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Vietnam
Vietnam asks US to let crucial oil tanker slip past Hormuz blockade
The ship’s destination, Nghi Son, can process 200,000 barrels a day – meaning the 1.99 million barrel load can keep it going for 10 days.
13 May 2026 - 11:42AM
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Middle East
Israel strikes Lebanon as 380 reported killed since April 17 ceasefire
13 May 2026 - 11:43AM
US, Israel war on Iran
China presses Pakistan to deepen Iran mediation ahead of Trump-Xi talks
13 May 2026 - 3:40AM
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2026 Xi-Trump summit
Trump rejects ‘garbage’ Iran peace plan before heading to China
The US president will probably seek help from China’s Xi Jinping given the lack of progress on ending the conflict with Iran.
12 May 2026 - 5:00PM
A US Air Force plane lands in Beijing ahead of a visit by President Donald Trump. Photo: AFP
Israel-Gaza war
Israel pushes ahead with Eichmann-style tribunal for October 7 attackers
Israeli lawmakers set up a special tribunal and allow for the death penalty for Hamas-led 2023 attackers.
12 May 2026 - 2:32PM
South Korea
South Korea cautious on blaming Iran for ship strike ahead of US-China summit
Seoul has footage of the May 4 attack on the HMM Namu but analysts say it is biding its time, hoping ‘the dust will settle’.
12 May 2026 - 2:15PM
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2026 Xi-Trump summit
From ‘Taco’ to ‘Nacho’: Wall Street’s new buzzword as Trump preps for China trip
Traders’ catch-cry ‘Not a chance Hormuz opens’ replaces ‘Trump always chickens out’ as grim predictions swirl over gridlock, oil prices.
12 May 2026 - 11:27AM
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US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are due to meet in Beijing this week. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran
US tells banks to flag suspected Iranian money-laundering networks
Banks are asked to look out for oil labelled ‘Malaysian blend’ to disguise its Iranian origin and missing or falsified shipping documents.
12 May 2026 - 11:04AM
Middle East
Israeli soldiers jailed for desecration of Virgin Mary statue in Lebanon
Viral photo shows an Israeli soldier with his arm around statue, holding a cigarette up to its mouth.
12 May 2026 - 12:22PM
Israel
Israel’s election may end the Netanyahu era but not the ‘forever wars’
After nearly two decades and six terms in office, Israel’s prime minister could be on his way out. But little looks likely to change.
11 May 2026 - 8:00AM
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Middle East
Jailed Iran Nobel laureate transferred to hospital after medical crisis
Narges Mohammadi’s transfer comes after days of pleading by her family and others who described her condition as critical.
11 May 2026 - 1:21PM
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Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi in a hospital in Tehran on Saturday. Photo: Narges Foundation Archive via AP
US, Israel war on Iran
‘Playing games’: Trump calls Iran’s response to US peace proposal ‘unacceptable’
Both sides remain far apart as Tehran demands war reparations and control of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran state TV.
11 May 2026 - 10:57AM
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US, Israel war on Iran
Netanyahu says war ‘not over’ until Iran’s uranium is physically removed
Israeli leader says nuclear material must be ‘taken out’, as US-Iran ceasefire remains tenuous.
11 May 2026 - 11:44AM
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Israel-Gaza war
Spanish, Brazilian flotilla activists released after detention in Israel
Israel deported two activists it detained near Greece for leading an aid flotilla attempting to break the naval blockade on Gaza.
10 May 2026 - 6:06PM
US, Israel war on Iran
Iran responds to US proposal, as Qatari tanker crosses Strait of Hormuz
The response, sent via Pakistan, focuses on ending the war on all fronts, especially Lebanon, and on the safety of shipping in the waterway.
11 May 2026 - 12:19AM
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An Iranian walks past an anti-US and Israel mural in a street in Tehran on Friday. Photo: EPA
US, Israel war on Iran
US-Iran war no closer to ending as Gulf clashes flare
Recent days have seen the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the Strait of Hormuz since a ceasefire began a month ago.
9 May 2026 - 8:56PM
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South Korea
South Korea draws Gulf oil storage interest as Hormuz stays closed
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE are among major oil producers looking to South Korea’s underground storage facilities, officials say.
9 May 2026 - 1:14PM
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US, Israel war on Iran
New Israel-Lebanon talks to try to curb Hezbollah influence in region: Rubio
Marco Rubio says Washington is also awaiting Iran’s response to a new US proposal to end the conflict in the region.
9 May 2026 - 4:56AM
First responders arrive at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Habbouch on Thursday. Photo: AFP
China energy security
China’s shipping firms brace for a new ‘era of chaos’ as Iran war drags on
Chinese shipping giants are signing long contracts and rejigging their networks, as they hedge against prolonged disruptions to global trade routes.
8 May 2026 - 9:30PM
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US, Israel war on Iran
US and Iran exchange attacks around Strait of Hormuz, testing ceasefire
New hostilities broke out as Iran reviews a US proposal to end war in the Middle East.
8 May 2026 - 11:24AM
US, Israel war on Iran
US-Iran peace optimism fuels Asian stock market gains
Asian markets surge on hopes for an end to US-Iran conflict and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, even with many risks still hanging over markets.
7 May 2026 - 5:00PM
US, Israel war on Iran
US strikes Iranian tanker amid reports Washington and Tehran near deal
Trump reiterated that Iran ‘cannot have a nuclear weapon’ as both sides combined military pressure with diplomatic efforts to end deadlock.
7 May 2026 - 4:29AM
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Oil tankers remain anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. Photo: ISNA/AFP
Middle East
Israel strikes Beirut for first time since Lebanon ceasefire
The first aerial attack on the capital since April kills a senior Hezbollah commander.
7 May 2026 - 10:47AM
South Korea
South Korea rebuffs Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ call after Hormuz ship fire
A UN mandate and a global coalition are required before Seoul joins Trump’s mission to reopen the strait, officials indicate.
6 May 2026 - 9:16AM
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China food security
How the Middle East crisis is expanding China’s agrochemical influence
China accounts for about a third of global fertiliser production, and 70 per cent of the raw materials for chemical pesticides.
5 May 2026 - 8:29AM
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