Dip

• Il presidente Trump ha annunciato le nomine dell'ex candidata governatrice dell'Arizona Kari Lake e del repubblicano della Pennsylvania Doug Mastriano a incarichi diplomatici, rafforzando i legami della sua amministrazione con i lealisti repubblicani. • Lake, che ha perso le elezioni per il governatore dell'Arizona nel 2022, e Mastriano, un controverso sostenitore di Trump, rappresentano la continua dipendenza di Trump da figure allineate al movimento MAGA per ruoli governativi chiave. • Le nomine segnalano la strategia di Trump di premiare gli alleati politici con posizioni internazionali, nonostante la loro mancanza di esperienza diplomatica tradizionale.

• I ministri degli Esteri di Iran ed Egitto hanno avuto un colloquio telefonico domenica 10 maggio 2026 per affrontare gli ultimi sviluppi regionali e gli sforzi diplomatici in corso tra Teheran e Washington mediati dal Pakistan. • Le discussioni avvengono in un clima di crescente incertezza sulla diplomazia del cessate il fuoco, dopo che il Presidente degli Stati Uniti Donald Trump ha definito "totalmente inaccettabile" l'ultima risposta dell'Iran a una proposta statunitense. • Questo contatto segnala il potenziale ruolo dell'Egitto nel colmare le divergenze tra Iran e USA, in un contesto di crescenti tensioni in Medio Oriente che vede il Pakistan come intermediario chiave.

• L'aeroporto segnala un calo del 5%, ma il traffico di passeggeri in transito aumenta poiché i viaggiatori utilizzano l'hub per evitare gli aeroporti del Medio Oriente • Business live – aggiornamenti dalle notizie • Il numero di passeggeri in volo da London Heathrow è sceso lo scorso mese, poiché la guerra in Medio Oriente ha influenzato la domanda di viaggi internazionali.

• Gli Stati Uniti hanno chiuso il proprio consolato a Peshawar, in Pakistan, trasferendo tutte le funzioni e le responsabilità diplomatiche alla sede principale dell'ambasciata a Islamabad. • Il consolidamento riflette la ristrutturazione dell'impronta diplomatica del governo statunitense in Pakistan e mira a ottimizzare le operazioni. • La mossa influisce sull'impegno diplomatico nel nord-ovest del Pakistan, una regione strategicamente importante confinante con l'Afghanistan.

• Il Laos sta accelerando la diplomazia regionale prima del 48° Summit ASEAN di Cebu, previsto per il 7-8 maggio, con il Ministro degli Esteri Thongsavanh Phomvihane in visita in Indonesia per colloqui bilaterali. • Le discussioni hanno riguardato il commercio, gli investimenti, il turismo, lo sviluppo delle risorse umane e le priorità più ampie dell'ASEAN, inclusi incontri con gruppi imprenditoriali e il Segretariato ASEAN. • Il Primo Ministro Sonexay Siphandone guiderà il Laos al summit, concentrandosi sull'unità in mezzo alle tensioni geopolitiche nel Sud-est asiatico.

• Il presidente cinese Xi Jinping ha ospitato il Segretario Generale del Partito Comunista vietnamita To Lam nell'aprile 2026, segnando il primo viaggio internazionale di To Lam nel suo nuovo ruolo e segnalando l'enfasi di Pechino sulle relazioni tra partito e governo con Hanoi. • I due paesi hanno firmato 32 accordi bilaterali, più del doppio dei 14 accordi raggiunti durante la visita di To Lam nel 2024, che coprono commercio, investimenti e cooperazione strategica in molteplici settori. • Pechino sta sfruttando il modello di governance socialista del Vietnam come terreno comune per approfondire i legami, perseguendo al contempo una maggiore connettività regionale attraverso progetti infrastrutturali, come la East Coast Railway Line della Malaysia, per legare più strettamente il Sud-est asiatico alla Cina.

• Nasdaq e S&P 500 sono scesi il 4 maggio 2026, in seguito alla notizia dell'intercettazione da parte degli Emirati Arabi Uniti di missili provenienti dall'Iran, nel contesto di crescenti tensioni regionali. • Il movimento annulla i guadagni della scorsa settimana, durante la quale il NASDAQ aveva registrato una serie positiva di 10 giorni, trainata dai titoli tecnologici a mega-capitalizzazione grazie all'ottimismo sull'AI e ai risultati trimestrali. • Il petrolio e il dollaro statunitense sono saliti, mentre l'oro e l'argento sono scesi, poiché gli investitori hanno privilegiato gli asset rischiosi nonostante i timori legati al conflitto.

• Infosys ha riportato un utile netto nel quarto trimestre in crescita del 21%, raggiungendo 8.501 crore di rupie, sebbene le azioni siano scese del 3,6% a causa di previsioni di ricavi deboli. • Il settore IT affronta pressioni dovute alla debolezza del settore BFSI e a costi più elevati, influenzando anche competitor come Cyient. • I risultati evidenziano esiti trimestrali contrastanti nel campo tecnologico a fronte di cambiamenti della domanda globale.

Students taking part in university’s annual ritual say images of them in swimwear are being published without consent in national newspapersWhen the sun rises at dawn on Friday, hundreds of St Andrews University students will brave the chilly North Sea for the annual May Dip, an undergraduate ritual said to bring good luck in exams. But the students won’t be alone at the beach. In recent years this quirky ritual has become a target for agency and freelance photographers looking to cash in on images of students in bikinis, including some who camp out overnight on the East Sands dunes near the Fife coastal path.“It ruined my night,” said Anna, one of the students whose photo appeared in a spread published by the Scotsman. “Now when I think about that May Dip, I think about that image, and that’s it.” Continue reading...

Iran's foreign minister arrived in Russia on Monday, after a whirlwind weekend of diplomacy, seeking to gain political leverage and foreign backing as peace talks with the U.S. remain on hold.(Image credit: Dmitry Lovetsky)

• Turkey and Greece opened negotiations on Monday in Athens to address longstanding maritime boundary disputes and resource rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, marking the first high-level talks in eighteen months. • Both countries appointed senior diplomats to address competing claims over exclusive economic zones and the status of disputed islands, with the EU facilitating discussions. • U.S. State Department officials welcomed the resumption of dialogue, calling it essential for regional stability and noting that resolution could improve NATO cohesion in Southeast Europe.

• Russia's Mikhail Ulyanov stated in Vienna that US tactics of strength, blackmail, ultimatums, and deadlines fail against Iran and undermine talks. • Hours before Araghchi's Moscow meeting with Putin, Ulyanov criticized Washington's approach amid broader Eurasian conflicts involving Ukraine and Iran. • The remarks align with Iran's regional tour, including Pakistan and Russia, as Tehran coordinates with allies against US pressure.

• The S&P 500 index closed at 6,450.06, down 16.52 points or 0.26%, reflecting cautious trading in US equities over the past day. • Broader market showed divergence with Dow Jones ETF down 0.16% at 492.21, while S&P ETF rose 0.77% to 713.94 and Nasdaq QQQ gained 1.88% to 663.88. • Gold prices fell to 4,725.40 per ounce, down 15.50, amid shifting investor risk appetite ahead of economic data releases.

• Iran has announced the resumption of uranium enrichment to 80% purity at its Natanz facility, signaling a breakdown in ongoing ceasefire negotiations with the United States. • International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors confirmed the announcement on Friday; Iran's move violates terms of previous diplomatic agreements and heightens regional security concerns. • The escalation comes as negotiators report deadlocked talks over sanctions relief, with both sides blaming the other for refusing compromise on nuclear program restrictions.

• The United States has suspended a $150 million military aid package to the Philippines following tensions over Manila's softened stance on South China Sea disputes with China. • State Department officials cited the Philippines' decision to reduce joint naval operations in disputed waters as the reason for the suspension, marking a significant shift in regional alliance strategy. • The move reflects US frustration with shifting regional dynamics and concerns that strategic partners may be accommodating Beijing's territorial claims under economic pressure.

• The United States announced Friday a temporary suspension of certain oil-sector sanctions against Venezuela pending the outcome of renewed diplomatic negotiations scheduled to begin Monday in Mexico City, marking the first high-level talks in 18 months. • State Department officials stated the measure aimed to create "negotiating space" for discussions on political prisoners, election transparency, and humanitarian access, with hopes of establishing a pathway toward normalized relations. • Venezuela's government welcomed the development but demanded complete lifting of financial sanctions, which have contributed to severe shortages of food and medicine affecting 28 million citizens, according to UN estimates.

Family found creature under a bridge and are documenting its recovery in a fish tank on TikTokAn injured axolotl is on the road to recovery after being rescued from a river in Wales. “Dippy” was found under Dipping Bridge on the River Ogmore near Bridgend, south Wales, by a family who had stopped for a break while travelling on holiday last week.Evie Hill, 10, told the BBC she lifted up a discarded mat in the shallows of the river, and nestled in the rocks was a 9in (22cm) axolotl, an aquatic salamander native to Mexico. It was pale in colour, with speckles, and had injuries to its tail and stomach believed to have been caused by a predator. Continue reading...

Iran’s goal is to maintain chokehold on global economy even as some say it could run out of oil storage by SundayMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump’s indefinite shelving of the plan to bomb Iran’s bridges and power station on Tuesday night is being widely described as leaving the conflict in limbo, but that is anything but the truth.Pakistan insists the prospect of talks in Islamabad has not evaporated, and positive messages are still being exchanged, but in the meantime the site of kinetic activity has switched from land to sea. Both sides are vying to prove they can enforce their blockade of the strait of Hormuz more effectively than the other. It has become a form of gunboat diplomacy brought to life in the most significant geopolitical waterway in the world. Continue reading...

Fauci was joined by actor Jesse Eisenberg and top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer in reading for DC Climate WeekWhen Anthony Fauci put on a pair of sunglasses, the hall erupted in cheers and applause. “Ah, how terrible it is to know when, in the end, knowing gains you nothing,” Fauci said. “I knew this once, but must have somehow forgotten, or else I never would have come.”At the age of 85, the scientist, doctor and public servant who rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic was making his debut as an actor. Fauci played Tiresias, the blind prophet (hence the sunglasses), in a dramatic reading of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King at Georgetown University in Washington on Tuesday night. Continue reading...

US president’s hubristic and contradictory social media statements are key stumbling block to ending the warDonald Trump’s blend of threats and hubristic commentary, often casually dismissive of Iran, has, as much as the continuation of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, been the key stumbling block to restarting peace talks between the two countries under Pakistan’s mediation in Islamabad.However much the Iranian foreign ministry insists it would not respond to every social media utterance issued by the US president on Iran, and sometimes there are as many as seven a day, Tehran cannot ignore them all, even if they contradict what the Iranians are being told in private about Trump’s true intentions. Continue reading...

• Venezuelan authorities arrested opposition coalition leader Juan Carlos López on Friday on unspecified treason charges, immediately drawing condemnation from the US State Department and international human rights organizations. • The arrest coincides with leaked documents suggesting López coordinated with US officials regarding potential sanctions strategies, which the Maduro government claims constitutes betrayal of national interests. • The US Ambassador to the UN called for López's immediate release and warned of additional sanctions against Venezuela if detention continues, escalating diplomatic friction in the region.

Sir Simon McDonald says Olly Robbins was ‘thrown under a bus’ by the prime minister and the decision feels ‘wrong’The Peter Mandelson security vetting scandal is the biggest crisis for the diplomatic service in decades, a former Foreign Office chief has said.Sir Simon McDonald, who was the permanent under-secretary of the government department until 2020, has spoken out in defence of Sir Oliver Robbins, saying the civil servant was “thrown under a bus” by the prime minister, Keir Starmer, when he was dismissed from his role on Thursday. Continue reading...

• The U.S. and Iran agreed on Tuesday to a two-week ceasefire, marking a potential diplomatic breakthrough after 47 days of conflict. • Under the agreement, both Iran and Oman will be permitted to participate in the pause in hostilities, with U.S. military personnel and weaponry remaining positioned in and around Iran until a peace deal is finalized. • The ceasefire emerges as negotiators push for a next round of talks, though tensions remain high with shipping disruptions continuing in the Strait of Hormuz.

John Feeley says US president was ‘flush with victory’ of Maduro capture and could make same mistake in CubaDonald Trump is “reaping the bitter fruit” of erroneously thinking that the capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, offered a blueprint for toppling the Iranian regime, according to one of the US state department’s most respected former Latin America experts.John Feeley, a Marine helicopter pilot who later served as the US ambassador to Panama, believed Trump had been “flush with the victory from Venezuela” when he made the ill-fated decision to attack Iran in February, leaving a trail of destruction across the Middle East and dealing a hammer blow to the global economy. Continue reading...

• The State Department ordered the expulsion of 15 Venezuelan embassy staff on April 8, 2026, accusing them of meddling in US elections via disinformation campaigns. • Evidence includes $2 million in funding traced to Caracas for bot networks amplifying anti-US narratives on social media. • This diplomatic rupture heightens bilateral tensions, affecting oil imports from Venezuela that supply 10% of US refinery needs.

Pakistani officials defy the skeptics to lead a breakthrough in negotiations and help avert catastrophe in Iran Middle East crisis – live updatesPakistan’s leaders had almost lost hope. After more than two weeks of frantic negotiations, phonecalls and diplomatic summits to try to end the US-Israeli war with Iran, it looked like the conflict might instead be escalating into Islamabad’s worst nightmare.In a cabinet meeting held around 5pm on Tuesday, Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif was morose. “We should brace ourselves for the impact of the war,” he told his cabinet ministers. “The situation has really become very bleak. The chance of peace has become dim.” Continue reading...

• The U.S. State Department announced the release of American journalist Shelly Kittleson, marking a key diplomatic achievement. • The press statement highlights ongoing efforts to secure the freedom of detained U.S. citizens abroad amid heightened global tensions. • This development follows recent foreign policy shifts, potentially signaling improved negotiations with adversarial governments.

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with EU foreign ministers in Brussels on April 4, 2026, to discuss a potential ceasefire framework for the Russia-Ukraine war amid escalating frontline clashes. • The proposal includes Russian troop withdrawal from Donbas regions captured since 2022 and $50 billion in reconstruction aid funded by frozen Russian assets, as outlined in leaked diplomatic cables. • Diplomats emphasized the plan's role in preventing NATO direct involvement, with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas stating, 'This is our best chance to freeze the conflict without capitulation.'