German foundations halt Georgia work as grants law deepens EU rift
Four major German political foundations have halted their work in Georgia as tighter rules on foreign grants put pressure on a decades-old partners...
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday urged U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene in the escalating Gulf conflict, warning that only he could prevent it from spreading further.
"I tell President Trump: nobody can stop the war in our region in the Gulf but you," Sisi said at the Egypt Energy Show 2026 conference in Cairo. "Please, Mr. President, please. Please help us stop the war. You are capable of doing so."
Speaking alongside Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides to the press, Sisi framed his appeal as a call for humanity and peace. "I speak to you in the name of humanity and in the name of everyone who loves peace - and you, Mr President, are among those who love peace," he said.
Sisi warned that the conflict could trigger severe economic shocks. “I fear that targeting energy facilities, whether production sites or refineries, will have very serious repercussions for the global economy and fuel prices,” he told the conference. He added that market analysts had warned “the price of a barrel of oil could reach more than $200, and this is not an exaggeration.”
He also cautioned about the potential fallout for global food supplies, pointing to disruptions in fertiliser exports. “Wealthy countries might be able to absorb this, but for middle-income and fragile economies it could have a very, very severe impact on their stability,” Sisi said.
Egypt has long received U.S. military aid and support from wealthy Gulf states. The country has condemned Iranian attacks on Gulf Arab states and pushed diplomatic efforts to avoid a wider regional war. Sisi credited Trump with helping end the war in Gaza, noting that he had previously told the U.S. president that only he could bring peace ahead of the ceasefire in Sharm el-Sheikh in November.
The appeal comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf, with Iran’s recent threats against energy facilities and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz - a key oil route handling around a fifth of global supplies. Addressing the conference virtually, Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi described Iranian actions as a threat to the world.
"The brutal Iranian threats against energy facilities and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz constitute not only a blatant violation of international law but also a direct threat to global energy," he said.
GCC member states - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain - have faced drone and missile attacks in recent weeks, further heightening fears of regional instability.
Sisi’s remarks came shortly before Trump threatened strikes on Iran’s electricity plants and Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export hub.
Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned, with Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), appointed as acting oil minister, according to Iranian state media.
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff of the presidential election later this month, after he exceeded expectations in Sunday's first-round vote with a slight lead over the incumbent.
Candidates elected to Bosnia and Herzegovina's three-member presidency declared victory after preliminary unofficial results showed Denis Becirovic leading the Bosniak seat, Darijana Filipovic ahead in the Croat seat and Zeljka Cvijanovic likely retaining the Serb seat.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States meets seven conditions agreed under a June memorandum, as President Donald Trump signals he may soon decide whether to resume military operations against Tehran.
Four major German political foundations have halted their work in Georgia as tighter rules on foreign grants put pressure on a decades-old partnership and add to tensions between Tbilisi and its European partners.
The U.S. has deployed two additional Patriot missile batteries to the Gulf, protecting key energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar as Washington expands its military presence in the Middle East amid heightened tensions with Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan held talks in Tehran on Monday on bilateral ties and efforts to strengthen peace and security in the South Caucasus.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry says it has conveyed its initial position to the United States through Qatar over Washington’s response to Tehran’s seven-day plan aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
More than 1.2 million Afghans have returned to Afghanistan from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan so far in 2026, with more than 500,000 deported, according to data from the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
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