TOP NEWS

Putin's Russia
New state chat app to take over Russian market

From September 1st, all mobile phones, tablets and computers in Russia will be sold with the state-backed chat app Max pre-installed, reports the independent Moscow Times.

The Kremlin has reportedly already ordered employees to switch to Max, and the State Duma – the lower house of parliament – ​​has announced that the press service will only use Max in the future.

Critics describe the app as an attempt to knock out other messaging services and gather all digital communication on a state-monitored service. Popular WhatsApp and Telegram have had major disruptions in Russia recently, which the authorities are believed to be behind, and an activist tells DN that the government is talking about blocking them.

– The result would be that only one app will remain – Max. There, no one will be anonymous and nothing will be secret, the government will have access to all communication.

Political situation in the UK
More asylum seekers in hotels in the UK

Figures from the UK Home Office show that more than 32,000 asylum seekers were staying in hotels in the country at the end of June, Reuters reports. This is an increase of eight percent compared to 2024, which has led to new criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's migration policy.

- Labour has lost control of our borders and they are now in the middle of a migration crisis, says Chris Philp, home affairs spokesman for the opposition Tory party.

At the same time, the figure is significantly lower than the peak of 56,000 in September 2023. The department's statistics also show that the number of people seeking asylum is at record levels. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defends the government's policy and points out, among other things, that more and more people who have been refused asylum have been allowed to leave the country.

Nord Stream sabotage
Ukrainian man arrested for Nord Stream explosion

Italian police have arrested a Ukrainian man suspected of the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, Der Spiegel reports. He is suspected of having coordinated the explosion and also of having been on the boat when the sabotage was carried out off Bornholm.

The man goes by the name Serhii K in German media due to the country's legislation on naming criminal suspects. He was arrested in Rimini during the night and will be requested to be extradited by Germany.

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines run from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. In September 2022, it was discovered that the pipelines had leaked due to several explosions.

The sabotage of Nord Stream – the case at hand

• The Swedish and Danish criminal investigation into the sabotage of Nord Stream 1 and 2 was closed in 2024 when no suspect could be identified and Swedish jurisdiction was lacking.
• German police have continued the investigation and identified two suspects, including a Ukrainian diver, and traces point to a Ukrainian group using the sailboat Andromeda to carry out the act.
• Several international media outlets have reported that Ukraine's former commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhnyi is being singled out as responsible for the operation, but both he and President Zelensky have denied any involvement.
• Russia has criticized the Western investigations and demanded transparency, while Poland has dismissed suspicions of involvement as unfounded.
• The sabotage caused record-breaking methane emissions in the Baltic Sea and has led to discussions about climate impact and possible climate fines for Sweden.