Real-time News

Kremlin: Europe has so far given no indication of any desire to start a dialogue on the gas issue—but it’s not too late.

Kremlin: The war with Iran has caused turmoil in the natural gas market.

Kremlin: Russia is considering withdrawing from the European gas market, but this requires careful analysis.

March 18th - The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) recent measures to protect the rupee exchange rate are putting pressure on the country's foreign exchange reserves, prompting some analysts to suggest reducing future intervention. India's foreign exchange reserves (excluding gold) are currently only enough to support 8.7 months of import demand, the lowest level in three years. This comes at a time when India faces rising import bills due to energy prices, impacting its economy and markets. Yes Bank's chief economist, Indrani Pan, stated that the more the RBI intervenes, the less firepower it has left, and this could trigger further problems if the ongoing crisis in the Middle East continues to escalate. For the external sector, the only shock absorber is the exchange rate itself. The RBI does need to show greater flexibility in allowing the rupee to depreciate. ANZ's foreign exchange strategist, Diraj Niem, said that if fundamentals have permanently changed, maintaining the rupee at a certain level could quickly become very difficult. The RBI can allow the rupee to adjust further before foreign exchange reserve levels become an issue.

March 18 – According to Iranian media reports today (March 18), Majid Mousavi, commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, issued a statement saying that Iran plans to launch "the strongest retaliatory strike against the enemy to date," making enemy airspace "even more spectacular." Mousavi emphasized that "hostile forces have no chance of defeating Iran." Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief Amir Hatami stated that Iran will respond decisively to the assassination of Supreme National Security Council Secretary Larijani, "making the enemy regret it." Hatami stressed that such criminal acts will never hinder Iran from defending its independence, freedom, and territorial integrity.

On March 18, 2026, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, held talks in Beijing with Khaledun, Special Envoy of the UAE President for China Affairs. Wang Yi conveyed President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to President Mohammed bin Salman, stating that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-UAE relations have achieved significant development. At present, the world is undergoing rapid changes, the international situation is complex and volatile, and the conflict in the Middle East is worrying. The strategic significance of China-UAE relations is even more prominent, and timely strategic communication and the enhancement of strategic mutual trust between the two sides are even more important, conducive to promoting peace and stability in the Middle East as soon as possible. China is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges with the UAE, deepen the alignment of development strategies, and push the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to a new level.

British government: Chancellor of the Exchequer Reeves facilitated a £240 million investment from Exoron during his visit to Madrid.

Indian government officials: Domestic liquefied petroleum gas production has increased by 40%.

Indian government officials say gas stations have ample stockpiles of gasoline and diesel.

Polish Prime Minister Tusk: We hope that industry can continue to receive carbon emission allowances for free.

Tencent Holdings (00700.HK) CFO: Tencent plans to reduce share buybacks and use the funds for AI investment.

A senior Israeli intelligence official said the Iranian regime has been thrown into "chaos" after Israel carried out targeted killings.

On March 18, a Vietnamese government document released this week indicated that domestic crude oil production is expected to decline in the future, exacerbating the country's reliance on imported crude oil, as aging offshore oil fields and geopolitical tensions threaten global supply. This latest forecast of declining oil production comes as Vietnam faces the risk of oil shortages stemming from the US-Israel-Iran conflict and subsequent export bans on energy suppliers. According to data released by Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade, the country's crude oil production is projected to fall to 5.8 million to 8 million tons per year between 2026 and 2030, below the average of 8.6 million tons per year over the past five years. Vietnamese customs data shows that the country's crude oil imports increased by 5.3% last year, reaching 14.2 million tons. Approximately 80% of Vietnam's crude oil imports last year came from Kuwait. Vietnam also imports refined petroleum products; its two refineries can meet about 70% of the country's demand, mainly using imported crude oil to produce gasoline, diesel, and other fuels. Since the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran conflict, gasoline prices in Vietnam have risen by about 30%, and diesel prices by about 40%, while the risk of supply shortages has prompted the government to encourage people to work from home to reduce fuel consumption.

Market news: Iran launched missiles at Haifa and surrounding areas in Israel.

On March 18, Wang Yuling, Director of the Comprehensive Division of the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, introduced at a press conference that the Beijing Municipal Government General Office recently issued "Several Measures of Beijing Municipality to Promote Steady Economic Progress in 2026," which includes 24 policies in 6 aspects to promote high-quality economic development. Wang Yuling stated that Beijing will leverage the guiding role of government investment funds, investing early, in small-scale, long-term, and in hard technology to support the growth of early-stage enterprises; implement policies such as tax incentives for high-tech enterprises, additional deductions for R&D expenses, and additional deductions for value-added tax in advanced manufacturing; and improve the long-term mechanism for clearing overdue payments to private enterprises. Regarding expanding domestic demand, Wang Yuling mentioned that Beijing will support projects such as trade-in programs for consumer goods, quality improvement of shopping malls and commercial streets, new consumption formats, models, and scenarios, as well as the hosting of large-scale events such as exhibitions and conventions; and provide investment subsidies for the tourism-oriented transformation of industrial enterprises and digital demonstration applications.

March 18 - Iranian intelligence has reportedly arrested four spies working for the United States in Khuzestan and West Azerbaijan provinces.

Austrian Chancellor: We will temporarily refund the tax overcharged due to rising fuel prices to taxpayers, which is expected to reduce fuel prices by 5 cents per liter.

On March 18th, E Fund Management Co., Ltd. issued an announcement stating that the secondary market trading price of its E Fund Crude Oil Securities Investment Fund (QDII) Class A RMB shares was significantly higher than its net asset value (NAV). On March 16th, the NAV per share was 1.6414 yuan, while as of March 18th, the closing price on the secondary market was 1.896 yuan. Investors are reminded to pay attention to the premium risk, and blindly buying at a high premium may result in losses. If the premium does not effectively decrease, the fund may apply for a temporary suspension of trading. This fund primarily invests in overseas crude oil ETFs, which carry high risk. Currently, it is operating normally, and there is no undisclosed material information.