https://www.scmp.com/rss/325689/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Middle Eastern governments are dusting off decades-old proposals for overland oil and gas pipelines, and urgently drawing up plans for new rail-sea transport corridors in a belated response to the wartime disruption of major maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. With the threats to these key shipping lanes and economic infrastructure set to linger after the multifront conflict between the US-Israel alliance and the Iran-led Axis of Resistance draws to a close, other... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352166/middle-east-states-eye-transport-resilience-new-logistics-corridor-bypass-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352166/middle-east-states-eye-transport-resilience-new-logistics-corridor-bypass-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 02:30:08 +0000 Vincenzo La Torre Vincenzo La Torre A former journalist who’s been living in Milan for well over two decades, California native J.J. Martin turned her impeccable taste and love for all things fabulous into La DoubleJ, a fashion and lifestyle label known for its bold prints, colourful aesthetic and “good vibes all around”, as the saying goes. Here, Martin shares her favourite finds from her adopted hometown of Milan and beyond. What I’m watching My favourite things to engage with are the consciousness teachings, lessons or... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3351836/style-according-jj-martin-founder-milan-based-la-doublej?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3351836/style-according-jj-martin-founder-milan-based-la-doublej?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 23:00:13 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East has turned the spotlight on a strategic waterway thousands of miles away in Southeast Asia, with littoral states having different ideas on how to control their stake. Indonesian officials last week flirted with the idea of imposing tolls for passing vessels in the Strait of Malacca. Malaysia and Singapore, however, have insisted that navigation in the vital corridor remains free. The likelihood of tolls in the strait is low thanks to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351687/why-asean-cooperation-remains-primary-shield-against-malacca-strait-tolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351687/why-asean-cooperation-remains-primary-shield-against-malacca-strait-tolls?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:58:19 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Amid the rubble of the US-Israel war on Iran, a new Middle East appears to be taking shape as a constellation of regional powers jockey for a seat at the table. Led by Turkey and Saudi Arabia, the grouping stretches from the Gulf across the Caucasus to Central and South Asia, binding together countries with overlapping interests, interlocking partnerships and a shared conviction: that the post-war order should not be dictated exclusively by the US-Israel alliance or Iran and its battered but... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351335/middle-easts-new-power-brokers-pakistan-turkey-saudi-arabia-egypt-unite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351335/middle-easts-new-power-brokers-pakistan-turkey-saudi-arabia-egypt-unite?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 05:30:08 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang First, it was the Panama Canal, then came the Strait of Hormuz. What could be next? America’s actions in the two major shipping channels have grabbed headlines, and global attention is shifting to the strategic importance and potential risks of other critical trade waterways. Some of the chokepoints were examined in a US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) investigation in March last year of unfavourable shipping conditions, signalling America’s heightened focus on international routes and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350772/beyond-panama-and-hormuz-8-critical-waterways-under-global-microscope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350772/beyond-panama-and-hormuz-8-critical-waterways-under-global-microscope?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US federal prosecutors said on Sunday an Iranian national was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for allegedly trafficking arms to Sudan on behalf of Tehran. Shamim Mafi, 44, is charged with “brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan”, US Attorney Bill Essayli wrote in a social media post. A resident of the Los Angeles suburb of Woodland Hills, Mafi “is an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350660/woman-charged-us-trafficking-arms-sudan-iranian-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350660/woman-charged-us-trafficking-arms-sudan-iranian-government?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:38:32 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li The debut exhibition of the US’ Metropolitan Museum of Art in Hong Kong has underscored the importance of people-to-people ties and trust between countries through cultural exchanges during times of uncertainty, organisers have said. About 200 pieces of jewellery from 4,000 years of history across five continents are on display at the Hong Kong Palace Museum for six months, with the event coming at a politically sensitive time. US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are set to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350576/new-york-met-exhibit-hong-kong-underscores-importance-cultural-exchanges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350576/new-york-met-exhibit-hong-kong-underscores-importance-cultural-exchanges?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 01:00:16 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The global balance of power has tilted to major emerging economies such as China and India as US hegemony is increasingly undermined – much of it by its own actions, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. In his speech on Saturday at the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Lavrov argued that the foundations of globalisation powered primarily by America had “come to an end”. He added that the trend had been under way during former US president Joe Biden’s administration, and that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350598/russias-lavrov-says-balance-power-shifting-emerging-economies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350598/russias-lavrov-says-balance-power-shifting-emerging-economies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:42:35 +0000 Matthew Cheng,Lam Ka-sing Matthew Cheng,Lam Ka-sing Hong Kong’s investments in the Middle East will not be derailed by ongoing conflicts, the commerce minister has said, expressing confidence in the region’s economic prospects and urging businesses to take a long-term view. “The geopolitical situation has a temporary impact, but in the long term, we remain hopeful about development in the Middle East,” Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah told a radio programme on Saturday. “We have many strengths in areas such as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350558/take-long-term-view-hong-kong-minister-says-middle-east-investment-unaffected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350558/take-long-term-view-hong-kong-minister-says-middle-east-investment-unaffected?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:57:01 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The war in Iran and ensuing closure of the Strait of Hormuz has exposed the risks of over-reliance on the Persian Gulf for oil, turning Beijing’s Mediterranean infrastructure plans from long-term goals into urgent strategic necessities. From Algerian oilfields to Moroccan battery factories and Egypt’s industrial base, China might now fast-track these projects to create a Mediterranean hub for a green-energy supply chain, observers said. Beijing aims to create a strategic backup that protects its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350427/why-china-urgently-looking-north-africa-energy-crisis-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350427/why-china-urgently-looking-north-africa-energy-crisis-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Francesca Fearon Francesca Fearon In November 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter made one of the most exciting discoveries of the modern era when he opened the tomb of the young King Tutankhamen, to find that all its precious 3,200-year-old treasure lay intact within. Now, a century later, those treasures along with others spanning 7,000 years of human history are being displayed together in the new six-storey Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt. Wandering around the museum, Egyptian jewellery designers, Amina Ghali and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/jewellery/article/3350465/100-years-after-king-tuts-discovery-ancient-egypt-inspires-new-wave-jewellery-design?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/jewellery/article/3350465/100-years-after-king-tuts-discovery-ancient-egypt-inspires-new-wave-jewellery-design?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:00:14 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday urged the United States and Iran to guard against any provocations by Israel and use their current ceasefire to push for lasting peace. “We must not allow weapons to again replace words,” he told the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey. “Let it not be forgotten, the shortest path to peace is dialogue and diplomacy. Peace is not a one-winged bird.” His remarks came as Washington and Tehran weighed the next steps after a temporary halt in fighting,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350539/turkeys-erdogan-urges-iran-us-use-ceasefire-push-lasting-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350539/turkeys-erdogan-urges-iran-us-use-ceasefire-push-lasting-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:16:46 +0000 Victoria Burrows Victoria Burrows The steamed dumplings at Peking Restaurant in El Sheikh Zayed City, Cairo, have a filling of soft and salty minced beef inside thick skins, similar to boiled Northern Chinese shuijiao, but even more sturdy. The two dipping sauces served with it are tomato-based; one a thin ketchup, the other a far thicker, spicy sauce studded with chilli seeds. Instead of chopsticks, knives and forks are set on tables in the dining room, decorated with wooden Chinese lattice work on the ceiling and traditional... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3350158/how-chinese-food-took-root-cairo-60s-peking-restaurant-egyptianised-dishes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3350158/how-chinese-food-took-root-cairo-60s-peking-restaurant-egyptianised-dishes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:45:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Famine. Massacres. And now badly needed food and other supplies are under strain. Sudan on Wednesday enters a fourth year of war that is being called an “abandoned crisis” as a new conflict in the Middle East throws into shadow the fighting that has forced 13 million people to flee their homes. Sudan has been described as the world’s largest humanitarian challenge, notably in terms of displacement and hunger. There is no end in sight to the fighting between the military and the paramilitary... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350197/sudan-enters-4th-year-war-abandoned-crisis-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350197/sudan-enters-4th-year-war-abandoned-crisis-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:45:07 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain As Islamabad prepares to host a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran, Pakistani mediators are seeking ways to extricate the Gulf monarchies from the conflict, according to a well-placed diplomatic source. While the success of those efforts depends largely on the outcome of talks that US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday could resume by the end of the week, Pakistan’s mediation has produced a second confidence-building phone call in a week between the Iranian and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350175/pakistan-seeks-shield-gulf-states-us-iran-talks-set-resume?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350175/pakistan-seeks-shield-gulf-states-us-iran-talks-set-resume?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:00:04 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Days before Pakistan had helped to secure a ceasefire in the Iran war this week, the United Arab Emirates was seeking repayment of a US$3.5 billion deposit from Islamabad’s central bank. The withdrawal, brushed off as a “routine financial transaction” by Pakistan’s foreign ministry, equated to roughly 21 per cent of the country’s foreign exchange reserves. It was accompanied by a wave of criticism on Emirati social media directed at Islamabad. “When our security is directly threatened, we hear... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349673/uae-pulls-us35-billion-pakistan-after-iran-war-mediation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349673/uae-pulls-us35-billion-pakistan-after-iran-war-mediation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Friday marks six months since Gaza’s ceasefire deal took effect, a milestone largely lost in the confusion over the new and even more fragile ceasefire in the Iran war. The ravaged Palestinian territory of 2 million people has seen the most intense fighting stop between Israeli forces and Hamas-led militants. But most of the ceasefire work remains to be done, from disarming Hamas and ending its two-decade rule to deploying an international stabilisation force and beginning vast reconstruction.... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349651/gaza-marks-6-months-ceasefire-does-it-offer-lessons-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349651/gaza-marks-6-months-ceasefire-does-it-offer-lessons-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:14:41 +0000 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 Bob Savic Bob Savic China’s investments in North Africa have intensified in 2026, building on long-standing Belt and Road Initiative frameworks while accelerating amid the US-Israeli war with Iran. With 40-50 per cent of China’s seaborne oil imports traditionally passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which is now blocked to most container traffic, Beijing has sought to diversify energy sources away from Gulf Arab states. For more than a decade, Beijing has pursued deeper engagement across the Middle East and North... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348801/chinas-growing-north-africa-presence-structural-challenge-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348801/chinas-growing-north-africa-presence-structural-challenge-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Across major African cities such as Nairobi, Lusaka, and Abuja, governments are using surveillance technologies and credit lines from China to monitor public spaces and curb crime, a new survey shows. The UK-based Institute of Development Studies (IDS) said Chinese banks were increasingly funding African governments to build and maintain digital infrastructure – including surveillance cameras and command and control centres – under the “safe city” project, also known as “smart city”, which is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo The whole world has come to oppose the Iran war, including most Americans. Just as Israel took part in the 1956 Suez crisis, which signalled the last hurrah of European imperialism, it is now jointly prosecuting a pointless but destructive war that is likely to spell the twilight of American hegemony. This time, though, the Jewish state won’t get away so easily. From the Palestinian territories to Iran and Lebanon, it can no longer hide its Zionist expansionism that threatens the entire... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348754/twilight-us-hegemony-and-israeli-expansionism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348754/twilight-us-hegemony-and-israeli-expansionism?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong begins a five-day long weekend break for the Easter and Ching Ming Festival holidays on Friday, with authorities expecting busy inbound and outbound travel during the period. Mainland China marks the festival, also known as tomb-sweeping day, between Saturday and Monday. For Hongkongers remaining in the city and visitors from the mainland and elsewhere, the South China Morning Post lists key activities open to the public. Coffee festival The popular coffee festival returns to the West... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3348841/looking-easter-holiday-inspiration-heres-whats-happening-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3348841/looking-easter-holiday-inspiration-heres-whats-happening-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:03:18 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A parking dispute in Kuala Lumpur has expanded into a wider debate over entitlement, public humiliation and online bullying in Malaysia, after a woman who damaged a car blocking her own issued a public apology that many said looked coerced. The row began on Tuesday in Wangsa Maju, a densely populated suburb of the Malaysian capital, where videos shared on Threads showed a woman unable to reverse out of her parking spot after a red Perodua Ativa was left double-parked behind her car for about an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348751/malaysian-womans-apology-damaging-double-parked-car-triggers-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348751/malaysian-womans-apology-damaging-double-parked-car-triggers-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:16:48 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz has thrown the global economic system into turmoil, yet Israel, which launched attacks on Tehran alongside the United States, has emerged as a rare exception. Since Israel and its US ally started the Middle East war on February 28, economies from Asia to Europe and the US have come under pressure from surging oil and natural gas prices that have driven up fuel and electricity costs. Israel, however, has remained largely insulated from the shock. Central... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348629/how-israel-dodged-hormuz-energy-crisis-while-others-reel-blow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348629/how-israel-dodged-hormuz-energy-crisis-while-others-reel-blow?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:43:08 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Pakistan is hoping that its role in building a diplomatic off-ramp from the US-Israel war on Iran will enable it to become a key actor in the Middle East after the conflict ends, analysts say. If Islamabad can deliver without being sucked into the maelstrom, it can capitalise on its position as peacemaker by signing defence deals with Gulf monarchies and attracting investment from them to strengthen its weak economy. This will help finance Pakistan’s military expansion for its envisioned new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348621/pakistan-eyes-gulf-investment-defence-deals-return-playing-peacemaker-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348621/pakistan-eyes-gulf-investment-defence-deals-return-playing-peacemaker-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:21:16 +0000 Shi Jiangtao,Khushboo Razdan Shi Jiangtao,Khushboo Razdan China said on Tuesday it would enhance “strategic coordination” with Pakistan on the Iran crisis to promote dialogue and help end the conflict as Islamabad’s top diplomat Ishaq Dar arrived in Beijing. Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Dar to discuss ways to de-escalate regional tensions and to formally launch a joint five-point initiative aimed at restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East. Key points of the plan include a call for an immediate ceasefire, a halt to attacks on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348571/china-pledges-strategic-coordination-pakistan-help-end-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348571/china-pledges-strategic-coordination-pakistan-help-end-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:05:51 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Oil prices have surged amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, with attacks having disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz – a critical chokepoint that roughly one-fifth of the world’s daily oil consumption moves through. With memories of 1970s stagflation still lingering, many are asking whether this is the start of another major oil crisis. Below is a concise look at prior shocks and what history suggests today. What happened during the 1970s oil shocks The first oil crisis in 1973-74... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348425/how-hormuz-attacks-stoke-oil-shock-fears-and-memories-1970s-stagflation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348425/how-hormuz-attacks-stoke-oil-shock-fears-and-memories-1970s-stagflation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:30:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Top diplomats from key regional powers were gathering in Pakistan on Sunday to discuss how to end the fighting in the Middle East, but there were few signs of progress as Israel and the US kept up strikes on Iran, and Tehran responded by firing missiles and drones across the region. Pakistan said foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt were taking part in the talks in Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held “extensive... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348296/regional-diplomats-gather-pakistan-talks-end-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348296/regional-diplomats-gather-pakistan-talks-end-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 09:59:55 +0000 Alcott Wei,Fan Chen Alcott Wei,Fan Chen As the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its second month, another major shipping lane is at risk of closure but the chances of a prolonged conflict remain slim, according to Chinese analysts. The assessment came on Saturday as Iran-backed Houthi rebels joined the fray by firing missiles at Israel from Yemen. The Israeli military said it intercepted one of the projectiles. Chinese state news agency Xinhua quoted a Houthi source as saying the missile attack was meant “as a warning”. The Houthis... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348265/1-month-2-straits-more-strikes-how-long-will-us-israeli-war-iran-last?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348265/1-month-2-straits-more-strikes-how-long-will-us-israeli-war-iran-last?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:31:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Iran on Friday after US President Donald Trump claimed talks on ending the war were going well and gave Tehran more time to open the Strait of Hormuz, though there have been no signs of Iran backing down. With stock markets reeling and economic fallout from the war extending far beyond the Middle East, Trump is under growing pressure to end Iran’s chokehold on the strait, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil is usually... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348142/israel-launches-strikes-iran-no-sign-diplomatic-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348142/israel-launches-strikes-iran-no-sign-diplomatic-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:45:08 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Four weeks into the US-Israeli war on Iran, the crisis is beginning to bite in Malaysia, where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has cut the monthly quota for subsidised petrol and food manufacturers are warning that surging diesel costs could force them to close or raise prices. The move reflects how a distant geopolitical shock is beginning to feed directly into Malaysia’s fuel bill, food supply chain and inflation outlook, analysts note. In a special televised address on Thursday, Anwar said the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348106/iran-crisis-bites-malaysias-supply-chain-fuel-subsidy-cap-falls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348106/iran-crisis-bites-malaysias-supply-chain-fuel-subsidy-cap-falls?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 06:51:02 +0000 Reuters Reuters Malaysia’s Prime Minister ⁠Anwar Ibrahim said ⁠on Thursday he had spoken to the leaders of Iran, Egypt, Turkey and other regional countries and said Malaysian vessels were now being allowed ‌to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Anwar in a televised address thanked Iran’s president for allowing the passage of Malaysian ships. “We are now in the process of releasing the Malaysian oil tankers and the ⁠workers involved so that they may continue their journey home,” ‌he said. Anwar said he talked... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348031/iran-allow-malaysian-vessels-pass-strait-hormuz-anwar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348031/iran-allow-malaysian-vessels-pass-strait-hormuz-anwar?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:21:23 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Top Chinese nuclear, radar and missile experts vanish from engineering body site The profile of one of China’s top nuclear weapons scientists has been scrubbed from the website of the nation’s engineering brains trust. Similar online references to radar specialist Wu Manqing, 60, and missile designer Wei... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347780/top-china-arms-experts-vanish-andy-laus-ming-dynasty-mystery-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347780/top-china-arms-experts-vanish-andy-laus-ming-dynasty-mystery-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:12:08 +0000 Fan Chen,Mark Magnier,Alyssa Chen Fan Chen,Mark Magnier,Alyssa Chen US President Donald Trump teased on Tuesday that Iran had made an energy-related concession involving the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as “positive”, without providing details. “They gave us a present and the present arrived today, and it was a very big present, worth a tremendous amount of ⁠money,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “It wasn’t nuclear, it was ‌oil-and gas-related, and it was a very nice thing they did.” This came as analysts expressed scepticism that backchannel... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347742/are-efforts-broker-peace-deal-between-iran-and-us-doomed-fail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347742/are-efforts-broker-peace-deal-between-iran-and-us-doomed-fail?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu The ripples of the US-Israel on Iran are fuelling inflationary pressures across Africa through higher energy and fertiliser prices, threatening a fragile economic recovery. Most of Africa’s 54 countries depend on fuel imports and have experienced sharp increases in fuel prices, driven by disruptions to Middle East exports and the surge in global prices. Most are just getting over the price shocks caused by Russia’s war with Ukraine, which started in 2022 and has hurt many African countries that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347572/iran-war-delivers-new-inflation-stress-african-economies-emerging-older-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347572/iran-war-delivers-new-inflation-stress-african-economies-emerging-older-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:13:26 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Indonesia’s president, under fire at home for signing up to US counterpart Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, has insisted his country will not pay the US$1 billion joining fee for permanent membership. Jakarta had only committed peacekeeping troops for the initiative, Prabowo Subianto said in a statement published on the presidential YouTube channel Sunday. The “Board of Peace” came together after the Trump administration, teaming up with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3347565/indonesia-will-not-pay-us1-billion-fee-board-peace-membership-prabowo-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3347565/indonesia-will-not-pay-us1-billion-fee-board-peace-membership-prabowo-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 07:50:12 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Tickets from Hong Kong to many mainland Chinese destinations connected by cross-border high-speed rail services are nearly sold out for the first two days of the five-day holiday over Easter and the Ching Ming Festival. The mainland cities have become an alternative for travellers, with the escalating war in the Middle East triggering a global oil crisis and significantly disrupting airspace, prompting airlines to increase ticket prices and fuel surcharges. Steven Huen Kwok-chuen, executive... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347502/high-speed-rail-tickets-selling-fast-hongkongers-opt-short-haul-trips-amid-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347502/high-speed-rail-tickets-selling-fast-hongkongers-opt-short-haul-trips-amid-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 14:27:36 +0000 Mia Nurmamat,Carol Yang Mia Nurmamat,Carol Yang Maritime tracking data showed that no ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, marking the first full day without any confirmed commercial traffic in either direction since February 28, when the US and Israel began military strikes on Iran. Crossings dropped to zero, below the previous seven-day average of 2.57 daily transits, according to maritime analytics firm Windward. Although no vessels entered the waterway that day, about 400 ships sailed in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, it... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346755/no-ships-cross-strait-hormuz-first-time-conflict-began-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346755/no-ships-cross-strait-hormuz-first-time-conflict-began-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:30:14 +0000 Agencies Agencies Gaza’s ⁠main gateway, ⁠the Rafah crossing with Egypt that was closed at the start of ‌the Iran war, will open on Wednesday for limited movement of people in both directions, Israel’s COGAT, the ⁠military body in charge of humanitarian ‌matters, said on Sunday. The crossing had reopened ‌in early February after being largely ⁠shut ⁠since May 2024, in the ‌early months of Israel’s war against Hamas ‌in ‌Gaza. Its reopening offered ‌some relief to Palestinians who ⁠want to leave Gaza for ⁠medical... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346689/gazas-rafah-crossing-open-wednesday-limited-movement-people-israel-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346689/gazas-rafah-crossing-open-wednesday-limited-movement-people-israel-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 18:49:00 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng The sudden death of prominent Chinese genetic psychologist Li Xinying while travelling in Egypt has sparked growing concern and speculation in China, as official explanations about the cause remain vague and medically inconclusive. Li, 48, a researcher and doctoral supervisor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ (CAS) Institute of Psychology, died on February 23 at 10pm Beijing time, according to an online obituary. The stated cause of death was “non-specific respiratory failure”, an obituary... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346434/death-chinese-scientist-li-xinying-48-egypt-raises-sharp-questions-back-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346434/death-chinese-scientist-li-xinying-48-egypt-raises-sharp-questions-back-home?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A young girl from central China earned widespread praise online after fearlessly confronting riding instructors over why they assigned her friends vicious horses. Nine-year-old Langlang from Huangshi in Hubei province has been travelling the world with her parents since she was a baby. While travelling in Egypt with her parents on March 4, she was taking a riding lesson with two friends at a local equestrian club. Although the pair were beginners, the coaches assigned them two ill-tempered... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346097/china-girl-goes-viral-after-confronting-riding-instructors-assigning-vicious-horses-friends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346097/china-girl-goes-viral-after-confronting-riding-instructors-assigning-vicious-horses-friends?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:00:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Talks to advance US President Donald Trump’s plan to ⁠end the Gaza war have been on hold since last week when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran, sparking a broader Middle East war, three sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations said. The pause threatens to stall implementation of Trump’s flagship Middle East peace initiative, which he has cast as a major foreign policy objective. It comes less than a month after he secured billions of dollars in pledges for Gaza from Gulf Arab... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346040/trumps-gaza-plan-hold-iran-war-halts-disarmament-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346040/trumps-gaza-plan-hold-iran-war-halts-disarmament-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 03:33:18 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Hong Kong entrepreneurs with operations in the Middle East are recalibrating their global footprints to hedge against mounting geopolitical instability and losses resulting from the widening conflict in Iran. The shift in business strategy followed the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran last week, prompting firms to draw up contingency plans and pivot to Europe or Southeast Asia to de-risk their portfolios and ensure supply chain continuity. The war escalated with Iran’s retaliation,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3345814/hong-kong-firms-rethink-global-operations-amid-middle-east-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3345814/hong-kong-firms-rethink-global-operations-amid-middle-east-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 04:00:20 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The unfolding Iran war has ricocheted across the region and beyond, with nearly every country in the Middle East sustaining damage from missile hits, drone strikes or shrapnel, many reporting casualties, and key embassies, economic engines and passageways closing down. Off the coast of Sri Lanka, a US submarine sank an Iranian warship as the war intensified and its footprint grew. Foreign governments have for days urged their citizens to leave Middle East countries on any available commercial... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345492/guide-how-iran-war-has-ricocheted-across-middle-east-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345492/guide-how-iran-war-has-ricocheted-across-middle-east-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 02:01:04 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Rising tensions in the Middle East following attacks on Iran are having an impact on the trade corridors and investment plans of Chinese exporters and investors, who had seen Iran and the broader region as crucial growth markets. Joint strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel since Saturday have left shipments stalled, payments delayed and clients unreachable, Chinese businesspeople said. For many of them, the disruption has been direct and immediate. David Xie, an executive at a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345157/we-couldnt-reach-them-chinese-firms-iran-business-limbo-after-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345157/we-couldnt-reach-them-chinese-firms-iran-business-limbo-after-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage From a satellite ground station in Namibia to an Egyptian laboratory in orbit, China has been building the hi-tech backbone of Africa’s space ambitions. Earlier this month, Beijing handed over a new satellite data ground station near Windhoek, Namibia – the latest in a growing network of space facilities across the continent built by China or with Chinese funding. The China-funded ground station at Windhoek’s Telecom Earth Station enables Namibia to process remote-sensing data from satellites,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344266/how-china-building-hi-tech-backbone-africas-space-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344266/how-china-building-hi-tech-backbone-africas-space-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Arab and Muslim nations on Saturday sharply condemned comments by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who said Israel has a right to much of the Middle East. Huckabee made the comments in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired on Friday. Carlson said that according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include essentially the entire Middle East, and asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that land. Huckabee responded:... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344233/us-ambassador-says-israel-has-right-much-middle-east-sparking-uproar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344233/us-ambassador-says-israel-has-right-much-middle-east-sparking-uproar?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 21:46:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Thursday promised US$10 billion and Muslim-majority nations offered funding and troops for Gaza as he inaugurated his “Board of Peace”, a new institution whose ultimate mission has drawn questions. Trump brought together allies from around the world - many authoritarians, with few Western democrats who traditionally ally with the United States - to hail his peacemaking just as he sends US military might near Iran and threatens war. Presiding with a gavel over the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344048/trump-kicks-his-board-peace-war-clouds-loom-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344048/trump-kicks-his-board-peace-war-clouds-loom-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 17:06:55 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times South Korea will take part as an observer in the inaugural meeting of the US-led “Board of Peace”, dispatching a former envoy to Thursday’s session in Washington, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Kim Yong-hyun, former ambassador to Egypt, will attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace scheduled for February 19, as the South Korean representative,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. A ministry official said that South Korea would attend as a non-member observer... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3343904/south-korea-signals-cautious-support-trumps-board-peace-attending-observer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3343904/south-korea-signals-cautious-support-trumps-board-peace-attending-observer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 08:45:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australian police have recovered a trove of stolen Egyptian artefacts and charged a 52-year-old man with a nighttime smash and grab at a museum. The man was accused of breaking a window and making off with the priceless treasures in the early hours of Friday from the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology in the Queensland town of Caboolture. Police said they found all the stolen goods – except for a wooden cat sculpture believed to be around 2,600 years old and from the 26th dynasty of ancient... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343719/australian-police-arrest-man-recover-stolen-egyptian-artefacts-after-museum-heist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343719/australian-police-arrest-man-recover-stolen-egyptian-artefacts-after-museum-heist?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 07:12:01 +0000