Japan and US confirm rare joint intervention to support yen as officials signal more action
Japan and the United States have confirmed that they carried out a coordinated intervention in foreign exchange markets last week to support the yen. The move was aimed at stopping the currency from sliding to a fresh 40-year low, according to the supplied material. It is the first joint intervention by the two countries since 2011, making it a rare step in currency management.Japan's Ministry of Finance said the action took place on Friday and was intended to counter excessive volatility and disorderly movements in the yen. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said the coordinated foreign exchange actions were... [Continue Reading]
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Cuba suffers another nationwide power grid collapse as state utility reports total disconnection
Cuba has suffered another nationwide blackout after the state-owned electricity operator reported a total disconnection of the national power system. The outage affected Havana and the wider island, leaving large parts of the country in darkness. It is the latest in a series of grid collapses to hit the Caribbean nation.State utility UNE said the national electricity system had experienced a "total disconnection" and that protocols to restore the grid were under way. The blackout came after the west of the country had already gone dark 24 hours earlier, according to the supporting report. Residents in Havana were left without... [Continue Reading]
Trump's shifting posture on Iran after fresh threats over the Strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump has again shifted his public posture on Iran, moving from aggressive threats to softer language and back again, according to a recap of his recent statements. The latest episode centres on his warning that he could target Iranian energy infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened within 48 hours. The remarks add to a pattern of rapid reversals that has marked his rhetoric since the start of the war against Iran.The article says Trump has repeatedly claimed that Iran's military capabilities were fully defeated, only to later change deadlines or renew threats of strikes on Tehran.... [Continue Reading]
Greece wildfire response hit by helicopter collision west of Athens as one crew survives
Two firefighting helicopters collided in mid-air on Sunday while responding to a wildfire in Greece, leaving two crew members dead and two others alive after an emergency landing and a crash in a ravine. The incident happened about 65 km west of Athens, near the Attica-Boeotia border, as crews were working on a large blaze in the area. Video from the scene showed one Bell helicopter striking the propellers of the other before one aircraft caught fire and went down.The Greek Fire Service said the helicopters were leased and were taking part in efforts to tackle the wildfire. The dead... [Continue Reading]
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Iran says talks with Oman on new Strait of Hormuz route are in final stages
Iran says negotiations with Oman over a new maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz are entering their final stages, in a development that could affect one of the world's most important oil shipping corridors. Tehran says the proposed route would be separate from existing channels and would be designed to protect the sovereign rights and security interests of both sides. The announcement comes as the waterway remains central to regional tensions and global energy flows.Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said in a post on Telegram that he had briefed the cabinet on talks with Muscat and described them as... [Continue Reading]
DR Congo Ebola outbreak passes 1,500 deaths as transmission accelerates
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has passed 1,500 official deaths, according to figures cited by authorities on Thursday. Officials also said the virus is spreading faster than in previous outbreaks, adding to concern over the scale of the epidemic. The outbreak was declared in May and has now become the second-worst on record in the country.Experts believe the true number of fatalities is higher than the official toll, reflecting the difficulty of tracking cases in an active outbreak. The latest update comes as health authorities in neighbouring Uganda said their last Ebola patient was released... [Continue Reading]
Fighting breaks out in western Tigray as Ethiopia and TPLF trade blame
Clashes have broken out in western Tigray near Sheraro, in what is being described as one of the most serious threats yet to the fragile 2022 Pretoria peace deal. The fighting is taking place in a region close to Ethiopia's border with Sudan, adding to concern about the scale and possible spread of the violence. Both Ethiopia's federal authorities and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, are blaming each other for starting the assault.Tigray's regional government said in a statement from Mekelle that federal forces opened the attack at dawn on Saturday and advanced from the direction of Sheraro.... [Continue Reading]
India's Modi says he forgives students after Cockroach protests
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he forgives students who shouted abuse at him during last month's Cockroach protests, describing them as "misled children" who should be guided rather than punished. He made the remarks in a video posted on social media late on Friday, according to the supplied report. The comments come after weeks of unrest linked to a youth-led movement that began over an exam scandal and spread across several Indian cities.The protests emerged in May after a crucial exam was voided when the questions were leaked, forcing more than two million students to retake it the... [Continue Reading]
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US F-35B crashes near Miramar air base in California, pilot safe
A US Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter has crashed near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. The pilot ejected safely and was taken to a local medical facility for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Firefighters also responded after a vegetation fire broke out near the crash site.The Marine Corps said the aircraft went down on Friday near the Miramar air base. Aerial video showed a plume of black smoke rising from a dirt field where the wreckage landed, with military and firefighting vehicles nearby. White fire retardant was visible on the ground, and at least one... [Continue Reading]
Labour retains Greater Manchester mayoralty as Bev Craig wins low-turnout vote
Labour has retained the Greater Manchester mayoralty after Bev Craig won the contest following a two-round count. Craig, who leads Manchester City Council, secured 47.15% of first-round votes before second preferences were added. The result keeps the post in Labour hands after a vote triggered by Andy Burnham's return to parliament.According to the published results, Craig finished ahead of Reform UK candidate Sian Astley, who took 21% in the first round. Because no candidate reached the 50% threshold needed for an outright win, the count moved to a second round. Labour then gained more than 58,000 additional votes from second... [Continue Reading]
Venezuela government and opposition prepare US-backed talks on elections
The Venezuelan government and a segment of the opposition are due to begin United States-backed talks on Saturday aimed at creating a path toward eventual elections. The negotiations come as the country's political divide remains deep, with one of the opposition's best-known figures, Maria Corina Machado, left out of the process. The talks are expected to bring together representatives from the government and selected opposition figures in Caracas.The opposition delegation will be led by former lawmaker Dinorah Figuera, who previously oversaw an opposition bloc in the National Assembly elected in 2015. Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, has not... [Continue Reading]
Poland protests Russian ambassador over missile incursion in Lublin region
Poland has summoned the Russian ambassador after confirming that a missile landed in the village of Tarnawa Kolonia in the Lublin region on Thursday. Polish officials said the projectile was a Russian Kh-101 missile, marking a fresh cross-border security incident on NATO's eastern flank. No casualties or injuries were reported.Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Friday that the ambassador had been called in following the incursion. A spokesman for Poland's foreign ministry said the ambassador was told of Warsaw's "unequivocal condemnation" of hostile actions directed against the security of a sovereign state and its citizens. The ministry also said any... [Continue Reading]
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Assam invokes National Security Act against activist Pranab Doley after Kaziranga protest bail
Assam authorities have invoked the National Security Act against land rights activist Pranab Doley, a day after a local court granted him bail in a case linked to protests over a proposed luxury hotel project near Kaziranga National Park. The move marks a sharp escalation in a dispute that has combined environmental concerns, indigenous land rights and public-order allegations. Doley was arrested on 12 July in connection with a protest in Inglay Pathar, adjoining the park in Golaghat district.Police said the protest on 28 June involved about 50 people who went to the site in a pre-planned manner and were... [Continue Reading]
India alleges over 40 deaths in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir crackdown as disputed elections continue
India has accused Pakistan's establishment of using ruthless force against peaceful protesters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, saying the crackdown has left more than 40 civilians dead and many others injured. The allegation was made during a media briefing by the Ministry of External Affairs, where spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called on the international community to scrutinise the situation and hold Islamabad accountable. The comments came as elections in the region continued in three phases, with the vote due to conclude on 10 August.Jaiswal said the deaths were the result of a continuing crackdown on civilians in PoK, and described the election process... [Continue Reading]
Israeli detonations near Beaufort Castle damage homes in southern Lebanon
Israeli forces carried out powerful explosions near Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese reports and statements from Israeli leaders. The blasts were reported around midnight in an area close to the Crusader-era fortress, which sits in the south of the country near territory occupied by Israel. Residents in nearby towns said the shockwaves were felt widely across the area.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that the army had blown up a tunnel system in the Beaufort area. They said the tunnel network was linked to Hezbollah and was intended to... [Continue Reading]
British man accused of spying on RAF Akrotiri for Iran
A British man has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying on RAF Akrotiri on behalf of the Iranian military. Rashad Sultanov, 44, who also holds Azerbaijani citizenship, is accused of carrying out hostile surveillance of the UK military base and sharing information with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. He was detained by Cypriot police on 17 July and remains in custody while extradition proceedings continue.The case is being pursued under the UK National Security Act, with prosecutors saying it will be charged under the 2023 law. According to the investigation, the alleged spying took place between 11 May... [Continue Reading]
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Pakistan coal mine blast in Balochistan kills at least 34 as rescue operation continues
A coal mine blast in Pakistan's Balochistan province has killed at least 34 workers, according to the provincial disaster management authority. The explosion, caused by methane gas, tore through the mine near the provincial capital, Quetta, and triggered an overnight rescue operation. Teams were still searching for miners who remained trapped underground after the blast.The authority said in the early hours of Friday that 34 bodies had been recovered. It added that the joint rescue operation was still under way to locate and recover the remaining trapped miners. Officials did not say how many people were inside the mine when... [Continue Reading]
US Iran war costs rise as missile interceptor spending mounts
The United States is spending heavily on missile interceptors and other munitions as its conflict with Iran continues, with analysts saying the cost is rising quickly. A report published on Thursday said the Pentagon has been drawing down stockpiles of high-end weapons to defend against Iranian attacks in the Middle East. The war has now been described as costing the United States tens of billions of dollars, with no clear end in sight.The report said a single SM-3 interceptor can cost up to $28 million, or about $40 million, and analysts estimate the US may have used more than 100... [Continue Reading]
Todd Blanche nomination delayed again as Senate Republicans seek IRS settlement clarity
The US Senate Judiciary Committee has postponed its planned vote on Todd Blanche's nomination to become attorney general, after Republican senators raised fresh concerns about his ties to Donald Trump and a disputed settlement involving the Internal Revenue Service. A committee spokesperson said late on Wednesday that the vote would be delayed as work continued to secure enough support for Blanche. The move leaves the nomination stalled and extends a confirmation fight that has become a test of support inside Trump's own party.The latest delay came after Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina pressed... [Continue Reading]
US second-quarter GDP growth slows to 1.5% as trade deficit and fuel costs weigh on economy
The US economy grew at an annualised rate of 1.5% in the second quarter, according to a Commerce Department report released on Thursday. That was down from 2.1% in the first quarter, marking a clear slowdown in growth between April and June. The report points to a wider trade deficit and higher fuel costs as key pressures on activity.The Bureau of Economic Analysis said consumer spending rose 3.2% over the quarter, helped by tax refunds linked to President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. At the same time, the average price of petrol climbed to $4.09 a gallon, up... [Continue Reading]
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Netanyahu and JD Vance hold frank Washington meeting amid Iran policy tensions
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Vice President JD Vance held a one-on-one meeting in Washington on Tuesday, according to the supplied material, with the discussion described by officials as frank and direct. The talks took place at Blair House and focused on Iran policy, Israel's government and Vance's recent public criticism of Netanyahu. The meeting came as tensions between the two men had been building in public and in private.An Israeli official described the conversation as "frank and candid", while a US official called it "direct". Vance's office declined to comment, according to the supplied report. The row... [Continue Reading]
Israeli strikes kill at least four, including children, across Gaza as ceasefire talks continue
Israeli strikes have killed at least four people, including children, across the Gaza Strip, according to the latest report from Gaza health officials. The attacks hit Khan Younis in the south, Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza and Gaza City, even as Hamas officials met mediators in Cairo to discuss the truce. The strikes were reported despite an ongoing ceasefire that has remained formally in place.Gaza's Ministry of Health said hospitals across the territory received six bodies and 34 injured people in the previous 24 hours. That total included four new deaths, one person who died from earlier injuries and... [Continue Reading]
Massive iceberg overturns near Ilulissat on Greenland's west coast
A massive iceberg has been seen turning over off the coast of Greenland near Ilulissat, in a striking natural event captured on eyewitness video. The footage shows the moment the iceberg rolled in the water and sent waves towards the nearby coastal city. Ilulissat lies on Greenland's west coast and is known for its close connection to the Ilulissat Icefjord.The video was recorded near the UNESCO-listed Ilulissat Icefjord, a location that is closely associated with the movement of ice from Greenland's inland glaciers into the sea. The footage shows the iceberg overturning close enough to the city to create visible... [Continue Reading]
Shell profits double as oil prices rise after Iran war disrupts energy supplies
Shell has reported a sharp rise in second-quarter profits after the Iran war pushed up oil prices and disrupted global energy supplies. The company said earnings for the April-to-June period reached $9.84bn, more than double the $4.26bn recorded a year earlier. The increase came as the conflict affected flows of oil and liquefied natural gas through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy shipments.Chief executive Wael Sawan said Shell's operational performance had delivered very strong results during what he described as another quarter of severe disruption in global energy markets. The company also said its first-half earnings... [Continue Reading]
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Sanctioned Iranian oil transfer activity continues off Malaysia's Eastern Outer Port Limits
Satellite tracking has shown the Iranian crude tanker Humanity moving into waters off Malaysia's Eastern Outer Port Limits and then switching off its automatic identification system, or AIS. The vessel had travelled through the Strait of Malacca and Singapore before veering northeast toward the Malaysian coast, according to the supplied material. Maritime security analysts say the pattern is consistent with preparations for a ship-to-ship transfer of Iranian oil.The tanker is described as a 330-metre crude carrier that reached the Eastern Outer Port Limits, a 1,200-square-kilometre anchorage area in the South China Sea about 70km off the coast. The supplied material... [Continue Reading]
Bolivia court issues new arrest warrant for Evo Morales over protest-linked allegations
A court in Bolivia has issued a new arrest warrant for former president Evo Morales, according to the Santa Cruz district prosecutor's office. The warrant is linked to an investigation into allegations of armed uprising against the state, terrorism and attacks on transport safety. The case comes after Morales backed protests in June by farmers and truckers amid anger over the country's economic crisis and austerity plans.The prosecutor's office said the investigation concerns Morales's alleged role in the demonstrations and the disruption they caused. Morales responded on social media that the authorities would not intimidate him. He also accused the... [Continue Reading]
Bank of England expected to hold rates at 3.75% for fifth meeting
The Bank of England is expected to keep interest rates unchanged at 3.75% when policymakers announce their latest decision at 12:00 BST. That would mark a fifth consecutive hold and leave the benchmark rate at its lowest level since February 2023. The decision comes as the Monetary Policy Committee continues to weigh inflation that remains above target against a global outlook that remains uncertain.The committee meets eight times a year and its decisions affect borrowing costs for mortgages and loans, as well as returns for savers. The current expectation is for no change, with few analysts predicting any short-term move... [Continue Reading]
Iraq condemns Saudi-US strikes as sovereignty row deepens after at least 20 PMF deaths
Iraq's National Security Council has condemned Saudi-US strikes on Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces targets, calling the attacks a violation of sovereignty and international law. The council said the strikes hit PMF bases in seven Iraqi provinces and killed at least 20 members of the paramilitary group. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi also cancelled his first official trip to Saudi Arabia in protest.The council meeting, chaired by Mr al-Zaidi, described the strikes as a "flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty and the sanctity of its lands". It said any breach of Iraq's security would not be tolerated, and accused the attacks of hindering... [Continue Reading]
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Deadly militant attack on Pakistan checkpoint in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leaves 15 dead
At least 15 people were killed in an attack on a checkpoint in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to local media reports cited by officials. The assault took place late Wednesday in Hangu district, a border area that has seen repeated militant violence in recent days. Police said the attack also injured 22 personnel and prompted a clearance operation in the area.Local District Police Officer Tariq Habib said at least seven police officers and eight alleged militants were among the dead. The checkpoint was hit in the evening, and no group immediately claimed responsibility. According to the reports, the... [Continue Reading]
China expands maritime patrols east of Taiwan, raising blockade fears
China's coastguard and civilian fleet have increased patrols in waters east of Taiwan, prompting concern in Taipei that the activity could be a rehearsal for containment. The operations were reported through June and July and were described by Chinese authorities as "special maritime law enforcement operations". Analysts say the shift is notable because it moves beyond the Taiwan Strait and into waters on Taiwan's eastern side.According to official announcements, China's Maritime Safety Administration and coastguard carried out multiple patrols during June and July. Taipei has said the operations included requests for information from commercial vessels about their origin and destination.... [Continue Reading]
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US Senate clears Russia sanctions bill targeting oil buyers with tariffs
The US Senate has cleared legislation that would impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top five buyers of Russian oil and energy products. The move marks a further step in a long-stalled bipartisan effort to increase pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine. India is among the countries identified as directly affected by the proposal.The bill was authored by the late Senator Lindsey Graham and was advanced on the day of his Washington funeral, adding political weight to the vote. In a joint statement, Republican and Democratic senators said the agreement was intended to stop purchasers of... [Continue Reading]
Peru's Fujimori takes office promising military-led crackdown on crime
Peru's new president, Keiko Fujimori, has been inaugurated in Lima and pledged to deploy the armed forces to areas hit by crime, drug trafficking and illegal mining. In her address to Congress, she said the military would temporarily lead security operations during states of emergency until those territories could be returned to civilian control. The ceremony took place as Peru faces what she described as a severe security challenge, with gang violence, extortion and illegal mining spreading across the country.Fujimori took office on Tuesday after winning June's runoff by fewer than 50,000 votes. She is the country's ninth president in... [Continue Reading]
Keiko Fujimori sworn in as Peru president after narrow election win
Keiko Fujimori has been sworn in as Peru's president after a narrow runoff victory in an election shaped by public anger over rising crime and years of political instability. She took the oath before Congress in Lima on Tuesday, marking a major shift in the country's leadership. Her inauguration comes after she defeated left-wing rival Roberto Sanchez by fewer than 50,000 votes in June's second round.During the ceremony, Fujimori pledged to carry out the duties of president of the republic. Her campaign centred on law and order, with a promise to confront what she described as a severe security crisis.... [Continue Reading]
Trump voices frustration with Netanyahu before White House talks over Iran strategy
US President Donald Trump publicly expressed frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the two men held talks at the White House in Washington. The immediate dispute centred on how to handle Iran, including reported concerns over the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. Trump also met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington on the same day, as world leaders gathered for a memorial service.Trump said in a television interview that Netanyahu appeared to be trying to keep the United States involved in the war with Iran by raising the issue of the site. He said he had heard that Netanyahu... [Continue Reading]
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Netanyahu meets Trump at the White House amid tensions over Gaza, Iran and Israeli military presence
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, in a high-level discussion that came against a backdrop of growing friction between the two leaders. The White House described the meeting as productive and positive. The talks took place as Washington and Jerusalem face differences over the direction of the conflict in Gaza and the wider regional fallout from the confrontation with Iran.According to the White House, the two leaders discussed the war in the Gaza Strip, the situation in the region after the conflict with Iran, and Israel's military presence in Gaza,... [Continue Reading]
Netanyahu heads to White House as Iran war meeting carries political risk
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, in what would be their seventh meeting during Trump's second term. The talks come amid the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran and are the first in-person encounter between the two leaders since the conflict began. The visit also carries added political weight because Netanyahu is travelling to Washington for the funeral of US Senator Lindsey Graham later the same day.The meeting is taking place against a backdrop of growing unease in the United States over the war. The supplied material says... [Continue Reading]
Victorian premier Jacinta Allan resigns ahead of leadership challenge by Ben Carroll
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has resigned from the top job after a turbulent 48 hours inside Labor, clearing the way for her deputy, Ben Carroll, to seek the leadership. The move comes four months before Victoria's state election and follows mounting pressure from MPs who had concluded she no longer had the support of the caucus. Allan said Carroll would have her "unqualified support", a statement that appears to leave him well placed to become leader without a contested ballot.The resignation follows a period of worsening internal tension over the government's polling and Allan's personal approval ratings. According to the... [Continue Reading]
Chad begins process to withdraw from International Criminal Court amid bias claims
Chad's military government says it has begun the process of withdrawing from the International Criminal Court, becoming the latest African state to move away from the tribunal. The announcement was made on Monday and places Chad among a growing group of countries that have recently said they will leave the court. The ICC, based in The Hague, prosecutes war crimes and other serious violations of humanitarian law.The government said the court's effectiveness was limited and uneven, and accused it of focusing too heavily on African countries. In its statement, Chad said that of the 13 investigations opened by the court... [Continue Reading]
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Shots fired near US consulate in Toronto for second time in four months
Shots were fired near the US consulate in Toronto early on Monday, in the second such incident near the diplomatic compound in four months. Toronto police said officers heard a firearm being discharged in the area and later saw a white sedan fleeing the scene. The area was cordoned off and shell casings were found, but no one was injured.Police said no suspects have been identified. The consulate thanked police for their response to the shooting. The incident comes after a previous shooting at the same consulate on 10 March, which police described as a national security incident.That earlier case... [Continue Reading]
Pakistan monsoon floods kill at least 107 as more rain is forecast
Heavy monsoon rains and flooding in Pakistan have killed at least 107 people since the start of the season in June, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. The agency said 344 others have been injured and hundreds of homes damaged, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab among the worst affected provinces. Authorities have also warned that more downpours are expected later this week.The NDMA said the death toll from rain-related incidents since late June reached 107, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recording 55 deaths and Punjab 36. More than half of the fatalities were caused by house or roof collapses, highlighting the... [Continue Reading]
THE BATTLE FOR ALI AL-TAHER: HOW A SOUTHERN LEBANON AMBUSH SHATTERED TRUMP’S WASHINGTON AGREEMENT
A catastrophic military escalation in Southern Lebanon has successfully disrupted the highest levels of global diplomacy. Just days after the signing of the United States and Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), an armoured battlefield clash on the strategic heights of Ali al-Taher has effectively frozen implementation talks scheduled to begin today in Switzerland. The crisis provides an alarming look at how kinetic actions on the ground can instantly sabotage geopolitical blueprints designed in Washington. The Official Statement from Hezbollah Following the midnight clashes, the media wing of Hezbollah issued a formal, comprehensive statement outlining their strategic justification and rejecting accusations... [Continue Reading]
Fear the Shia, Arm the Sunnis: The Uncomfortable Numbers Behind America’s War Narrative
“When fear is managed carefully enough, a nation can be taught to look away from the blood on the floor and stare instead at the shadow on the wall.” A friend of mine, whose name I will not reveal because he asked me not to, sat across from me over dinner and placed a question on the table that would not leave me alone. He was born into a Muslim Shia background, and for the angle of this article, that detail matters, not because I wish to reduce a man to a sect, but because sect has become one of... [Continue Reading]
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GAS, GOD, AND GUNS: The Secret Agenda Behind the Washington Talks and the Death of the Maritime Border
The mahogany tables of the U.S. State Department are hosting a ghost today. As official delegations from Israel and Lebanon convene for a third round of high-stakes negotiations this Friday, May 8, 2026, the air in Washington is thick with the scent of a "peace" that looks increasingly like a strategic ambush. While the world watches the diplomatic theatre, the reality on the ground in Southern Lebanon tells a story of a predatory recalibration. Prime Minister Netanyahu isn’t just looking for a ceasefire; he is aiming to hit three birds with one single, devastating stone: the annexation of land, the... [Continue Reading]
The Proving Ground, When “Decent” Reporting Meets High-Tech Warfare
For two decades I have watched wars unfold not only on battlefields, but on screens. Today’s incident over Kuwait, involving the downing of a U.S. F-15 Strike Eagle, is not just another headline in the Iran conflict. It may be a signal that something larger is unfolding behind the noise. Iranian state outlets rapidly circulated imagery of an ejected pilot. Washington responded cautiously. But beneath the spectacle lies a deeper question, whose technology was truly being tested? The Gulf as a live-fire laboratory For years, China has refined export-ready variants of its air defense systems, particularly the HQ-9 family and... [Continue Reading]
There Is Good in Every Bad
Power, Greed, Oil, and the Theater of Modern Geopolitics The Business Model of Power Donald Trump does not govern like a traditional politician. He governs like a negotiator who believes every geopolitical crisis is leverage, every war threat is a bargaining chip, and every market panic is an opportunity. When markets tremble, someone profits. The question is, who? Global markets react instantly to political tension. Gold rises when conflict looms. Oil spikes when instability threatens production. Stock markets collapse on fear, then rebound on reassurance. Volatility is not chaos, it is opportunity. Historically, gold has surged during major geopolitical crises,... [Continue Reading]




