US assets outperform as geopolitical shock reshapes markets
The dollar still functions as the world’s primary safe haven, and in moments of acute geopolitical uncertainty, capital flows toward...
Geostrategy
Iran, US hold indirect nuclear talks in Geneva amid rising military tensions
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei described the negotiations as “very intensive” and said there were “constructive proposals” concerning both...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
New Gaza-bound flotilla sets off from Sicily, EU officials on board
A statement from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) and the Thousand Madleens to Gaza (TMTG) said they intended to "break...
- "For the most part, our boats carry medical supplies, dry food and school equipment, as this was highlighted as some of the biggest priorities by Palestinians," they said.
- They intend to join the Global Sumud Flotilla which is also bound for Gaza carrying aid supplies.
Geostrategy
Sweeping UN sanctions return to hit Iran after nuclear talks fail
The sanctions, three months after Israel and the United States bombed Iran, bar dealings related to Tehran's nuclear and ballistic...
- European and US diplomats stressed immediately after the resumption of sanctions that diplomacy was not over.
- Iran has allowed UN inspectors to return to its nuclear sites, but President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States had offered only a short reprieve.
Geostrategy
World’s highest bridge opens to traffic in China
Beijing, China -- The world's highest bridge opened to traffic in China on Sunday, state media said, capping an engineering...
- The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge towers 625 metres (2,051 feet) above a river and vast gorge in the country's rugged southern province of Guizhou.
- Live drone footage broadcast by state media on Sunday showed vehicles traversing the immense structure, its blue support towers partially engulfed in clouds.
Geostrategy
Faced with Russian threat, NATO flexes military muscle in North Sea
NATO flexed its muscles in the North Sea this week in a display of military might, as Russia allegedly tested...
- F-18 fighter jets lined up on the world's largest aircraft carrier, flanked by 20 ships and with some 10,000 military personnel from 13 countries
- US destroyers and French and Danish frigates escorted the giant USS Gerald R. Ford on the high seas as part of NATO's Neptune Strike 25-3 exercise
Geostrategy
Sweeping UN sanctions loom for Iran after nuclear talks fail
Sweeping UN sanctions loomed for Iran late Saturday for the first time in a decade, after last ditch nuclear talks...
- President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States had offered Iran only a short reprieve in return for handing over its whole stockpile of enriched uranium
- An 11th-hour effort by Iran allies Russia and China to postpone the sanctions until April failed to win enough votes on the Security Council on Friday
Geostrategy
Concluded days after Israeli strikes on Qatar, Pakistan-Saudi defence pact oozes with unknowns
The new mutual defence pact signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia this month surprised many and came just days after...
- The agreement comes at an especially volatile time in the wake of both Iranian and Israeli strikes on Doha, and uncertainty over the future of Tehran's nuclear programme
- "Even those accustomed to dramatic developments in the Middle East and South Asia were caught off guard by the announcement," said Joshua White from the Brookings Institution
Geostrategy
Iran sanctions look set to return despite last-ditch China, Russia effort to secure a delay
China and Russia at a Security Council session on Friday put forward a draft resolution, seen by AFP, that would...
- European powers were urging Iran to reverse a series of steps it took after Israel and the United States bombed its nuclear sites in June.
- Complaining that Iran has not complied with a landmark but moribund deal, the Europeans have triggered a return of sweeping UN sanctions
Geostrategy
Netanyahu says Palestinian state would be ‘national suicide’ for Israel and reward for Hamas
Netanyahu, who said his speech was being partially broadcast on Israeli military loudspeakers in Gaza, vowed to "finish the job"...
- Netanyahu, who said his speech was being partially broadcast on Israeli military loudspeakers in Gaza, vowed to "finish the job" against Hamas
- Days after Britain, France and other Western powers recognized a state of Palestine, Netanyahu said that they had sent "a very clear message that murdering Jews pays off."
Geostrategy
Tehran, Moscow sign $25 bn deal to build nuclear plants in Iran: state media
Tehran, Iran -- Iran and Russia signed a $25 billion deal to build nuclear power plants in the Islamic republic,...
- Iran has just one operational nuclear power plant in Bushehr in the south, with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts.
- Each plant will have a capacity of 1,255 megawatts, though no details were provided on the timeline.
Geostrategy
UN identifies 158 firms linked to Israeli settlements
While several companies including Alstom and Opodo had been removed from the non-exhaustive database, major firms such as Airbnb, Booking.com,...
- UN rights chief Volker Turk has condemned as a war crime Israel's policy of settlements on Palestinian territory in the occupied West Bank.
- While most of the companies were based in Israel, others were based in Canada, China, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Britain and the United States.
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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
US assets outperform as geopolitical shock reshapes markets
The dollar still functions as the world’s primary safe haven, and in moments of acute geopolitical uncertainty, capital flows toward...
Geostrategy
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Saudi Arabia condemns ‘dangerous’ UAE moves in Yemen after striking shipment
Riyadh also backed a demand from Yemen's presidential council for Emirati forces to withdraw from the country within 24 hours,...
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Netanyahu to meet Trump in Florida for talks on Gaza peace plan, Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, with the US president pushing to move...
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Somali president to visit Turkey after Israeli recognition of Somaliland
Somalia's president is to visit close ally Turkey on Tuesday following Israel's recognition of the breakaway territory of Somaliland, Turkey's...
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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.