Latest news with #Western-friendly
CNBC
18-07-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Buy this high-flying battery maker as drone demand is set to surge, William Blair says
A rise in demand for drones could be a boon for Amprius Technologies stock, according to William Blair. The firm upgraded Amprius stock to outperform from market perform in a Friday note, albeit without a price target. Shares have surged more than 187% so far in 2025. The company develops and manufactures lithium-ion batteries that are used in drones and high-altitude pseudo satellites (HAPS). Analyst Jed Dorsheimer said that the stock will be a beneficiary of the Trump administration's emphasis and focus on drones for defense, as a result of its customers being key players in building the drones. AMPX YTD mountain Amprius Technologies stock in 2025. "This administration has made domestic drone production a strategic goal," the analyst said. President Donald Trump's " Unleashing American Drone Dominance " executive order in June has been a key catalyst for the industry, Dorsheimer said. "The stock has run up significantly from the drone executive order; however, our view is that Amprius is at the beginning of converting evaluations into large purchase orders, supported by the increased focus on drones, and momentum will continue in the shares," Dorsheimer said. The analyst also said Amprius' manufacturing capacity in South Korea and potentially in Europe could be ways to sidestep tariff concerns, especially since the company has a large production network that's reliant on China. "As of now, the performance advantage has outweighed any China related qualms for customers, but Western-friendly regions will eliminate any forward concerns, especially for military customers," the analyst said.
AllAfrica
16-06-2025
- Politics
- AllAfrica
India breaks with China, Russia on Israel-Iran war
India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA) clarified over the weekend that India 'did not participate in the discussions' on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) statement earlier that day condemning Israel for its latest strikes on Iran. The absence of any clause in the group's statement indicating that India disagreed with them initially suggested consensus (including with rival Pakistan), but after the MEA's clarification, it now suggests that India was kept out of the loop. This could have political ramifications if that's indeed what happened. The SCO was founded to peacefully resolve border issues between China and the former Soviet Republics after the USSR's dissolution and then united them all in their opposition to the shared threats of terrorism, separatism and extremism. The group has since taken on economic and other connectivity functions after expanding to include India and Pakistan in 2015, with these additional interests increasingly taking center stage since those two accuse each other of fomenting the aforesaid threats. Iran joined the SCO in 2023. Article 16 of the SCO Charter clearly states that 'The SCO bodies shall take decisions by agreement without vote and their decisions shall be considered adopted if no member State has raised objections during its consideration (consensus)… Any member State may state its opinion on particular aspects and/or concrete issues of the decisions taken which shall not be an obstacle to taking the decision as a whole. This opinion shall be placed on record.' Accordingly, given the absence of any clause in the SCO's statement indicating that India disagreed with what was written, it therefore compellingly appears that it was kept out of the loop. That arguably being the case, Western-friendly policy influencers and policymakers in India might now feel vindicated after claiming for a while already that the group no longer aligns with their country's interests as much as before. This could, in turn, lead to pressure upon India to more publicly distance itself from the SCO. It's premature to conclude that India will react in that way, especially since it has remained in the SCO thus far, despite the aforementioned interpretations among some, aimed at averting the scenario of China dominating that group, with the possibly attendant consequence of Russia becoming its junior partner. From India's perspective, that would pose a major national security threat if China then leveraged its influence over Russia to deprive India of military equipment in the event of another border crisis. To avoid any misunderstanding, there are no credible signs that any such Russian subordination to China is imminent, nor that Russia would comply with speculative demands from China to cut India off ahead of or during a future crisis, thereby giving Beijing the edge over Delhi. Nevertheless, such fears might now be lent renewed credence among some important people in India given what just happened with the SCO, which follows concerns that Russian policymakers' perception of India might be changing. Readers can learn more about that here and here, with the second analysis explaining why Russia lent credence to Trump's claim that he personally stopped the latest Indo-Pak conflict, which India has repeatedly refuted. More than likely, Indian diplomats might soon discreetly request a clarification from Russia about why the group that it co-founded with China arguably kept their country out of the loop when issuing its latest statement. This article was first published on Andrew Korybko's Substack and is republished with kind permission. Become an Andrew Korybko Newsletter subscriber here.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Everything you need to know about Iran's nuclear program
After decades of threats, Israel on Friday launched an audacious attack on Iran, targeting its nuclear sites, scientists and military leaders. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation had 'struck at the head of Iran's nuclear weaponization program.' But international assessments, including by the US intelligence community, say that Iran's nuclear program isn't currently weaponized. Tehran has also repeatedly insisted it isn't building a bomb. Still, that doesn't mean it couldn't if it chose to. Iran has spent decades developing its nuclear program and sees it as a source of national pride and sovereignty. It maintains the program is solely for peaceful energy purposes and plans to build additional nuclear power plants to meet domestic energy needs and free up more oil for export. Nuclear plants require a fuel called uranium – and according to the UN nuclear watchdog, no other country has the kind of uranium that Iran currently does without also having a nuclear weapons program. That has fueled suspicions that Iran isn't being fully transparent about its intentions. Tehran has used its stockpile of weapons-grade uranium as a bargaining chip in talks with the United States, repeatedly saying it would get rid of it if US-led sanctions are lifted. So, what exactly is uranium's role in a nuclear weapon, and how far is Iran from weaponizing its program? Here's what you need to know. The US launched a nuclear program with Iran in 1957. Back then, the Western-friendly monarch – the Shah – ruled Iran and the two countries were still friends. With backing from the US, Iran started developing its nuclear power program in the 1970s. But the US pulled its support when the Shah was overthrown during the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Since the revolution, which transformed Iran into an Islamic Republic, Western nations have worried the country could use its nuclear program to produce atomic weapons using highly enriched uranium. Iran has maintained that it does not seek to build nuclear weapons. It is a party to the UN's Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), under which it has pledged not to develop a bomb. Here's where its nuclear facilities are located. At the heart of the controversy over Iran's nuclear program is its enrichment of uranium – a process used to produce fuel for power plants that, at higher levels, can also be used to make a nuclear bomb. In the early 2000s, international inspectors announced that they had found traces of highly enriched uranium at an Iranian plant in Natanz. Iran temporarily halted enrichment, but resumed it in 2006, insisting it was allowed under its agreement with the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It prompted years of international sanctions against Iran. After years of negotiations, Iran and six world powers in 2015 agreed to a nuclear deal that limited Iran's nuclear threat in return for lighter sanctions. The deal required Iran to keep its uranium enrichment levels at no more than 3.67%, down from near 20%, dramatically reduce its uranium stockpile, and phase out its centrifuges, among other measures. Uranium isn't bomb-grade until it's enriched to 90% purity. And nuclear power plants that generate electricity use uranium that is enriched to between 3.5% and 5%. It's unclear how close Iran might be to actually building a nuclear bomb, if at all, but it has made significant progress in producing its key ingredient: highly enriched uranium. In recent years, it has sharply reduced the time needed to reach weapons-grade levels – now requiring just about a week to produce enough for one bomb. In 2018, Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and initiated new sanctions on the regime to cripple its economy. Tehran in turn said it would stop complying with parts of the agreement, and started increasing uranium enrichment and uranium stockpiles, and using advanced centrifuges. It removed all of the IAEA equipment previously installed for surveillance and monitoring activities. The Biden administration then kicked off more than a year of indirect negotiations with Iran aimed at reviving the deal, but those broke down in 2022. In 2023, the IAEA said uranium particles enriched to 83.7% purity – close to bomb-grade levels – were found at an Iranian nuclear facility. Its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% had also grown to 128.3 kilograms, the highest level then documented. And last year, the US shortened Iran's so-called 'breakout time' – the amount of time needed to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon – 'to one or two weeks.' An IAEA report sent to member states late last month said Iran's stock of 60% purity enriched uranium had now grown to 408 kilograms. That is enough, if enriched further, for nine nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick. The IAEA has long accused Iran of violating its non-proliferation obligations, but on Thursday – for the first time in almost 20 years – its board passed a resolution officially declaring Iran in breach of those obligations. Iran promised to respond by escalating its nuclear activities. Enrichment is a process that increases the amount of uranium-235, a special type of uranium used to power nuclear reactors or, in much higher amounts, to make nuclear weapons. Natural uranium is mostly uranium‑238 – about 99.3%, which isn't good for power or bombs. Only about 0.7% is uranium‑235, the part needed to release energy. For nuclear energy use, that tiny amount of useful uranium-235 needs to be concentrated. To do this, uranium is first turned into a gas, then spun at high speeds in machines called centrifuges. These machines help separate uranium-235 from the more common uranium-238. That is what enrichment is. Uranium used in nuclear power plants is typically enriched to about 3.67%. To make a nuclear bomb, it needs to be enriched to around 90%. Iran has enriched uranium to 60% – not enough for a bomb, but a major step closer to weapons-grade material. Centrifuges are essential for enriching uranium. The more advanced the centrifuge, the faster and more efficiently it can separate uranium-235 from uranium-238 – shortening the time needed to produce nuclear fuel or, potentially, weapons-grade material. Iran has spent decades improving its centrifuge technology, starting with its first-generation IR-1 model in the late 1980s. Today, it operates thousands of machines, including advanced models like the IR-6 and IR-9. According to the Arms Control Association, Iran's current centrifuge capacity could allow it to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a bomb in less than two weeks. Israel says it's targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure in its attack. Natanz, the facility at the heart of Iran's nuclear ambitions, was engulfed in flames on Friday, according to social media images geolocated by CNN and Iranian state television coverage. The nuclear complex there, about 250 kilometers (150 miles) south of the capital Tehran, is considered Iran's largest uranium enrichment facility. Analysts say the site is used to develop and assemble centrifuges for uranium enrichment, a key technology that turns uranium into nuclear fuel. The IAEA said three nuclear sites, Fordow, Isfahan and Bushehr, had not been impacted. Six of Iran's nuclear scientists were also killed in Israel's strikes, Iranian state-affiliated Tasnim news agency said. Iran has spent years strengthening its nuclear structures against the threat of military strikes, which will make it difficult to comprehensively destroy them, military experts have told CNN. Some facilities are buried deep underground to put them out of reach of Israel's weapons.
Listly
06-05-2025
- Listly
How to experience Phuket like a Local – Live Phuket, Don't just visit it
When it comes to food, avoid places that say Western-friendly menus if you want to enjoy Phuket like a local. Instead, go to places where the locals eat from. It is very easy to spot, especially during lunch hours. You can try unique food like thin rice noodles served with spicy curry, pickled vegetables and boiled eggs, Moo Hong, a slow-cooked pork dish that is very famous among the locals in Phuket and is a speciality of Phuket. Markets like Lock Tien or the Sunday Night market on Thalang Road are perfect for trying dishes from different regions. You can try out local cafes as they serve better coffee and desserts than most tourist spots. Always be on the lookout for small Thai-style bakeries and cool coffee bars to enjoy some fresh pastries. Follow the locals and look for places the locals are lining up; usually, they will spend less and find food that tastes amazing. You can always ask them for recommendations as well.
Saudi Gazette
08-04-2025
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
Billionaire on trial in Azerbaijan who risks being left behind by peace deal
BAKU — Ruben Vardanyan is one of Armenia's richest men, but his millions are of little use now that he is facing a possible life term in jail in neighboring Azerbaijan. The two neighboring Caucasus countries have agreed the text of a historic peace deal to end decades-long conflict over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, but Vardanyan and 15 other former ethnic Armenian leaders are not part of the agreement. They are on trial in a military court in Baku, accused of war crimes dating back decades. Vardanyan, a 56-year-old Russian-Armenian entrepreneur, is facing 42 charges including planning and waging war, mercenary activities and terrorism. A picture of him in court appeared to show bruises on his forehead and there have been allegations of torture, denied by Azerbaijan which insists his rights have been respected in custody. It marks a dramatic downfall for a man who made his fortune in Russia and once rubbed shoulders with celebrities such as George and Amal Clooney. He set up Russia's first investment bank back in the early 1990s, and as founder of the country's prestigious business management school "Skolkovo" he enjoyed the reputation of a progressive visionary, a Western-friendly voice in Russia's business community in the 2000's. But a 2019 investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project said that employees of his investment bank built a financial system laundering billions of dollars in the mid-2000s. Vardanyan denied being aware of any criminal activities, and was never legally charged. He spent hundreds of millions of dollars on philanthropic projects in Armenia, and transformed a quiet town in the snow-capped mountains in the north of the country, setting up a school with the aim of attracting students from all over the world. "This school was imagined as an institution that would bring Armenia to the world and the world to Armenia," says Adam Armanski, the principal of the United World Colleges (UWC) of Dilijan. Everything changed for Ruben Vardanyan in September 2022 when he decided to move to Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region that was historically populated by ethnic Armenians but part of Soviet Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan had already fought two full-scale wars over the region, which was internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. The first Karabakh war in the 1990s resulted in the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Azeris. Then, in 2020, Azerbaijan — backed by Turkey — regained control of big swathes of the lost territory, while the Karabakh enclave remained in the hands of ethnic Armenian separatists. Within months of Vardanyan's arrival Azerbaijani authorities blocked the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with the Republic of Armenia, subjecting the region's population to severe food shortages. Vardanyan renounced his Russian citizenship and became the de facto prime-minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Armenians call Artsakh. He used his name, contacts and the ability to speak fluent English to raise the awareness of the plight of Karabakh Armenians. "My father did more interviews with international media in three months than all the other Nagorno-Karabakh presidents in 30 years. The amount of attention this was receiving from the Western media clearly irritated Azerbaijan," his son David Vardanyan told the BBC. There had been speculation that Vardanyan had moved there to avoid international sanctions imposed on Russia's billionaires with links to the Kremlin. The government in Baku considered his decision to take up the position as illegal. His son insists he was driven by the desire to help local Armenians. "We had an argument on our last family holiday, I was completely against his decision, which was putting the entire family at risk. He said he would not be able to live with himself knowing he did nothing for the Armenians of Karabakh." His father's long-term friend Arman Jilavian said even the remotest of chances of helping ethnic Armenians remain in their ancestral land was enough for him. "Some would say this was irrational, some say this was super calculated political move. I think none is true," he says. In September 2023 Azerbaijan launched a military operation and took control of the entire territory in 24 hours. Nagorno-Karabakh's leaders capitulated and more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians were forced to leave their homes. Vardanyan was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities as he joined a mass exodus to Armenia. Much of his time since has been spent in solitary confinement, his family says. He has already been on hunger strike twice, protesting at what he has called a lack of proper judicial process, amid allegations of torture. Fifteen other former Karabakh leaders are also being tried in Baku's military court for alleged war crimes committed since the late 1980s. Vardanyan has been dealt with separately, but many in Armenia see all the cases as show trials. Only the main Azerbaijani state TV channel has been allowed to film the trials. Azerbaijan insists it is complying with international legal standards, and that it has a responsibility to hold to account those suspected of having committed war crimes. But last month, the government in Baku ordered the closure of the local offices of the International Red Cross, the only international organisation with access to Armenian prisoners. The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the "unlawful detention and sham trials of Armenian hostages", calling for their immediate release. Vardanyan returns to court on Tuesday, but supporters fear his case will be overshadowed by a historic peace deal taking shape between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The details are yet to be made public but officials say the draft text does not include the issue of the prisoners on trial or the right of ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to return to their homes. The failure to mention the prisoners has prompted criticism of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government at home and abroad. But Arsen Torosyan, the MP from the Armenian governing party Civil Contract believes this issue needs to be solved separately. "It is a peace treaty between the conflicting countries with a long history of hatred between each other. I personally think that only completing or signing of this peace treaty can make ground to solve the issue of political prisoners. I don't see any other way to do it." Vardanyan has warned this is a mistake. "This is not the trial of just me and 15 others – this is the trial of all Armenians," he said in a voice message to supporters. "If you don't understand this – it is a big tragedy because this is not the end of the story, not the end of the conflict, it's only the next stage of the conflict, for all sides." — BBC
