https://www.scmp.com/rss/516033/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Lebanon’s social affairs minister has backed calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah but cautioned that the process would take time before a “political settlement” could be reached, calling the group a “community” and not merely a militant organisation. Haneen Sayed told a discussion on Monday that disarming Hezbollah – an Iran-backed militant group – was a demand of her government and its people, and that it “must happen”. “Of course, we understand that implementation is not easy. It’s not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351621/hezbollah-disarmament-must-happen-senior-lebanese-minister-tells-us-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351621/hezbollah-disarmament-must-happen-senior-lebanese-minister-tells-us-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:33:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country’s south on Sunday killed 14 people, the deadliest day since a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war came into force over a week ago. It came as Israel and the Iran-backed group traded fresh accusations of breaching the fragile truce, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the military was “vigorously” targeting Hezbollah and the group vowing to keep responding to “violations”. Israel’s military has carried out repeated strikes... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351506/lebanon-reports-bloodiest-day-ceasefire-israel-targets-hezbollah?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351506/lebanon-reports-bloodiest-day-ceasefire-israel-targets-hezbollah?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 01:32:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Lebanese state media reported a series of new Israeli strikes in the country’s south on Saturday night, after attacks earlier in the day killed six people despite a recently extended ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah. The new attacks followed orders from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the military to “forcefully attack Hezbollah targets” after the army accused it of breaching the truce. Lebanon’s health ministry had said earlier that “Israeli enemy strikes on a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351445/new-israeli-strikes-reported-lebanon-after-netanyahu-orders-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351445/new-israeli-strikes-reported-lebanon-after-netanyahu-orders-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 22:16:43 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Palestinians on Saturday buried a woman pregnant with twins and two of her children who were among at least 13 people killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza. The toll on Friday included two men who were killed in Gaza City, and eight others killed in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to local hospitals. Officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said the eight people, including four police officers, were killed after Israel targeted a police vehicle. While the heaviest fighting has mostly... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351438/palestinians-bury-pregnant-woman-and-2-her-children-killed-israeli-attacks-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351438/palestinians-bury-pregnant-woman-and-2-her-children-killed-israeli-attacks-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 14:57:07 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Israel and Lebanon agreed on Thursday to extend their ceasefire by three weeks after a second round of negotiations between their envoys in Washington, despite reports of violations of the truce from both sides. US President Donald Trump announced the extension on social media, saying Washington “is going to work with Lebanon in order to protect itself from Hezbollah”. “The Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by THREE WEEKS,” he wrote, calling the meeting “very historic” and... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351217/trump-meet-lebanon-and-israel-envoys-beirut-seeks-truce-extension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351217/trump-meet-lebanon-and-israel-envoys-beirut-seeks-truce-extension?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:36:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press In areas of southern Lebanon it has occupied since agreeing last week to a ceasefire with Hezbollah, the Israeli army has been destroying homes it says were used as outposts by the Iran-backed militant group. But the demolitions were happening on such a wide scale that residents, Lebanese officials and UN peacekeepers were increasingly worried that large numbers of people displaced by the latest war would have nowhere to return if the fragile truce holds. From a hill overlooking Beit Lif - about... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351107/lebanon-confront-israel-over-demolition-homes-occupied-areas-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351107/lebanon-confront-israel-over-demolition-homes-occupied-areas-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:21:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A second French soldier died on Wednesday from wounds suffered in a weekend ambush against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon blamed on Hezbollah, President Emmanuel Macron said. A first soldier, staff sergeant Florian Montorio, was shot dead in the Saturday ambush, for which Hezbollah has denied responsibility. “Corporal Anicet Girardin … brought home yesterday from Lebanon, where he was badly wounded by Hezbollah fighters, died this morning of the consequences of his wounds,” Macron posted on X. One... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351049/second-french-peacekeeper-dies-after-ambush-blamed-hezbollah?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351049/second-french-peacekeeper-dies-after-ambush-blamed-hezbollah?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:19:43 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Actors Jack Quaid and Claudia Doumit have tied the knot. The couple were married on Saturday in an intimate ceremony at Mona Farm in Braidwood, Australia, per the Daily Telegraph. The star-studded guest list included Quaid’s parents – Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid – as well as actors Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, Kevin Costner and Henry Golding. The couple’s The Boys co-stars Karl Urban, Colby Minifie and Nathan Mitchell were also in attendance. The show is currently in its fifth and final season. The... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3350996/meet-claudia-doumit-who-just-married-her-boys-co-star-jack-quaid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3350996/meet-claudia-doumit-who-just-married-her-boys-co-star-jack-quaid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:00:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said it fired rockets and drones into northern Israel on Tuesday, accusing the Israeli military of violating a ceasefire ahead of US-mediated talks between the Israeli and Lebanese governments this week. The Israeli military earlier said Iran-aligned Hezbollah had fired several rockets towards its troops operating in southern Lebanon, in what it described as a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement. It was not immediately clear if the incidents were the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350943/israel-and-hezbollah-exchange-fire-testing-lebanon-truce-talks-loom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350943/israel-and-hezbollah-exchange-fire-testing-lebanon-truce-talks-loom?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 02:55:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Israeli military on Tuesday said two soldiers would receive 30 days of military detention and be removed from combat duty over the destruction of a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon. The decision comes after widespread condemnation of a photo shared online showing an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off a cross. The sculpture was located in the Christian village of Debl in south Lebanon, near the border with... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350928/israel-jails-soldiers-vandalising-jesus-statue-lebanon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350928/israel-jails-soldiers-vandalising-jesus-statue-lebanon?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:01:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump announced a last-minute extension of the ceasefire with Iran following a request from Pakistan’s top leadership, even as he appeared to suggest that American forces had intercepted a potentially lethal “gift from China” to Tehran. Describing the Iranian government as “seriously fractured”, Trump said on social media that he agreed to hold off military operations against Iran at the behest of Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Trump added... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350915/us-forces-intercepted-gift-china-iran-donald-trump-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350915/us-forces-intercepted-gift-china-iran-donald-trump-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:54:30 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United States and Iran both warned they were ready for war as the clock ticked down on a ceasefire on Tuesday, with uncertainty over whether talks that US President Donald Trump had announced would resume in Pakistan. The White House said US Vice-President J.D. Vance was ready to fly back to Islamabad, which was preparing for a second round of talks on ending the war that has engulfed the Middle East and shaken global markets. However, Tehran’s government declined to confirm that it would... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350796/us-and-iran-warn-they-are-ready-war-pakistan-ceasefire-talks-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350796/us-and-iran-warn-they-are-ready-war-pakistan-ceasefire-talks-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 23:18:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that planned talks with Israel aimed to end hostilities and the occupation in southern Lebanon, even as Hezbollah and its supporters rejected the negotiations. Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has sharply criticised the Lebanese government’s negotiations with Israel, which were set to enter a second round on Thursday. After the first round of talks last week, US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day truce pausing more than six weeks of war... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350795/lebanons-president-aoun-says-aiming-end-hostilities-israel-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350795/lebanons-president-aoun-says-aiming-end-hostilities-israel-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:46:50 +0000 Agencies Agencies Israel on Monday told residents of south Lebanon ⁠to stay out of a belt of territory running the length of the border and not to approach the area of the Litani River, entrenching its grip over southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire in the war with Hezbollah. The US-mediated, 10-day ceasefire took effect on Thursday, largely halting the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah that spiralled out of the ‌conflict between the United States and Iran. But it remains fragile, with Israeli troops... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350658/israel-says-military-use-full-force-lebanon-despite-truce-if-soldiers-face-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350658/israel-says-military-use-full-force-lebanon-despite-truce-if-soldiers-face-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:35:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iranians striving to maintain a semblance of normal life after weeks of US and Israeli bombing and a deadly crackdown on protesters in January remain daunted by the future, as damage from air strikes ⁠and internet cuts take a toll. With talks expected on extending a truce and agreeing an end to the conflict, shops, restaurants and government offices have stayed open. On sunny spring mornings, city parks are busy with picnicking families and young people playing sports, while others gather at... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350563/iranians-fear-pressure-will-100-increase-after-us-israeli-strikes-stop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350563/iranians-fear-pressure-will-100-increase-after-us-israeli-strikes-stop?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:05:39 +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 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier In an apparent sign that Tehran blinked first in the blockade showdown between Iran and the US, the two sides announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was open and operational after nearly seven weeks that have seen hundreds of ships blocked and sent energy prices soaring worldwide. “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!” US President Donald Trump said on social media, using an unofficial name for the strategic waterway. Iranian... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350530/iran-us-say-strait-hormuz-fully-open-commercial-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350530/iran-us-say-strait-hormuz-fully-open-commercial-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:51:26 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain A temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon unveiled by US President Donald Trump on Thursday was the final turn in the diplomatic maze leading to a breakthrough in Pakistan-mediated peace talks between Washington and Tehran, analysts say. Arranged by Pakistan with help from Saudi Arabia, the 10-day cessation of hostilities in Lebanon was a key Iranian condition for a second and potentially conclusive round of talks in Islamabad on a date yet to be set. Marathon talks between high-powered... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350522/lebanon-becomes-key-iran-us-peace-talks-amid-fears-israels-hegemony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350522/lebanon-becomes-key-iran-us-peace-talks-amid-fears-israels-hegemony?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:00:07 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon appeared to be holding on Friday, a breakthrough that could provide critical relief to Washington’s strained temporary truce with Tehran Announcing the ceasefire, which came into effect at 5pm EST Thursday (5am Friday Hong Kong time), US President Donald Trump said it followed what he described as “excellent conversations” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. “These two Leaders have agreed that in order... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350372/israel-and-lebanon-agree-10-day-ceasefire-us-pushes-broader-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350372/israel-and-lebanon-agree-10-day-ceasefire-us-pushes-broader-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:32:37 +0000 Reuters Reuters Lebanon’s president will not speak to Israel’s prime minister in the near future, Lebanese officials said on Thursday, dealing a blow to US efforts to expand contacts between the enemy states as Pakistan said peace in Lebanon was vital to ending the Iran war. The US-Israeli war with Iran spilt into Lebanon on March 2, when Iran-backed Hezbollah opened fire in support of Tehran, prompting an Israeli offensive in Lebanon just 15 months after the last major conflict. “Peace in Lebanon is essential... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350251/trump-says-israel-and-lebanon-leaders-hold-talks-thursday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350251/trump-says-israel-and-lebanon-leaders-hold-talks-thursday?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:39:54 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israel’s security cabinet ⁠will convene on Wednesday to discuss a possible Lebanon ceasefire, a senior Israeli official has said, more than five weeks into a war with Hezbollah that spiralled out of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet would meet ‌at 8pm local time, the official said. Senior Hezbollah official Ibrahim al-Moussawi told Reuters that diplomatic efforts by Iran and other regional states could produce a ceasefire soon, saying... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350220/israeli-security-cabinet-discuss-possible-lebanon-ceasefire-senior-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350220/israeli-security-cabinet-discuss-possible-lebanon-ceasefire-senior-official?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:40:18 +0000 James David Spellman James David Spellman The fraying of the ceasefire in the US-Israel war against Iran reflects grim patterns of history. Truces are often doomed because they focus on stopping battle-related violence and rarely begin to address the underlying struggles that ignited hostilities. A pause without a shared common endgame often resets the battlefield as reasons harden for prolonging warfare. Viable political solutions seldom follow and take hold for peace to endure. Over the past decade, we’ve seen the perils. The Minsk... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349904/given-history-ceasefires-its-no-surprise-us-iran-truce-fraying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349904/given-history-ceasefires-its-no-surprise-us-iran-truce-fraying?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Dewey Sim,Khushboo Razdan Dewey Sim,Khushboo Razdan Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors held rare face-to-face talks, facilitated by Washington, on Tuesday, with all sides agreeing to launch “direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue”. “Israel expressed its commitment to engage in direct negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues and achieve a durable peace that will strengthen security, stability and prosperity in the region,” as per a readout issued by the US State Department. The statement said that Lebanon called for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350092/israel-lebanon-talks-rare-historic-moment-amid-hopes-conflict-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350092/israel-lebanon-talks-rare-historic-moment-amid-hopes-conflict-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:41:04 +0000 Asad Ullah Asad Ullah The conventional indictment runs like this: blinded by ideology and captured by special interests, the US and Israel have blundered into a region they never understood, sowing instability they neither anticipated nor desired. It is a damning argument. It also happens to be, in one important respect, too generous. The more unsettling possibility, supported by two decades of observable behaviour, is that these policies produce not disorder as a side effect but something far more useful: a conflict... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349970/who-profits-most-us-israel-iran-stalemate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349970/who-profits-most-us-israel-iran-stalemate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Dozens of protesters were detained by ⁠police in New ⁠York City on Monday during demonstrations ⁠calling for the blocking of arms sales to Israel and an end to US military support for its ally. Demonstrators included anti-war group Jewish Voice for Peace, which said around 90 people were detained. ‌Among those detained was whistle-blower Chelsea Manning, a former US Army soldier and WikiLeaks source. The New York City Police Department said there were “multiple” arrests but did not provide a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349963/dozens-arrested-new-york-protesters-demand-us-blocks-sale-bombs-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349963/dozens-arrested-new-york-protesters-demand-us-blocks-sale-bombs-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:57:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem urged Lebanon to cancel a planned meeting with Israel in Washington on Tuesday, reiterating his group’s rejection of direct negotiations with its foe. Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,000 people in Lebanon and displaced more than a million since the Iran-backed group Hezbollah drew the country into the Middle East war. The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States are scheduled to meet in Washington on Tuesday to discuss holding direct negotiations... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349959/hezbollah-leader-asks-lebanon-cancel-meeting-israel-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349959/hezbollah-leader-asks-lebanon-cancel-meeting-israel-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:34:05 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Almost immediately after an Iranian-US ceasefire was announced, Israel worked to sabotage it by carrying out massive bombings across Lebanon, causing hundreds of casualties. Really, who are the terrorists? Even so, it’s hard to see how the supposed two-week ceasefire could hold when each side is making maximalist demands. As many experts have observed, control of the Strait of Hormuz, which carries a fifth of the world’s oil and gas, is ultimately the sticking point. Donald Trump may not... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349824/irans-emergence-major-power-should-be-welcome-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349824/irans-emergence-major-power-should-be-welcome-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 22:25:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Sunday he was working to stop the Israel-Hezbollah war, even as Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu told troops in south Lebanon that the fight there was far from over. The Lebanese Red Cross said in a statement that one of its paramedics had been killed in the south. They said its teams had been “directly targeted by an Israeli drone” while on a humanitarian mission, even though “the ambulances and their crews bore the protective Red Cross... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349819/israels-netanyahu-south-lebanon-says-threat-invasion-removed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349819/israels-netanyahu-south-lebanon-says-threat-invasion-removed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 19:10:38 +0000 Reuters Reuters Wrapped in bloodied bandages, seven-year-old Aline Saeed barely survived the Israeli strike on her home in south Lebanon last week. She was there to bury her father as hopes of a truce spread across the region, but a new strike killed her infant sister and other relatives. The strike on the Saeed family home in the village of Srifa took place on Wednesday, the first day ‌of a US-Iran ceasefire that many in Lebanon hoped would apply to their country, too. Instead, Israeli strikes killed more than... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349814/israeli-bombardment-kills-infant-lebanon-during-fathers-funeral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349814/israeli-bombardment-kills-infant-lebanon-during-fathers-funeral?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 13:41:20 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo on Saturday denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” that is fuelling the US-Israel war on Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace. Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St Peter’s Basilica on the same day the US and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held. History’s first US-born pope did not mention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349769/pope-leo-slams-delusion-omnipotence-stoking-us-israeli-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349769/pope-leo-slams-delusion-omnipotence-stoking-us-israeli-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 03:25:35 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan,Khushboo Razdan,Fan Chen Cao Jiaxuan,Khushboo Razdan,Fan Chen US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad stretched into the early hours of Sunday as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz sparked duelling claims from Washington and Tehran, underscoring the fragile balance between diplomacy and military escalation. A senior White House official confirmed the talks were still ongoing, with efforts to resolve the conflict extending over 15 hours. Earlier, the Iranian government said on social media that negotiations would continue despite persistent differences. As... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349706/us-iran-direct-talks-hours-away-first-strikes-began-6-weeks-ago?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349706/us-iran-direct-talks-hours-away-first-strikes-began-6-weeks-ago?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 03:46:05 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Dewey Sim Yuanyue Dang,Dewey Sim US President Donald Trump on Friday pressed Iran to meet US demands, as Vice-President J.D. Vance travelled to Pakistan to lead high-stakes negotiations seen as a key effort to end the more than month-long Middle East conflict. The talks between the US and Iran, taking place during the agreed two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, are expected to begin on Saturday morning in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Clouding the talks were Iranian demands, namely a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3349714/us-presses-iran-talks-gear-pakistan-under-fragile-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3349714/us-presses-iran-talks-gear-pakistan-under-fragile-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:24:00 +0000 Shi Jiangtao,Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan Shi Jiangtao,Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan The Islamabad talks scheduled to begin on Saturday will represent the first direct US-Iran negotiations since the Pentagon launched Operation Epic Fury six weeks ago. Vice-President J.D. Vance will lead the US team, which will include Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to the White House. The Iranian delegation is expected to be led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Observers... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349683/who-are-araghchi-and-ghalibaf-iranian-duo-set-lead-us-ceasefire-talks-islamabad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349683/who-are-araghchi-and-ghalibaf-iranian-duo-set-lead-us-ceasefire-talks-islamabad?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:04:16 +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 Associated Press Associated Press In a potential boost to Middle East ceasefire efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he authorised direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible” aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbours. Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948, and Netanyahu later stressed that there was no ceasefire between them. In a video statement, he said Israel will keep... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349596/israel-plans-talks-lebanon-violence-imperils-iran-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349596/israel-plans-talks-lebanon-violence-imperils-iran-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:55:22 +0000 Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen,Khushboo Razdan Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen,Khushboo Razdan US Vice-President J.D. Vance has boarded Air Force Two en route to Islamabad, according to the White House. Vance, who will lead the US delegation in talks with Iran in the Pakistani capital on Saturday, struck an upbeat tone on the prospects. “We’re looking forward to negotiation. I think it’s going to be positive,” he told reporters before boarding on Friday morning (US Eastern Time). “As the President of the United States said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349583/time-running-out-vance-leads-us-delegation-islamabad-iran-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349583/time-running-out-vance-leads-us-delegation-islamabad-iran-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:00:57 +0000 Orange Wang,Yuanyue Dang Orange Wang,Yuanyue Dang The US-Israel war on Iran could push Nato closer to becoming a “nominal” alliance, although it was unlikely to disband any time soon, a Chinese observer said. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised the transatlantic defence alliance since returning to the White House last year, accusing allies of “free‑riding” on US security and demanding greater military and financial contributions. That rhetoric has only intensified in recent weeks, with accusations that Nato was failing to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349551/will-trumps-iran-war-loyalty-test-spell-end-nato?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349551/will-trumps-iran-war-loyalty-test-spell-end-nato?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israel bombed more targets in Lebanon on Thursday, putting the Middle East ceasefire in further jeopardy after the biggest Israeli attacks of the war on its neighbour killed more than 250 people and threatened to torpedo US President Donald Trump’s truce. In Pakistan, authorities locked down the capital Islamabad in anticipation of the war’s first peace talks, cutting off all access to a 3km (2-mile) zone around the five-star luxury Serena Hotel. Both the US and Iranian delegations are expected... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349538/no-let-israeli-attacks-lebanon-us-iran-ceasefire-teeters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349538/no-let-israeli-attacks-lebanon-us-iran-ceasefire-teeters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:40:10 +0000 Fan Chen,Alyssa Chen Fan Chen,Alyssa Chen Iran’s reclosure of the Strait of Hormuz has strained its tenuous ceasefire with the United States but will not necessarily send the two countries sliding back into war, according to analysts. However, Israel was a wild card, they said, following renewed Israeli strikes on Lebanon. The US and Iran agreed to the ceasefire on Tuesday, just before US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the strait or risk being sent back to the “Stone Ages”. Trump said he agreed to “suspend the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349534/strait-hormuz-closed-again-end-iran-us-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349534/strait-hormuz-closed-again-end-iran-us-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:21:26 +0000 Agencies Agencies Israel’s military said Thursday it had struck and killed a close adviser to Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem in Beirut a day earlier, when Israeli strikes pummelled Lebanon. “Yesterday, the IDF struck in the Beirut area and eliminated Ali Yusuf Harshi, the personal secretary and nephew of Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem,” a military statement said. Harshi was “a close associate and personal adviser to... Qassem and played a central role in managing and securing his office”, it added. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349511/israeli-military-says-it-has-killed-hezbollah-chief-naim-qassem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349511/israeli-military-says-it-has-killed-hezbollah-chief-naim-qassem?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:55:52 +0000 Reuters Reuters ⁠US President ⁠Donald Trump said on Wednesday ⁠its military ships and aircraft will remain around Iran and threatened that the US will start “shooting” again unless Tehran fully complies with the deal reached ‌with Washington. “All U.S. Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel, with additional Ammunition, Weaponry … will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “If ⁠for any reason it is... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349476/trump-warns-shooting-could-start-again-fragile-iran-truce-tested-lebanon-violence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349476/trump-warns-shooting-could-start-again-fragile-iran-truce-tested-lebanon-violence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 05:11:15 +0000 Leopold Chen,Ambrose Li,Olga Wong Leopold Chen,Ambrose Li,Olga Wong The Hong Kong government has proposed short-term measures including diesel subsidies of HK$3 per litre and reduced tunnel tolls to ease pressure on the commercial transport sector, which is grappling with soaring fuel prices. Confirming an earlier South China Morning Post report, the government said on Thursday night that a recently formed task force monitoring fuel price movements had floated four temporary measures prioritising diesel-powered commercial vehicles and vessels, and ferries. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349450/hong-kong-roll-out-relief-measures-transport-sector-fuel-costs-soar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349450/hong-kong-roll-out-relief-measures-transport-sector-fuel-costs-soar?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 02:57:21 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israeli strikes hit busy commercial and residential areas in central Beirut without warning on Wednesday, hours after a ceasefire was announced in the US-Israeli war with Iran. A total of 254 people were killed and over 1,100 ‌wounded across Lebanon, the country’s civil defence service said. The highest toll was in Beirut, where 91 people were killed. The health ministry gave a toll of 182 dead across the country and said it was not a final figure. All up, it was the deadliest day in the latest... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349447/israel-hammers-lebanon-strikes-killing-and-wounding-scores-deadliest-day-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349447/israel-hammers-lebanon-strikes-killing-and-wounding-scores-deadliest-day-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 01:59:37 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The two-week ceasefire the United States agreed to with Iran on Tuesday not only sets a deadline to seal a deal with Tehran, but leaves just days before the expiration of the 60-day legal limit for waging war without congressional authorisation that is set out under America’s War Powers Resolution. This has left open the question of how the conflict will proceed if diplomacy fails and the legal clock runs out. “Almost all the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349437/us-ceasefire-iran-sets-diplomatic-clock-war-powers-deadline-nears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349437/us-ceasefire-iran-sets-diplomatic-clock-war-powers-deadline-nears?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:17:26 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Orange Wang Khushboo Razdan,Orange Wang Even as the White House lauded China’s role in securing a long-awaited ceasefire that lifted global markets, US President Donald Trump reignited trade tensions by threatening a new 50 per cent tariff on countries supplying weapons to Iran, while Tehran kept the Strait of Hormuz closed and warned it could abandon the deal if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue. “There were conversations that took place between top levels of our government and China’s government,” Trump’s spokeswoman Karoline... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349416/trump-warns-50-cent-tariffs-arms-suppliers-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349416/trump-warns-50-cent-tariffs-arms-suppliers-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:11:08 +0000 Agencies Agencies Israel renewed its strikes in southern Lebanon and urged residents in parts of Beirut to evacuate on Wednesday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the US-Iran truce does not extend to the war against Hezbollah. Israel hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut on Wednesday afternoon. Israel’s military called it the largest coordinated strike in the current war, striking more than 100 Hezbollah targets within 10 minutes in Beirut, southern Lebanon... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349405/israel-says-battle-lebanon-continues-despite-iran-war-truce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349405/israel-says-battle-lebanon-continues-despite-iran-war-truce?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:12:54 +0000 Reuters Reuters An Israeli air strike on Kfarhata, a village in south Lebanon, killed seven people on Sunday, including a four-year-old child, Lebanon’s health ministry said in a statement. Another Israeli attack on the Jnah neighbourhood in Beirut killed four people and injured ‌39 others, the ministry added. The strike on Kfarhata followed an overnight evacuation order by the Israeli military instructing residents to leave the village. As Lebanese Christians, who make up roughly a third of the population,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349099/israeli-strikes-kill-11-lebanon-israel-announces-security-buffer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349099/israeli-strikes-kill-11-lebanon-israel-announces-security-buffer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 15:14:58 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Three Indonesian peacekeepers killed in two separate explosions in southern Lebanon last week were laid to rest in their hometowns on Sunday. Peacekeeper Farizal Rhomadhon, 28, died when a projectile exploded on March 29 in southern Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah have been fighting since Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war. Two other blue helmets, Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, 33, and Muhammad Nur Ichwan, 26, died a day later when an explosion struck a logistics convoy of the UN Interim... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349076/indonesia-lays-rest-peacekeepers-killed-lebanon-prabowo-condemns-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349076/indonesia-lays-rest-peacekeepers-killed-lebanon-prabowo-condemns-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:18:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel and Kuwait on Sunday, a day after US President Donald Trump said the Islamic republic had 48 hours to cut a deal or face “all Hell”. Kuwait and Israel said their air defences were responding to the latest attacks from Iran, part of the war that erupted more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes that triggered retaliation by Tehran. The war has spread conflict throughout the Middle East and convulsed the global economy. Iran’s forces maintain a tight... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349059/iran-attacks-kuwait-israel-after-trump-sets-deadline-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349059/iran-attacks-kuwait-israel-after-trump-sets-deadline-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 03:03:40 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Israeli military said on Saturday it had begun striking “Hezbollah infrastructure” in Beirut after it destroyed a bridge in eastern Lebanon to prevent the Iran-backed group’s reinforcements from crossing. Two loud explosions were heard in the capital within half an hour early on Saturday, with smoke billowing from one of them. Local media reported two strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a locality that has been a target of Israeli strikes in recent days as the military presses on with its... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349021/israel-targets-iran-backed-hezbollah-sites-lebanon-fresh-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349021/israel-targets-iran-backed-hezbollah-sites-lebanon-fresh-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 05:16:02 +0000