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Foreign Minister says China is ready to work with Russia to reduce tensions in the Middle East
In a Sunday phone call, Foreign Minister Wang Yi informed his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that China was 'willing to continue cooperating with Russia at the U.N. Security Council' and to make efforts to "cool down" the Middle East situation. Wang stated that the best way to resolve navigational issues in the Strait of Hormuz was to achieve a cessation of fire as soon as possible. He added that China has always favored a political resolution of hot-spot?issues by dialogue and negotiation. The call was made ahead of next week's U.N. Security Council voting on a Bahraini Resolution to protect commercial shipping around and in the Strait of Hormuz. According to a ministry statement, Wang said that as permanent UNSC members, China and Russia should "adopt a balanced and objective approach" and work to gain greater support and understanding from the international community. In a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, it was stated that the ministers had discussed how to "achieve a rapid cessation of hostilities" and "launch a diplomatic-political dialogue." It said that "satisfaction" was expressed by the coincidence of Russia and China's 'approaches' on many global issues, including the'situation' around Iran, relating to the unprovoked attack by the U.S. China has repeatedly called on a ceasefire in the Gulf and Middle East region, calling for an end to fighting that has lasted for more than a month, and has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz - a vital shipping artery for gas and oil. Reporting by Shi Bu, Ryan Woo and Mark Porter; Editing Hugh Lawson.
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Phillies Taijuan Walk shoots for Rockies road sweep
The Philadelphia Phillies began their first road trip this season with two impressive victories over the Colorado Rockies. The Phillies will try to complete the sweep on Sunday when they finish the three-game series. Philadelphia, who won 2-1 on Saturday night, will match up Taijuan Walker (0-0, 11.57 ERA), against Colorado's Tomoyuki Sugano (00-0, 1.93 ERA), in a matchup of right-handers. Walker had a tough start for the Phillies in his first game of the year, giving up seven hits on ten in four and a half innings on Monday against Washington. He can improve against the Rockies. Walker is 5-1 in 10 career starts against Colorado with a 2.36 ERA. In 2025, he went 2-0 and had a 2.45 ERA over two appearances against the Rockies. Walker can build on the Phillies' first two starts this weekend. Aaron Nola, Jesus Luzardo and their combined teams struck out 20 batters in each of their respective appearances. Nola was able to benefit from a strong run support during a 10-1 victory on Friday, but Philadelphia only scored two runs Saturday night. The Phillies offense has struggled, except for the 10 runs they scored on Friday. Bryce Harper stated that seasons can sometimes be like this. Some guys have great first months, but then have a horrible rest of the season. They can have a bad month, but then win MVP. You play the entire season because you want to. You shouldn't place too much emphasis on the first few games. You play your own game. It's important to remember that the season is long and it's worth playing all of it. Philadelphia will face a pitcher that it has not faced before. Sugano made a good debut for Colorado on Monday, when the Rockies thrashed Toronto 14-5. Sugano allowed only one run on just two hits, but a high pitch count kept him from going beyond 4 2/3 innings. Colorado signed Sugano (?36) to shore up its rotation, which struggled in 2025. The Rockies' pitching has improved this year, but, like the Phillies, their offense has been a struggle. Colorado has scored 5 runs in its last 4 games. The Rockies scored 15 goals in their Friday home opener and another 13 on Saturday night. This has played a role in the Rockies' 1-4 start in games with one run. After the 2-1 defeat, Warren Schaeffer stated that the "big thing" with Saturday's strikeout was we missed too many pitch in the zone and early in the count. "You can't chase late and miss pitches early, it's a bad combination." Despite the strikeout problems, there have been some positives. Ezequiel Torvar, a rookie, has a.294 average after he went 1-for-4 on Saturday. Troy Johnston is batting.333 and has one of Colorado's first eight home runs. Field Level Media
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Kuwait Petroleum Corp. reports damage to units following Iran drone attacks
On?Sunday?, Iranian drone attacks hit multiple targets in Kuwait. State?energy company Kuwait Petroleum Corporation reported fires and "severe damage" to some units. KPC stated in a press release that teams are working to contain fires at National Petroleum Company and Petrochemical Industries Company affiliates. KPC said earlier that a drone had attacked the complex housing the KPC headquarters and oil ministry in Shuwaikh. Kuwaiti state media, citing Kuwait's finance ministry, reported that an Iranian drone had allegedly 'hit an office complex of government ministries, inflicting significant material damage, but no injuries. Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity and Water said that two power-generating units were taken out after Iranian drones attacked two desalination and power plants. The damage was significant. In all incidents, no injuries have been reported. The U.S. and Israeli 'war on Iran' is now in its sixth weeks, with Tehran attacking Israel and Gulf Arab states that host U.S. military bases. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have claimed responsibility for the attacks on Kuwaiti petrochemical facilities, as well as those in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
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PMI data shows that Saudi Arabia's non oil business activity shrank in March amid conflict.
A 'business survey' revealed that Saudi Arabian non-oil sector activity fell in March for the first time since August 20. The war in the Middle East had slowed down supply chains. S&P Global's?seasonally-adjusted Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia Purchasing managers' Index (PMI) fell to 48.8 from 56.1 in Feb. The readings below 50 indicate contraction. Naif Al Ghaith is the chief economist at Riyad Bank. He said that the drop into contraction was largely due to short-term uncertainties linked with the geopolitical tensions of the region. "The soft reading was mainly?driven by a pause in the new orders, as clients adopted more caution." Export orders experienced a notable drop, and some firms reported a temporary slowdown of cross-border activities. This led to a moderated output, Al-Ghaith explained. For the first time, both output and new orders have declined since August 2020, when the COVID-19 epidemic brought economies to a grinding halt. New orders dropped to 45.2 in March, down from 61.8 in February. Export demand was weakening sharply. New export orders posted their steepest drop?in nearly six years. Exports were 'completely stopped' by some firms, while others experienced greater logistical problems. The conflict has slowed the flow of water through the Strait of Hormuz, but the supply strains have increased. This situation may continue as long as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively blocked. Business expectations for the coming 12 months remain 'positive' despite a 'weakening of their lowest level since June 2020. Some firms are still confident about government spending, the development of infrastructure and the improvement in demand on the long term. (Reporting and Editing by Hugh Lawson).
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South Korea asks Gulf Nations for a steady supply of energy and safety of Korean vessels
The South Korean Ministry of Finance announced that Koo 'Yun-cheol, Minister of Finance, met with envoys of Gulf countries on Sunday to discuss energy security and the safety of 'Korean vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. This is due to the escalating Iran conflict disrupting shipping. The ministry said that during the Friday meeting, Koo requested the ambassadors of the Gulf Cooperation Council to ensure a constant supply of oil, liquefied gas, naphtha and urea as well as other critical resources. He also asked them to ensure the safety and security for Korean vessels and crews near this vital strait. The statement stated that the envoys referred to South Korea as a nation of "top priority". They also pledged to work closely with Seoul in order to maintain a stable supply. Like many Asian economies, South Korea relies heavily upon energy imports. This includes through the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz was the conduit for 20% of 'world oil' before Israel and the U.S. launched their war on the 28th of February. Since then, Iran has effectively closed the waterway. This has pushed up energy prices and raised fears of a global recession. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait and Oman are the six GCC member states. Reporting by Cynthia Kim, Editing by William Mallard
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Egypt increases electricity prices for households and businesses that use more energy amid energy crisis
The electricity ministry announced on Saturday that Egypt will raise electricity prices for residential and commercial consumers who use more electricity. This increase is due to a global energy crisis caused by the Gulf War. The government has taken a number of measures to reduce energy consumption and curb fiscal pressures as rising import costs put pressure on the finances of the most populous Arab country. The ministry stated that the increase would only affect households with higher consumption and commercial users. This was done to ensure the supply of electricity across residential, industrial and commercial sectors. The report said that electricity rates for residential bands up to 2,000 kilowatt hours per month would remain the same, but tariffs for higher residential brackets will increase by an average 16%. It added that commercial electricity prices in all brackets will increase on average by about 20%. In March, Prime Minister Mostafa. Madbouly stated that Egypt's energy import bills had more than doubled in the last few years since the start of the conflict involving the United States and Israel. This forced the government to increase fuel prices, raise fares for public transportation, and slow down some state projects, to relieve pressure on the public finances. Egypt implemented measures to rationalise its energy consumption in March, including a move towards earlier closing times for commercial venues. This was due to the rise of global oil prices during the conflict. Inflation has been in double digits since September 2023, when it peaked at 38%. The country is already struggling with heavy debts. Reporting by Momen Atallah and Enas Alashray
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Slovak PM: EU should lift sanctions on Russian oil, gas and other energy sources to improve energy security
Robert Fico, the Slovakian Prime Minister, said that the European Union must end sanctions on Russian oil and gas imports and take steps to restore Druzhba pipeline flows, as well as end the conflict in Ukraine, in order to tackle the energy crisis stemming from the war with Iran. Fico stated in a press release after a phone call with Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban, that the EU should re-establish dialogue with Russia to ensure member states get gas and oil from all sources including Russia. Hungary and Slovakia are the only two EU countries that maintain relations with Moscow. Oil prices have risen?since U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran began on February 28, causing a disruption to oil supplies in the Gulf and causing what the International Energy Agency calls the largest oil supply interruption in history. Central European nations have taken steps to reduce the impact of high fuel prices on consumers and businesses. By the end of 2025, only a fraction of EU oil imports came from Russia. This was after a steep decline in imports following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. By January 27, Kyiv reported that a Russian drone attack had hit Ukrainian pipeline equipment, disrupting Russian oil?shipments. Budapest and Bratislava accuse Ukraine of intentionally delaying repairs in order to resume oil flow through the Druzhba pipe. This has triggered a political dispute which?has seen Hungary blocking an EU loan for Kyiv. Ukraine claims it is repairing it as fast as possible. Fico stated that it is not enough to address the energy crisis at the national or only local level. Five other European Union countries are also calling for a windfall profit tax on energy companies in response to rising fuel prices. This was revealed by a letter sent to the EU Commission on Saturday. The energy chief of the bloc said on Tuesday that it was considering reinstating energy crisis measures from 2022. This included proposals to reduce grid tariffs and electricity taxes.
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Taiwan has received assurances from a'major country' about LNG supplies
Taiwan's economy minister announced on Saturday that the energy minister of a "major country" producing liquefied gas had given Taiwan assurances about supply. He was speaking in relation to the?impact of the Iran War on Middle East energy imports. Taiwan, which is a major producer of semiconductors, relied on Qatar to supply around a third its LNG prior to the conflict. It has now said that it has secured alternative supplies from countries such as Australia and the United States for the months ahead. Kung Ming Hsin, Taiwan's Economy Minister, told reporters in Taipei that Taiwan enjoys good relations with its?crude gas and natural oil suppliers. Therefore, adjusting the origin of shipments or purchasing additional spot -cargoes will not be a problem. Kung stated that the energy minister from a "major energy producing country" had contacted him about two weeks prior. The person "explained that they would fully support our natural gas needs. He added that if we had any requests, we could let them know. Kung added: "Another nation even stated that certain countries had released strategic petroleum reserves and could help coordinate the matter if Taiwan needed assistance." He said, "This shows Taiwan has earned considerable international goodwill through the long-term confidence it has built." He refused to identify the countries involved. Angela Lin, spokesperson of state-owned refiner CPC said that at the same?newsconference, crude oil inventories are being maintained at levels prior to conflict and that overall petrochemical supply has remained stable. CPC Chairman Fang Jeng Zen said that a new agreement with the U.S. would see 1.2 millions metric tons of LNG delivered?annually. He added that Taiwan does not intend to import crude oil or LNG from Russia. (Reporting and editing by Ben Blanchard, Roger Tung and Joe Bavier).
Trump's cabinet: who's been picked, who's in the running?
Presidentelect Donald Trump has actually made a flurry of picks for his cabinet and other highranking administration positions following his election success.
Here are the announced choices and top contenders for some of the crucial posts overseeing defense, intelligence, health, diplomacy, trade, migration and economic policymaking.
MARCO RUBIO, secretary of state Trump tapped U.S. Senator Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state, putting the Florida-born political leader on track to be the initially Latino to function as the United States' top diplomat.
Rubio, 53, was perhaps the most hawkish option on Trump's. list for secretary of state. The senator has in past years. advocated for a muscular diplomacy with regard to U.S. geopolitical foes, including China, Iran and Cuba.
Over the last several years he has actually softened a few of his. positions to align more closely with Trump's views. The. president-elect accuses past U.S. presidents of leading the U.S. into expensive and futile wars and has actually promoted a less. interventionist foreign policy.
MATT GAETZ, chief law officer. Trump selected Matt Gaetz as his candidate for attorney general. Gaetz, a congressman from Florida, resigned from the U.S. Home. of Agents after his nomination.
Trump's inner circle has explained the chief law officer as. the most important member of the administration after Trump. himself, key to his plans to perform mass deportations, pardon. Jan. 6 rioters, and look for retribution versus those who. prosecuted him over the past four years.
At the time of his choice, Gaetz, 42, was dealing with an. internal House of Representatives query over possible sex. criminal offenses, which he rejects.
PETE HEGSETH, defense secretary. Trump selected Fox News analyst Pete Hegseth as his secretary. of defense. Hegseth, 44, is a veteran who has expressed contempt. for the so-called woke policies of Pentagon leaders, consisting of. its top military officer.
If validated by the Senate, Hegseth could make good on. Trump's campaign promises to rid the U.S. armed force of generals. whom he implicates of pursuing progressive policies on diversity in. the ranks that conservatives have rallied against.
It might likewise establish a collision course in between Hegseth and. the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, whom Hegseth implicated of pursuing the radical positions. of left-wing political leaders.
TULSI GABBARD, director of nationwide intelligence. Trump called Tulsi Gabbard, a previous Democratic representative. and critic of the Biden administration, as his director of. national intelligence.
Gabbard, 43, left the Democratic Celebration in 2022 to become an. independent, then signed up with the Republican politician Celebration, and has little bit. direct experience with intelligence work. If validated, she. would end up being the leading authorities in the U.S. intelligence neighborhood. after Trump begins his 2nd term in January.
ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., health and human services secretary. Trump picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental activist who. has spread out false information about the threats of vaccines, to lead. the United States' top health firm.
Kennedy, 70, has suggested he would gut the 18,000-employee. Fda, which makes sure the security of food,. drugs and medical devices, and replace hundreds of employees at. the National Institutes of Health. Kennedy ran for president in this year's election, first as a. Democrat and then as an independent, before leaving in. August in exchange for a function in Trump's administration.
The Department of Health and Human being Services manages the. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control. and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the. huge Medicare and Medicaid Providers programs, which provide. health coverage for the poor, those aged 65 and older, and the. handicapped.
KRISTI NOEM, homeland security secretary. South Dakota Guv Kristi Noem has been picked to serve as. the next homeland security secretary, Trump stated.
Noem, 52, as soon as viewed as a possible running mate for Trump, is. currently serving her 2nd four-year term as South Dakota's. governor. She rose to nationwide prominence after declining to. impose a statewide mask required during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for. everything from border protection and migration to disaster. reaction and the U.S. Trick Service.
TOM HOMAN, 'border czar'. Trump stated Tom Homan, the acting director of Migration and. Customs Enforcement throughout Trump's very first administration, will be. in charge of the nation's borders.
Trump made cracking down on people in the country illegally. a central aspect of his campaign, promising mass deportations.
Homan, 62, stated he would focus on deporting immigrants. unlawfully in the U.S. who posed safety and security risks as. well as those operating at job websites.
HOWARD LUTNICK, commerce secretary
The co-chair of Trump's transition effort and the longtime. chief executive of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald,. Howard Lutnick has been chosen to head the Commerce Department,. the agency that has actually ended up being the U.S. weapon of choice versus. China's tech sector.
A bombastic New Yorker like Trump, Lutnick, 63, has. consistently praised the president-elect's financial policies,. including his use of tariffs.
He has at times offered fancy, unvarnished opinions about. what policies will be enacted in Trump's 2nd term. Some Trump. allies grumbled privately that he frequently presented himself. as speaking on behalf of the project.
ELON MUSK AND VIVEK RAMASWAMY, heads of Department of. Government Performance. Trump named tech billionaire Elon Musk and former Republican. presidential prospect Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a recently created. Department of Government Efficiency, gratifying two of his. well-known fans from the private sector.
Trump said Musk, 53, and Ramaswamy, 39, will lower. government bureaucracy, slash excess policies, cut waste and. restructure federal firms. Trump said the new department. would generate external knowledge and deal with the White House. and the Office of Management and Spending plan.
LEE ZELDIN, EPA administrator. Trump revealed he had selected Lee Zeldin, a previous. congressman from New York state, as administrator of the. Environmental Protection Agency.
Zeldin, 44, a staunch Trump ally, served in Congress from. 2015 to 2023. In 2022, he lost the New York governor's race to. Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul. Trump has actually assured to revamp U.S. energy policy, with the objective. of making the most of the nation's already record-high oil and gas. production by rolling back guidelines and speeding up. allowing.
MIKE WALTZ, nationwide security consultant. Trump stated he had actually picked Mike Waltz, a Republican U.S. agent, to be nationwide security advisor. Waltz, 50, is a. retired Army Green Beret who has actually been a leading critic of China.
Waltz, a Trump patriot who likewise served in the National. Guard as a colonel, has actually slammed Chinese activity in the. Asia-Pacific and has voiced the need for the U.S. to be all set. for a prospective conflict in the area.
The nationwide security consultant is a powerful role that does. not need Senate confirmation. Waltz will be responsible for. rundown Trump on essential national security issues and coordinating. with different agencies.
While slamming the Biden administration for a devastating. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Waltz has openly praised. Trump's diplomacy views.
SUSIE WILES, chief of personnel. Trump revealed that Susie Wiles, one of his 2 campaign. supervisors, will be his White Home chief of staff. While the specifics of her political views are somewhat uncertain,. Wiles, 67, is credited with running a successful and effective. project. Advocates hope she will instill a sense of order and. discipline that was frequently doing not have during Trump's very first four-year. term, when he cycled through a variety of chiefs of personnel.
ELISE STEFANIK, UN ambassador. Trump revealed that Elise Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman. and staunch Trump advocate, would be his ambassador to the. United Nations.
Stefanik, 40, a U.S. representative from New york city state and. Home Republican conference chair, took a management position in. your house of Representatives in 2021 when she was chosen to. replace then-Representative Liz Cheney, who was ousted for. slamming Trump's incorrect claims of election fraud. Stefanik will come to the U.N. after bold promises by Trump to. end the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel's war in Gaza.
DOUG BURGUM, interior secretary and 'energy czar'. Trump has actually chosen North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to be. interior secretary.
Burgum, 68, a rich former software application company executive,. has actually portrayed himself as a traditional, business-minded. conservative. He ran against Trump for the Republican politician. governmental election before quitting and becoming a faithful. Trump supporter.
The Interior Department manages public lands and minerals,. national parks and wildlife refuges. The department likewise carries. out the U.S. federal government's trust responsibility to Native. Americans. In the energy czar role, he is expected to coordinate. with a number of agencies to boost oil and gas output.
JOHN RATCLIFFE, CIA director. Trump said he had chosen John Ratcliffe, who was director of. nationwide intelligence at the end of Trump's very first term, to serve. as director of the Central Intelligence Company in his second. administration. A former congressman and prosecutor, Ratcliffe, 59, is viewed as a. hardcore Trump follower who could likely win Senate. confirmation.
Still, during his time as director of national intelligence,. Ratcliffe frequently contradicted the assessments of profession civil. servants, drawing criticism from Democrats who stated he. politicized the role.
LINDA McMAHON, education secretary. Trump tapped Linda McMahon, a co-chair of his shift effort. and the co-founder of the professional battling franchise WWE,. to be his education secretary.
In this function, McMahon, 76, who acted as the chief of the. Small Company Administration throughout Trump's first term, will. supervise a department that Trump has promised to remove.
A former member of the Connecticut State Board of Education,. McMahon has been crucial of DEI programs, which are indicated to. increase variety in work environments, universities and other. institutions.
KEVIN WARSH, potential treasury secretary
Trump is thinking about Kevin Warsh, 54, a former financial investment. lender who served on the Federal Reserve Board, for treasury. secretary, according to news reports. He is viewed as a fiscal. hawk and proponent of greater savings rates.
MARC ROWAN, potential treasury secretary
Trump is thinking about Marc Rowan, 62, who co-founded Apollo. Global Management and ended up being the company's CEO in 2021, for. treasury secretary, according to report.
COSTS HAGERTY, possible treasury secretary
Republican U.S. Senator Expense Hagerty of Tennessee is likewise in. the running for treasury secretary, according to the Wall Street. Journal. Trump met the 65-year-old at Mar-a-Lago last week.
SCOTT BESSENT, possible treasury secretary. Scott Bessent, a crucial financial consultant to Trump, is seen as a. prospect for treasury secretary. A longtime hedge fund financier. who taught at Yale University for several years, Bessent has actually a. warm relationship with the president-elect.
While Bessent has actually long favored the laissez-faire policies. that were popular in the pre-Trump Republican Celebration, he has also. spoken highly of Trump's usage of tariffs as a working out tool. He has applauded the president-elect's economic viewpoint, which. rests on an apprehension of both policies and international. trade.
ROBERT LIGHTHIZER, possible trade czar or treasury. secretary
A patriot who functioned as Trump's U.S. trade agent. for basically the then-president's whole term, Lighthizer. will likely be invited back.
Though Bessent likely has actually a better contended ending up being treasury. secretary, Lighthizer has an outside opportunity, and he may be. able to repeat his old role if he's interested.
The Wall Street Journal has reported Trump wanted Lighthizer. as his trade czar. Like Trump, Lighthizer, 77, is a trade doubter and a firm. follower in tariffs. He was one of the leading figures in. Trump's trade war with China and the renegotiation of the North. American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, with Mexico and Canada. during Trump's very first term.
KASH PATEL, potential candidate for nationwide security posts. or FBI director
A previous Republican politician Home staffer who served in various. high-ranking personnel roles in the defense and intelligence. neighborhoods throughout Trump's first term, Kash Patel regularly. appeared on the project path to rally support for Trump in his. newest governmental bid.
Any position requiring Senate verification might be a. challenge, nevertheless.
Patel, 44, has actually leaned into debate throughout his. profession. In an interview with Trump ally Steve Bannon in 2015,. he guaranteed to follow politicians and reporters. perceived to be enemies of Trump.
Throughout Trump's very first term, Patel, viewed as the supreme Trump. patriot, drew bitterness from some more experienced nationwide. security authorities, who saw him as unstable and too excited to. please the then-president.
(source: Reuters)