https://www.scmp.com/rss/510309/feed Flavio Romero Macau is associate dean at Edith Cowan University. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Flavio Romero Macau Flavio Romero Macau If you had never heard of the Strait of Hormuz before, you probably have by now. Iran’s effective closure of the waterway, which usually carries about 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas, has put severe pressure on the global economy. Now, some analysts are warning a new flashpoint could emerge: the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. That’s because on March 28, the Houthis, a military group that controls large parts of northern Yemen and is aligned with Iran, entered the war, launching missiles towards... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3348969/why-gate-tears-may-yet-make-whole-world-weep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3348969/why-gate-tears-may-yet-make-whole-world-weep?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 04:00:09 +0000 The postponed Tokyo Olympics are about to start, albeit with no hugging or high-fives. More than 11,000 athletes will compete in 339 sporting events across more than 40 venues. They will be bonded by the Olympic spirit of friendship, solidarity, fair play – and global logistics. There are not just athletes from 205 different nations making their way to Japan, so too are thousands of tonnes of equipment and supplies. Hundreds of containers packed weeks, or even months ago, are arriving at the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3141218/tokyo-olympics-what-are-athletes-205-nations-shipping-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3141218/tokyo-olympics-what-are-athletes-205-nations-shipping-games?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jul 2021 08:00:18 +0000