Author: Steven Sahiounie

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian revealed that his country is seriously studying the outcome of previous rounds of negotiations regarding the nuclear deal. During his meeting with the EU’s foreign policy coordinator in New York, Amirabdollahian pointed out that the Iranian government is seeking practical results from the upcoming negotiations, adding, “We do not accept the US’ unconstructive behavior, and we will not disrupt our country by waiting for previously tested empty promises.” For his part, the EU’s external relations official, Josep Borrell stated that the US bears the responsibility for the current tense situation, adding that everyone should cooperate to reach…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Recently, the US, UK and Australia formed an alliance which has hurt France on many levels.  Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse interviewed Andrew Korybko to gain insight into the back story of this global headline. Andrew Korybko is a Moscow-based American political analyst specializing in the relationship between the US grand strategy in Afro-Eurasia, China’s Belt & Road Initiative, Russia’s balancing act, and Hybrid Warfare. 1. Steven Sahiounie (SS): Recently, Australia reneged on a deal to buy submarines from France. The US announced that Australia will deploy nuclear-powered submarines. This has infuriated France, and exposed…

Congress Democrats called on top executives of oil giants, ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, BP, and Chevron Corporation, to testify on what they called a “long-running, industry-wide campaign to spread disinformation” regarding fossil fuels’ role in causing global warming. The House Oversight Committee requested Thursday that ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, and Chevron executives testify at an October hearing alongside executives from the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry’s number one lobbying group, and the United States Chamber of Commerce. This investigation would put the executives of some of the world’s largest oil companies at the center of a probe that would reveal…

It has always been known that reefs are in danger, but a new study published in the journal One Earth assessed the size of coral losses around the world. The study reveals that half of the coral reefs have been lost since the 1950s, and scientists believe this is caused by climate change, overfishing, and pollution. These factors are wiping out these already vulnerable fragile ecosystems and putting communities and livelihoods at risk. As a matter of fact, the study goes as far as to underscore the rapid pace of global coral collapse. “Coral reefs have been in decline worldwide—I think that’s…

The Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq has announced it will be canceling the approval of two candidates in the upcoming elections. In a statement, the commission stated that it had canceled the approval of the candidates Muhammad Abdul-Amri and Salah Taher al-Suwaidi, adding that their votes have been withheld for violating the rules of electoral conduct. Additionally, the Security and Defense Committee of the Iraqi Parliament confirmed that there will be no road blocking or curfew on election day. Bader Al-Ziyadi, a member of the committee, said the Supreme Security Committee for the elections has a strategy to safeguard polling…

After becoming the first country to render Bitcoin a legal currency alongside the dollar on September 7, El Salvador has announced that it has purchased even more Bitcoin.  As the South American country previously owned 400 Bitcoin, El Salvador president Nayib Bukele announced that the country now owns 700, as he excitedly claimed to “buy the dip.”  The father of all cryptocurrency has once surpassed $60,000 – Bukele made the announcement on early Monday morning, where the coin was priced at approximately $45,000. El Salvador is a country with one of the highest number of cryptocurrency ATMs – it comes…

With Indian start-ups raising $10 billion through IPOs so far in 2021 and some 150 private firms lined up to list on the country’s stock market, India could soon increase $400 billion in market value, Goldman Sachs predicts. India’s stock market has already raised more money so far this year than it did in the last three years, the investment bank said in a report. Analysts predict investors’ interest to stay firm, propelling the country’s market capitalization to $5 trillion by 2024 from the current $3.5 trillion. This would effectively make India’s the world’s 5th largest stock market, throwing the…

The debt fallout from China’s major real estate developer Evergrande hit global equity markets this week, spilling over into the cryptocurrency sector. Boom Bust’s Ben Swann analyzes the situation as bitcoin’s hedge status comes into question.

Ankara is discussing new contracts for gas supplies with a number of countries, including Russia, Turkish Deputy Energy Minister revealed on Tuesday. “This year will be very difficult for all of us. But we are on good terms with our current suppliers, such as Azerbaijan and Russia. We are discussing new volumes of supplies, new contracts, because some contracts, for example, with [Russian state-run energy giant] Gazprom, expire at the end of the year,” Alparslan Bayraktar told reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing Gastech international conference in Dubai. He noted that potential supply contracts are being discussed with other…

France will rethink its concept of alliances and partnerships after the US negotiated a nuclear submarine deal with the UK and Australia without so much as telling Paris, said the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. “At issue here isn’t so much the breach of a weapons contract – even if this harms France – but the breach in confidence between allies,” Le Drian said Monday at a press conference in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session. “This calls for serious reflection among Europeans on the very concept that we have of alliances and partnerships” US President…