As diplomats gather in Miami, Kremlin denies three-way US-Ukraine-Russia talks in preparation
The Kremlin on Sunday denied that three-way talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States were on the cards, as...
Geostrategy
German wheelchair user flies into space, a first
Houston, United States -- A German woman engineer on Saturday became the first wheelchair user to blast into space, taking...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Oil prices seesaw as investors await Iran response to US strikes
US stocks edged higher while European markets retreated and Asian equities were mixed, with markets keeping a close eye on...
- They later dipped briefly into the red and then wobbled, standing down around one percent as European markets closed.
- Iran is the world's ninth-biggest oil-producing country, exporting just under half of the 3.3 million barrels it produces per day.
Economy
Oil prices spike after US strikes on Iran nuclear sites
Economists at MUFG warned of "high uncertainty of the outcomes and duration of this war", giving a "scenario analysis" of...
- Asian stocks were lower as traders digested the weekend's events, with Iran threatening US bases in the Mideast
- Iran is the world's ninth-biggest oil-producing country, with output of about 3.3 million barrels per day
Geostrategy
Netanyahu says returning Gaza hostages will take ‘a bit more time’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday insisted gains in the conflict against Iran would help with the country's war...
- "Our successes in Iran are contributing to the successes in Gaza, but it will still take a bit more time," added the Israeli premier
- They were constantly acting on several fronts, he added, "...but we are getting closer, step by step, to our objectives, Netanyahu said
Geostrategy
Iran threatens US bases in response to strikes on nuclear sites
Iran on Sunday threatened US bases in the Middle East after massive air strikes that Washington said had destroyed Tehran's...
- International concern focused on fears that the unprecedented US attacks would deepen conflict in the volatile region after Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran
- Netanyahu meanwhile said his country's military strikes will "finish" once the objectives of destroying Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities are achieved
Geostrategy
UN’s Syria envoy outraged by Damascus church attack
The United Nations special envoy for Syria denounced Sunday's attack on a church in Damascus that killed at least 20...
- Syria's interior ministry said a member of the Islamic State jihadist group was behind the attack, in which dozens of people were wounded
- UN envoy Geir Pedersen "condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack at St. Elias Church... which killed and injured civilians who were attending mass."
Business
Japan’s high-tech sunscreens tap into skincare craze
Tokyo, Japan -- When YouTuber Hannah Price set out to compare Japanese and Australian sunscreen, she wasn't expecting her deep...
- Companies that have perfected their secret formulas want to capitalize on booming demand, including selling to Japan's record influx of foreign tourists.
- The global skincare market was worth more than $115 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $194 billion by 2032, according to Fortune Business Insights.
Geostrategy
Massive US bunker-buster bombs make combat debut in Iran strikes
The US military says the GBU-57 -- also named Massive Ordnance Penetrator -- is designed to penetrate up to 200...
- The 6.6-meter-long GBU-57 also has a specialized fuse as "you need an explosive that's not going to immediately explode under that much shock and pressure," Dahlgren said.
- The only aircraft capable of deploying the GBU-57 is the B-2 Spirit, a stealth bomber.
Geostrategy
Risk of wider conflict flare up as US claims strikes ‘devastated’ Iran’s nuclear program
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Istanbul the United States and Israel had "crossed a very big red...
- People gathered in the center of Tehran to protest against US and Israeli attacks, waving flags and chanting slogans, state TV showed.
- The European Union called on all sides "to step back," while stressing Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.
Geostrategy
Arab states erupt in condemnation after US strikes on Iran
Iran's former arch-rival in the region, Saudi Arabia, which has been engaged in a Chinese-brokered détente with Tehran since 2023,...
- Many of the oil-rich countries host major US assets and bases and fear that a spillover from the war could threaten their security and economy.
- Qatar, host of the biggest US military base in the Middle East, said it feared "catastrophic consequences" for the region and the entire world.
Geostrategy
Saudi says ‘no radioactive effects’ detected, more US embassy staff leaves Iraq
"No radioactive effects were detected on the environment of the Kingdom and the Arab Gulf states as a result of...
- Kuwait's National Guard also posted on X that "radiation levels in Kuwait's airspace and waters are stable and the situation is normal".
- More personnel from the United States diplomatic mission departed Iraq over the weekend as part of ongoing efforts to reduce embassy staffing due to "regional tensions".
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As diplomats gather in Miami, Kremlin denies three-way US-Ukraine-Russia talks in preparation
The Kremlin on Sunday denied that three-way talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States were on the cards, as...
Geostrategy
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Publishers fight back against US book bans
Frankfurt, Germany -- Escalating attempts to remove works featuring themes such as LGBTQ lifestyles and race relations from US bookshelves...
Geostrategy
13 killed in Gaza as Hamas says Israel devising pretexts to resume attacks
Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of Hamas's political bureau, reaffirmed the group's commitment to the ceasefire and said Israel "continues to...
Geostrategy
Protesters out in force for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ rallies across US
Organizers said seven million people attended protests spanning New York to Los Angeles, with demonstrations popping up in small cities...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Israel receives bodies of two more hostages returned by Hamas
The issue of hostage bodies still in Gaza has become a sticking point in the ceasefire implementation, with Israel linking...
- Relief agencies have called for the Rafah border crossing from Egypt to be reopened to speed the flow of food, fuel and medicines.
- Gaza rescuers, meanwhile reported fresh violence in some areas despite the truce.
Geostrategy
Iran says no longer bound by ‘restrictions’ on its nuclear programme
Iran said on Saturday that it was no longer bound by restrictions on its nuclear programme as a landmark 10-year...
- The 2015 deal -- signed in Vienna by Iran, China, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- saw the lifting of international sanctions against the Islamic republic
- But the pact had already been in tatters after Washington unilaterally withdrew during President Donald Trump's first term, with Iran later pulling back from its commitments
Geostrategy
US envoy Witkoff felt ‘betrayed’ by Israeli attack on Hamas in Qatar
Washington, United States - US envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's chief negotiator on the Middle East, has said that...
- "I think both Jared and I felt, I just feel we felt a little bit betrayed," Witkoff told the CBS news program "60 Minutes" in excerpts released Friday
- At the time, the strike halted the indirect negotiating process to end the fighting in the devastated Gaza Strip, triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel