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US envoy warns Israel’s strike could have sparked direct confrontation with Turkish forces.An Israeli attack on a Syrian airbase has been widely condemned.The United States envoy warns the incident could have caused a direct confrontation with Turkish forces.So why did Israel attack the base? And what are the implications?Presenter: Anna Burns-FrancisGuests:Murat Yesiltas – Director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) think tankHaid Haid – Consulting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham HouseMichael Mulroy – Former US deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle EastPublished On 19…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Payments processor Stripe has agreed to buy start-up OpenRouter for $8bn, in the Irish-American company’s largest acquisition as it seeks to position itself at the centre of the AI economy.Stripe, led by brothers Patrick and John Collison, on Wednesday said it would buy OpenRouter, a New York-based marketplace that allows companies to switch between different AI models. The companies agreed on an $8bn cash and stock deal, according to two people familiar with the matter.The move is part of Stripe’s effort to…

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) sent more than 81,000 letters warning cryptocurrency holders they may owe capital gains tax in the past year.A Freedom of Information (FOI) request seen by the BBC showed the number of letters sent by the tax authority had almost tripled since 2024.Investors could face fines or prosecution if they fail to declare profits they made from selling, even if they exchange one cryptocurrency for another.New powers due to be given to HMRC next year will make it easier to target wealthy crypto investors, with one analyst saying investigations will be like “shooting fish in a…

DataIce mass variability was quantified using GRACE and GRACE-FO gravimetry data50 spanning 2003–2024. SMB (precipitation minus meltwater runoff, sublimation, evaporation and wind erosion) outputs from RACMO2.4p1 (ref. 51) and MARv3.14 (refs. 52,53) were used to link precipitation variability to observed ice mass changes. Precipitation variability was assessed using several independent datasets, including ERA5 (ref. 54) and MERRA-2 (ref. 55) reanalyses and RACMO2.4p1 regional climate-model precipitation, to ensure consistency across data sources. The Law Dome ice-core snow-accumulation record49 was used as extra observational input. Large-scale circulation and moisture transport were analysed primarily using ERA5 fields, including SST, Z300, evaporation and integrated…

(FILES) Bayern Munich’s German midfielder #10 Jamal Musiala receives medical attention during the UEFA Champions League second-leg, semi-final football match between FC Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Munich, southern Germany on May 6, 2026. Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala was taken off the pitch after collapsing in a pre-season friendly on August 18, 2026, three days after a similar incident in Munich. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP) Honorary Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness said Wednesday he was “speechless” after Jamal Musiala’s second on-field collapse inside four days, calling the incident a “tragedy” and pledging to support the…

Entertainment rganisers have announced the cancellation of a UAE concert by US singer Christina Aguilera and a festival featuring Shakira in Abu Dhabi, amid the ongoing Middle East war. Iran has pressed attacks on Emirati ships in recent weeks, after a ceasefire fell apart last month. The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday said it is suspending all trade and financial dealings with Iran after reporting an Iranian missile attack directed at its ships. Against this backdrop, the organisers of the Offlimits music festival, scheduled for November with Shakira as the headline act, announced on Tuesday that the festival was cancelled,…

Veteran actor Jide Kosoko has explained why his colleague, Taiwo Babatunde Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, cannot be moved from the hospital despite receiving hundreds of offers from people willing to assist with his treatment. Kosoko made this known via an Instagram post, appreciating fans, colleagues and well-wishers who have expressed concern over Ogogo’s health and offered prayers, medical assistance and spiritual intervention. According to the actor, more than 300 people, and possibly over 500, have reached out with offers of assistance, with each person believing they have something that could help Ogogo recover. He, however, said it would be…

A Sri Lankan mass grave excavation has uncovered 582 skeletons, including babies and children. The site is linked to allegations of military killings of Tamil civilians during the civil war, with investigations delayed for 30 years. Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez reports.Published On 19 Aug 202619 Aug 2026Click here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharegoogleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo

Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI, appears on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Aug. 20, 2025.CNBCOpenAI CFO Sarah Friar told employees during an all-hands meeting on Wednesday that the artificial intelligence lab “will be a public company in 2027,” but that it could make its public market debut sooner if “our business continues to inflect.””The IPO is not a finish line, it is a milestone, another fundraise,” Friar told employees, according to two sources familiar with her comments who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak publicly. “We raised $122 billion in March, and that gives us flexibility.”OpenAI…

When I arrive to meet with the tiny team at Melbourne game developer House House, they’re sitting in a circle under a eucalyptus tree. After introductions, the five of us set off into the scrub. Over the course of our hike we take a train to the beach, huddle on deck chairs in the sand dunes and climb a mountain as the sun rises. All without ever leaving our desks.Welcome to the world of Big Walk: House House’s new game after the runaway global success Untitled Goose Game, which saw millions fall in love with being a naughty goose rampaging…