World News
AI incites a new wave of grieving parents fighting for online safety
Blaming chatbots, they are joining an earlier push for better protections by parents who say social media contributed to their children's deaths
 "AI incites a new wave of grieving parents fighting for online safety")
Standard Chartered evacuates staff from offices in Dubai: Report
British bank Standard Chartered has a large presence in the United Arab Emirates, with Dubai now a large financial hub for leading international banks including JPMorgan and HSBC
 "Standard Chartered evacuates staff from offices in Dubai: Report")
Iran warns oil could hit $200 a barrel amid threat of continuous strikes
"We won't allow even one litre of oil to reach the US, Zionists (Israel) and their partners. Any vessel or tanker bound to them will be a legitimate target," Ebrahim Zolfaqari said
 "Iran warns oil could hit $200 a barrel amid threat of continuous strikes")
IEA to release record 400 million barrels of oil from stockpiles
The IEA, which co-ordinates stockpile releases for OECD countries, has said its 32 members hold more than 1.2 billion barrels in public emergency stockpiles
 "IEA to release record 400 million barrels of oil from stockpiles")
Oil prices rise as supply fears linger despite IEA reserve release plan
Brent futures traded up $3.31, or 3.8%, at $91.11 a barrel by 1159 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded $3.13 higher, also 3.8%, at $86.58 a barrel
 "Oil prices rise as supply fears linger despite IEA reserve release plan")
NRIs in Bahrain and Kuwait wait for Saudi transit visas to return
Airspace closures amid the West Asia conflict have left many NRIs in Bahrain and Kuwait seeking Saudi transit visas to travel by road and catch flights to India
 "NRIs in Bahrain and Kuwait wait for Saudi transit visas to return")
Foreign hacker breached FBI server with Epstein probe files in 2023: Report
The details of who accessed a server at the FBI's New York Field Office, including the allegation that a foreign hacker was involved, are being reported here for the first time
 "Foreign hacker breached FBI server with Epstein probe files in 2023: Report")
Shell declares force majeure on Asia LNG deals after Qatar plant shutdown
Shell has an equity partnership with QatarEnergy in the massive Ras Laffan LNG plant, the largest single plant in the world, which shut down last week following a drone attack on the facility
 "Shell declares force majeure on Asia LNG deals after Qatar plant shutdown")
China's auto sales sink as phase out of subsidies for trade-ins hits demand
Only 950,000 units of passenger cars were sold in China last month, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, down from nearly 1.4 million vehicles sold in January
 "China's auto sales sink as phase out of subsidies for trade-ins hits demand")
Iran's joint military command says banks now major target in West Asia
It came after Iranian media reported staff at a bank in Tehran had been killed in Israeli-American airstrikes
 "Iran's joint military command says banks now major target in West Asia")
4 injured after Iranian drones hit near Dubai Airport; operations continue
Among injured are two Ghanaian nationals; one Indian and Bangladeshi national each
 "4 injured after Iranian drones hit near Dubai Airport; operations continue")
Speculation rises over Iran's new Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei's health
This comes after Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian mentioned hearing news about Mojtaba Khamenei 'being injured'
 "Speculation rises over Iran's new Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei's health")
How a 1953 CIA-backed coup set Iran and the US on today's collision course
Today's Iran-US confrontation traces back to a Cold War coup, oil politics and the 1979 revolution that transformed a strategic partnership into one of the world's longest geopolitical rivalries
 "How a 1953 CIA-backed coup set Iran and the US on today's collision course")
Cargo ship ablaze in Hormuz after being hit by projectile: British military
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, run by the British military, said the vessel had been hit just north of Oman in the strait
 "Cargo ship ablaze in Hormuz after being hit by projectile: British military")
Iran targets oil infrastructure as concerns of global energy crisis grow
Iran has effectively stopped shipping traffic through the narrow strait off its coast, through which about a fifth of the world's oil is shipped from the Persian Gulf toward the Indian Ocean
 "Iran targets oil infrastructure as concerns of global energy crisis grow")
Hezbollah faces rare criticism as fresh war with Israel displaces thousands
The Iran-backed militant group and political party is facing increasing grassroots discontent within its base and problems with the Lebanese authorities
 "Hezbollah faces rare criticism as fresh war with Israel displaces thousands")
UN warns of higher food prices, cost-of-living if Strait of Hormuz shuts
The narrow passage carries around a quarter of global seaborne oil trade and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilisers
 "UN warns of higher food prices, cost-of-living if Strait of Hormuz shuts")
Asian shares advance as markets await signals on when Iran war may end
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 gained 2.1% to 55,387.75 and South Korea's Kospi surged 3.5% to 5,724.30
 "Asian shares advance as markets await signals on when Iran war may end")
From Karbala to Iran: How Shia Islam has evolved across centuries
From the dispute over Ali's succession to the legacy of Karbala, here is how Shia Islam evolved, what its core beliefs are, and where Shia communities are found today
 "From Karbala to Iran: How Shia Islam has evolved across centuries")
US destroys 16 mine-laying vessels as Iran threatens to block oil exports
The US destroyed 16 mine-laying Iranian vessels, though President Donald Trump said in social media posts that there were no reports of Iran planting explosives in the Strait of Hormuz
 "US destroys 16 mine-laying vessels as Iran threatens to block oil exports")