Oil prices dip after Trump signals delay on Iran strikes

Oil prices retreated on Thursday following remarks by former US President Donald Trump indicating a delay in potential military action against Iran’s energy infrastructure.

Trump postpones US strikes on Iranian power grid to April 6 amid talks

United States President Donald Trump has pushed back a self-imposed deadline for attacks on Iran’s power grid to April 6, citing progress in negotiations to end the ongoing war in the country.

Gulf tensions aggravate Pakistan’s power crisis rooted in structural weaknesses and poor governance

Pakistan has gone into panic mode, thanks to the imminent power crisis the country faces after Qatar halted LNG production amid the escalating conflict in the Gulf.

Oil prices rise higher as Iran denies US talks, dimming deescalation hopes

Oil prices have climbed higher amid fading hopes of deescalation in the Iran war following Tehran’s denial that talks with the United States are under way.

Hormuz route opened for India: Iranian FM

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said that they have permitted the passage of vessels for friendly countries, including India, through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran readies law to charge tolls in strait of Hormuz: ’ships must pay for security’

Iran is preparing legislation to impose toll charges on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to an Al Jazeera report citing Iranian news agencies Fars and Tasnim.

Tehran issues warning to regional neighbour if Iranian island occupied

A senior official in Tehran has warned that intelligence reports suggest that “Iran’s enemies” ⁠are planning to occupy an Iranian island with support ‌from an unnamed country in the region.

Iran’s foreign minister says there are no negotiations with US

Iran’s foreign minister says the country is not currently negotiating with the US to end the war and ’’does not intend’’ to do so.

Middle East wars only increase Myanmar’s strategic value for China

It began in the mid-1980s with a plan to open a trade route through Myanmar for China’s landlocked inland provinces of Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou, allowing them to trade with the outside world without having to rely on a long and underdeveloped network of roads and railroads to China’s own ports.

US expected to send thousands more soldiers to Middle East, sources say

The Pentagon is expected to send ​thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with the ‌matter told Reuters on Tuesday, adding to a massive U.S. military buildup even as President Donald Trump talks about a possible deal with Tehran to end the war.

Oil prices Tumble back below $100 on ceasefire optimism

Oil prices fell sharply in early asian trade on Wednesday, with both major benchmarks dropping more than 5% as traders reacted to signs of potential de-escalation in the Middle East conflict as well as a crude inventory build in the U.S.

Philippine president declares energy emergency as impact of Iran war felt

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared a national energy emergency in response to the US-Israel war on Iran ⁠and what he called the “imminent danger” posed to the country’s energy supply.

EU demands ’serious reform’ of the WTO to stop flood of Chinese exports

European fears over the impact of a surge in imports from China on the bloc’s faltering industrial base will be raised during World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks in the coming days.

Oil at $150 will trigger global recession, says boss of financial giant BlackRock

If the price of oil hits $150 a barrel it will trigger a global recession, the boss of US financial giant BlackRock has told the BBC.

Russia launches 948 drones at Ukraine in largest attack over 24-hour period

Russia has launched the largest aerial attack on Ukraine over a 24-hour period since the war began, hitting cities across the country with 948 drones.

Chinese medical AI gains ground in global south, starting with screening

In a remote mining community in northeast Nigeria, tuberculosis screening no longer begins in a hospital. It begins outdoors, where workers line up beside an ultra-portable X-ray machine and health staff read the images with the help of artificial intelligence. The device was supplied by a Chinese medical AI company.

Iran arrests 466 over online activities amid war with US and Israel

Iranian authorities announced on Tuesday the arrest of 466 people accused of seeking to destabilise the country through their online activity, state media reported, as the war with the US and Israel ground on.

Philippines declares energy emergency over Iran conflict

The Philippines has declared a state of national energy emergency, citing the ’’imminent danger’’ posed to the country’s fuel supplies by the conflict in the Middle East.

Rajasthan Royals sold in a massive US$1.6 billion deal ahead of IPL 2026

Rajasthan Royals has been acquired by Kal Somani for a whopping price of US$1.6 billion, making it one of the most valued franchises in the Indian Premier League. The deal has been closed with only a few days left before the commencement of the 2026 edition of the marquee T20 tournament. Notably, Somani was a minority shareholder in the franchise earlier but has now gained full ownership.

Kim vows to ‘irreversibly’ cement North Korea’s nuclear status

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to irreversibly cement his country’s status as a nuclear power while maintaining a hard-line stance toward South Korea, which he called the “most hostile” state, state media said Tuesday.

Oil back above $100 as conflicting claims emerge on US-Iran talks

The price of Brent crude oil has risen back above $100 a barrel, after plunging on Monday, as conflicting accounts of potential talks between US and Iran emerged.

Iranian media says energy infrastructure in the country attacked

US-Israeli strikes have targeted two gas facilities and a pipeline, hours after Trump stepped back from his threat to attack power infrastructure, Iranian media is reporting.

US bans new foreign-made consumer internet routers

The US has banned new foreign-made consumer internet routers over national security concerns.

Iran sends waves of missiles into Israel, dismisses Trump’s talk of negotiations as ’fake news’

Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, the Israeli military said, after U.S. President Donald Trump postponed a threat to bomb the Islamic Republic’s power grid because of what he described as productive talks with Iranian officials.

The war in Iran has changed strategic equations to the detriment of China

China stands to lose heavily, both materially and geopolitically, from the devastating attack which the US and Israel have launched on Iran.

Massive explosion at crude oil refinery rocks Texas city

A massive explosion at a Texas crude oil refinery shot up towering plumes of dark smoke and physically shook locals’ homes before they were ordered to shelter in place on Monday.

At least 34 killed in Colombia military plane crash, governor says

At least 34 people have died, and dozens of others have been wounded after a Colombian military plane with 125 people on board crashed after takeoff in the south of the country, officials said.

Brent crude falls to $96 as Trump orders delay in military action on Iran

Oil prices fell by ⁠more than 13 percent after ⁠Trump said he would order the military ‌to postpone any strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure.

Trump postpones military strikes on Iranian power plants

President Donald Trump said on Monday ​the U.S. has had good ‌and productive conversations with Iran and he will order the military ​to postpone any military ​strikes against Iranian power plants ⁠and energy infrastructure for five ​days.

HK police can now demand phone passwords under new national security rules

Hong Kong police can now demand phone or computer passwords from those who are suspected of breaching the wide-ranging National Security Law (NSL).