During a meeting with Clemens Augustinus Hach, the former German Ambassador to Bahrain, we had a candid discussion on regional and international affairs. I explained to him, quite frankly, our reservations regarding the West’s limited understanding of our region, only to be surprised when he remarked: “This is the first time I’ve heard such views expressed with this level of honesty.”
US international tourism fell 5.5% in 2025, with four million fewer visitors and over $8 billion lost in spending, marking the sharpest decline since the pandemic and surpassing losses seen during the 2008 financial crisis.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that a broader agreement between the United States and Iran had been “largely negotiated” and that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, signalling potential momentum toward ending the monthslong conflict.
STATS Group has announced a major expansion of its North American operations with the opening of a new 80,000 sq. ft manufacturing facility in Rosenberg, Texas — its first dedicated production site in the US and the largest capital investment in the company’s history.
Hopes of a breakthrough in efforts to end the US-Israeli conflict with Iran rose after President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance struck an optimistic tone, suggesting that negotiations with Tehran were making significant progress and that a deal to halt hostilities could be within reach.
In a surprise move, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of around 5,000 US soldiers stationed in Germany, the Pentagon said on Friday. Following this, Nato said it was "working" with Washington to understand the reason for the troop reduction.
Trade tensions between the US and the European Union have intensified after US President Donald Trump announced his intention to raise import tariffs on European cars and lorries to 25% "from next week". The current tariff stands at 15%, said a report.
US President Donald Trump's administration has bypassed congressional review to approve $8.6 billion military sales to Middle Eastern allies Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE. These include Patriot air and missile defence replenishment services costing $4.01 billion and APKWS, a laser-guided weapons kit.
Global sales of electric cars weakened during the first quarter with the top markets of China and US leading the sales decline. In 43 key markets analysed by the consulting firm PwC, the number of electric cars sold was 1% lower than in the same period in 2025, at just under 2.7 million.
Pakistan has conveyed to the United States a revised Iranian proposal aimed at ending the Middle East conflict, a Pakistani source told Reuters on Monday, after US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s earlier plan as unacceptable.
