The Straits Times World
중도 성향
정치
Hostilities flare again in Iran war, talks at a stalemate
Kuwait’s army said its air defences were intercepting hostile missile and drone attacks.
"STALEMATE" · 총 44건
필터 보기현재 지수
50.3
0 = 부정 우세
50 = 중립
100 = 긍정 우세
최근 7일 기준 88,713건을 분석한 결과, 뉴스 심리지수는 50.3(균형)입니다. 긍정 4,473건(5.0%)·중립 82,139건(92.6%)·부정 2,101건(2.4%)이며, 중립 비중이 뚜렷하게 높습니다. 성향 지수는 종합 15.0(중도 균형)입니다.
Kuwait’s army said its air defences were intercepting hostile missile and drone attacks.
(1st UPDATE) Two Iranian missiles shot at Kuwait fell short or broke apart in flight, while several ballistic missiles aimed at regional targets failed and three missiles heading for Bahrain were intercepted, the US Central Command says
People walk on a street near a mural featuring an image of the late Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, June 1, 2026. — ReutersIran taking "stern" approach in negotiations: report.Iran pushing for a limited interim agreement: sources.Israel continues...
The Justice Department on Monday said it will comply with a court order temporarily blocking the Trump administration's nearly $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund. Meanwhile, President Trump remains locked in a stalemate with Iran amid peace talks. Weijia Jiang has the latest.
DUBAI, June 2 - Iran is reviewing a proposed agreement with the United States to halt the war between the two countries, Iran's Mehr news reported on Tuesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said talks to reach a deal were continuing.
The arrest of Philippine Senator Jinggoy Estrada has deepened a stand-off in the Senate, leaving the chamber split between two 11-member blocs and raising the risk of a wider political crisis, analysts told This Week in Asia. They warned the stalemate could stall legislation, delay military appointments and complicate Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial, leaving the Senate’s basic ability to do business hostage to a factional power struggle. Estrada, chairman of the Senate...
On May 8, Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan broke a grueling six-month stalemate by passing a landmark $25 billion defense budget, catching many observers off guard. The vote brought sudden end to an agonizing legislative deadlock that had pushed U.S.-Taiwanese relations to the edge. For months, long-simmering frustration in Washington over Taiwan’s defense trajectory has threatened to boil over, catalyzed by an unprecedented bipartisan open letter from U.S. senators, demanding that Taiwan authorize the pending defense packages. The optics grew even more fraught as Cheng Li-wun, the newly elected chairwoman of the Kuomintang, Taiwan’s largest opposition party, embarked on a controversial “peace” The post Between Beijing and the Budget: The Domestic Realities of Taiwan’s Defense Spending Drama appeared first on War on the Rocks.
The Ali-Inoki super fight drew global attention, then baffled fans with 15 rounds of tactical stalemate.
The US president with huge ambitions is running into the brick walls of global realities.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan said on Monday Hong Kong’s economy remained resilient when it moved into the second quarter. This, he said, followed robust growth of 5.9 percent in gross domestic product in the first quarter. Speaking at a meeting of the Legislative Council’s financial affairs panel, Chan said the SAR saw year-on-year growth in merchandise exports of nearly 43 percent in April, driven by export of AI-related electronics products. The city also welcomed more tourists in April and during the Labour Day Golden Week holiday, in addition to seeing improvements in the labour market. However, Chan warned of uncertainties brought about by the Middle East stalemate. "Although the conflict has limited impact on Hong Kong’s economy, it has pushed up international oil prices and inflation pressure," he said. "The ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran is not on solid ground. If tensions escalate again, it is expected to exacerbate volatility in global financial markets, weaken external demand and pose downside risks to global and local economic outlook. "But strong global demand for advanced electronics and AI-related products is expected to help boost exports." Chan also said Hong Kong exports of services would remain robust with tourism booming, cross-border financial activities thriving and demand for business services remaining stable. He also urged the retail and catering sectors to transform themselves to match new consumption trends. "Consumption patterns have changed and people’s expectations are different from before," Chan said. "As a result, some of the big traditional restaurants may find it difficult to survive in the current environment if they continue with their past practices," he said. "At the same time, however, there are distinctive shops and cafes opening up in many districts, and some of them are doing well. Therefore, we encourage the industry to transform." Chan said the government would offer assistance in funding and training to aid in the sectors' transformation. Edited by Thomas McAlinden
In Ukraine, Gaza and now Iran, President Trump’s early declarations of easy wins have given way to harsh reality.
• Diplomats see high chances of final agreement despite hiccups • Insist both sides want to avoid open-ended conflict • Nuclear issues likely to be handled in later negotiations • Ex-envoy Munir Akram says gaps are more about narrative than substance WASHINGTON: Islamabad remains a leading contender to host the formal signing ceremony of a possible US-Iran peace agreement if negotiators succeed in finalising a deal, diplomatic sources said. Diplomatic sources at the United Nations and in Washington told Dawn that prospects for a final agreement remained high despite delays in completing the draft. “Nine out of 10,” a senior diplomat said when asked to assess the likelihood of a final agreement being signed. “But I cannot say when it will happen.” Another senior diplomat said Islamabad’s role in facilitating the initial contacts between Washington and Tehran had strengthened its credentials as a possible host. “Iranians cannot come to Washington, and Americans cannot go to Tehran because the two countries do not have diplomatic relations,” the diplomat said. “If the signing takes place in a third capital, Islamabad would be a natural choice because it hosted the first round of talks.” The assessment comes as reports in major US media outlets suggest Washington and Tehran have converged on several key elements of a potential settlement, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz and extending the current ceasefire while negotiations continue on more contentious issues. Recent reports in The Washington Post and Reuters indicate that negotiators have developed a framework for a broader agreement, although significant differences remain over implementation and sequencing. Diplomatic sources said both sides had increasingly concluded that prolonging the conflict would impose unacceptable costs. According to officials familiar with the negotiations, the Trump administration determined early in the conflict that air power alone would not achieve all of Washington’s objectives and that a prolonged military campaign risked becoming politically costly at home. The sources said Tehran had reached a similar conclusion. While Iranian officials view their ability to withstand months of military pressure as a strategic achievement, they also recognise that a prolonged conflict would further damage an economy already weakened by war and sanctions while accelerating the destruction of critical infrastructure. “Neither side wants an open-ended conflict,” one source said. “Both recognise that the current stalemate carries growing political, economic and strategic costs.” Diplomats said this shared assessment had created momentum for a negotiated settlement. Although details of the proposal have not been made public, diplomatic sources familiar with the discussions described several of its key elements to Dawn. According to these sources, the agreement would effectively end the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran in exchange for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway it has kept closed since the early stages of the conflict, disrupting global energy supplies and trade. The sources said Iran would also provide assurances that it would not seek to develop nuclear weapons, while some of the most contentious issues, including the future structure of its nuclear programme and the disposition of its enriched uranium stockpile, would be addressed in subsequent rounds of negotiations. Several of these elements broadly correspond with details reported by Reuters and The Washington Post, which said negotiators were working on a framework that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz while deferring some nuclear issues to later stages of the process. Former Pakistani ambassador to the UN Munir Akram said many of the demands publicly outlined by President Donald Trump appeared to overlap with provisions already under discussion. “The differences are largely about narrative rather than substance,” Mr Akram said during a television interview on Saturday. “Both sides want an agreement they can present as a victory.” He predicted that negotiators would eventually narrow the remaining gaps and reach a settlement. Diplomats cautioned, however, that important obstacles remained. Several pointed to Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon as a major concern for Tehran, which is seeking an immediate halt to those operations as part of a regional settlement. Mr Akram argued that continued delays in reaching an agreement were hurting Iran’s allies in Lebanon by giving Israel additional time to consolidate its position in the south. “This issue alone has the potential to complicate the peace process,” one diplomatic source said. Sources also said Washington remained concerned about the security of its Gulf allies. While the conflict exposed some of Iran’s vulnerabilities, diplomats noted that Tehran’s ability to withstand sustained military pressure had also heightened anxiety among Arab states in the region. According to the sources, some Gulf governments have begun exploring closer ties with Iran as a hedge against future instability, prompting Washington to reaffirm its long-term military commitment to the region. “The United States wants to strengthen, not reduce, its military presence in the Gulf,” a diplomatic source said. “That is not an issue on which Washington is prepared to compromise.” Diplomats monitoring the negotiations said that while disagreements remained over sequencing, security guarantees and political messaging, there was growing confidence that both Washington and Tehran now viewed a negotiated settlement as preferable to a prolonged conflict whose costs continued to mount for all sides. If an agreement is reached, Pakistan remains among the most likely venues for a formal signing ceremony, they added. Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2026
Ukraine appears to be gaining momentum on the battlefield in its grinding fight with Russia, regaining territory for the first time in years as it outflanks Moscow’s forces through its domination of drone warfare. Defense analysts this week said the war had entered a new phase, with Kyiv poised to break a stalemate that has...
Mumbai: India's equity indices fell 1.5% on Friday, posting losses for the month, as outflows on account of MSCI index rebalancing triggered a late decline during the trading session. The extension of the tentative ceasefire deal by 60 days eased oil prices but did little to improve sentiment in equities, with Donald Trump yet to sign off on it.The NSE Nifty closed at 23,547.75, down 1.5%, or 359.40 points, while the BSE Sensex ended at 74,775.74, down 1.4% or 1,092.06 points. For May, the Nifty and Sensex slipped 1.9% and 2.8% lower, respectively.Both indices were on track to post modest gains on Friday but selling in the last 30 minutes sent shares tumbling."The MSCI rebalancing led to outflows worth ₹8,000-8,500 crore, which were slightly higher than previous instances, but that was due to float adjustments in certain names like Bajaj Finance, HUL, TCS, and many others," said Abhilash Pagaria, head of alternative and quantitative research, Nuvama Wealth. "This is a one-time new methodology adjustment that weighed on the market on Friday."When global index providers like MSCI add or remove stocks in their indices, passive funds tracking these are forced to buy or sell them in line with the new weights.131402604Fear Gauge Jumps On Friday, Federal Bank, MCX, Nalco and Indian Bank were added to the MSCI Standard Index, while Hyundai Motor India, Jubilant FoodWorks, Kalyan Jewellers and RVNL were excluded.According to Nuvama Alternates, India's weight in the MSCI Standard Index is expected to remain broadly stable at around 12%, with the overall stock count unchanged as four got added and four were excluded.All sectoral indices ended lower on Friday with the IT index bucking the weak trend. Nifty Oil & gas dropped 2.5% while Nifty Metal and Auto indices fell around 2%. Nifty Consumer Durables and FMCG indices declined close to 1.5% while Bank Nifty slid 1.1% lower.Even before the sell-off linked to the MSCI index rejig, gains were measured in response to the provisional deal between the US and Iran."The deal for extension of ceasefire between the US and Iran is not yet signed and it doesn't seem that either of them is in a hurry to sign the deal either," said UR Bhat, cofounder and director, Alphaniti. "The nuclear material in Iran remains a point of contention and investors don't expect a concrete agreement immediately. If the stalemate continues and oil prices shoot up, then the market could see declines. However, if it is signed, then some respite is likely."Brent crude oil futures eased about 2% to nearly $90 on Friday after rising 0.5% on Thursday.The India VIX volatility index jumped 8% to 16.2 on Friday, suggesting traders are not convinced that risks have subsided. The measure was, however, down 9% in the week. "Nifty is stuck in a downward sloping range of around 24,000 levels on the higher side and 23,250-23,000 on the lower side," said Vipin Kumar, AVP, Globe Capital Market. "These levels are unlikely to be broken in the coming week."Foreign portfolio investors sold shares worth a net Rs 21,105.9 crore on Friday, while domestic institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 16,764.1 crore. In May, foreign investors sold shares worth Rs 49,192 crore."Overseas investors could continue to churn large-cap holdings. However, the broader market remains resilient and poised for outperformance," said Pagaria.Out of 4,463 shares traded on the BSE, 1,611 advanced, and 2,673 declined. The Nifty Midcap 150 index declined 1.4%, while the Nifty Smallcap 250 ended 0.7% lower. In the past week, the two gained 1% and 1.2%, respectively.
Russia's warning to carry out "consistent and systematic" missile strikes on Kyiv, accompanied by a call for evacuating foreign embassies from the capital, signals Vladimir Putin's intention to expand Russia's barrage despite the heavy costs and potential international outrage.
President confirms deal reopens Strait of Hormuz after months-long stalemate that has devastated global economy
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar both headed to Delhi for talks on Thursday but thunderstorms in the Capital grounded the former’s flight in Jaipur.
The American blockade and Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz have created a stalemate that is neither peace nor raging conflict, with both sides attempting economic strangulation on the water.
Any stalemate in negotiations to end both Iranian aggression in the Strait of Hormuz and their nuclear program should warrant the resumption of the bombing campaign against Iran. Greater destruction of Iran’s infrastructure may be needed to compel its military and political capitulation. Before the ceasefire, the hyperbolic rhetoric in vogue among the administration’s critics […]