Trump claims Iran in ‘state of collapse’, says Tehran wants blockade lifted
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran is in a “state of collapse” and said Tehran has approached Washington...
Geostrategy
Middle East conflict may push 30 million into poverty: UNDP
According to a new UNDP policy brief, the impact is most severe in countries directly affected by the fighting and...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Lebanese, Israeli officials discuss Hezbollah disarmament, security in border areas: PM office
Israel said a Friday meeting involving civilian and military representatives from both Lebanon and Israel was part of broader efforts...
- Earlier this month, Lebanon and Israel agreed to send civilian representatives to the committee's meetings
- It was the second time civilian representatives from both countries had taken part in a meeting as part of the committee
Geostrategy
Netanyahu says to visit New York despite Mamdani arrest threat in compliance with ICC warrant
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he still planned to visit New York despite incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani's threats...
- Mamdani has vowed to send the NYPD to enforce arrest warrants against leaders wanted by the ICC, including Netanyahu
- Despite Mamdani's statements, an arrest of Netanyahu is considered unlikely, and it is debatable if the mayor-elect has the authority
Geostrategy
Egypt says $35 billion Israel gas deal ‘commercial’, not ‘political’
Under the agreement, Israel will increase the total volume of gas supplied to Egypt to 130 billion cubic meters, according...
- Egypt has struggled with energy supplies in recent years, having sought to both meet its domestic needs and position itself as a regional energy hub.
- Egypt was the first country in the region to sign a peace deal with Israel in 1979, and the two countries have since had decades of close security collaboration.
Geostrategy
US, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt to hold talks on next phase of Gaza truce in Miami
Under the second stage, Israel is supposed to withdraw from its positions in Gaza, an interim authority is to govern...
- But progress has so far been slow in moving to the following phase of October's agreement between Israel and Hamas.
- Turkey said Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan would attend the talks.
Geostrategy
Putin says Russia will ‘certainly’ achieve its goals in Ukraine including seizing the territories
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday Moscow would "certainly" achieve its goals in the offensive in Ukraine, including seizing...
- "The goals of the special military operation will certainly be achieved," Putin told a meeting with defence ministry officials in Moscow
- His hawkish comments come as Ukraine on Monday hailed "progress" made on the question of future security guarantees for Kyiv
Geostrategy
Trump imposes full travel bans on seven more countries, Palestinians
Other countries newly subjected to the full travel ban came from some of Africa's poorest countries -- Burkina Faso, Mali,...
- The Trump administration has promised to let in athletes for football's signature competition, but has made no such promises for fans of blacklisted countries.
- Global Refuge, a Christian-based group that supports refugees, warned that the travel ban would push vulnerable people further into harm's way.
Geostrategy
Global coal demand expected to hit record in 2025: IEA
In its annual report on the coal industry, the International Energy Agency said demand was on course to rise by...
- China and India are usually the main drivers of growth in coal consumption as the two emerging economies race to meet rising demand for electricity.
- The IEA sees demand in China, the top coal consuming nation, decreasing somewhat over the next five years.
Geostrategy
Israeli army to demolish 25 residential buildings in West Bank camp: local authorities
The Israeli army is to demolish 25 residential buildings in the north West Bank's Nur Shams refugee camp later this...
- In early 2025, Israel's military launched an operation it says is aimed at rooting out Palestinian armed groups from refugee camps
- During the operation, Israel has destroyed hundreds of houses in the dense network of alleys that make up the refugee camps
Geostrategy
Ukraine hails ‘real progress’ in Zelensky’s talks with US envoys to end the war with Russia
Kyiv's negotiator Rustem Umerov wrote on social media that the marathon diplomacy in the German capital had been "constructive and...
- Ukraine hopes to convince Washington that a ceasefire must be agreed without prior territorial concessions to Russia
- Trump has pushed strongly for an end to the war but an initial 28-point plan last month was seen as favouring Moscow's position
Geostrategy
Gunmen kill 11 at Jewish festival on Australia’s Bondi Beach, one of the biggest tourist draws
Police declared the shooting a "terrorist incident" and said they had found suspected "improvised explosive devices" in a vehicle near...
- The shooting took place during an anncual "Hanukkah by the Sea" event at Bondi Beach which police said was attended by over a thousand people
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Australia's government of having fuelled anti-Jewish sentiment in the period leading up to the shooting
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Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
Trump claims Iran in ‘state of collapse’, says Tehran wants blockade lifted
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran is in a “state of collapse” and said Tehran has approached Washington...
Geostrategy
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Battle of the Tech Hubs
The GCC is competing to build world-class technology hubs, investing heavily in AI, infrastructure, and sovereign capital to drive digital...
Economy
Israeli strikes kill 12 Palestinians in Gaza amid measures to ‘annex’ more West Bank land
Palestinian officials described the Israeli parliament's decision related to West Bank land as a “serious escalation,” while armed groups and...
Geostrategy
Geneva talks loom as Trump backs regime change and redeploys second US carrier
The Pentagon confirmed that the USS Gerald R. Ford is being moved from the Caribbean toward the Middle East, a...
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Iran signals potential dilution of highly enriched uranium if sanctions are lifted
Iran and the US resumed indirect nuclear talks on Monday in Muscat under Omani mediation, marking the first round of...
- Media speculation has focused on Iran’s stockpile of around 400 kilograms of enriched uranium, with reports suggesting Washington has sought its transfer to a third country
- Eslami said Iran continues to engage with International Atomic Energy Agency under existing safeguards agreements, including discussions related to nuclear facilities
Geostrategy
Iran says US talks in Oman a ‘good beginning’ as fears of military confrontation grow
The discussions took place in Muscat, with the US delegation led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and the Iranian side...
- Oman said its foreign minister held separate meetings with Araghchi, Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and emissary Jared Kushner
- According to a statement, the “consultations focused on preparing the appropriate conditions for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations.”
Geostrategy
US and Iran set for new nuclear talks in Istanbul to revive stalled diplomacy
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has announced that he has instructed diplomats to pursue negotiations with the United States, signalling a...
- Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that Tehran was reviewing several diplomatic initiatives proposed by countries in the region and expected a framework for talks to emerge
- Media reports later suggested that talks could take place in Istanbul on Friday, involving US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi