Saudi Arabia
Erdogan provides Saudis with €47.50/MWh price guarantee for 2-GW of solar
Deal also includes zero-cost land, tax exemptions and offtake assurances.
Oil rises for second day as Hormuz disruption fears deepen
Oil rose for a second day as US-Iran hostilities deepened fears of prolonged disruption through the Strait of Hormuz, with Brent near $91 and only five commercial vessels a day crossing the waterway.
Leaders of Russia, China, India and middle powers holding face-to-face meetings at Bishkek SCO summit
Event is a “must watch” for followers of the international geopolitical agenda. Iranian and Turkish presidents among those present.
Saudi Arabia launches Riyadh "Digital District" to draw global tech talent
Saudi Arabia has launched a Riyadh "Digital District" to attract global tech firms and talent across AI, cybersecurity and cloud, aiming to place the capital among the world's top 10 tech hubs.
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SDF dissolves, fully integrates into Syrian state institutions
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on August 25 that it would end its role as an independent military force and integrate its military and security institutions into the Syrian state under an agreement with the government in Damascus.
Pakistan's Munir carried 'US proposal' to Tehran on Hormuz
Pakistan's army chief carried a US framework to Tehran offering blockade and sanctions relief in return for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, though neither side has confirmed it.
Tanker struck by projectile off Saudi Arabia's Yanbu, UK maritime authorities report
A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile and set alight off Saudi Arabia's Yanbu, UKMTO says, in the latest attack on Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea.
US says it has diverted 70 ships enforcing Iran blockade
US Central Command says it has diverted 70 commercial vessels and disabled three since resuming its naval blockade of Iran, which Tehran says has halted its oil exports.
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Arabian Drilling signs Oman contract with Masirah Oil for up to four offshore wells
Arabian Drilling Company has signed a contract with Masirah Oil Limited and Northern Offshore Ltd to drill two firm wells and two optional wells offshore Oman, the Saudi-listed drilling contractor announced on August 19.
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Iranian mobile roaming cut in UAE, disrupting banking access for expatriates
Iranian mobile operators' roaming has reportedly been cut in the UAE, leaving Iranian residents and travellers unable to receive calls.
Yemen's Houthis claim strikes on Saudi navy vessels in Red Sea
Yemen's Houthi movement says it struck a Saudi military landing ship and four escort boats with ballistic missiles in the Red Sea off Mokha, claiming the ship was destroyed. The assertions could not be independently verified.
Iran says Hormuz will stay shut until US lifts oil sanctions
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf says the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the US lifts oil sanctions, frees blocked assets and ends its blockade, tying the vital shipping route to a disputed accord he says Washington has failed
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UNCCD COP17 addresses scourge of desertification
With up to 40% of world’s land degraded, delegates from around world gather in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to advance solutions.
Iran says no 60-day deadline in Islamabad understanding with US
Iran's foreign ministry says there is no 60-day deadline in its Islamabad understanding with the US and that it will not set policy under time pressure, distancing Tehran from the Western reading of a mid-June memorandum due to lapse on August 17.
Poland leads the world on defence worry, Finland climbs fastest since 2019
Even in the country most alarmed by it, defence is a top national concern for fewer than one person in three, a Statista survey of 32 countries has found.
RAGOZIN: Ukraine’s “tide is turning” PR push has backfired
The PR surge which heralded that the “tide is turning” in the Ukrainian conflict is ending up in a debacle. Ukraine can inflict tangible damage on the Russian economy but Russia can take it and give it back in spades.
Russian view, Tehran's Hormuz trap
The US military strategy has run into a dead end. Alternating strikes and ceasefires have done nothing to shift Iran's stated resolve, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has given Tehran the leverage to press its terms.
Russia swings 93% of its rail trade to friendly states as it maps corridors to the Indian Ocean
Russia is stitching together a web of new railway corridors from the South Caucasus to the Indian Ocean, redirecting freight away from Europe towards Asia and the Global South.
US munitions stockpiles run low as Iran war outpaces Ukraine as main drain
US military munitions stockpiles have shrunk sharply since the war with Iran began, with the five-month-old conflict now the main driver of depletion even for weapon systems the US had previously donated heavily to Ukraine.
Hormuz shipping traffic halves as fading Iran deal hopes squeeze diesel supply
Hormuz shipping traffic fell to six vessels on August 10, half the 10-day average, as fading US-Iran deal hopes and fresh refinery attacks pushed diesel prices sharply higher.