
Taiwan Secures New LNG Supply Commitments Amid Middle‑East Tensions
Taiwan’s economy minister said a major LNG‑producing country has pledged to meet the island’s natural‑gas needs and will provide extra cargoes on request. The agreement with the United States adds a delivery of 1.2 million tonnes of LNG each year, diversifying Taiwan’s import mix as the Iran war threatens Middle‑East supplies.

Tanzania's Ministry of Minerals announced a stable policy environment to attract mining investors, meeting with China's Liaoning Fangda Group. The government highlighted its commitment to using mineral resources for economic growth and industrial development. Fangda expressed interest in strategic projects across exploration to beneficiation. The dialogue signals Tanzania's push to broaden foreign investment in its mining sector.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned of severe consequences if energy and nuclear facilities are targeted amid the expanding Middle East conflict, highlighting a shared security concern with India. Both countries, responsible for more than one‑third of global energy‑demand growth,...

China has transformed from a manufacturing hub into an innovation powerhouse, outpacing the United States in electric vehicles, batteries, robotics, next‑generation nuclear power and hypersonic missiles. The surge stems from a decade‑long, state‑driven strategy that funds basic research, talent development...
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has slashed oil and LNG flows through the Strait of Hormuz to roughly five percent of normal levels and damaged Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG plant, threatening a $20 billion annual export loss. Gulf states face immediate economic...
So we now seem to have fuel price caps and three airlines in emergency management in South Korea, have had school closures in Bangladesh and Pakistan, jet fuel rationing and a push to work-from-home in Vietnam, alternate-day driving for private...

There are two elephants in the BRICS room, China and India. They not only have a combined population of over 2.8 BILLION, but economic firepower too. https://t.co/nrI5ZlnwBg
A Russian-flagged tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of crude arrived in Havana, breaking a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that has left most of Cuba without fuel. The delivery, welcomed by a beleaguered population, underscores the geopolitical tug‑of‑war between Moscow, Washington and Havana.

#IndiaWatch🇮🇳: India’s 7.0% - 7.4% growth outlook will be downgraded. Harvard Prof and former First Deputy Managing Director of IMF Gita Gopinath warns that if OIL AVERAGES $85-$100 PER BARREL, INDIA LOSES 0.5-1% OF GROWTH. MODI SHOULD SEND A BILL FOR...

#IndiaWatch🇮🇳: Since the US-Israeli war on Iran started, India’s oil imports from Russia have nearly doubled. Good news. IT’S A SIGN THAT THE ILL-CONCEIVED SANCTIONS REGIME IS STARTING TO BREAK DOWN. https://t.co/XzP5Xxh83g

RBC BlueBay Asset Management’s credit team, led by Mihai Florian, is urging investors to revisit private credit opportunities in emerging markets, arguing that misconceptions about risk have left attractive yields untapped. The firm highlights its disciplined underwriting, local partnerships, and...
JUST IN: Analysts predict the Indian rupee could drop to a record 100 against the dollar or further if the Iran crisis persists.
Foreign investors withdrew a record $19 billion (≈₹1.6 lakh crore) from Indian equities in FY26, marking the second consecutive year of outflows. Domestic institutions countered the sell‑off with a historic $102 billion (≈₹8.5 lakh crore) inflow, led by mutual funds, pension funds and insurers. The rupee’s 4 %...
Rising oil prices and heightened US‑Iran tensions caused South Korea’s KOSPI to plunge 4.3% and Japan’s Nikkei to tumble more than 2% on March 31, wiping out the region’s 2026 rally. The sell‑off spread to the MSCI Asia Pacific index,...
Ukraine faces a massive reconstruction task estimated at $300 billion. McKinsey argues that unlocking private capital will require systematic risk‑reduction tools such as sovereign guarantees, insurance pools, and blended‑finance structures. The firm proposes a dedicated reconstruction fund, streamlined procurement, and a...

The Singapore Exchange (SGX) will debut Asia‑Pacific government bond futures on 20 April, covering sovereign bonds from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. The contracts, margined and settled in US dollars, offer three maturities—three, five and ten years—based on FTSE Russell’s...
Georgian firm George Oil Ltd signed a contract to import coal, metals and chemical products from the Russian‑occupied Donetsk region, planning domestic use and exports to India and Turkey. The deal arrives despite the EU’s full ban on Russian and...
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are moving from rivalry to partnership, branding their relationship as a “strategic tandem.” A high‑level visit by Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev to Tashkent highlighted cooperation across governance, trade, investment, connectivity, cultural, and water‑energy issues. Bilateral trade...

Iran announced legislation to levy transit fees and require cargo disclosures for ships passing the Strait of Hormuz, effectively turning the chokepoint into a revenue‑generating control zone. Despite U.S. threats to target Iranian oil facilities, Tehran’s oil exports have held...
The CEPR Sanctions Watch March 2026 reports that the Trump administration has opened limited channels for Iranian and Russian oil sales while easing certain Venezuela sanctions, even as it maintains a strict blockade on Cuba. Concurrently, U.S. and Israeli forces...
Environmental researchers and supply‑chain analysts warn that the proposed Peru‑Brazil Bioceanic Railway, linked to the new Chancay megaport, could cut through 15 protected Amazon areas and disrupt nearly 2,000 rural communities, raising both ecological and logistical concerns. The project, still...

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Bloomberg that cabinet members will not travel to Beijing ahead of the anticipated mid‑May Trump‑Xi summit, diverging from the usual pre‑summit diplomatic routine. The comment follows a White House statement suggesting cabinet‑level engagements would...

President Hakainde Hichilema urged greater private investment in Zambia’s energy sector, highlighting reforms that are attracting capital and accelerating the country’s push toward a 10 GW power generation target. He said the restructuring of state utility ZESCO and the work of...
With the headlines lurching from one end to another, it’s not getting any easier to find clarity on how or when the conflict in the Middle East will end or what damage the ongoing Hormuz bottleneck will inflict on the...

Official notice from FlyDubai: the UAE has banned Iranian nationals from entering or even transiting through Dubai International Airport, effective immediately This hits Iranian passport holders hard. including people with valid UAE residency visas of any kind and those with visit/tourist...

The Iran‑Israel‑U.S. war has driven Brent crude to its highest level since 2022, rattling global markets. Despite a 5% quarterly dip in the Hang Seng, China’s large strategic crude reserves and aggressive renewable‑energy rollout keep its growth outlook intact. Renewable‑energy...
A month into this war: Iran is still exporting oil & to more customers Iran is making more money for its oil because prices are up Iran has effectively installed a tollbooth to enter and exit the Persian Gulf Russia is making more...
Japan’s Foreign Ministry is establishing a dedicated centre to streamline Japanese investment into India, targeting ¥10 trillion (about $62.6 billion) in private‑sector capital by 2035. The unit will help firms navigate India’s fragmented state regulations, opaque law enforcement, and complex tax regime...
The International Monetary Fund says the Iran war is creating a global, asymmetric shock that is pushing oil prices to record highs, slowing growth and stoking inflation expectations. European consumer confidence has slumped and traders across the world report wider...

The Philippines narrowed its net external liability to $50.8 billion, or 10.4% of GDP, by the end of 2025, improving from $52.1 billion three months earlier. External assets grew 1% quarter‑on‑quarter, outpacing a 0.4% rise in liabilities, driven by higher reserve assets...
India is set to receive its first Iranian crude cargo since 2019, with the Aframax tanker Ping Shun carrying about 600,000 barrels to Vadinar, Gujarat. The shipment follows a U.S. 30‑day waiver allowing Iranian oil sales on the water amid the...
Swiss analytics firm Pexapark reports that recent LNG strikes in the Middle East are pushing up long‑term power purchase agreement (PPA) valuations across Europe. The conflict creates a structural supply‑side risk that tightens medium‑term fundamentals, especially in markets with limited...

Novastar Ventures closed its third fund, the Africa People and Planet Fund III, at $147 million, targeting climate‑focused and impact‑driven startups across Africa. Japanese investors such as SBI Holdings, SMBC, Mitsubishi and JICA joined returning partners like Norfund and British International Investment....

EU legislators visited China for the first time in eight years, aiming to steady relations strained by trade imbalances, human‑rights disputes and Beijing's ties to Russia. The delegation, responsible for market and consumer protection, will discuss digital trade, e‑commerce fairness...
From Belt and Road to belt tightening: China's neighbours get cold shoulder on energy But so far China has offered only vague statements and has yet to even publicly acknowledge the export bans reported by Reuters and others as it focuses...
Pretty surprising if folks ever thought Beijing would put the strong arm on Tehran in this way. A closer look at China’s tactics (and non-tactics) with Pyongyang over the decades would have been instructive.

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a systemic shock to global energy flows, prompting Japan and South Korea to deepen bilateral cooperation on LNG security. Both nations’ top energy firms, KOGAS and JERA, signed an MOU enabling...

Ask yourself… What would you rather own at this juncture: Latin America or US stocks? Latam is entering one of the most important cycles in its history, in my view. I couldn’t be more excited to be deeply involved as an investor...
1 million bpd Basra-Aqaba pipeline costing $9 billion would have paid for itself in 3 months in the current crisis. And given Baghdad some resilience against closure of the Strait. Exactly why the Iran-aligned parties blocked it over nonsense arguments about...

The author evaluates three scenarios for the Strait of Hormuz after the Iran conflict, focusing on the most likely outcome: prolonged reduced traffic. A sustained closure would tighten global oil and gas supplies, pushing prices higher and triggering inflation across...

"Foreign central banks sell US Treasuries in wake of Iran war" https://t.co/B4oQiLaXmS "Foreign central banks are selling US bonds at a time when the Treasury market is already under pressure as traders worry that the Middle East conflict could drive...
A few reactions to the Bai, Gopinath, Rey and Weber report on global imbalances commissioned by the French G-7 Presidency. It makes a number of important and useful points, but could have been much more hard hitting 1/ https://t.co/tGPWHoSwYs

Really honored to join the National Committee on US-China Relations to chat about my latest research: U.S.-China Trade Collapsed. Can It Recover? 📺 https://t.co/WPRwLNqS2z https://t.co/DATDHcySKT
China can still buy Iranian oil, but every barrel now comes with higher military risk, higher shipping costs, and the threat of sanctions or interdiction. What was once a quiet $8 to $12 discount trade is now a fragile, contested...

Foreign central banks have cut their holdings of Treasuries at the New York Fed to the lowest level since 2012. The selling has come as oil importers like Turkey, Thailand and India raise cash through asset sales to prop up...
China has exported cargoes of diesel and other fuels to energy-starved countries across Southeast Asia over the weekend, in what appears to be a signal of support despite export curbs imposed earlier this month https://t.co/Ho2QuntmBc

Well, there are a lot of meanings of global reserves currency that go beyond the currency held in formal foreign exchange reserves. But the yuan's share of reserves has actually slipped over the last 5 years 1/2 https://t.co/h07pcXMaYn
"The regime has lost control" is wrong @EYakoby Iran is allowing more ships through Hormuz selectively It's sorting tankers by friends who pass for free, neutral parties that pay, and enemies that don't pass There may be a tactical uptick in flows,...
China welcomes EU lawmakers' first visit in 8 years as chance to steady strained ties https://t.co/MvadiOAS0R
US won’t allow Chinese EVs from Canada to enter its market, President Donald Trump’s ambassador in Ottawa said, after a January deal in which Prime Minister Mark Carney lowered tariffs on those vehicles Huh?https://t.co/vBvBuGKGqK
A blueprint for Chinese global leadership With the US destroying its own credibility, the opportunity is Beijing’s for the taking https://t.co/AZmq1LQ7j4 via @ft