Asia

The country's disaster-management office reported that?Fierce winds? left a?trail?of destruction on Madagascar after?Tropical? Cyclone Gezani struck the island. At least 31 people were killed and another four are still missing. In an updated report, the BNGRC (National Bureau for Risk and Disaster Management) reported that 29 of the deaths occurred in Toamasina - the island nation's second largest city and the most impoverished in the Indian Ocean. Two other deaths occurred in a nearby district. Residents of Toamasina and the surrounding area described scenes as chaos when the cyclone hit land late Tuesday. "I've never felt winds like this before......

Bombardier Canada announced on Wednesday that Dubai's Vista Global, a?private jet provider based in Dubai, has placed an order for 40 Challenger 3500 business jets worth $1.18 billion. Bombardier stated that the order includes a?option for an additional 120 aircraft, which would bring a total value of 160 planes to approximately $4.72 billion. The deal is part of a sustained 'demand for private flying', which has swollen the?order books of business jet manufacturers. The Challenger 3500, an upscaled version of Bombardier's Challenger 350 Business Jet that seats up to ten passengers, is a variant of the Challenger 350. Bombardier is...

A court in India has sentenced an Indian journalist to a year's imprisonment for his posts on social media about the Adani Group. The court said that the posts were?unverified, defamatory, and painted the group in a negative light. Adani Enterprises led by billionaire Gautam Adani filed a case against India journalist Ravi Nair at a Gujarat district court in 2021, accusing him for making statements that suggested "political.. patronage... financial irregularities and unethical.. conduct", according to an order.. seen on Tuesday. The court's order stated that "no documentary material, official records, or verified data have been produced" to support...

The Chinese captain of an?Hong Kong registered cargo ship pleaded 'not guilty'?on a charge?of criminal damage on Wednesday, after allegations that his vessel had?damaged underwater cables in the Baltic Sea. According to a Hong Kong chargesheet reviewed by the. The charge sheet said that?Wan was "reckless", and had "damaged property belonging to others without lawful excuse". Investigators in Finland said that the container vessel had pulled its anchor so as to cut off the Balticconnector pipeline. The Finnish police retrieved an anchor that had broken from the seabed, near the Balticconnector gas pipeline. An attorney for Wan, Jerry Chung said...

Dubai International Airport (DXB), which is the world's busiest travel hub and is expected to?handle close to 100 millions passengers this year, according to its operator. This will build?upon a record-breaking performance in 2025. Dubai Airports said that it expects to have 99.5 million passengers by 2026 as the demand grows across major markets. DXB handled 95,2?million passengers in 2018, up 3.1% compared to 2024. India, Saudi Arabia, and Britain were its top three markets. Egypt, Italy, and China all experienced double-digit growth. Dubai is the Middle East’s largest tourism and trade hub. It's home to the tallest tower in...

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, threatened on Monday to prevent the opening of a new $4.7 billion bridge linking Detroit and Windsor,?Ontario, as his latest salvo in a trade dispute with Canada. Trump cited Canada as the owner of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, Canada's refusal to stock certain U.S. alcoholic drinks on Canadian shelves, Canada’s tariffs on milk products, and its trade negotiations with China. Canada financed the bridge because the U.S. refused. It is expected to open within the next few months. Tolls will cover the costs over a period of 30 years. Trump posted on Twitter: "I...

Qatar's stock index rose after announcing a positive year-end earnings report. Oil prices, a major factor in the Gulf's financial market, fell as traders assessed the possibility of supply disruptions following U.S. guidelines for vessels transiting Strait of Hormuz. Iran, along with fellow OPEC member?Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as well as Kuwait, Iraq, and Kuwait export the majority of their crude oil via the Strait to Asia. Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index fell 0.1% due to a 0.8% drop in the?Al Rajhi Bank. Two people with knowledge of the situation said that the $925 billion Public Investment...

A proposal document released on Monday showed that the European Union had proposed to extend its sanctions against Russia?to include ports located in Georgia and Indonesia which handle Russian oil. This would be the first time for the bloc to target ports in a third country. The EU proposal was reviewed by and would add Kulevi, in Georgia, and Karimun, in Indonesia, to the list of sanctions, barring EU individuals and companies from transacting with either port. These measures are part of 'EU's 20th package of sanctions over Russia's conflict in Ukraine. The package, which was jointly drafted and presented...

Saudi Arabia announced a major package of investments in Syria on Saturday, covering energy, aviation and real estate, as the kingdom positioned itself as an important supporter of Syria's?new leadership. Saudi Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih announced on Saturday that Saudi Arabia has launched an investment fund for Syria, which will commit a total of?7.5 billion Saudi Riyals ($2 billion) over several phases to the development of two airports in Aleppo. Falih said that the Elaf Fund will finance large-scale Syrian projects with private sector investors from Saudi Arabia. Saudi flynas, a budget airline in Saudi Arabia, and the Syrian Civil...

Hong Kong's chief of commerce summoned on Friday the Panamanian Consul in 'city to condemn a recent court decision that nullified CK Hutchison, based in Hong 'Kong's contract for the operation of two 'ports 'at the Panama Canal. China's Hong Kong & Macau Affairs Office had warned Panama that it would pay "heavy penalties" for its decision made earlier in the week. According to a Friday post from the bureau, Algernon Ying Wah, Hong Kong's Secretary of Commerce and Economic Development expressed "strong opposition and dissatisfaction" with the Panama Supreme Court decision during a meeting. Yau stated that the company...

Mohd Edrees The stock markets of the United Arab Emirates ended slightly higher on February 6, as investors awaited the latest news from Iran, and the high-stakes talks between the United States and Iran regarding Tehran's nuclear program. Dubai's main market has now gained for the fifth consecutive session, with a 0.2% increase to its highest level in early 2006. Oman, as the mediator between Iran and America, began negotiations on Friday. Both sides have shown willingness to negotiate. revive diplomacy Washington wants to extend the talks with Iran to cover its?nuclear dispute?with the West. Ballistic missiles U.S. Secretary Of...

Aerospace Times: Chinese civil drone manufacturer?Feipeng? is accelerating their global expansion with a focus in?Southeast Asia and the Middle East as they seek to navigate fierce domestic competition. The domestic Chinese market has become too competitive. Harry Kang said that Feipeng must go overseas. He made the statement on the sidelines at the Singapore Airshow where the company, which is not listed, is exhibiting. China's manufacturers, which are the top drone makers in the world, are testing heavier payloads, while transport companies plan air taxi services with and without crews. This is because the country has loosened airspace restrictions, and...

Rosaviatsia, the aviation regulator in Russia, said that Russia will 'fly its tourists out of Cuba within the next few days and then suspend all flights till a jet-fuel shortage subsides. Both airlines have said that they will only operate passenger flights in order to bring tourists home from Cuba. The?administration of U.S. president Donald Trump has declared Cuba a "unusual and exceptional threat" to U.S. security, and announced that the communist-run Island will no longer be receiving oil from Venezuela. Washington has threatened?impose tariffs on other fuel suppliers like Mexico if they continue to supply fuel to the island....

Authorities reported that three?people died and several were injured in shootings 'in two areas of Indonesian's easternmost region, Papua. This included?near operations of Freeport - Indonesia, a gold & copper miner. Police spokesman Cahyo Sukanrito?said that the pilot and copilot of a Smart Air small commercial plane were killed when assailants fired on it as it landed on Korowai Airport in Boven Digoel province, South Papua, on Wednesday. In addition to the pilots, there were 13 other passengers on board. He said that when the shooting began, both the pilots as well as the passengers fled the plane into a...

Indonesian police confirmed on Wednesday that a pilot and a co-pilot a small plane were killed 'after unknown assailants opened fire 'on the aircraft landed in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua. Local police spokesman Cahyo Sukarinto said that the Smart Air plane carrying 13 passengers and two?pilots landed on Korowai Airport in Boven Digoel (South Papua) at 11.17 local time (0.21 GMT) on Wednesday. He said that when the shooting began, both the pilots as well as the passengers left the plane. They then headed to a forest area near the airport. All passengers were unharmed, except for the pilot...

U.S. officials have found no evidence that malicious communication equipment is embedded in Chinese inverters used in the nation's power grid, according to an Energy Department?report. Inverters are devices that convert the electricity produced by solar panels and batteries into electrical power for use in appliances. The inverters are designed to be remotely accessible for maintenance and updates. The majority of power inverters in the world are manufactured in China. In part, this is due to the tense relationship between Beijing and Washington and concerns about national security. The DOE analysis was done in response to media reports stating that...

New rules from the National Electric Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), Pakistan's energy regulator, show that the amount it pays to citizens who install solar panels on their roofs and then sell the electricity back to the grid has been slashed. The new rules will replace the previous system, where electricity purchased from the grid or supplied to it was valued at the same rate. This will encourage the adoption of solar in this south Asian country plagued by frequent outages and steep retail price hikes. The solar revolution in Pakistan has helped the share of renewable electricity in the country's electricity...

Analysts say that China's imports of liquefied gas will increase in 2026, as global supply increases and prices fall, while the use for power generation and transportation rises. However, any rise in imports is likely to be modest, due to persistent weakness in China's economy. Analysts at five companies estimate that the world's biggest LNG?importer?will buy between 3% and 10% more super-chilled fuel in 2018 than last year, or approximately 70.5 to 75.5 millions metric tons. Even the most optimistic projections are below levels in 2024 following a 10% drop in imports due to a milder winter and weak industrial...

CPC Blend crude, for February loading, is trading at the biggest discount to Brent since late 2022, as buyers are holding back following a'months-long period of export disruptions including field outages and bad weather, and Ukrainian drone strikes, according to four traders. The main route of export for Kazakh oil via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium has been interrupted repeatedly, leading to large cancellations. The traders reported that several February-loading CPC blend cargoes were sold at Brent minus $5 per barrel. The traders added that the discount had narrowed this week due to a new demand for more attractive prices. The...

Russian oil tankers increasingly list Singapore as their destination. This indicates a'shift in export flow from India to 'China and growing concern over Western sanctions. LSEG data indicates that tankers carrying approximately 1.4 million metric tonnes of Russian crude left for Singapore in January. This was the highest monthly volume seen in recent years. Singapore does not import Russian oil due to sanctions risks. However, its waters are used by traders for ship-to -ship transfers. Many'vessels' discharge their cargo in Malaysia or transfer oil into floating storage units. Singapore is often used to mask the final buyer. A Moscow-based oil...

Traders and LSEG data show that Russia has increased its naphtha exports to STS and port storage hubs, as key buyers reduce imports due to?Western sanction pressure. Since the European Union's full embargo against Russian oil products went into effect in February 2023?,?most? of?Russian naphtha is being directed towards the Middle East and Asia. India and Taiwan were among the largest Asian buyers. However, recent U.S. sanction have caused both countries to withdraw. According to LSEG, Taiwan hasn't imported Russian naphtha from the beginning of 2026. This compares with 2.7?million tonnes in 2025. Shipping data showed that traders were avoiding...

Urals crude differentials are under pressure after Thursday's'sellers' faced weak demand from India following a?trade?deal? that New Delhi made with Washington, which will result in India cutting purchases of Russian oil. The Russian oil market is increasingly exposed to China, so traders were forced to offer greater discounts to China as the largest buyer of Russian crude oil. The discounts on Russian oil exported to China have reached a new record this week, as sellers reduced prices to attract demand from the world's largest crude importer. They also cut their prices to offset the loss of India sales. PLATTS WINDOW...

The captain of the 'container ship' that collided with a U.S. oil tanker off Britain's east cost last year, was?jailed?for 6 years for gross negligence in causing death to a crewmember. Vladimir Motin was the captain of the Portuguese flagged Solong, when the tanker?Stena Immaculate,' was anchored with just over 220,000 gallons?of aviation fuel. This happened on March 10, 2025. The collision caused a fire on both vessels and the death of Mark Pernia (38), a Filipino national and member of the 'Solong crew. His body has never been located. James Leonard, Motin’s lawyer, said that Motin tried unsuccessfully to...

In a Wednesday interview, Aleksandar Vucic stated that Serbia was diversifying its energy sources away from Russia. The country is already in discussions to purchase natural gas through a European Union buying mechanism. Over 80% of the country's natural gas comes from Russia. The EU is trying to cut down on cash flowing to the Ukraine war chest of President Vladimir Putin. Last year, Serbia was unable to sign a long-term agreement with Russia's Gazprom. A short-term agreement reached in December will expire on March 31. Vucic stated that he understood EU policies towards Russian energy. He said, "We have...