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  • East Timor’s ASEAN Membership a Win for Asia’s Youngest Nation

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    JAKARTA (Reuters) -Asia’s youngest nation East Timor is set to achieve a decades-long dream when it becomes the 11th member of ASEAN this weekend, which analysts say is a win politically although the economic benefits remain to be seen.

    East Timor, Southeast Asia’s poorest nation with 1.4 million people and slightly bigger than Qatar, applied to join the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2011 and was granted observer status in 2022.

    The nation gained independence in 2002 from neighbouring Indonesia, following a 1999 referendum overseen by the United Nations, and shares a border with the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara.

    Two of its independence heroes now lead the country: President Jose Ramos-Horta, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his efforts, and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.

    Decades after Ramos-Horta raised the idea of joining ASEAN in the 1970s when East Timor was still a colony of Portugal, the country will be formalised as a member at the October 26-28 ASEAN leaders summit, which Malaysia chairs.

    Commonly known as Timor-Leste, East Timor is trying to diversify its nearly $2 billion economy away from its heavy reliance on dwindling oil and gas reserves.

    Analysts say the accession to ASEAN will benefit its newest member but they worry about how it will fare as the group’s smallest economy. ASEAN’s collective gross domestic product is $3.8 trillion, with Indonesia alone making up $1.4 trillion of that.

    Ahead of the summit, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recalled other members were also poor when the bloc was first formed.

    “I’m very optimistic that ASEAN as a community can continue to engage more and assist, as we have benefited from the assistance of many countries (including) the West and China,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

    ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn has said joining ASEAN will amplify East Timor’s “voice in international forums while securing its strategic interests through an established network of diplomatic and economic support.”  

    Ramos-Horta has called the membership a long-held dream.

    “The road to ASEAN is more difficult than the road to heaven,” he said in a speech at the group’s headquarters in August.

    Parker Novak, an East Timor expert at the International Republican Institute, said the country’s leadership sees ASEAN “as giving them additional political legitimacy in the region.”

    Marty Natalegawa, a former Indonesian foreign minister who oversaw East Timor’s ASEAN application, said the bloc would shield East Timor against the geopolitical push-and-pull among major powers such as the United States and China.

    “It provides assurances that Timor-Leste’s position and future development and outlook will be akin to ASEAN’s own,” Marty said.

    However, Guteriano Neves, an economic development researcher in East Timor’s capital Dili, worries the country’s low productivity and lower-quality governance will limit the economic benefits of membership.

    Neves said membership may pressure East Timor’s government to enact institutional reforms to attract foreign investment.

    “Economically speaking, that is the hard question that I think we haven’t really found the answer to,” Neves said. “It’s very hard for Timor-Leste to compete in the ASEAN market.”

    (Reporting by Stanley Widianto; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Europe Adopts 19th Sanctions Package Against Russia, Including LNG Import Ban

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    BRUSSELS (Reuters) -EU countries on Thursday formally adopted a 19th package of sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine that includes a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports.

    The 27 member states had already approved the package on Wednesday evening after Slovakia dropped its block.

    “It’s a significant package that targets main Russian revenue streams through new energy, financial, and trade measures,” the Danish rotating presidency of the EU said.

    The LNG ban will take effect in two stages: short-term contracts will end after six months and long-term contracts from January 1, 2027. The full ban comes a year earlier than the Commission’s roadmap to end the bloc’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels.

    Measures in the package also include a new mechanism to limit the movement of Russian diplomats within the EU, the statement said.

    “It targets Russian banks, crypto exchanges, entities in India and China, among others,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on X.

    “The EU is curbing Russian diplomats’ movements to counter the attempts of destabilisation. It is increasingly harder for Putin to fund this war.”

    Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the ban on LNG imports is an important step towards a complete phasing out of Russian energy in the EU.

    (Reporting by Kate Abnett, Alessandro Parodi and Julia Payne, editing by Bart Meijer)

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  • Russia Says It Takes Two More Ukrainian Villages, Struck Energy Targets Overnight

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    MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian forces captured two more frontline villages in southeast Ukraine and also reported the capture of an island in southern Ukraine, its Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

    Ukraine’s military also reported success near the town of Dobropillia, an area in the Donetsk region, the heart of the front line, where officials say Kyiv’s forces are making headway in a counter-offensive.

    Russian forces have been engaged in a long, grinding westward advance along and near the front line in eastern Ukraine, announcing the capture of new villages on nearly a daily basis. Its troops hold about 19% of Ukrainian territory.

    The Russian Defence Ministry said its forces now controlled Pavlivka in Zaporizhzhia region in the southeast, one of four regions it now claims as Russian territory, and Ivanivka, just inside Dnipropetrovsk region, where they have established a foothold.

    The ministry also said, in a statement on Telegram, that it struck Ukrainian energy infrastructure in what it said was a response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian targets.

    Ukrainian authorities earlier said that six people had been killed in Russian strikes overnight.

    Reuters could not independently verify battlefield accounts from either side.

    Russian news agencies early on Thursday quoted the Defence Ministry as saying paratroops and other servicemen had pushed their way across the Dnipro River to take control of Karantynnyi Island, close to the city of Kherson in the south.

    Ukraine’s military last week said Russian forces had unsuccessfully tried to land on the island.

    Kherson was occupied by Russian troops in the early stages of their February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but Kyiv’s forces took back the city and other parts of Kherson region later that year.

    Near Dobropillia, in Donetsk, Ukraine’s 132nd separate battalion of airborne forces said it had taken control of the village of Kucheriv Yar from Russian forces.

    (Reporting by Reuters, Writing by Felix Light and Ron Popeski; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Christian Schmollinger)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • U.S. Imposes Substantial New Sanctions on Russian Oil Giants

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    WASHINGTON—President Trump has announced substantial new sanctions on Russia’s two biggest oil companies as frustration in Washington grows over the war in Ukraine.

    The new sanctions, which would be the first direct U.S. measures on Russia during the second Trump administration, target Lukoil and Rosneft as well as nearly three dozen of their subsidiaries. Oil is one of Russia’s largest sources of revenue.

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  • World Food Prize Winners Call for Doubling of Aid to Combat Hunger

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) -International food aid must double to meet the needs of about 2 billion people worldwide who struggle to get enough to eat, winners of an annual prize recognizing contributions to reducing global hunger said on Wednesday.

    The World Food Prize was started in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug, a U.S. agronomist whose work with high-yield crops in the 1960s has been credited with saving 1 billion lives.

    A group of 28 prize winners, including Brazilian microbiologist Mariangela Hungria who received the award this year, issued the call on Wednesday during the Norman Borlaug Dialogue, an annual conference in Des Moines, Iowa.

    The U.N. World Food Program recently reported global food aid was cut by 40% in 2025. The United States, previously a top donor, slashed aid under President Donald Trump, and other governments such as the United Kingdom and France also reduced assistance.

    WFP cut aid in Democratic Republic of Congo by 75% and halved a hot meal program in Haiti due to lack of funds, WFP Assistant Executive Director Valerie Guarnieri said during the conference.

    “Donors are slashing their donations, for a variety of reasons,” she said. “There will be lives that will be lost, and global instability will increase.”

    David Beckmann, the 2010 prize winner and former president of nongovernmental organization Bread for the World, said famine was a problem in Sudan, Yemen, Gaza and Haiti, among other places.

    “When the need for help increased, the money was not there,” he said.

    Chef Jose Andres, founder of the nonprofit World Central Kitchen, has not won the World Food Prize, but he joined the appeal.

    “Immigration is increasing and will keep increasing. The main reason people leave their countries is hunger,” he told reporters.

    The World Food Prize honors work in fields like nutrition, environmental conservation, policy advocacy, rural development and plant and soil science.

    (Reporting by Marcelo Teixeira; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Dutch Police Detain Man Over Threats to Far-Right Politician Wilders Ahead of Election

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    AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The Dutch public prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday that police had detained a 25-year-old man for questioning after he had issued violent threats against politicians in a livestreamed, widely shared TikTok.

    The suspect specifically named far-right politician Geert Wilders in the video.

    In the clip, he said he would go to parliament “with an axe” and that “heads will roll,” adding that he “might (start) with Geertje,” a nickname for Wilders.

    After questioning, the suspect had been released, the prosecutor’s office said, pending a decision on whether he would be prosecuted.

    The incident comes a week before the Netherlands heads to the polls, with elections scheduled for next Wednesday.

    (Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Toby Chopra)

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  • TrueLayer to Acquire Zimpler and Champion Pay by Bank in Europe

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    TrueLayer, a leading European payment provider, announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire fellow payment provider Zimpler for an undisclosed sum. While the deal is still subject to regulatory approvals, the former company called it a “clear step forward” in its mission to drive innovation within the sector.

    The Deal Will Cement TrueLayer as a Formidable Force in the Old Continent  

    In its official announcement, TrueLayer said that the acquisition of Zimpler will bring together the Old Continent’s two “most innovative Pay by Bank providers.” As a result, the agreement will strengthen TrueLayer’s European presence.

    In addition to benefiting the two businesses, the merger was described as a “pivotal moment” for Europe’s Pay by Bank space. TrueLayer said that leveraging Zimpler’s strong position in the Nordics will position it to drive further growth, in line with its mission to “build a powerful alternative to legacy payments” in Europe, driving innovation, fostering competition and creating customer value.

    TrueLayer added that the Nordic region has some of the highest adoption rates of account-to-account (A2A) payments in the world, making it a crucial region for the company’s growth ambition. The acquisition of Zimpler will effectively allow TrueLayer to tap into its large userbase, bringing its total number of users to some 20 million people.

    TrueLayer users can look forward to the company launching coverage across markets such as Sweden and Finland. In addition to that, the company announced that it plans to add additional A2A capabilities via the Swish payment rail integration.

    TrueLayer said that the deal’s fate will be decided by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, Finansinspektionen. The company promised to release an official update once the review of the transaction has been completed.

    TrueLayer Wants to Accelerate the Adoption of Pay by Bank in Europe

    TrueLayer’s co-founder and chief executive officer, Francesco Simoneschi, said that the deal goes beyond merely expanding the company’s presence in the Nordics – according to him, the true aim is to build talent, technology and scale to accelerate the adoption of Pay by Bank across the entirety of Europe.

    We’re not just expanding our footprint in the Nordics – we’re combining talent, technology, and scale to accelerate Pay by Bank adoption across the continent, and further strengthening Pay by Bank as a force of disruption that is changing how the world pays.

    Francesco Simoneschi, co-founder & CEO, TrueLayer

    Simoneschi added that he is looking forward to welcoming Zimpler to the TrueLayer family, saying that his team has long admired the Nordics-oriented company’s progress.

    Johan Strand, Zimpler’s CEO, was similarly pleased about the “fantastic opportunity” to join TrueLayer. He praised the company’s track record of innovation and expressed confidence that the two companies’ combined businesses will allow them to continue growing.

    Strand explained: “Joining TrueLayer will enable us to reach new heights and drive the next wave of growth in the industry. At the same time, we remain firmly anchored in Sweden, with our local licence and expertise ensuring continuity for our customers.”

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  • A First-Timer’s Guide to the Dolomites

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    Where to stay in the Dolomites

    The Dolomites have no shortage of extraordinary accommodations, where design-forward hotels often become the destinations themselves. Forestis, perched 6,000 feet above sea level in Brixen, is a sanatorium-turned-five-star hotel with a minimalist aesthetic that embraces its surroundings. The Dolomites provide a breathtaking backdrop, visible through every angle, including the hotel’s floor-to-ceiling lobby windows or from the outdoor bed of a Tower Suite—the property’s signature among its 62 guest rooms. Daily wellness programming includes sound baths, guided Wyda forest walks inspired by Celtic wisdom, and Aufguss rituals, a 10-20 minute sauna experience where an Aufguss Master pours essential oils over hot stones and skillfully twirls a towel to circulate the air, all set to the rhythm of the music. This summer, Forestis quietly debuted Yera, the 14-course (cellphone-free) multi-sensory dining experience paired with housemade, fermented alcohol-free drinks, all set inside a cave. 

    About 90 minutes east in Avelengo, Italy’s German-speaking region, Chalet Mirabell feels like a whimsical fairytale. Anchored by a natural swimmable pond and roaming alpacas, the family-owned five-star resort caters to both families and couples with dedicated dining areas and pools for each. Adults can enjoy the variety of wellness programming offered daily, retreat to one of three pools, or head to the 65,000-square-foot spa at the heart of the property. 

    The hotel’s 70 cozy guest rooms blend natural wood and modern accents with plush furnishings in warm tones. Many of the guest rooms are equipped with fireplaces, free-standing tubs, and private balconies overlooking the mountains. For large groups or multi-generational families, choose from one of three mountain villas that can accommodate up to 12 guests. This winter, the sister property Chalet Zuegg debuts, with ski-in, ski-out access to Merano 2000, the town’s premier ski area.
    In Pinzolo (population: 3,000), Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti is the only five-star resort in Madonna di Campiglio. The nearly 54,000-square-foot spa is the resort’s crown jewel, with nine saunas and steam rooms spread out across three floors. Of the resort’s 88 alpine guest rooms and 21 residences, the Exclusive Spa Suites elevate your wellness experience to the next level. At just over 1,000 square feet, each suite features a massive whirlpool, private sauna and walk-in wardrobe for all your cozy mountain layers, hiking gear and après-ski essentials.

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  • Russia and Ukraine Launch Overnight Missile Strikes After Trump-Putin Summit Delay

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    By Pavel Polityuk and Dmitry Antonov

    KYIV/MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia and Ukraine pounded each other with heavy overnight missile attacks as diplomatic efforts to end the war faltered, with the White House saying there were no imminent plans for presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to meet.

    Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday that Russian attacks had killed six people, including two children, in Kyiv and the nearby region, and forced power outages nationwide.

    Ukraine’s military said late on Tuesday that it used Franco-British Storm Shadow air-launched missiles to strike a chemical plant in southern Russia’s Bryansk region.

    Putin and Trump spoke last week and agreed to hold a summit in Hungary that the Kremlin said could take place within a couple of weeks.

    TRUMP DOESN’T WANT WASTED MEETING

    But following a phone call on Monday between the two countries’ top diplomats, the White House said the next day that Trump had no plans to meet Putin “in the immediate future”. Trump said he did not want to have a wasted meeting – something Moscow also says it wants to avoid.

    Russian officials said, however, that preparations continued for a summit. 

    “The dates haven’t been set yet, but thorough preparation is needed before then, and that takes time,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

    “It’s clear that all of this is surrounded by a great deal of gossip, rumours, and so on. Much of it is completely untrue. There’s no news yet.”

    The delay came after Russia reiterated to the U.S. its previous terms for reaching a peace deal, including that Ukraine cede control of the whole of the southeastern Donbas region, three sources told Reuters.

    That amounted to a rejection of Trump’s statement last week that both sides should stop at the current front lines.

    Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by state news agency RIA as saying he could not confirm that Moscow had conveyed its position as reported by Reuters.

    “Preparations for the summit are continuing,” Ryabkov was quoted as saying. “I don’t see any major obstacles.”

    He added: “It’s a difficult process, I admit – but that’s precisely what diplomats are for.”

    SHARES IN EUROPEAN DEFENCE COMPANIES RISE

    Through the first nine months of his second term, Trump has pressed for an end to the conflict, the deadliest in Europe since World War Two.

    Sharply critical at times of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, he has also expressed frustration and disappointment with Putin – but has not followed through on his repeated threats of new sanctions against Moscow.

    Shares in European defence companies rose on news of the delay to the Putin-Trump summit. Most European governments strongly back Kyiv and have pledged to raise their military spending to help Ukraine meet its defence needs.

    Zelenskiy was due to meet Sweden’s prime minister on Wednesday at the development and manufacturing centre of Saab, which makes fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, missile systems and anti-tank weapons.

    “Russian words about diplomacy mean nothing as long as the Russian leadership does not feel critical problems. And this can be ensured only through sanctions, long-range capabilities, and coordinated diplomacy among all our partners,” Zelenskiy said.

    Ukraine said there were emergency power outages in most regions of the country as a result of the latest Russian attacks.

    Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha appealed to Kyiv’s international partners to mobilise “additional energy support” to prevent a humanitarian crisis as winter approaches.

    (Additional reporting by Kyiv and Moscow bureaux, writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Austrian Chancellor to Undergo ‘Routine’ Operation for Back Pain

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    VIENNA (Reuters) -Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker will undergo a “routine” operation next week after experiencing back pain, his office said on Wednesday, adding that he plans to work from home after he is discharged from hospital.

    “Chancellor Christian Stocker has been suffering from back pain for some time. On medical advice, he will therefore undergo a planned routine operation during the autumn half-term holiday at the end of October,” his office said in a statement, referring to next week.

    (Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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  • U.K. Inflation Unexpectedly Holds Steady

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    The U.K.’s annual rate of inflation in September unexpectedly held at the pace of the previous month, raising the chance that Bank of England policymakers could cut interest rates later this year, despite price rises remaining at a level still well above the central bank’s target.

    Consumer prices were up 3.8% compared with the same month of last year, the Office for National Statistics said Wednesday, almost double the central bank’s 2% target and the same rate as August. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal expected a higher rate of 4.0%.

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  • Analysis-Turkey Pressing for Western Fighter Jets to Claw Back Regional Edge

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    By Ece Toksabay and Jonathan Spicer

    ANKARA (Reuters) -Anxious to bolster its air power, Turkey has proposed to European partners and the U.S. ways it could swiftly obtain advanced fighter jets as it seeks to make up ground on regional rivals such as Israel, sources familiar with the talks say.  

    NATO-member Turkey, which has the alliance’s second-largest military, aims to leverage its best relations with the West in years to add to its ageing fleet 40 Eurofighter Typhoons, for which it inked a preliminary agreement in July, and later also U.S.-made F-35 jets, despite Washington sanctions that currently block any deal. 

    Strikes by Israel – the Middle East’s most advanced military with hundreds of U.S.-supplied F-15, F-16 and F-35 fighters – on Turkey’s neighbours Iran and Syria, as well as on Lebanon and Qatar, unnerved Ankara in the last year. They laid bare key vulnerabilities, prompting its push for rapid air power reinforcement to counter any potential threats and not be left exposed, officials say.

    Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has sharply criticised Israel’s attacks on Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East and once warm relations between the two countries have sunk to new lows. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Turkey’s bases, rebel allies and support for the army in Syria posed a threat to Israel.  

    Greece, a largely symbolic but sensitive threat for Turkey, is expected to receive a batch of advanced F-35s in the next three years. In years past, jets from the two NATO states engaged in scattered dogfights over the Aegean, and Greece has previously expressed concerns about Turkish military build-up.

    TURKEY WOULD BUY SECOND-HAND PLANES TO GET THEM FAST

    For the Typhoons, Turkey is nearing a deal with Britain and other European countries in which it would promptly receive 12 of them, albeit used, from previous buyers Qatar and Oman to meet its immediate needs, according to a person familiar with the matter. 

    Eurofighter consortium members Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain would approve the second-hand sale proposal, in which they would provide Turkey with 28 new jets in coming years pending a final purchase agreement, the person said. 

    Erdogan is expected to discuss the proposal on visits to Qatar and Oman on Wednesday and Thursday, with jet numbers, pricing, and timelines the main issues. 

    Erdogan is then expected to host British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz later this month, when agreements could be sealed, sources say. 

    A UK government spokesperson told Reuters that a memorandum of understanding that Britain and Turkey signed in July paves the way “for a multibillion-pound order of up to 40 aircraft,” adding: “We look forward to agreeing the final contracting details soon.”

    German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who was in Ankara last week, said Berlin supported the jets purchase and later told broadcaster NTV that a deal could follow within the year.

    Turkey’s defence ministry said no final agreement had been reached and that talks with Britain were moving in a positive direction, adding other consortium members backed the procurement. Qatar and Oman did not immediately comment. 

    TURKEY, US HAVE POLITICAL WILL TO RESOLVE ISSUES

    Acquiring the advanced F-35s has proven trickier for Ankara, which has been barred from buying them since 2020 when Washington slapped it with CAATSA sanctions over its purchase of Russian S-400 air defences. 

    Erdogan failed to make headway on the issue at a White House meeting with President Donald Trump last month. But Turkey still aims to capitalise on the two leaders’ good personal ties, and Erdogan’s help convincing Palestinian militant group Hamas to sign Trump’s Gaza ceasefire agreement, to eventually reach a deal. 

    Separate sources have said that Ankara considered proposing a plan that could have included a U.S. presidential “waiver” to overcome the CAATSA sanctions and pave the way for an eventual resolution of the S-400 issue and F-35 purchase. 

    Turkey’s possession of the S-400s remains the main obstacle to purchasing F-35s, but Ankara and Washington have publicly stated a desire to overcome this, saying the allies have the political will to do so. 

    The potential temporary waiver, if given, could help Ankara increase defence cooperation with Washington and possibly build sympathy in a U.S. Congress that has been sceptical of Turkey in the past, the sources said.

    “Both sides know that resolving CAATSA needs to be done. Whether it is a presidential waiver or a congressional decision, that is up to the United States,” Harun Armagan, vice chair of foreign affairs for Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, told Reuters.

    “It looks awkward with all of the other diplomacy and cooperation happening at the same time.” 

    Turkey’s foreign ministry did not respond to questions about floating a waiver to U.S. counterparts or discussions on resolving the S-400 issue. The White House did not immediately comment on whether Ankara raised a waiver option.

    A State Department spokesperson said Trump recognizes Turkey’s strategic importance and that “his administration is seeking creative solutions to all of these pending issues,” but did not elaborate further.

    Asked about Turkey’s separate agreement to buy 40 F-16s, an earlier generation fighter jet, a U.S. source said that talks have been dogged by Turkish concerns about the price and desire to buy the more advanced F-35s instead. 

    TURKEY HAS DEVELOPED ITS OWN STEALTH FIGHTER

    Frustrated by past hot-cold ties with the West and some arms embargoes, Turkey has developed its own KAAN stealth fighter. Yet officials acknowledge it will take years before it replaces the F-16s that form the backbone of its air force.

    Jet upgrades are part of a broader effort to strengthen layered air defences that also includes Turkey’s domestic “Steel Dome” project and an expansion of long-range missile coverage. 

    Yanki Bagcioglu, an opposition CHP lawmaker and former Turkish Air Force brigadier general, said Turkey must accelerate plans for KAAN, Eurofighter and F-16 jets. 

    “At present, our air-defence system is not at the desired level,” he said, blaming “project-management failures.”

    (Reporting by Ece Toksabay in Ankara and Jonathan Spicer in Istanbul; Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

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  • Opinion | China’s Big London Spy Platform

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    Did Britain’s Labour government torpedo a spying case to appease Beijing? Prime Minister Keir Starmer finds himself on the defensive as the opposition claims his government prioritized economic ties with China over national security. One test will be whether his government approves a proposed Chinese mega-embassy in London despite the espionage risks.

    The political brawl erupted last month after a much-publicized espionage case collapsed on a legal technicality. Prosecutors claimed British teacher and consultant Christopher Berry and parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash passed sensitive details to Beijing in violation of the 1911 Official Secrets Act.

    A 2024 High Court ruling expanded the definition of “enemy” to include any country that poses a national-security threat to the U.K. But the Crown Prosecution Service says the Labour government failed to provide such an assessment about China despite repeated requests, and as a result “the case could not proceed.” Messrs. Cash and Berry denied wrongdoing and the charges were dropped.

    Mr. Starmer has blamed the previous government for failing to issue such a designation against China. Under political pressure, he released statements by deputy national security adviser Matthew Collins outlining the evidence in the espionage case, including that British MPs critical of Beijing were among the targets.

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  • Anti-Immigrant Protesters Burn Police Van in Dublin After Young Girl Attacked

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    DUBLIN (Reuters) -Anti-immigrant protesters burned a police vehicle and attacked officers near a building housing asylum seekers in Dublin on Tuesday, the justice minister said, a day after a man was arrested for an attack on a young girl nearby.

    The incident comes two years after anti-immigrant protesters triggered a major riot in the centre of Dublin after the stabbing of three young children.

    The Irish Times, which published a video of a burning police van, reported that over 500 people were involved in the protest outside the building in West Dublin on Tuesday evening.

    Videos posted on X by Irish media outlets and anti-immigrant activists showed people holding Irish flags and placards with anti-immigrant slogans. Protesters threw glass bottles and fireworks at police.

    “The weaponising of a crime by people who wish to sow dissent in our society is not unexpected,” Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said in a statement. “This is unacceptable and will result in a forceful response.”

    Police on Tuesday said a man in his 20s had been charged in the area following an alleged serious assault of a female juvenile.

    The leader of the largest opposition party Sinn Fein in parliament on Tuesday cited reports that the man had a deportation order issued against him in March this year.

    O’Callaghan said he has asked the most senior official in his department for a detailed account of the management of the asylum application in the case. Police did not respond to a request for comment.

    While Ireland is almost unique in Europe in having no far-right members of parliament, recent years have brought a sharp rise in the profile of anti-immigrant groups with regular rallies to demand curbs on immigration.

    (Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Padraic Halpin)

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  • Damage From Louvre Jewellery Heist Estimated at 88 Million Euros, Paris Prosecutor Says

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    PARIS (Reuters) -Thieves who staged a daring daylight heist at the Louvre museum in Paris made off with jewels worth an estimated 88 million euros ($102.63 million), Paris public prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Tuesday.

    “It is important to remember that this damage is an economic damage, but it is nothing compared to the historical damage caused by this theft,” the prosecutor told RTL radio.

    In what some politicians branded a national humiliation, four people broke into the Louvre on Sunday using a crane to smash an upstairs window. They took objects from a gallery for royal jewellery before escaping on motorbikes.

    The eight items of stolen jewellery included a tiara and earrings from the set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense, of the early 19th century. The crown of Empress Eugenie was found outside the museum, apparently dropped during the getaway.

    (Reporting by Zhifan Liu and Dominique Vidalon in Paris; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

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  • CBP Has Processed Nearly 24 Million Parcels That Would Have Been Duty-Free Since US Ended De Minimis Exemption

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    LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -U.S. Customs and Border Protection has processed nearly 24 million packages that would have received duty-free treatment since President Donald Trump ended the de minimis exemption on August 29, an agency spokesperson said on Tuesday.

    Nearly 1.4 billion packages entered U.S. under the de minimis exemption for packages valued below $800 in 2024, according to CBP data. 

    Data from the U.N.’s Universal Postal Union showed that on August 29, total postal shipments to the U.S. had fallen 81%.

    That led to severe disruptions in global mail shipment to U.S. shoppers and small businesses. Large delivery firms like United Parcel Service and FedEx also felt the crunch after formerly booming direct-to-consumer e-commerce shipments from Chinese e-commerce firms Shein and Temu dropped.

    (Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Analysis-L’Oreal’s $4.7 Billion Kering Beauty Buy Offers Decades of Potential

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    PARIS (Reuters) -L’Oreal’s $4.7 billion deal to buy cosmetic and fragrance brands from Kering gives the French conglomerate rare 50-year licences, including for Gucci, that are likely to confirm its dominance in a growing part of the beauty sector.

    That purchase, announced late on Sunday, took advantage of Kering’s urgent need to cut debt. 

    As well as the long-term licences to develop beauty products, it gives the conglomerate led by CEO Nicolas Hieronimus control over prestige perfumer Creed.

    “In the short term, it’s a lot of capital to put into largely fragrances, though in the long term, the ability to leverage growth in an iconic fragrance brand as well as create value from the licences is clear,” analysts at Deutsche Bank said in a note. 

    LEVERAGING SCALE AND A DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

    Creed, which Kering bought in 2023 for 3.5 billion euros ($4.08 billion), is known for its $500-a-bottle Aventus fragrances.

    But it has underperformed the market, growing more slowly last year compared with the double-digit figures other premium fragrances have achieved, Jefferies analyst David Hayes noted.

    L’Oreal has the scale, distribution network and financial strength to dive into regions, such as the Middle East, where the market for luxury fragrances is growing from a relatively small base.     

    L’Oreal has secured a 50-year licence for Gucci, one of the world’s most famous luxury brands, when the deal with licence holder Coty expires in 2028.

    “The big jewel is Gucci and getting it away from Coty. It’s a big coup,” said Tanguy Pellen, managing partner at UK-based consultancy Skarbek Partners, adding that the 50-year timeframe of the licence was very rare. 

    The Kering deal package also includes smaller brands Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta, which also have 50-year licences, which will supplement L’Oreal’s blockbuster YSL, Armani, Prada and Valentino perfumes.

    Apart from its licence to produce Armani perfume, L’Oreal has been approached by representatives from the Armani group, Reuters reported early this month, after the company was named in the will of late designer Giorgio Armani as one of the preferred bidders to take a stake.

    Last year, the fragrance sector represented one of the fastest growing parts of the beauty sector.

    It accounted for 13.7% of L’Oréal’s 2024 sales, or about 6 billion euros, giving it a roughly 16% share of the fragrance market, according to Reuters calculations based on L’Oreal data. 

    Gucci brings in around 600 million euros in revenues, according to market estimates, relatively small in size for a brand of such status.

    With Yves Saint Laurent beauty rights, acquired from Kering almost 20 years ago, L’Oreal has grown revenues from 649 million euros to an estimated 2 billion euros today, according to Berenberg analysts, helping to lift sales in its luxury segment to around 16 billion euros in 2024.

    In luxury fragrance, it is already the market leader, according to industry estimates. Adding more luxury brands is likely to help L’Oreal widen the gap with its peers, Pellen said.

    “This is less about adding one more fragrance label and more about building their platform for sustained leadership in luxury beauty,” said Rich Gersten, co-founder and managing partner at U.S.-based True Beauty Ventures.

    “The move is another step in the consolidation of luxury beauty. The biggest players are securing the few remaining luxury fashion licences to lock in long-term growth,” he added.

    (Reporting by Dominique Patton; Editing by Lisa Jucca and Barbara Lewis)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Russian Drone Attack on Ukraine’s Chernihiv Region Kills Four, Police Says

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    KYIV (Reuters) -A Russian drone attack killed four people in Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region on Tuesday, local broadcaster Suspilne reported citing the regional police.

    According to preliminary information, four others were wounded in the town of Novhorod-Siverskyi, including a 10-year-old child, the report said.

    (Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Alex Richardson)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Sarkozy’s Five-Year Prison Term Starts With Fingerprints and a Mug Shot

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    PARIS—Former President Nicolas Sarkozy began a five-year prison sentence on Tuesday, marking an unprecedented downfall for a French ex-head of state who rose to power as a political outsider with blunt law-and-order rhetoric.

    A motorcade of police escorted the 70-year-old from his home in the tony 16th arrondissement to the gates of Paris-La Santé prison in the heart of the French capital. There, guards took him into custody, leading him down to a basement office where he underwent a search and had his fingerprints taken. He then received an inmate number and had his mug shot taken before guards brought him to his cell in the isolation ward.

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  • Virginia Giuffre Memoir Goes on Sale, Heaping Fresh Scrutiny on Prince Andrew

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    LONDON (Reuters) -A posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain’s Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her as a teenager, went on sale in London on Tuesday, days after the disgraced prince gave up his Duke of York title.

    Much of the contents of the book were reported before its release, triggering renewed scrutiny on Andrew – King Charles’ brother – whose conduct and connections with the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have long been criticised.

    Andrew, 65, has always denied Giuffre’s account.

    He quit all royal duties in 2019 and then was stripped of his military links and royal patronages in 2022 during legal action by Giuffre in the United States.

    That year, he settled a lawsuit brought by Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, which accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager. 

    Giuffre’s book “Nobody’s Girl” contains fresh allegations against Andrew. She wrote that she feared she might “die a sex slave” under Epstein’s control and describes three alleged sexual encounters with Andrew in London, New York and on the late financier’s private island.

    The memoir also alleges Andrew correctly guessed Giuffre’s age – 17 – when they first met.

    In Friday’s statement Andrew said he would voluntarily give up his titles while repeating that he vigorously denied accusations against him.

    The Scottish National Party has called for further action and is seeking a parliamentary debate demanding the government introduce a law to formally strip Andrew of his titles.

    The government has said it believes the prince took the right course of action giving up his titles.

    (Reporting by William James; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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