Argus Geopolitical Intel

Afghanistan Latest: UK in Talks with Taliban to secure safe-passage for further evacuations - Risk Analysis By GEO´ Newsteam - Gibraltar www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 010921 at 08:08 via Hype/GEONewsroom Sources at Number 10 have confirmed that the UK officials are currently in Doha (Qatar) having protracted negotiations with senior Taliban figures to further secure safe passage out of Afghanistan for a number of British nationals and Afghans who remain there. The British government briefed the media that it had sent Prime Minister Boris Johnson's special representative for Afghan transition, Simon Gass, to Doha, Qatar, to meet with the Taliban representatives. It comes after a Taliban pledge to allow further departures. It is thought that there are between 150-250 individuals and their respective families are eligible for relocation to the UK Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will face questions from MPs later today (Wednesday, 1 September 2021) over his h...

CLIMATE CRISIS: End of leaded fuel use a ‘milestone for multilateralism’ - UN via GEO´ PR Wire Posted via GEO´ PR Wire - Gibraltar www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 310821 at 07:48 The global phase-out of leaded fuel represents a “milestone for multilateralism” , UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, marking the end of a 20-year campaign to eliminate a major threat to the health of people and the planet. “Lead in fuel has run out of gas – thanks to the cooperation of governments in developing nations, thousands of businesses and millions of ordinary people,”  António Guterres Healthy, wealthy and wise The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) spearheaded the initiative to put the brakes on a century of leaded petrol use. The move is expected to net the global economy $2.45 trillion in savings. Mr. Guterres highlighted the health benefits. “Ending the use of leaded petrol will prevent more than one million premature deaths each year from heart disease, strokes ...

The EU and Climate Security: Toward Ecological Diplomacy - Carnegie Europe on GEO´ By Olivia Lazard & Richard Youngs via GEO´ Geopolitical PR Wire www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 270821 at 10:06 To fulfil its ambition of becoming an effective geopolitical power, the EU should place ecological security and diplomacy at the heart of its foreign and security policy. This approach should entail practical and innovative strategies that pursue systemic regeneration at home and abroad. The EU stands at a critical juncture in its commitment to energy transition and action against climate change. The European Green Deal brings together multiple strands of policy to propel European states toward a low-carbon economy. However, as the EU deepens and accelerates its internal energy transition, climate action must become a more pivotal issue for the union’s external action. Europe’s energy transition will have far-reaching effects, particularly for the bloc’s relationship with th...

AFGHANISTAN LATEST: Conflict, combined with drought and COVID-19, is pushing Afghans into a humanitarian catastrophe - WFP on GEO´  Posted via GEO´ PR Wire www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 260821 at 09:09 A crisis of incredible proportions is unfolding in Afghanistan as conflict, combined with drought and COVID-19, is pushing Afghans into a humanitarian catastrophe, the UN food relief agency said on Wednesday. The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that one-in-three Afghans, or 14 million people, are hungry today and two million malnourished children urgently need treatment.  Meanwhile, since the beginning of the year, conflict and insecurity have driven more than 550,000 Afghans from their homes as some 70,000 displaced people have converged from across the country into the capital, Kabul. And as the cost of sustenance has surged in recent months, WFP Regional Director John Aylieff pointed out that today, 14 million people in Afghanistan are struggling to put f...

AFGHANISTAN LATEST: Pleas to extend evac deadline fall on deaf Taliban ears - Risk-Analysis GEO´ Newsteam - Gibraltar www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 240821 at 09:44 via GEO´ Hype Newsroom The emergency convened virtual G7 summit is being hosted by the UK today to discuss the ongoing Afghan evacuation crisis. It is already known that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will urge the amassed leaders to increase their support for Afghan refugees, and is expected to call for an increase in aid. He will also promise “to use every humanitarian and diplomatic lever” to protect human rights in Afghanistan with thousands still encamped outside Kabul airport hoping beyond hope for an exit from the Taliban "controlled" country. Evacuations were being conducted on a "war footing" as foreign forces try to meet a Aug. 31 deadline agreed earlier with the Taliban for the withdrawal of all foreign forces, a NATO diplomat told Reuters. The US is being urged by allies to de...

Afghanistan: Johnson to urge Biden to delay Afghan withdrawal - Risk-Analysis GEO´ Newsteam - Gibraltar www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 230821 at 08:42 UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson is expected to use the emergency meeting of G7 member countries later today (Tuesday, 23 August 2021) to remonstrate urge US President Joe Biden to maintain an American military presence in Afghanistan beyond 31 August in order to safely execute all the necessary evacuations. Many thousands of people are crowded outside Kabul airport, desperate to leave after the Taliban swept to power. Joe Biden has already said that discussions were taking place about extending the deadline, but that "our hope is we will not have to". He said US troops have expanded the perimeter around Hamid Karzai International Airport as part of efforts to speed up evacuation efforts, and to-date the Taliban had cooperated with the move. While there is no fixed date on when the UK will withdraw, however, it i...

Experts react: What the fall of Afghanistan means for Europe New Atlanticist by Atlantic Council experts. Related Experts: Dave Keating via GEO´ PR Wire  www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 200821 at 08:39 As policymakers in Washington grapple with the stark reality of losing Afghanistan, their counterparts across Europe are no less flummoxed over what happens next. What of the streams of refugees that may well pour onto the continent? And will Brussels be as ready to support future US foreign policy initiatives? Our experts from the Europe Centre answer these questions—and much more. ‘The age of innocence is over’ If we thought our Western alliance could win hearts and minds with military might and billions of dollars, we were wrong. If we thought a new American leadership would mean more engagement in world affairs, we were wrong. If we think Afghanistan is a distant crisis with no consequences for Europe, we will also be wrong. Terrorism, drug trafficking, and a possib...

AFGHANISTAN EXPLAINER: Who will win the geopolitical battle for Afghanistan? China woos Taliban as US exits  

Why Everyone’s a Winner in the Nord Stream 2 Deal Carnegie Moscow on GEO´  By Alexander Baunov  - Carnegie Institute via GEO´ PR Channel - Gibraltar www.GEOPOliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 190821 at 08:31 The agreement between Germany and the United States, which at first glance appears to be to Russia’s advantage, is in fact beneficial to all parties—even Ukraine. The U.S.-German agreement to allow completion of Russia’s controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which will run from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea—bypassing Ukraine—has been largely described as a victory for Russia, a defeat for the West, and the trampling of Ukrainian sovereignty. Yet for Germany, the completion of Nord Stream 2 had become a matter of its own sovereignty. While there are, of course, those in Germany opposed to the project, most of the country’s political class, business community and general public are in favour of it. So while the agreement between U.S. President Joe Biden and Ger...

AFGHANISTAN LATEST: Taliban leaders return from exile to oversee operations By GEO´ NewsTeam - Gibraltar Additional Reporting By Dan Carter in Islamabad www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com GEO´ Correspondent, Dan Carter reporting from Islamabad, has confirmed reports that the Taliban's political leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar together with other members of the Taliban's senior leadership have returned to the Afghan capital Kabul [their "spiritual birthplace"] after 20 years in exile in Qatar. Baradar, is one of the founding members of the Taliban and was only released from prison to help facilitate the peace process where he was seen as an instrumental part of the US negotiations in Qatar. Taliban hold their first press conference Women will enjoy rights according to Sharia (Islamic Law) Image Credit: TweetBaBa

AFGHANISTAN: Taliban take Kandahar as UK & US prepare to redeploy Troops By GEO´ NewsTeam - Gibraltar Additional Reporting Dan Carter in Kandahar www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 130821 at 07:24 BREAKING The Taliban have captured Afghanistan's second largest city, Kandahar once a Taliban stronghold and a strategically important trade hub. The rebels have also seized seized the nearby city of Lashkar Gah and now control about a third of Afghanistan's provincial capitals displacing thousands of civilians. This is a fluid story, please check back for updates. Image Credit: Chitrapa

CLIMATE CRISIS: Widespread, rapid, and intensifying – IPCC ON GEO´ Posted by GEO´ PR Channel Team - Gibraltar Press Release - IPCC www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 120821 at 08:28 Scientists are observing changes in the Earth’s climate in every region and across the whole climate system, according to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, released today. Many of the changes observed in the climate are unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years, and some of the changes already set in motion—such as continued sea level rise—are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years. Click Here  for our Full Analysis direct to your mailbox or smart device. However, strong and sustained reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases would limit climate change. While benefits for air quality would come quickly, it could take 20-30 years to see global temperatures stabilize, according to the IPCC Worki...

AFGHANISTAN CRISIS - BIDEN: "No Regrets" over troop withdrawal as war rages - Strategic Analysis By GEO´ Newsteam - Gibraltar. Additional Reporting by Dan Carter in Kabul www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 110821 at 10:45 US President Joe Biden has said he does not regret his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, as the Taliban continue to take over cities on their undoubted prize - Kabul. In the statement from the White House he told Afghan leaders that they needed to unite and "fight for their nation". Violence has spiralled out of control already across the country now that US-led forces have all but withdrawn following 20 years of military operations with the Taliban having taken at least eight of the country's 34 provincial capitals. In their latest major advances, Taliban militants seized two more provincial capitals - Farah city and Pul-e-Khumri yesterday (Tuesday 100821). More than 1,000 civilians have been killed amid fierce fighting ...

CLIMATE CRISIS: IPCC report - 'Code Red for Humanity' UN Press Release via GEO´ PR Channel - Gibraltar www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com  Climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying, and some trends are now irreversible, at least during the present time frame, according to the latest much-anticipated Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released on Monday.  Human-induced climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. Scientists are also observing changes across the whole of Earth’s climate system; in the atmosphere, in the oceans, ice floes, and on land. Many of these changes are unprecedented, and some of the shifts are in motion now, while some - such as continued sea level rise – are already ‘irreversible’ for centuries to millennia, ahead, the report warns. But there is still time to limit climate change, IPCC experts say. Strong and sustained reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) a...

LATEST GEOPOLITICAL NEWS - ETHIOPIA: Tigrayan rebels seize Ethiopia’s Lalibela UNESCO Heritage site - Analysis By GEO´ Newsteam - GEO´ Newsroom Gibraltar www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 060821 at 10:32 Rebels from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region have seized control of the town of Lalibela, a Unesco world heritage site in neighbouring Amhara region. Thousands have been killed since war broke out last November with both the Tigray rebel forces and the Ethiopian army and its allies accused of committing widescale human rights abuses and war crimes. Fighting had already spread into Amhara and Afar, another region bordering Tigray before the seizures of the protected 13th Century churches ...  Click Here  for our Full Analysis direct to your mailbox or smart device. About Lalibela Lalibela is a town in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia. It's known for its distinctive rock-cut churches dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, which are pilgrimage sites for Copti...

REGIME - IRAN: What next for Iran as hardline cleric takes the helm - Reportage By: Iain Fraser - Reportage Editor - Malaga City www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 050821 at 09:29 Iran's new president, Ebrahim Raisi a hardline cleric is to be sworn into office succeeding the largely "moderate" Hassan Rouhani following his landslide election victory in June. The 60-year-old, who will take office in August, presented himself as the best person to combat corruption and solve the economic problems Iran has experienced under the outgoing President. Who is Ebrahim Raisi Ebrahim Raisi was born in 1960 in Mashhad, Iran's second biggest city and home to the country's holiest Shia Muslim shrine. His father, who was a cleric, died when he was five years old. Mr. Raisi, who wears a black turban identifying him in Shia tradition as a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, followed his father's footsteps and started attending a seminary in the holy city of Qom at th...

NATO adds to widespread criticism of MV Mercer Street attack Posted By: GEO´ Newsteam - Gibraltar www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com Google Indexed on 040821 at 07:49 NATO has put its not unsubstantial weight behind Allies by adding to the already widespread criticism of the MV Mercer Street attack. In a statement issued yesterday (03 August 2021) the acting NATO Spokesperson affirming that the alliance strongly condemned the recent fatal attack on the MV Mercer Street off the coast of Oman, and expressed the Organisation´s condolences to Roumania and the United Kingdom for the losses they have suffered. The Press Memorandum went on to say that - Freedom of navigation is vital for all NATO Allies, and must be upheld in accordance with international law.  The United Kingdom, the United States, Israel and Romania have all concluded that Iran is highly likely responsible for this incident. Allies remain concerned by Iran's destabilising actions in the region, and call on Tehran to respect i...

LATEST GEOPOLITICAL NEWS - MARITIME SECURITY: UK and US condemn Tehran for Tanker Attack By GEO´ Newsteam - Gibraltar www.GEOPoliticalmatters.com Google Indexed on 020821 at 09:19 2021 Gulf of Oman incident Part of the 2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis Date: July 29, 2021 Location: Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean Target: MV Mercer Street The UK, US and Israel have collectively condemned Tehran after an attack on the Israeli-owned MV Mercer Street in an attack off the Oman coast last Thursday (29th July 2021) that killed two crewmen; a British national and a Romanian citizen, in a direct violation of international law. The statements came after Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said there was "evidence" that the Tehran regime was responsible for the attack. The attack on the MV Mercer Street appears to be the latest escalation in an undeclared "shadow war" between Israel and Iran for months now and while there have been several attacks on both Israeli and Iranian-op...