanians feel "constantly threatened" by Moscow, but the nation was prepared to "fight back" if attacked.

The chancellor has come under increasing pressure after resounding state election defeats, but says the results "go far beyond my own person"

Borrowing was higher than expected in August as inflation piles pressure on the government ahead of the Budget.

Vets must also tell clients if cheaper medicine is available online as part of the rule updates which surgeries have the coming months to bring in.

BRÜSSEL – Die Europäische Union hat eine politische Einigung über ein Handelsabkommen mit den Philippinen erzielt. Das erklärte Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen in der Nacht zum Dienstag nach einem Telefonat mit Präsident Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Die grundsätzliche Einigung erfolgt drei Jahre nachdem von der Leyen bei einem Besuch auf den Philippinen die Wiederaufnahme der Handelsgespräche angestoßen hatte. Sie markiert einen weiteren Schritt in der Strategie der EU, ihre Handelsbeziehungen breiter aufzustellen – als Reaktion auf die Zollpolitik von US-Präsident Donald Trump und die Abhängigkeiten von China. „Wir haben uns gerade auf ein Freihandelsabkommen [zwischen der EU und den Philippinen] geeinigt!“, schrieb von der Leyen in sozialen Medien aus New York, wo sie an der Generalversammlung der Vereinten Nationen teilnimmt. In einer Zusammenfassung des Telefonats, das die Kommission auf ihrer Website veröffentlichte, hieß es dagegen, die EU und die Philippinen stünden erst „kurz vor dem Abschluss der Verhandlungen über ein Freihandelsabkommen“. Das deutet darauf hin, dass weitere Gespräche erforderlich sein werden, um das Abkommen mit allen Details abzuschließen. In einer separaten Erklärung schrieben EU-Handelskommissar Maroš Šefčovič und die philippinische Ministerin für Handel und Industrie, Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque, sie hätten eine „substanzielle Einigung“ erzielt, die das Abkommen „auf einen klaren Kurs in Richtung eines formellen Abschlusses in den kommenden Monaten“ bringen werde. Am Montag hatte Šefčovič einen geplanten Besuch in Manila absagte und stattdessen ein Videogespräch mit Aldeguer-Roque führte, das die Kommission nun als „sehr zielgerichtet und produktiv“ bezeichnete. Die meisten Verhandlungskapitel waren bereits vor von der Leyens Ankündigung in den frühen Morgenstunden des Dienstags (europäischer Zeit) abgeschlossen worden. Doch die Gespräche über öffentliche Beschaffungen dauerten noch an. Erschwert wird die Schlussphase durch den Vorschlag der EU, im Industrial Accelerator Act den Zugang zu Aufträgen in einigen Branchen mit „Made-in-EU“-Vorgaben zu begrenzen. Dieser Artikel erschien zuerst auf Englisch bei POLITICO.

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Sky News How on edge will Andy Burnham feel as he prepares to meet Donald Trump? Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy assess the risks as the two meet for the first time – where could the US president take umbrage? Also – why has Andy Burnham agreed to help Saudi Arabia with “defensive military support” against the Houthis? Sam’s been speaking to Liberal Democrat leader – Sir Ed Davey – as their conference wraps up in Brighton, but why have AI, technology and social care become a major theme? And, why are Lib Dem candidates being told to ditch the suits for quarter-zip tops?

The Left party, led by Turkish-origin Elif Eralp, won Berlin, offering a contrast to the far right's wins in the east.

Pakistani interior minister's trip to Tehran is his sixth and comes as Islamabad, Doha seek to revive diplomacy with US.

In today’s newsletter: Intelligence chiefs warn that Russia’s appetite for risk is growing, as sabotage and other covert attacks target countries supporting UkraineGood morning. As the UN general assembly kicks off in New York later today, we anticipate a heavy focus on the ongoing conflicts in Iran, Ukraine and the Gulf – as well as the inevitable body language analysis of Andy Burnham’s first in-person meeting with Donald Trump.But another related conflict is likely to dominate informal discussions: the intensifying acts of sabotage on European states that are believed to trace back to Russia but deliberately fall below the threshold for military response – a so-called hybrid or “shadow war” with the singular purpose of disrupting support for Ukraine.Yemen | The UK has agreed to provide defensive air support to Saudi Arabia to help counter Houthi fighters and restore stability in the Middle East while driving down the cost of living at home, Andy Burnham has said, ahead of his first meeting with Donald Trump.Environment | The “jaw-dropping” El Niño currently heating up the planet has burst through the highest temperature ever recorded for the phenomenon, several months before its expected peak.Gaza | Israeli and UK military commanders could be requested to give evidence to an inquest concerning three British aid workers killed in Gaza when aid vehicles they were travelling in were hit by an airstrike.US | After President Trump’s snap decision to ban CNN from the White House, the four other networks that comprise the White House’s TV pool decided they would cease their pooled coverage of the president.Slavery | Bones of the enslaver Edward Colston are likely to remain interred in a church in Bristol if and when the currently unused building is given a new lease of life as a community resource, it has emerged. Continue reading...

Trump’s announcement on Russia ally comes as he steps up his trade war with Canada, a long-term US ally and top supplier of potashPresident Donald Trump has said he is working on a “massive” deal to buy fertiliser from Belarus, pivoting away from main supplier Canada amid an escalating trade dispute, and moving instead toward an ally of Russia.“The United States is working on a massive deal with respect to the purchase of Potash from Belarus,” Trump said on his Truth Social network. “The pricing would be for substantially less than we are currently paying to Canada, very good news for our farmers and ranchers.” Continue reading...

Also in this newsletter: how development aid pays back in trade

Rapid rise underscores economy’s reliance on trade and threat to trading partners, EU chamber says

Zinédine Zidane led his first training session as manager of Les Bleus.

US President Donald Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader on the sidelines of the UN general assembly was with French President Emmanuel Macron. The French president said that the talks, which focused on Ukraine and the Middle East, were "quite constructive". Macron has been trying to convince Trump to take a harder line on Putin and support the sovereignty of Ukraine. Click on the video for more details. 

President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party has tightened its grip on parliament, winning a record 355 seats in Russia’s 450-seat Duma in a tightly orchestrated election.

This year’s UN General Assembly meeting is expected to see the African Union push for a bigger voice at the world body, including permanent African representation at the UN Security Council.