Swiss announce new defence minister, Singapore cooperation deal
Separately, the government said it had approved a memorandum of understanding to step up defence cooperation with Singapore which would allow the two to deepen collaboration on research, development, innovation and defence procurement.
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Reuters
11 minutes ago
- Reuters
Ukrainian man arrested over Nord Stream pipeline attacks
BERLIN, Aug 21 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian man was arrested in Italy suspected of coordinating the 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines, German prosecutors said on Thursday, signalling a breakthrough in an episode that sharpened tensions between Russia and the West. Seen by both Moscow and the West as an act of sabotage, the explosions severely damaged three pipelines carrying gas from Russia to Europe, marking a major escalation in the Ukraine conflict and squeezing energy supplies on the continent. No one has ever taken responsibility for the blasts. The arrest comes just as Kyiv is engaged in fraught diplomatic discussions with the United States over how to end the war in Ukraine without giving away major concessions and swathes of its own territory to Russia. "The bombing of the pipelines must be investigated, including through criminal prosecution. Therefore, it is good that we are making progress in this regard," said German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig in a statement. There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainian embassy. Ukraine has previously denied involvement. The suspect, identified only as Serhii K. under German privacy laws, was part of a group of people who planted devices on the pipelines near the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm in September 2022, a statement from the prosecutor's office said. He and his accomplices had set off from Rostock on Germany's northeastern coast in a sailing yacht to carry out the attack, it said. The vessel had been rented from a German company with the help of forged identity documents via middlemen, it added. Authorities acted on a European arrest warrant for the suspect, who faces charges of collusion to cause an explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage and destruction of important structures. Carabinieri officers arrested him overnight in the province of Rimini on Italy's Adriatic coast, the German prosecutors' statement said. The Italian Carabinieri confirmed the arrest but gave no further details. In September 2022, one of the two lines of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was damaged by mysterious blasts, along with both lines of Nord Stream 1 that carried Russian gas to Europe. Both the U.S. and Ukraine have denied having anything to do with the attacks, as has Russia. Moscow, without providing evidence, blamed Western sabotage for the blasts, which largely severed Russian gas supplies to the lucrative European market. Denmark and Sweden closed their Nord Stream pipeline investigations in February 2024, leaving Germany as the only country continuing to pursue the case. Danish authorities concluded there was "deliberate sabotage of the gas pipelines" but found "insufficient grounds to pursue a criminal case", while Sweden closed its investigation citing a lack of jurisdiction.
Reuters
39 minutes ago
- Reuters
India passes bill banning money-based online games, app shutdowns loom
BENGALURU, Aug 21 (Reuters) - India's parliament on Thursday passed a bill to ban online games played with money in a move that threatens the survival of the popular fantasy gaming sector, after the government flagged the high risk of financial and psychological harm. The sudden ban has shocked the industry, which was set to be worth $3.6 billion in India by 2029, with executives fearing job losses and the complete shutdown of their apps the moment the president signs the bill, which, although there is no set date, is considered a formality. India's upper house of parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 after the lower house cleared it earlier this week with the support of lawmakers. The bill prohibits "harmful" online money gaming services, advertisements and financial transactions related to them, with the government citing the psychological and financial harm they can cause. Gaming industry executives have said they fear the loss of billions of dollars of foreign investment, from venture capital firms like Tiger Global and Peak XV Partners. Endorsements by top Indian cricketers and other marketing efforts have boosted the appeal of, and investor interest in, gaming apps such as the popular fantasy cricket games operated by startups Dream11 and Mobile Premier League. Dream11 commands a valuation of $8 billion while Mobile Premier League is valued at $2.5 billion, PitchBook data shows. Other popular gaming apps in India include Zupee and Games 24X7.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Parts of Russia face gasoline shortages after Ukraine struck refineries
MOSCOW, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Several regions in Russia and parts of Ukraine it controls are reporting gasoline shortages after Ukraine stepped up attacks on Russian oil refineries this month, and amid a seasonal surge in fuel demand. Russia imposed a gasoline exports ban for oil producers on July 28 in a bid to prevent shortages at a time of peak demand because of summer travel and grain harvesting. But some market participants said this will not be enough to avert a fuel crunch. The problem is being aggravated by logistical bottlenecks, low domestic stocks and repair work at refineries, they said. Since early August, Ukraine has targeted a number of oil refineries including Novokuibyshevsk, Syzran, Ryazan and Volgograd in response to Moscow's missile and drone attacks. In Russia's far eastern region of Primorye, local media reported lines stretching back kilometres (miles) as motorists queued to fill up with gasoline. Authorities blamed an influx of tourists. NNK, an oil company, said many of its gasoline carriers in the region were stuck in traffic jams for three to six hours at a time due to repair works on the roads, according to local media. Yevgeny Balitsky, Moscow-appointed governor of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, which is mostly under Russian control, said on Thursday that gasoline retail sales in several areas were suffering problems because of peak demand and refinery maintenance. "In the Zaporizhzhia region, the fuel shortage is further complicated by logistics issues and the threat of enemy attacks on fuel trains," he said. Sergei Aksyonov, the head of Crimea - which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 - also acknowledged fuel problems in an interview with a local TV station this week. "This is an objective situation, which could last for up to a month more," he said, while adding that the issue would not be fully resolved until the conflict ends.
