Taiwan

In this episode, we sit down with the brilliant writer and poet Abigail George to talk about storytelling, creativity, and the power of words. Abigail shares insights into her journey as a writer, the inspiration behind her work, and how...

Conflicting signals from Washington and Tehran keep oil markets on edge as Iran weighs a permanent Hormuz shipping ban while Trump insists a deal is within reach. Friday, August 07, 2026 The oil market’s very own schizophrenia – trying to...

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense rarely misses an opportunity to showcase another new piece of military equipment entering service. Judging by the pace of such announcements, however, July marked a noticeable slowdown in new additions. Only four new systems were officially...

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said attacks on its vessels and employees are having a significant impact on operations as the company tries to keep crude, gas and refined products moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Fifteen ADNOC vessels have...

The Biden-Trump transition period has not slowed Washington’s offensive against Havana. By blacklisting eight Cuban officials—including key military attaches stationed in Moscow and Beijing—the United States has signaled that Cuba is no longer merely a regional ideological adversary, but a...

Journalists and civil society are increasingly being silenced by accusations of copyright infringement, says senior researcher Alberto Fittarelli in a report by the OCCRP. Unlike bot comments, falsely reporting videos for copyright infringement is “virtually invisible,” and leaves the burden of...

Intel and TSMC are pursuing the same objective—manufacturing smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient semiconductors—but they have adopted different strategies for advanced lithography. Intel moved early to develop High-Numerical-Aperture Extreme Ultraviolet lithography, commonly called High-NA EUV, while TSMC… com/semiconductor-manufacturers/tsmc/371838-intel-and-tsmc-take-different-paths-to-high-na-euv/">Intel and TSMC...

The latest Saudi oil route looks absurd on a map. Crude moves west across Saudi Arabia to Yanbu, north through the Red Sea to Egypt, across the SUMED pipeline from Ain Sokhna to Sidi Kerir, then west through the Mediterranean...

FIFA has now abandoned its controversial plan to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights, after opposition from Europe and other football confederations turned what appeared to be an investment dispute into a wider challenge to Gianni Infantino’s leadership....

ADNOC has bought 11 very large crude and gas carriers for $1.3 billion as the national oil company of Abu Dhabi continues to expand its fleet of supertankers to boost crude and LNG exports. ADNOC’s unit ADNOC Logistics & Services...

Ukraine's failure to intercept a single Russian missile during a large-scale overnight attack this week has raised fresh concerns over Kyiv's dwindling supply of air-defense interceptors as Moscow escalates its ballistic missile strikes on the nearly defenseless capital and other...

While Kenya-UK relations are presented as glossy, a close evaluation reveals layers of British neocolonialism perpetuated through unequal agreements and the maintenance of secrecy networks and tax havens that encourage corruption and launder proceeds of corruption from Kenya. Kenya-UK Relations...

The Design Automation Conference in Long Beach was a pleasant surprise. It drew strong attendance from leading companies across the semiconductor ecosystem, along with an impressive number of newcomers. AI-focused EDA companies came out in force—and delivered. Intel Foundry also made...

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey are expected to sign on Friday a joint defense cooperation agreement amid the Middle East’s turmoil triggered by the war in Iran, Reuters reports, citing sources familiar with the plans. On Friday, Turkey’s President Recep...

This article discusses the orderly transitions from gas vehicles to hybrid vehicles, and ultimately into EVs. Pros of Relying on Hybrids First Resource Efficiency: The raw materials needed for one full electric vehicle battery can build up to 90 hybrid...

Despite a decline in dependence on primary energy imports, India remains highly dependent, at a massive 90%, on crude oil imports for its consumption, a new industry report has shown. India’s dependence on primary energy imports fell to 42% in...

September WTI crude oil futures are trading at $78.08 early Friday, down $8.72, or 10.05%, for the week. The market opened at $80.10, traded as high as $82.33, and fell to $74.24. With Friday’s session still ahead, the weekly result...

Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict Eight Arab and Muslim countries have accused Israel of violating the Gaza ceasefire as Israeli strikes continue more than nine months after the U.S.-mediated “truce” took effect. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan...

Iran and Oman appear close to an agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but the remaining issues are substantial. Tehran would control inbound traffic while Oman would oversee outbound shipping, and Iran is seeking sanctions relief in exchange for...

Right wing lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella will be sworn in as Colombia’s new president on Friday, marking a dramatic political shift after campaigning on promises to restore security, revive the economy and reverse many of former President Gustavo Petro’s...

The incredible events at Leipzig airport involving drones and An-24 aircraft confirm the provocation hypothesis. Tourists stepped onto the airfield and the driver knocked down a drone with his foot Panic reigns in Germany after a drone carrying explosives was knocked down...

India’s crude oil production fell for the third consecutive financial year in 2025/2026, the government said as it launches a push to boost offshore oil and gas exploration. India’s crude output fell by 3% in the 2025/2026 fiscal year ended...

Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving beyond simple chatbots into autonomous systems capable of making decisions and carrying out complex tasks with minimal human oversight. As these AI agents become more powerful, they are also creating new legal challenges. Recent disclosures...

Vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has declined this week from the prior week amid uncertainty about the U.S.-Iran talks and the potential reopening of the Middle East’s key oil and LNG chokepoint. Between Monday and Thursday, a total...

For Masayoshi Son, the AI boom has been both a blessing and a curse for a conglomerate that had lost its way. In June, AI returned SoftBank Group to the top. For the first time in 22 years, Son’s conglomerate...

Choe Son-hui, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, has concluded a four-day visit to Moscow. This marks her second trip to the Russian capital in less than a year. The agenda of the visit...

China’s crude oil imports reversed an earlier decline, rising by 22% from June to an average daily of 8.45 million barrels, or a total of 35.73 million tons, Bloomberg reported today, citing customs data. China slashed its total crude oil...

Three Regional Powers Strengthen Security Cooperation Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are set to sign a landmark joint defence agreement on Friday, deepening military cooperation among three of the Muslim world’s most influential powers at a time of heightened instability...

The Iliad and Odyssey have shaped Western ideas of heroism for nearly three millennia. Yet despite centuries of debate over whether they reflect historical reality or poetic fantasy, the Homeric world remains an internally consistent universe worth studying on its...

The Iran war has fundamentally reshaped global energy security calculations, forcing fuel importing nations to confront an uncomfortable reality. The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors, has exposed the vulnerability of countries...

Extreme Heat Intensifies Europe’s Prison Crisis As record breaking heatwaves continue to sweep across Europe, prisons in France, Italy and Belgium are facing mounting pressure from overcrowding, ageing infrastructure and inadequate cooling systems, exposing what prison officials, inmates and rights...

It is conceivable that in one blistering campaign, the People’s Republic of China could invade, occupy, and forcibly annex Taiwan. One question would dominate the post-occupation debate: “What more could have been done?” The obvious answers will be better intelligence,...

Russia last month imported some 30,000 metric tons of fuels from South Korea to tackle supply constraints caused by continued Ukrainian drone attacks on refineries. According to a Reuters report citing ship-tracking data from Kpler and Vortexa, at least two...

However, let’s assume that an agreement is reached on Friday and that oil and LNG tankers are allowed to exit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz. Even if a deal is struck, it will be months, possibly years, before...

The Yemeni Houthis have struck Saudi Arabia’s southern province of Najran in the latest flare-up of Middle Eastern hostilities, killing 11 civilians, Reuters has reported, citing a spokesman for the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia that fights the Houthis...

On October 9, 2025, China’s Ministry of Commerce added five more rare earth elements to its export control list and, for the first time, asserted the right to police how foreign made products containing Chinese sourced materials are used anywhere...

In Ceuta, Israel and the United States are sanctioning Spain for its support of Palestine and its refusal to join the war against Iran. The mass influx into Ceuta became one of the largest migration incidents on the external borders...