https://www.scmp.com/rss/325736/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado Efforts to negotiate an end to war in the Middle East appeared in limbo on Tuesday, after Iran-linked media reported that Tehran had suspended contact with Washington over Israel’s expanding offensive in Lebanon, even as US President Donald Trump insisted talks were continuing “at a rapid pace” and claimed to have helped broker a halt to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The conflicting accounts highlighted the fragile state of negotiations aimed at ending more than three months of... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3355608/trump-says-israel-dial-back-fighting-lebanon-after-iran-threatens-end-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3355608/trump-says-israel-dial-back-fighting-lebanon-after-iran-threatens-end-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:33:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ⁠ordered attacks on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday, signalling further escalation of a war that has complicated mediation towards resolving the US-Iran conflict. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said on Monday that Israeli attacks in Lebanon were among factors causing a delay to the diplomatic process to end the US-Iran war, reiterating that a Lebanon ceasefire was an integral part of any... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355575/netanyahu-orders-strikes-beiruts-southern-suburbs-clouding-iran-mediation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355575/netanyahu-orders-strikes-beiruts-southern-suburbs-clouding-iran-mediation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:56:05 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Businesses around the world are confronting a painful – and potentially long-lasting – rise in costs amid the US-Israel war on Iran, as global shipping firms introduce steep price increases to offset a mounting fuel crisis. In Shanghai, one of the world’s busiest ports, the price of shipping a container has already surged dramatically since the start of the war, according to the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index – a gauge tracking spot rates across 13 global trade lanes out of the city. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3355536/businesses-face-huge-spike-shipping-costs-hormuz-fuel-crisis-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3355536/businesses-face-huge-spike-shipping-costs-hormuz-fuel-crisis-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US said it struck Iranian military sites at the weekend and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Monday it had targeted a US base in response, the latest exchange of attacks amid negotiations to end the three-month-old war. The US and Iran have sporadically exchanged strikes ‌since their ceasefire took effect in early April as diplomacy aimed at a more durable agreement drags on. A similar exchange occurred last Thursday and was described in near-identical terms by both sides. The weekend US... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355512/us-says-struck-iran-military-sites-tehran-responds-targeting-base?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355512/us-says-struck-iran-military-sites-tehran-responds-targeting-base?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:48:21 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s chief negotiator warned on Sunday the United States was not to be trusted, saying Tehran would not agree to any deal with Washington unless it fully secured Iranian rights. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s remarks came as reports emerged that US President Donald Trump had sent a tougher peace proposal back to Iran, and underlined the rift that the parties still need to close. Any tweaks to the draft could further delay an agreement to formally end the Middle East war and reopen the Strait of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355489/iran-says-does-not-trust-us-trump-toughens-terms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355489/iran-says-does-not-trust-us-trump-toughens-terms?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 19:10:30 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon in the deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter-century, the military said on Sunday. The taking of Beaufort castle, near the city of Nabatiyeh, followed days of air strikes and intense fighting in nearby villages between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants. The capture marked a major Israeli advance in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on March 2, when... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355486/israeli-army-captures-strategic-crusader-built-castle-lebanon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355486/israeli-army-captures-strategic-crusader-built-castle-lebanon?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 17:04:35 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo If the last Cold War were a beauty pageant, America won because its political-economic system was more attractive than the Soviet Union’s. But if we are now in Cold War 2.0, the outcome might be very different. As Francis “end of history” Fukuyama recently admitted, “These days I’m not sure that it’s such an attractive model for many people,” he said. China might not be a conventional or classic beauty. But compared to the contemporary US, Israel and some of their Western allies, it doesn’t look... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3355483/why-china-bashing-being-replaced-china-maxxing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3355483/why-china-bashing-being-replaced-china-maxxing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 15:25:58 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The goodbye emails started arriving on a Monday. By Friday, Sheila’s inbox told the story of an organisation coming apart at the seams, one farewell at a time. Sheila* had spent nearly a decade helping run US-funded development projects in the Philippines. She had watched them grow, hire staff and take root in local communities. When Washington ordered a freeze on foreign aid in January 2025, she told herself it was just a pause – a bureaucratic blip pending a review by the new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3355344/tariffs-war-and-broken-trust-southeast-asias-trump-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3355344/tariffs-war-and-broken-trust-southeast-asias-trump-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 23:30:06 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Central Asia is tilting more decisively towards China as geopolitical uncertainty deepens, with Beijing’s expanding influence recasting the former Soviet states’ strategic orientation. In the final instalment of a three-part series, Cao Jiaxuan examines how Central Asian members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation have shaped the bloc’s response to the US-Iran conflict. Read the first part here and the second part here. As Kyrgyzstan gears up to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355303/why-shanghai-cooperation-organisation-isnt-nato-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355303/why-shanghai-cooperation-organisation-isnt-nato-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 22:00:10 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell There seems to be no end to the harm arising from US President Donald Trump’s madcap war on Iran. Go beyond the direct tragic impact across Iran itself, the collateral damage from Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and its ad hoc assaults on US allies in the region: beyond the burgeoning impact of shortages of oil, gas, hydrogen, helium and sulphur, and the prospect of food shortages arising from the collapse in fertiliser supplies; beyond the hardships of tens of thousands of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355220/how-trumps-war-iran-jeopardising-asias-remittance-lifeline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355220/how-trumps-war-iran-jeopardising-asias-remittance-lifeline?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press An annual United Nations report documenting sexual violence in conflicts worldwide has included Israeli forces for the first time since the review began more than 15 years ago for their treatment of Palestinian detainees. Israel denies the accusations. The 35-page report – shared by the Israeli mission to the UN late Thursday ahead of its expected release on Friday – blacklists 77 government and non-government parties in a dozen countries suspected of committing or being responsible for sexual... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355285/israel-russia-hit-back-after-being-added-un-blacklist-sexual-violence-conflicts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355285/israel-russia-hit-back-after-being-added-un-blacklist-sexual-violence-conflicts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 06:59:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he had directed Israel’s military to take more of Gaza, initially by seizing 70 per cent of the Palestinian territory, where the population is already penned into a tiny strip of land along the coast. Israel effectively controls an estimated 64 per cent of the tiny coastal strip, bombarded to ruins by Israel’s two-year military assault that followed the 2023 Hamas ‌attack on southern Israel. Under an October US-brokered truce that has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355233/netanyahu-directs-israeli-forces-expand-gaza-control-70?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355233/netanyahu-directs-israeli-forces-expand-gaza-control-70?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 23:40:01 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel pounded south Lebanon with deadly strikes and widened its offensive with the first raid near Beirut in weeks where authorities said a woman and two children were killed despite a ceasefire. The attack near the capital came after heavy strikes on south Lebanon that authorities said had killed at least 14 people, including three children. The escalation comes as Lebanon and Israel prepare for talks between military delegations at the Pentagon on Friday, and for US-brokered talks early next... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355225/strikes-kill-family-6-after-israel-declares-south-lebanon-combat-zone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355225/strikes-kill-family-6-after-israel-declares-south-lebanon-combat-zone?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 18:06:00 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Chinese Premier Li Qiang inspected strategic oil reserves and grain stockpiles in one of China’s main economic hubs earlier this week, as the world’s second-largest economy steps up efforts to insulate itself from the Strait of Hormuz crisis. During a trip to Zhoushan and Ningbo in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, Li called for the accelerated construction of commodity distribution hubs to safeguard China’s national security. He also stressed the need to maintain adequate reserves of essential... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3355162/chinese-premier-tours-oil-grain-stockpiles-beijing-boosts-iran-war-response?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3355162/chinese-premier-tours-oil-grain-stockpiles-beijing-boosts-iran-war-response?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 09:03:29 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong Gold extended its downturn despite rising hopes for a diplomatic solution to Middle East tensions, as investors priced in a sticky inflationary trend that is being driven by the continued disruption of energy supplies and the resilience of the US economy. The price of the precious metal has dropped by more than 4 per cent this month, declining nearly 20 per cent from its all-time high in January. The de-escalation of the US-Israel war on Iran has done little to stem the sell-off, with investors... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3355136/gold-continues-decline-inflation-fears-outweigh-hopes-end-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3355136/gold-continues-decline-inflation-fears-outweigh-hopes-end-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 06:23:47 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israel’s military on Wednesday declared a new swathe of southern Lebanon as a combat zone and said residents in the area should move north, warning it would act “with great force” against Lebanese armed group Hezbollah in the zone. The military’s statement, posted on X, ‌appeared to signal further escalation after more than 120 strikes on Tuesday hit Lebanon’s south and east, despite a ceasefire announced on April 16. “We advise residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate to the north of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355107/israel-declares-new-swathe-lebanon-combat-zone-imperilling-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355107/israel-declares-new-swathe-lebanon-combat-zone-imperilling-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 03:05:32 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Israel’s intensified military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon is unlikely to derail US-Iran peace talks and will continue until the group is substantially weakened, according to analysts. A simultaneous end to hostilities in the Gulf and Lebanon is a core demand of Tehran, but the strikes launched on Tuesday show Israel’s lack of intention to honour any such agreement. The US also backed the latest attack, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio describing it as Israel’s “right to self-defence”... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3355105/israels-lebanon-strikes-challenge-trumps-iran-talks-amid-hezbollahs-defiance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3355105/israels-lebanon-strikes-challenge-trumps-iran-talks-amid-hezbollahs-defiance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 02:45:24 +0000 Reuters Reuters The United ⁠States and Iran have reached an outline ⁠agreement to extend their ceasefire pending the approval of President Donald Trump, according to an Axios report, after Iran targeted a US air base in Kuwait on Thursday in the wake of US strikes on what Washington described as an Iranian drone operation. According to ‌the report by Axios, the two sides agreed on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the truce and launch negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program but the plan still needed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355100/us-military-launches-new-strikes-against-targets-inside-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355100/us-military-launches-new-strikes-against-targets-inside-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 01:05:06 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi South Korea’s programme to develop engines that can power flying drones to serve as loyal wingmen for fighter jets suggests that Seoul has set its sights on competing at the top level in the global market for autonomous military systems, according to observers. Hanwha Aerospace, one of the country’s largest defence contractors, announced the programme on Tuesday – a joint project with South Korean space agency Kasa to develop a 4,500lb-class (2,040kg) turbofan engine by 2029. The engine will be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3355017/south-korea-aims-join-china-us-top-tier-loyal-wingman-combat-drone-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3355017/south-korea-aims-join-china-us-top-tier-loyal-wingman-combat-drone-race?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters Dozens of Palestinians carried the body of Hamas’ armed wing chief through the streets of Gaza City in a funeral procession on Wednesday, a day after Israel killed him as it moves to eliminate the militant group’s top brass despite a ceasefire. The Israeli military said Mohammad Odeh was killed in a targeted attack on Tuesday night, just over a week after his predecessor, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, was killed in an Israeli strike on a Gaza residential block. The deaths mean ‌there are few militant... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355013/israel-says-it-killed-hamas-new-armed-wing-chief-gaza-strike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355013/israel-says-it-killed-hamas-new-armed-wing-chief-gaza-strike?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 07:38:49 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israel pounded Lebanon with more than 120 air strikes on Tuesday in one of the heaviest days of bombing in weeks, Lebanese security sources said, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military was deepening its operations in the country. The bombing raids further strained a ceasefire announced on April 16 that was meant to halt fighting between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, and ‌came as Iran said the United States had violated a separate truce by striking... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354986/israel-pounds-lebanon-heaviest-bombing-blitz-weeks-expands-ground-operations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354986/israel-pounds-lebanon-heaviest-bombing-blitz-weeks-expands-ground-operations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 04:49:02 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi took a swipe at the United States at a press conference at the United Nations on Tuesday as he touted the need to safeguard multilateralism and the UN Charter in times of great instability. “As we have seen for the recent period of time, the purposes of the UN Charter have been disregarded, the basic norms of international relations have been undermined, and world peace and security are in great jeopardy,” Wang said, without mentioning the United States or US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354954/wang-yi-tells-un-multilateralism-must-be-protected-swipe-us-policies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354954/wang-yi-tells-un-multilateralism-must-be-protected-swipe-us-policies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 21:18:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters Palestinian shepherd Sameeha Rasheed was planning for the sacred ritual of sacrificing her family’s sheep for the Eid al-Adha holiday, one of the holiest occasions in Islam, but West Bank Jewish settlers stole them in a predawn raid, she said. Instead of celebrating, Rasheed has been left with nothing and has also been deprived of the income she would have received from selling the sheep not used by her family. The settlers stole around 45 sheep from her home in Masafer Yatta, a collection of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354939/west-bank-settlers-steal-palestinian-familys-sheep-herd-ahead-eid-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354939/west-bank-settlers-steal-palestinian-familys-sheep-herd-ahead-eid-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 13:29:18 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Singapore is committed to keeping the Strait of Malacca open, the city state’s top diplomat Vivian Balakrishnan has told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during talks in Beijing. According to the Chinese government, the Singaporean foreign minister said on Monday that keeping the critical global shipping lane open was in the interest of all parties. Balakrishnan also voiced Singapore’s support for free passage through the strait and other international waterways, the Chinese read-out showed. Wang... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354881/top-chinese-singaporean-diplomats-reaffirm-commitment-malacca-strait-transit-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354881/top-chinese-singaporean-diplomats-reaffirm-commitment-malacca-strait-transit-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 08:00:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s foreign ⁠ministry ⁠said in a statement on Tuesday that the United States had violated the ceasefire ‌with strikes in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province. US forces attacked missile sites in southern Iran and boats trying to lay mines on Monday, US Central Command said, imperilling a fragile ceasefire and casting new doubt on a deal to end the Middle East war. “The United States ‌committed a gross violation of ⁠the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region ⁠in the past 48 hours … Iran holds the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354821/us-attacks-missile-sites-iran-amid-negotiations-end-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354821/us-attacks-missile-sites-iran-amid-negotiations-end-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 01:07:30 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Israeli army intensified strikes in southern Lebanon on Monday, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to escalate its offensive in an effort to “crush” Hezbollah. The air strikes come as the United States and Iran seek to finalise the terms of an agreement to end the Middle East conflict, which could include the Lebanon front, where Israel and Hezbollah have waged war since March 2. Despite a ceasefire that came into effect on April 17, Israel and Iran-backed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354819/israel-steps-lebanon-strikes-netanyahu-escalates-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354819/israel-steps-lebanon-strikes-netanyahu-escalates-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 23:06:42 +0000 Reuters Reuters ⁠Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued an order to reopen international internet access, Iranian state media reported on Monday, citing an official after a ‌near-90-day blackout in the wake of the war against US and Israel. The report cited the head of public relations at Iran’s Communications Ministry. The mechanism for how and when Iran would reconnect to ⁠the global web following the decision was unknown. “The decree aimed at restoring internet access to its pre-January state was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354813/irans-president-orders-reopening-international-internet-access-state-media-reports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354813/irans-president-orders-reopening-international-internet-access-state-media-reports?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 19:18:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump said Monday that any agreement to end the Iran war should include a requirement for several additional countries, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, to join the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered agreements from Trump’s first term aimed at normalising relations with Israel. US and Iranian forces have observed a ceasefire since April 8 while diplomats push for a negotiated settlement, although Iran has maintained controls on Gulf shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354809/trump-says-iran-deal-should-include-additional-countries-joining-abraham-accords?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354809/trump-says-iran-deal-should-include-additional-countries-joining-abraham-accords?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 16:44:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel’s two far-right ministers on Monday called for an escalation of military operations in Lebanon, with one advocating strikes on Beirut in response to Hezbollah’s drone attacks. “It is time for the prime minister to take a firm stand with Donald Trump and tell him that Israel is returning to war in Lebanon,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said on social media. Ben Gvir leads the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) Party. “Electricity to Lebanon must be cut off, the Zahrani... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354791/israeli-far-right-ministers-want-return-war-lebanon-despite-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354791/israeli-far-right-ministers-want-return-war-lebanon-despite-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 12:21:11 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain For decades, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has preached a mantra of peace and stability in the Middle East through the destruction of Iran’s Islamic Republic. The obliteration of the ayatollahs, he prophesied, would lead to the normalisation of relations between Israel and the wider Arab-Islamic world – with Israel emerging as the Middle East’s dominant power and indispensable security provider. But on Saturday, Netanyahu’s dreams looked set to be dashed, after US President Donald... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354715/why-trumps-draft-peace-pact-iran-threatens-netanyahus-middle-east-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354715/why-trumps-draft-peace-pact-iran-threatens-netanyahus-middle-east-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 02:57:21 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Oil fell as senior US officials gave further, positive signals on progress towards a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Brent lost as much as 6.2 per cent to US$97.10 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate was near US$91. Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a cautiously upbeat tone, saying the US was going to give diplomacy every chance. “We thought we might have some news last night,” he said in New Delhi. “Maybe today.” At the weekend, US President Donald Trump said... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3354707/crude-oil-drops-us-inches-towards-iran-deal-reopen-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3354707/crude-oil-drops-us-inches-towards-iran-deal-reopen-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 23:16:01 +0000 Reuters Reuters An Israeli air strike on a flat in ⁠a refugee camp in central Gaza on Sunday left three people dead, including a six-month-old child, health officials said. Medical workers named the three who died in the Nuseirat refugee camp as Mohammad Abu Mallouh, the infant’s father, Alaa Zaqlan, the mother, and their child, Osama. Later on ‌Sunday, Israeli gunfire killed a Palestinian man in the north of the enclave, near a UN-run medical clinic in Jabalia refugee camp, medical workers said. The Israeli... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354699/israeli-fire-kills-parents-and-their-baby-gaza-refugee-camp-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354699/israeli-fire-kills-parents-and-their-baby-gaza-refugee-camp-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 17:04:53 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As the US-Israel war on Iran stretches past its 80th day and continues to upend global naval shipping, a growing number of Chinese investors in Iran are turning to railway and overland transport routes to keep their businesses afloat. While disruptions to ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz show little sign of abating, many are hoping that transcontinental freight links across Eurasia could become a more reliable option. Chinese trader Han Yun has spent recent weeks travelling long distances... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353363/how-chinese-traders-iran-are-keeping-business-afloat-war-capsizes-naval-shipping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353363/how-chinese-traders-iran-are-keeping-business-afloat-war-capsizes-naval-shipping?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 06:00:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse ⁠US ⁠President Donald Trump ⁠said on Sunday that he has told his diplomatic representatives not ‌to rush into a deal with Iran on the war because “time is on our side”, less than a day ⁠after announcing that an agreement with ‌Tehran had been largely negotiated. “The Blockade ‌will remain in full force ⁠and ⁠effect until an agreement is ‌reached, certified, and signed. Both sides ‌must take their ‌time and get ‌it right,” Trump wrote ⁠on Truth Social. “There can be ⁠no mistakes! Our relationship... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354647/iran-us-could-be-close-breakthrough-talks-draft-deal-end-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354647/iran-us-could-be-close-breakthrough-talks-draft-deal-end-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 15:39:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters France has ⁠decided to ban Israel’s far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from French territory, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Saturday, adding that this reflected ‌growing anger among governments around the world over the treatment of an activist flotilla heading to Gaza. “As from today, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from entering French territory,” Barrot wrote on X. “Along with ⁠my Italian counterpart, I am asking the European Union to ‌also take sanctions against Itamar... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354646/israeli-far-right-minister-itamar-ben-gvir-banned-french-territory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354646/israeli-far-right-minister-itamar-ben-gvir-banned-french-territory?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 14:33:07 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain For months, the United Arab Emirates had denied Iran’s accusations that it was in league with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or hosting his country’s military personnel. Then, US ambassador to Israel Mick Huckabee handed Tehran a propaganda gift and Abu Dhabi a diplomatic headache all in a single sentence. Israel sent Iron Dome air defence batteries to the UAE amid the ongoing war on Iran to help protect it from Iranian attacks, Huckabee confirmed at a conference in Tel Aviv on May... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354525/israel-thrusts-reluctant-uae-open-over-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354525/israel-thrusts-reluctant-uae-open-over-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 05:00:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A four-week United Nations conference reviewing the treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons ended on Friday without agreement as the United States and Iran sparred over Iran’s nuclear programme. Vietnam’s UN Ambassador Do Hung Viet, who chaired the conference, announced that there was no consensus among the 191 parties to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty on even a watered-down final document. He did not say which country or countries blocked a consensus. It was the third failure in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3354600/un-event-nuclear-non-proliferation-treaty-stumbles-us-and-iran-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3354600/un-event-nuclear-non-proliferation-treaty-stumbles-us-and-iran-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 02:09:56 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing in a much weaker position than he did more than four years ago, when he launched his invasion of Ukraine shortly after his last visit. US President Donald Trump left Beijing after much fanfare. However, he was criticised back at home for failing to deliver on any key aspect of American interests, such as committing China to pressuring Iran to end the war on US terms. His popular support is at a historic low. Putin, Trump and Chinese President... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3354354/how-china-wins-avoiding-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3354354/how-china-wins-avoiding-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Kevin Warsh, whose broad criticism of current US ⁠Federal Reserve officials, playbook for rate cuts and ties to President Donald Trump elevated him past ⁠other contenders to lead the central bank, was sworn in as Fed leader on Friday at a pivotal moment for monetary policy and the American economy. Warsh, wearing a dark suit and tie and accompanied by his wife, Jane Lauder, heiress to the Estee Lauder fortune, was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas after a lengthy introduction by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354589/warsh-takes-us-feds-helm-inflation-dilemma-already-unfolding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354589/warsh-takes-us-feds-helm-inflation-dilemma-already-unfolding?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 18:14:01 +0000 Johannes Nugroho Johannes Nugroho After three agonising days with no word from his son, Warsono finally saw the face he had been waiting for. The 60-year-old Indonesian from Bandar Lampung in Sumatra spoke by video call on Thursday evening to his son, Andre Prasetyo Nugroho, following the 27-year-old journalist’s release from Israeli detention in Gaza. “To my great relief, I could see he was in one piece, albeit somewhat worse for wear,” he said, adding that his son had bruises on his hands from being tightly zip-tied and,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354548/freed-indonesian-gaza-flotilla-tells-father-rough-treatment-israeli-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354548/freed-indonesian-gaza-flotilla-tells-father-rough-treatment-israeli-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 10:00:47 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel said on Thursday it had deported all the foreign activists seized by its forces from a Gaza-bound flotilla, as the first group arrived in Turkey following global outcry over their treatment in custody. Hundreds of activists from countries around the world were placed in detention in Israel after they were intercepted at sea Monday while making the latest in a string of attempts to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory. Turkish foreign ministry sources said 422 activists,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354436/first-gaza-flotilla-activists-arrive-turkey-after-israel-deportation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354436/first-gaza-flotilla-activists-arrive-turkey-after-israel-deportation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 22:30:01 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng As the war in Iran disrupts global oil and chemical supplies, China’s coal-heavy energy sector is seizing an unprecedented opportunity. Dannie Peng visited the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture in northern Xinjiang – one of China’s four major bases for large-scale, modern coal-chemical production. In the second of a two-part series, she discovers how China is leveraging coal chemicals to offset oil shocks. It is late April, and northern Xinjiang is already gripped by scorching heat. Salt flats... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3354050/china-replacing-middle-east-oil-xinjiang-coal-what-does-it-mean-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3354050/china-replacing-middle-east-oil-xinjiang-coal-what-does-it-mean-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 22:00:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday voiced hope of progress on ending the war with Iran, with mediator Pakistan’s army chief poised for talks in Tehran. The role played by Field Marshal Asim Munir, a powerful figure with a growing role in Pakistan’s foreign relations, has taken on increased significance as US President Donald Trump warned that negotiations to end the war were on the “borderline” between a deal and renewed strikes. “I believe the Pakistanis will be travelling to Tehran... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3354435/us-voices-hope-iran-deal-progress-pakistan-army-chief-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3354435/us-voices-hope-iran-deal-progress-pakistan-army-chief-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 21:24:32 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s declaration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a “war criminal” highlights the balancing act between his human rights convictions and commitment to protecting Seoul’s interests in the Middle East, analysts have said. Lee’s comments came as Seoul was pushing for the release of two South Korean nationals detained by Israeli forces while attempting to reach the Gaza Strip aboard humanitarian aid boats, drawing attention to his willingness to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354350/what-lees-netanyahu-war-criminal-remark-means-south-koreas-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354350/what-lees-netanyahu-war-criminal-remark-means-south-koreas-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 07:32:19 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore’s plan to trial weaponised unmanned drones has put a spotlight on Southeast Asia’s fast-growing interest in systems that can track and strike at targets without putting operators directly in harm’s way. But as countries race to upgrade their drone and counter-drone capabilities, analysts say regulation, transparency and confidence-building will be crucial to prevent accidents or miscalculations that could fuel regional tensions. Singapore announced on Thursday that it would start... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354246/singapores-weaponised-drone-trial-spotlights-regional-rush-unmanned-systems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354246/singapores-weaponised-drone-trial-spotlights-regional-rush-unmanned-systems?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:22 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump said his administration’s negotiations with Iran were “in the final stages” on Wednesday, while simultaneously warning of further attacks, as a fragile ceasefire concluded its sixth week with no sign of an end to the war. The US launched “Operation Epic Fury” close to three months ago, in a war that began with strikes inside Iran alongside key ally Israel, which has since spread across the wider Middle East region, killing thousands and disrupting global supply... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3354291/trump-says-iran-talks-are-nearing-end-warns-more-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3354291/trump-says-iran-talks-are-nearing-end-warns-more-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 21:57:00 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israel’s national security minister drew a sharp rebuke from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and triggered a backlash abroad, after releasing videos taunting detained flotilla activists who tried to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza, telling them they should be imprisoned for a long time. Netanyahu said that although Israel has every right to stop “provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters”, the way National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir dealt with the activists was “not in line... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354277/israeli-minister-posts-video-flotilla-activists-threatens-jail-them-long-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354277/israeli-minister-posts-video-flotilla-activists-threatens-jail-them-long-time?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 14:06:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israeli forces opened fire on at least two vessels in an aid flotilla sailing towards Gaza on Tuesday, according to video footage and flotilla organisers, but Israel said no live ammunition was used ‌and there were no casualties. The flotilla was making a renewed attempt to deliver aid to Gaza after earlier missions were intercepted by Israel in international waters. Video from the flotilla’s livestream showed soldiers firing shots at two of the boats. The type of ammunition fired was not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354155/israeli-forces-fired-shots-gaza-flotilla-all-boats-intercepted-group-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354155/israeli-forces-fired-shots-gaza-flotilla-all-boats-intercepted-group-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 23:48:00 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang US Vice-President J.D. Vance said on Tuesday that diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran had made “good progress”, but warned that the US military was “locked and loaded” to restart its campaign against Iran if negotiations collapsed. “A lot of good progress is being made, but we’re just going to keep on working at it, and eventually we’ll either hit a deal or we won’t,” Vance said during a White House press briefing. “We are not going to have a deal that allows the Iranians to have a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354154/vance-says-iran-talks-making-good-progress-us-forces-remain-locked-and-loaded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354154/vance-says-iran-talks-making-good-progress-us-forces-remain-locked-and-loaded?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 23:28:42 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Last week, US President Donald Trump landed in China aiming to secure the kind of blockbuster trade deals he championed nine years ago – spanning everything from soybeans to aircraft and energy. By the time he departed, it was clear that reality would fall far short of expectations. Despite Trump hailing a “fantastic deal”, China did not announce the massive buying spree that many had anticipated. Now, just days after Trump’s exit, Russian President Vladimir Putin is arriving in China with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354114/putin-pushing-blockbuster-oil-and-gas-deal-china-will-he-get-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354114/putin-pushing-blockbuster-oil-and-gas-deal-china-will-he-get-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 22:00:06 +0000