Good morning . Pakistan offers to host US-Iran talks as war enters its fifth week. India takes a gamble on airports. And music festivals go local as travel costs surge. Listen to the day’s top stories . The Middle East conflict extended into a fifth week , with Israel striking Tehran and Saudi Arabia intercepting almost a dozen drones, as the Houthis entered the war. Pakistan’s foreign minister sa...
Good morning . Pakistan offers to host US-Iran talks as war enters its fifth week. India takes a gamble on airports. And music festivals go local as travel costs surge. Listen to the day’s top stories . The Middle East conflict extended into a fifth week , with Israel striking Tehran and Saudi Arabia intercepting almost a dozen drones, as the Houthis entered the war. Pakistan’s foreign minister said Islamabad was ready to facilitate peace talks between Washington and the Islamic Republic in the coming days. An additional 3,500 US troops arrived in the region. Iran hit two key aluminum producers in Bahrain and the UAE, along with a US base in Saudi Arabia. The Iran war is expected to weigh on India’s growth and possibly widen its fiscal deficit as energy shortages and shipping disruptions ripple across sectors, the Department of Economic Affairs said. The conflict is hitting New Delhi’s food stalls hard as surging costs for cooking fuel are making their operators’ lives unaffordable. Indonesian prosecutors detained coal tycoon Samin Tan as a suspect in a corruption probe, alleging that his Asmin Koalindo Tuhup orchestrated illegal mining activities between 2017 and 2025, after the government had terminated its contract. The government has stepped up enforcement in its extractive industries, following a broader push to review legacy mining permits and contracts. BYD’s Profit Slump Shows China’s EV Downturn Is Far From Over Read more Beijing summoned the US envoy to Hong Kong after the consulate posted an alert about new rules giving authorities the power to demand passwords for phones. The US was urged to cease interference. The Hong Kong government expressed dissatisfaction with “misleading information” about the new rules by foreign organizations and media. Lenders urged the Reserve Bank of India to rethink new foreign exchange rules meant to shore up the rupee, saying the measures would force them to close many positions and trigger big losses, according to people ...
China’s 15th five-year plan is about to make commercial aerospace a mainstream pillar of national development, and Hong Kong cannot afford to miss this opportunity. Whether the city can translate this national push into concrete local strengths will become a test of its ability to integrate with – and contribute to – China’s next wave of strategic industries. Commercial aerospace has moved to a fu...
China’s 15th five-year plan is about to make commercial aerospace a mainstream pillar of national development, and Hong Kong cannot afford to miss this opportunity. Whether the city can translate this national push into concrete local strengths will become a test of its ability to integrate with – and contribute to – China’s next wave of strategic industries. Commercial aerospace has moved to a full-scale strategic policy in just a few years, sitting at the intersection of satellites,...
Starmer to convene major energy industry and insurance figures to draw up emergency plans amid continued blockade of strait of Hormuz Rachel Reeves will warn G7 nations they must move faster on clean energy to insulate economies against global price shocks from oil and gas as she and the energy secretary Ed Miliband meet G7 finance and energy ministers on Monday. Keir Starmer will also gather majo...
Starmer to convene major energy industry and insurance figures to draw up emergency plans amid continued blockade of strait of Hormuz Rachel Reeves will warn G7 nations they must move faster on clean energy to insulate economies against global price shocks from oil and gas as she and the energy secretary Ed Miliband meet G7 finance and energy ministers on Monday. Keir Starmer will also gather major energy industry and insurance figures to thrash out what emergency measures might be needed to contain the continuing crisis from the blockade of the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...
PM will also cite Iran war as reason to stick with Labour, as party adopts new slogan: ‘Pride in Britain’ Keir Starmer will say that a vote for Reform UK will put at risk progress Labour is making on the cost of living, arguing that Britain’s values are being tested in a volatile world. Launching the party’s local elections campaign with a new slogan: “Pride in Britain”, Starmer will urge voters t...
PM will also cite Iran war as reason to stick with Labour, as party adopts new slogan: ‘Pride in Britain’ Keir Starmer will say that a vote for Reform UK will put at risk progress Labour is making on the cost of living, arguing that Britain’s values are being tested in a volatile world. Launching the party’s local elections campaign with a new slogan: “Pride in Britain”, Starmer will urge voters to stay the course with Labour. A dire set of results are predicted for the party in Wales, Scotland and English councils, especially in the north-east of England and London. Continue reading...
Finding a job is hard right now, especially for young people starting their careers. NPR's Adrian Ma spoke with college students and an economist about navigating today's tough job market.
Finding a job is hard right now, especially for young people starting their careers. NPR's Adrian Ma spoke with college students and an economist about navigating today's tough job market.
Protesters from the Iranian diaspora in the U.S. gathered in Washington, D.C. as the war in the Middle East broadens. Many say they are aligned with the U.S. and Israel and explain why they want to see regime change in Tehran.
Protesters from the Iranian diaspora in the U.S. gathered in Washington, D.C. as the war in the Middle East broadens. Many say they are aligned with the U.S. and Israel and explain why they want to see regime change in Tehran.
Despite being a major energy exporter, Australia relies heavily on imported refined fuel to power transport, agriculture and other parts of its economy, leaving it highly exposed to disruptions in global supply chains. That dependence is now under sharper scrutiny after US and Israeli strikes on Iran led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and fuel shipment...
Despite being a major energy exporter, Australia relies heavily on imported refined fuel to power transport, agriculture and other parts of its economy, leaving it highly exposed to disruptions in global supply chains. That dependence is now under sharper scrutiny after US and Israeli strikes on Iran led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and fuel shipments. With some deliveries to Australia already canceled and warnings that supplies could tighten significantly by May if the conflict drags on, questions are mounting over how prepared the country is for a prolonged shock. Where does Australia get its fuel from? While Australia is one of the world’s largest mining nations and fossil fuel exporters, it relies heavily on imported oil products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel and kerosene (jet fuel) for transport, mining, defense, agriculture and aviation. In 2025, more than 80% of refined fuel consumed in Australia was imported, mostly from Asia; 25% came from South Korea, 13% from Malaysia, 8% each from India and Taiwan, and 7% from China. Much of the fuel coming from Asia is refined using crude oil sourced from the Middle East. Australia does have some oil reserves, mostly off the coast of Western Australia, but supply is limited and production has been declining for more than two decades due to aging oil fields and high costs compared with imports. In 2000, Australia was able to meet about 98% of its petroleum product needs thanks to high domestic production of crude processed by eight domestic refineries. By 2025, crude output had fallen to 5.6% of demand, and after the closure of six refineries, the remaining two provided just 17% of the country’s refined petroleum products, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. The institute says Australia now has the world’s largest trade deficit in refined petroleum products. Australia has just two oil refineries left in operation — one in Victoria and...
Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR) has been one of the market's top performers since the AI investment trend began in 2023. If you purchased $10,000 worth of its shares at the start of 2023 and held on, that stake would now be worth nearly $223,000. However, as of the close on Friday, the stock had also declined by 31% from the high it set in November. The question is, is this decline a healthy correction or...
Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR) has been one of the market's top performers since the AI investment trend began in 2023. If you purchased $10,000 worth of its shares at the start of 2023 and held on, that stake would now be worth nearly $223,000. However, as of the close on Friday, the stock had also declined by 31% from the high it set in November. The question is, is this decline a healthy correction or a sign of things to come? Image source: The Motley Fool. Palantir's association with AI harkens back to its initial software, which used AI to process data quickly and provide decision-makers with insights on what they should do next. This software originally was designed for use by intelligence agencies and the military, but eventually, the company expanded into the commercial side of things. Over the years, Palantir has adopted and integrated generative AI into its products, and its platforms have become some of the most common tools that governments and companies alike are using to harness the power of AI. Continue reading