Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), stated on Tuesday that if the conflict in the Middle East continues until summer, the number of hungry people worldwide could rise by 45 million. Analysts believe that Africa and Asia will suffer the most, with hunger reaching record levels. “This is a terrible prospect,” Skau emphasized.

The conflict surrounding Iran has entered a dangerous phase, increasingly resembling a full-scale regional war rather than a limited operation. Tehran maintains that it is acting in self-defense, demonstrating resilience despite sustained strikes on infrastructure and leadership. Iranian authorities emphasize systemic stability and rapid recovery capacity. While the risks of further escalation, including potential ground operations, remain, Iran signals readiness and insists the conflict will continue until perceived threats are fully eliminated.

Do Robert Kocharyan and Samvel Karapetyan understand that they will have to deal with Baku?

At first glance, it may seem like a series of swift and nearly flawless operations, in which key figures within Iran’s system are targeted one after another. However, behind this apparent “ease” lies a far more complex reality — years of preparation, deeply embedded intelligence networks, and strategic groundwork carried out long before the current escalation. According to experts, it is precisely this factor that explains Israel’s remarkable precision and effectiveness today.

U.S. mediators have presented Hamas with a formal proposal to surrender its weapons, according to a senior U.S. official speaking to NPR. The proposal urges Hamas and all other militant groups in Gaza to relinquish their arms, with a newly emerging governing authority taking responsibility for all weaponry.

Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) shares rose as much as 10% Thursday morning before paring gains to 4% following an announcement that Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) will invest up to $1.25 billion in the electric vehicle maker through 2031 as part of a robotaxi partnership.

European gas prices spiked by 25% on Thursday, after a wave of attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East included strikes at a key liquefied natural gas facility in Qatar.

 President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to "step up" as he pressed allies for more support over the war with Iran and rising oil prices, while defending the secrecy of the campaign by invoking Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

 The U.S. military’s request for $200 billion in additional funding for the Iran war met with stiff opposition in the U.S. Congress on Thursday, as Democrats and even some Republicans questioned the need for the money after large defense appropriations last year.

A U.S. official confirmed a Washington Post report that the Department of Defense has asked the White House to approve a more than $200 billion request to Congress to fund the war in Iran.

Micron Technology’s fiscal second-quarter revenue nearly tripled year-on-year and earnings per share rose nearly eightfold, but shares fell after the chipmaker said it would spend over $25 billion on new manufacturing facilities in fiscal 2026, about $5 billion more than prior forecasts.