Global Express | August 25, 2026 UK to Help Ukraine Build Long-Range Missiles

1. UK to Help Ukraine Build Long-Range Missiles

Source: AP News

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday that the U.K. will help Ukraine make its own long-range missiles by sharing classified technical information for British components. The announcement came after Burnham held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during Independence Day commemorations in Kyiv.

The SCALP missile is the French-produced version of the U.K.'s Storm Shadow, an air-launched, high-precision missile with a range of more than 250 kilometers (155 miles). Experts, however, say Ukraine will not have operational missiles anytime soon — at the earliest next year. Ukraine is already in talks with France to set up assembly lines for the missiles.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused the U.K. of "fanning the flame" on Kyiv's side. Burnham dismissed the claim, asking: "Who started the fire?" Britain became the first country to supply longer-range strike weapons to Ukraine in 2023.

2. Putin Signs Decree Allowing Temporary State Control of Key Sites

Source: AP News

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing the government to temporarily take control of critical infrastructure if private owners fail to protect it from Ukrainian drone attacks or rebuild it after strikes. The move is seen as the latest sign that Moscow is feeling the strain of war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that business owners often do not pay enough attention to safety and anti-drone measures. Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov stressed the decree does not imply nationalization or a change of ownership, only "involvement of the state in the management of an enterprise to solve specific security problems."

In the latest attacks, Ukraine's General Staff said Tuesday its forces struck the Afipsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region overnight, causing a fire; the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in the Rostov region was also damaged and halted operations.

3. Trump's Arctic Saber-Rattling Boosts Iceland's Pro-EU Campaign

Source: Politico

Icelanders vote on Saturday in a referendum on resuming membership talks with the EU. Pro-EU campaigners have found a convenient adversary in U.S. President Donald Trump, whose threats to annex Greenland — Iceland's closest neighbor — have added a strong geopolitical dimension to the vote.

Dagur Eggertsson, Reykjavik's former mayor and a prominent "Yes" campaign figure, said Trump's threats to Greenland are weighing on voters' minds. Echoing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, he stressed: "Small and middle powers need to stick together."

The outcome remains on a knife-edge. A mid-August Gallup poll gave the "Yes" camp a wafer-thin 51.5 percent lead, while opponents argue the EU could impinge on Icelandic sovereignty over fisheries and farming. Fisheries quotas were key to scuppering Iceland's previous bid, halted in 2015.

4. Tanker Disabled by Attack in Strait of Hormuz

Source: AP News

An oil tanker was hit by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman on Monday night, disabling its engine, though all crew were reported safe, according to a Tuesday report from the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations. There were no immediate reports of environmental impact.

The attack came as a high-level Pakistani delegation wrapped up meetings in Tehran seeking a negotiated end to the nearly six-month war. Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called the meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian "very positive and productive," with "significant progress" made.

China's Foreign Ministry also said it is closely following U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's plans to expand sanctions on Iran-linked entities, stressing that China-Iran cooperation "should not be disrupted or undermined."

5. World Shares Mostly Gain as Oil Prices Slip

Source: AP News

Shares were mostly higher Tuesday in Europe and Asia after U.S. stocks drifted to a mixed finish. Oil prices fell after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced fresh sanctions against Iran. Germany's DAX gained 0.5% to 26,240.76, France's CAC 40 added 0.3% to 8,480.52, and Britain's FTSE 100 edged up 0.1% to 10,869.93.

In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 rose 0.5% to 65,856.43, South Korea's Kospi gained 0.7% to 6,742.74, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.7% to 9,164.60.

Tech stocks led declines on Wall Street, with chip giant Nvidia falling 2.9% on Monday ahead of its Wednesday earnings report. Brent crude fell 2% to $88.74 a barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude shed 2.2% to $83.14.

6. Lego Posts Record First-Half Revenue

Source: CNBC

Lego reported record first-half revenue of 41.9 billion Danish kroner (about $6.54 billion) on Tuesday, up 21% year over year. Operating profit rose 22% to 10.9 billion Danish kroner (roughly $1.7 billion).

The growth was boosted by stalwart lines like botanical bouquets, Formula 1 race cars and collectible sets. This year the company launched its Smart Play platform and a long-awaited Pokemon partnership, while expanding in sports through F1 and FIFA tie-ups.

CEO Niels Christiansen said Lego launched 332 new sets in the first six months, another record, with strong sales at both ends of the pricing spectrum serving kids and adults alike.

7. Indonesia Chokes on Haze as Kalimantan Blazes Intensify

Source: The Guardian

In Kalimantan, the Indonesian side of Borneo, fires have ravaged tens of thousands of acres, including ancient rainforest, with thick haze now threatening Malaysia and Singapore. West Kalimantan has seen a spike in emergency room visits, with about 5,000 people arriving with respiratory symptoms each week since July, compared with 500 per week in the first half of the year.

On Tuesday, Kuala Lumpur ranked as the most polluted city on Earth, followed by Jakarta, according to IQAir. Nearly 600 schools in Malaysia's Sarawak state closed due to hot, dry conditions, and Singapore went on alert.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Monday ordered authorities to revoke the permits of corporations suspected of directing land clearing, and police arrested 72 people suspected of starting fires in Borneo and Sumatra.

8. Search Continues in Tunisia After Migrant Boat Sinking

Source: Al Jazeera

Volunteers in Tunisia have continued searching for two people still missing after a boat carrying 15 migrants sank off the country's southeastern coast. The boat, believed headed for Italy, sank late Friday about 14 nautical miles (26 km) off Zarzis. Only one person survived, and 12 bodies had been recovered by Sunday.

The tragedy sparked violent protests in Ben Guerdane on Sunday night, with demonstrators burning tyres and blocking roads as police fired tear gas. Protesters demanded better living conditions, saying a lack of opportunity is pushing young people to make dangerous sea crossings to Europe.

The International Organization for Migration says at least 821 migrants have died or gone missing on the central Mediterranean route this year — more than double the toll over the same period last year.

9. Anthropic Tells San Francisco Staff to Work From Home

Source: Business Insider

AI company Anthropic told staff in its San Francisco offices to work from home this week because of a possible strike by its offices' security workers. According to a person familiar with the matter, Anthropic received a notice from its security staffing firm, Allied Universal, that its employees might strike, and then told workers not to come in Monday and Tuesday.

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents the Allied workers, said it had not called a strike authorization vote or issued any strike threats for this week. SEIU has been negotiating for a new contract since April, pushing for higher wages, better healthcare and more training.

Anthropic declined to comment on the stay-at-home mandate. The company filed a confidential S-1 draft in June and is expected to file for its IPO as soon as August.

10. Russian Black Sea Refinery Hit by Ukrainian Drones, 2 Dead, 2 Injured

Source: Guancha

Citing Russia's Interfax news agency on Aug. 25, Krasnodar regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said the Black Sea coastal town of Afipsky was hit by Ukrainian drones in the early hours of the day, setting a local oil refinery on fire.

Kondratyev said the attack damaged at least 10 residential buildings, one of which caught fire. Drone debris fell near the Afipsky railway station area, killing two people and injuring two others.

The Afipsky refinery is owned by Russia's Safmar group and is one of the largest oil-processing facilities in southern Russia, producing gasoline, diesel, condensate distillates and sulfur, with a design capacity of 6.25 million tonnes of crude per year.