Author: Human

A Belgian union has threatened to strike against Brussels Airlines for compelling staff to work on flights to Israel, saying that anyone with “safety or conscientious objections” should be able to refuse. 

ACV Puls, Belgium’s largest trade union, said on Tuesday that the company was breaking previous agreements to rely on volunteers for flights to Tel Aviv. The airline resumed flights to Tel Aviv on August 3, following a five-month pause because of the US-Israeli war in Iran, and its first flights were operated with volunteers.

“Serious concerns exist among the staff regarding both physical safety and the mental and ethical impact of these flights,” ACV Puls spokesperson Jolinde Defieuw said in a statement. She added that making staffing mandatory was “particularly serious in the context of the ongoing war and the genocide in Gaza.”

The notice launched by cabin crew representatives said that a strike could follow if Brussels Airlines does not reverse its decision to resume regular staffing.

They argued that flying to Israel could not be deemed sufficiently safe, citing Belgium’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which advises against “all non-essential travel to Israel and Jerusalem.” 

ACV Puls, one of three unions active at Brussels Airlines, also said that workers should be able to decline the flights for ethical reasons. Those who have “safety or conscientious objections must be able to refuse these flights without financial, professional, or disciplinary consequences,” said the union.

Nico Cardone, a spokesperson for Brussels Airlines, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that safety was the company’s “highest priority, whether we operate with volunteers or not.”

He added that the airline was “not a political party” and made decisions about flight operations based on safety and demand. The company currently operates three flights a week to Tel Aviv.

“We do not engage in political discussions about the governments of certain destinations, and we ask our staff to uphold this same professional standard,” said Cardone.

ACV Puls said the airline was compelling crews to work because it had not found enough volunteers. Cardone disputed that, saying the airline always aimed to return to regular crew scheduling over time.

Along with threatening a strike, the union called on the Belgian government to weigh in. ACV Puls said the government should take a stance on the availability of commercial flights to Israel “despite the ongoing war, the massive civilian casualties, and the serious accusations of war crimes and human rights violations against the Palestinian population.”

Belgium has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and Israeli settlements in the West Bank since 2023. Earlier this year, Belgium barred aircraft carrying military equipment bound for Israel from crossing its airspace. The government in July approved a ban on goods imported from Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories.

The attempted attack in Leipzig had all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism, the European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday, adding that Europe needs to coordinate on what more can be done given the escalation of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.

The German government said on Tuesday that it had concluded that Russia was responsible for the attempted drone attack last month.

Speaking ahead of an informal gathering of European foreign ministers in Ireland, Kallas also said that work is ongoing on 1,600 sanctions listings related to Russia's military complex and "maybe there are more to be added."

Ministers arriving at the meeting said the bloc needs to look for more ways to put pressure on Moscow.

“I think we need to now really explore all the options on the table in terms of tightening the sanctions,” Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told reporters.

Lithuania's Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said Europeans need to consider their options and respond.

"It is obvious Russia does not see the political cost of its hybrid activities against us. So for them, this is the cheap way to make tensions in our society," he said, adding that "our goal is to show that these activities will neither intimidate us nor prevent us from supporting Ukraine and maintaining our pressure on Russia."

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the EU will work on imposing further sanctions on Russian individuals in the coming weeks.

"Pressure on Russia is being stepped up, and support for Ukraine also remains at a high level. That is the unity we are demonstrating at this time," he said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told reporters that Ukrainians are suffering daily attacks and that Kyiv is working with European countries who have interceptors in storage.

"I hope that we will have additional strong decisions to close the Ukrainian sky," he said.

Some European ministers pointed to risks stemming from Russia's activities following the Leipzig incident.

"We are lucky that nothing happened, but we see what happened in Romania, what happened in so many countries," Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel said when arriving for the talks.

"We see that there is no will from the Russian side to de-escalate. It’s my neighboring country, so the danger is coming closer," he added.

Romania has reported repeated ​breaches of its airspace by Russian drones over the past four years, as well as mines floating in the Black Sea across key trade and energy routes.

The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden ​called last week for the EU to reopen discussion on using Russia's frozen ‌assets, an idea some ministers reiterated on Wednesday.

But it remained unclear whether Europe would once again seriously consider using the frozen assets.

EU countries immobilized some €210 billion of Russian central bank assets after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Around €185 billion of this is held in Brussels-based central securities depository Euroclear.

The European Commission proposed last year to use Russian cash for a ​loan to Ukraine, but Belgium rejected the plan, ‌saying it ⁠did not provide sufficient guarantees that it would not be left alone to deal with potential lawsuits and demands of damages from Russia.

US Navy aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln arrived in port in eastern Thailand on Wednesday after 286 days at sea, including a lengthy deployment in the Middle East, amid reports of mental health concerns and deteriorating conditions on board.

The nuclear-powered Lincoln, with roughly ​5,000 personnel, was involved in the US naval blockade and combat operations in the war with Iran and – according to ​Democratic lawmakers – set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea.

Accompanied by other US naval vessels, the Lincoln arrived early Wednesday in Thailand, the United States’ only treaty partner in mainland Southeast Asia, for rest and recuperation during a visit that Thai officials said would last five days.

By afternoon, busloads of sailors and Marines wearing civilian clothes, many smiling and waving, started arriving at a hotel in the resort city of Pattaya, about 150 km  southeast of Bangkok.

"Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to rest and recharge," the commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, Rear Admiral Robert E. Loughran, said in a statement.

"What this strike group has accomplished is truly historic. I could not be prouder of the exceptional professionalism and expertise demonstrated by every member of this team during our operations."

The Lincoln was deployed last November. Typically naval deployments are for between six and nine months, but those can be extended during times of conflict.

Eastern Thailand is long accustomed to port visits by the US Navy and has a relationship going back to the Vietnam War, when Pattaya was a sleepy beach town close to a naval base and an airfield used by US bombers, with thousands of US personnel based in the area.

Thailand became a US treaty ally in 1954 before being designated a major non-NATO ally in 2003. The two countries' militaries maintain strong ties and hold joint exercises every year.

The Lincoln, its broad flight deck packed with helicopters and warplanes, including the latest F-35 fighter jets, arrived in Laem Chabang early on Wednesday, and the guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. docked in nearby Sri Racha.

Both vessels were streaked with rust and showed mottled paint along the waterlines. A third ship, the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls, arrived in the port of Map Tha Phut.

The port visit has raised hopes of an economic boost for Pattaya, which also has a long-standing reputation as a sex tourism destination.

The city’s mayor, Poramase Ngampiches, met the commander of the Lincoln on Wednesday and said US officials had placed restrictions on the crew’s activities during the stay, including on water sports and visiting certain entertainment zones after sunset, which he said could present a negative image.

Police will deploy additional patrols around Pattaya's main beachfront and nightlife district, following raids ​over the weekend and the arrest of 40 to 50 people for suspected prostitution.

Although illegal in Thailand, the sex industry operates openly in tourism ​hubs, including in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya, despite occasional crackdowns.

On the eve of the Lincoln‘s arrival, Pattaya street vendors near the city’s infamous “Walking Street” nightlife zone were excited by the prospect of a boost in sales.

Dialogue between Russia and the US should continue to find common ground on economics, which should make it easier to discuss political issues, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said, according to an Interfax report on Wednesday.

Asked about a bilateral meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday at the G20 finance leaders conference in North Carolina, Siluanov said both countries have agreed there are grounds to develop financial ties despite complications, Interfax reported.

Siluanov, who said he was meeting Bessent for the first time, said he believed people in the financial world sometimes find common ground faster than politicians.

"So we must always keep talking; we need to continue the dialogue. If we find strong points of common interest – and they do exist – we need to develop them. Then political issues will also be easier to resolve," he said, according to Interfax.

Reuters reported on Monday that a source familiar with the ministers’ meeting said Bessent made clear to Siluanov that no economic relief for Russia or agreements on other issues were possible until its war in Ukraine ends.

Bessent met bilaterally with Siluanov on the sidelines of a G20 finance leaders meeting in Asheville, North Carolina.

The Russian finance minister's first in-person G20 appearance since Russia invaded Ukraine has irritated European officials who are working on more sanctions against Russia.

Earlier, a US official told Reuters the focus of the Bessent-Siluanov meeting was President Donald Trump's peace plan for Ukraine. Russia's finance ministry said the two officials discussed financial cooperation within the G20 framework.

When Siluanov tried to discuss areas of mutual interest, the source said Bessent interrupted him and said: "Nothing is possible until the war is over."

The US imposed sanctions on Russia’s oil majors in October 2025, but after the US-Israeli war against Iran cut off energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, Bessent issued licenses allowing the sale of seaborne Russian oil stored in tankers to ease supplies, sending some funds to Moscow.

An unknown object exploded at a train station in the southern city of Augsburg on Wednesday, German police said, adding that two people sustained minor injuries.

The blast occurred in a building passageway, Bavaria state police said.

Augsburg is a regional transport hub around 55 kilometers northwest of Munich.

This is a developing story.

A judge ruled on Tuesday that Tyler Robinson, the man accused of fatally shooting prominent US conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus last year, should face trial on murder charges in a case eligible for the death penalty.

Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf made the ruling at a hearing where prosecutors laid out what they called “overwhelming” evidence that a capital trial of Robinson, 23, was warranted for the murder of one of the US political right’s most prominent figures.

An arraignment will follow the probable cause ruling. Robinson has yet to enter a plea.

Utah County attorneys accused the former apprentice electrician of firing the single shot that killed Kirk, 31, as he held one of his trademark campus debates that helped propel him to national prominence.

Robinson faces seven charges, among them aggravated murder for endangering the lives of others at the event. That count carries the death penalty in Utah.

Utah County prosecutor Ryan McBride presented video of what he said was Robinson taking up a sniper position at Utah Valley University in Orem on September 10, 2025, before he shot Kirk.

He displayed pictures that he said showed Robinson created a "great risk of death" to others, with Kirk's security detail only feet away from Kirk when he was shot.

McBride said the four rounds in Robinson's rifle demonstrated that the shooter was prepared to fire more rounds if the first missed, further endangering others.

"He lay down in a prone position, and he would have seen this mass of people of 3,000 plus people there for the event, took aim, put his crosshairs on Charlie Kirk, and fired," McBride told the court.

Defense lawyer Staci Visser said the shooting endangered no one but Kirk, arguing the crime did not meet the standard of aggravated murder.

Visser said the assailant did not engage with anyone else or reload the weapon, but simply shot the gun and ran away.

“There is one act. There is one shot. There is one bullet. There is one victim,” Visser told the court. “There was no evidence that would suggest that anyone else was threatened.”

During the hearing, the prosecutor cited test results that showed Robinson's DNA was on the alleged murder weapon. Defense lawyer Michael Burt questioned the reliability of that testing.

McBride alleged Robinson, who was in a relationship with his roommate Lance Twiggs, targeted Kirk for his political views against gay marriage and transgender rights. That argument could bolster the prosecution as it pursues the death penalty.

He cited a text message from Robinson in which he allegedly told Twiggs he shot Kirk because "some hate can't be negotiated out."

Among those in the packed courtroom were Kirk's parents, Robert and Kathryn, and his wife, Erika, who has taken leadership of the late activist's conservative youth organization.

A co-founder of conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, Kirk was credited with energizing young voters behind President Donald Trump's 2024 reelection campaign.

His killing, captured in cellphone video that spread widely on social media, is among a series of attacks on US political figures in recent years that have fueled debate over political violence in a deeply polarized country.

At a memorial following Kirk's shooting, Erika Kirk said she forgave the alleged shooter. She has not commented on the death penalty charge.

Seven years after similar meetings took place in Central Asia, Russian and Chinese leaders are back again for a familiar meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Meeting in Bishek in Kyrgyzstan, the Russians and Chinese are seeking to push for a post-American world order.

These leaders have been doing this for a while. Back in 2019, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held a summit in Bishkek. At the time, some of the officials flew to Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe for a Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). Taken together, the leaders were lifting the curtain on their push for a multi-polar world order.

Much has changed since 2019. Russia had already invaded part of Ukraine in 2014, but in 2022 it launched a major new invasion. The US left Afghanistan. A civil war broke out in Sudan. The Assad regime was overthrown in 2024. Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, creating a multi-front war. The US and Israel attacked Iran in February 2026. Russia and China are watching. The SCO is one vehicle they use to discuss with non-Western powers the new world order that Moscow and Beijing want to create.

Back in 2019 there were eight member countries attending the SCO, and numerous other countries were attending as observers and partners. Russia’s TASS said on September 1, 2026, that “Russian President Vladimir Putin said the potential of the United Nations (UN) remains untapped and called for improving its effectiveness at the SCO Plus meeting.” China’s President Xi Jinping, who is set to visit Egypt soon, said the world must reject the “law of the jungle.” Clearly this was a reference to the US war with Iran.

Putin said Russia is not fully satisfied with the UN, but that is nothing new: "We do not always like or are satisfied with everything the UN does. At the same time, I must note that, to be honest, this has always been the case, practically since its creation." Putin called for the SCO to work more closely at the UN and also have broader representation from countries of the Global South and East. Overall, the organization should adapt to the changing realities and fundamental shifts emerging in global politics and the economy."

He also spoke about “building a fair multipolar world order is irreversible,” TASS noted. "This process is objective and, frankly, irreversible, a fact that is already clear to everyone."Xi Jinping said the emergence of a multipolar world "is now an irreversible historical process,” TASS noted. Xi said the SCO "has become one of the key platforms for joint development and addressing challenges facing Eurasian countries.” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also spoke. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon said the UN and SCO can play a greater role in building a fair and inclusive world order, TASS noted.  Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov also stressed this multi-polar theme. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made an interesting reference to the world order today. He said that it should not be a "cult of force,” essentially arguing that it shouldn’t be one of “might makes right.” He added, "our common strategic task is to build a world order in which a cult of force and confrontation give way to mutual responsibility, joint development and long-term cooperation."

Photos from the event appeared to show leaders from 25 countries attending. Xinhua noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping said: “the meeting today focuses on strengthening the role of the United Nations and building a multipolar world, and it demonstrates SCO's commitment to reforming and improving global governance as required by our times.”

He added that there are many changes that are “accelerating across the globe. Hegemonism, unilateralism, and protectionism are resurging against historical trends.” In essence, this was a critique of the US. He argued that the rise of the Global South is reshaping the world order.

"What kind of multipolarity does the world need? How are countries going to take part in and promote it? The international community should build consensus and make the right choice that can stand the test of practice and history," Xi said, according to China’s Xinhua state media. "Major countries in particular should take the lead in observing international norms and honoring the rule of law, and work together to tackle global challenges," he added.

The SCO meeting matters because it brings together so many countries that apparently agree on confronting the US-led world order that began at the end of the Cold War. Many of these countries are now moving forward with new ideas on how to shape the world order. The origins of the SCO date from 1996, when China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan met to discuss closer cooperation. A charter was signed in 2002. As such, the current SCO is very much a legacy of the long-term leadership of Putin, Xi, and several other leaders who have been around for decades.

Much has changed in the last decade. As things change, the SCO continues to expand. India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus have joined. More dialogue partners and observer states have also come on board. These include Turkey, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and others

What matters at the SCO today, as back in 2019, is that these countries are openly talking about how they will supplant the US and create a new world order. What does this mean for countries such as Pakistan, which work with the US but also formed a new alliance with Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Turkey and Saudi Arabia are both close friends of the US. Turkey is a member of NATO. However, increasingly many countries want to hedge and have a foot in several camps. SCO, BRICS, and other groupings provide that opportunity. India, for instance, is a master at this balancing act. It has been since the era of the non-aligned movement during the Cold War. In those days, some countries wanted to balance between the Soviets and the Americans. Now the game afoot is to balance between the US and the rest. This is because the US continues to be the most powerful and influential country in the world.

Beijing had pursued a policy of “hide your strength, bide your time.” As China expands globally and increases the size of its navy, it is no longer hiding. It is now taking a more aggressive stance. However, it doesn’t want direct confrontation yet. Russia has been willing to directly confront the West over Ukraine. This has led to a long and difficult war. It remains to be seen how Russia will behave as the war appears to sap its strength. However, for now Putin continues to put on an image of moving forward with his Ukraine war. What that means for the Middle East, Asia, and other areas is not yet clear. China’s outreach to Egypt this week, for instance, is a key example of how Beijing is exerting its influence in the Middle East.

Court-authorized seizures have allowed the FBI to confiscate $560,000 in cryptocurrency and take control of domains and servers used by Hamas to raise money and recruit supporters, the US Department of Justice announced.

Hamas – a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization – has been raising funds for terrorist operations and recruiting supporters, announced US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

“A message to Hamas: We will stop your fundraising for terror,” said Pirro. “Your networks are not secure, your crypto is vulnerable, and we will not stop until your ability to wage war is defeated.”

As well as seizing the cryptocurrency donations, the Department disrupted Hamas’ fundraising and recruitment communication platforms and websites. Hamas originally controlled the seized infrastructure and cryptocurrency addresses on behalf of its military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades. This work was carried out by the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, which collaborated with human sources to identify and seize domains and servers the Al Qassam Brigades that controlled its main website, AlQassam.ps.

“These seizures deprive Hamas of resources it relies on to recruit and radicalize individuals online and finance barbaric attacks like the one on October 7, 2023,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.

“We will continue to tighten the vise on Hamas’s capacity for terror by infiltrating its online networks, confiscating its cryptocurrency, and shutting down its websites.”

Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division said Hamas relies on cryptocurrency and online platforms to solicit funds from donors around the world and move that money outside the formal financial system.

He promised that the FBI will continue to use its authorities to intercept illicit funds and prevent terrorist organizations from exploiting digital networks to finance their operations.

German police are investigating an incident involving an unexploded incendiary device on Tuesday at a power substation in the eastern state of Brandenburg, a spokesperson said.

Grid operator 50Hertz said, "as yet unidentified perpetrators are believed to have caused damage to several power lines in 50Hertz's transmission grid." It did not say how the damage was caused, given that the device had not detonated.

There was a brief power cut, but all power lines are now back in operation, and the general electricity supply was never affected, the operator added in an emailed statement.

Police received information about the incident at around 8 a.m., and officers were deployed to the substation in Turnow-Preilack, the spokesperson said. There was never any danger to the public, police said.

The Brandenburg state criminal police office has taken over the investigation of the incident.

This is a developing story.

A woman stabbed two people in Times Square on Monday, killing one, before being tasered by NYPD officers.

The alleged attacker, identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros, was also shot by police during the confrontation and later died at Bellevue Hospital, according to The New York Times.

The attack occurred shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Seventh Avenue in Times Square. Cisneros allegedly stabbed a 32-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man.

Both victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where the woman was pronounced dead. The man remained hospitalized in stable condition.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers confronted Cisneros near West 43rd Street, where she was holding two knives.

Officers attempted for several minutes to persuade Cisneros to drop the weapons, but she refused, according to the Times. Tisch said Cisneros told police, “I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.”

Two officers then deployed Tasers before Cisneros charged toward police, at which point officers opened fire, according to the report.

Video footage of the confrontation showed Cisneros holding a knife in each hand as officers surrounded her. Tasers were deployed before she appeared to charge toward officers and shots were fired.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the attack alongside NYPD officials on Monday, saying officers in the area “responded immediately, deploying a Taser and discharging their firearms.”

“I’m deeply saddened to report that one of the victims has passed away, as has the alleged perpetrator,” Mamdani said. “The second victim is currently in the hospital in stable condition.”

"I ask New Yorkers to join me in holding the victim in our thoughts and wishing them a full recovery," he added.

Mamdani thanked the NYPD officers who responded, saying they "stepped in and prevented a horrific attack from becoming even worse."

"This is what the men and women of this department do every single day to keep our city safe," he said.

The mayor said an internal investigation would be conducted and that body-worn camera footage would be released to the public.

Tisch said Cisneros lived in Queens and that authorities had reason to believe she had a history of mental illness, according to the Times.