Iranian delegation member Mohammad Marandi has claimed that the team that travelled to Pakistan for talks with the US received “direct threats and credible intelligence” suggesting their aircraft could be attacked en route to Islamabad, forcing a change in their return journey.Speaking in an interview with Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen network, Marandi said the aircraft was…

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell called the heads of America’s biggest banks to an urgent, short-notice meeting at the Treasury Department on Tuesday. The agenda wasn’t interest rates or tariffs—it was Anthropic’s newest AI model and the cybersecurity risks it poses to the financial system.The CEOs of Bank of…

File photo (Picture credit: AP) Six major powers, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan, said on Thursday they are ready to support efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, as the conflict in the Gulf continues to disrupt one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.In a joint statement, the…

As the annual Hajj pilgrimage began on Monday, more than 1.5 million Muslims from around the world gathered in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the sacred journey that forms one of the five pillars of Islam.Hajj is a religious obligation that every able Muslim is required to perform at least once in their lifetime. It takes…

Putin and Pezeshkian (File photos) Russian President Vladimir Putin told Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday that he was ready to help mediate efforts to bring peace in the Middle East, the Kremlin said.“Vladimir Putin emphasised his readiness to further facilitate the search for a political and diplomatic settlement to the conflict, and to mediate…

Steve Smith is known for his decision-making on the cricket field, and his choices off it have also delivered returns. The former Australia captain has seen a major gain from an investment he made nearly a decade ago.Smith had invested $100,000 in 2015 in online bedding and furniture company Koala for a 10 per cent…

Middle East on edge again: Two ships attacked in Strait of Hormuz Two vessels came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, further complicating fragile diplomatic efforts to bring the United States and Iran to the negotiating table.Earlier in the day, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a container ship, damaging it…