Middle East Conflict
Seoul stocks open sharply lower amid Middle East crisis fears
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South Korean stocks opened sharply lower on Monday amid rising concerns over a broader Middle East conflict after Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen fired missiles at Israel. The benchmark KOSPI fell 240.94 points, or 4.43 percent, to 5,197.93 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Global oil prices climbed while U.S. troop deployments heightened fears.
The World Bank Group has announced a coordinated plan to provide financial aid to vulnerable countries like Kenya amid the Middle East conflict's effects. President William Ruto warned oil marketers against hoarding fuel for profit. This comes as fuel prices surge and some Kenyan petrol stations report shortages.
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An Iranian missile struck the Prince Sultan Air Base near Riyadh on Friday, wounding several U.S. service members and damaging aircraft. A U.S. official confirmed the injuries at the Saudi-U.S. shared facility. The attack comes amid ongoing Iranian strikes on U.S. bases since the war began a month ago.
Following initial de-escalation efforts including a proposed mediation visit by President Prabowo, Indonesia has postponed its 2026 D-8 Summit due to the worsening Middle East conflict and confirmed it did not co-sponsor UN Security Council Resolution 2817 condemning Iran's attacks on Gulf states.
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The South Korean government plans to swiftly prepare a supplementary budget using excess tax revenue to ease livelihood burdens from the Middle East conflict, without issuing additional state bonds. This follows an order from President Lee Jae Myung. The budget will focus on alleviating logistics and fuel costs while supporting low-income households.
Building on initial calls for de-escalation, China has ramped up diplomatic efforts including Foreign Minister Wang Yi's outreach to 11 nations and special envoy Zhai Jun's regional shuttle diplomacy to secure an immediate ceasefire in the US-Israel-Iran conflict, now in its 12th day.
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Industry sources say Indian airline operators are now paying additional insurance charges for every aircraft flying into the Middle East. This is significantly increasing the cost of operations on these routes. Fares may rise as a result.
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