Escalating US Iran Geopolitical Tensionsactive

Singapore built its edge on something rare: neutrality that actually worked. Capital moved in, companies set up and deals got done without politics getting in the way. From where I sit, that predictability has always been “The Product.” Yet, it seems that pressure on that model is now out in the open as it grapples […] The post Singapore’s AI neutrality is cracking under US-China pressure appeared first on Asia Times.

The 4,000-year-old Linear Elamite script from what is now Iran has long eluded archaeologists hoping to unlock the secrets of a near-forgotten age. French archaeologist François Desset's work on deciphering the writing system now has some comparing him to Jean-François Champollion, the famed philologist who deciphered ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

US President Donald Trump claims he helped save these eight Iranian female protesters from execution, whilst social media users claim the image is AI-generated. What do we know about the women pictured?

Iran offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts its blockade on the country and ends the war in a proposal that would postpone discussions on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, two regional officials said Monday. US President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, which was passed to the Americans by Pakistan and would leave unresolved the disagreements that led the US and Israel to go to war on Feb. 28.

US President Donald Trump convened his national security team to discuss Iran's proposal to end a war now in its third month, a conflict that has left thousands dead across the Middle East and disrupted energy supplies.

Tankers laden with Iranian oil are clustering off Chabahar, a port in Iran that’s outside the Persian Gulf but just shy of the US blockade line.

Positions ‘terminated, effective immediately’, says email to scientists sent on president’s behalf, in move labelled ‘dangerous attack’ on US innovation The Trump administration has fired members of an independent board that oversees the National Science Foundation (NSF). Members of the National Science Board received an email on Friday sent from the Presidential Personnel Office “on behalf of President Donald J Trump” stating that their position was “terminated, effective immediately”. Continue reading...

India said the war in the Middle East is a “complicating factor” as it holds talks with both Washington and Tehran over options to safeguard its $120 million investment in Iran’s Chabahar port.

Faced with escalating trade barriers from the US, Chinese automakers are adopting a "buffer route" strategy by using Canada and Mexico as transit points to enter the US market, while also evolving their approach from simply exporting fully assembled vehicles to embedding themselves into complex global supply chains. By deepening their integration from pure manufacturing into technical standards, Chinese automakers are now venturing beyond market expansion, as they compete for leadership and dominance in both manufacturing and technology.

Iran has reportedly submitted a new proposal that defers discussion of its nuclear programme until the war ends and disputes over Gulf shipping are resolved.

According to the newspaper, the US leader did not outright reject Tehran's proposal but expressed concerns that Iran was unwilling to meet Washington's key demand of abandoning uranium enrichment.

The announcement came shortly after the Coordination Framework endorsed Zaidi as its candidate. Zaidi will now have 30 days to form a government – a daunting task in a country where constitutional deadlines are rarely respected.

Thus Marco Rubio said when asked if the Iranian supreme leader was alive

After months of tensions and pressure from both the U. S. and Iran, Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman, was named as prime minister-designate.

In its latest offer delivered on Sunday, Iran proposed opening the key waterway to shipping traffic and lifting the U. S. blockade, while postponing the thornier nuclear issue until later.

Pope Leo and new Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally met for the first time on Monday, in a symbolic encounter at the Vatican in which the leaders of the long-separated Catholic Church and Church of England exchanged gifts and prayed together. Mullally, the first woman to serve as spiritual leader of the world’s 85 million Anglicans, was ‌welcomed by Leo, the first US leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, into his formal office at the Vatican’s ornate apostolic palace. The two, who...

Sarah Mullally hails Leo for addressing the ‘many injustices in our world’ after private meeting with pope in Rome The archbishop of Canterbury praised Pope Leo on Monday for speaking “powerfully about the many injustices” in the world, in an apparent reference to the pontiff becoming more outspoken in recent weeks, particularly in his criticism of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Sarah Mullally, who in March became the first woman to lead the Anglican church, arrived in Rome on Saturday for a visit aimed at reinforcing relations with the Vatican. Mullally had a private meeting with Leo, the first US-born leader of the Catholic church, at the Apostolic Palace, the pope’s official residence. Continue reading...

Two months after US and Israeli strikes began, their war on Iran has settled into a costly stalemate. The fighting has paused under a fragile Pakistan-brokered ceasefire, but the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, direct talks have collapsed and neither side shows signs of yielding. Last weekend, Washington’s envoys cancelled their planned trip to the Pakistani capital for further talks after Tehran declared it would not join negotiations until the US Navy ended its blockade of Iranian...

At the Vatican, the Anglican archbishop met a pope who has signaled no intention to change Catholic doctrine to allow ordaining women.

Iran has presented the U. S. with a new proposal to restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, while suggesting that negotiations on its nuclear program be postponed to a later stage.

China has officially blocked the proposed purchase of domestic artificial intelligence firm Manus by Meta Platforms. The National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planner, announced the ruling in a statement on Monday. More to follow...

A landmark agreement allowing China to issue sovereign bonds in Indonesia’s domestic market on a reciprocal basis signals a deliberate push for regional financial integration. The reciprocal sovereign bond issuance agreement between China and Indonesia marks a strategic breakthrough. For the first time, China will be allowed to issue yuan-denominated sovereign bonds directly in Indonesia’s […] The post China’s sovereign debt to debut in SE Asia’s largest economy appeared first on Asia Times.

Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi calls his Islamabad visit 'successful'

According to Alexey Pushkov, the US approach may have been influenced by its experience in Venezuela, which Washington may have perceived as an example of the effectiveness of "precise and surgical" operations.

According to Politico's source, energy costs are cascading into food, transport and housing, hitting lower-and middle-income households hardest

The conflict in the Middle East dimmed income expectations and hopes for a tentative economic rebound this year amid surging energy prices.

Iran signaled it would accept an interim deal with the US whereby Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Washington ending its blockade of Iranian ports, according to Axios.

The US and Iran failed to kick off a second round of peace talks this weekend despite a last-minute push by Pakistan, delivering a blow to Islamabad’s efforts to broker a settlement to end the two-month-old war.

Taking to X, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammed Ghalibaf shared a new 'formula' that appears to refer to the US's oil reserve claims.

The new proposal was given to the US via Pakistani mediators

Chinese scientists have achieved a breakthrough in "all-iron flow battery" technology that could significantly reduce the cost of storing renewable energy while also extending battery lifespan. Lithium currently costs over 80 times more than iron as a raw industrial material. According to the researchers, an iron battery may offer a potential solution to one of the biggest bottlenecks in the global energy transition. A team from the Institute of Metal Research under the Chinese Academy of...

Brent crude rises more than 2 percent after Washington and Tehran fail to hold second round of talks in Pakistan.

Kudos to the Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan for introducing a two-tier civil service accountability system. This will include giving an independent statutory body, the Public Service Commission, powers to investigate “widespread, repetitive and systemic” management problems, while department heads can investigate problems involving rank-and-file officers. To many, the revamp of the civil service accountability system is long overdue. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has...

In several first-tier Chinese cities, chickens, which were once confined to the dinner table, are finding a new role: cherished household companions. On social media, posts and videos about “pet chickens” have racked up over 3.1 billion views, underscoring how they are reshaping perceptions of pet culture in urban China. In southeastern China’s Guangdong province, a local saying goes: “No chicken leaves here alive”, a testament to the region’s love of eating poultry. Yet one woman, Aguai,...

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- Seoul stocks opened sharply higher Monday despite ho...

The reserves of Hong Kong’s largest international school group have more than tripled to HK$3.75 billion (US$480.8 million) in over a decade, even as it taps different income sources to offset shrinking government subsidies, the South China Morning Post has found by reviewing the organisation’s annual reports. The English Schools Foundation (ESF) also said in its annual report for the 2024-25 academic year that it expected increased competition for students and it would modernise its marketing...

According to the US leader, as a result, Iran may lose half of its oil production capacity

The US president says he saved eight Iranian women from execution, but Iran says otherwise.

Pope Leo’s criticisms of the Iran war reflect a shift in Catholic thinking, driven by the power of modern weaponry.

Israel is intensifying its attacks and expanding its control in the Gaza Strip, effectively bypassing the newly established, US-supported technocratic administration.

Chinese scientists have developed a method to generate electricity and achieve higher energy efficiency than conventional burning, while producing zero carbon dioxide emissions, by placing coal inside a “battery”. “Coal-fired power” conjures images of heavy pollution, steep carbon footprints and modest efficiency. But a novel, direct coal power technology challenges that stereotype by eliminating combustion entirely and sidestepping the CO₂ emissions that have long defined coal use. A team led...

No direct talks took place between US and Iranian negotiators in Islamabad. A ceasefire in the Iran war continues to exist, but a roadmap to lasting peace remains elusive. DW has the latest.

Trump calls off planned trip to Pakistan by his envoys, in the latest setback to efforts to end the war with Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to return to Pakistan on Sunday for more peace negotiations, state media reported, having just left Islamabad the previous day. US envoys did not arrive in Islamabad as expected on Saturday after Iran said it would not participate in direct negotiations with the US. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

Trump and other members of the US cabinet were evacuated after shots were fired during the annual correspondents dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Washington.

Seeking out mines is one of the latest tactics announced by the Trump administration to get traffic moving again through the strait as rising energy prices

The Financial Times emphasized that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was absent during both of the US delegation's trips to Islamabad

Before addressing the presser, Donald Trump shared CCTV footage of the suspect running past security perimetres, and pictures of him being pinned on the ground.

US-Iran war LIVE: The war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, followed by retaliatory Iranian attacks. Tehran shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil artery, targeting their "enemies." Washington responded with more bombings and sanctions. A temporary ceasefire announced in April has failed to hold.

Fox News and New York Post columnist, Karol Markowicz, on Saturday identified the White House Correspondents Dinner shooting suspect as Cole Tomas Allen.

Crowds of protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Sunday, amid fears the US-Israeli war on Iran will resume.

In the years following the Second World War, it was easier to find music in Liverpool than it was to get a kilo of sugar. The city's status as a port created a natural connection with what was happening in other parts of the world. It was then that a young Richard Starkey, a sickly boy who had barely learned to read properly at the age of 9, discovered music. But before rock & roll and skiffle, it was another genre that captivated him: country music. Also known as Country & Western and Americana, this musical genre developed in the heart of the agricultural South of the United States, during a period of urban migration and the country's rise as a global power. The combination of guitars, violins, and poignant lyrics about poverty and rural life gained momentum. This was further fueled by the emergence of figures like Hank Williams, which helped to expand its popularity. By the 1950s, it was entering the mainstream music scene, propelled by its close ties to early rock & roll; in fact, the first songs by artists like Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins were often played on country radio stations. It was at this point that the melodies of Williams and other pioneers reached the young Starkey, before he adopted the name Ringo Starr, which would later bring him fame. "I first got into country music, and that's when I realized I was trying to collect records," he recalled in an interview with NME.

Masoud Pezeshkian also expressed concern that the negotiations "could be a smokescreen" for a new attack on Iran

President Trump says he has cancelled the trip of his representatives to the Iran peace talks in Islamabad, shortly after Iran's Foreign Minister left Pakistan.

Donald Trump's renewed pledge to support the growth of the US cryptocurrency industry failed to revive interest in his own memecoin, with $TRUMP falling 14% on Saturday, even as the former president addressed some of the token's largest holders.

The Trump administration on Friday told several scientists on the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) board that they were terminated from their roles, The Washington Post reported. The White House Presidential Personnel Office’s message to members of the National Science Board thanked them for their service, according to screenshots shared with the outlet. “On behalf of…

Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi met with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Friday, April 24, and delivered a series of proposals for the government’s response to the Hormuz crisis, including a call to consider dispatching minesweepers once the conflict is over. The bulk of the proposals, however, focused on measures to contain price […] The post Japanese parties pressure PM Takaichi on Hormuz energy crisis appeared first on Asia Times.

President Trump called off a second round of peace talks with Iran on Saturday, the day U. S. officials were set to travel to Islamabad for negotiations.  Iranian officials met with Pakistani mediators on Saturday morning for “a very fruitful visit,” according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.  The foreign minister said his government has “yet…

Outgoing prime minister, Viktor Orban, who help found the Fidesz party, said he would leave his Parliament seat but hoped to remain as head of his party.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday abruptly canceled a planned visit by two of his administration’s negotiators to the Pakistani capital for diplomatic talks to end his war on Iran, complaining that the trip would be “too much work.” The president announced his decision after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad on Saturday, writing in a social media post that […] The post Iran diplomat leaves Islamabad, Trump cancels US delegation trip appeared first on Asia Times.

Hungary's outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he would not take up his seat in parliament following his party's landslide defeat in this month's election, but he wants to remain as the leader of Fidesz to lead a process of "renewal." Orbán, the most dominant figure in Hungarian politics since the fall of Communism in 1989, has served in Hungary's legislature for 36 years without interruption, and has been prime minister for the past sixteen years. "I'm not needed in parliament now, but in the reorganisation of...

President Trump also suggested there was internal turmoil in Iran, claiming there was "tremendous infighting and confusion within their leadership."

President Trump also suggested there was internal turmoil in Iran, claiming there was "tremendous infighting and confusion within their leadership."

New York Post journalist shares a message from the U.S. President saying "Come home!!!" as the U.S. cancels sending delegations to talks in Islamabad.

Members of the independent board that guides the National Science Foundation said they received a notice from the White House that their position was being terminated.

Update on Iran-US peace talks: The Iranian foreign minister departed from Islamabad on Saturday, after which President Trump cancelled the envoys' planned trip to Pakistan.

Abbas Araghchi called his recent visit to Islamabad "fruitful" and said he discussed with the Pakistani side "conditions for a permanent end to aggression against Iran"

Trump later suggested that the next talks would be held over the phone, saying, "If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!"

The Strait of Hormuz, which is a key passage for oil produced in the Middle East, has come to the center of the Iran-US conflict.

Pope Leo reiterated the Catholic Church's teaching that the death penalty is "inadmissible," in a video message released hours after the Justice Department said it would allow firing squads for federal executions. (Image credit: Christopher Furlong)

More than 500 political prisoners are thought to still be in jail, despite the releases since the amnesty law was brought in.

Iranian FM Araghchi met Pakistani PM Sharif in Islamabad as part of efforts to revive direct negotiations with the US.

Pope Leo has called for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty on Saturday, a day after the US administration mulled expanding the penalty. “The dignity of the person is not lost even after very serious crimes are committed,” Leo said in a video message marking the 15th anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty in his home state of Illinois. “The Catholic Church has consistently taught that each human life, from the moment of conception until natural death, is sacred and deserves...

(NEXSTAR) – It seems like everything is getting more expensive. Gas, groceries, just the general cost of living, it’s getting out of hand and hard to keep up with. Although home prices have climbed in recent years, the average monthly mortgage payment has fallen since 2024, according to a new report from LendingTree. The report…

US envoys were expected in the Pakistani capital on Saturday to kickstart a new round of peace negotiations with Iran, although Iranian state media said Tehran's representatives had no immediate plans to hold face-to-face talks. "According to Tehran, until and unless that blockade (of Iranian ports) is lifted, the conditions are not ripe for diplomacy," FRANCE 24's Reza Sayah said, reporting from Tehran.

The war has worsened Iran's economic crisis, forcing many people to cross the border into Turkey to purchase even the most basic necessities.

An unusual series of cargoes of military-grade fuel that is due to sail from the US across the Pacific Ocean illustrates how far the war in Iran has disrupted the global oil supply chain. A request for offers to ship 235,000 barrels of jet fuel from Cherry Point in Blaine, Washington, where BP has a refinery, to Subic Bay in the Philippines, a strategic access point and logistics hub for US naval operations, was issued on Thursday, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. The cargo is...

The US and Iran remain stuck in a costly deadlock as Iran has mostly shut the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the US has blocked Iran’s oil exports.

Iran’s top diplomat landed in Pakistan ahead of the arrival of US envoys, but prospects remain slim for direct negotiations to end the eight-week war that’s roiling the global economy.

With sturdy wooden columns supporting a wide walkway that leads into a living space, stilted houses – known as ganlan in Chinese – represent a quintessential element of East Asian architectural heritage, boasting a remarkable history that spans 7,000 years. A day trip to Tai O, a historic fishing village on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, fully immerses visitors in the enchanting aesthetics of ganlan, making the village a premier destination for both locals and tourists. “In most Chinese regions...

Amid the rubble of the US-Israel war on Iran, a new Middle East appears to be taking shape as a constellation of regional powers jockey for a seat at the table. Led by Turkey and Saudi Arabia, the grouping stretches from the Gulf across the Caucasus to Central and South Asia, binding together countries with overlapping interests, interlocking partnerships and a shared conviction: that the post-war order should not be dictated exclusively by the US-Israel alliance or Iran and its battered but...

Middle East conflict looks increasingly like war nobody can win

China, which is strengthening its space exploration efforts, has announced plans to launch a new Mars rover around 2028 and bring samples back to Earth around 2031.

Flow of aid and supplies misses targets more than six months into Trump-backed ceasefire

Traditional public bathhouses in Japan are in deep water as soaring energy costs triggered by the Middle East oil supply disruptions threaten to extinguish the fires of a fading tradition, with some of them forced to shorten their hours or even shut their doors for good. Already struggling with a shrinking customer base and ageing owners without successors, the oil price surge is dealing a fresh blow to sento, as the communal baths are known in Japanese, with regulated pricing making it...

Two men were killed in the strike

The idea of a token economy is gaining traction. The concept is still nascent, loosely defined and easy to dismiss as just another piece of artificial intelligence jargon. It is no surprise Chinese policymakers are quick to jump on the bandwagon. But in the Chinese context, there is a more concrete policy logic that deserves attention. It reflects an emerging attempt to reframe how energy, infrastructure and digital services interact, and in doing so, how China positions itself in the next phase...

Iran's foreign ministry has ruled out direct talks as US envoys are due to arrive in Pakistan amid hopes for progress on a ceasefire deal. More on DW.

Israeli air strikes, tank shelling in Gaza killed at least 12 Palestinians, including six police officers.

"Balance of Power: Late Edition" focuses on the intersection of politics and global business. On today's show, US Representative French Hill (R-AR) and US Representative Glenn Ivey (D-MD) discuss the Department of Justice's decision to drop the criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve's building costs. (Source: Bloomberg)

Iran said it will not meet directly with the U. S. in upcoming talks mediated by Pakistan, despite a contrary statement from the White House earlier Friday.  “No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the U. S. Iran’s observations would be conveyed to Pakistan,” Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said in…

On today's episode of Bloomberg Businessweek Daily, Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec discuss ongoing market reaction to potential US-Iran talks, and the DOJ's partial reversal of a criminal probe into the Federal Reserve. Bloomberg News International Economics & Policy Correspondent Mike McKee joins to discuss. Then, Grindr CEO George Arison discusses the company's inaugural White House Correspondents' Dinner party and its ongoing political initiatives. Plus, Bloomberg Businessweek National Correspondent Josh Green joins to discuss his piece on Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie. Finally, 'Bloomberg This Weekend' host David Gura joins to discuss the latest on Iran talks. (Source: Bloomberg)

In a memo, the Department of Justice says the move will "strengthen" the death penalty and deter crime.

US hopes for progress, but Iran says not direct talks

The spokesperson for the White House in the United States announced that special envoys from the Trump administration are traveling to Pakistan, a mediating country, for consultations with an Iranian delegation. The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Iranian delegation has arrived in the capital, Islamabad. However, reports from the Iranian side indicate that there are no plans for contact with the American side, making the possibility of progress towards a ceasefire the key issue.