World News
Oil prices rise as supply fears linger despite IEA reserve release plan
Brent futures traded up $3.31, or 3.8%, at $91.11 a barrel by 1159 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded $3.13 higher, also 3.8%, at $86.58 a barrel
 "Oil prices rise as supply fears linger despite IEA reserve release plan")
NRIs in Bahrain and Kuwait wait for Saudi transit visas to return
Airspace closures amid the West Asia conflict have left many NRIs in Bahrain and Kuwait seeking Saudi transit visas to travel by road and catch flights to India
 "NRIs in Bahrain and Kuwait wait for Saudi transit visas to return")
Foreign hacker breached FBI server with Epstein probe files in 2023: Report
The details of who accessed a server at the FBI's New York Field Office, including the allegation that a foreign hacker was involved, are being reported here for the first time
 "Foreign hacker breached FBI server with Epstein probe files in 2023: Report")
Shell declares force majeure on Asia LNG deals after Qatar plant shutdown
Shell has an equity partnership with QatarEnergy in the massive Ras Laffan LNG plant, the largest single plant in the world, which shut down last week following a drone attack on the facility
 "Shell declares force majeure on Asia LNG deals after Qatar plant shutdown")
China's auto sales sink as phase out of subsidies for trade-ins hits demand
Only 950,000 units of passenger cars were sold in China last month, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, down from nearly 1.4 million vehicles sold in January
 "China's auto sales sink as phase out of subsidies for trade-ins hits demand")
Iran's joint military command says banks now major target in West Asia
It came after Iranian media reported staff at a bank in Tehran had been killed in Israeli-American airstrikes
 "Iran's joint military command says banks now major target in West Asia")
4 injured after Iranian drones hit near Dubai Airport; operations continue
Among injured are two Ghanaian nationals; one Indian and Bangladeshi national each
 "4 injured after Iranian drones hit near Dubai Airport; operations continue")
Speculation rises over Iran's new Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei's health
This comes after Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian mentioned hearing news about Mojtaba Khamenei 'being injured'
 "Speculation rises over Iran's new Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei's health")
How a 1953 CIA-backed coup set Iran and the US on today's collision course
Today's Iran-US confrontation traces back to a Cold War coup, oil politics and the 1979 revolution that transformed a strategic partnership into one of the world's longest geopolitical rivalries
 "How a 1953 CIA-backed coup set Iran and the US on today's collision course")
Cargo ship ablaze in Hormuz after being hit by projectile: British military
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, run by the British military, said the vessel had been hit just north of Oman in the strait
 "Cargo ship ablaze in Hormuz after being hit by projectile: British military")
Iran targets oil infrastructure as concerns of global energy crisis grow
Iran has effectively stopped shipping traffic through the narrow strait off its coast, through which about a fifth of the world's oil is shipped from the Persian Gulf toward the Indian Ocean
 "Iran targets oil infrastructure as concerns of global energy crisis grow")
Hezbollah faces rare criticism as fresh war with Israel displaces thousands
The Iran-backed militant group and political party is facing increasing grassroots discontent within its base and problems with the Lebanese authorities
 "Hezbollah faces rare criticism as fresh war with Israel displaces thousands")
UN warns of higher food prices, cost-of-living if Strait of Hormuz shuts
The narrow passage carries around a quarter of global seaborne oil trade and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilisers
 "UN warns of higher food prices, cost-of-living if Strait of Hormuz shuts")
Asian shares advance as markets await signals on when Iran war may end
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 gained 2.1% to 55,387.75 and South Korea's Kospi surged 3.5% to 5,724.30
 "Asian shares advance as markets await signals on when Iran war may end")
From Karbala to Iran: How Shia Islam has evolved across centuries
From the dispute over Ali's succession to the legacy of Karbala, here is how Shia Islam evolved, what its core beliefs are, and where Shia communities are found today
 "From Karbala to Iran: How Shia Islam has evolved across centuries")
US destroys 16 mine-laying vessels as Iran threatens to block oil exports
The US destroyed 16 mine-laying Iranian vessels, though President Donald Trump said in social media posts that there were no reports of Iran planting explosives in the Strait of Hormuz
 "US destroys 16 mine-laying vessels as Iran threatens to block oil exports")
FBI hikes reward to $1 mn for information on Indian wanted for killing wife
Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel is wanted for allegedly killing his wife, Palak Patel, by striking her multiple times with an object
 "FBI hikes reward to $1 mn for information on Indian wanted for killing wife")
Iran, Russia foreign ministers discuss regional tensions over phone
They exchanged views on the evolving situation in West Asia and the broader consequences of the conflict for regional and international stability
 "Iran, Russia foreign ministers discuss regional tensions over phone")
How Trump and his advisers miscalculated Iran's response to war
In the lead-up to the US-Israeli attack, President Trump downplayed the risks to the energy markets as a short-term concern that should not overshadow the mission to decapitate the Iranian regime
 "How Trump and his advisers miscalculated Iran's response to war")
Anthropic tells judge billions of dollars at stake if US shuns AI tool
The startup made a case for urgency to US District Judge Rita F. Lin at a hearing in San Francisco a day after Anthropic sued the Defense Department over the supply-risk designation
 "Anthropic tells judge billions of dollars at stake if US shuns AI tool")