Month: April 2026

Risks of conflict in the Gulf of Oman are rising after the US Navy fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, though analysts say both Washington and Tehran have shown a reluctance to prolong the war. US President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed that the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance opened fire on the Touska after its crew reportedly ignored repeated orders to halt. The incident, occurring in the strategic waters connecting the Persian Gulf to the open sea via the Strait of Hormuz, marks the first known use of force against…

South China Morning Post

China’s central bank chief has urged the IMF to serve as a bulwark against “rising unilateralism”, at a time when escalating trade restrictions and an intensified Middle East conflict threaten energy and food security. The International Monetary Fund should “take a clear stand against protectionism and defend multilateralism”, People’s Bank of China governor Pan Gongsheng said in a statement to the fund’s International Monetary and Financial Committee, for its 53rd meeting, held on Thursday and… South China Morning Post

China’s trade with Iran and Gulf countries fell sharply in March as restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz tightened amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. Newly released data by Chinese customs showed imports from Iran plunged 48 per cent year on year last month, while exports to the country dropped 90 per cent. Advertisement Across the broader Middle East, exports to eight Persian Gulf economies – including Saudi Arabia and Qatar – fell by 57 per cent, while imports declined by nearly 33 per cent. The disruption stems largely from…

“The era of imposing security from across the oceans has come to an end. Today, not only has the security of Hormuz and Malacca been guaranteed under the shadow of our power and that of our strategic partners, but the security of Bab al-Mandab [Strait] is also in the hands of the Ansar Allah brothers,” Ali Akbar Velayati, the adviser on international affairs to the Supreme Leader of Iran, wrote on social media on Sunday. Yemen-based Ansar Allah is also known as the Houthis. “Any mischief will have a chain-reaction…

A new study from mainland China’s internal security forces offers a glimpse into a future where urban unrest is managed by autonomous machines instead of police in riot gear. In a scenario laid out by engineering experts from the People’s Armed Police Force (PAP), a crowd – incited by rumours following a military takeover of a large city – gathers in a central square to assault key government installations. Their protest meets a swift response: roadblocks are suddenly deployed, cutting off their advance. Key instigators in the crowd are swiftly…

Chinese researchers have developed a flexible 5G millimetre-wave antenna made from photo paper which they say slashes material costs by more than 95 per cent, potentially removing a key barrier to large-scale naval 5G adoption. They described a paper-based flexible multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna engineered specifically for shipborne 5G communications in a study published in the peer-reviewed Chinese Journal of Ship Research and led by Yang Wendong of Liaoning Technical University. The team said the innovation could “realise millimetre-wave communication antennas suitable for the complex environment of ships”.…

Deliveries of China’s home-grown C919 narrowbody airliner, billed to challenge mainstream models from Boeing and Airbus, appear to be delayed, with only three units shipped to Chinese carriers in the first quarter of 2026. Observers point to several factors holding back the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac). While some C919s are said to be stuck on the tarmac waiting for engines, analysts also say prioritising quality over speed is the right bet for the planemaker. Advertisement Only three C919 deliveries have taken place this year to date – two…