Chinese government buyers purchased at least 840,000 tonnes of US soybeans for October and November shipment, one of China's largest single-day purchases this month. This follows US-China trade talks and precedes President Xi Jinping's White House visit.
Wildfires in France's Gironde region force tens of thousands to flee as temperatures soar to 40°C, with firefighters and volunteers battling to contain the infernos.
A massive, uncontained wildfire in southwest France's Gironde region, spanning an area four times the size of Paris, continues to threaten the region as temperatures are expected to soar to 40°C, despite a temporary halt in overnight spread.
Attacks on tankers and other vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Black Sea are disrupting shipping and tightening oil markets. Brent crude has topped $100 as traders weigh the risk of further escalation.
Iran's state broadcaster reports US attacked a tanker in the Gulf of Oman, killing 2 crew members, on suspicion of carrying Iranian LNG, amid escalating US-Iran tensions.
Iran’s missile campaign against US and Gulf targets is becoming more accurate, according to analysts cited in the article. The piece links the improvement to Chinese satellite imagery, Russian tactics and advances in Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
Hurricane Fausto has intensified to a Category 2 storm in the Pacific, with forecasters predicting its approach towards the Hawaiian Islands next week, while also warning of dangerous surf for southern California. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Bertha, which brought surf and flooding to southern Louisiana and Texas, has dissipated.
Ukrainian drone strikes have targeted Wildberries, Russia's largest e-commerce company, destroying warehouses and billions in inventory. Hundreds of small businesses storing goods are devastated, highlighting Ukraine's new strategy to erode Russian normality and disrupt logistics.
Iran launched drone attacks on US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, and Iranian-linked forces attacked a base in Iraq, following US airstrikes on Iranian cities Ahvaz, Khorramabad, and Jask, continuing a 13-night tit-for-tat exchange.
The U.S. continues airstrikes on Iran, which retaliates against U.S. targets in the Gulf, escalating regional tensions. President Trump considers a "massive attack" as the UN warns of an unimaginable crisis. Oil prices fluctuate, and Houthi rebels attack Saudi tankers, drawing further threats.
Southeast Asian governments face renewed energy shocks and trade disruptions due to revived US-Iran hostilities, prompting ASEAN foreign ministers to express grave concern and urge an immediate cessation of fighting.
Donald Trump's foreign policy approach to allies in the Middle East and Europe is likened to a protection racket, demanding financial compensation for US security. He proposed a 20% toll on Hormuz shipping and pressured NATO allies to increase defense spending and buy US weapons, framing security as a billable service rather than a collective good.
US President Donald Trump is initiating new tariff wars, imposing 25% tariffs on Brazil and 10-12.5% tariffs on 60 countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, India, and EU states, citing unfair trade and forced labor practices, amidst an unpopular military adventure in Iran and upcoming midterm elections.
US President Donald Trump threatened to use frozen Iranian assets to pay for damages to ships and cargo in the Gulf, a move Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi called an "incendiary precedent." This comes amidst US strikes on Iran and Houthi threats to Red Sea shipping.
US President Donald Trump stated that a civil nuclear deal for Saudi Arabia is contingent on joining the Abraham Accords, a condition Riyadh has long rejected without a pathway to Palestinian statehood, immediately casting doubt on the agreement.
Daniel Benaim, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, discusses the proposed U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal, highlighting Saudi Arabia's economic transformation goals, key differences from the UAE deal, and potential risks including proliferation concerns and appearances of conflict of interest for the Trump administration.
Thousands of commercial vessels stranded for months in the Persian Gulf due to the US-Iran war and Strait of Hormuz closure risk a global marine bioinvasion 'super-spreader' event, as biofouling organisms on hulls could spread worldwide when trade resumes, according to a new study.
Recent developments in the Black Sea and Persian Gulf highlight the rapid unravelling of the international order. Western powers are discarding old rules without establishing stable replacements, leading to increased militarization in the Black Sea and renewed confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening global trade routes.
Oil prices surged to $100 per barrel following renewed US and Iranian attacks in the Gulf and Houthi rebel strikes on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. This escalation threatens key shipping routes like Bab el-Mandeb, potentially doubling the blow to global energy markets after the Strait of Hormuz crisis and leading to higher consumer fuel costs worldwide.
The ongoing US-Iran war has led to a five-month chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, stranding over 1,500 vessels in the Persian Gulf. New research warns that prolonged biofouling on these ships' hulls could trigger a global marine invasive species super-spreader event when trade resumes, posing significant ecological and economic risks.
The Iran war's reignition has disrupted oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing Brent crude to $100 a barrel. Gulf nations are accelerating at least seven major pipeline projects to reroute oil via the Red Sea, Suez Canal, and Gulf of Oman, with Iraq securing a $60 billion deal for a Syria pipeline.
Orcas in the Gulf of California have been filmed using a previously unrecorded hunting technique to dismember giant sunfish. They coordinate to hold and ram the fish, breaking it into thousands of pieces, possibly to aid younger orcas in feeding or for play.
Scientists have documented a novel 'ram-to-fragment' hunting technique used by orcas in the Gulf of California, where they cooperatively ram sunfish with extreme force. This behavior, observed in 2024 and 2025, may help younger orcas feed or serve as a form of play.
Marine scientists observed orcas off Baja California using a cooperative high-speed ramming technique to butcher large sunfish, breaking them into manageable portions for communal feeding and juvenile learning. This behavior, documented in the journal Frontiers in Ethology, highlights the sophisticated hunting strategies of killer whales.
