The closure of the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. and Israeli strikes has triggered intense regional energy crises, forcing the Philippines into a national energy emergency and draining foreign reserves in several Southeast Asian nations. Despite hopes across the region for policy relief through legislative changes, President Donald Trump holds veto powers over any war-power or funding constraints passed by a newly elected Congress. Additionally, existing reciprocal and forced-labor tariffs affecting major Asian economies are expected to persist because lawmakers have minimal capacity to overturn them.
Key points
Democrats are considered almost certain to fall short of the two-thirds congressional maj…: Democrats are considered almost certain to fall short of the two-thirds congressional majority needed to override presidential vetoes on military funding.
Existing trade measures and reciprocal tariffs are expected to stay intact regardless of…: Existing trade measures and reciprocal tariffs are expected to stay intact regardless of which party controls the House and Senate.
A substantial defeat for the governing party could potentially encourage pro-free-trade R…: A substantial defeat for the governing party could potentially encourage pro-free-trade Republicans to reassert their influence over policy.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Hit hard by Donald Trump’s tariffs and the war on Iran, countries in the Asia-Pacific region want ‘enormous changes’ in US foreign policy.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Across the Asia-Pacific region, governments and businesses reeling from the energy shock of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran are watching Tuesday’s US midterm elections closely.
Many want to see “enormous changes” during the rest of President Donald Trump’s term, analysts say, from the war on Iran to his policies on trade and tariffs. But few expect that to happen, even with the Democrats poised to take the House of Representatives, and potentially the Senate, from Trump’s Republican Party.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 items- list 1 of 3Lobster industry caught in Maine’s political headwinds before US midterms
- list 2 of 3How US oil firms profit $130bn from Iran war as household bills surge
- list 3 of 3How would Tehran respond if the US and Israel bomb Iran again?
“Of course, everybody is watching,” said Steven Okun, a trade specialist and the chief executive of APAC Advisors, a Singapore-based…
Speaking during an event to mark the reopening of the landmark, Donald Trump used the venue to urge supporters to turn out before Election Day. The high-stakes push caps an intense travel schedule aimed at bolstering Republican candidates seeking seats in Congress. The president has explicitly staked his administration's future on the final outcome of the upcoming congressional vote.
Ten international legal figures are competing for five vacancies on the 15-member bench based in The Hague. The upcoming vote tests regional bloc alliances as the principal judicial organ handles increasingly sensitive global disputes, including climate liability and Middle East conflicts. A victory for Singapore's nominee would represent a historic milestone for representation from small states and Southeast Asia.
The confrontation in Torquay erupted when two individuals allegedly tampered with political campaign material outside a party worker's private residence on Sunday evening. The hospitalized victim required medical care for non-life-threatening injuries as senior party figures arranged to visit him. This violent altercation amplifies broader alarms regarding the physical safety of campaigners across party lines in the final weeks before Victoria votes.