These Consumer Goods Could Be First To Vanish As "Supply Shock" Disrupts Asian Factories

Grounding Planes 'A Distinct Possibility': Tightened Global Fuel Supply Hitting Asian Nations Hardest European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has again warned of a "critical energy situation" as oil and gas markets convulse, underscoring growing fears of supply shocks, at a moment President Trump early this week claimed the Strait of Hormuz could "reopen very soon" if talks with Iran succeed - though Tehran has flatly denied any negotiations are underway as confusion reigns over the status of backchannel dialogue.  Already one country says it is suffering a fuel shortage crisis,...

OPEC+ Agrees To Boost Output By Another 206,000 Barrels A Day When Strait Of Hormuz Reopens With the world's attention glued to every headline out of Iran, it is understandable why today's OPEC+ meeting was largely ignored, although with roughly 12% of global oil output throttled at the Strait of Hormuz, it's not as if even OPEC+ could do much to offset the supply shock.  Earlier on Sunday, the oil-producing cartel (where Iran is a founding member yet was missing from the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee) warned that damage to Middle...

US, Philippines Launch Their 'Biggest Ever' Balikatan Drills With Large Japanese Contingent Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com, The US and the Philippines on Monday launched what’s being billed as the "biggest ever" Balikatan Exercise, an annual military drill that, for the first time, includes a significant contingent of Japanese troops as Tokyo increases its military activity in the region, ramping up tensions with China. The drills are scheduled to take place from April 20 to May 8 and will involve more than 17,000 troops, including about 1,400 Japanese military personnel. US Army photo Importantly, exercises...