عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Hungary PM Announces Closure of Nuclear Plant Due to Heatwave

The dried-up Danube riverbed is pictured with the Paks power plant at the background, near Dunaszentbenedek, close to Paks town on July 31, 2026. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)
The dried-up Danube riverbed is pictured with the Paks power plant at the background, near Dunaszentbenedek, close to Paks town on July 31, 2026. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)
TT
TT

Hungary PM Announces Closure of Nuclear Plant Due to Heatwave

The dried-up Danube riverbed is pictured with the Paks power plant at the background, near Dunaszentbenedek, close to Paks town on July 31, 2026. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)
The dried-up Danube riverbed is pictured with the Paks power plant at the background, near Dunaszentbenedek, close to Paks town on July 31, 2026. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced Sunday the shutdown of the country's sole nuclear power plant after record-low water levels in the Danube river forced its first halt in 44 years.

The move marks the latest stage in an energy crisis triggered by prolonged drought and extreme heat across Europe, AFP said.

The nuclear plant in Paks, south of Budapest -- normally providing around a third of the central European country's electricity needs -- is cooled by water pumped from the Danube river, which has dropped to record low levels due to lack of rain and successive heatwaves since May.

"Due to the further drop in the Danube's water level, one of the last two generating units at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant will be shut down at 1:30 a.m.," Magyar posted on X.

"As a result, the plant's output will fall to just 240 megawatts, and tomorrow it will be completely shut down for the first time in 44 years," he added.

On Friday, the plant's operator said declining water levels could force Paks to be taken completely offline around the middle of next week.

National weather service HungaroMet forecast highs of over 40C over the coming days. A 42C peak predicted for Thursday would match the national temperature record set earlier this summer.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Putin Casts Parliamentary Election as Barometer of Support for War, Urges Russians to Vote

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to the Head of the Russian Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) Anna Popova at the Kremlin in Moscow, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to the Head of the Russian Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) Anna Popova at the Kremlin in Moscow, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
TT
TT

Putin Casts Parliamentary Election as Barometer of Support for War, Urges Russians to Vote

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to the Head of the Russian Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) Anna Popova at the Kremlin in Moscow, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to the Head of the Russian Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) Anna Popova at the Kremlin in Moscow, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

President Vladimir Putin ‌on Wednesday framed participation in an upcoming parliamentary election as a barometer of support for Russia's war in Ukraine and urged Russians to vote.

Russia holds a three-day parliamentary election starting on Friday to choose the composition of its 450-seat lower house of parliament, the State Duma, which has a track record of faithfully approving the Kremlin's initiatives.

It is the first parliamentary election since Russia launched its ‌full-scale war ‌in Ukraine in February 2022 and ‌comes ⁠at a time when ⁠opinion polls show some Russians have become more anxious about how the conflict affects them, as the economy is under strain, and as most anti-war candidates have been excluded from the ballot.

The political system is tightly controlled and the ⁠ruling United Russia party, backed by Putin, ‌is widely expected to retain ‌its dominance.

In a televised address to the nation ‌ahead of the vote, Putin referred to the ‌war in Ukraine and to Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine, saying that casting a vote would help secure Russia's victory and demonstrate national resolve in the face of external ‌pressure.

"Your choice and your will once again demonstrate that millions of people ⁠stand ⁠behind our soldiers, that we are a united people bound together by shared values, historical memory, and love for our homeland, and that no one will succeed in dividing or intimidating us, or in undermining our statehood and our socio-political system," Putin said.

He said the vote would serve as a collective response to those seeking to weaken Russia, hinder its development, and deprive it of its sovereignty and right to determine its own future.

World

UN Chief Sounds Alarm on AI Risk After Trump Plays It Down

09 September 2026, US, New York: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses attendees at the Peace Bell Ceremony marking the International Day of Peace during his final year as secretary-general. (dpa)
09 September 2026, US, New York: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses attendees at the Peace Bell Ceremony marking the International Day of Peace during his final year as secretary-general. (dpa)
TT
TT

UN Chief Sounds Alarm on AI Risk After Trump Plays It Down

09 September 2026, US, New York: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses attendees at the Peace Bell Ceremony marking the International Day of Peace during his final year as secretary-general. (dpa)
09 September 2026, US, New York: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses attendees at the Peace Bell Ceremony marking the International Day of Peace during his final year as secretary-general. (dpa)

UN Secretary-General ‌Antonio Guterres warned world leaders on Wednesday that rapidly advancing artificial intelligence poses risks that cannot be ignored, putting him at odds with President Donald Trump who has argued existing safeguards are sufficient.

Speaking ahead of next week's UN General Assembly gathering in New York, Guterres told reporters the need for stronger oversight would be a major focus of his talks with global leaders coming to the city.

"We cannot afford to ignore concerns that have been raised, especially by those on the front lines of the ‌development of AI," said ‌Guterres. "It’s the first responsibility of any government ‌to ⁠protect its citizens – ⁠including from the threats of artificial intelligence."

Public alarm about the potential danger posed by AI is growing, after Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon said last week he had resigned, in part because "people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade." Leaders of some of the industry's largest ⁠companies called for slowing the pace of the ‌technology's development.

Trump said on Monday that ‌the US already has guardrails in place to regulate and prosecute ‌AI companies, playing down concerns expressed by industry leaders.

Guterres has long ‌pushed for global governance of AI. In 2023, the UN created a 39-member advisory body on AI, with members including tech company executives, government officials and academics from countries such as the US, Russia and ‌Japan.

The UN Security Council may also meet next week on AI during the annual gathering ⁠of world ⁠leaders in New York, diplomats said. The 15-member council met for the first time on artificial intelligence in 2023.

Trump has said that China would benefit from the doubt being cast on AI development.

He is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week in Washington. Reuters previously reported that the two countries were planning a separate meeting in mid-September to discuss the risks of AI, led by lower-level government officials.

"We need a shared understanding of how to advance the safe, secure and responsible development of AI – while identifying when increasingly powerful systems may require stronger safeguards, or additional measures to manage potential risks," Guterres said on Wednesday.

World

Sweden Expels Iran Embassy Employee, Summons Ambassador

A Swedish flag hangs outside a store on a busy street as visitors walk past in the background in the old town of Stockholm, Sweden, July 14, 2023 REUTERS/Tom Little/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A Swedish flag hangs outside a store on a busy street as visitors walk past in the background in the old town of Stockholm, Sweden, July 14, 2023 REUTERS/Tom Little/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
TT
TT

Sweden Expels Iran Embassy Employee, Summons Ambassador

A Swedish flag hangs outside a store on a busy street as visitors walk past in the background in the old town of Stockholm, Sweden, July 14, 2023 REUTERS/Tom Little/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A Swedish flag hangs outside a store on a busy street as visitors walk past in the background in the old town of Stockholm, Sweden, July 14, 2023 REUTERS/Tom Little/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Sweden said Wednesday it had expelled an Iranian embassy employee and summoned the country's ambassador, accusing Tehran of making threats against Jewish and Israeli interests in Sweden.

"We know that Iran, over a long period of time, has conducted activities that threaten security in and against Sweden, targeting both individuals who oppose the Iranian regime and various Jewish and Israeli interests in our country. This has, among other things, been done by making use of criminal networks," Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said in a statement to AFP.