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Armenia

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Armenia. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Yerevan

Head of State

President Vahagn Khachaturyan

Head of Government

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan

A “Give peace a chance” mural depicting musician John Lennon overlooks anti-drone nets along a road in the city of Izyum in Ukraine on December 12. Photo: EPA

Ukraine war

Opinion | How the West’s sanctions against Russia are fuelling a protracted war

For hubs of transit trade from Armenia to the UAE, economic self-interest is best served by having sanctions on Russia in place indefinitely.

23 Dec 2025 - 4:30PM

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong seizes fake Gucci, other goods worth HK$65 million during major sale

21 Nov 2025 - 7:37PM

Singapore

Air travellers departing Singapore to pay up to US$32 in green fuel levy

11 Nov 2025 - 11:28AMvideocam

Pope Leo XIV

Nuns, teen influencer and ex-Satanic priest among 7 new saints

Pope Leo XIV created the new saints, including the first from Papua New Guinea and an archbishop killed in the Armenian genocide.

19 Oct 2025 - 9:57PM

Pope Leo XIV attends a Mass on the day of the canonisation of seven new saints, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Asia travel

Millennia-old wine caves and cutting-edge cuisine in Armenia

Buffeted by the winds of change for centuries, Armenia is embracing the past to build a brighter future.

2 Oct 2025 - 6:15PM

Diplomacy

Opinion | China’s moment to rewire the world is arriving. What will it do?

For the first time since the Cold War, the world is between orders and the momentum is with Beijing as geopolitical winds shift eastward.

16 Sep 2025 - 6:30AMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

The end of IMEC? US-backed answer to China’s belt and road falters

A grand economic vision to link India and Israel to Europe is crumbling, a casualty of the carnage in Gaza and shifting US priorities.

13 Sep 2025 - 4:00PMvideocam

Protesters attending a pro-Palestinian rally in Mumbai last month hold a poster showing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo: EPA

SCO

Foreign leaders ride the rapid rails of China’s tech prowess after SCO summit

Blazing from Tianjin to Beijing on China’s signature high-speed railway, several state leaders are given a glimpse of rapid and lucrative modernisation efforts.

5 Sep 2025 - 11:35AMvideocam

SCO

Opinion | Beijing expands its influence in Eurasia as Trump triggers geopolitical shifts

While US policies are pushing China, Russia and India closer to each other, Eurasia is still marked by differences and contradictions.

26 Aug 2025 - 6:30AM

Donald Trump

Trump was put up for Nobel Peace Prize, so he must be a top mediator. Right?

The US leader claims credit for resolving friction but experts in China say he reduces historical complexities to ‘mere schoolyard fights’.

18 Aug 2025 - 10:30PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump has shown an interventionist stance towards international conflicts, actively mediating regional disputes or wars as a third party. Photo: EPA

Russia

Advantage America? Revived Silk Route puts US back on track in South Caucasus

The Trump-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal, which gives the US an interest in the ‘Zangezur Corridor’, shifts regional power dynamics.

14 Aug 2025 - 2:50PMvideocam

Azerbaijani soldiers drive a truck near a mosque in Agdam in the Karabakh region in 2020. Photo: Reuters

Central Asia

‘Surrender document’: Armenians doubt Azerbaijan peace deal brokered by Trump

The treaty, signed in Washington, sparked controversy over a new transit zone and accusations that Armenia’s PM has made ‘endless concessions’.

10 Aug 2025 - 1:08PMvideocam

Donald Trump

Armenia and Azerbaijan sign ‘Trump Route’ peace deal at White House

The leaders of the two nations also suggested sending a joint appeal for the US president to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

9 Aug 2025 - 2:51PMvideocam

Donald Trump

Trump to host Armenia and Azerbaijan for historic ‘Peace Signing’

The leaders of the two ex-Soviet republics will be in Washington for a summit aimed at ending their decades-long conflict.

8 Aug 2025 - 8:00AMvideocam

The town of Agdam, controlled by Azerbaijani forces, is seen in the region of Karabakh, Azerbaijan, in November 2020. Photo: Reuters

Russia

Russia’s Aeroflot cancels flights over crippling cyberattack

A statement purporting to be from hacking group Silent Crow says it carried out the attack with a Belarusian team, and linked it to the Ukraine war.

28 Jul 2025 - 8:45PMvideocam

Aeroflot’s passengers planes are parked at Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow, Russia. The airline has been forced to cancel flights after a massive cyberattack. Photo: AP

US-China relations

Opinion | Why the global balance of power is shifting in China’s favour

Research suggests no country can win a trade war, but national power and resilience can mean the difference between decline and progress.

20 Jul 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

Azerbaijan

From colony to kingmaker: Azerbaijan redraws Eurasia’s balance of power

The ex-Soviet republic aims to play a bigger role in the Caucasus and is willing to upset Moscow and Tehran in the process, analysts say.

13 Jul 2025 - 5:00PM

SCMP Highlights

Armenia seeks deeper Chinese ties, Apple’s China story: SCMP daily highlights

From China’s hydropower breakthrough in Tibet to questions over Brics’ effectiveness, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

3 Jul 2025 - 9:15PM

A new book suggests Apple Inc helped build China’s dominance in electronics only to find itself trapped by an authoritarian state. Image: Shutterstock

Diplomacy

Exclusive | Armenia looks to deepen ties with China for foreign policy beyond Russia

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan says his country’s Crossroads of Peace and China’s belt and road project are interdependent.

3 Jul 2025 - 3:37PMvideocam

Russia

Opinion | As attacks on Iran show, Russia can now do very little for its allies

Moscow’s credibility is sinking after it failed to stand up for allies in Iran, Syria and Armenia.

30 Jun 2025 - 10:30AMvideocam

Israel-Iran conflict

By air, land and sea, nations race to evacuate citizens from Israel and Iran

Caught between warring nations, thousands of foreign nationals are being moved out of Israel and Iran in complex logistical operations.

20 Jun 2025 - 11:34AM

Bulgarian citizens evacuated from Israel, along with dozens of foreign nationals from Slovenia, the US, Belgium, Albania, Kosovo and Romania, arrive in Sofia. Photo: AP

Israel-Iran conflict

China’s Xi urges Israel, Iran to ‘de-escalate’, says Beijing can be peacemaker

President Xi Jinping’s remarks during talks with Uzbek counterpart come as China begins to evacuate nationals from Iran and Israel.

17 Jun 2025 - 8:55PMvideocam

Smoke and fire rise from the site of a missile attack by Iran, in the Israeli city of Haifa on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

India

Why India is boosting arms sales to Armenia amid Pakistan, Turkey tensions

India’s move is seen as an effort to counter a growing strategic alignment between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

21 May 2025 - 11:00AMvideocam

Tourism

Dodge the tourist crowds in Armenia, a cultural treasure trove

From Khor Virap monastery with an incredible view of Mount Ararat to the stunning Lake Sevan, off-the-beaten-track Armenia is a must-visit.

2 Apr 2025 - 4:15PM

Fame and celebrity

Meet Kash Patel’s much younger partner, Nashville singer Alexis Wilkins

Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s choice for director of the FBI, is reported to have met his country-singer girlfriend Alexis Wilkins at a conservative ReAwaken America event – here’s what else we know.

7 Feb 2025 - 6:00AM

Meet Alexis Wilkins, the 26-year-old country-singer girlfriend of Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to run the FBI. Photos: @alexiswilkins/Instagram

Switzerland

Most Asia-Pacific entrepreneurs see major potential in AI: UBS

Globally, about 67 per cent of respondents said they would use AI to improve productivity, while 46 per cent would use it to cut headcount.

6 Feb 2025 - 8:06PM

People gathered on The Bund in Shanghai with the city’s financial district in the background. Photo: Reuters

Climate change

Opinion | Cop29 is Azerbaijan’s moment to step into the global sunshine

The UN climate conference will shine a spotlight on the major oil producer’s energy transition, peace efforts with Armenia and geocritical location.

3 Nov 2024 - 5:30AMvideocam

Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The Ukrainians hoping provide a welcome distraction in Paris during Russia war

It will be the country’s eighth consecutive appearance at the Games since declaring independence in 1991.

21 Jul 2024 - 10:00AM

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Armenia

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | How the West’s sanctions against Russia are fuelling a protracted war

For hubs of transit trade from Armenia to the UAE, economic self-interest is best served by having sanctions on Russia in place indefinitely.

Hong Kong seizes fake Gucci, other goods worth HK$65 million during major sale

Air travellers departing Singapore to pay up to US$32 in green fuel levy

Nuns, teen influencer and ex-Satanic priest among 7 new saints

Pope Leo XIV created the new saints, including the first from Papua New Guinea and an archbishop killed in the Armenian genocide.

Millennia-old wine caves and cutting-edge cuisine in Armenia

Buffeted by the winds of change for centuries, Armenia is embracing the past to build a brighter future.

Opinion | China’s moment to rewire the world is arriving. What will it do?

For the first time since the Cold War, the world is between orders and the momentum is with Beijing as geopolitical winds shift eastward.

The end of IMEC? US-backed answer to China’s belt and road falters

A grand economic vision to link India and Israel to Europe is crumbling, a casualty of the carnage in Gaza and shifting US priorities.

Foreign leaders ride the rapid rails of China’s tech prowess after SCO summit

Blazing from Tianjin to Beijing on China’s signature high-speed railway, several state leaders are given a glimpse of rapid and lucrative modernisation efforts.

Opinion | Beijing expands its influence in Eurasia as Trump triggers geopolitical shifts

While US policies are pushing China, Russia and India closer to each other, Eurasia is still marked by differences and contradictions.

Trump was put up for Nobel Peace Prize, so he must be a top mediator. Right?

The US leader claims credit for resolving friction but experts in China say he reduces historical complexities to ‘mere schoolyard fights’.

Advantage America? Revived Silk Route puts US back on track in South Caucasus

The Trump-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal, which gives the US an interest in the ‘Zangezur Corridor’, shifts regional power dynamics.

‘Surrender document’: Armenians doubt Azerbaijan peace deal brokered by Trump

The treaty, signed in Washington, sparked controversy over a new transit zone and accusations that Armenia’s PM has made ‘endless concessions’.

Armenia and Azerbaijan sign ‘Trump Route’ peace deal at White House

The leaders of the two nations also suggested sending a joint appeal for the US president to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump to host Armenia and Azerbaijan for historic ‘Peace Signing’

The leaders of the two ex-Soviet republics will be in Washington for a summit aimed at ending their decades-long conflict.

Russia’s Aeroflot cancels flights over crippling cyberattack

A statement purporting to be from hacking group Silent Crow says it carried out the attack with a Belarusian team, and linked it to the Ukraine war.

Opinion | Why the global balance of power is shifting in China’s favour

Research suggests no country can win a trade war, but national power and resilience can mean the difference between decline and progress.

From colony to kingmaker: Azerbaijan redraws Eurasia’s balance of power

The ex-Soviet republic aims to play a bigger role in the Caucasus and is willing to upset Moscow and Tehran in the process, analysts say.

Armenia seeks deeper Chinese ties, Apple’s China story: SCMP daily highlights

From China’s hydropower breakthrough in Tibet to questions over Brics’ effectiveness, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | Armenia looks to deepen ties with China for foreign policy beyond Russia

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan says his country’s Crossroads of Peace and China’s belt and road project are interdependent.

Opinion | As attacks on Iran show, Russia can now do very little for its allies

Moscow’s credibility is sinking after it failed to stand up for allies in Iran, Syria and Armenia.

By air, land and sea, nations race to evacuate citizens from Israel and Iran

Caught between warring nations, thousands of foreign nationals are being moved out of Israel and Iran in complex logistical operations.

China’s Xi urges Israel, Iran to ‘de-escalate’, says Beijing can be peacemaker

President Xi Jinping’s remarks during talks with Uzbek counterpart come as China begins to evacuate nationals from Iran and Israel.

Why India is boosting arms sales to Armenia amid Pakistan, Turkey tensions

India’s move is seen as an effort to counter a growing strategic alignment between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

Dodge the tourist crowds in Armenia, a cultural treasure trove

From Khor Virap monastery with an incredible view of Mount Ararat to the stunning Lake Sevan, off-the-beaten-track Armenia is a must-visit.

Meet Kash Patel’s much younger partner, Nashville singer Alexis Wilkins

Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s choice for director of the FBI, is reported to have met his country-singer girlfriend Alexis Wilkins at a conservative ReAwaken America event – here’s what else we know.

Most Asia-Pacific entrepreneurs see major potential in AI: UBS

Globally, about 67 per cent of respondents said they would use AI to improve productivity, while 46 per cent would use it to cut headcount.

Opinion | Cop29 is Azerbaijan’s moment to step into the global sunshine

The UN climate conference will shine a spotlight on the major oil producer’s energy transition, peace efforts with Armenia and geocritical location.

The Ukrainians hoping provide a welcome distraction in Paris during Russia war

It will be the country’s eighth consecutive appearance at the Games since declaring independence in 1991.

Opinion | How the West’s sanctions against Russia are fuelling a protracted war

Exclusive | Armenia looks to deepen ties with China for foreign policy beyond Russia