Preoccupations

President Putin has offered Russia's help in ending the war involving Iran, raising questions over whether Moscow actually has the influence to mediate. Analysts are weighing Russia's leverage with Tehran and Washington after years of close ties with Iran and its own preoccupation with Ukraine. The offer positions Russia as a potential broker, but observers remain sceptical about its real capacity to deliver a ceasefire.

At ExpoReal 2026, the international real estate trade fair, discussion is centring on two themes: interest-rate volatility and artificial intelligence. Industry participants are weighing how shifting borrowing costs are affecting valuations and deal-making, while conversations about AI and robotics focus on their impact on property operations, logistics and investment strategy. The pairing of financial uncertainty and rapid technological change has shaped much of the event's conversation.

BBC 6 Music's Artist in Residence feature is playing "Bunker Buster" by the Canadian post-punk band Preoccupations. The track is being highlighted as part of the station's resident artist programming, with playlist and purchase links shared alongside the mention. Listeners following the programme are picking up on the song and the band's current presence on the station.

Alta Journal has published a feature exploring the recurring preoccupations of American novelist William T. Vollmann, whose sprawling, risk-taking books have long examined violence, poverty, sex work, imperialism and his own confrontations with danger. The piece revisits his reputation as one of American literature's most uncompromising and prolific figures, tracing how his personal fixations feed his sprawling body of work.