International relations, geopolitics, wars, major global shifts
Pope Leo arrived in Angola on an Africa tour that has been overshadowed by a running exchange with President Trump. The Pope told journalists he regrets his remarks being read as a rebuttal to Trump, saying he has no interest in debating the U.S. leader. Whether the tour's core agenda reasserts itself depends on
Pope Leo told reporters Saturday that his 'tyrants' speech in Cameroon was written two weeks before Trump attacked him, and that debating the US president is 'not in my interest.' Trump had called Leo 'weak on crime' on Truth Social and posted an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure, later deleted. The
Pope Francis denied that his 'tyrants' remarks were aimed at Donald Trump, saying his comments had been misinterpreted. The clarification follows a public dispute between the two figures that drew diplomatic attention. No alternative target for the remarks was identified.
The Indian oil tanker Desh Garima crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday despite IRGC forces opening fire in the waterway, while four other Indian vessels turned back. The incident directly threatens passage through a chokepoint handling roughly one-fifth of global crude, with immediate consequences for shipping risk
Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz to US-flagged vessels, and President Trump issued a blackmail warning while describing ongoing nuclear talks as 'very good.' The closure threatens roughly 20 percent of global oil supply flows, putting immediate pressure on freight costs and crude pricing. Trump signaled a policy
New research shows warm-bodied predators like great white sharks and tuna expend nearly four times the energy of cold-blooded fish, making rising ocean temperatures doubly dangerous by accelerating heat stress while shrinking available prey. The findings suggest apex marine species face compounding survival pressure as
An Indian-flagged crude oil tanker was attacked while crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, per an Indian government source. The incident threatens to pressure tanker insurance premiums and crude prices given the strait's role as the world's most critical oil transit corridor.
President Trump announced 'good news' on Iran as commercial tankers crossed the Strait of Hormuz, signaling near-term de-escalation. The development eases immediate energy supply pressure, but high-level diplomatic talks have not resumed and Iran's nuclear status remains unresolved.
Iran's Navy broadcast a radio message to merchant vessels declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed to transit, while ships attempting passage reported gunfire. The strait carries roughly one-third of global seaborne oil, making any enforced closure an immediate shock to energy supply and shipping insurance markets.
A maritime agency reported that a tanker was fired upon by gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz. The incident affects one of the world's most critical oil transit chokepoints, with potential knock-on effects for shipping risk premiums and tanker routing. No vessel identity or attacker attribution has been confirmed.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard gunboats fired on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran reimposed transit restrictions on the waterway. Indian vessels in the area reversed course according to ship tracking data, reflecting immediate commercial avoidance of the zone. The episode raises near-term risk for crude
Iran's deputy foreign minister said Saturday no date has been set for the next round of Iran-U.S. talks, conditioning further sessions on agreement of a preliminary framework. The announcement signals the negotiation timeline is more uncertain than recent diplomatic momentum implied, with consequences for sanctions
Competing claims around a potential Hormuz blockade are being driven by both operational positioning and deliberate information tactics. With roughly a fifth of global oil supply transiting the strait, coercive rhetoric alone can move energy markets without a single ship being stopped. Tanker routing, insurance rates,
Pernando Barrena argues Israel's death penalty legislation for Palestinians is grounds for the EU to classify Israel as an apartheid state and cut ties. The column presents an advocacy position with no identified EU policy mechanism or institutional sponsor behind the proposal.
Turkish FM Hakan Fidan told the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that Israel under Netanyahu is pursuing territorial expansion under a security pretext, citing Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Lebanon, and Syria. The statement deepens an ongoing public feud after Netanyahu's April 11 criticism of Erdogan triggered a sharp
Pope Leo has traveled to Angola, becoming the third pontiff to visit the oil-rich nation following John Paul II in 1992 and Benedict XVI in 2009. The visit arrives amid a reported clash between Leo and the Trump administration, elevating its geopolitical profile beyond a routine pastoral trip.
Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif completed a three-day visit to Tehran, meeting Iran's top leadership and peace negotiators. The trip positions Pakistan as an active regional mediator amid the Iran conflict, though no details of any proposed framework were made public.
PM Shehbaz Sharif completed a three-day tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkiye, holding bilateral meetings with top leadership and attending the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. The visits focused on bilateral relations and regional peace, though no specific agreements were announced. Deputy PM Ishaq Dar and Information
The U.S. has extended a waiver allowing sea purchases of sanctioned Russian oil for one more month, adding 100 million barrels and raising the total covered volume to 200 million barrels. The extension sustains market access for buyers of discounted Russian crude despite noted political opposition. The short-term,
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met US Treasury Deputy Secretary Francis Brooke and AIIB President Zou Jiayi at the WB-IMF Spring Meetings in Washington. The meetings covered Pakistan's macroeconomic stabilisation, IMF programme support, and a $1.7 billion AIIB portfolio, with $1 billion more in the pipeline.