Latest Updates

Middle East conflict could cut Indian fertiliser output by 10–15%

Due to the supply chain disruptions stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, India could potentially see a decline in fertiliser output.

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UPDATE: Iranian tribesmen hunt downed US f-15 pilot as Black Hawk allegedly shot down

Armed Iranian tribesmen are hunting for a downed US pilot in southwestern Iran as American forces deploy Black Hawks and a C-130 in a large-scale search, with reports of a US helicopter also shot down near the border.

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US influence in the Gulf fades as Qatar, Oman strike deals with Tehran

The US influence in the Gulf is fading as the war goes into its fifth week with no sign of ending and regional players are starting to cut deals with Tehran to end the attacks on their territories.

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UPDATE: Eight killed as strike destroys Iran's landmark B1 bridge in Karaj

A US-Israeli strike on the B1 bridge in Alborz province killed eight people and wounded a number of residents and tourists.

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COMMENT: Win or lose, Orban has broken Hungary’s democracy

Hungary’s parliamentary elections on April 12 would, under normal democratic conditions, point towards a change of government, but the country’s political system no longer operates on conventional terms.

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MOSCOW BLOG: Pax Americana exposed as a paper tiger

Superficially the war in Iran has dealt Ukraine a huge blow. The White House is now completely distracted, and the Trump administration seems to have abandoned, or at least paused, the ceasefire negotiations with Russia.

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Cost of living shock deepens as energy crisis hits G7 spending – Oxford Economics

A surge in energy prices following the escalation of the Iran conflict is intensifying the cost-of-living crisis across the G7, dragging consumer spending growth to its weakest level since 2022.

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A long Iran war will lead to severe shortages, says Oxford Economics

A sustained escalation of the US/Israel-Iran conflict could push global oil markets beyond a price shock into severe physical shortages, with rationing, supply chain disruption and recessionary pressures becoming increasingly likely.

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Diner stunned as microchip found in meal reveals meat is from retired Turkish racehorse

Ukraine misses IMF reform targets, putting next tranche at risk

Ghana’s macro rebound signals coordinated policy success as inflation, rates and currency stabilise

Diner stunned as microchip found in meal reveals meat is from retired Turkish racehorse

Thoroughbred mare Smart Latch illegally diverted to slaughterhouse after career ended by broken leg.

Ukraine misses IMF reform targets, putting next tranche at risk

Ukraine has failed to meet key reform commitments under its programme with the International Monetary Fund, raising uncertainty over future disbursements despite continued external support.

Ghana’s macro rebound signals coordinated policy success as inflation, rates and currency stabilise

Ghana’s central bank governor says a synchronised improvement in key economic indicators reflects coordinated monetary and fiscal policy, as inflation, interest rates, and the currency stabilise after years of crisis.

News

Gulf Islamic sukuk bond spreads hit five-year highs amid Iran war uncertainty

Yields on Gulf sovereign and corporate debt have surged to their widest spreads in five years as the war involving Iran drives a sharp reassessment of regional risk, according to Fitch Ratings.

Iran denies US helicopter assault on Kharg Island

Iran denied rumours of a US helicopter assault on Kharg Island, its main oil export hub, as speculation mounts over a possible ground operation targeting Iranian coastal infrastructure in the Persian Gulf.

Iran publishes images of downed US F-15 it says belonged to UK-based squadron

Iran published images of what it said was a downed US fighter jet from the 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath.

Saudi Sadara petrochemical giant closed down creating a new plastics chokepoint

Sadara Chemical Company, the $20bn joint venture between Saudi Aramco (Tadawul: 2222) and Dow Chemical Company (DOW), has halted all production at its Jubail complex in eastern Saudi Arabia indefinitely without a shot being fired by Iran.

Iran president Pezeshkian issues public letter to US public condemning US aggression

Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a public letter addressed to the American people, defending Tehran’s actions in the face of what he called, “US unprovoked aggression”.

Gulf Islamic sukuk bond spreads hit five-year highs amid Iran war uncertainty

20 hours ago

Iran denies US helicopter assault on Kharg Island

20 hours ago

Iran publishes images of downed US F-15 it says belonged to UK-based squadron

23 hours ago

Saudi Sadara petrochemical giant closed down creating a new plastics chokepoint

1 day ago

Iran president Pezeshkian issues public letter to US public condemning US aggression

1 day ago

More News

Tech

Russia orders major websites to block VPN traffic from April 15

Russia ordered major websites to block VPN traffic from April 15 or face penalties, tightening internet controls that mirror Iran's wartime blackout as Moscow positions itself as a mediator in the Gulf conflict.

Iran's NZ embassy fires back at Trump 'stone age' taunt with AI-generated mockery

Iran's NZ embassy mocked Trump's "stone age" threat with AI images of the US president as a caveman beside an ancient Persian king, the latest in a social media information war running alongside the military conflict.

Iran-linked hackers claim breach of Israeli air defence contractor PSK Wind

Iran-linked hackers Handala claimed to have breached Israeli air defence contractor PSK Wind Technologies and passed classified command and control data to resistance missile units, though the claims remain unverified.

IRGC threatens to strike US tech companies in retaliation for assassinations

Iran's IRGC named 18 US tech and AI firms including Google, Microsoft, Palantir and G42 as targets for retaliation

Saudi Arabia launches new self-driving vehicle route in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia has launched a new autonomous vehicle passenger route between two Riyadh malls.

Russia orders major websites to block VPN traffic from April 15

1 day ago

Iran's NZ embassy fires back at Trump 'stone age' taunt with AI-generated mockery

1 day ago

Iran-linked hackers claim breach of Israeli air defence contractor PSK Wind

1 day ago

IRGC threatens to strike US tech companies in retaliation for assassinations

3 days ago

Saudi Arabia launches new self-driving vehicle route in Riyadh

4 days ago

More Tech

Opinion

COMMENT: Taiwan’s worship of America could be its downfall

Public discourse can appear disproportionately animated by US culture wars, US electoral cycles and US policy fashions. Foreign sports coverage on local media essentially means NBA or Major League baseball reports.

Europe gets “strategic window” in its periphery amid Russian retreat

Erosion of Moscow’s influence in Balkans and South Caucasus creates an opportunity for Europe to expand its strategic role, says Carnegie Europe paper, but authors warn retreat is unlikely to be permanent.

COMMENT: An Iran embargo won't send oil to $200

A chorus of analysts and traders have spent recent weeks warning that oil prices will spike. But market is foward-looking and has already priced in the worst case. $200 oil won't happen.

IMF: How the war in the Middle East is affecting energy, trade, and finance

Energy prices, supply chains, and financial markets are the main transmission channels, but the regional effects will vary significantly. The world faces yet another shock.

TCHAKAROV: Shockwaves from Tehran in the Caucasus and Central Asia

The spillover effects of recent developments in Iran have already begun to manifest themselves in ways that demand investor attention.

COMMENT: Taiwan’s worship of America could be its downfall

2 days ago

Europe gets “strategic window” in its periphery amid Russian retreat

3 days ago

COMMENT: An Iran embargo won't send oil to $200

3 days ago

IMF: How the war in the Middle East is affecting energy, trade, and finance

4 days ago

TCHAKAROV: Shockwaves from Tehran in the Caucasus and Central Asia

4 days ago

More Opinion

Data

Russia’s services sector slips back into contraction posting 49.5 as demand softens

Russia’s services sector returned to contraction in March, as weaker demand weighed on activity despite a modest improvement in business confidence, according to data published by S&P Global on April 3.

Gold overtakes US Treasuries in central bank reserves

Gold has overtaken US Treasuries as the largest component of global central bank reserves for the first time since the mid-1990s, marking a significant shift in the structure of the international monetary system, Bloomberg reports.

Tokyo stocks slide following Trump remarks

Tokyo equities fell sharply on April 2, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 ending more than 2% lower as a sell-off gathered pace following remarks by US President Donald Trump that reignited concerns on the Iran war.

Kazakhstan’s manufacturing output fell at fastest pace in four years in March, PMI shows

Companies pull back on operations in response to muted demand.

Polish manufacturers signal optimism despite Middle East scare, new PMI reading suggests

Poland’s Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 48.7 points in March from 47.1 in February, signalling a slower deterioration in manufacturing conditions but remaining below the 50-point threshold that separates growth from contraction.

Russia’s services sector slips back into contraction posting 49.5 as demand softens

22 hours ago

Gold overtakes US Treasuries in central bank reserves

1 day ago

Tokyo stocks slide following Trump remarks

1 day ago

Kazakhstan’s manufacturing output fell at fastest pace in four years in March, PMI shows

2 days ago

Polish manufacturers signal optimism despite Middle East scare, new PMI reading suggests

2 days ago

More Data

Features

Venezuela opens for business, but investors weigh promise against reality

Reforms to oil, mining and financial laws have accelerated since the fall of Maduro, but legal ambiguity, institutional weakness and unresolved questions over democracy are tempering enthusiasm among investors, Orinoco Research says.

Tisza needs supermajority victory in Hungarian elections to unlock EU frozen funds

Hungary’s ability to unlock billions in frozen EU funding will depend heavily on the outcome of its parliamentary election on April 12. The opposition Tisza party led by Peter Magyar will need to win a supermajority to unlock the money.

ASIA BLOG: China wins while Iran burns

The world needs a stable Asia – East and West – and would be better served by the removal of the current Iranian regime. Only in the removal of said regime will Beijing be forced back into a more constrained, less opportunistic global role.

Viva capitalism, says Fidel's grandson, pouring drinks in Havana

While Cuba goes dark, Fidel's grandson is posting Instagram videos and calling for capitalism. The Castro family's most unlikely dissident is also its most stylish.

Air freight disruption drives surge in India-US cargo rates

Air cargo rates from India to the United States have risen between 200% and 350% since the outbreak of the third Gulf war on February 28, as capacity constraints rather than demand drive pricing, according to industry estimates.

Venezuela opens for business, but investors weigh promise against reality

2 days ago

Tisza needs supermajority victory in Hungarian elections to unlock EU frozen funds

2 days ago

ASIA BLOG: China wins while Iran burns

3 days ago

Viva capitalism, says Fidel's grandson, pouring drinks in Havana

3 days ago

Air freight disruption drives surge in India-US cargo rates

4 days ago

More Features

Blogs

BALKAN BLOG: The connection between the Middle East conflict and Slovenia’s closely fought election

Strong pro-Palestine sentiment in Slovenia causes alleged interference by Israeli private security firm ahead of general election to backfire.

TEHRAN BLOG: Iran's new year Nowruz is not the same this year

For more than 3,000 years, Nowruz has been Iran's national festival, but this year's war has darkened the mood.

ISTANBUL BLOG: Bedtime reading for Trump. Condemnation and denunciation from Arab and Islamic countries affirmed

US Commander-in-Chief, meanwhile, says he told Netanyahu “don’t do that”. But he did do that.

TEHRAN BLOG: Operation Epic FUBAR: Command of the Reload

America and Iran have two very strategies for fighting this war.The US is still using the old school approach of building extremely powerful and incredibly accurate flying bombs that will definitely destroy anything they hit and are hard to stop.

TEHRAN BLOG: Permits-for-passage system emerges as the US heads towards a strategic defeat in Iran

A “permits-for-passage" system emerges as the US heads towards a strategic defeat in Iran after the White House makes a string of strategic blunders.

BALKAN BLOG: The connection between the Middle East conflict and Slovenia’s closely fought election

2 days ago

TEHRAN BLOG: Iran's new year Nowruz is not the same this year

14 days ago

ISTANBUL BLOG: Bedtime reading for Trump. Condemnation and denunciation from Arab and Islamic countries affirmed

15 days ago

TEHRAN BLOG: Operation Epic FUBAR: Command of the Reload

16 days ago

TEHRAN BLOG: Permits-for-passage system emerges as the US heads towards a strategic defeat in Iran

22 days ago

More Blogs

bneGREEN

Spain cuts the link between gas and power and has Europe’s cheapest power

A year ago this week, Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable power for a full day for the first time ever. Wind, solar, and hydro met all the peninsula’s electricity demand on April 16.

Aircon: from comfort to matter of life and death

The last three years were the hottest ever recorded and it’s only going to get worse – to the point where people will start to die from overheating. Unless you have an air conditioner.

Iran pushes ahead with solar and wind plants

Iran is building four solar plants and a wind farm targeting 100MW as the war batters the power grid, with the first phase due online by July 2026 amid repeated strikes on electricity infrastructure.

Sany of China plans €1bn green energy and data centre project in Romania

Chinese industrial conglomerate Sany Group plans to invest more than €1bn in a large-scale hybrid energy and data centre project in western Romania.

Singapore’s path towards nuclear energy use

Singapore is taking another step toward the possible deployment of nuclear power, with the National Environment Agency announcing plans to commission three studies focused on nuclear safety standards and environmental safeguards.

Spain cuts the link between gas and power and has Europe’s cheapest power

1 day ago

Aircon: from comfort to matter of life and death

2 days ago

Iran pushes ahead with solar and wind plants

2 days ago

Sany of China plans €1bn green energy and data centre project in Romania

4 days ago

Singapore’s path towards nuclear energy use

4 days ago

More bneGREEN

Latest Updates

News

Yields on Gulf sovereign and corporate debt have surged to their widest spreads in five years as the war involving Iran drives a sharp reassessment of regional risk, according to Fitch Ratings.

Iran denied rumours of a US helicopter assault on Kharg Island, its main oil export hub, as speculation mounts over a possible ground operation targeting Iranian coastal infrastructure in the Persian Gulf.

Iran published images of what it said was a downed US fighter jet from the 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath.

Sadara Chemical Company, the $20bn joint venture between Saudi Aramco (Tadawul: 2222) and Dow Chemical Company (DOW), has halted all production at its Jubail complex in eastern Saudi Arabia indefinitely without a shot being fired by Iran.

Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a public letter addressed to the American people, defending Tehran’s actions in the face of what he called, “US unprovoked aggression”.

Tech

Russia ordered major websites to block VPN traffic from April 15 or face penalties, tightening internet controls that mirror Iran's wartime blackout as Moscow positions itself as a mediator in the Gulf conflict.

Iran's NZ embassy mocked Trump's "stone age" threat with AI images of the US president as a caveman beside an ancient Persian king, the latest in a social media information war running alongside the military conflict.

Iran-linked hackers Handala claimed to have breached Israeli air defence contractor PSK Wind Technologies and passed classified command and control data to resistance missile units, though the claims remain unverified.

Iran's IRGC named 18 US tech and AI firms including Google, Microsoft, Palantir and G42 as targets for retaliation

Saudi Arabia has launched a new autonomous vehicle passenger route between two Riyadh malls.

Opinion

Public discourse can appear disproportionately animated by US culture wars, US electoral cycles and US policy fashions. Foreign sports coverage on local media essentially means NBA or Major League baseball reports.

Erosion of Moscow’s influence in Balkans and South Caucasus creates an opportunity for Europe to expand its strategic role, says Carnegie Europe paper, but authors warn retreat is unlikely to be permanent.

A chorus of analysts and traders have spent recent weeks warning that oil prices will spike. But market is foward-looking and has already priced in the worst case. $200 oil won't happen.

Energy prices, supply chains, and financial markets are the main transmission channels, but the regional effects will vary significantly. The world faces yet another shock.

The spillover effects of recent developments in Iran have already begun to manifest themselves in ways that demand investor attention.

Data

Russia’s services sector returned to contraction in March, as weaker demand weighed on activity despite a modest improvement in business confidence, according to data published by S&P Global on April 3.

Gold has overtaken US Treasuries as the largest component of global central bank reserves for the first time since the mid-1990s, marking a significant shift in the structure of the international monetary system, Bloomberg reports.

Tokyo equities fell sharply on April 2, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 ending more than 2% lower as a sell-off gathered pace following remarks by US President Donald Trump that reignited concerns on the Iran war.

Companies pull back on operations in response to muted demand.

Poland’s Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 48.7 points in March from 47.1 in February, signalling a slower deterioration in manufacturing conditions but remaining below the 50-point threshold that separates growth from contraction.

Features

Reforms to oil, mining and financial laws have accelerated since the fall of Maduro, but legal ambiguity, institutional weakness and unresolved questions over democracy are tempering enthusiasm among investors, Orinoco Research says.

Hungary’s ability to unlock billions in frozen EU funding will depend heavily on the outcome of its parliamentary election on April 12. The opposition Tisza party led by Peter Magyar will need to win a supermajority to unlock the money.

The world needs a stable Asia – East and West – and would be better served by the removal of the current Iranian regime. Only in the removal of said regime will Beijing be forced back into a more constrained, less opportunistic global role.

While Cuba goes dark, Fidel's grandson is posting Instagram videos and calling for capitalism. The Castro family's most unlikely dissident is also its most stylish.

Air cargo rates from India to the United States have risen between 200% and 350% since the outbreak of the third Gulf war on February 28, as capacity constraints rather than demand drive pricing, according to industry estimates.

Blogs

Strong pro-Palestine sentiment in Slovenia causes alleged interference by Israeli private security firm ahead of general election to backfire.

For more than 3,000 years, Nowruz has been Iran's national festival, but this year's war has darkened the mood.

US Commander-in-Chief, meanwhile, says he told Netanyahu “don’t do that”. But he did do that.

America and Iran have two very strategies for fighting this war.The US is still using the old school approach of building extremely powerful and incredibly accurate flying bombs that will definitely destroy anything they hit and are hard to stop.

A “permits-for-passage" system emerges as the US heads towards a strategic defeat in Iran after the White House makes a string of strategic blunders.

bneGREEN

A year ago this week, Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable power for a full day for the first time ever. Wind, solar, and hydro met all the peninsula’s electricity demand on April 16.

The last three years were the hottest ever recorded and it’s only going to get worse – to the point where people will start to die from overheating. Unless you have an air conditioner.

Iran is building four solar plants and a wind farm targeting 100MW as the war batters the power grid, with the first phase due online by July 2026 amid repeated strikes on electricity infrastructure.

Chinese industrial conglomerate Sany Group plans to invest more than €1bn in a large-scale hybrid energy and data centre project in western Romania.

Singapore is taking another step toward the possible deployment of nuclear power, with the National Environment Agency announcing plans to commission three studies focused on nuclear safety standards and environmental safeguards.

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