Number of ships passing through Hormuz rising after toll system established

The number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz is increasing as after a $2mn fee was established and the inform permits-for-passage system is smoothed by use.

UAE restarts key gas plant as Hormuz disruption curbs LNG exports

The United Arab Emirates has resumed operations at its largest gas processing facility following an attack that halted output, even as exports of liquefied natural gas remain severely constrained by disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel welcomes Lebanon move to expel Iranian envoy

Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has welcomed Lebanon’s reported decision to expel Iran’s ambassador-designate, urging Beirut to take further steps to curb the influence of Hezbollah amid heightened regional tensions.

Pakistan offers Islamabad as venue for US-Iran peace talks

Pakistan offers Islamabad as a venue for US-Iran peace talks as Prime Minister Sharif confirms back-channel diplomacy with both Washington and Tehran, with a US delegation expected within days.

Saudi Arabia's Neom cancels major Trojena ski village contract

Neom terminates Eversendai's structural steel contract at Trojena ski village, citing the geopolitical situation, in the second giga-project cancellation this month as regional conflict adds to spending pressure.

Uber Eats to enter Israeli market

Uber Eats confirmed plans to enter the Israeli market via a message on its mobile app landing page, positioning itself to challenge Wolt's dominance in Israel's food delivery sector.

Russian security nepo babies infiltrate tech surveillance

Children of Russian high-profile security officials or so-called “siloviki” are securing key positions in domestic tech surveillance assets.

Potanin’s T-Technologies to acquire Auto.ru from Yandex for $0.4bn

T-Bank is primarily targeting the platform to support the expansion of its car loan business, which has been developing successfully despite stagnation in the automotive market.

Nebius raises $4bn in convertible bonds

Nebius plans to channel the funds raised for the construction of the data processing centres and general corporate purposes.

Iran blackout enters 20th day as 456-hour outage sets record, NetBlocks says

Iran’s nationwide internet shutdown has entered its 20th day, with public access to the global web cut for more than 456 hours.

Russia’s oil windfall from the Iran war masks a slower decline

Russia’s oil industry has been handed a short-term reprieve by the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but the boost from triple-digit crude prices does not alter the sector’s deeper trajectory, Sergey Vakulenko says.

Will GCC be drawn into war and unite against Iran?

Will GCC be drawn into war and unite against Iran? The foreign ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan met in Riyadh on March 18 to discuss a possible security pact and taking up arms against Iran.

Most Gulf and European ships likely blocked from Hormuz despite Iran's 'open to all' claim

A Russian energy analyst says Iran's "open to all" Hormuz policy would in practice block most Gulf and European shipping, as Tehran keeps the definition of "enemy" vessels deliberately vague.

Kazakhstan no longer paying even lip service to democracy, say analysts

Commentaries amount to scathing response to new constitution. Country’s leader Tokayev now has an “even smoother conveyor belt for presidential diktats”, says one.

ING: Energy markets brace for a prolonged supply disruption

There are few signs of de-escalation or a resumption in energy flows from the Persian Gulf. The market is having to reprice the duration of ongoing supply disruptions. We have updated our scenarios for oil and gas markets.

The death of coal power in the UK - OWID

The United Kingdom was the birthplace of coal. It has now, effectively, died there, Our World in Data reprots.

Tel Aviv stocks plummet despite brief recovery after US halt on Iran strikes

Israeli stocks on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange deepened their losses on March 24, hitting a new intraday low at approximately 16:53 local time. The TA-35 index fell approximately 2%, whilst the TA-90 index declined 1.8%.

Polish stock exchange hits record highs in 2025, bets on ETFs and AI for growth

The Warsaw Stock Exchange posted record-high financial results for 2025, driven by unprecedented investor activity.

Polish retail sales grow 5% y/y in February but still disappoint

Harsh February weather drove the headline result, discouraging Poles from shopping after they stocked up on warm clothing and shoes in January.

Turkey’s diesel tax buffer evaporates amid booming oil prices and refinery margins

Annual rise in diesel price reaches 57% versus 37% on gasoline.

How Iran's Ghalibaf turned concrete into power

Ghalibaf built his career through the IRGC's construction empire and a Tehran mayorship dogged by property scandals. As Iran's lead negotiator, his rise mirrors a familiar authoritarian archetype.

Has Trump TACO'd on the Iran war?

Trump's five-day pause on Iran power plant strikes follows the classic TACO pattern of escalate-then-retreat, but analysts warn this war may be the one where the formula breaks down.

Fuel shock in the fast lane: how Asia’s drivers are paying the price of war

The war involving the United States, Israel and Iran has sent a delayed shockwave through global energy markets and nowhere is the impact more acute than at petrol pumps across Asia.

Russia moves to crack down on Telegram

The move is unlikely to put off a significant section of the population from using the service, including the regime's loyalists.

LONG READ: Coal is back.

Coal is back. Having become a fuel for most of the last two decades, countries are scrambling to secure supplies of coal in the face of “ The largest supply disruption in the history,” according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Crude market volatility reflects Trump administration’s unpredictable war moves, says analyst

The US has temporarily lifted sanctions to permit the sale and delivery of Iranian oil, allowing for up to 140 million barrels of crude to enter global markets over the coming weeks.

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.

Clean energy stocks outperform oil majors as investors anticipate long-term switch to renewables due to Iran war

Shares in clean energy companies have outpaced oil majors since the outbreak of conflict involving Iran, as investors bet that higher fossil fuel prices will accelerate the shift towards renewables, the Financial Times reports.

Middle East conflict causes surge in gas flaring and emissions

The war in Iran has caused a spike in gas flaring across the Middle East is adding to greenhouse gas emissions as energy infrastructure disruptions linked to regional conflict force producers to burn excess fuel.

Cow dung to power Suzuki biogas push in India

The facility, located in Bhukhala in Gujarat in Northwest India processes cow dung to generate methane for use in compressed natural gas vehicles.

Questions remain over toxic leak in Dniester after water supplies resumed

Moldova said Russian attack on Ukraine led to pollution of Dniester that supplies water to approximately 80% of Moldova’s population and 98% of Chisinau.

Gulf war drives up demand for Asian EV