UN watchdog chief says Iran ‘not far’ from nuclear bomb
The United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi warned on Wednesday that Iran was "not far" from possessing a nuclear...
Geostrategy
Trade war to cut global oil demand: International Energy Agency
Paris, France -- Global oil demand will be lower than previously forecast this year as rising trade tensions weigh on...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Macron hosts European leaders to discuss Ukraine’s security amid ceasefire talks with Russia
The meeting is seeking to set out what security guarantees Europe can offer Ukraine once a ceasefire deal is agreed,...
- Speaking alongside Zelensky in Paris on Wednesday ahead of the talks, Macron said this was now a "decisive phase to put an end to the war of aggression"
- Macron also announced a new French two billion euro ($2.2 billion) military aid package for Ukraine, with Paris ready to rapidly ship existing hardware from its stocks
Geostrategy
Over a billion pounds of Coke plastic waste to enter waterways: study
Washington, United States -- By 2030, Coca-Cola products will account for an estimated 1.33 billion pounds (602,000 metric tons) of...
- Coca-Cola ranks as the world's top branded plastic polluter, followed by PepsiCo, Nestle, Danone, and Altria, according to a 2024 study published in Science Advances.
- Oceana's estimate is based on Coca-Cola's publicly reported packaging data from 2018 to 2023, combined with sales growth forecasts to create a "business-as-usual" scenario.
Arts & Culture
Japan’s Masaki Kashiwara wins Abel Prize for mathematics
Oslo, Norway -- The prestigious Abel Prize for mathematics was on Wednesday awarded to Japanese mathematician Masaki Kashiwara a specialist...
- The 78-year-old mathematician was honored for "his fundamental contributions to algebraic analysis and representation theory.
- D-modules provided a "new basis for studying systems of linear differential equations", according to the jury.
Geostrategy
Turkey protesters defiant despite nearly 1,500 arrests
The protests erupted on March 19 after the arrest of Istanbul opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a graft...
- Those detained include AFP journalist Yasin Akgul, who the Paris-based agency says was doing his job covering the protests.
- President Recep Erdogan, who has repeatedly denounced the protests as "street terror", stepped up his attacks on the opposition.
Geostrategy
Russia, Ukraine agree to halt Black Sea strikes in US-brokered talks in Saudi Arabia
With President Donald Trump pushing for a rapid end to the war that has killed tens of thousands of people,...
- The United States said it would also look for ways to enforce a ban on strikes on energy infrastructure in the two countries
- Zelensky told a news conference in Kyiv that the talks also discussed bringing in third parties to oversee a future truce
Geostrategy
Syria slams ‘flagrant’ Israeli violation after deadly bombardment
Syria slammed Israeli attacks as a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty after deadly bombardment Tuesday in the country's south, where...
- The violence near the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights followed Israeli air strikes in central Syria, the latest in a string of attacks on military sites
- Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on military sites since Assad's fall in December, saying it wants to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of jihadists
Geostrategy
Houthi PC small group’ leak: Probe underway after sensitive info exposure
The breach became public on Monday after The Atlantic magazine's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg published an article recounting how he was...
- On March 14, messages in the group indicated that a US strike was being prepared against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
- The militant group has been trying to interrupt trade via the Red Sea and have targeted US military vessels several times in recent months.
Geostrategy
Trump admin sent journalist classified US plan for Yemen strikes
A US journalist was inadvertently included in a group chat in which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance...
- The Atlantic magazine's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg wrote that he had hours of advance notice of Yemen strikes via the group chat on Signal
- Defence Secretary Hegseth, a former Fox News host with no experience running a huge organization like the Pentagon, took no responsibility for the security breach
Geostrategy
US, Russia negotiations on partial Ukraine ceasefire end after 12 hours in Saudi Arabia
The US-Ukraine and US-Russia talks were originally planned to take place simultaneously to enable shuttle diplomacy, with the United States...
- With Ukrainian negotiators waiting nearby, a day after they sat down with the US team, the Americans and Russians met in Riyadh with a Black Sea ceasefire top of the agenda
- US President Donald Trump is pushing for a rapid end to the three-year war and hopes the latest round of talks will pave the way for a breakthrough
Geostrategy
Israel PM accuses security chief of investigating minister without his consent
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused Israel's internal security chief, whose dismissal was blocked by the supreme court, of...
- "The claim that the prime minister authorised Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to gather evidence against Minister Ben Gvir is yet another exposed lie," Netanyahu said
- He was responding to a report that Bar's agency had spent months investigating far-right infiltration of the police and its links to Ben Gvir
UN watchdog chief says Iran ‘not far’ from nuclear bomb
The United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi warned on Wednesday that Iran was "not far" from possessing a nuclear...
Geostrategy
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Diplomatic flashpoint: US-Iran nuclear talks amid sanctions, military warnings and mutual suspicion
Iran seeks a "real and fair" agreement with Washington on its nuclear programme, a senior aide to supreme leader Ayatollah...
Geostrategy
Gaza rescuers say family of 10 killed in Israel strike
A UN rights office report also warned that expanding Israeli evacuation orders were resulting in the "forcible transfer" of people...
Geostrategy
UN shipping body approves first global carbon pricing system
From 2028, all ships will be required to use a less carbon-intensive fuel mix, or face financial penalties -- but...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
Bridges in the Gulf: wealthy states mediate crisis after crisis
Dubai, United Arab Emirates - When US and Iranian negotiators meet in Oman on Saturday they will be just the...
- Oman is a long-established venue for Iranian talks, while promoting peace is a pillar of Qatar's foreign policy and even enshrined in its constitution
- More recently Saudi Arabia has caught on, hosting Ukraine ceasefire talks including the latest round in a lavish hotel in Riyadh last month
Geostrategy
Trump warns of military option; Iran threatens to end UN nuclear inspections before Oman talks
Last month, Trump sent a letter to Khamenei, who has the final say in matters of state in Iran, calling...
- A senior adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Iran could expel UN nuclear watchdog inspectors over "threats."
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope Thursday that the US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman this weekend could lead to "peace."
Geostrategy
European Union and UAE agree to launch trade deal negotiations
Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan "and I just decided to launch negotiations on an EU-UAE free trade agreement,"...
- Sheikh Zayed said that the CEPA would create new avenues for cooperation between the UAE and EU, increase trade and investment flows.
- The EU is the UAE’s second-largest trading partner, accounting for 8.3 percent of the UAE’s total non-oil trade, which hit $67.6 billion in 2024.