BANGKOK (AP) — Ship operators rely on a sludgelike substance known as bunker fuel to keep vessels running. The Iran war ‘s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has choked off the supply of this fuel that powers the global maritime industry and its largest refueling hub in Asia.

Bunker fuel is a literal bottom of the barrel product: heavier and dirtier than the more expensive kinds of refined crude oil used by other vehicles like cars and airplanes, it sinks to the bottom of storage containers.

But it helps move the 80% of globally traded goods that are transported by sea, and experts say that means a shortage of bunker fuel will translate to higher shipping costs, increase consumer prices and hurt the bottom lines of businesses worldwide.

That will be an issue first in Asia, which relies heavily on Middle Eastern oil. In Singapore, the world’s biggest refueling hub for bunker fuel, reserves are dwindling and prices are spiking.

Shipping companies are trying to adapt to the energy shock, reducing vessel speeds and revising schedules to cut costs in the short term while making plans to acquire ships that can run on alternative fuels.

But some companies won’t survive this triage for long, according to Henning Gloystein of the Eurasia Group consultancy firm, who warned that the pain will spread beyond Asia through global supply chains.

Southeast Asia turns to ‘energy triage’

Asia, which was hit first and hardest by the energy shock, has adopted various forms of “energy triage ” to cope, increasing its use of coal, buying more crude oil from Russia and reviving plans to develop nuclear power.

But Asia is bracing for further impacts as energy reserves dwindle and government subsidies dry up.

More than half of global seaborne trade moved through Asian ports in 2024, according to United Nations data, so what happens there will have global consequences.

For now, Singapore’s supplies of bunker fuel have held up even as the price races up.

But the prolonged cutoff from major sources of the heavier crude oil needed for bunker fuel, like Iraq and Kuwait, will cause shortages, said Natalia Katona of the commodity site OilPrice.

“We just see the price in Singapore going up, up, up,” Katona said.

Before the war, bunker fuel in Singapore cost about $500 per metric ton ($450 per U.S. ton). That went up to more than $800 ($725 per U.S. ton) as of early May.

Fuel shortages drive consumer costs

Shipping companies are absorbing the brunt of the costs for now, said June Goh, an oil analyst for market intelligence firm Sparta Commodities, but this may soon “pass on to the customers.”

The daily cost of the Iran war for the global shipping industry is 340 million euros (nearly $400 million), according to the European Federation for Transport and Environment.

“Bunker fuel shortages tend to feed through to shipping costs more quickly than many other cost pressures,” said Oliver Miloschewsky of risk consultancy firm Aon.

Individual product impact may appear incremental but the cumulative effect of higher shipping costs “can ripple across supply chains and ultimately influence consumer prices across a broad range of sectors,” he said.

Singaporean consumers are also feeling the pinch in other ways as local ferries increase fares and luxury cruise liners tack on fuel surcharges.

Ship operators face limited options

Shippers have limited choices to deal with the situation, Miloschewsky said. They can pay more for fuel or implement fuel-saving measures like slowing shipping or suspending voyages.

The average speed of bulk carriers and container ships has slowed globally by around 2% since the war began on Feb. 28, industry group Clarksons Research reported.

High prices are also driving more interest in green fuels, said Håkan Agnevall of marine and energy technology manufacturer Wartsila.

The good news is the technology to create lower-emitting fuels exists, he said. The bad news is production isn’t yet at scale and greener fuels are often more expensive.

Though U.S. President Donald Trump derailed efforts to shift global shipping away from fossil fuels in 2025, Agnevall said the current conflict could prompt strategically minded companies and countries to renew their push toward greener alternatives.

Rising fossil fuel prices are narrowing the cost gap. “That improves the business case for green fuels,” he said.

The Caravel Group owns one of the world’s largest ship management companies, Fleet Management Limited, which oversees more than 120 shipbuilding projects.

About a third of ships that the company is managing the construction of will be “dual fuel capable,” meaning they can run on both conventional bunker fuel and alternatives such as liquefied natural gas, CEO Angad Banga told The Associated Press.

Ship owners are willing to pay a premium to have vessels that can switch between fuels because “in a volatile environment optionality has a measurable economic value,” he said.

Alternative fuels are not yet as flexible as conventional bunker fuel, Banga said. While there are more than 890 LNG-fueled vessels in operation globally, a lack of supporting infrastructure has created bottlenecks for them.

But the industry is catching up and limits on bunker fuel are driving even more interest in LNG-capable ships, he said. “That progress is real.”

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Chan reported from Hong Kong.

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Southampton have requested more time to conduct an internal review after they were charged with spying on Championship play-off rivals Middlesbrough.

The English Football League has accused Saints of “observing, or attempting to observe, another club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match” and not acting “with the utmost good faith” to another club.

Middlesbrough claim that a member of the Southampton coaching staff was found watching and recording a training session at their Rockliffe Park base on Thursday – two days before the teams drew 0-0 at Riverside Stadium in the first leg of their play-off semi-final.

Normally the south coast club would have 14 days to respond to the charges, but the EFL has asked the independent disciplinary commission for “a hearing at the earliest opportunity”.

The clubs meet at St Mary’s in the second leg on Tuesday evening, with the winners facing Hull City in the final at Wembley on 23 May.

“The club is fully co-operating with the EFL and the disciplinary commission, whilst also undertaking an internal review to ensure that all facts and context are properly understood,” said Southampton CEO Phil Parsons.

“Given the intensity of the fixture schedule and the short turnaround between matches, we have requested time to complete that process thoroughly and responsibly.

“We understand the discussion and speculation that has followed over recent days, but we also believe it is important that the full context is established before conclusions are drawn.”

A protest group behind art installations in Washington DC has unveiled a new art piece – a video game about Donald Trump’s Iran War.

The playable video game was installed at the DC War Memorial and is titled ‘Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell’ – a nod to Trump’s ongoing war in the Middle East.

Three arcade cabinets allow passersby to play the game, described on a plaque as ‘a high-octane, flag-waving, boots-on-the-ground simulator where freedom isn’t debated, it’s deployed’.

‘No briefings, no hesitation, just pure pixelated patriotism. Strap in and play hard, because this game may never end.’

The group behind the installation, Secret Handshake, added: ‘The Trump administration knows that the best way to sell combat is by making it a video game, that’s why they’ve been pumping out the ‘sickest’ Iran War video game hype reels. But why stop at clips when you could go full throttle?’

The game opens up in the White House, where Melania tells Trump: ‘I WAS NEVER ON THE EPSTEIN JET.’

She then asks, ‘Did you burn the files yet?’

In the game, Trump is the playable character, who is tasked with collecting oil barrels and Truth Social ideas in a bid to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Also featured are FBI director Kash Patel, VP JD Vance, Elon Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Trump’s character is able to gain XP by fighting enemies, including ‘Iranian schoolgirl’ and ‘DEIyatollah’.

The President can also perform epic moves like the ‘Mar-a-Lazer’, a nod to his Mar-a-Lago, Florida club.

The game, however, is seemingly unwinnable. Despite completing various tasks to influence the trajectory of the war, nothing changes. Some players lose abruptly.

Yesterday, Trump said the Iran ceasefire was on ‘life support’ after he rejected Tehran’s latest proposal to end the war.

Officials said the proposal included some concessions on Iran’s disputed nuclear programme, but Trump dismissed it as ‘garbage’.

The stalled diplomacy and recent exchanges of fire could tip the Middle East back into open warfare and prolong the worldwide energy crisis sparked by the conflict, with Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and America’s blockade of Iranian ports still in place.

Asked at an unrelated White House event if the ceasefire was still in place, Trump said it is ‘unbelievably weak’ and on ‘life support’.

‘I would call it the weakest right now after reading that piece of garbage they sent us,’ Trump added. ‘I didn’t even finish reading it.’

Trump is expected to use a trip this week to China to urge President Xi Jinping to pressure Iran.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel sent Iron Dome anti-missile batteries and personnel to operate them to the United Arab Emirates to defend the country during the Iran war, the U.S. ambassador to the country said Tuesday.

The comments by Mike Huckabee underline the growing defense relationship between Israel and the UAE, countries long suspicious of Iran, as a shaky ceasefire still holds in the Iran war. However, the narrow Strait of Hormuz remains in Tehran’s chokehold and negotiations between the U.S. and Iran appear at a standstill for the moment — raising the risk of the conflict breaking out again.

Huckabee, a Baptist minister, former governor of Arkansas and one-time presidential candidate, made the comment on stage at an event in Tel Aviv, Israel.

“I’d like to say a word of appreciation for United Arab Emirates, the first Abraham accord member,” Huckabee said at the Tel Aviv Conference. “Just look at the benefits. Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help operate them.”

The United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, diplomatically recognized Israel in 2020.

The UAE did not immediately respond to a request for comment over the acknowledgment by Huckabee.

Huckabee added that he was “very optimistic” that additional countries in the region will soon join the Abraham Accords, the 2020 diplomatic recognition deal that also included the Gulf Arab kingdom of Bahrain, for formal relations with Israel.

However, many Arab states remain incensed by Israel’s wide-ranging military campaigns after Hamas’ 2023 attack on the country, which has seen the Gaza Strip leveled and Iran’s allies attacked across the wider Mideast. Israel now controls territory in Lebanon and Syria as well.

“The Gulf states now understood they will have to make a choice — is it more likely they will be attacked by Iran or Israel?” Huckabee asked. “They see that Israel helped us and Iran attacked us. Israel is not trying to take over your land, and is not sending missiles to you.”

As far as play-off teams go, Swindon Town can certainly be among those to claim they live up to the competition’s reputation for drama and excitement.

A 6-5 penalty shootout semi-final defeat by Port Vale in 2022 and a 5-5 second-leg draw with Sheffield United in 2015 will live long in the memory of Town fans for various reasons.

But it is two experiences in the 1990s for which they will be remembered by many.

Having finished in their highest league position of fourth in the second tier in 1990, Swindon disposed of Blackburn Rovers over a two-legged semi-final to reach the final at Wembley.

The club had been under investigation since January 1990 for alleged financial irregularities, although the outcome of the inquiry was not due until after the final.

In the first year of a one-off final being played at the national stadium, Swindon faced Sunderland, who had beaten rivals Newcastle in the semi-finals.

Alan McLoughlin’s deflected 25th-minute goal won the game for Swindon and confirmed promotion to the top flight for the first time in their history – or so they thought.

Ten days later, the club was found guilty of 35 counts of illegal payments. Instead of celebrating promotion, they were relegated two divisions, which was reduced to one on appeal, with Sunderland going up instead.

Three years later, Swindon were back at Wembley with another chance to reach what was now the Premier League.

Under player-manager Glenn Hoddle, the Wiltshire side were 3-0 up and cruising against Leicester City, only for the Foxes to score three goals in 12 second-half minutes.

Paul Bodin became Swindon’s hero six minutes from the end, slotting home a penalty to finally settle the tie.

Redemption had come for Swindon, while for Bodin there was to be heartbreak six months later when he missed a penalty for Wales in a crucial World Cup qualifier against Romania.

The Bahamas is a popular destination for travellers from all over the world, with the Caribbean country welcoming 12.5 million visitors in 2025 (an 11.4% increase from 2024).

There are around 16 flights per week from the UK to the Bahamas, mostly departing from London, and hundreds of cruise packages available in 2026.

The Bahamas to temporarily ban the sale of alcohol

The Bahamas is set to temporarily ban the sale of alcohol on Tuesday while the country holds its general election, according to the Washington Times.

The ban, which will include private resort destinations owned and run by cruise companies, will be in place from 8am until 6pm.

Royal Caribbean confirmed that alcohol will be banned at its private island, Coco Cay, on Tuesday.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson, talking to PEOPLE, said: “Royal Caribbean is respecting and complying with all local laws and regulations, as we do with every destination we visit.”

Two of its ships, Wonder of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas, will be visiting Coco Cay on Tuesday.

PEOPLE added: “The cruise line said Perfect Day at CocoCay and its Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will remain open, and alcohol will continue to be available aboard its ships.”

Royal Caribbean Confirms Temporary Bahamas Alcohol Ban Will Impact CocoCay pic.twitter.com/TmyN4lW400

— Cruise Headlines (@cruiseheadlines) May 7, 2026

Major Spanish Airport closed until the end of May

Elsewhere, Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport has been closed for the month, resulting in the cancellation of all flights, affecting thousands of British travellers.

Around 3.6 million people travel through Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport each year.

However, the airport has been closed until the end of May so resurfacing works can take place on the runway.

Santiago-Rosalía de Castro closed on April 23 and won’t reopen until May 27.

Its website continues: “During this period, the airport will be closed to all air traffic, and no takeoffs or landings will take place.

“If you have any questions about your flight status, schedule changes, or possible rebooking, we recommend contacting your airline.”

How does this closure affect British travellers?

Around 30 flights run each week between the UK and Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport.

Most of the flights operate out of London-based airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted, while there are also non-direct flights to Santiago-Rosalía de Castro from Manchester.

The major Airlines that operate flights between the UK and Santiago-Rosalía de Castro include:

• British Airways
• Ryanair
• Aer Lingus
• Vueling
• KLM

All these flights will be cancelled while the airport is closed, affecting thousands of Brits travelling to southwest Spain.

Will you be in the Bahamas on Tuesday (May 12)? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.

The hospital in the Netherlands has ordered 12 of its staff members to go into quarantine amid a precautionary risk of infection after they treated a hantavirus patient without proper PPE

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The Dutch hospital has been attending to a MV Hondius passenger since they were medically evacuated from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship last week. The hospital has since confirmed a dozen of its staff members will now be forced into quarantine amid fears they failed to follow PPE rules.

On Monday, the Netherlands ‘ Radboud University Medical Centre (Radboudumc) said in a statement that the 12 employees will be placed into “preventative quarantine for six weeks as a precaution” over a possible risk of contamination with the patient, although it says there is a low risk of infection.

The staff members were found to have failed to follow strict PPE protocols when handling the blood and urine of the patient who had been travelling on the virus-plagued vessel, reports The Mirror.

The patient infected with the rat-borne was medically evacuated from the ill-fated Dutch vessel last week that has been at the centre of an international health emergency.

Blood was drawn from the patient and processed using standard safety precautions. “Due to the nature of the virus, this blood should have been processed according to a stricter procedure,” a hospital spokesperson confirmed on Monday.

“In addition, it became clear on Saturday, May 9, that the most up-to-date international regulations had not been followed during the disposal of the patient’s urine.”

Staff members will receive any support needed while in isolation, the university medical centre added, with board chair of Radboudumc Dr Bertine Lahuis attempting to reassure the public the risk to the broader population remains low.

“Despite the fact that the chance of actual infection is very small, these measures have a significant impact on all those involved. We regret that this has happened at our university medical centre,” she said, adding a careful investigation is coming to “learn from this and to prevent it from happening in the future” once again.

Her comments to the public comes days after the infected patient was initially triaged at the hospital, with the Dutch medical centre assuring the public at the time that its staff had containment measures of the hantavirus under control.

A spokesperson said at the time: “On the ward where the patient is admitted, appropriate isolation measures have been taken to prevent spread, in accordance with internationally agreed protocols. The team is specialised and trained in the care of patients with severe infectious diseases.”

The patient at Radboudumc was one of three taken medically evacuated from the MV Hondius when it was docked off the coast of Cape Verde last week. They were transported home to the Netherlands, alongside another patient who has been admitted to Leiden University Medical Centre.

A third person who was evacuated from the ship was taken to a hospital in German. That person has tested negative for the hantavirus.

Three people died from hantavirus after a recent outbreak involving the 147 passengers and crew members on the Dutch-flagged vessel. Two of the fatal victims were identified as a man and woman from Friesland in the Netherlands, while the third was reported to be a German woman.

The last of the passengers remaining on the Dutch-flagged ship were able to exit the vessel on Monday after weeks of uncertainty.

When asked if he could foresee a recognition that Cabinet could benefit from someone “with a lot of electoral support” like the Greater Manchester mayor, he said: “There’s a lot of fantasy politics going on at the moment, Keir Starmer won a historic majority less than two years ago at the ballot box alongside all of us in the Labour Party.”

The bakery chain has raised prices on several products, leading some to claim it is losing its reputation for affordability.

The changes were first highlighted by a Reddit user on the r/greggsappreciation page who wrote that the standard meal deal has gone up from £4 to £4.25, with the meal deal including a side jumping from £5 to £5.25.

A Greggs spokesperson said: “We have made small changes to the price of some products in response to rising costs and inflation.

(Image: Jam Press)

“Our focus remains on offering customers great value and high-quality products across our range, maintaining our value-leading position in the food-to-go market.”

The Reddit post also claimed that “loads of other increases of around 10p” have appeared across the menu.

One user wrote: “Greggs prices are absurd for what it is.”

Another said: “Greggs is slowly pricing themselves out.

“Something like £2.35 for a steak bake is already a crazy price IMO.”

A third commenter wrote: “I swear I remember you used to be able to get 2 pizza slices for £3 back in the day.”

Shoppers did note one small win, though: the popular four sausage rolls deal has reportedly dropped back down to £3.95.

UK High Street Shops That No Longer Exist

Many users reminisced about lower prices in years gone by, with one joking: “Two pasties for £1 when I was in college… good days.”

Another added: “Remember when Greggs had cheap scran? About 5-10 years ago? Those were good times.”

Greggs said the changes come amid ongoing inflationary pressures and rising costs across the food industry.

The company insists it has tried to keep price rises to a minimum and continues to offer lower prices on selected bakes and pizza slices, despite broader cost increases affecting the sector.