Business

The Kremlin has denied a Wall Street Journal report that Elon Musk and Vladimir Putin have been in regular contact over the last two years.The world's richest man has repeatedly been in touch with the Russian president, according to the US outlet, citing several current and former US, European and Russian officials. They added that the discussions touch on personal topics, business and geopolitical tensions.It comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues and the US election approaches next month.However, the Kremlin and Mr Musk both denied the report. On Friday, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "No, this is not true."He said that the pair had had one contact and that was before 2022. Mr Musk himself previously said on his own social media site that they had spoken...

Ask people to predict the result in this weekend's parliamentary election in Georgia, and you will get an "absolutely no idea" or a "totally up in the air" coming straight back at you.Which is strange when you consider the fact that the matter before the voters in this small but strategically vital nation goes to the very root of what it means to be a Georgian. Here is the question - are we talking about a Georgia as a European-style democracy-to-be, on the pathway to membership in the European Union and NATO?Alternatively, are we preparing for a Russian-style autocracy that will operate as a satellite of its over-sized northerly neighbour? Image: Founder of the Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili casts his vote. Pic: Reuters ...

Israel has launched what looks to be its biggest-ever direct attack against Iran, but an announcement that its forces are only striking military targets is key.The world has been bracing for an Israeli retaliation against the Iranian regime ever since Iran's military launched a barrage of more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel more than three weeks ago in response to Israeli attacks against its proxy forces in the region. The Israeli government had vowed a "hard" response. There had been speculation that this could include the targeting of Iranian nuclear sites, energy infrastructure or even the country's leadership.Middle East latest: IDF confirms airstrikes on TehranHowever, if the attack is restricted to purely military targets, then - depending on the scale of the damage - it could...

This was a royal tour that marked a number of firsts.It was the first real test of the monarchy in an overseas realm, the King's first time at a Commonwealth leaders' meeting as head of the Commonwealth. And for the King personally, this was his first big trip since his cancer diagnosis.It was also a trip notably shorter than previous tours.With no early starts and only one late night, the King and Queen had a lighter schedule and fewer days away. They had a lot to get through in those days, and with so few days Down Under, they wanted everything to run smoothly.Palace aides had planned for protests but probably hadn't imagined it would happen at the heart of Australia's parliament. Image: King Charles and Queen Camilla with members of a ...

Publicly and privately, the United States has been pressuring Israel to formulate its retaliatory attack against Iran very carefully.The 1 October Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel (itself a retaliation in a series of escalatory actions by both sides) warranted a significant Israeli response - of that Joe Biden's administration was in no doubt. But President Biden's diplomatic challenge was to persuade Israel to be smart with its response, knowing that anything too large could instigate a rapid spiral into all-out regional war which would draw America in.The problem for Biden has been that he's seen his ability to influence the Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu over the past year - in Gaza and then Lebanon - has been limited.Middle East latest: IDF confirms airstrikes on Tehran An...

An online predator who led an American girl and her father to take their own lives has been jailed for at least 20 years after the UK's largest "catfishing" case.Warning: This article contains references to suicide and child sex abuse which readers may find distressing.Alexander McCartney, 26, previously admitted 185 charges, including the manslaughter of a girl who took her own life.Police called him a "dangerous, relentless, cruel paedophile" who "may as well have pulled the trigger himself" and said there were about 3,500 victims.Devices seized from his bedroom contained hundreds of thousands of indecent photographs and videos of underage girls. Image: Alexander McCartney. Pic: PSNI Belfast Crown Court heard victims were...

Reports of an Israeli raid on a hospital in northern Gaza are "deeply disturbing", the head of the World Health Organisation has said.The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) stormed the Kamal Adwan Hospital last night after it was fired upon by tanks, Palestinian officials and medics at the facility have said. Meanwhile, in southern Gaza strikes killed at least 38 people, many of them children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.Raid reports 'deeply disturbing'Nursing director Eid Sabbah told the Reuters news agency the hospital's oxygen stores were hit before troops raided the building and ordered staff and patients to leave. He spoke of the "terrorising of civilians, the injured and children".The IDF said it has been conducting operations in the area of the hospital "based on intelligenc...

An announcement by Israel that it is only striking military targets in Iran is key.The world has been bracing for an Israeli retaliation against the Iranian regime ever since Iran's military launched a barrage of more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel more than three weeks ago in response to Israeli attacks against its proxy forces in the region. The Israeli government had vowed a "hard" response. There had been speculation that this could include the targeting of Iranian nuclear sites, energy infrastructure or even the country's leadership.Middle East latest: IDF confirms airstrikes on TehranHowever, if the attack is restricted to purely military targets, then - depending on the scale of the damage - it could provide an opportunity for a de-escalation in a tit-for-tat missile war that...

An astronaut was taken to hospital shortly after returning to Earth from an extended mission on the International Space Station.The astronaut, who NASA did not name for privacy reasons, is suffering from an undisclosed medical issue. NASA initially said the entire crew was flown to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola hospital out of precaution, but did not specify whether all or some of the crew had been experiencing issues.The other three crew members have left the hospital and returned to Houston, the space agency said.NASA said: "The one astronaut who remains at Ascension is in stable condition under observation as a precautionary measure." Astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin splashed down in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft ...

Several loud explosions have been heard in Iran's capital Tehran and Israel has confirmed it has launched strikes on military targets.The Israeli military said it is conducting "precise strikes" on military targets in Iran in response to what it called "the continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against Israel". An Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) statement added: "Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond."Reports in the US said the White House was warned shortly before the strikes began.Israel has been planning a response to a ballistic-missile barrage carried out by Iran on 1 October - Tehran's second direct attack on Israel in six months. Iranian authorities have warned Israel against launching an attack, saying any strik...