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TOPIC COLLECTION

Middle East

Included topics:
Chinese Premier Li Qiang greets US Senator Steve Daines ahead of their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 23, 2025. Photo: Pool via Reuters
US-China relations

Exclusive | Trump ally to visit China as US turns up pressure before May summit

Republican senator to lead bipartisan delegation to China next week; visit will begin on May 1, with stops planned in Shanghai and Beijing.

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US-China relations

Why China should be wary of US focus on global maritime chokepoints

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US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Flexible dual-use claims could be new global trade chokepoint

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Trump says Israel and Lebanon agree to extend ceasefire by 3 weeks

The US president says he sees ‘great chance’ of a peace deal between the two countries this year after White House talks went ‘very well’.

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US President Donald Trump announces that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by three weeks after talks at the White House on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

Trump says King Charles’ visit could ‘absolutely’ repair US-UK ties

Tensions between the two countries have flared over the Iran war and scandals involving late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump says Navy will ‘shoot and kill’ boats laying mines in Strait of Hormuz

Order targets small craft as tensions persist; Pentagon warns clearing advanced mines could take months, raising energy concerns.

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Is the US in decline? Why Iran war might be the surest sign

In going from international rule-maker to ‘predatory hegemon’, the US is risking it all, Chinese state media and observers warn.

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Chinese analysts say Washington’s reckless behaviour under President Donald Trump has alienated allies, weakened its credibility and eroded its global influence. Photo: Reuters

Asia’s chipmakers feel the heat as naphtha crunch hits photoresist supply

Japanese suppliers warn of photoresist strain as upstream shocks ripple through Asia’s semiconductor supply chain.

China targets greener AI data centres, heavy industry to meet 2030 climate goals

New emission rules for strategic sectors come as the Iran war reinforces the need for energy security.

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EU approves US$106 billion loan to Ukraine after Hungary lifts veto

The loan will help Ukraine meet its economic and military needs for the next two years.

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A man in military uniform sits near a makeshift memorial dedicated to the fallen Ukrainian soldiers and international volunteers in Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 20, 2026. Photo: EPA

As US-Iran war chokes Hormuz, can ‘Middle Corridor’ rise to the rescue?

Logistics route via Central Asia, South Caucasus, Caspian Sea and Turkey said to be ‘experiencing massive operational momentum’.

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With global medical supply chains proving fragile, the Middle Corridor is being held up as a potential vital route for rapid humanitarian aid. Photo: Future Publishing via Getty Images

Iran’s exiled crown prince splashed with red substance in Berlin

Reza Pahlavi targeted while leaving a press conference where he said diplomacy with Iran ‘has been given enough chance’.

Video | Iran seizes two container ships in Hormuz

The Epaminondas and the MSC Francesca first received warning shots as they tried to cross the Strait of Hormuz.

Malaysia’s durian growers in ‘survival mode’ as early glut squeezes export trade

An early bumper harvest and rising fuel and freight costs are squeezing premium durian exporters as they race to get their fruit into China.

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Fresh Musang King durians from Malaysia are displayed for sale in the supermarket in Beijing, China, on April 13. Photo: Simon Song

Chinese military experts take stock of US munitions weak spot exposed by Iran war

Think tank warns that weapons shortfalls could leave American forces vulnerable in a future conflict – and Chinese observers agree.

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An American report estimates that the US used about half of its THAAD missiles in the 39 days of its war on Iran before the ceasefire. Photo: AP

Nuclear power revival gets boost from Iran war

China is set to open seven nuclear reactors this year, and other countries are reconsidering atomic energy as the Strait of Hormuz shutdown disrupts oil and gas supplies.

Turkey passes bill to restrict social media access for under-15s

It comes a week after a 14-year-old boy killed nine students and a teacher at a middle school in southern Turkey, in a gun attack.

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Powerful reaction: how Iran war could spark Asia’s green hydrogen surge

The war-driven hike in fossil fuel prices is narrowing the cost gap, making the clean energy alternative look like a good option.

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A couple looks at a model of the entire industrial chain of green hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, and oil displayed at the China Energy Engineering Group pavilion in Boao on March 25. Photo: Xinhua

How Iran responded to Trump’s claimed role in saving 8 women from execution

Trump claimed Iran ‘respected my request’ to save the protesters. Iran’s judiciary said he’s ‘fabricating achievements’.

Lebanon to confront Israel over demolition of homes since ceasefire

Lebanese officials plan to raise the issue of widespread demolitions at a new round of talks Thursday in Washington.

Man convicted of trafficking Singaporean Tinder date for Dubai sex work

Achraf Arjaouy targeted the victim by pretending to be a wealthy pilot from Qatar who wished to marry her.

A Singapore court has convicted an Italian man of human trafficking for deceiving his Tinder date into performing sex work in Dubai. Photo: Dreamstime/TNS

New direction: Southeast Asian airports fill Middle East hub gap

SIA, Cathay, Korean Air and Qantas have reported an increase in demand for European routes as travellers avoid Middle Eastern hubs.

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Passengers enter the departure area at Singapore’s Changi Airport. Photo: AFP

Letters | If energy crisis drags on, Hong Kong may need to rely on conservation

Readers discuss the government’s options as fuel prices stay high, and how the city can improve mental health.

US intercepts Iranian tankers near India, Malaysia amid Hormuz tensions

The vessels were ordered to move away from their positions as Washington and Tehran intensify their stand-off over the waterway.

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Iran latest: Trump has ‘no time frame’ to end war as world waits for peace talks

Iranian president says blockade, threats ‘main obstacles’ to negotiations; and Iran reopens its airspace with some China flights to resume.

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President Donald Trump said the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz “scares them even more than the bombing”. Photo: AFP

Editorial | Saudi leader’s phone call to Xi Jinping shows shifting global power balance

For long-time US ally Riyadh to seek out China suggests a growing lack of conviction among countries that the US alone can shape the global order.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping to Riyadh, on December 8, 2022. Photo: AFP

Trump envoy seeks to replace Iran with Italy in World Cup, report says

The plan is an attempt to mend ties with Italian PM Meloni, after she and Trump fell out over his attacks against Pope Leo.

As Iran talks go nowhere, will Donald Trump still go to Beijing?

With peace negotiations postponed, it is unclear if the US president will be ready to look at stabilising ties between the two top economies.

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