Articles from ‘Independent News Roundup’

Trump's 48-hour ultimatum to Iran sent shockwaves — but the real story isn't military. It's economic. He's breaking the City of London's centuries-old chokehold on global energy pricing. The armchair generals on social media are missing the big picture. · Barbara Boyd · Barbara Boyd argues that most commentary on the Middle East misses the economic dimension: after U.S. energy independence, Trump is targeting the City of London’s…

Donald Trump suddenly claims there have been productive ceasefire talks with Iran. However, Tehran categorically denies any negotiations with the US. Meanwhile, the Iranian military mocks Donald Trump’s earlier ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz or face the consequences. The fog of war. NATO says there’s no confirmation a joint US-UK military base in the Indian ocean was targeted by Iran, although the British Prime Minister has been quick…

In the latest episode of Sanchez Effect, we dive into how the European Union and the Ukrainian conflict have been overshadowed by the chaos in the Middle East. Our guest, Slovak MEP Lubos Blaha, argues that the EU has shot itself in the foot by cutting off Russian resources, leaving it economically and militarily drained. The turmoil in the Strait of Hormuz has spelled disaster for the bloc. · Blaha says EU officials should urgently…

The US president has ordered the Department of War to postpone attacks on such facilities after “productive” talks with Tehran US President Donald Trump ©  Andrew Harnik / Getty Images · [RT] The US Department of War has been ordered to temporarily suspend plans for military strikes on Iranian energy facilities, President Donald Trump announced on Monday following what he claimed were negotiations with Tehran. · In a…

He himself presumably knows that the group can’t realistically accomplish this, but by proposing as much to Modi during their call over the weekend, the Iranian leader might envisage this year’s BRICS chair India presiding over a joint statement that then kickstarts Delhi-mediated ceasefire talks. · Andrew Korybko · The Iranian Embassy in India reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian suggested to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during…

Journalists since fired from the British state broadcaster’s Arab section have alleged they were discriminated against and unfairly dismissed · ©  Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images · The BBC has been accused of restricting Gaza war coverage and misleading the public in a case brought by five of its former Arabic journalists. · The allegations emerged during a UK employment tribunal hearing, where the journalists accused…

David Lindfield · The U.S. Supreme Court has signaled serious concerns about a Mississippi law that allows mail-in ballots to be counted up to five days after Election Day. · The case is raising fresh questions about election integrity and federal authority over voting rules and indicates that the Supreme Court could crack down on mail-in ballots before the coming midterms. · The case centers on whether ballots received after…

Frank Bergman · Canada’s Liberal government is facing backlash after introducing a sweeping surveillance proposal that would force companies to collect and store sensitive data on every Canadian, regardless of whether they are suspected of any crime. · Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act (2026), mandates that electronic service providers retain user metadata for up to one year, making it accessible to law enforcement and intelligence…

Frank Bergman · Sweden’s sweeping national digital ID system has been hacked, with the public’s sensitive data already being sold on the dark web. · A hacker group calling itself ByteToBreach has reportedly dumped sensitive source code tied to Sweden’s national digital identity system. · The incident is raising alarm over the risks of centralized control as governments worldwide push similar schemes. · The group claims it breached CGI’s…

The bloc backs the country’s opposition and is attempting to smear government parties ahead of a key election, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has claimed · Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto © Sputnik / Viktor Tolochko · [RT] Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has denied and condemned claims that he leaked the details of EU meetings to Moscow. · The allegations were reported by the Washington…