Nigeria signs $1bn steel investment deal with India's Rashmi Metaliks Group
Nigeria has signed a $1bn investment agreement with India’s Rashmi Metaliks Group as Abuja steps up efforts to rebuild domestic steel production, reduce imports and expand higher-value industrial output from its mineral resources, Leadership has reported. »»»
Middle Corridor in play
Squeezed by a sanctioned Russia to the north and a war prone Middle East to the south, the Middle Corridor that runs through Central Asia and the Caucasus is back in play as the main route connecting Europe to Asia by land and is already the only functioning corridor connecting the two by plane. »»»
Europeans fear Washington more than Beijing for the first time, Politico reports
For the first time in the history of transatlantic polling, more Europeans view the United States as a threat to their continent than view China in the same light, a seismic shift in public sentiment. A Politico Europ»»»
Chile’s Kast pushes sweeping tax and spending overhaul
Chile’s President José Antonio Kast has unveiled an ambitious package of more than 40 economic and regulatory reforms aimed at breaking what he described as a decade of stagnation, but the proposal has already triggered political resistance and street protests as it moves towards Congress. »»»
Argentina's Milei cements Israel alliance as self-declared world's most Zionist president
Argentine President Javier Milei signed a sweeping bilateral framework agreement with Israel and declared his unequivocal support for the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran during a three-day state visit to Jerusalem, as he received the country's highest civilian honour and planned to overse»»»
Panama Canal auction prices quadruple as Hormuz closure reshapes global energy flows
A Chinese-controlled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker paying $4mn to jump a queue is not the sort of detail that ordinarily surfaces in shipping intelligence reports. Yet the transit of the Gas Virgo, a Singapore-flagged vessel operated by Wanhua Chemical, through the Panama Canal on April 15 h»»»
US and Cuba talk in Havana but cannot agree on what was said
Cuba has confirmed that senior officials from Havana and Washington held face-to-face talks on the island in early April, in the highest-level diplomatic encounter between the two governments in nearly a decade, as the Trump administration's pressure campaign against the communist-run island shows »»»
Nigeria signs $1bn steel investment deal with India's Rashmi Metaliks Group
Nigeria has signed a $1bn investment agreement with India’s Rashmi Metaliks Group as Abuja steps up efforts to rebuild domestic steel production, reduce imports and expand higher-value industrial output from its mineral resources, Leadership has reported. »»»
Nigeria fintech Flutterwave denies $75mn government investment, imminent IPO plans
Nigerian fintech Flutterwave has denied reports that the country’s federal government plans to invest $75mn in the company, pushing back against claims that the move was linked to a potential initial public offering. Local»»»
Argentina eases glacier protection in $40bn mining push despite environmental fears
Argentina’s Congress has approved a reform to the country’s glacier protection law, relaxing restrictions on mining in high-altitude regions in a move aimed at attracting billions in investment, while drawing criticism from environmental groups concerned about water security. »»»
Brazil bets on AI data hub ambitions as companies pour billions into smart logistics
Brazil's government unveiled plans to position the country as a major global hub for artificial intelligence data processing and storage, just as Brazilian and multinational companies race to automate their logistics networks in a sign of the country's broader digital transformation ambitions. »»»
Panama Canal auction prices quadruple as Hormuz closure reshapes global energy flows
A Chinese-controlled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker paying $4mn to jump a queue is not the sort of detail that ordinarily surfaces in shipping intelligence reports. Yet the transit of the Gas Virgo, a Singapore-flagged vessel operated by Wanhua Chemical, through the Panama Canal on April 15 h»»»
Panama Canal auction prices quadruple as Hormuz closure reshapes global energy flows
A Chinese-controlled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker paying $4mn to jump a queue is not the sort of detail that ordinarily surfaces in shipping intelligence reports. Yet the transit of the Gas Virgo, a Singapore-flagged vessel operated by Wanhua Chemical, through the Panama Canal on April 15 h»»»
ISTANBUL BLOG: Message for the CHP. The number of jailed opposition mayors in Turkey has reached 24
The number of jailed main opposition party mayors in Turkey reached 24 as of April 18, according to data compiled by Intellinews. Official statistics covering the wide-scope operations are not available. (See sta»»»
UAE affirms importance of freedom of navigation, facilitating supply chains to secure agricultural inputs, stability of regional, global food security
DUBAI: The UAE reaffirmed that food security is a sovereign pillar and fundamental to national security, calling for "proactive and adaptive strategies" that strengthen supply chain resilience and shield regional and global food systems from the shocks of a volatile geopolitical and climatic landsc»»»
Truth or Fake - Was Donald Trump 'blocked' from using the nuclear codes against Iran?
Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson alleged on a podcast this week that President Donald Trump wanted to use the nuclear codes against Iran during an emergency White House meeting, but that he was stopped by General Dan Caine, Chairman of his Joint Chiefs of Staff. He described the interaction as "qui»»»
European airline Lufthansa cuts 20,000 flights to save money, fuel - UPI.com
1 of 2 | A Lufthansa Airbus A330-300 is filled with supplies as it waits in June 2022 to leave St. Louis-Lambert International Airport in St. Louis. Lufthansa announced Tuesday that it will cut 20,000 flights because of the price of jet fuel. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo April »»»
Iran signals new military options amid talks uncertainty
Iran says it has new “cards to play” on the battlefield if the war resumes, while uncertainty remains over whether it will attend talks in Pakistan, as the US prepares to send the vice president to Islamabad. Delano D’Souza reports on internal divisions in Iran, highlighted by mixed messages over t»»»
More than $71 billion needed over next decade to rebuild Gaza: UN, EU
More than $71 billion will be needed over the next decade for recovery and reconstruction in war-ravaged Gaza, according to an EU-UN assessment published Monday. In their final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), the United Nations and the European Union said that more than two years of »»»
A propos - More than $71 billion needed over next decade to rebuild Gaza: UN, EU
More than $71 billion will be needed over the next decade for recovery and reconstruction in war-ravaged Gaza, according to an EU-UN assessment published Monday. In their final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), the United Nations and the European Union said that more than two years of »»»
Nigeria charges six people with treason for plan to overthrow president
Nigeria on Tuesday charged six people with terrorism and treason over an alleged coup attempt intended to overthrow President Bola Tinubu. The six, including a retired major general and a serving police inspector, are all in custody. Nigerian authorities have charged six people, including a retired»»»
Focus - Last remaining perpetrators of Rwandan genocide return to villages
Thirty-two years after the genocide in Rwanda, the country is undetaking its most sensitive task yet: reintegrating the last remaining perpetrators into the very heart of the lands where they once committed murder. Those walking out of prison today are often those who have served their full 30-year»»»
Why supporters of Burkina Faso’s junta leader are campaigning against a Sky News journalist
Yousra Elbagir, a journalist with British TV channel Sky News, has become the target of a smear campaign by supporters of Burkina Faso's junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré after she raised questions about security in the country and the repression of free speech. Supporters of Burkina Faso's»»»
Why France’s far right is dining with the country’s business elite
France’s far-right National Rally party president Jordan Bardella sat down for lunch Monday with the country’s leading employer federation, marking the latest step in a years-long campaign to woo business leaders in the lead-up to next year’s presidential election – and once again revealing th»»»
France is ready to help Lebanon prepare negociations with Israel, Macron says
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace late on Tuesday, with the president reaffirming his support for the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, three days after a French peacekeeper was killed in southern Lebanon. French President Emmanue»»»
Focus - India's 'wells of death': Gravity-defying stuntmen become social media phenomenon
It looks almost impossible: cars and motorbikes racing at full speed inside towering vertical arenas in India. These dangerous stunt shows are known as the "wells of death", where drivers cling to the walls as gravity seems to disappear. The races attract large numbers of young Indians and hav»»»
Press Review - 'Lame excuse': British papers not convinced by PM Starmer's Mandelson defence
PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, April 21: British broadsheets and tabloids mock Prime Minister Keir Starmer's address to the House of Commons, in which he defended himself over the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal. In France, former PM Gabriel Attal talks about "the love of his life", but a conflict of inte»»»
EU court finds Hungary's anti-LGBTQ legislation violates bloc's rules
The European Court of Justice on Tuesday found that Hungary's 2021 anti-LGBTQ law breached EU rules. The judgment provides a test for Hungary's new leader Peter Magyar, who ended Prime Minister Viktor Orban's 16-year domination with a landslide victory in an April 12 election. Hungary's outgoing g»»»
Full suspension of trade relations with Israel requires EU unanimity
Germany on Tuesday rejected calls from other EU member states to suspend the bloc's cooperation agreement with Israel due to concerns over Israel's conduct in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank. Spain and Ireland led proposals to suspend the deal, but Germany said doing so would be "inappropriate". Da»»»
UK police make eight further arrests after arson attacks on Jewish sites
British counter-terrorism officers have made a total of 23 arrests over a wave of arson attacks targeting Jewish sites and an Iran-critical media outlet in London, the Metropolitan police said Tuesday. Police are investigating whether Iran paid "criminal proxies" to carry out the attacks. UK counte»»»
Ukraine reopens damaged Druzhba pipeline to unlock €90 billion EU loan
Kyiv said Tuesday it has repaired the damaged Druzhba oil pipeline, clearing the last obstacle to a long-delayed €90 billion EU loan. The move forces Ukraine into the uncomfortable position of resuming Russian oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia even as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky presses al»»»
Russia's Sergei Shoigu says safety of Russians in Transnistria under threat, TASS reports
The safety of Russian citizens in Moldova's breakaway Transnistria region is currently under threat, Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia's Security Council, said on Tuesday. Speaking on FRANCE 24, Laurențiu Pleșca, Policy Fellow at the German Marshall Fund, explains that Russia is using the »»»
Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting Palestinians to force them from West Bank homes – report
Israeli soldiers and settlers are systematically using sexual violence and harassment to force Palestinians from their homes in the occupied West Bank, according to a report by the West Bank Protection Consortium – a group of international humanitarian organizations. The report, published on Sunday»»»
Iran war drives fuel theft surge as gas prices soar globally
A wave of “fill up and flee” crime is sweeping petrol stations across the UK, while American drivers are waking up to drilled-through tanks and drained fuel as the US-Israeli war on Iran has sparked a spike in oil and gas prices across the globe, according to media reports and industry watchdogs. T»»»
Historic Great Lakes flooding shoves ice chunks into Michigan homes - UPI.com
Flooding sent giant chunks of ice into Michigan homes this week after record snowfall melt and rounds of heavy rain created dangerous flooding around the Great Lakes. The statewide flooding dashboard from the Michigan Police showed 40 counties under a state of emergency (red) and road closures due »»»
Panama Canal auction prices quadruple as Hormuz closure reshapes global energy flows
A Chinese-controlled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker paying $4mn to jump a queue is not the sort of detail that ordinarily surfaces in shipping intelligence reports. Yet the transit of the Gas Virgo, a Singapore-flagged vessel operated by Wanhua Chemical, through the Panama Canal on April 15 h»»»
Europeans fear Washington more than Beijing for the first time, Politico reports
For the first time in the history of transatlantic polling, more Europeans view the United States as a threat to their continent than view China in the same light, a seismic shift in public sentiment. A Politico Europ»»»
UAE warns it could sell oil in yuan if dollar liquidity crunch hits
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has warned Washington it could switch to Chinese yuan or other currencies to settle oil sales if it faces a severe shortage of US dollars, Russian oil industry publication Neft i Kapital reported on April 21. »»»
US and Cuba talk in Havana but cannot agree on what was said
Cuba has confirmed that senior officials from Havana and Washington held face-to-face talks on the island in early April, in the highest-level diplomatic encounter between the two governments in nearly a decade, as the Trump administration's pressure campaign against the communist-run island shows »»»
COMMENT: Rising pressures on Iranians in the UAE
For over a century, the geographical gap between the southern coast of Iran and the bustling ports of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was less a barrier and more a bridge. However, the recent war on Iran by the US and Israel and Iran's response to GCC neighbours has all but burnt that bridge. »»»
Russia expects resumption of Gulf diplomacy, Lavrov says
Russia expects positive news on the resumption of diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation around Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, state news agency TASS reported on April 21. Moscow has emerged a»»»
IDF soldier recieves 30-day military detention after smashing Jesus statue in Lebanon
An Israeli soldier has been sentenced to 30 days of military detention after being photographed destroying a statue of Jesus in the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon, the IDF confirmed on April 21. The inciden»»»
Russia expects resumption of Gulf diplomacy, Lavrov says
Russia expects positive news on the resumption of diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation around Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, state news agency TASS reported on April 21. Moscow has emerged a»»»
COMMENT: Is Iran the fourth superpower?
For 30 years, analysts warned that Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz. For 30 years, Iran did not. It threatened to close the Strait, but it never pulled the trigger. The US and its Gulf allies assumed Iran was jive-talking. That changed on February 28 when the US and Israel thought they could b»»»
COMMENT: Rising pressures on Iranians in the UAE
For over a century, the geographical gap between the southern coast of Iran and the bustling ports of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was less a barrier and more a bridge. However, the recent war on Iran by the US and Israel and Iran's response to GCC neighbours has all but burnt that bridge. »»»
IDF soldier recieves 30-day military detention after smashing Jesus statue in Lebanon
An Israeli soldier has been sentenced to 30 days of military detention after being photographed destroying a statue of Jesus in the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon, the IDF confirmed on April 21. The inciden»»»
Panama Canal auction prices quadruple as Hormuz closure reshapes global energy flows
A Chinese-controlled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker paying $4mn to jump a queue is not the sort of detail that ordinarily surfaces in shipping intelligence reports. Yet the transit of the Gas Virgo, a Singapore-flagged vessel operated by Wanhua Chemical, through the Panama Canal on April 15 h»»»
COMMENT: Is Iran the fourth superpower?
For 30 years, analysts warned that Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz. For 30 years, Iran did not. It threatened to close the Strait, but it never pulled the trigger. The US and its Gulf allies assumed Iran was jive-talking. That changed on February 28 when the US and Israel thought they could b»»»
COMMENT: Rising pressures on Iranians in the UAE
For over a century, the geographical gap between the southern coast of Iran and the bustling ports of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was less a barrier and more a bridge. However, the recent war on Iran by the US and Israel and Iran's response to GCC neighbours has all but burnt that bridge. »»»
Russia expects resumption of Gulf diplomacy, Lavrov says
Russia expects positive news on the resumption of diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation around Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, state news agency TASS reported on April 21. Moscow has emerged a»»»