Author: Gulf News Week

Citing security concerns amid ongoing war with US and Israel, Iran’s Sports Ministry prohibits travel to hostile countries—threatening a key Asian Champions League tie and raising questions about the national team’s World Cup participation. TEHRAN — Iran has banned its sports teams from traveling to countries it deems “hostile,” a sweeping directive that threatens to derail a major Asian Champions League football match and further complicates the national team’s path to the 2026 World Cup. The ban, announced Thursday by Iran’s Ministry of Sports, comes nearly a month after the outbreak of war following US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.…

With 90% of India’s LPG imports passing through the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz, supply disruptions have left millions of households facing rising prices and shortages—reigniting the push for piped natural gas. SHARJAH — As the US-Israel-Iran war continues to disrupt maritime trade routes, India is facing one of its most severe energy supply shocks in recent years. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz—a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments—has dealt a heavy blow to India’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports, triggering shortages and soaring prices across the country. India imports 60% of its total LPG requirement, and nearly 90% of…

It is the single point of failure of globalised production.The Strait of Hormuz is the only major commercial artery on earth named after a god. The name derives from Hormoz, the Middle Persian rendering of Ahura Mazda – the Zoroastrian deity of wisdom, light, and cosmic order. This is not poetic licence; it is an etymological fact. The ancient Persians did not simply build a trade route here. They consecrated it.A place named after the god of order has become the single point where global order faces its greatest vulnerability. Through these waters – 167km (104 miles) long, 39km (24…

History teaches us that the West’s promises of caring for our ‘freedoms’ are empty. Because imperialism wants control.My deepest sympathies lie with the Iranian people, whose hearts are torn in many directions. Many long for freedom and dignity, yet they remain wary of the long history of Western imperial intervention across the world, including their own country.The Iranian people who took to the streets in recent years did not call for one form of domination to replace another. They demanded an end to oppression in all its forms, not the beginning of a new round under the Western thumb. Nor…

Regulators move to cap electricity prices under a new administered scheme as geopolitical tensions threaten fuel supply stability. MANILA — The Philippines suspended its wholesale electricity spot market across all three national grids on Thursday, citing heightened fuel supply risks and price volatility triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) announced the indefinite suspension in a statement, saying it has proposed a modified administered pricing mechanism to stabilize the market while shielding consumers from potential spikes in power costs. The new pricing framework is expected to be finalized by April 1. “Under the proposed…

From Gosden’s Turf hopeful to Bentornato’s sprinting double bid and Pyromancer’s Derby test, connections lay out their strategies ahead of Dubai’s richest racing night. DUBAI — With the $12 million Dubai World Cup set to headline Saturday’s blockbuster card, trainers from around the world used Wednesday’s final preparations to reveal their ambitions across a support slate that, in any other setting, would command top billing. As Meydan Racecourse buzzes with activity ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Dubai Racing Carnival, connections are fine-tuning everything from draw strategies to track conditions, with veteran champions and emerging talents alike poised to take…

The Emirati oil executive said any Iranian restriction on the critical waterway forces “every nation” to pay higher prices, speaking after meeting with US Vice President JD Vance. WASHINGTON — The chief executive of Abu Dhabi’s state oil company has condemned any Iranian attempt to restrict passage through the Strait of Hormuz as “economic terrorism,” warning that such actions destabilize global markets and hurt consumers worldwide. Sultan Al Jaber, who leads ADNOC, delivered the sharp rebuke in a speech in the United States on Wednesday, framing the strategic waterway—a chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of global oil supply—as a vulnerability that, if…

A California jury’s verdict against the tech giants over addictive platform design could reshape thousands of pending lawsuits from parents, states, and school districts. LOS ANGELES — In a landmark decision that threatens to upend decades of legal protection for major tech platforms, a Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Google and Meta liable in a social media addiction lawsuit brought by a young woman who said she became hooked on their apps as a child. The verdict marks a significant turning point in the growing legal battle over youth mental health and online safety. It is expected to influence thousands…

The termination of the US-Israeli war on Iran would require solid guarantees and a credible guarantor.On March 23, President Donald Trump announced that the United States and Iran had reached “major points of agreement”. Shortly after, he claimed that Tehran had delivered a significant concession related to oil, gas, and the Strait of Hormuz.These statements, along with the decision to postpone strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, generated considerable diplomatic optimism. Global markets responded positively to what was perceived as a sign of de-escalation.This optimism, however, conflates two analytically distinct phenomena: the emergence of a mutually hurting stalemate, which creates the…

As such, it requires urgent action.For more than two weeks now, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted. Several vessels have been attacked, and many others have been stuck on the two ends of the strait, unwilling to take the risk of passing through.This has had not just regional but global repercussions. The strait is the principal gateway for several Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to global markets. About 20 percent of the world’s petroleum and nearly a fifth of global liquified natural gas (LNG) flows pass through it. For this reason, the Strait of Hormuz is…