Asia stocks fall for third day, oil steadies as investors watch Iran war
Asian stock markets fell for a third day in a row on Wednesday while oil prices steadied as investors watch developments in the US-Israel war with Iran. In choppy trade, South Korea's Kospi index was 3.7% lower in early trading after slumping by more than 7% on Tuesday. Japan's Nikkei 225 was about»»»
Trump: US Navy ready to escort oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz
Washington, March 4 (SANA) – U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. Navy is prepared to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary, amid escalating tensions in the region. In a post on his platform Truth Social, Trump said he had directed the U.S. Development Fin»»»
Day-and-night strikes hit 2,000 targets in Iran: US CentCom
US forces have carried out strikes on close to 2,000 targets across Iran’s military and strategic infrastructure, according to statements from United States Central Command. These include missile batteries, command and control centers, air defense systems, naval assets (including reports that 11 Ir»»»
The gift of responsibility: Preparing children for an independent life after school
Human beings are remarkably adaptive. We learn, adjust, and grow in response to every new situation life presents. Yet, while adaptability is innate, ease in transition is not accidental. It is cultivated. The move from school to university, from home to hostel, from dependence to independence beco»»»
'All red lines have been crossed': Gulf states weigh response to Iranian strikes
Gulf states have found themselves on the front line of the Middle East's newest war, and they are angry. Iran has retaliated to US-Israeli air strikes by firing hundreds of missiles and drones at its Arab neighbours – targeting American military bases on their soil, but also civilian and energy inf»»»
‘The AK-47 of the skies’: How Iran’s cheap drones are reshaping this war
Dubai: President Trump has made destroying Iran’s ballistic missile stockpiles a central objective of the war. But while Washington focuses on launchers and long-range rockets, Tehran has unleashed something far cheaper — and arguably more disruptive. Drones. Known formally as unmanned aerial vehic»»»
'We're going to unleash Chiang on these people': Rubio says US stepping up Iran campaign
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that the United States is stepping up its campaign in Iran, widening the scope of airstrikes in the country. FRANCE 24's Fraser Jackson reports from Washington.»»»
Unpopularity of Iran war 'almost unprecedented' this early on, expert says
Speaking with FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney, Stephen Zunes, Professor of Politics and Programme Director for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco, says that "even in the most controversial wars, like Iraq, when the war initiates, people tend to rally »»»
A propos - Unpopularity of Iran war 'almost unprecedented' this early on, expert says
Speaking with FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney, Stephen Zunes, Professor of Politics and Programme Director for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco, says that "even in the most controversial wars, like Iraq, when the war initiates, people tend to rally »»»
US commerce secretary to testify before Congress about Epstein ties
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify before a congressional panel investigating the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Lutnick "has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily" for a transcribed interview as part of the House Oversight Committee investigation, chairman James Come»»»
Will your loan rates rise? Iran-US conflict clouds future UAE interest rate cuts
Dubai: A sharp spike in oil prices following escalating hostilities involving Iran is complicating the outlook for interest rates, raising fresh questions for households and investors from the UAE to the US. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.Brent crude spiked more than »»»
US has 'seemingly used diplomacy as a fig leaf to prepare for military strikes', expert says
Speaking with FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney, Simon Mabon, Professor of International Politics and Middle East Studies at Lancaster University, says that the prospect of Iran coming back to the negotiating table is very remote, arguing that the United States has lost any goodwill because during the pas»»»
Truth or Fake - What we know about the deadly strike on a primary school in Iran
Iran held a mass funeral this Tuesday for at least 165 schoolgirls killed Saturday in a strike on Minab. But online, some users claim the tragedy was staged by Iranian authorities. In this edition of Truth or Fake, we confirm the strike hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school, a building separated »»»
Temperatures to surge to May-like levels in eastern U.S. late this week - UPI.com
People enjoy 70 degree temperatures on the Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City on May 3, 2020. Temperatures are expected to warm up in the East in the coming weeks. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo Spring weather fans in parts of the Midwest and Northeast are in for another »»»
UAE supermarkets hold months of food stock as tensions rise
Dubai: Supermarket shelves across the UAE remain stocked with months of staple supplies, even as geopolitical tensions place renewed focus on shipping lanes, freight costs and energy markets. Retailers and supply chain leaders say the system is absorbing stress without disruption, supported by buff»»»
Flights cancelled: How stranded Indians in UAE can reach India via Oman and Fujairah
Dubai: Indian passengers stranded in the UAE whose flights remain cancelled and who do not have confirmed departures can consider alternative travel routes to return home. While regional airspace closures remain in place, the UAE has announced a limited resumption of flights. Safe air corridors hav»»»
Eye on Africa - 55 Ghanaians killed on the battlefields of Ukraine
Dozens of Ghanaians have been killed on the battlefields of Ukraine, as Ghana's foreign minister makes a direct appeal to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Also, a new sleeping sickness pill receives the green light from European regulators, paving the way for Africa to protect over 60 millio»»»
Cheap insurance to crush Iran's oil chokehold, US Navy to begin escorting oil tankers in Hormuz, 'if necessary': Trump
Amid surging energy prices and private insurers withdrawing coverage, US President Donald Trump ordered the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to immediately offer affordable political risk insurance and guarantees for all maritime trade, particularly energy shipments, through t»»»
Inside the decision that took America to war with Iran
Dubai: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walked into the Oval Office on February 11 with one clear goal: Keep the United States on the path to war with Iran. According to The New York Times, the two leaders spent nearly three hours discussing potential attack dates, war objectives and the possibili»»»
Lebanese army arrested 12 armed members of Hezbollah at a checkpoint – Ya Libnan
Share: The Lebanese army arrested twelve armed members of Hezbollah at one of its checkpoints, LBC TV reported early Wednesday morning . This development comes after Lebanon’s government decided on an “immediate ban” of any Hezbollah’s military and security activity. Lebanon was drawn into the regi»»»
Gulf crisis spurs charter surge
As the crisis in the Middle East deepens, demand for private flights from the Gulf to Europe is surging, industry executives say. “At this moment, as we speak, a private plane is flying from Dubai to Athens,” Doulis Karafil, head of Air Business International, told Kathimerini. The 13-seat aircraft»»»
France to boost nuclear arsenal, could deploy atomic weapons to European allies
President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France will expand its atomic arsenal and could deploy nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries for the first time, as he unveiled an unprecedented plan to bolster security on the continent. FRANCE 24's Emerald Maxwell reports.»»»
Commerce Secretary Lutnick to testify on Epstein connections before House oversight panel - UPI.com
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick speaks during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on February 10. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo March 3 (UPI) -- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick agreed to be inte»»»
MFA gives Tunisians in Gulf and Middle East essential contacts for urgent communication
Tunis, March 4 (TAP) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad has renewed its call to all members of the Tunisian community residing in the Gulf and Middle East countries to exercise the highest degree of caution, vigilance,...»»»
Business - Iran shuts down the Strait of Hormuz. What more could it do?
Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed and threatened to fire at any ship passing through it. The narrow waterway is a vital chokepoint for global oil and gas, but also for other commodities such as fertiliser. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks with Noam Raydan, a maritime risk expert at The Was»»»