In a surprising victory, local protesters won a battle against the US tech giant, which wanted to revamp a local building into a technology campus. The residents of Kreuzberg, a part of Berlin, have succeeded in repelling Google from developing a campus in their neighborhood. [...]

For 14 years, an “underreported” oil spill has been leaking hundreds of barrels of crude each day into the Gulf of Mexico. While there is no major outcry from the authorities, it could become the US’ worst ecological nightmare. [...]

Senior executives of major Western corporations will still attend Saudi Arabia’s business forum despite the grizzly details of the alleged murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Goldman Sachs, Pepsi, Thales and EDF senior executives are all expected to attend Saudi Arabia’s business forum, dubbed as the 'Davos of the Desert' next week. [...]

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe will double Russian natural gas supplies to Germany via the Baltic Sea and reduce transit across Ukraine. On August 10, the operator of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline construction project was forced to apply for an alternative pipeline route in Denmark, Sputnik contributor Dmitry Lekukh wrote. [...]

The board of Trump Tower Condominium has filed suit against a resident for $90,000 in unpaid fees, including late fees. What’s the problem? The man died in a fire inside the tower in April. Todd Brassner, an art collector who had lived on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in New York City since 1996, died in a fire in April that was determined to have been caused by an overloaded electrical board, [...]

Internal research commissioned by Google confirms Orwellian-scale censorship powers enjoyed by tech giants. It says free speech is a “utopian idea,” and creating “ordered spaces for safety and civility” is Google's new mission. The name of the briefing, leaked to Breitbart, says it all. ‘The Good Censor,’ prepared by a host of prominent industry researchers and "cultural leaders," stat [...]

Meeting the goal of one million "green" cars will be a tough nut to crack, as there are only 9,000 electric cars traversing Danish roads at present. As part of its forthcoming climate initiative, the Danish government intends to phase out diesel and petrol cars by 2030, Danish Radio reported. [...]

Russia and Germany have agreed a new rail link to connect Germany’s capital Berlin with St. Petersburg, which is often branded Russia’s northern capital. The news, first published in the Russian media, was confirmed by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. [...]

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) – German WKB Systems manufacturer offers Damascus to use its aerated concrete to restore buildings destroyed during the civil war, commercial director of the distributor of WKB Systems’ products in Syria told Sputnik on Friday. [...]

First batches of Russian-produced solar panels have been supplied to Europe, according to First Deputy Energy Minister Alexey Texler. “Export supplies have been started already, particularly from the Novocheboksarsk plant to Europe,” he said on the sidelines of the Russian Energy Week on Friday. [...]

The Austrian dealership for Russian Ural motorbikes has released a limited edition of the iconic vehicle, themed after a Trans-Siberian Express train. The bike is packed with old-fashioned styling and a bottle of vodka. The custom bike, dubbed Ural Transsib, is based on Ural CT model, yet it features a more powerful engine, custom fork, windscreen for the sidecar and other small changes. [...]

US steel and aluminum tariffs are in reality economic sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at his annual Q&A session. “Apparently, our partners thought they would never be affected by such a counterproductive policy related to restrictions and sanctions. However, we see now that it is happening.” [...]

The practice of using "unwritten" rules has been in existence for years in China, making the entry into the country's market more difficult for foreign firms. With the unfolding trade between Beijing and Washington these rules may be weaponized, warns a think tank. [...]

With the trade war between two world’s largest economies gaining momentum, there is a genuine risk that all Chinese goods imported by the US will be slammed with new tariffs, being a part of “administration-wide” broadside against China. [...]

The tax and trade policies of Donald Trump are, in fact, what have contributed to the surge in oil prices, a US economics professor told RT, adding that the US President’s tough words to OPEC are a political stunt. On Thursday, Trump accused OPEC’s Middle East producers of “pushing for higher and higher oil prices” and demanded “they stop it,” adding that the US is “protecting those [...]

Weeks of negotiations with the Trump administration have ended with carmaker Volkswagen (VW) agreeing to cease most of its operations in Iran, said US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, as cited by Bloomberg. “Volkswagen has told us they will comply with US sanctions on Iran,” said Grenell, adding: “We are pleased with this decision because Iran diverts its economic resources away from i [...]

New Delhi wants to encourage Russian investments and has invited the country’s companies to explore business opportunities and strengthen bilateral economic ties, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has said. [...]

Volkswagen-owned premium brand Audi has unveiled the E-Tron, a battery-powered crossover, which is just about to hit dealerships, making the market of electric vehicles rather more choiceful for eco-friendly enthusiasts. E-tron, Audi’s first electric sport-utility vehicle (SUV), debuted in San Francisco on Monday night. [...]

In an unprecedented traverse of Russia’s Northern Sea Route, a heavy 3,600-container ship is taking advantage of rising summer temperatures and melting ice in the polar regions of the Arctic Ocean to cut two weeks off its delivery time from South Korea to St. Petersburg, Russia. [...]

An Austrian court has sided with Russia’s state-backed vodka maker in the battle over the Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya brands, ordering the Dutch-based Spirits International B.V to pay compensation for using them illegally. Stolichnaya vodka has long been one of the world’s most recognizable brands associated with Russia. [...]

US Wheat Associates (USW) has announced the closing of its Moscow office on October 1 due to lack of demand for American wheat in Russia. Since 2016, Russia has been the global leader in grain exports. “With much more public information available about Russia’s wheat supply, we believe it is time to end our mission there and continue allocating more resources in markets where our export volume [...]

BERLIN (Sputnik) – The German business community has urged the German government to strengthen its cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) as a means to respond to the threat of protectionism stemming from the United States, head of the German Eastern Business Association said. [...]