Strait

Defensieminister zegt dat E-7A Wedgetail surveillancevliegtuig, in maart naar de Golf gestuurd, zal deelnemen aan de door het VK en Frankrijk geleide defensieve inspanning om het conflict met Iran te kalmeren.

• Kuomintang (KMT) vicevoorzitter Chang Rong-kung ontmoette Wang Huning, China's hoogste functionaris voor Taiwan-zaken, op 11 mei 2026 in Peking, waarbij hij bevestigde dat de cross-strait relaties niet van staat-tot-staat zijn. • Chang benadrukte gedeelde overtuigingen dat het territorium niet verdeeld mag worden en de natie niet verspreid mag raken, zoals geciteerd door Wang tijdens de top die werd gerapporteerd door United Daily News. • De bijeenkomst onderstreept het standpunt van de KMT tegen Taiwan-onafhankelijkheid terwijl zij contact houdt met Peking, te midden van aanhoudende spanningen over de status van Taiwan.

• Singapore's Straits Times Index gained 0.3% on May 7 to 4,941.96, led by Venture Corp's 10.9% rise to $18.28, before dipping 0.4% to 4,921.90 on May 8. • The movement reflects selective strength in tech amid broader Asia market caution. • Venture's gains highlight investor confidence in Singapore electronics manufacturing resilience.

• Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated on 'Face the Nation' that the U.S. military paused its ship escort operation in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran requested a halt to pursue peace talks. • President Trump announced the operation last week amid Iran's blockade, but suspended it two days later following Tehran's signal to 'make a deal.' • The pause supports a fragile ceasefire, with the U.S. now clearing the strait without active escorts, aiming to de-escalate tensions.

• US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet struck two Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Friday to enforce the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. • Iran accused the US of violating the month-old ceasefire, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi calling it a 'reckless military adventure' that undermines diplomacy. • President Donald Trump stated he expects Iran's response to a US peace proposal 'supposedly tonight,' amid ongoing hostilities and JP Morgan warnings of $5 per gallon gas prices.

Simply hanging on could be a disaster for Iranians, while Trump needs to resolve this economic crisis he created Exchanges of fire between Iran and the US demonstrate the serious instability of the situation in the Middle East. Though the US strikes late on Thursday were just “a love tap”, according to the US president, Donald Trump, the reality is that neither side can continue the high-stakes standoff in the strait of Hormuz indefinitely.The US and its ally Israel demonstrated a comprehensive military superiority over Iran – taking minimal casualties in the 38-day war – but Washington has both failed to translate that into strategic dominance and allowed Iran to take control of the strait, driving up the oil price. Continue reading...

Donald Trump insists ceasefire remains intact after the most serious test yet. Plus, David Attenborough’s 100 most spectacular momentsGood morning.The US and Iran traded fire late on Thursday in the greatest test so far to their month-long ceasefire. Tehran accused Washington of breaching the truce by targeting two ships in the strait of Hormuz and attacking civilian areas, while the US said it struck in retaliation.Where were negotiations up to before the strikes? There were reports the two sides could be nearing an agreement to halt the war, with a one-page memorandum shared between Washington and Tehran, via Pakistan. Here is a rundown of the ins and outs over the past week.What happened to Trump’s “Project Freedom”? The US plan to guide tankers through the strait of Hormuz was ditched just days after it was launched, apparently because Saudi Arabia refused to let the US use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation.Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.How has the redistricting affected the sway of Black voters? Each now contains a third of the city’s Black voters, which means all nine of Tennessee’s congressional districts now lean Republican. Continue reading...