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Russian President Vladimir Putin has said negotiations on ending the Ukraine conflict have stalled, while rejecting reports that Moscow plans to launch a new military mobilization following the upcoming State Duma election. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday night in Bishkek after attending a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, Putin said Russia remains open to negotiations based on concrete proposals and welcomes initiatives that could contribute to ending the conflict. He said Moscow seeks a lasting and comprehensive peace in Ukraine and Europe and is ready to engage with any party willing to take part in negotiations. On the battlefield, Putin said drones continue to pose a major challenge to Russian forces. He claimed Russian troops were advancing according to plan in Donetsk, where they captured 15 settlements in August. Putin expressed confidence in achieving victory but declined to predict when the conflict would end, saying war is inherently difficult to forecast. He also said Russian forces consider Ukrainian military facilities, including those associated with the United Kingdom, legitimate targets. Putin dismissed reports of plans to mobilize civilians for military service after the State Duma election later this month as false, describing them as part of an information campaign against Russia.

Britain experienced its hottest summer on record after a series of heat waves swept across the country, the national weather service said Tuesday. The summer, which brought extreme temperatures, limited rainfall, damaging wildfires and water restrictions, surpassed the previous record set just a year ago, according to provisional data collected by the Met Office since 1884. The mean average temperature for the summer reached 16.5 degrees Celsius (61.7 Fahrenheit), exceeding the previous record of 16.1 C (61 F) set in 2025. Last year's record had surpassed the 15.7 C (60.2 F) recorded in 2018. "These records are now breaking with increasing frequency, reflecting the influence of human-induced climate change," said Amy Doherty, head of the National Climate Information Center. "Particularly notable is how much we've exceeded the previous summer mean temperature record, set just last year," she said. The five hottest summers on record have all occurred since 2003. The Met Office estimated that human-caused climate change had made a summer this hot 130 times more likely. Without greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans, such a summer would be expected only once in 1,000 years, whereas it is now likely to occur about once every nine years. "Our hottest summer ever is a brutal reminder that we're not waiting for climate change to arrive in Britain; we're living in the middle of it," Minister of Climate Transition Katie White said. "With kids too hot to sleep, families worrying about older relatives, farmers watching fields dry out, and firefighters and our armed forces battling wildfires, we've all woken up to a reality none of us wants for the people and places we love," she said. The heat waves started in late May and returned during each month of the summer, including two in July. The U.K. Health Security Agency estimated that 2,877 deaths in England were associated with heat waves in May and June. Temperatures reached a monthly record of 38 C (100.4 F) in Norfolk on June 26. The year's highest temperature was recorded in London on Aug. 13, when the mercury rose to 38.1 C (100.6 F). England, Wales and Northern Ireland all recorded their highest-ever mean summer temperatures. Scotland, which experienced cooler and less dry conditions, tied for its sixth-warmest summer. All of Wales and most of England remain under drought conditions.

Former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Tuesday he is to stand down as Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras. "Now is the right time to step down as MP for Holborn and St Pancras and hand the baton over to a successor," said Starmer in a statement on Tuesday. He added he will focus on "international affairs including defense, security, trade and technology in a fast changing world". Starmer's move will trigger a by-election in the London seat. "Whoever is lucky enough to become the Labour candidate here will have my full support and backing," said Starmer. Starmer announced his resignation as leader of the governing Labour Party in June. In July, Andy Burnham was confirmed as the leader of Labour Party and took office as British prime minister.

A shooting at a rave in Switzerland’s northern canton of Aargau left one person dead and five others injured early Sunday, local police and media reported. Police were searching for potentially more than one suspect. Aargau cantonal police said a 22-year-old woman died from her injuries at the scene. Four men and one woman, aged between 24 and 27, were taken to hospital with injuries ranging from minor to serious. Police said all six victims were residents of Switzerland and withheld their names in accordance with the country’s privacy laws. However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni identified the woman who died as an Italian citizen, along with two other victims. In a post on X, she expressed condolences over the death of Maria Spinelli, whom she described as a young Italian woman killed in the shooting in Aarau. Meloni also expressed concern for the other injured victims, including the two Italian citizens, and said she trusted Swiss authorities to determine what happened and identify those responsible. At a press briefing Sunday, Aargau police said virtually all available forces were involved in the search for the suspect or suspects. “The manhunt is continuing nonstop at full speed,” police spokesperson Bernhard Graser told reporters. He said police had yet to establish a possible motive. Asked whether terrorism could be a possibility, Graser said the fact that the rave was already coming to an end made that scenario unlikely, while a fight could also have triggered the shooting. Public shootings are uncommon in Switzerland despite relatively widespread gun ownership. “In terms of its nature, this incident is certainly unique in recent years,” Graser said, describing the incident as extraordinary and explaining the large police presence at the scene. Police were alerted to the shooting around 2:30 a.m. local time in Aarau, the capital of Aargau, about 46 kilometers (29 miles) west of Zurich, police spokesperson Pascal Wenzel told Swiss public broadcaster SRF. The “Aarau Rave VOL. 7” was being held at a horse racing track in the Schachen district of Aarau when the shooting occurred, SRF reported. Firefighters cordoned off a large area around the site. A major police operation continued Sunday afternoon, with residents urged to stay away from the area as investigators searched for evidence and possible links to the crime. Large numbers of police officers, firefighters and ambulance crews were deployed. Police from Freiburg in neighboring Germany also joined the search for the suspect, German news agency dpa reported. “Right now, virtually the entire Aargau police force is out on the streets,” Graser said, adding that authorities had no information about the whereabouts of the suspect or suspects. He said, however, that police had ruled out the possibility of an immediate further threat. Swiss daily Blick reported that people attending the rave initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks before someone shouted for everyone to get down. The shooting occurred shortly after the event ended, the newspaper reported. Police later took remaining attendees to a nearby gym, where many were questioned, Graser said. Authorities appealed to witnesses who had photos or videos of the incident to provide them to investigators. The Aargau Racing Club, which operates the horse racing track, said it was shocked by the shooting. “We extend our deepest sympathy to all those affected and their families, who are facing this difficult and trying situation,” it said on its website, while thanking emergency responders and others involved in the operation. Swiss DJ Tekibo, who performed at the rave, wrote on Instagram that the incident was “absolutely heartbreaking.” “Techno and raves are supposed to be a place for freedom and safety, never a place where something like this happens,” he said. Aarau has a population of about 22,300 and lies around 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the German border.

A ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday, according to Turkish media reports. The catamaran-style ferry was en route from Kyrenia, also known as Girne, in the Turkish-controlled northern part of ethnically divided Cyprus, to the Turkish port of Tasucu in Mersin province. Turkish Ambassador to Nicosia Ali Murat Basceri said there were casualties in the incident but did not provide a specific number while speaking to Turkey’s state-run TRT television. Basceri said many of the 259 passengers and eight crew members had been rescued, with some taken to hospitals for treatment. Kyrenia Mayor Murat Senkul said the ferry, operated by Filo Denizcilik, sank off Diana beach along the northern coast of Cyprus. According to TRT, the vessel began taking on water about 7.5 kilometers (4 nautical miles) off the coast. Video footage from the scene showed people wearing life jackets floating in the water around the capsized ferry.

Icelanders have voted against reopening negotiations to join the European Union, effectively putting the long-running debate over EU membership to rest for a second time, the country’s national broadcaster RÚV reported Sunday. With results from all but one constituency counted, 52.5% of voters opposed resuming accession talks, while 47.5% supported the proposal. RÚV said the remaining ballots from the southwest, where the “no” campaign was leading, were unlikely to change the outcome. The referendum was held Saturday, asking about 265,000 eligible voters whether Iceland should resume negotiations with the EU more than a decade after previous talks were abandoned. A euroskeptic government halted Iceland’s earlier accession process in 2015. The latest referendum took place amid heightened concerns about security in the North Atlantic following US President Donald Trump’s repeated statements about taking control of nearby Greenland. Although Iceland is a NATO member, supporters of closer EU ties argued that stronger European cooperation could provide additional security if similar threats were ever directed at Iceland. Iceland’s left-leaning coalition government, elected in 2024, brought forward the referendum originally planned for next year. The move came after Trump repeatedly referred to Iceland instead of Greenland while discussing his interest in the Arctic territory. Opponents of reopening EU talks focused heavily on the country’s fishing industry and argued that Iceland already enjoys many economic and travel benefits through its relationship with the EU without surrendering the level of sovereignty associated with full membership. They also said joining the EU could weaken Iceland’s influence in the European Parliament and limit its ability to negotiate independent trade agreements, including with countries such as China. Supporters of EU membership, meanwhile, argued that closer integration could help reduce inflation and interest rates and provide greater economic stability by replacing Iceland’s volatile krona with the euro. They also said membership would strengthen Iceland’s ties with its European neighbors and help address cross-border challenges such as climate change. The result means Iceland is set to remain outside the 27-member European Union, despite renewed debate over its economic and security relationship with Europe.

Icelanders will vote Saturday on whether the country should restart negotiations to join the European Union, more than a decade after its previous membership talks were suspended. The referendum comes as Iceland reassesses its ties with Europe amid economic pressures at home and rising geopolitical uncertainty across the North Atlantic. The result is expected to be close. What are Icelanders voting on?The nationwide referendum on Aug. 29 will ask voters a straightforward question: Should Iceland reopen negotiations on EU membership? The Althingi, Iceland’s parliament, approved the referendum in May by 34 votes to eight, with 14 lawmakers abstaining. It is the first time Icelanders have been directly asked to decide through a referendum whether the country should resume EU accession talks. A “Yes” vote would not automatically make Iceland an EU member. It would instead authorize the government to restart negotiations and determine what conditions could be secured for Iceland. If an accession agreement is eventually reached, voters would have another chance to decide whether to approve it. Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir has said Iceland would only join the EU if the public approves membership in a second referendum. Iceland already maintains close economic and travel links with the EU. It has been part of the European Economic Area since 1994 and is also a member of the Schengen Area and the European Free Trade Association. Through the EEA, Iceland has access to the EU single market and follows a large portion of EU legislation, although it does not have a vote in many of the decisions behind those rules. Why has EU membership returned to the agenda?Iceland submitted its EU membership application in 2009, after the global financial crisis severely damaged its banking sector and weakened the Icelandic krona. Formal negotiations began the following year. The process effectively stalled after the 2013 election, when the EU-skeptic Independence Party and Progressive Party formed a government. The new administration halted the talks, with fisheries and agriculture among the major unresolved issues. In 2015, Iceland notified Brussels that it no longer wanted to be treated as an EU candidate country. The issue resurfaced after another political change. A coalition government formed in December 2024 by the Social Democratic Alliance, Reform Party and People’s Party promised to hold a referendum on whether to continue the accession process by 2027. Parliament subsequently set the vote for Aug. 29. Economic considerations are again playing an important role. The coalition agreement linked the referendum commitment to an examination of Iceland’s currency options. Inflation, elevated interest rates and the economic vulnerabilities of a small, open economy have also contributed to the renewed debate over EU membership. Lassi Heininen, a Finnish scholar specializing in Arctic geopolitics, told Xinhua that domestic political and economic considerations are the main forces behind the referendum, similar to the factors that prompted Iceland’s original membership application. But geopolitical developments have also added urgency to the discussion. Tobias Etzold, a senior adviser at the European Policy Centre in Brussels, said increasing competition among major powers in the strategically important North Atlantic has created greater uncertainty for smaller countries. He cited concerns over the reliability of the United States, Washington’s interest in Greenland and questions about the future strength of NATO. Iceland is a NATO member but has no standing army. Etzold said uncertainty surrounding US President Donald Trump’s commitment to regional security has encouraged Iceland to take a closer look at its relationship with Europe. Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir has also highlighted rising protectionism, unexpected US tariffs and the increasing use of trade measures as instruments of foreign policy. How close is the vote and what happens afterward?The referendum remains too close to predict. A Gallup poll published Thursday showed 51.6% of decided voters opposed reopening negotiations, compared with 48.4% in favor. The margin was within the poll’s statistical uncertainty. A Maskina survey released Tuesday produced the reverse result, with 51.3% supporting renewed talks and 48.7% opposing them. Fisheries and agriculture are expected to remain among the most contentious issues. Marine products made up 38.9% of Iceland’s merchandise exports in 2025, and voters remain concerned about national control over natural resources, food security and the possible impact of EU policies on Iceland’s fisheries and protected agricultural sector. The EU has indicated that there could be scope for compromise. EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis said in April that there was “definitely room for flexibility” on fisheries. EU enlargement chief Marta Kos has also suggested that innovative arrangements could be considered for Icelandic farming and fishing. If voters approve reopening negotiations, the Icelandic government plans to formally notify the EU, appoint a negotiating team and seek to restart the process. Icelandic officials estimate that negotiations could take roughly 18 months to two years. Kos has said they might be completed within one to two years because Iceland already follows much of the EU’s regulatory framework through the EEA. However, the negotiations would not simply pick up from where they ended in 2013. An Icelandic parliamentary committee said in May that Iceland’s negotiating positions would have to be reassessed across all areas after more than a decade of political and regulatory changes. The referendum could also have wider regional consequences. Steven Blockmans, deputy director of the International Centre for Defence and Security, said a “Yes” vote could maintain momentum for EU enlargement and bolster the bloc’s geopolitical standing, while a rejection could strengthen doubts about further expansion. Heininen said an affirmative vote could also influence political debates in Norway and potentially Greenland. If Iceland eventually became an EU member, he said, Nordic politics and aspects of regional security could become more closely linked to Europe, while the EU would gain additional influence in Arctic affairs. If voters reject reopening the negotiations, the Icelandic government has said it will not restart the accession process. Iceland’s relationship with the EU would then continue primarily through existing arrangements such as the EEA and Schengen.

Norway’s King Harald V, who spent part of his childhood in exile in the United States during the Nazi occupation of his country, died Friday at the age of 89. The Norwegian Royal Palace said Harald died at the National Hospital in Oslo at 6:35 a.m. Harald was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch and had been on the throne since January 1991, following the death of his father, King Olav V. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, automatically succeeded him and became King Haakon VIII. Norway’s monarch has a largely ceremonial role, while political power rests with the country’s elected parliament. During his more than three decades on the throne, Harald helped modernize the monarchy and became known for his close connection with the Norwegian people. “A whole nation is in mourning and the people of Norway are left with a deep sense of gratitude for a long life in the service of Norway,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in a statement. “For more than three decades as monarch, Harald V demonstrated an unwavering faith in the Norwegian people. He helped us to see the best in ourselves — and in one another,” he said. Harald was born in 1937 in Asker, near Oslo, and was the first Norwegian prince to be born in Norway in centuries. He was 3 years old when Nazi Germany occupied Norway in 1940. His mother fled with Harald and his sisters, Ragnhild and Astrid, first to Sweden and later to the United States to escape the Nazis. His father and grandfather went into exile in Britain with the Norwegian government. The Norwegian royals spent the war years in the United States and were frequent guests at the White House. Harald carried out his first official duty at the age of 6, when he took part in the christening of Norwegian warplanes at a military base in Canada. The family returned to Norway in June 1945 after the end of World War II. Harald attended public schools, the Norwegian military college and Oxford University. Like his father, who was an Olympic sailing champion, Harald developed a lifelong passion for sailing. He represented Norway at several Olympic Games and in 1987 captained his yacht to a gold medal at the World Championships. As a young man, Harald was encouraged to marry one of Europe’s princesses, but he spent nine years resisting potential royal matches because he wanted to marry his school sweetheart, Sonja Haraldsen, the daughter of a successful businessman. King Olav eventually gave his approval, and the couple married on Aug. 29, 1968. The wedding was widely celebrated in Norway, and Sonja later became queen. They had two children, Haakon and his older sister, Märtha Louise. Norway amended its Constitution in 1990 to give male and female heirs equal succession rights, but the change was not retroactive. Haakon therefore remained ahead of his sister in the line of succession. Harald became king on Jan. 21, 1991, and adopted the royal motto used by his father and grandfather: “All for Norway.” He worked to make the monarchy more modern and accessible and won widespread praise for his response to the 2011 attacks by right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in bomb and gun attacks. In 2016, Harald drew international attention with an emotional speech supporting diversity, refugees, religious tolerance and LGBTQ+ equality. The speech was widely shared on social media. Harald faced several health problems in his later years and was hospitalized multiple times. During a 2024 trip to Malaysia, he was fitted with a pacemaker. He also received treatment for a skin infection during a holiday on Spain’s Tenerife island in February 2026. Despite his health problems, Harald repeatedly rejected calls for abdication. In January 2024, after Denmark’s Queen Margrethe abdicated, he said he remained committed to the oath he had made when ascending the Norwegian throne, describing it as a lifelong commitment. The royal family faced some controversy in Harald’s final years. His daughter Märtha Louise stepped back from royal duties after controversy surrounding her claims of communicating with angels and her relationship with an American man who identifies as a shaman. Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Haakon’s wife, also faced scrutiny in 2026 over her connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, although she was not accused of wrongdoing. Her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, was convicted of rape and sentenced to four years in prison. Haakon, born in 1973, had served as regent for his father on several occasions and spent years preparing for the throne. With Harald’s death, Haakon automatically became Norway’s new king. His eldest child, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is next in line to the throne. Norway is expected to observe a period of national mourning following the death of the popular monarch.

A Turkish court on Monday convicted five mayors from municipalities controlled by the country’s main opposition party on corruption charges in a case critics have described as politically motivated. The Istanbul court heard allegations involving bribery, bid-rigging and fraud related to municipal contracts. Critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government say the case was aimed at weakening the opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, and that prosecutors relied on secret witnesses and testimony from defendants who implicated others in exchange for reduced sentences. The Turkish government maintains that the country’s judiciary is independent and not subject to political influence. The case centered on allegations that companies controlled by businessman Aziz Ihsan Aktas obtained municipal contracts through bribery, bid-rigging and fraud. The opposition has argued that municipalities controlled by Erdogan’s party that had business dealings with Aktas were not investigated with the same intensity. Of the five mayors convicted, Riza Akpolat, mayor of Istanbul’s Besiktas district, received the longest sentence — 23 years and three months — for bribery, money laundering and bid-rigging. The other four mayors, who like Akpolat were removed from office after their arrests, were sentenced to between five and eight years in prison. The seven-month trial was held at a courthouse beside Silivri Prison, west of Istanbul, and involved 200 defendants. Some were also convicted while others were acquitted, although details of the individual verdicts were not immediately available. Aktas was arrested in Istanbul in January last year, prompting authorities to launch investigations into other Istanbul districts governed by the CHP. Investigations were also opened in the southern cities of Adana and Adiyaman, which are also controlled by the opposition party. Aktas initially denied the allegations but later testified against other defendants under Turkey’s “effective repentance” law. He alleged that he had given cash, cars and other bribes to mayors and officials to secure municipal contracts. In a separate case, Aktas was sentenced to two years and eight months for bid-rigging but was acquitted of bribery charges. Most defendants denied having any relationship with Aktas and accused him of providing false testimony. They also said the tenders had been awarded through long-established procedures and that previous audits had found no irregularities. The prosecution’s use of secret witnesses was another contentious issue in the trial. Several of the witnesses acknowledged that their testimony was based on hearsay. Akpolat told the court that investigators had offered to withdraw the charges against him if he provided information in a separate investigation involving the CHP’s 2023 leadership congress. That investigation resulted in a court order in May removing the CHP’s top leadership over alleged voting irregularities during the leadership election. Many CHP members subsequently followed ousted leader Ozgur Ozel to the New Party, which has since become the largest opposition group in parliament. The CHP won several major cities, including Istanbul and the capital Ankara, in the 2019 local elections. It secured further victories in the 2024 municipal polls, but a series of legal cases against the opposition has followed. Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul’s metropolitan mayor and the opposition’s preferred candidate to challenge Erdogan in the next presidential election, has been in detention since March last year. He faces several legal cases, including a major corruption case involving the Istanbul municipality that contains allegations similar to those in the Aktas case. If convicted in the cases, he could face a combined sentence of more than 2,300 years.

Zelenskyy also pointed to problems with defense spending and inaccurate information from the Defense Ministry that contributed to an awkward exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump over Ukraine’s use of Starlink in Russia. He made the remarks during a two-hour meeting with reporters Saturday, with a transcript released Sunday. Zelenskyy said he still has a positive view of Fedorov, whom he credited with helping modernize Ukraine’s military and expand its use of technology and drones. But he said Fedorov had become involved in issues he considered inappropriate. Fedorov was dismissed last month following reports of tensions with Ukraine’s top military commander. His removal triggered weeks of protests, while he later called for elections. Zelenskyy said he offered Fedorov four options to remain in government, but he rejected all of them. On the Starlink dispute, Zelenskyy said the Defense Ministry had told him earlier this year that SpaceX had agreed to allow Ukraine to use Starlink over Russian territory for deep-strike operations, subject to political approval. Based on that information, Zelenskyy said he discussed the proposal with Trump and told him that Elon Musk had confirmed it. However, Musk later rejected the proposal, saying it could lead to dangerous escalation. Trump subsequently accused Zelenskyy of misleading him. Zelenskyy said he did not directly accuse Fedorov of providing false information but indicated that the incident was among the reasons for taking action against him. He also defended former army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and current Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Yevhen Khmara against protesters who had harshly criticized them, saying such attacks went too far. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said Ukraine faces a $27 billion shortfall in its defense budget after funds originally planned for the second half of 2026 were spent earlier in the year. He also said anti-corruption investigators had found no evidence of his involvement in a money-laundering case involving a deputy head of the presidential office. On the battlefield, Zelenskyy claimed Ukrainian forces had nearly retaken the entire Dnipropetrovsk region, with only about 10 square kilometers and three small villages remaining under Russian control. He said Ukraine expected another military operation to produce results by the end of August. He predicted that by the end of 2026, Ukraine could achieve near parity between territory seized by Russia and territory retaken by Ukrainian forces. According to him, Russia has occupied about 990 square kilometers since the beginning of the year, while Ukrainian forces have regained roughly 820 square kilometers. Zelenskyy said Russia’s main military objective remained the Konstantynivka-Sloviansk-Kramatorsk axis and that Moscow continued to demand Ukraine’s withdrawal from Donbas as part of any settlement. The Ukrainian president also highlighted a growing shortage of Patriot air-defense missiles. Ukraine received 675 Patriot missiles in 2023, compared with 364 in 2025, while only about 264 are expected in 2026. He said Ukraine wants to secure another 300 Patriot missiles before winter, although its air force has requested 360. Zelenskyy said he hoped Ukraine could obtain even 5% to 10% of U.S. reserves and was prepared to pay for them. He warned that Russia could eventually produce up to 1,300 ballistic missiles annually, compared with an estimated current capacity of about 600. Ukraine is also exploring alternatives to Starlink, including a European communications project, as Russia and China develop competing satellite communication systems.