Real-time News

On April 18, NASA announced that it has begun preparations for the launch of the European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin Mars rover, scheduled for 2028, using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Rosalind Franklin is planned to launch in 2028 to search for signs of past or present life beneath the Martian surface. The ESA is leading the mission, providing the complete spacecraft system, including the launch module, landing platform, and rover, as well as operational support for surface exploration.

British Foreign Secretary: The Strait of Hormuz remains closed despite the ceasefire agreement.

April 18 - Australian Energy Minister Bowen announced on Saturday that the country will extend the deadline for easing fuel quality standards until September to address the impact of the war with Iran on its fuel supply. Bowen said, "I have decided to extend the deadline for increasing the sulfur content of Australian petrol." This measure, announced in March, raises the permissible sulfur content in fuel from the usual 10 parts per million to 50 parts per million.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has arrested more than 120 people across Iran, accusing them of preparing for “enemy attacks.”

April 18 - my country's first domestically developed and constructed mobile multi-functional offshore support platform, "Zengchan-1," was officially delivered in Haixi Bay, Qingdao, Shandong Province on April 18. This mobile multi-functional support platform was designed and built by CNOOC Energy Development Co., Ltd.

Norway's sovereign wealth fund: will vote in favor of BP's chairman's re-election.

Russian Presidential Envoy Dmitriev stated that the new US waivers will affect an additional 100 million barrels of Russian oil en route, bringing the total amount covered by the two waivers to 200 million barrels. The extension of the US oil waivers faces continued political opposition.

According to reports, the ships currently passing through the Strait of Hormuz include liquefied gas carriers and chemical tankers.

April 18th - A report released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on the 18th local time shows that the recent floods in Afghanistan have affected more than 73,000 people. It is reported that in the past 12 days, 93 people have died and 181 have been injured, including 1,700 pregnant women in urgent need of care. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, and farmland and roads have been damaged. Since March 25th, most parts of Afghanistan have been experiencing continuous heavy rains, strong winds, and flash floods.

On April 18, Ukrainian officials stated that Russia launched a nighttime attack in the Odessa region of southern Ukraine, damaging port infrastructure and causing power outages for 380,000 customers in the northern part of the country. Odessa Governor Kippel stated that drones damaged agricultural warehouses, freight yards, and administrative buildings, but there were no casualties. The electricity distribution operator in the Chernihiv region of northern Ukraine also stated that Russian forces attacked an energy facility in the area. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 219 long-range drones during the night.

Market news: The Federal Reserve has told large banks not to vehemently oppose the new capital rules.

Market news: A Ukrainian drone strike hit the Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery in Russia's Samara region, causing a large fire. The refinery is an important oil processing base in the region.

Reportedly, one of the first targets of the US-Israeli war against Iran was a pistachio warehouse. The US pistachio industry has benefited from decades of US hardline policy toward Iran.

On April 18th, a roundtable meeting of Swiss businesses was held in Bern on April 17th. Ling Ji, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy Representative for International Trade Negotiations, chaired the meeting, and Qian Minjian, Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland, delivered a speech. Representatives from 25 companies, including Eymans, Medpace, UBS, Nestlé, Novartis, Glencore, and Sonova, as well as the Swiss-Chinese Economic Association, participated. Ling Ji stated that the implementation of China's 15th Five-Year Plan not only provides broad cooperation opportunities for multinational corporations investing in China but also injects stability and certainty into the volatile and complex global economy. He hoped that Swiss companies would combine their advantageous industries, such as biopharmaceuticals, high-end manufacturing, financial services, and R&D innovation, with China's complete and efficient supply chain, sound innovation ecosystem, and abundant talent resources to further elevate the Sino-Swiss innovation strategic partnership. Participating company representatives stated that unilateralism and protectionism are currently severely impacting global supply chains. China, adhering to openness and continuously improving its business environment, possesses a highly resilient and dynamic economy. Investing in China is an essential option for companies to enhance their global competitiveness, and strengthening cooperation with China has become a general consensus within the Swiss business community. During the meeting, the Chinese side responded to the concerns of Swiss companies one by one regarding government procurement, localized production of innovative drugs, export controls, intellectual property protection, and supply chain security.

April 18 - According to the Nanning Railway Bureau, on April 17, the first day of the March 3rd holiday in Guangxi, the Nanning Railway Bureau transported a total of 874,800 passengers, breaking the historical record for single-day passenger volume.

Market news: Serbian oil company NIS has been granted another exemption by the United States.

On April 18, the U.S. Department of Energy's Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program Management Office announced on its website that it would lend more than 26 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to nine oil companies. This is the third batch of oil reserves released by the Trump administration to stabilize oil prices since the start of the Iraq War on February 28.

On April 18th, ahead of tense trade negotiations, U.S. Commerce Secretary Rutnick fiercely criticized Canada, calling the USMCA a "bad deal" that needs to be revised. Rutnick stated that President Trump believes the USMCA "needs to be reconsidered and properly reimagined" when new negotiations begin in July. Rutnick said reports that Canada is delaying trade negotiations with the U.S. are "the worst tactic I've ever heard of. It's absolutely terrible." Trump signed the 2020 trade agreement during his first term to replace NAFTA.

Five Iranian oil tankers attempted to circumvent a U.S. blockade by concealing their navigation data. A U.S. destroyer forced three Iranian tankers to return to port and is pursuing the remaining two.