What is Iran's Pickaxe Mountain? Six months into the war with Iran, it is worth taking stock of what has actually changed around the Gulf. After Iran's June 2025 missile strike on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, I argued that the years ahead would be more perilous for the Gulf and that deeper defence cooperation and integration would eventually become unavoidable. Earlier this month, I wrote here that the Gulf could no longer rely entirely on the old security toolkit and would need to build more of a security ecosystem of its own. So far, events have borne out the broad direction of both arguments.

Follow this section to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW? Smart Alerts: Get notified about major news as it happens. Follow this tag to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW?

Follow this section to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW? Smart Alerts: Get notified about major news as it happens. Follow this tag to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW?

In 1990, three former Apple employees launched a company that epitomized the Silicon Valley dream. What they invented looked like an iPhone--more than a decade earlier. The device never came to be. Imagine a tech company so visionary that it can take an public. A "concept IPO," they called it. Picture the three founders, all former Apple employees, two of whom--software engineers Andy Hertzfeld and Bill Atkinson--were already Silicon Valley legends for their work creating the Apple Macintosh. Atkinson's prolific inventions included the double click and the drop down menu.

US President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of the UK government over its response to the Iran conflict, after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the country would not be drawn into the wider war. Trump told reporters on Monday he was not happy with the UK, adding it should be involved enthusiastically in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz - a vital oil shipping channel . He later told a press conference there were some countries that greatly disappointed me before he singled out the UK, which he said had been considered the Rolls-Royce of allies. Trump's remarks came after Sir Keir said the UK was working with allies on a viable, collective plan to reopen the strait. Sir Keir also said the UK already had minehunters in the region but there was no decision yet on what action would be taken.

The rules-based world order no longer exists, the German Chancellor has warned at a major security summit. Opening the annual Munich Security Conference, Friedrich Merz told other world leaders that our freedom is not guaranteed in an era of big power politics, and that Europeans must be ready to make sacrifice. He also admitted that a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States. The conference is taking place on the backdrop of US President Donald Trump threatening Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland by pledging to annex the Arctic territory and his tariffs on imports from European nations. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was listening to Merz and will deliver his own speech on Saturday, earlier spoke of a new era in geopolitics.

Here's where things stand on Monday, December 1. The number of casualties from a Russian attack on Ukraine's Kyiv on Sunday rose to one person killed and 18 wounded, according to regional Governor Mykola Kalashnyk. In southern Kherson, at least two people were killed, and seven others were wounded in more Russian attacks, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram. In the Donetsk region, at least two people were killed, and five were injured in Russian attacks on Saturday, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin. In Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack killed two men in the Belgorod region, the region's operational headquarters said in a post on Telegram.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said a new anti-drone system should be fully operational by the end of 2027, as part of a drive to toughen defences against Russia and be fully prepared for possible conflict by 2030. Drones are already redefining warfare. Having drone defences is no longer optional for anyone, Kallas said, referring to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and fears that Moscow may attack the EU. The European Commission's defence roadmap also proposes strengthening the EU's eastern borders and building air and space shields. Several EU nations have faced Russian incursions into their airspace and US President Donald Trump has urged the bloc to do more to defend itself.

How is Russia replenishing its military? What is a'coalition of the willing'? How China forgot promises and'debts' to Ukraine How are Europe, the US pulling apart on Ukraine? Copenhagen airport shut after sighting of'unidentified drones' Authorities in Denmark have closed Copenhagen airport after unidentified drones were sighted nearby, causing about 15 flights to be diverted, police and airport officials told the AFP news agency. "The airspace over Copenhagen airport has been closed since 8:30pm (18:30 GMT) due to two to three unidentified drones. No aircraft can take off or land," airport spokeswoman Lise Agerley Kurstein said.

Into the two big foreign policy arenas sucking up much of the Trump administration's time and effort come two major challenges in less than 24 hours. Israel's air raid on the offices of Hamas in Doha and a Russian drone incursion deep into Polish airspace represent two massive headaches for the White House. After all, these are conflicts - Ukraine and Gaza - US President Donald Trump said he would deal with swiftly and decisively. In each case, a leader he sees as a natural, if problematic ally - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - has thrown a massive spanner in the wheels of White House peace-making. The Doha raid came just two days after the Trump administration delivered its latest proposals to end the war in Gaza.