Iran vows fast trials over protests after Trump threatened “very strong action”
Iran on Wednesday vowed fast-track trials for people arrested over a massive wave of protests, after US President Donald Trump...
Geostrategy
Morocco’s AFCON star Achraf Hakimi: the pride of his mother’s home town
Ksar El Kebir, Morocco – Achraf Hakimi is an idol across Africa Cup of Nations host country Morocco, but there is...
Arts & Culture
Business
Emirates mining company challenges Guinea license withdrawal
Dakar, Senegal -- Mining company Axis International said Monday it was seeking World Bank arbitration against Guinea for withdrawing its...
- Guinea, which has been run by a junta since a coup in 2021, has cancelled dozens of licences for international and domestic companies mining bauxite, gold, iron ore or diamonds.
- had operated Guinea's second-biggest bauxite mine with estimated reserves of more than 800 million tons since 2010.
Arts & Culture
France’s screen siren Brigitte Bardot dies at 91
Saint-Tropez, France - French film sensation Brigitte Bardot, a symbol of sexual liberation in the 1950s and 1960s who reinvented herself...
- Tributes were paid to the star who was known as "BB" in her home country, with Macron calling her a "legend" of the 20th century
- Bardot became a global star after appearing in "And God created Woman" in 1956, and went on to appear in about 50 more movies
Geostrategy
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland ‘threat’ to regional stability: Somali president
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has for decades pushed for international recognition. A self-proclaimed republic, it enjoys...
- But it has been diplomatically isolated since its unilateral declaration of independence.
- Egypt, Turkey, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation all condemned the decision.
Geostrategy
A saint, a monk, a rock: Bulgaria’s euro coin designs
Sofia, Bulgaria -- Ancient rock art, a patron saint and a monk will be emblazoned on euro coins from Thursday,...
- Bulgaria will become the 21st country to adopt the euro on Thursday.
- The single currency first rolled out in 12 countries on January 1, 2002, and has since regularly extended its influence, with Croatia the last country to join in 2023.
Geostrategy
Iraqis cover soil with clay to curb sandstorms
Samawah, Iraq -- Deep in Iraq’s southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers spread layers of moist clay over sand dunes as...
- Iraq has long suffered from sand and dust storms, but in recent years they have become more frequent and intense as the country falls prey to the effects of climate change.
- Iraqi authorities have warned that these suffocating storms will intensify further, adding urgency to efforts to address the root of the problem.
Geostrategy
Saudi-led coalition warns of intervention against Yemen separatists
The statements came a day after reported Saudi airstrikes on separatist positions in Yemen's Hadramawt province — and after Washington...
- Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman posted on X that troops from the separatist STC should “peacefully hand over” two regional governorates to the government.
- In recent weeks, the UAE-backed STC, which seeks to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen, swept through swaths of the country.
Economy
Turkish authorities make further arrests in football betting scandal
The betting scandal in Turkish football deepened on Friday as 29 people, including 14 footballers, were arrested, the Istanbul public...
- Their arrests follow the incarceration of six referees and the president of top tier club Eyupspor at the beginning of November
- Amongst those arrested were a former president of Turkish giants Galatasaray, Erden Timur, the vice-president of Eyuspor
Geostrategy
Zelensky to meet Trump in Florida on Sunday for talks on how to end the Russian invasion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday for talks on how to...
- The meeting to discuss new peace proposals comes amidst Trump's intensified efforts to broker an agreement to end the conflict
- The latest plan is a 20-point proposal that would freeze the front line but open the door for Ukraine to pull back troops from the east
Geostrategy
China’s high-speed rail network passes 50,000km mark
Beijing, China -- China's sprawling high-speed rail network passed 50,000 kilometers (31,000 miles) in total operating distance with the opening...
- The country has the world's largest rail network -- one-fifth longer than the circumference of the earth.
- China's rail network has expanded by around 32 percent compared to 2020, state-owned China Railway added Friday in a statement.
Geostrategy
Yemen separatists say Saudi air strikes will not deter them
A Yemeni military official said around 15,000 Saudi-backed fighters were amassed near the Saudi border -- but were not given...
- There were no immediate reports of casualties in the air strikes, which came amid a dramatic escalation in the decade-long conflict.
- The strikes came as a Yemeni government official in Riyadh told AFP that Saudi may be considering military action against the separatists if talks fail.
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Iran vows fast trials over protests after Trump threatened “very strong action”
Iran on Wednesday vowed fast-track trials for people arrested over a massive wave of protests, after US President Donald Trump...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Saudi strikes Yemen after separatist leader skips talks
A Saudi-led coalition struck the home province of Yemen's UAE-backed separatist leader on Wednesday, after he failed to show up...
Geostrategy
US energy secretary says will control Venezuelan oil sales ‘indefinitely’
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday that Washington will control sales of Venezuelan oil "indefinitely," a day after President...
Geostrategy
Yemen separatists set for Riyadh talks after fighting: official
The leader of Yemen's separatists is heading to Riyadh on Tuesday for talks, a Yemeni official told AFP, after days...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Business
Oil prices gain, as equities extend record run higher
Oil prices have experienced choppy trading since the surprise US raid Saturday on Caracas that saw Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro...
- Brushing off geopolitical concerns, some major stock markets have begun the new year with new all-time highs, having smashed records in 2025.
- Seoul rose more than one percent Tuesday to top 4,500 points for the first time, helped by another strong rally in chip giant SK hynix.
Geostrategy
US operation in Venezuela undermined international law: UN
"States must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state," Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman...
- Shamdasani said the UN rights office had spent years reporting on the "continued deterioration" in Venezuela.
- But she dismissed US justifications for its actions, saying accountability for rights violations "can't be achieved by military intervention in violation of international law".
Geostrategy
Venezuela’s interim leader names commission to handle Maduro’s release
Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez on Sunday created a commission to seek the release of president Nicolas Maduro and his...
- Rodriguez tapped her brother Jorge, president of the National Assembly, and Foreign Minister Yvan Gil to co-chair the commission
- Accused of drug trafficking and terrorism, Maduro was detained in a New York jail Saturday and is due in court Monday