What top brands fear most


IRAN
Iran is reportedly in talks with Oman (which Trump 1.0 designated a US Major Non-NATO Ally) on the possibility of slapping a shared toll system on the Strait of Hormuz, though Oman’s views remain unclear. Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader has declared Iran’s highly enriched uranium must stay in the country. (NYT $)
TAIWAN
A senior US official has indicated the US is pausing its pending $14B arms sale to Taiwan, citing a need to prioritise armaments for the war in Iran. (The Hill)
CHINA
Beijing’s advance teams (security and protocol) have been appearing in Pyongyang this week, lending credence to South Korean reports that President Xi could be visiting the hermit North as early as next week. (Yonhap)
TURKEY
A Turkish court has removed opposition leader Ozgur Ozel as party chair, hobbling Erdoğan’s most recognisable rival (among those not yet in prison). Ozel is vowing to appeal, but Turkish stocks dropped 6% on the ruling, while the central bank intervened (again) to limit the lira’s slide. (Al Monitor)
INDONESIA
Palm oil prices have tumbled amid confusion over President Prabowo’s plans to bolster state control over key commodity exports, including the edible oil and coal. Jakarta is expected to clarify via further regulations today (Friday) (Bloomberg $).
VENEZUELA
The US removed a cargo of enriched uranium last week, but not from Iran. Rather, it turns out the US, UK, and Venezuela relocated the last 13kg of highly enriched uranium to the US from a long-shuttered research reactor. (US DoS)
AUSTRIA
A jury has found former intelligence officer Egisto Ott guilty of collecting and handing over to Russia vast reams of state secrets and personal data from police databases from 2015 to 2020. Ott has denied the charges. (Reuters)
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21 May





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