World

Energy and resources experts agree — if the situation in Iran gets out of control it will have a massive impact on global oil and financial markets. That was not the case after the removal of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. Then again, Iran produces four times as much oil. "Iran is the third-largest producer in OPEC. Its output covers roughly 4% of global demand. Venezuela only produces about 1%," says Andreas Goldthau, director of the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at Germany's University of Erfurt. "Iran is estimated to export about 2 million barrels a day, in Venezuela it's only 350,000," the energy expert continues. "Global markets would feel it far more intensely if Iranian production stopped." Moreover, fear of regional conflict in the Gulf weighs heavy in Iran's case. "Roughly ...

Energy and resources experts agree — if the situation in Iran gets out of control it will have a massive impact on global oil and financial markets. That was not the case after the removal of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. Then again, Iran produces four times as much oil. "Iran is the third-largest producer in OPEC. Its output covers roughly 4% of global demand. Venezuela only produces about 1%," says Andreas Goldthau, director of the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at Germany's University of Erfurt. "Iran is estimated to export about 2 million barrels a day, in Venezuela it's only 350,000," the energy expert continues. "Global markets would feel it far more intensely if Iranian production stopped." Moreover, fear of regional conflict in the Gulf weighs heavy in Iran's case. "Roughly ...

The Washington Post newspaper reported on Wednesday that FBI agents had searched the Virginia home of one of its reporters, Hannah Natanson.  Attorney General Pam Bondi subsequently also commented on the search, saying it had been conducted at the request of the recently-rebranded Department of War, probably still better known as the Department of Defense.  Bondi described Natanson as a "journalist who was obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor." The suspected leaker was "currently behind bars," she said, alleging that the leaks of this kind "pose a grave risk to our Nation's national security and the brave men and women who are serving our country."  Who is Hannah Natanson? Natanson has been covering US President Donald Trump'...

US President Donald Trump held a "very good call" with Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez on Wednesday, the first known contact between them since the ouster of Nicolas Maduro. Both leaders spoke highly of the phone call, which came as Rodriguez declared on the same day her country was entering into a new era, in her first press conference since taking control of Venezuela. Rodriguez was Maduro's vice president since 2018 and was sharply critical of his capture by US forces on January 3, when he was kidnapped amid US strikes on the country, then brought to the US to face trial. However, she has since expressed a willingness to work alongside the Trump administration. What did Trump and Rodriguez say about the phone call? Trump told reporters in the Oval Office he had a "grea...

US President Donald Trump held a "very good call" with Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez on Wednesday, the first known contact between them since the ouster of Nicolas Maduro. Both leaders spoke highly of the phone call, which came as Rodriguez declared on the same day her country was entering into a new era, in her first press conference since taking control of Venezuela. Rodriguez was Maduro's vice president since 2018 and was sharply critical of his capture by US forces on January 3, when he was kidnapped amid US strikes on the country, then brought to the US to face trial. However, she has since expressed a willingness to work alongside the Trump administration. What did Trump and Rodriguez say about the phone call? Trump told reporters in the Oval Office he had a "grea...

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met in Nara, Takaichi's hometown, on Tuesday and agreed to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation at a time of rising geopolitical uncertainty around the world.     "I believe cooperation between Korea and Japan is now more important than ever and anything else, as we have to continue moving forward to a new, better future amid this complex, unstable international order," Lee said at the outset of the summit. Takaichi said she wanted to further improve Japan's relations with South Korea "as I believe the two countries should cooperate and contribute for the stability in the region." Both sides agreed on "shuttle diplomacy" three years ago, with regular meetings at the highest level. Lee's national securi...

In a recent joint interview with Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot media, Johannes Hahn, the European Union's Special Envoy for Cyprus, made reference to the Turkish Cypriot community and its complex relationship with the EU.  Hahn emphasized the EU's financial commitment to the community and pointed out that the bloc has provided it with €760 million ($888 million) in support over the past 20 years.  He also said that the EU remains ready to cooperate with the Turkish Cypriot side for the implementation in the northern part of the island of the EU acquis, the body of legislation, rights and obligations in place in all EU member states. An extremely complex relationship  Hahn's remarks hint at the extremely complex relationship between the EU and the approximately 200,000 members of th...

Iran's key strategic location at one of the world's most important bottlenecks for energy trade — the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf — along with its enormous oil and gas reserves, its political ambitions and its nuclear program, make it an important player in the Middle East. For more than two weeks, the Shiite-majority country of 93 million people has seen mass nationwide protests that were initially sparked by economic grievances but have since developed into an uprising against the regime in Tehran. Officially, the authoritarian regime of the Islamic Republic blames the protests on its external enemies, namely the United States and Israel. However, right now it appears easier for the leadership in Tehran to negotiate with the US than to engage in dialogue with its own populati...

It's been called everything from a "neo-colonialist sham" to "an affront to international law." Yet despite all that, some European leaders still say they want a seat on Gaza's new Board of Peace (BoP), an administrative body that will play an integral part in the next phase of the peace plan meant to resolve the long-running conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. According to the 20-point Gaza peace plan, proposed by US President Donald Trump last year, the Board of Peace will oversee aid and reconstruction and supervise a technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza. Trump has said he will chair the BoP, which will have 15 members. The peace plan, including the BoP, was formalized by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 in mid-November last year. On Sunday, Don...

Multiple Americans who were detained in Venezuela have been released, the Trump Administration said late on Tuesday, hailing the move by the nation's interim leader. "We welcome the release of detained Americans in Venezuela. This is an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities," the State Department said. It was not immediately clear how many American detainees were released. The Associated Press news agency reported that four Americans were released as a group on Tuesday and one was quietly released on Monday, citing an unnamed source. What prompted the release? The move comes after US forces kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a nighttime raid and brought him to the US to face trial. Jorge Rodriguez, the head of Venezuela's national assembly and...