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Israel

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

Capital

Jerusalem

Head of State

President Isaac Herzog

Head of Government

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

The war in Iran is dragging on in part because both sides remain confident that time is on their side, according to one analyst. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

2 months into the Iran war, who holds the upper hand?

Analysts are divided on who has the most to lose as the conflict drags on.

1 hour agovideocam

China manufacturing

China’s industrial profits hit 6-month high amid Iran war price spikes

5 hours ago

China stock market

China equities set for boost as Trump-Xi meeting raises hopes of thaw

6 hours ago

Middle East

Netanyahu’s biggest rivals join forces for Israel’s coming election

Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, two former prime ministers of Israel, announce the merging of their parties.

27 Apr 2026 - 2:40PM

Benjamin Netanyahu is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

Lebanon reports bloodiest day since ceasefire as Israel targets Hezbollah

Ceasefire has reduced but not stopped attacks, as Hezbollah vows to keep fighting Israeli troops in Lebanon.

27 Apr 2026 - 9:32AM

My Take

My Take | Why TikTok is being deliberately ruined by its new American owners

The popular social media platform, once owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has been turned into an AI-enabled exploitation and censorship machine.

26 Apr 2026 - 9:38PM

Middle East

New Israeli strikes reported in Lebanon after Netanyahu orders attacks

The Israeli army has accused Hezbollah militants of breaching the recently extended ceasefire between the two countries.

26 Apr 2026 - 6:16AM

Smoke rises over the southern Lebanese village of Taybeh on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Israel-Gaza war

Palestinians bury pregnant woman and 2 of her children killed in Gaza

The woman – who was expecting twins – and the children, aged 4 and 13, were among at least 13 to die during the latest truce air strikes.

25 Apr 2026 - 10:57PMvideocam

China-Middle East relations

Iran digs in as US envoys Kushner and Witkoff head to Pakistan for more talks

Trapped in the Persian Gulf, ship crews run low on food, water – and mental health reserves.

25 Apr 2026 - 10:35PMvideocam

Britain

Argentina again calls for UK talks on Falklands, US confirms neutrality

Earlier, a leaked Pentagon email had set out options for the US to punish Nato allies for refusing to join US-Israeli strikes against Iran.

25 Apr 2026 - 7:42PM

US President Donald Trump greets Argentina’s President Javier Milei at the White House in October. Photo: AP

Crime in Hong Kong

‘Toughest stance’: Hong Kong launches 18 operations against illegal fuel stations

Customs chief Chan Tsz-tat says the practice has become increasingly common in urban areas.

25 Apr 2026 - 4:12PM

Hong Kong authorities launched 18 joint operations against illicit refuelling stations this year amid a global energy price surge. Photo: Sam Tsang

US, Israel war on Iran

Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt: the Middle East’s new power brokers?

‘Fear of US abandonment’ is helping forge a new Middle East – but don’t expect an Islamic Nato just yet.

25 Apr 2026 - 1:30PM

Indonesia

Mixed bag: Indonesia’s 8% growth dream hits a plastic ceiling

Soaring packaging costs amid the Iran war hint at a deeper malaise as the middle class contracts and growth hits a plateau.

26 Apr 2026 - 10:01AMvideocam

Artificial intelligence

Iran war shows ‘strategic value’ of AI for China’s military, PLA Daily says

Commentary calls it ‘inevitable’ and necessary for PLA to embrace artificial intelligence to gain the advantage in future warfare.

24 Apr 2026 - 6:00PM

China’s military mouthpiece said AI-driven warfare was at a “turning point”. Image: Shutterstock

US, Israel war on Iran

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’.

24 Apr 2026 - 4:38PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump holds a briefing in the Oval Office at the White House about the ceasefire extension. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

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’.

23 Apr 2026 - 4:28PM

Middle East

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.

23 Apr 2026 - 3:41PM

Malaysia

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.

23 Apr 2026 - 10:27AMvideocam

Iranian walks past a billboard reading “The Strait of Hormuz remains closed” at the Revolution Square in Tehran on Wednesday. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

US, Israel war on Iran

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.

23 Apr 2026 - 12:18PMvideocam

Artificial intelligence

Anthropic’s Mythos is stoking cybersecurity fears. What does it mean for China?

Given cybersecurity risks in critical software, Mythos has sparked debate about whether its capabilities should be shared with China.

22 Apr 2026 - 4:16PM

Donald Trump

Video | Trump reads Bible days after Jesus image controversy

The US president has faced rare criticism from his evangelical supporters for sharing a meme in which he appears as a Jesus-like healer.

22 Apr 2026 - 3:19PM

01:38

US, Israel war on Iran

Shifting Saudi ties: what role could China take after Iran war is over?

Caught between Washington and Tehran, Riyadh may shift towards self-reliance and diversifying partnerships, observers note.

22 Apr 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

Smoke rises above RIyadh amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Since the war began on February 28, Iranian missiles and drones have targeted key Saudi infrastructure. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire, testing Lebanon truce as talks loom

The incidents are among several that have occurred since a 10-day Lebanon ceasefire came into effect last Thursday.

22 Apr 2026 - 3:10PM

Taiwan

Trump effect? Taiwan poll reveals deep doubts about US military protection

Results also suggest a more pragmatic public mood on cross-strait relations, with many respondents favouring dialogue over confrontation.

22 Apr 2026 - 10:00AMvideocam

Pacific nations

Pacific Islanders skip food, medicine amid global fuel shortage from Iran war

Pacific nations are the most reliant on diesel for power generation worldwide. They imported about 2.2 million tonnes of fuel in 2025.

22 Apr 2026 - 9:37AM

Boats ply the waterway in Buka, Papua New Guinea. Many Pacific Island communities rely on boat transport for movement. Photo: AFP

China shipbuilding

The Iran war’s unlikely winner: China’s shipyards

China already dominates global shipbuilding orders – and the Strait of Hormuz crisis appears to be boosting demand.

22 Apr 2026 - 8:00AM

Ships under construction at China Merchants Industrial Nanjing Jinling Shipyard in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China, on April 16. Photo: Getty Images

China-Asean relations

Exclusive | China and Philippines taking ‘baby steps’ towards better relations: ambassador

Jaime FlorCruz says both sides want stable ties, but closer economic relations must not be used as ‘leverage’ in the South China Sea dispute.

22 Apr 2026 - 11:44AMvideocam

Lebanon

Israel jails soldiers for vandalising Jesus statue in Lebanon

Both the soldier who smashed the sculpture with a sledgehammer and the one who photographed the act will receive military detention.

22 Apr 2026 - 1:28PM

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Israel

2 months into the Iran war, who holds the upper hand?

Analysts are divided on who has the most to lose as the conflict drags on.

China’s industrial profits hit 6-month high amid Iran war price spikes

China equities set for boost as Trump-Xi meeting raises hopes of thaw

Netanyahu’s biggest rivals join forces for Israel’s coming election

Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, two former prime ministers of Israel, announce the merging of their parties.

Lebanon reports bloodiest day since ceasefire as Israel targets Hezbollah

Ceasefire has reduced but not stopped attacks, as Hezbollah vows to keep fighting Israeli troops in Lebanon.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}My Take | Why TikTok is being deliberately ruined by its new American owners

The popular social media platform, once owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has been turned into an AI-enabled exploitation and censorship machine.

New Israeli strikes reported in Lebanon after Netanyahu orders attacks

The Israeli army has accused Hezbollah militants of breaching the recently extended ceasefire between the two countries.

Palestinians bury pregnant woman and 2 of her children killed in Gaza

The woman – who was expecting twins – and the children, aged 4 and 13, were among at least 13 to die during the latest truce air strikes.

Iran digs in as US envoys Kushner and Witkoff head to Pakistan for more talks

Trapped in the Persian Gulf, ship crews run low on food, water – and mental health reserves.

Argentina again calls for UK talks on Falklands, US confirms neutrality

Earlier, a leaked Pentagon email had set out options for the US to punish Nato allies for refusing to join US-Israeli strikes against Iran.

‘Toughest stance’: Hong Kong launches 18 operations against illegal fuel stations

Customs chief Chan Tsz-tat says the practice has become increasingly common in urban areas.

Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt: the Middle East’s new power brokers?

‘Fear of US abandonment’ is helping forge a new Middle East – but don’t expect an Islamic Nato just yet.

Mixed bag: Indonesia’s 8% growth dream hits a plastic ceiling

Soaring packaging costs amid the Iran war hint at a deeper malaise as the middle class contracts and growth hits a plateau.

Iran war shows ‘strategic value’ of AI for China’s military, PLA Daily says

Commentary calls it ‘inevitable’ and necessary for PLA to embrace artificial intelligence to gain the advantage in future warfare.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

Anthropic’s Mythos is stoking cybersecurity fears. What does it mean for China?

Given cybersecurity risks in critical software, Mythos has sparked debate about whether its capabilities should be shared with China.

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Trump reads Bible days after Jesus image controversy

The US president has faced rare criticism from his evangelical supporters for sharing a meme in which he appears as a Jesus-like healer.

Shifting Saudi ties: what role could China take after Iran war is over?

Caught between Washington and Tehran, Riyadh may shift towards self-reliance and diversifying partnerships, observers note.

Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire, testing Lebanon truce as talks loom

The incidents are among several that have occurred since a 10-day Lebanon ceasefire came into effect last Thursday.

Trump effect? Taiwan poll reveals deep doubts about US military protection

Results also suggest a more pragmatic public mood on cross-strait relations, with many respondents favouring dialogue over confrontation.

Pacific Islanders skip food, medicine amid global fuel shortage from Iran war

Pacific nations are the most reliant on diesel for power generation worldwide. They imported about 2.2 million tonnes of fuel in 2025.

The Iran war’s unlikely winner: China’s shipyards

China already dominates global shipbuilding orders – and the Strait of Hormuz crisis appears to be boosting demand.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | China and Philippines taking ‘baby steps’ towards better relations: ambassador

Jaime FlorCruz says both sides want stable ties, but closer economic relations must not be used as ‘leverage’ in the South China Sea dispute.

Israel jails soldiers for vandalising Jesus statue in Lebanon

Both the soldier who smashed the sculpture with a sledgehammer and the one who photographed the act will receive military detention.

My Take | Why TikTok is being deliberately ruined by its new American owners

Video | Trump reads Bible days after Jesus image controversy

Exclusive | China and Philippines taking ‘baby steps’ towards better relations: ambassador