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An OSCE-organized training course on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) for students from Turkmenistan’s institutions of higher education took place in a hybrid format from 1 to 5 September 2025.

Organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and hosted by the State Institute of Finance, the five-day course introduced students to AML/CFT international standards and shared best practices of the OSCE participating States in preventing and countering this financial crime.

The students learnt about the AML/CFT policy and co-ordination and discussed preventive measures in the AML/CFT area. An international expert highlighted the key role of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and its 40 Recommendations, and focused on predicate offences and suspicious transactions as the basis for investigation.

The training course also provided an overview of key legislation related to money laundering and specifics of asset recovery. Discussions focused on the role of government agencies and non-profit organizations (NPOs) in the AML/CFT system and mechanisms of interagency and international co-operation.

The event brought together 33 students from the Turkmen State Institute of Finance, State University named after Magtymguly, State Institute of Economics and Management, Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and other higher educational institutions.

The course was organized within the Centre’s project “Strengthening Adherence to Good Governance Principles”.

Nach monatelangem Streit über die Gewaltenteilung kommt es am Freitag zu einem surrealen Moment: Generalstaatsanwalt Álvaro García Ortíz, selbst unter Ermittlungen, tritt bei einer Zeremonie mit König Felipe VI. und Spitzenrichtern auf.

The USAID cuts put strain on Africa’s underfunded civil society organizations and fuel debates about their legitimacy. While CSOs need to diversify their funding sources, European donors should invest in narratives that support an independent civil society and shift their funding to advocacy.

The USAID cuts put strain on Africa’s underfunded civil society organizations and fuel debates about their legitimacy. While CSOs need to diversify their funding sources, European donors should invest in narratives that support an independent civil society and shift their funding to advocacy.

The USAID cuts put strain on Africa’s underfunded civil society organizations and fuel debates about their legitimacy. While CSOs need to diversify their funding sources, European donors should invest in narratives that support an independent civil society and shift their funding to advocacy.

Israel hat der Vizepräsidentin der EU-Kommission, Teresa Ribera, vorgeworfen, Sprachrohr für Terrorpropaganda zu sein, nachdem diese dem Land Völkermord im Gazastreifen attestiert hatte.

SKOPJE, 5 September 2025 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an observation mission for the 19 October local elections in North Macedonia, following an invitation from the national authorities.

The mission is led by Matteo Mecacci and is composed of 13 experts based in Skopje. 24 long-term observers will be deployed throughout the country from 11 September, and ODIHR has also requested 250 short-term observers to arrive shortly before election day.

The observation mission will assess the elections for their compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation. 

Observers will closely monitor all key aspects of the election, including voter and candidate registration, campaign activities both in-person and online, the work of the election administration and other state bodies, the use of new technologies in the election process, the legislative framework, political and campaign finance, and the resolution of election disputes. They will also assess the implementation of prior ODIHR recommendations. Comprehensive media monitoring forms an integral part of the observation mission.

Throughout the observation, the mission will hold meetings with representatives of the national authorities and political parties, as well as with the judiciary, civil society, and the media.

On election day, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament plan to join the ODIHR mission to observe the opening of polling stations, voting, the counting of votes and the tabulation of results.

An interim report will be published some two weeks before election day to update the public and media during the course of the observation. A final report assessing the entire election process and containing recommendations will be published two months after the end of the election process. 

For further information on ODIHR’s election observation activities in North Macedonia, please visit: https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/north-macedonia

The ODIHR election observation mission and the OSCE Mission to Skopje operate separately and independently under their respective mandates.

Media contacts: 

Kira Gutnikova, Media Analyst for the Election Observation Mission

Kira.Gutnikova@odihr.mk or +389 71 393 062

Katya Andrusz, ODIHR Spokesperson

Katya.Andrusz@odihr.pl or +48 609 522 266

In der heutigen Ausgabe: Koalition der 26 Willigen; Trump drängt auf engere Sanktionskoordination mit der EU; SPD-Politiker Lange kritisiert US-Energieimporte; Le Pens Manuskript sorgt für Debatte; Zypern, Griechenland und Israel im Fokus eines Energieprojekts; NATO und Dual-Use Gesundheitstechnologie.

Deutsche Wirtschaft in diesem Jahr nur mit Mini-Wachstum – Spürbare Beschleunigung in Jahren 2026 und 2027 – Finanzpakete als Konjunkturmotor für Deutschland – US-Zollpolitik wirft Schatten auf Weltwirtschaft Nach dem Zickzackkurs im ersten Halbjahr findet die deutsche Wirtschaft fortan in die ...

VIENNA/HELSINKI, 5 September 2025 — The Chairperson-in-Office’s Special Envoy, Terhi Hakala, will visit Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan from 8 to 16 September to meet with high-level government officials and civil society. The aim of the visit is to further strengthen the OSCE’s partnerships in the region.

Throughout the visit, Special Envoy Hakala will also engage with OSCE field operations staff, civil society representatives, and OSCE beneficiaries, as well as the OSCE’s two flagship projects in the region, the OSCE Academy in Bishkek and the Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe.

The latest information from the OSCE CiO of Finland can be found at https://www.osce.org/chairpersonship and on X: @Finland_OSCE

More information:

Annika PelkonenSenior Specialist, Task Force for the Finnish OSCE Chairpersonshipannika.pelkonen@gov.fi, +358 295 350 263

A selection of best photos from across the continent and beyond from 29 August till 4 September 2025.

Les Bouches de Kotor sont inscrites à la liste du Patrimoine mondial depuis 46 ans, mais l'Unesco exige un moratoire immédiat sur les constructions et un plan de sauvegarde, au risque de retirer sa protection. Le Monténégro va devoir choisir.

- Articles / Culture et éducation, Littoral Monténégro, Monténégro, Monitor (Monténégro), Environnement

Peut-on défiler sous la protection de la police ? Le débat a agité les militant.e.s LGBT+ de Belgrade durant cette semaine des Fiertés en Serbie, avant la Pride prévue samedi. La marche s'inscrira dans un esprit de contestation du régime et de refus d'une pseudo-« normalisation ».

- Le fil de l'Info / Courrier des Balkans, LGBT, Serbie, Populations, minorités et migrations, Société

The logic behind Trump’s assault on the administrative state.

Aspiring nuclear powers will look to North Korea, not Iran.

A héten zajlott a szolnoki helikopteresek szokásos kitelepült SAR gyakorlata, az Air Wolf Hunting Pipishegyen. Ott ugyan nem, de azért máshonnan nem lehetett nem megnézni őket ezen a gyönyörű estén a nyárvégi Mátrában :-)

15 szerint érkezik az egyik 145-ös, háttérben bölcsen figyel a Kékes.

A minap alpinoztak róla, most egy H225M repül el a (román olajfúrótoronyból avanzsált) sástói kilátó előterében.

Keleti terepről tér vissza az egyik 225-ös. Háttérben mátraaljai falvak.

Állóhelyen.

A Sár-hegy és Gyöngyös a nyugati terepek egyikéről visszatérő gép nyomvonalának hátterében.

Zord

Der Krieg in der Ukraine hat deutlich gemacht, wie wichtig weltraumbasierte Kom­munikations- und Aufklärungsdienste für die eigene Verteidigung sind. Europa baut seine Verteidigungs­fähigkeiten aus und inves­tiert vermehrt in Weltraumfähigkeiten, hinkt jedoch, was Letztere angeht, im welt­weiten Vergleich hinterher. Die Republik Polen ist ein relativer Neuling im Weltraum. Das Land ist bestrebt, eigene Weltraumfähigkeiten aufzubauen, und legt den Fokus dabei auf Erdbeobachtung und die Erfas­sung der Weltraumlage. Dies kann helfen, regionale Fähigkeitslücken zu schließen. Zudem könnten Möglichkeiten zur bilateralen wirtschaftlichen Zusammenarbeit mit Deutschland entstehen.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The official mascot for the 2026 World Cup has not yet been announced. This is just an AI-driven recreation of a publicly released draft concept.

The biggest World Cup in history is about to make a big statement on American soil.

The group draw for the record-setting 2026 FIFA World Cup — featuring an unprecedented 48 national teams — is locked in for December 5, 2025, at noon local time. President Donald Trump announced the news himself, confirming that the event will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

This isn’t just another soccer tournament. It’s the first World Cup to expand to 48 teams across 12 groups, leading into a knockout stage that starts with the Round of 32. Trump underscored the massive global scale of the competition, estimating a live audience of around 1 billion people and calling the 104-match tournament the equivalent of “104 Super Bowls.”

The action kicks off on June 11, 2026, and runs through July 19, with matches spread across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. All three host nations are already assigned to groups ahead of the official draw.

The decision to hold the draw in Washington reflects more than logistics — it’s about leadership on the world stage. The tournament will bring together millions of fans and fuel cultural exchange in ways that transcend politics and economics. Sports have always been a unifying force, and in 2026, America will be at the center of it all.

But that’s not all. On July 4, 2026 — America’s 250th birthday — the White House South Lawn will host the first-ever UFC event at a presidential residence. UFC President Dana White confirmed that the card is expected to draw 20,000 to 25,000 fans and will be broadcast live on CBS as part of a groundbreaking media deal.

Two of the world’s biggest spectacles — the FIFA World Cup and UFC — will collide in one summer, creating an unmatched celebration of athletic power, competition, and entertainment. Together, these events signal a new era for sports and cultural diplomacy in North America. They’re not just games — they’re history in the making.