TOPIC

/ location

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

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Trump heads to China weakened as Xi gains leverage ahead of summit

Iran war, tariff setbacks and sliding US poll numbers reshape the balance going into next week’s high-stakes talks.

9 May 2026 - 10:03PMvideocam

China trade

China defies Strait of Hormuz crisis with record monthly export value in April

9 May 2026 - 4:33PMvideocam

US-China relations

As I see it | Has China just ended the end of history?

9 May 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

New Israel-Lebanon talks to try to curb Hezbollah influence in region: Rubio

Marco Rubio says Washington is also awaiting Iran’s response to a new US proposal to end the conflict in the region.

9 May 2026 - 4:56AM

First responders arrive at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Habbouch on Thursday. Photo: AFP

China energy security

China’s shipping firms brace for a new ‘era of chaos’ as Iran war drags on

Chinese shipping giants are signing long contracts and rejigging their networks, as they hedge against prolonged disruptions to global trade routes.

8 May 2026 - 9:30PMvideocam

China-Russia relations

China-Russia ties can withstand any US containment efforts: Chinese policy adviser

Beijing-Moscow relationship described as having ‘inherent stability’, with a ‘stable mechanism’ able to withstand outside pressures.

8 May 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Crime

Colorado rally firebomber gets life in prison after asking for death

Mohamed Soliman, who killed an 82-year-old woman in the 2025 attack, tells court he wished to be executed.

8 May 2026 - 1:02PM

Mohamed Soliman during his attack in Boulder, Colorado last year. Photo: Lisa Turnquist via AP

Italy

Rubio meets Pope Leo at Vatican to defuse tensions with Trump

The meeting comes amid the US president’s repeated attacks on the pontiff over the Iran war and nuclear weapons.

7 May 2026 - 10:04PMvideocam

China travel

Fuel shocks, thin margins: why China’s airlines should ‘heed Spirit’s mistakes’

Demise of US budget carrier seen as a warning sign of how turbulent it could get for China’s airlines with fragile bottom lines.

7 May 2026 - 6:00PM

Middle East

Israel strikes Beirut for first time since Lebanon ceasefire

The first aerial attack on the capital since April kills a senior Hezbollah commander.

7 May 2026 - 10:47AM

First responders in the Beirut southern suburb of Haret Hreik on Wednesday after an Israeli strike. Photo: AFP

Asean

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

6 May 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

A farm worker sprays fertiliser on a paddy field at Sabak Bernam, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 1. Conflict in the Middle East has driven up prices of energy, fertiliser and food production. Photo: EPA

Central Asia

An Asian alternative to Nato? How Cica is rethinking Middle East security

Chief of lesser-known security forum says it provides ‘architecture for de-escalation’ and allows members to project soft power.

6 May 2026 - 10:00AM

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Trump dismisses China friction over Iran war, touts Xi ties before summit

US halts Hormuz escort mission, says Beijing is not pushing back as Xi talks loom.

7 May 2026 - 12:48AMvideocam

China-Middle East relations

Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi to visit China days ahead of Donald Trump

Foreign Minister Araghchi will arrive on Wednesday and hold talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Beijing has announced.

5 May 2026 - 9:55PMvideocam

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Beijing in April 2025. Photo: Xinhua

War and conflict

As I see it | Thanks to Trump and Netanyahu, everyone now wants to go nuclear

After waging a war on the pretext of stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons, the US and Israel have ignited a new arms race.

5 May 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Men clear rubble in front of a damaged residential building that, according to Iranian authorities, was hit by a strike on March 4 during the US-Israeli military campaign. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

South Korea

South Korea rebuffs Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ call after Hormuz ship fire

A UN mandate and a global coalition are required before Seoul joins Trump’s mission to reopen the strait, officials indicate.

6 May 2026 - 9:16AMvideocam

Middle East

Israeli raid in West Bank leaves 1 Palestinian dead, 4 wounded

Nayef Samaro, 26, was one of five hit by gunfire; the Israeli military says troops fired after ‘terrorists’ threw rocks.

4 May 2026 - 10:02AM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says US will ‘guide’ ships out of Hormuz, as vessels attacked

US to launch new mission dubbed ‘Project Freedom’ as Tehran signals interference would be seen as a ceasefire violation.

4 May 2026 - 1:17PMvideocam

The USS Michael Murphy patrolling the Arabian Sea during a maritime blockade in April. Photo: US Navy via AFP

China food security

China’s farmers face dual threats from El Nino and Iran war, analysts say

They warn that country’s fragmented farms are less resilient to natural disasters than bigger, more mechanised operations.

3 May 2026 - 8:00PM

China-Middle East relations

How 2 Iranian brothers in China use ancient music as a bridge through wartime

Amid deep geopolitical uncertainty, the Beijing workshop of Majid and Massoud Shamaeezadah preserves and shares Persian culture.

3 May 2026 - 7:23PMvideocam

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Are US Air Force C-17s flying cars into Beijing for Trump’s China trip?

American military cargo planes have been spotted at the Chinese capital’s main airport, suggesting that the high-stakes visit is still on.

3 May 2026 - 6:00PM

Two US Air Force C-17 transport aircraft have been seen at Beijing Capital International Airport in the past few days. Photo: Handout

Israel-Gaza war

Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel face ‘extreme brutality’

Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted near Greece were brought to Israel for interrogation, and appeared in court on Sunday.

3 May 2026 - 4:34PMvideocam

Boats of a new humanitarian flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip make a symbolic departure from Barcelona’s Port Vell on April 12, after the departure of the flotilla was postponed due to bad weather. Photo: AFP

Middle East

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

3 May 2026 - 10:30AM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says he’s reviewing new Iran proposal to end war

The president also has floated a new plan to reopen the Hormuz, after the US warned shipping firms against paying Iran for safe passage.

3 May 2026 - 7:09AMvideocam

My Take

My Take | World Cup football belongs to the fans, not to Trump and his friend at Fifa

Supporters in Hong Kong may be rubbing their hands at the prospect of seeing their favourite teams at Kai Tak Stadium, but those travelling to the global showpiece risk paying a much higher price.

2 May 2026 - 10:30PM

Shaun Wright-Phillips, Christian Vieri, Roberto Di Matteo and Edgar Davids (back row left to right) pose for pictures with little fans on stage during the press conference of Hong Kong Football Festival, on April 21, to be held in coming summer. Photo: Elson Li

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran will not accept ‘imposed’ peace, Trump not satisfied with negotiations

US lawmakers are pressuring the President to resolve the war, while Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is attempting to ease the war’s toll on Iran’s economy.

2 May 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

A woman walks past an anti-US billboard depicting US President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz, in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Saudi Arabia

UAE’s Opec exit signals aim to accelerate foreign policy diversification

Iran’s attacks on Gulf states have forced Abu Dhabi to rethink its place within the Saudi Arabia-led diplomatic architecture, analysts say.

2 May 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

Banking & finance

Macroscope | Mini-crises sparked by the Iran war may add up to a big collapse

From energy, inflation and trade to slowing global growth and investment uncertainty, these mini-crises have the makings of a massive crisis.

2 May 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Israel

Trump heads to China weakened as Xi gains leverage ahead of summit

Iran war, tariff setbacks and sliding US poll numbers reshape the balance going into next week’s high-stakes talks.

China defies Strait of Hormuz crisis with record monthly export value in April

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}As I see it | Has China just ended the end of history?

New Israel-Lebanon talks to try to curb Hezbollah influence in region: Rubio

Marco Rubio says Washington is also awaiting Iran’s response to a new US proposal to end the conflict in the region.

China’s shipping firms brace for a new ‘era of chaos’ as Iran war drags on

Chinese shipping giants are signing long contracts and rejigging their networks, as they hedge against prolonged disruptions to global trade routes.

China-Russia ties can withstand any US containment efforts: Chinese policy adviser

Beijing-Moscow relationship described as having ‘inherent stability’, with a ‘stable mechanism’ able to withstand outside pressures.

Colorado rally firebomber gets life in prison after asking for death

Mohamed Soliman, who killed an 82-year-old woman in the 2025 attack, tells court he wished to be executed.

Rubio meets Pope Leo at Vatican to defuse tensions with Trump

The meeting comes amid the US president’s repeated attacks on the pontiff over the Iran war and nuclear weapons.

Fuel shocks, thin margins: why China’s airlines should ‘heed Spirit’s mistakes’

Demise of US budget carrier seen as a warning sign of how turbulent it could get for China’s airlines with fragile bottom lines.

Israel strikes Beirut for first time since Lebanon ceasefire

The first aerial attack on the capital since April kills a senior Hezbollah commander.

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

An Asian alternative to Nato? How Cica is rethinking Middle East security

Chief of lesser-known security forum says it provides ‘architecture for de-escalation’ and allows members to project soft power.

Trump dismisses China friction over Iran war, touts Xi ties before summit

US halts Hormuz escort mission, says Beijing is not pushing back as Xi talks loom.

Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi to visit China days ahead of Donald Trump

Foreign Minister Araghchi will arrive on Wednesday and hold talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Beijing has announced.

As I see it | Thanks to Trump and Netanyahu, everyone now wants to go nuclear

After waging a war on the pretext of stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons, the US and Israel have ignited a new arms race.

South Korea rebuffs Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ call after Hormuz ship fire

A UN mandate and a global coalition are required before Seoul joins Trump’s mission to reopen the strait, officials indicate.

Israeli raid in West Bank leaves 1 Palestinian dead, 4 wounded

Nayef Samaro, 26, was one of five hit by gunfire; the Israeli military says troops fired after ‘terrorists’ threw rocks.

Trump says US will ‘guide’ ships out of Hormuz, as vessels attacked

US to launch new mission dubbed ‘Project Freedom’ as Tehran signals interference would be seen as a ceasefire violation.

China’s farmers face dual threats from El Nino and Iran war, analysts say

They warn that country’s fragmented farms are less resilient to natural disasters than bigger, more mechanised operations.

How 2 Iranian brothers in China use ancient music as a bridge through wartime

Amid deep geopolitical uncertainty, the Beijing workshop of Majid and Massoud Shamaeezadah preserves and shares Persian culture.

Are US Air Force C-17s flying cars into Beijing for Trump’s China trip?

American military cargo planes have been spotted at the Chinese capital’s main airport, suggesting that the high-stakes visit is still on.

Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel face ‘extreme brutality’

Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted near Greece were brought to Israel for interrogation, and appeared in court on Sunday.

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

Trump says he’s reviewing new Iran proposal to end war

The president also has floated a new plan to reopen the Hormuz, after the US warned shipping firms against paying Iran for safe passage.

My Take | World Cup football belongs to the fans, not to Trump and his friend at Fifa

Supporters in Hong Kong may be rubbing their hands at the prospect of seeing their favourite teams at Kai Tak Stadium, but those travelling to the global showpiece risk paying a much higher price.

Iran will not accept ‘imposed’ peace, Trump not satisfied with negotiations

US lawmakers are pressuring the President to resolve the war, while Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is attempting to ease the war’s toll on Iran’s economy.

UAE’s Opec exit signals aim to accelerate foreign policy diversification

Iran’s attacks on Gulf states have forced Abu Dhabi to rethink its place within the Saudi Arabia-led diplomatic architecture, analysts say.

Macroscope | Mini-crises sparked by the Iran war may add up to a big collapse

From energy, inflation and trade to slowing global growth and investment uncertainty, these mini-crises have the makings of a massive crisis.

As I see it | Has China just ended the end of history?