Alaa’s view Riyadh doesn’t feel like a city bracing for crisis. Stuck in rush-hour traffic this week, it was easy to forget that the Gulf is in the middle of a conflict that has upended the world economy and the region’s own prospects. Malls are relatively busy. At one restaurant, ...
Month: April 2026
Safety fears could slow China’s robotaxi rolloutSafety fears could slow China’s robotaxi rollout
China’s robotaxi fleet may almost triple this year compared to 2025, though customer resistance could hinder its rollout, analysts said. Goldman Sachs predicted that China will have almost 15,000 robotaxis by the end of the year, putting the country ahead of the US in the race “to automate roads and ...
European carmakers lose premium brand status in ChinaEuropean carmakers lose premium brand status in China
European carmakers are losing their premium brand status in China, as younger consumers opt for cars from domestic brands, further eroding Western firms’ prospects in a cutthroat global market. Chinese carmakers are increasingly dominant around the world, but European automakers had long controlled the premium sector of the world’s biggest ...
Gulf trade will be permanently reshapedGulf trade will be permanently reshaped
Matthew’s view If I had one takeaway for the Middle East from last week’s meetings at Semafor World Economy, it is that it is impossible to overstate how much Gulf trade will be reshaped by the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway has served as the region’s ...
Impact of rising fuel costs expands in real economyImpact of rising fuel costs expands in real economy
The downstream impacts of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz expanded across the global economy. European jet fuel prices have roughly doubled, and airfares are up 24% year-on-year; Lufthansa canceled 20,000 short-haul flights, other European carriers have announced similar measures, and Air France-KLM introduced a €100 surcharge on long-haul ...
Lufthansa cuts 20,000 summer flights as fuel prices surgeLufthansa cuts 20,000 summer flights as fuel prices surge
The airline is the latest to cut flights as the US-Israel war with Iran sends jet fuel prices soaring. ...
Middle East crisis live: Trump extends ceasefire but blockade continues as second ship reports attack in strait of HormuzMiddle East crisis live: Trump extends ceasefire but blockade continues as second ship reports attack in strait of Hormuz
Cargo ship reportedly attacked northwest of Iran after earlier reports that the IRGC had fired at a gunboat off the coast of Oman Trump announces ceasefire extension Why Trump’s erratic commentary is the real block to an Iran deal If you’re just joining us, here’s the main news of the ...
Tehran’s embattled Jewish community endures despite Israeli bombing of synagogueTehran’s embattled Jewish community endures despite Israeli bombing of synagogue
Members of Rafi’ Nia synagogue braved airstrikes to celebrate Passover hours before it was destroyed On the evening of 6 April, Asef, 65, and other members of Tehran’s Jewish community braved the US-Israeli bombing campaign to celebrate an evening Passover service at the Rafi’ Nia synagogue in the centre of ...
#ToddlerSkincare: the ‘dark and exploitative’ world of children’s beauty videos on TikTok#ToddlerSkincare: the ‘dark and exploitative’ world of children’s beauty videos on TikTok
Skincare videos are featuring children as young as two, Guardian analysis finds, prompting fears about the industry’s reach and lack of safeguards ‘An element of exploitation’: the world of TikTok child skincare influencers Children as young as two are appearing in TikTok videos demonstrating their skincare routines, a Guardian investigation ...
To see or not to see? Every single Shakespeare play – ranked!To see or not to see? Every single Shakespeare play – ranked!
Antony and Cleopatra? Exhausting. Lear? Magnificent but flawed. Hamlet? Limitless. For Shakespeare’s birthday, the Guardian’s former theatre critic ranks all the plays *** 35 Continue reading… ...