Asia / Pacific

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said on Monday that the United States had held talks with Iran in the last day and the two sides "had major points of agreement." He added that a deal to end the war could be reached soon. Trump said that his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, his close adviser and son-in law had met with the Iranians Sunday. Discussions would continue Monday. We have had very intense discussions. We'll have to see how they go. We have major points of consensus, or almost all of them, as I'd say. Mr. Witkoff,...

The British government announced on Monday that the Iranian ambassador in the UK was summoned. Last week, an Iranian national and a British-Iranian dual citizen were arrested on suspicion of aiding Iran's spy services. Two men were accused in a London Court last week of 'being involved in gathering information from Iranian spy services and conducting reconnaissance of Jewish targets within?Britain over a five-week period in the summer of last year. The British Foreign Office said that "national security is our number one priority and we take the threats posed by Iran and those who follow its orders 'extremely serious."...

Despite the fact that the markets were bouncing and oil prices were near $100 a barrel due to the U.S./Israeli war against Iran, U.S. Energy Sec. Chris Wright said on Monday, at the CERAWeek conference in Houston, Texas. After the attacks in the Middle East on energy infrastructure and the closure of an important shipping channel, the world is experiencing one of its worst energy crises. The oil prices are at multi-year highs, and fuel prices in the U.S. have surged. This could cause problems for the Republican Party of President Donald Trump ahead of the midterm elections. The Trump...

The Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday told the government to take "balanced" decisions on how to use newly increased'state revenue' from?energy exports in light of a surge in global prices. He also stressed that the economy and the public accounts must be protected from external risks. He asked Russia's energy companies to use their additional revenues to pay back the massive debts they owe to banks. Prior to this month's dramatic rise in energy and?oil prices, due to the conflict in the Middle East, Russia had been experiencing falling budget revenues due to a greater discount on its oil...

Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, said that the fundamentals of Indian economy were strong, and that the country had enough petroleum, fertilizers, and coal to weather the trade and energy disruptions brought on by the U.S. and Israeli 'war on Iran. The conflict, which started last month, has affected sectors ranging from air travel, shipping, and gas supplies. It also caused the Strait of Hormuz to be almost closed, which is a major conduit for 40% of India’s crude oil imports. Modi, the lower house of parliament, said that India had enough petroleum reserves, with strategic reserves exceeding...

Saudi Aramco has cut 'crude oil supply' to Asian buyers in April for a second month,>>,>>,>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>?two sources?knowing the situation? said on Monday. This is after the U.S./Israeli war against Iran disrupted the trade via the Strait of Hormuz. Sources said that the producer will only supply 'Arab Light crude from the Red Sea port of Yanbu in April to customers on a term basis. This is to limit supplies to Asian refineries and to cap their output. Aramco couldn't be reached immediately for comment outside office hours. Kpler data shows that Saudi Arabia exported 4.355 millions barrels of crude per...

According to the preliminary results from 'the state election commission', based on?the most votes?counted?, the right-leaning Slovenian Democratic Party and liberal Freedom Movement were tied at Sunday's parliamentary elections in Slovenia. Even with their existing coalition partners, neither party appeared likely to win the 46 seats required for a majority of the 90-seat Parliament. This makes smaller parties who cross the 4% threshold potentially kingmakers. SDS won 28 seats. Based on 99.45% counted votes, GS was in a close race with SDS. With the support of the other parties, GS, led by the incumbent Prime Minister Robert Golob, would have...

The British government announced that Prime Minister Keir starmer will chair an urgent meeting on the economic impact of the war in Iran, on Monday. Finance minister Rachel Reeves, and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey are expected to attend. Investors should prepare for another turbulent?week on the financial markets, after Iran warned that it would 'hit the energy and water system?of its Gulf neighbours' if U.S. president Donald Trump followed through on his threat to strike Iran’s electricity grid. The British are watching this situation with particular concern. The high level of inflation, the country's dependence on natural gas...

Sinopec (China Petroleum & Chemical Corp), also known as Sinopec reported a 36.8% 'decline' in its 2025 net profit, citing a rise in the substitution of?new energy resources and weak petrochemicals margins. In a filing with the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the world's largest oil refiner by capacity reported a net income of 31.8 billion Yuan ($4.62billion) based on Chinese accounting standards. The refinery's throughput dropped 0.8% to 250.33 millions metric tons last year, which is equivalent to 5,000,000 barrels of oil per day. The company predicted that refinery throughput will remain at around 250 million tons by 2026. Gasoline production...

According to an academic analysis, the Patriot air defense system operated by the United States likely fired the missile that caused the pre-dawn blast in Bahrain which injured dozens and destroyed homes 10 days after the start of the war against Iran. Both Bahrain and Washington blamed the March 9 explosion on an Iranian drone. The Gulf kingdom reported that 32 people were injured, including some children, in the blast. U.S. Central Command stated on X on the day after the attack that an Iranian drone had struck a residential area in Bahrain. Bahrain acknowledged on Saturday, in response to...

Saudi Arabia informed Iran's military attache and his aide, as well as three members of the embassy, that they must leave the kingdom within 24 hours of being declared persona grata. The Saudi Foreign Ministry cited what it called continued Iranian attacks against Saudi territory. Saudi Arabia has been attacked by hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones, most of which were intercepted. In a press release, the?ministry stated that continued Iranian attacks will?lead?to further escalation and "significant consequences" on current and future relationships. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister stated on Wednesday that the kingdom reserves the right to use military force...

India's benchmark indexes rose on Monday morning, rebounding from their worst week for years. However, investors remain?wary that crude oil will continue to rise above $100 per barrel amid the prolonged Middle East conflict. As of 10:08 a.m. IST, the Nifty 50 index rose by 0.2%, to 23,189. The BSE Sensex increased by 0.18%, to 74697.2. Nine out of 16 major sectors were higher. Mid-cap and small cap fell by 0.2% and 0.7% respectively. The U.S. and Israeli war against?Iran has led to the closure of Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery of global oil?and?gas shipments. Brent crude was hovering...

Chicago soybean futures fluctuated between 'positive and negative territory' on Monday, and ended the day a tad higher after U.S. president Donald Trump announced a possible delay to possible strikes against Iranian power plants. Trump's remark, which also referred productive talks with Iran sent oil prices tumbling, as investors saw a de-escalation of the U.S./Israeli war against Iran, which has disrupted energy supplies worldwide. The fall in crude oil prices was halted by the Iranian denial of any talks with Washington. Meanwhile, grain prices recovered. Randy Place, an analyst at Hightower Report, said: "I don't believe the?market feels like it's...

Chicago soybean futures rose on Monday, as investors considered?U.S. Iranian threats of targeting energy facilities could escalate the war, adding further pressure on the global commodities markets. Futures for wheat and corn edged higher. As of 0340 GMT, the most active soybean contract at?the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), was up 0.34% to $11.65-1/2 per bushel. CBOT corn rose 0.8% and wheat gained 1.1%. Iran has warned that it will strike water and energy infrastructure in the Gulf region if U.S. president Donald Trump follows through with his threat to attack Iran's?electricity network. U.S. president Donald Trump threatened on Saturday...

U.S. president Donald Trump asked allies to help'secure the Strait of Hormuz' as Iranian forces 'continued attacks on this vital waterway during the U.S. and Israeli war against?Iran in its third week. Trump claimed that his administration has already reached out to seven countries but refused to name them. In an earlier post on social media, Trump said he hoped China would join the effort, as well as France, Japan and South Korea. Iran effectively closed the Strait between Iran and Oman. This narrow passage of water has cut off a fifth global oil supply, the largest disruption in history....

The U.S. Dollar was set to?gain a second weekly gain as investors moved?towards safer assets on Friday, as the Middle East war pushed investors towards safe-haven currencies. Energy-sensitive currencies like the euro and the yen fell to multi-month-lows. The economies of Japan and the euro zone, which heavily depend on crude imports would be severely affected by a sharp rise in oil prices. The economists are still wary about monetary tightening, as the dependence of these economies on fuel imports will likely lead to a rise in energy prices that could weigh on economic growth. The euro dropped to its...

Satsuki Katayama, Japan's Finance Minister, said that the country is prepared to take any steps necessary against sharp swings on foreign exchange and other financial markets. These have a major impact on peoples' livelihoods. Katayama said at a regular press conference that it was "clear" that the Middle East crisis had caused significant volatility in financial markets. She said that the government was ready to take action at any time to respond to the sharp swings in the market, particularly those caused by the surging oil price. The yen reached 159.43 yen on Thursday. This is the lowest since January...

Calculations showed that the proceeds from Russia's mineral extract tax, which is its largest tax item for crude oil production and the country's?largest taxable item, could almost double in March due to the global price rally induced by the conflict in the Middle East. The global oil benchmarks soared to $119 per barrel on Monday, the highest level since June 2022. This was due to supply cuts from Saudi Arabia and others producers, which stoked fears of a major disruption to global supplies. The price increase of crude oil, along with the natural gas that it produces, will benefit Russia's...

South Korea announced on Thursday that it would cap the domestic fuel prices starting Friday in order to combat an increase in energy costs resulting from the conflict?in the Middle East. South Korea, Asia's fourth largest economy and a country that relies on imported energy for its needs, is making this move to try to mitigate the impact of the Middle East oil crisis. South Korea has set the maximum wholesale gasoline price at $1.17 per liter. This is below Wednesday's 1,833 won. The price will be adjusted every two weeks in order to reflect the changes in oil prices....

Donald Trump hoped to reassure Americans on a visit to Kentucky and Ohio, Wednesday, that the rising prices of 'gasoline' were temporary. Republican colleagues worried that these increases were causing voter anxiety over the economy. Trump's first campaign trip since the U.S. and Israeli military operation against Iran began on February 28, was a successful one. He could use the trip to hone his economic message, and highlight his achievements ahead of the midterm elections in November. His fellow Republicans are defending a narrow?majority in both chambers of Congress. Trump's first remarks at his stop in Cincinnati, Ohio were centered...

The U.S. and Israel war against?Iran is likely to hit consumers hard across the United States' economic spectrum. This could undermine a key component of the economy that was?expected? to boom this year due in part because of a hefty income tax refund, low unemployment and rising asset prices. Analysts felt that both "spurs", of the U.S.'so-called K-shaped economic model, could maintain or even increase spending in the upcoming months. Wealth effects would lead better-off families and service industry workers to spend more, while windfall tax refunds due to 'new exemptions on overtime and tip income, helped hourly workers. Both...

Revised data revealed that Japan's economy has grown faster than originally estimated during the last three months of 2025. However, the Middle East conflict is still a factor in determining the outlook for growth. Gross domestic product (GDP), which is the sum of all goods and services produced in a country, grew by 1.3%. This was faster than the preliminary estimate of 0.2%. It also exceeded economists' average forecast for 1.2%. Quarter-on-quarter, without annualisation, the GDP increased by 0.3%. This was in line with the median forecast of 0.3% growth and was compared to the initial estimate of 0.1%. Capital...

A?representative of Wanhua Chemical said that the company has declared "force majeure" on its Middle East clients. According to an email sent by Wanhua to its customers and seen here, the 'force majeure' - a clause in a contract which relieves parties of their obligations due to a unforeseen event - took effect on March 7th. The letter said: "We face the'severe disruption of the shipping routes in Strait of Hormuz which makes?delivery unreasonably unsafe or impossible." According to traders, the petrochemical major sells its derivatives like isocyanates - a building block used in polyurethane for furniture, bedding and automobile...

Share markets are down on concerns that a U.S. - Israeli war against Iran is escalating and will lead to a squeeze on energy supplies around the world. Here are some?actions? that governments have taken?or? plan to take in order to lessen the impact the war has on their economies. SOUTH KOREAN PLANS FUEL CAPITAL South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced on Monday that the government would be capping domestic fuel prices for nearly 30 years. The country will also look for sources ?of energy beyond supplies shipped via the Strait of Hormuz, and a 100 trillion won ($67...