https://www.scmp.com/rss/516031/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying The Hong Kong government has raised the outbound travel alert for Iran and Israel to black, and expanded the amber alert to include Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The government on Monday announced the escalation “in view of the continued deterioration of the situation in the Middle East region.” “The black [outbound travel alert] signifies severe threat,” a government spokesman said. “Due to the highly unpredictable security situation in Iran and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347631/hong-kong-raises-iran-israel-travel-alerts-black-expands-amber-warning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347631/hong-kong-raises-iran-israel-travel-alerts-black-expands-amber-warning?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:49:41 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea is unlikely to rush into joining a US-led military effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz, officials and analysts have said, after President Donald Trump urged other nations to send ships to the strategic waterway. Seoul is expected to seek parliamentary consensus before making any decision and is waiting for the outcome of a summit on Thursday between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, as well as a formal request through diplomatic channels. A key US ally, South Korea... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346756/south-korea-catch-22-situation-over-trumps-call-warships-secure-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346756/south-korea-catch-22-situation-over-trumps-call-warships-secure-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukraine wants money and technology in return for helping Middle Eastern nations defend against Iranian kamikaze drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, after Kyiv ‌sent specialists to four countries in the region. Zelensky told reporters in comments cleared for release on Sunday that each of the three teams sent to the Middle East consisted of dozens of people who will conduct expert assessments and demonstrate how drone defences should operate. Gulf states have ⁠expended large quantities of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3346657/ukraine-wants-cash-technology-return-helping-middle-east-nations-fight-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3346657/ukraine-wants-cash-technology-return-helping-middle-east-nations-fight-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:22:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The UN Security Council on Wednesday called for Iran to halt its attacks on Gulf states, in a resolution that did not mention US or Israeli strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran’s ambassador to decry a “blatant misuse” of the international body. The resolution, passed by 13 votes with two abstentions, “demands the immediate cessation of all attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan”. It also “condemns any actions... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346278/un-security-council-demands-iran-halt-attacks-gulf-states?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346278/un-security-council-demands-iran-halt-attacks-gulf-states?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 23:03:38 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Since the US and Israel unleashed strikes on Iran on February 28, war has spread across the region and casualties have been reported in countries across the Middle East. Due to reporting restrictions, Agence France-Presse has not been able to independently verify all of the following tolls. The figures are based on numbers released by governments, militaries, health authorities and rescue organisations in the affected countries. Iran Iran’s health ministry said on Monday that more than 1,200... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346059/casualty-figures-across-middle-east-iran-war-enters-second-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346059/casualty-figures-across-middle-east-iran-war-enters-second-week?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:09:08 +0000 The Star The Star Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday that his government would do whatever it took to keep RON95 petrol at 1.99 ringgit (50 US cents) per litre – even as the US-Israel war on Iran pushed global crude prices past US$100 a barrel. “We will do our best to ensure the price of RON95 remains at 1.99 ringgit so that the rakyat (common people) are not burdened,” he said at the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry’s monthly assembly in Kuala Lumpur. The pledge comes as the Middle... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345932/malaysia-vows-hold-petrol-prices-oil-nears-us100-barrel-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345932/malaysia-vows-hold-petrol-prices-oil-nears-us100-barrel-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 05:34:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Gulf nations on Saturday reported new missile and drone attacks, while Iran vowed to press on with its strikes against neighbouring countries. Loud explosions were heard in Dubai, the Qatari capital Doha and Bahrain, while attacks were later reported in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, where the national oil company announced a “precautionary” cut to production. The attacks came despite Iran’s president earlier apologising to Gulf countries for prior strikes, saying they would no longer... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345841/iran-vows-more-attacks-gulf-despite-presidents-apology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345841/iran-vows-more-attacks-gulf-despite-presidents-apology?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 20:55:32 +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 Associated Press Associated Press French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday ordered France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to help protect allied assets during the war in the Middle East. Macron said the Charles de Gaulle carrier will be escorted by frigates and its air wing. In a pre-recorded speech on French television, Macron added that Rafale fighter jets, air-defence systems and airborne radar systems have been deployed over the past few hours in the Middle East. “And we... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345329/iran-war-macron-orders-frances-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier-mediterranean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345329/iran-war-macron-orders-frances-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier-mediterranean?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 23:02:10 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Khushboo Razdan Teresa Elena Frontado,Khushboo Razdan The United States and Israel’s military campaign against Iran entered a more volatile phase on Sunday, with Washington reporting its first casualties, Tehran widening retaliatory strikes across the region, and energy markets bracing for shock after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict – triggered by US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader and senior officials – is rapidly reshaping regional security calculations and global economic outlooks. Here are five key... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345060/5-takeaways-first-2-days-us-israel-war-against-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345060/5-takeaways-first-2-days-us-israel-war-against-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:25:23 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Teresa Elena Frontado Khushboo Razdan,Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump vowed to press ahead with a sweeping military campaign against Iran until US objectives are fully achieved, warning that additional American casualties were likely even as Washington intensified what he described as one of the largest offensives in modern history. “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,” Trump said in a video posted on social media, referring to the deaths of three US service members confirmed earlier by the US Central Command. “That’s the way... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3345054/pentagon-confirms-three-american-deaths-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3345054/pentagon-confirms-three-american-deaths-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 16:21:58 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong authorities have received 194 inquiries from residents stranded in the Middle East amid a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran, which forced flight cancellations and left some seeking refuge in local hotels. The Immigration Department confirmed to the South China Morning Post that all residents who inquired about the situation and flight arrangements were in safe locations as of 5pm on Sunday. It said authorities had been coordinating with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3345037/131-hongkongers-stranded-middle-east-safe-attacks-escalate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3345037/131-hongkongers-stranded-middle-east-safe-attacks-escalate?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:50:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Flights across the Middle East were being cancelled on Saturday as several countries slammed their airspace shut after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates all announced at least partial closures of their skies in the hours after smoke began rising over Tehran and Iran began retaliatory attacks in the region. Iranian missiles hit capital cities around the wealthy Gulf region, killing at least one, as witnesses... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344995/us-iran-conflict-flares-thousands-middle-east-flights-cancelled-airspace-closed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344995/us-iran-conflict-flares-thousands-middle-east-flights-cancelled-airspace-closed?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 15:04:19 +0000 Agencies Agencies Iran responded to Saturday’s attacks by the United States and Israel as it had been threatening to do for months - by first launching a wave of missiles and drones targeting Israel. It followed with strikes targeting US military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Shrapnel from an Iranian missile attack on the capital of the United Arab Emirates killed one person, state media said. The UAE and Iraq shut down their airspace. Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a defiant statement, saying that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344990/missiles-streak-across-gulf-skies-iran-responds-israel-us-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344990/missiles-streak-across-gulf-skies-iran-responds-israel-us-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 13:52:59 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang A Chinese private company has drawn the attention of security watchers after detailing US military deployments near Iran, a move experts say underlines Beijing’s intelligence abilities. MizarVision, a Chinese commercial intelligence analysis firm, has consistently published monitoring posts regarding American military movements on social media over the past two years. But it has attracted fresh attention in the past month with an increase in the frequency and granularity of its posts and by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344638/china-flexing-its-intelligence-muscle-tracking-us-military-moves-near-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344638/china-flexing-its-intelligence-muscle-tracking-us-military-moves-near-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:00:07 +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 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China’s military and a tech firm have released high-resolution satellite imagery showing the US military build-up around Iran, amid reports that Washington may strike Tehran as soon as this weekend. Images posted on social media on Thursday by Chinese commercial satellite analysis company MizarVision show the latest American deployments at bases in Qatar, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The images from Jordan show 18 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters and six EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344129/pla-chinese-firm-release-satellite-images-showing-us-military-build-around-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344129/pla-chinese-firm-release-satellite-images-showing-us-military-build-around-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israel will begin a contentious land regulation process in a large part of the occupied West Bank, which could result in Israel gaining control over wide swathes of the area for future development, according to a government decision on Sunday. It paves the way for the resumption of “settlement of land title” processes, which had been frozen in the West Bank since the Mideast War in 1967. It means that when Israel begins the land registration process for a certain area, anyone with a claim to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343652/israel-will-begin-contentious-west-bank-land-registration-new-step-deepen-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343652/israel-will-begin-contentious-west-bank-land-registration-new-step-deepen-control?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 18:26:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Norway’s ambassador to Jordan and Iraq has resigned after an investigation was launched into her ties to late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the foreign ministry said on Sunday. Mona Juul, who played a key role in the secret Israeli-Palestinian negotiations which led to the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s, is among several high-profile Norwegian figures swept up in the latest Epstein file release. “This is a correct and necessary decision. Juul’s contact with the convicted abuser Epstein has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342855/senior-diplomat-resigns-norway-investigates-epstein-links?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342855/senior-diplomat-resigns-norway-investigates-epstein-links?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 19:53:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, local media said, as his counterpart Donald Trump threatened “bad things” if no deal with the Islamic Republic was struck. Following the Iranian authorities’ deadly response to anti-government protests that peaked last month, the US president has threatened military action and ordered the dispatch of an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East. Trump has maintained he is hopeful that Washington... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3342157/irans-president-pezeshkian-orders-nuclear-talks-us-trump-hopeful-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3342157/irans-president-pezeshkian-orders-nuclear-talks-us-trump-hopeful-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:18:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Valentino Garavani, the jet-set Italian designer whose high-glamour gowns – often in his trademark shade of “Valentino red” – were fashion show staples for nearly half a century, has died at home in Rome, his foundation announced on Monday. He was 93. “Valentino Garavani was not only a constant guide and inspiration for all of us, but a true source of light, creativity and vision,” the foundation said in a statement posted on social media. His body will repose at the foundation’s headquarters in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340477/valentino-fashion-designer-stars-dies-aged-93-rome?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340477/valentino-fashion-designer-stars-dies-aged-93-rome?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:15:10 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong police are investigating after a drone fell out of the sky and damaged a car in Jordan. The force said it received a report from the owner of the Tesla at around 11.52am on Sunday. The driver said he was waiting at traffic lights along Cox’s Road in Jordan when the drone suddenly struck the roof of his car. The drone, measuring around 20cm (8 inches) wide, shattered the car’s glass roof and windscreen before bouncing onto the road. No one was injured in the incident, and officers were... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340317/hong-kong-driver-avoids-injury-after-drone-crashes-tesla-roof?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3340317/hong-kong-driver-avoids-injury-after-drone-crashes-tesla-roof?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:05:22 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan The administration of US President Donald Trump is suspending the processing of immigrant visas, including family-based green cards, for applicants from dozens of countries, the US State Department has confirmed to the Post. “The State Department is pausing immigrant visa processing for 75 countries,” an official from the agency said on Wednesday. China is not included in the list, which has countries like Thailand, a US ally, and Brazil, a close neighbour in the western hemisphere, along with... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3339928/us-halts-visas-75-countries-china-not-list?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3339928/us-halts-visas-75-countries-china-not-list?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 16:57:23 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Wang Nan, a hardware trader in China’s eastern city of Yiwu, expected her business to feel some pain when the US-China trade war escalated in April. “Last year, we still had many American clients, but the tariffs changed everything,” she said. Yet, Wang’s firm not only survived a rollercoaster year – which at one point saw US tariffs soar to triple-digit levels – it has emerged even stronger. An aggressive push to find new buyers in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa paid off. In the end,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338358/how-worlds-supermarket-rode-out-trumps-tariffs-and-grew-even-stronger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338358/how-worlds-supermarket-rode-out-trumps-tariffs-and-grew-even-stronger?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong A robbery suspect escaped police custody barefoot while being escorted for an X-ray scan at a hospital in Hong Kong, but he was rearrested hours later after stealing from a cabby while taxi hopping, the Post has learned. The 35-year-old suspect, surnamed Lam, was receiving stomach cancer treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Jordan at around 11am on Friday when he escaped. He was escorted to get an X-ray scan by two police officers, both with about 20 years of experience in the force, when he... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3337133/robbery-suspect-flees-hong-kong-hospital-barefoot-caught-after-taxi-theft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3337133/robbery-suspect-flees-hong-kong-hospital-barefoot-caught-after-taxi-theft?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:46:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas were both visiting Jordan on Sunday to discuss humanitarian aid for Gaza. Their visits came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected the second phase of the US-sponsored ceasefire plan for the Palestinian territory to begin soon. Waltz said on social media that he was in the Jordanian capital Amman to discuss speeding up the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and “to see the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3335533/trump-un-envoy-waltz-eus-kallas-jordan-discuss-gaza-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3335533/trump-un-envoy-waltz-eus-kallas-jordan-discuss-gaza-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 16:59:40 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Fans of Bruce Lee will mark the 85th anniversary of his birth with a new monument, adding another attraction to a decade-long memorial trail that celebrates the martial arts star’s Hong Kong roots. The plan was unveiled on Tuesday by Bruce Lee Club chairman Wong Yiu-keung, who said the group would construct the monument at Lee’s former family home in Jordan, Kowloon, to commemorate his early life there. “We hope to extend the trail, and the monument will serve as the starting point for this new... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334127/hong-kong-extends-martial-arts-star-bruce-lees-memorial-trail-new-monument?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334127/hong-kong-extends-martial-arts-star-bruce-lees-memorial-trail-new-monument?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:40:47 +0000 Reuters Reuters A de facto partition of Gaza between an area controlled by Israel and another ruled by Hamas is increasingly likely, multiple sources said, with efforts to advance US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war beyond a ceasefire faltering. Six European officials with direct knowledge of the efforts to implement the next phase of the plan told Reuters it was effectively stalled and that reconstruction now appeared likely to be limited to the Israeli-controlled area. That could lead to years of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3332373/gaza-faces-de-facto-partition-israel-trumps-peace-plan-falters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3332373/gaza-faces-de-facto-partition-israel-trumps-peace-plan-falters?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:35:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Gaza’s future must be Palestinian-led and avoid any new system of tutelage, Turkey and six of its top Muslim allies said on Monday after talks in Istanbul. Turkey, which played a central role in forging the now shaky three-week-old ceasefire, is pushing for Muslim nations to bring their influence to bear on the reconstruction of the embattled territory. “Our principle is that Palestinians should govern the Palestinians and ensure their own security, the international community should support... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3331399/turkey-and-muslim-allies-say-palestinian-self-rule-key-gazas-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3331399/turkey-and-muslim-allies-say-palestinian-self-rule-key-gazas-future?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 22:09:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Israel said on Saturday that three bodies it received from Gaza the night before were not hostages held in the Palestinian territory, as a Hamas security source reported fresh strikes in the south. Despite occasional flare-ups, a fragile truce has been holding in Gaza since October 10, based on a US-brokered deal centred on the return of all Israeli hostages, both living and dead. Israel’s military said that a forensic analysis revealed that three bodies it received via the Red Cross on Friday... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3331189/israel-confirms-bodies-received-hamas-are-not-hostages-amid-uncertain-gaza-truce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3331189/israel-confirms-bodies-received-hamas-are-not-hostages-amid-uncertain-gaza-truce?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2025 13:48:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump hailed a “tremendous day for the Middle East” as he and regional leaders signed a declaration meant to cement a ceasefire in Gaza, hours after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners. Trump made a lightning visit to Israel, where he lauded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an address to parliament, before flying to Egypt for a Gaza summit where he and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey signed the declaration on Monday as guarantors to the ceasefire... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3328871/trump-hails-tremendous-day-middle-east-leaders-sign-gaza-declaration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3328871/trump-hails-tremendous-day-middle-east-leaders-sign-gaza-declaration?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 18:39:36 +0000 Bibek Raj Kandel,Christina Monroe Bibek Raj Kandel,Christina Monroe As the global order fragments, India’s foreign policy orientation has become a question of consequence far beyond South Asia. For three decades, “Look East” has been New Delhi’s mantra, positioning itself as an emerging player in the broader region. The strategy has included engaging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, deepening India’s presence in Asia-Pacific institutions and eventually leaning into the “Indo-Pacific” frameworks shaped by the United States, Japan and Australia. It... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327966/indias-diplomatic-weight-best-exercised-closest-its-borders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327966/indias-diplomatic-weight-best-exercised-closest-its-borders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse President Emmanuel Macron has come under pressure to find a rapid solution to France’s political deadlock, after his first prime minister and one-time ally urged him to resign for the sake of the country. Macron, president since 2017, has been battling the worst domestic political crisis of his presidency after the shock resignation on Monday of his seventh prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu. Macron gave Lecornu until Wednesday evening to thrash out a compromise for a sustainable coalition... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3328171/macron-urged-quit-end-frances-political-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3328171/macron-urged-quit-end-frances-political-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 23:43:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump said he was close to forging a deal to end the war in Gaza and bring hostages home as he prepared to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. “It’s looking like we have a deal on Gaza. I think it’s a deal that gets the hostages back, it’s going to be a deal that ends the war,” Trump told reporters on Friday before leaving the White House to attend the Ryder Cup golf tournament in New York. He offered no details and gave no timetable. A senior White... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327056/trump-says-gaza-deal-near-hostages-could-soon-be-freed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327056/trump-says-gaza-deal-near-hostages-could-soon-be-freed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 16:42:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, rejecting calls from some far-right politicians in Israel who want to extend sovereignty over the area and snuff out hopes for a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced some pressure from allies to annex the West Bank, prompting alarm among Arab leaders, some of whom met Trump on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. “I will not allow Israel... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326913/trump-says-he-will-not-allow-israel-annex-west-bank-after-saudi-flags-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326913/trump-says-he-will-not-allow-israel-annex-west-bank-after-saudi-flags-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 01:50:08 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore will reconsider its position on recognising a Palestinian state if the situation continues to deteriorate, or if Israel takes further steps to extinguish a two-state solution, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan has said. Singapore has always supported a negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. “We will recognise the State of Palestine when it has an effective government that accepts Israel’s right to exist and categorically renounces terrorism,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3326369/singapore-may-recognise-palestinian-state-only-under-certain-conditions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3326369/singapore-may-recognise-palestinian-state-only-under-certain-conditions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 07:40:14 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan will not recognise a Palestinian state at a UN meeting next week amid concerns that doing so could worsen the situation in the Middle East and hurt its ties with the United States, a move one analyst described as “embarrassing”. Several US allies including Britain, Australia, Canada and France have said they will back the formal recognition of a Palestinian state during the United Nations General Assembly summit that begins on Monday. But Tokyo’s position was influenced by the US, which... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326277/japan-reject-palestinian-state-recognition-un-avoid-annoying-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326277/japan-reject-palestinian-state-recognition-un-avoid-annoying-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 01:30:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters If Israel did not kill Hamas leaders in an air strike on Qatar on Tuesday, it would succeed next time, the Israeli ambassador to the United States said after the operation, raising concerns it would torpedo efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. “Right now, we may be subject to a little bit of criticism. They’ll get over it. And Israel is being changed for the better,” Yechiel Leiter told Fox News’ Special Report programme late on Tuesday. Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325086/israel-will-keep-hunting-down-hamas-leaders-despite-anger-over-qatar-strike-ambassador?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325086/israel-will-keep-hunting-down-hamas-leaders-despite-anger-over-qatar-strike-ambassador?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:28:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Turkey would bar Israeli vessels from using its ports, forbid Turkish ships from using Israeli ports and impose restrictions on some planes entering Turkish airspace, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday. He provided few details in comments to parliament that appeared to summarise steps that Turkey had already taken against Israel over the war in Gaza or had started to implement. Turkey has fiercely criticised Israel’s offensive in Gaza and accuses it of committing genocide in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3323733/gaza-war-turkey-bars-israeli-ships-its-ports-restricts-airspace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3323733/gaza-war-turkey-bars-israeli-ships-its-ports-restricts-airspace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 19:57:10 +0000 dpa,Agence France-Presse dpa,Agence France-Presse A 14-year-old boy in the Gaza Strip was killed after being struck by an aid package dropped from the air, the local health authority said on Saturday. The incident occurred near the Nuseirat refugee district in central Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry said. The information could not be independently verified. Following months of blocked aid deliveries, Israel has since late last month allowed limited airdrops and, to a smaller extent, land transport into Gaza. On Friday, Palestinian officials... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3321342/gaza-war-14-year-old-palestinian-boy-dies-after-being-hit-aid-airdrop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3321342/gaza-war-14-year-old-palestinian-boy-dies-after-being-hit-aid-airdrop?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 00:22:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Stockholm court on Thursday handed down a life term to Swedish jihadist Osama Krayem over the murder of a Jordanian pilot burned alive by Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, which sparked international outrage in 2015. The Swedish court was the first to try a person over the infamous killing. Judge Anna Liljenberg Gullesjo said in a statement that “the investigation has shown that the defendant was at the execution site, uniformed and armed, and allowed himself to be filmed”. While noting that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320316/swedish-jihadist-jailed-life-over-jordan-pilot-burned-alive-syria?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320316/swedish-jihadist-jailed-life-over-jordan-pilot-burned-alive-syria?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 11:21:34 +0000 Edith Lin,Jess Ma Edith Lin,Jess Ma A 49-year-old man has been found dead in a Hong Kong flat, with a source saying that his naked body was surrounded by sex toys. The source said on Thursday that the man’s body was discovered in bed with blood on his nose in a flat at Wing Fat Mansion in Jordan. A large number of sex toys and bottles of lubricant were found at the scene, according to the source. A security guard discovered the body on Wednesday after he smelled an odour and entered through the flat’s open door, the source added.... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3320231/mans-body-found-naked-surrounded-sex-toys-hong-kong-flat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3320231/mans-body-found-naked-surrounded-sex-toys-hong-kong-flat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 04:11:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The EU on Thursday struck a deal with Israel to increase aid access to Gaza that should see more food trucks entering and the opening of additional crossing points, the bloc’s top diplomat said. “Today, we reached an agreement with Israel to expand humanitarian access to Gaza,” European Union foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas wrote on social media. “This deal means more crossings open, aid and food trucks entering Gaza, repair of vital infrastructure and protection of aid workers. We count on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3317749/eu-israel-agree-expand-gaza-aid-access-amid-humanitarian-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3317749/eu-israel-agree-expand-gaza-aid-access-amid-humanitarian-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 12:19:51 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A South Korean college student has recounted her harrowing escape from Israel amid a barrage of Iranian missile strikes as a fragile ceasefire between the arch-foes takes hold following a 12-day conflict. The woman, who is studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, chronicled her June 13 evacuation during the aerial clash in a video posted to YouTube last Thursday. She said she was woken up by air raid sirens at 3am, forcing her to rush into a bomb shelter. “I initially thought the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3315813/south-korean-student-shares-harrowing-escape-israel-amid-missile-barrage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3315813/south-korean-student-shares-harrowing-escape-israel-amid-missile-barrage?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 11:10:57 +0000 Natasha Heap Natasha Heap The Middle East is a region of intense beauty and ancient kingdoms. It has also repeatedly endured periods of geopolitical instability over many centuries. Today, geopolitical, sociopolitical and religious tensions persist. The world is currently watching as long-standing regional tensions come to a head in the shocking and escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. The global airline industry takes a special interest in how such tensions play out. This airspace is a crucial corridor linking... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3315277/how-middle-east-conflict-reshapes-global-air-routes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3315277/how-middle-east-conflict-reshapes-global-air-routes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jun 2025 02:00:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Governments around the world are evacuating thousands of their nationals caught up in the rapidly spiralling Israel-Iran conflict, organising buses and planes and in some cases assisting people crossing borders on foot. Foreigners have rushed to leave both countries after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign last Friday targeting Iran’s nuclear and military facilities, sparking retaliation from Tehran. The evacuations gained new urgency as US President Donald Trump announced on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3315152/air-land-and-sea-nations-race-evacuate-citizens-israel-and-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3315152/air-land-and-sea-nations-race-evacuate-citizens-israel-and-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 03:34:07 +0000 Meredith Chen,Carl Zhang Meredith Chen,Carl Zhang Hundreds of Chinese nationals have been evacuated from Iran while work is continuing to remove more than a thousand others amid the ongoing conflict with Israel. “As of now, under the organisation and coordination of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese embassy and consulates in Iran, and with the active assistance and support of neighbouring countries, 791 Chinese citizens have been relocated from Iran to safe areas, while over 1,000 more are in the process of being evacuated,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3314958/hundreds-chinese-citizens-evacuated-iran-fighting-israel-continues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3314958/hundreds-chinese-citizens-evacuated-iran-fighting-israel-continues?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:46:40 +0000 Elizabeth Cheung Elizabeth Cheung Authorities have received inquiries from 19 Hongkongers in three Middle Eastern countries caught up in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, while a travel sector representative has said that tour groups from the city are unlikely to be in affected areas. The Immigration Department said the inquiries received from Hongkongers in Israel, Iran and Jordan were as of 5pm on Monday. It added that so far, 10 had safely left, noting it would maintain communication with the remaining nine. The government... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3314733/14-hongkongers-israel-iran-and-jordan-contact-authorities-amid-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3314733/14-hongkongers-israel-iran-and-jordan-contact-authorities-amid-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Jun 2025 06:57:29 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iranian missiles struck major Israeli cities on Monday while Israel’s prime minister said his country was on its way to eliminating “threats” from nuclear and missile facilities in Iran and civilian casualties mounted on both sides. After four days of conflict between the regional foes, Iran said its parliament was preparing a bill to leave the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), adding that Tehran remained opposed to developing weapons of mass destruction. Passing the bill could take... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3314535/sirens-and-explosions-heard-jerusalem-tel-aviv-missiles-fly-across-sky-reports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3314535/sirens-and-explosions-heard-jerusalem-tel-aviv-missiles-fly-across-sky-reports?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jun 2025 18:43:43 +0000