A fresh security incident in southern Lebanon has put the Lebanese army and Israeli forces on alert, adding another layer of tension to an already unstable Middle East. The development comes as the UN Security Council separately condemned recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and warned about threats to regional and international security. The developments…
The Middle East oil crisis is beginning to affect the global energy market in a way that goes beyond crude oil prices. A new Wood Mackenzie analysis estimates that the prolonged conflict could reduce global crude processing by 1.4 million barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2026, as refinery disruptions and problems around…
Saudi Arabia is seeking air-defense assistance from France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt as its supply of missile interceptors comes under pressure from renewed Houthi attacks from Yemen. The kingdom is particularly concerned about protecting military facilities, government buildings and oil infrastructure as the Houthis expand their activity along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. Saudi officials have…
US President Donald Trump has said the US-Iran war may be nearing an end, raising fresh hopes for diplomacy after months of fighting, disruption to energy markets and growing pressure across the Middle East. Trump made the comments on September 16, saying he hoped the conflict was moving towards its conclusion and claiming that Iranian…
King Charles III has called on some of the world’s biggest artificial intelligence companies to give reassurance that humanity will not lose control of the technology as its capabilities continue to advance. The King is hosting senior representatives from Nvidia, Google DeepMind, OpenAI and Anthropic at Dumfries House in Scotland on Thursday for a private…
The UK government is preparing changes to political funding legislation that could affect £72 million recently donated to Reform UK by cryptocurrency billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne. The two donors each gave £36 million to the party, creating the largest donations to a UK political party. Ministers are seeking amendments to the Representation of…
Nigeria’s relationship with South Africa is facing renewed pressure as the National Assembly suspends official legislative engagements with the country, while Nigerian traders in Lagos are protesting the growing presence of Chinese businesses in retail markets. The two developments are separate, but they point to a wider concern around how Nigerians respond when foreign nationals…
The recovery of hundreds of human remains from Gaza rubble has triggered a fresh call from the United Nations for international investigators to gain access to the territory, as concerns grow that important evidence could disappear before it is properly examined. The latest development shifts attention from the immediate destruction caused by the war to…
Iran has rejected direct diplomatic talks with the United States after President Donald Trump said Washington was open to resuming negotiations. The latest exchange shows how far apart the two sides remain even as the wider Middle East crisis continues to threaten energy supplies and shipping routes. Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei said there would…
The United Nations has called for urgent global action to control the risks posed by increasingly powerful artificial intelligence systems, warning that the world could be approaching an “irreversible change” that affects generations to come. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk made the warning in a letter to governments and leading AI companies,…
