EU countries aim to assign extra €2 trillion for defense expenses by 2031, stated EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas on Wednesday. “Europe has initiated the most extensive military initiative in contemporary history. Starting now, an extra two trillion euros will be designated for defense expenditure by 2031,” Kallas stated during the address at the European Union Institute for Security Studies...

The French court has released arrest warrants for ex-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and six former high-ranking military and government officials, according to the newspaper La Croix on Tuesday. “Following 13 years of inquiries, the judges of the Special Chamber for Crimes against Humanity in the Paris Court have released arrest orders for seven former high-ranking Syrian officials for aiding...

Turkey's economy grew by 4.8% compared to the same time last year in the second quarter of 2025, according to a report from the country's statistical agency, TurkStat. This growth rate is much faster than the previous quarter.  New data shows that the country's GDP rose by 2.3% year-on-year in the first quarter, not 2%, as was initially reported. On average, experts thought Turkey's GDP...

US President Donald Trump is insisting on strong measures from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Hamas, as he thinks it can be defeated within several weeks, according to The Times of Israel. He states that Trump thinks a conclusive military triumph over Hamas is possible “potentially within a fortnight.” Furthermore, Trump has grown doubtful about the success of discussions with...

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a "confidential letter" to Indian President Droupadi Murmu to gauge the possibility of enhancing ties between the nations, Bloomberg writes, referencing an unnamed Indian official. The newspaper adds that the letter indicated worry regarding any agreements with the United States that might jeopardize China's interests. The letter was composed in March, at a time...

French President Emmanuel Macron aims to avoid a fresh dissolution of the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, but emphasized that he possesses the power to make that decision, BFMTV reported on Tuesday, referencing his circle. Macron “continues to hold the same stance.” The president is reluctant to dissolve the National Assembly, “but he will not automatically renounce his...

According to state-owned Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS), South Korea will boost its annual imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States by 3.3 million tons starting in 2028. KOGAS struck an agreement with international energy providers such as Trafigura during a meeting of South Korean and U.S. business executives in Washington. The agreement was finalized after a competitive...

The Republic of Congo aims to boost oil output to 500 thousand barrels daily by 2030, according to the Congolese news agency, which references Minister of Hydrocarbons Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua. He stated that overall oil output from January 1 to July 31, 2025 amounted to 56.9 million barrels, equating to 268 thousand bpd, representing a 5.2% increase compared to the same timeframe last year....

The U.S. government's choice to acquire a share in Intel Corp. is a component of a broader plan to establish a sovereign wealth fund and invest in additional firms, White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett informed CNBC. On August 22, Intel announced that the U.S. government would purchase 433.3 million of its shares at a price of $20.47, acquiring a 10% ownership in the firm. The funding for...