Canadian employment declined by 41,700 in August, reversing some of the labor-market momentum built in recent months. Manufacturing was the only sector to record a significant increase.

Canadaemploymentunemployment ratemanufacturing

The WNBA announced Friday that Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will retire at the end of 2026.

WNBACathy Engelbertretirement

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which promises to roll back asylum rights, is poised to win a German state election for the first time. It leads polls in Saxony-Anhalt by a wide margin, with its candidate Ulrich Siegmund in contention to head the first far-right state government since World War II.

Alternative for GermanySaxony-Anhaltstate electionfar right

German voters could, for the first time since World War Two, give a far-right party an outright majority in a regional election. The focus is on the AfD’s drive in Saxony-Anhalt and its charismatic lead candidate, as the former East German state struggles with globalisation, declining industry and an ageing population.

AfDSaxony-Anhaltregional electionfar right

The far-right Alternative for Germany is surging in eastern Saxony-Anhalt. It could form the state government after the upcoming regional election, becoming the first far-right party to wield state power in Germany since the Second World War and potentially seeking major changes to key parts of society.

GermanySaxony-AnhaltAfDstate election

Polls suggest the far-right Alternative für Deutschland could win Saxony-Anhalt’s election and potentially lead Germany’s first state government headed by the party. Migrants and minorities fear threats to their security and residency, with some considering whether to leave the state.

German state electionAfDfar rightmigration

US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are reportedly due to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday before talks with Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday. They are leading Donald Trump's effort to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, although major differences remain, including over Russia's territorial demands.

Russia-Ukraine warpeace talksUnited StatesRussiaUkraine

A planned September 5–6 trip by Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv appeared uncertain after Witkoff allegedly became afraid to travel to Kyiv, according to sources cited by The Kyiv Independent. Axios later reported that the trip was expected to proceed, with Moscow first and Kyiv afterward.

Trump envoysKyiv visitUS-Russia talksUkraine

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected in Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend in an apparent attempt to revive negotiations to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready for substantive, high-level talks, while Russian officials indicated that progress may be possible but a lasting settlement depends on the territorial issue.

US envoysRussia-Ukraine warpeace talks

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would not hold direct talks with Kiev to end its “terrorist activities” before US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visit Russia. He suggested the Americans would make that demand instead. The envoys are reportedly due to visit Moscow and Kiev on September 5-6.

Russia-UkrainediplomacyUS envoys

Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had planned to visit Moscow and Kyiv on Sept. 5–6, but discussions shifted to alternative plans after Witkoff “started to get scared,” according to a person familiar with the matter. The source said Russia opposed a Kyiv visit and that the envoys were being warned it was dangerous.

US envoysUkraineKyivdiplomacy

US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are planning visits to Kyiv and Moscow soon, a source told TASS. The pair have already held telephone contacts with the Ukrainian side, while Vladimir Zelensky said provisional dates had been set for their Kyiv visit. Russia’s MOEX index briefly rose 2% after the plans were confirmed.

US-Russia relationsUkrainemediation

In a September 4, 2026 handover, four detainees from southern Lebanon were freed by Israel and transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

LebanonIsraelprisoner handover

Israel released four Lebanese citizens and handed them to the International Committee of the Red Cross, following the release of another prisoner a day earlier. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun thanked the US and Donald Trump, while the ICRC called for access to those still detained.

LebanonIsraelprisoner handoverRed Cross

Portugal has opened talks with Air France-KLM and Lufthansa over the privatisation of TAP. The deal could be completed soon and would involve selling up to 49.9% of the airline’s share capital, with 5% reserved for employees.

TAP privatisationPortugalAir France-KLMLufthansa

France’s culinary identity is confronting a new reality: vines are being uprooted, wheat farmers are struggling with heat, and mozzarella is challenging Camembert.

Francefood cultureagricultureheat

The U.S. Treasury Department announced new Iran-related sanctions on Friday, naming three Turkey-based entities as targets, according to its website.

United StatesTurkeyIran sanctions

AMC shares rose 21% overnight after its CEO criticized Robinhood for offering what he called “outrageous” tokenized shares. OpenAI had previously made a similar complaint, saying it had not authorized the transfer of its shares.

AMCRobinhoodtokenized shares

AMC CEO Adam Aron said the company has no connection to Robinhood’s tokenized shares, reviving questions about how stocks are brought onto the blockchain.

AMCRobinhoodtokenized shares

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergey Naryshkin accused Kyiv of intensifying hostile efforts to destabilize Russia ahead of the State Duma election. He said Ukraine fears imminent defeat, while accusing the EU and Western countries of escalating tensions and supporting Kyiv; he asserted that Russia can counter any aggression.

RussiaUkraineEuropean Unionregional tensions

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergey Naryshkin said the Kiev regime is panicking and fears imminent defeat. He called Ukraine’s alleged attempts to destabilize Russia ahead of State Duma elections hostile, saying they showed panic and fear of defeat and that Russians would rally behind the leadership.

RussiaUkrainearmed conflict

SVR Director Sergey Naryshkin said the Cuban Missile Crisis, resolved through mutual concessions by the Soviet Union and the United States, shows that diplomacy can prevail over escalation and avert nuclear war. He warned that political propaganda can trap its creators in rigid worldviews and urged efforts to prevent further escalation in Eurasia.

diplomacyCuban Missile CrisisEurasian security

SVR Director Sergey Naryshkin said the risk of a large-scale conflict spanning Eurasia is real and a serious concern. He also said NATO wants to prolong the Ukrainian conflict to limit Russia’s military-technical and mobilization potential, calling that position a “confession.”

Sergey NaryshkinNATOUkraine conflictEurasian security

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergey Naryshkin said several European intelligence agencies assess that Ukraine’s army will effectively exhaust its mobilization potential within a year. He said Europe has a “Plan B”: militarizing Europe itself, calling the situation consistent with the “Thucydides Trap.”

UkraineEuropemilitarizationRussian intelligence

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergey Naryshkin said European society, shaped by consumerism and transhumanism, is objectively unprepared for a large-scale war in the East. He claimed Western politicians and the financial-industrial groups behind them use the “threat from the East” myth to sharply raise military spending and place industry and infrastructure on a war footing.

European securityRussiamilitary spendingwar preparations

At a Nepalese hydropower development, two members of the workforce have been brought out of an underground passage. Their recovery came nine days after massive flash flooding struck the area along the Chinese frontier.

Nepalflash floodstunnel rescue

Japan is sending five police officers to Nepal to help identify victims of a major flash-flood and mudslide disaster that struck near the Himalayan country’s border with China last month.

NepalJapanflash floodsmudslides

Reform UK, the British hard-right party led by Nigel Farage, opened its annual conference under the cloud of a new scandal. Two senior officials resigned hours before Farage was due to speak after a Channel 4 News undercover investigation alleged they had conspired to obtain a foreign donation prohibited by UK electoral law. National Rally president Jordan Bardella is also due to address the conference.

Reform UKNigel Faragedonation scandalfar right

Reform UK said two senior aides to leader Nigel Farage resigned Friday after an undercover investigation alleged that the party breached electoral law by arranging for a foreign donor to fund political polling.

Reform UKNigel Farageforeign fundingelectoral law

Two senior Reform UK officials, James Orr and Dan Jukes, have stepped down after a Channel 4 investigation alleged that a US company paid more than £30,000 for three party-commissioned polls, potentially breaching UK rules banning foreign political donations. Reform denies wrongdoing and has opened an internal investigation; Nigel Farage says no laws were broken.

UK politicsReform UKforeign donationselectoral law

A Labor Department watchdog says former Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer breached several department policies during her tenure. The allegations include creating a hostile workplace, using government money for personal travel and having an inappropriate relationship with an employee.

Lori Chavez-DeRemerLabor Departmentgovernment oversight

Hours after OpenAI launched GPT-6 Astra, CEO Sam Altman apologized for what he called a “messy rollout” that left paying users waiting for access. The model was initially offered to some enterprise customers, with broader access planned over the following days but no clear timeline. The release also faced a delayed blog post and criticism that Astra’s reasoning is harder to monitor for safety.

OpenAIGPT-6 AstraSam AltmanAI rollout