Houthis strike Saudi oil tankers as Iran stops passage of three ships in Hormuz
The latest attack comes after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would strike Iran's civilian infrastructure, including bridges and...
Geostrategy
US launches ninth wave of strikes on Iran after death of another soldier
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had struck several U.S. military targets in Kuwait, including what they described as an early-warning...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Trump confidant Steve Witkoff leads Iran talks amid nuclear tensions, Europe urged to rejoin diplomatic efforts
Witkoff, a businessman friend of Trump who has become his globe-trotting negotiator, last met Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday...
- Witkoff, a businessman friend of Trump who has become his globe-trotting negotiator, last met Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday in Rome
- The State Department announced that Witkoff would himself attend the technical talks to take place Saturday in Oman where he held his first meeting with Araghchi on April 12
Geostrategy
India and Pakistan urged to have ‘maximum restraint’ after Kashmir attack
The United Nations urged India and Pakistan to show "maximum restraint" as the nuclear-armed rivals imposed tit-for-tat diplomatic measures over...
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday vowed to hunt down the gunmen responsible for killing 26 civilians at the popular tourist site of Pahalgam
- Denying any involvement, Islamabad called attempts to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack "frivolous" and vowed to respond to any Indian action
Geostrategy
Israel military issues evacuation order two north Gaza areas
"To all of the civilians of the Gaza Strip staying in the areas of Beit Hanoun and Sheikh Zayed. This...
- Israel resumed its intense aerial and ground assault across Gaza from March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas that had largely halted fighting in the territory.
- Meanwhile, initial probe released by Israeli army said Israeli tank fire killed a UN worker in Gaza last month, after initially denying operating in the area.
Geostrategy
Lebanon parliament approves changes to banking secrecy law
Beirut, Lebanon -- Lebanon's parliament on Thursday approved amendments to banking secrecy legislation, a key reform demanded by the International...
- The international community has long demanded major fiscal reforms to unlock billions of dollars in aid to restart the Lebanese economy in the wake of a five-year economic collapse
- The crash since 2019 has seen the local currency lose most of its value against the US dollar and has pushed much of the population into poverty.
Business
Abbas urges Hamas to free Gaza hostages as Israeli strikes kill 25
"Hamas has given the criminal occupation excuses to commit its crimes in the Gaza Strip, the most prominent being the...
- Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim called Abbas's remarks "insulting". "Abbas repeatedly and suspiciously lays the blame for the crimes of the occupation on our people."
- Hamas's armed wing the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades later issued footage it said was of an Israeli hostage alive in a Gaza tunnel. He identified himself as 48-year-old Omri Miran.
Geostrategy
Germany, France, UK say Israel’s Gaza aid blockade ‘must end’
Germany, France and Britain on Wednesday called on Israel to stop blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza, warning of "an acute...
- After 18 months of devastating war and an Israeli blockade on aid since March 2, the UN has warned of a dire humanitarian situation for the 2.4 million inhabitants
- The heads of 12 major aid organisations warned last Thursday that "famine is not just a risk, but likely rapidly unfolding in almost all parts" of the coastal territory
Geostrategy
Trump to visit Saudi, Qatar, UAE in May amid tensions over Iran, trade, and security
Saudi Arabia's top diplomat held talks in Washington earlier this month to lay the groundwork for a visit by Trump...
- It will be his second foreign trip since returning to office, following his planned attendance at the Vatican for Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday
- Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, promised in January to pile $600 billion into US trade and investments
Geostrategy
Iran says technical nuclear meeting with US postponed to Saturday
A technical, expert-level nuclear meeting between Iran and the United States will be held on Saturday, coinciding with the third...
- Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the decision to reschedule the meeting was made following Oman's proposal and the agreement of the Iranian and US delegations
- Western countries including the United States have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons -- an allegation Tehran has consistently denied
Economy
Trump tariffs have increased financial stability risks: IMF report
The IMF's Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR) was published as world financial leaders gather for meetings in Washington under the...
- GFSR's authors found that "global financial stability risks have increased significantly, driven by tighter global financial conditions and heightened economic uncertainty."
- The Fund also warned that geopolitical risk -- including military conflicts -- could raise risks to financial stability.
Geostrategy
US envoy to Israel urges Hamas to sign deal so aid can enter Gaza
The new US ambassador to Israel on Monday called on Palestinian militant group Hamas to accept a deal that would...
- Huckabee's message comes after Hamas on Thursday signalled its rejection of Israel's latest truce proposal, which proposed a hostage-prisoner swap and the entry of aid
- The militants' chief negotiator said the group rejected any "partial" agreements and sought a comprehensive deal including "halting the war" and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza
Houthis strike Saudi oil tankers as Iran stops passage of three ships in Hormuz
The latest attack comes after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would strike Iran's civilian infrastructure, including bridges and...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Riyadh, Washington seal major defense agreement amid Saudi push for two-state roadmap before Israel normalization
Saudi Crown Prince said that his kingdom wanted to normalize relations with Israel through US President Donald Trump's Abraham Accords,...
Geostrategy
UN Security Council votes for international force for Gaza, path to a future Palestinian state
Trump posted on social media that the vote "acknowledging and endorsing the BOARD OF PEACE, which will be chaired by...
Geostrategy
UN Security Council set to vote on Trump’s Gaza plan, deployment of international force
The draft, which has been revised several times as a result of high-stakes negotiations, "endorses" the plan, which allowed for...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Geostrategy
Saudi prince, eyeing defense pledge, to meet Trump after long US absence
Saudi Arabia is unlikely to agree to normalization with Israel at this stage, with Prince Mohammed's priority set for firmer...
- A US-Saudi investment forum spotlighting energy and artificial intelligence will take place in Washington during the prince's visit, the event's website says.
- As Riyadh embarks on ambitious tourist and entertainment projects to diversify its oil-reliant economy, it has sought to de-escalate regional tensions -- including with Iran.
Geostrategy
Rubio says US ‘optimistic’ for UN resolution on Gaza, backing an international force
US Secretary of State said the United States was speaking with different countries on ways to "balance their interests here,...
- Rubio said the United States was speaking with different countries on ways to "balance their interests here, and how that's structured beyond just the security force."
- The United States last week started circulating the draft resolution that would follow up on a ceasefire in the two-year war championed by President Donald Trump
Geostrategy
Google denies removing W.Sahara border for Morocco users
The dotted lines illustrating the border between Western Sahara and Morocco, indicating the former's disputed territory status, have never been...
- Western Sahara is a vast mineral-rich former Spanish colony that is largely controlled by Morocco but has been claimed for decades by the pro-independence Polisario Front
- The United Nations Security Council had previously urged Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania to resume talks to reach a broad agreement