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Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh said on Saturday that Palestinian officials still intend to hold legislative elections in November, stressing Hamas as such will not participate in them, as the group agreed in the disarmament plan it signed.

Al-Sheikh also insisted that the elections have to include the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem and noted that Palestinian authorities contacted the United States and Israel, asking them to facilitate the holding of the vote, but received no response yet. On the other hand, he stated that European strongly support holding the election.

The Palestinian official added that, in case elections can’t be held due to “Israeli obstacles,” Palestinians will move to form the Palestinian National Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

US Ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack has described the Middle East’s geopolitical challenges as exceptionally difficult, pointing to the region’s history, geography and religious significance.

Speaking about current regional developments, Barrack said the region had been the destination of the prophets, contrasting it with other parts of the world.

‘All the prophets were sent to this region. Not to the Caribbean, not to South America, not to North America, not to Australia, not to China.’

He argued that the persistence of conflicts and disputes demonstrated the scale of the challenge facing current policymakers.

‘If even God couldn’t solve it, if even the prophets couldn’t solve it, the idea that we can solve it in the next year and a half is probably very slim.’

Barrack also praised Trkiye’s military capabilities, describing the Turkish Armed Forces as strong, well-equipped and experienced.

‘The Turkish army is strong, brave, very well-equipped, and knows what it’s doing.’

The US ambassador highlighted Trkiye’s geographical and political position, describing it as a non-Arab Muslim country situated at the centre of a complex regional environment.

‘Turkey is a non-Arab, central, extremely harmonious, polite, and inclusive Islamic country.’

He also pointed to Trkiye’s borders with eight countries and access to four seas, as well as its connections to Central Asia, the Caspian region and the Mediterranean.

According to Barrack, Trkiye’s geographical position can make the country appear threatening to neighbouring states, despite Ankara’s stated approach to regional affairs.

Barrack also recounted a conversation between US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan concerning Trkiye’s role in the political transformation of Syria.

According to Barrack, Trump asked Erdogan: ‘If you played such a decisive role in the change in Syria, why didn’t you take over Syria?’

Erdogan reportedly responded that Trkiye had no intention of taking control of Syria and instead wanted the country to remain sovereign and independent.

‘Because we don’t want that. We want Syria to continue to exist as a sovereign and independent country in the midst of this challenging geography.’

A growing gasoline shortage is reportedly hitting Moscow and other parts of Russia, with fuel availability at filling stations falling to unprecedented levels, according to data compiled by the Russian fuel-monitoring service GdeBENZ.

The service’s data indicate that gasoline was available at only around 28% of monitored filling stations across Russia on August 19, down from roughly 40% at the beginning of August. The figure fell to a low of 27% on August 18, according to the platform.

The situation appears particularly severe in the Moscow area. In the Moscow region, the share of stations reporting available fuel fell from 62% on August 6 to 23% on August 19. Within Moscow itself, availability declined from 53% to approximately 20%, meaning that only about one in five monitored stations had gasoline available.

GdeBENZ relies on reports from motorists indicating whether individual filling stations have fuel and whether it can be purchased without lengthy queues. The data therefore provide an indication of actual fuel availability experienced by consumers, rather than official nationwide supply figures.

The platform’s charts suggest that Russia is experiencing a second wave of fuel shortages after an earlier deterioration in June. Following a temporary improvement, gasoline availability began falling sharply again in August.

The shortages are not limited to the capital. On August 19, the share of monitored stations with fuel stood at around 17% in Krasnodar Krai, 18% in Voronezh region, 21% in Penza region, 23% in Rostov region and just 15% in Arkhangelsk region.

Some regions were in a relatively better position but still recorded significant shortages, including Chelyabinsk region at 34%, Nizhny Novgorod region at 35% and Perm Krai at 33%.

The latest deterioration has raised concerns that Russia’s fuel problems may represent more than a temporary disruption. Analysts have pointed to refinery maintenance, logistical difficulties and disruptions to oil-processing capacity as contributing factors, while Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure have added pressure to the country’s refining system.

A Ukrainian drone was recently reported to have struck a major oil refinery in Tatarstan, while Russian pro-war bloggers have also drawn attention to gasoline shortages.

The GdeBENZ figures are user-generated and do not constitute official Russian government statistics, but the sharp decline recorded across multiple regions suggests that gasoline availability has become an increasingly visible problem for Russian motorists.

The distance between Kalbajar and Lachin will be shortened by 31.98 kilometres following the completion of a new highway currently under construction, according to the Azerbaijan State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads.

The 75.8-kilometre Kalbajar-Lachin highway is being built through complex mountainous terrain and will feature two to four traffic lanes, corresponding to technical grades I and II.

The project includes the construction of 17 tunnels, seven viaducts, 14 bridges and 212 culverts.

According to the agency, drilling work has already been completed in all tunnels, which have a combined length of more than 13 kilometres. Concreting work has been completed in 12 tunnels.

More than 2,085 workers and 509 pieces of construction equipment are currently involved in the project.

Overall, more than 50% of the construction work has been completed.

The new highway is expected to significantly reduce travel distances between Kalbajar and Lachin while improving connectivity across the mountainous areas of the region.

Beyond shortening the route between the two districts, the highway is also expected to contribute to the formation of a new transport corridor in the region, supporting mobility, economic activity and the development of surrounding areas.

The US Department of Justice has joined Elon Musk’s xAI in challenging a Minnesota law that prohibits online services from enabling users to create non-consensual sexually explicit images of identifiable people using artificial intelligence.

The DOJ filed a statement of interest in the case this week, arguing that Minnesota’s law is overly broad and potentially restricts constitutionally protected conduct that is not prohibited under federal law.

Minnesota’s legislation prohibits operators of websites, applications and software from allowing users to access or use their services to ‘nudify’ images or videos, or from carrying out such alterations on behalf of users. Violations can result in fines of up to $500,000.

The law defines ‘nudify’ as altering or generating an image or video to depict an intimate body part that was not visible in the original image of an identifiable person, provided the resulting image is realistic enough that a reasonable person could believe the intimate part belongs to that individual.

In its filing, the Justice Department argued that the law ‘sweeps up constitutional and productive conduct not prohibited under federal law’ because of the way Minnesota drafted and intends to enforce the legislation.

The DOJ’s intervention comes after xAI filed a lawsuit against Minnesota last month, arguing that the law violates the First Amendment. The company has also argued that it could be held liable for content generated by users despite having moderation measures designed to prevent such activity.

xAI attorney Robert Dunn argued that the legislation could punish the company even when users generate images of themselves.

Minnesota officials have rejected xAI’s arguments, maintaining that the company remains responsible for preventing prohibited content from being generated through its services. Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Janine Kimble said that xAI points to its terms of service prohibiting such content while the state has continued to see large numbers of users generating such images.

The dispute has gained additional attention because of previous controversies surrounding Grok, xAI’s chatbot integrated with X. The system has faced criticism over its ability to generate sexually explicit deepfake images, including non-consensual images of real people. Musk previously acknowledged problems with the chatbot’s safeguards and attributed some incidents to ‘lapses in safeguards.’

The case places the Justice Department and xAI on the same side of a broader legal dispute over how far states can go in regulating AI-generated sexual imagery, particularly when laws impose liability on AI companies for content created by their users.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday that his country will provide Ukraine with more interceptors amid its war with Russia.

Macron said he told his Ukrainian counterpart about the new support in their phone call earlier today, during which the French president expressed “horror” at Russia’s attacks on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih.

“With these strikes and those this week against Kyiv, Russia is continuing and intensifying the crime of its aggression,” Macron stressed. “In this context, it is crucial to provide Ukraine with all the necessary means to defend its skies and thwart this aggression,” he added.

The United States has imposed 50% tariffs on around $20 billion worth of Canadian products, with Canada immediately vowing to retaliate after last-minute negotiations failed to resolve the latest dispute between the two countries.

The new tariffs, which took effect early Saturday, cover roughly 5% of Canada’s annual exports to the United States and affect a range of products, including hockey sticks, tongue depressors and other Canadian-made goods.

The move further escalates an already tense trade relationship between the two North American neighbours and raises fresh questions about the future of the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA).

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa would respond with equivalent measures.

‘Canada will match those tariffs dollar for dollar to protect our workers and businesses,’ Carney said in a statement.

Canada had been seeking concessions from Washington on tariffs affecting key sectors, including steel, aluminium, automobiles and lumber. However, the negotiations broke down shortly before the new measures took effect.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer blamed Canada for the collapse of the talks, saying Ottawa had rejected the terms of a proposed agreement.

‘Tonight, Canada declined to finalise the trade deal under the terms agreed earlier this week,’ Greer said. He added that the United States had offered Canada ‘the best treatment of any major exporter to our market,’ but accused Ottawa of introducing new demands and reversing previous commitments.

Carney rejected Washington’s account of the negotiations, saying the breakdown resulted from changes made by the US administration at the last minute.

‘Last-minute changes in the US proposed terms were unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal,’ Carney said.

He subsequently suspended negotiations and instructed Canada’s negotiating team to return to Ottawa.

Carney also said the Canadian government would announce additional measures to support workers and businesses affected by the tariffs in the coming days.

Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan have stepped up efforts to expand economic cooperation, attract investment and develop joint projects as nearly 400 companies from both countries gathered in Tashkent for the fourth Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan Interregional Forum.

The forum was organised with the support of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy and Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade, and jointly hosted by Azerbaijan’s Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO) and Uzbekistan’s Agency for Attracting Foreign Investments.

Government officials and businesses representing heavy industry, machinery, metallurgy and metal processing, construction, textiles, agriculture, food, tourism, education, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, engineering, mining, chemicals, furniture, electrical engineering, automotive manufacturing, leather goods and plastics participated in the event.

Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov said the rapid development of bilateral relations, driven by the political will of the two countries’ presidents, was creating fresh momentum for diversifying economic ties and strengthening business partnerships.

Jabbarov highlighted the positive trajectory of economic relations between the two strategic partners and pointed to opportunities to strengthen regional connectivity. He also stressed that cooperation was developing not only at the intergovernmental level but increasingly between cities and regions.

The forum focused on opportunities to expand cooperation in industry, investment, trade, energy, transport and transit, digitalisation and agriculture, while strengthening direct links between businesses.

The Middle Corridor emerged as one of the key areas of discussion. Officials said Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan should seek to transform the route from a transit corridor into a broader economic platform capable of generating additional value.

Achieving that goal, they said, would require closer coordination of rail and maritime transport, optimisation of tariffs and expanded digital information exchange.

The two sides also highlighted investment opportunities in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh and East Zangazur regions, where government-backed infrastructure and investment incentives are being developed to attract private-sector investment.

Uzbekistan’s support for the reconstruction of Azerbaijan’s formerly occupied territories was described as an important symbol of the close ties between the two countries.

Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov said economic relations with Azerbaijan were developing consistently, with significant opportunities to increase mutual trade and investment, strengthen direct business links between regions and launch new joint projects.

AZPROMO Executive Director Yusif Abdullayev and Roksana Nesor, acting director of Uzbekistan’s Agency for Attracting Foreign Investments, presented the investment and export potential of the two countries and outlined support mechanisms available to businesses.

Officials from Baku, Tashkent, Tashkent Region, Namangan, as well as Azerbaijan’s Agdam, Fuzuli, Khojavand and Bilasuvar regions, also discussed opportunities for expanding interregional cooperation.

Business representatives from Uzavtosanoat and AzerShakar outlined opportunities for expanding commercial cooperation and promoting joint projects.

The forum concluded with the exchange of a number of documents covering cooperation in areas including energy, finance, infrastructure, construction and manufacturing.

The agreements are aimed at strengthening ties between business associations, unlocking private-sector potential and facilitating the implementation of joint projects.

The event also featured business-to-business meetings between companies from Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan’s newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Costa Rica, Seymur Fataliyev, has presented his credentials to Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez.

The Azerbaijani Embassy in Costa Rica reported that Fataliyev conveyed the sincere greetings and best wishes of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to President Fernandez.

Fernandez expressed her gratitude and asked the ambassador to convey her greetings to the Azerbaijani president.

During the meeting, Fataliyev briefed the Costa Rican president on Azerbaijan’s growing role amid recent geopolitical developments and emerging regional realities, as well as the country’s economic potential and investment opportunities.

The ambassador also informed Fernandez about the progress achieved within the framework of the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

President Fernandez congratulated Azerbaijan on the progress made in the peace process and expressed her readiness to continue joint efforts to further strengthen the existing friendly and mutually beneficial relations between Costa Rica and Azerbaijan during her presidency.

Fernandez also wished Fataliyev success in his diplomatic activities.

During the meeting, the Azerbaijani ambassador presented President Fernandez with ‘Azerbaijan. In the Magic of Nature,’ a book published by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Uzbek specialists are set to establish an intensive fruit orchard named ‘Dostlug’ in Azerbaijan’s Fuzuli region, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov announced.

Speaking at the IV Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan Interregional Forum in Tashkent, Kudratov said Uzbek specialists have begun preparations to establish the orchard in Fuzuli.

‘Uzbek specialists are starting to create an intensive fruit orchard ‘Dostlug’ in the Fuzuli region on the territory of Azerbaijan,’ Kudratov said.

According to the minister, closer direct cooperation between the regions of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan is creating new opportunities for joint projects, particularly in the agro-industrial and food sectors.

Kudratov said Syrdarya and Fuzuli, as well as Qashqadaryo and Beylagan, could develop cooperation in areas including horticulture, deep processing of agricultural products and the production of ready-made food products.

The IV Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan Interregional Forum is focused on expanding economic cooperation and facilitating joint investment and trade projects between the two countries.

Held in Tashkent, the forum aims to strengthen direct ties between Azerbaijani and Uzbek regions while expanding cooperation in investment, industry, agriculture and trade.