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Middle East

Middle East
Middle East
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Middle East. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday. Photo: AP
US, Israel war on Iran

US says China pledged not to arm Iran during ceasefire

Pentagon says Beijing offered assurances as US tightens blockade and warns Tehran talks could quickly give way to renewed strikes.

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US-China relations

Trump-Xi summit worries, new fertiliser woes: 7 US-China relations reads

China-Asean relations

Can Japan’s US$10b energy shield oust China’s influence in Southeast Asia?

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US-China trade war

Trade tensions dim foreign investment outlook in US and China, survey finds

US and China have ‘suffered the most’ amid global decline in outbound investment appetite due to heightened geopolitical tensions.

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People walk beside the Huangpu River in Shanghai on April 9. Photo: AFP
Africa

In Cameroon, Pope Leo assails ‘tyrants ravaging’ world amid Trump row

‘The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild,’ Leo says.

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India

Opinion | Why India feels exposed by Pakistan’s diplomacy in Iran war

Pakistan, with its contested reputation, leapt into diplomatic action while India, despite its heft and concerns, was absent from the frame.

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European Union

Europe running low on jet fuel, stoking fears of flight cancellations

IEA executive director Birol said the Hormuz blockade-induced energy crisis will hit nations including Japan, China and India harder.

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A plane passes behind kerosene storage facilities at Liege airport in Belgium on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

‘New normal’: Malaysia and Australia strike energy supply pledge amid Iran war

The deal creates a mutual spillover valve, allowing the partners to swap surplus energy once domestic demand is satisfied.

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Semiconductors

TSMC targets over 30% revenue surge in 2026, ramps up capex amid AI boom

AI dominates TSMC revenues as foundry giant pivots from smartphones to high-performance computing.

United States

Lula blasts Trump’s fear-based rule, calls for ‘great maturity’

‘Trump has no right to wake up in the morning and threaten a country,’ Brazil’s president says.

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A woman walks next to an anti-US mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday. Photo: WANA via Reuters
Skincare

Video | The Iran war is going to hurt your skincare routine

The region has seen plastic use surge by 900% since 1990, making Asia responsible for nearly a third of global plastic consumption.

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China-EU relations

Open Questions | Europe lacks China strategy, needs new US approach, Biscop says

Sven Biscop, director at the Royal Institute for International Relations in Brussels, on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

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CATL

CATL market cap tops US$293 billion as shares surge on mining arm

A new investment unit to manage mining assets signals CATL’s deeper shift beyond EV batteries into energy storage.

Hong Kong transport

Greater Bay Airlines suspends Bangkok flights amid fuel price surge

Flights unavailable for most dates from May 12 to September 22 in both directions of Hong Kong-Bangkok route.

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Greater Bay Airlines has suspended its flights between Hong Kong and Bangkok for more than four months. Photo: Shutterstock Images
US, Israel war on Iran

China’s Wang Yi calls on Iran to ensure freedom and safe passage through strait

In phone call with Iran’s top envoy, China’s foreign minister says situation is at ‘critical stage of transition between conflict and peace’.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with his Iranian counterpart in a phone call on Wednesday regarding the Iran war and access to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Xinhua
Malaysia

Petrol patrol: Malaysia sends police to guard border stations as fuel leaks rise

Malaysia is trying to prevent its heavily subsidised petrol and diesel from being siphoned across land and sea borders as the global energy crisis bites.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Lebanon’s president refuses talks with Israel amid Trump’s peace push

The Lebanese leader said Beirut’s position is that a ceasefire should ⁠precede negotiations.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Letters | Iran war is not just a short-term energy disruption

Readers discuss a possible motivation behind the war, Pakistan’s role as a mediator, and Republican silence in the face of the US president’s actions.

Smoke and flames rise at the site of airstrikes on an oil depot in Tehran on March 7, 2026. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
Iran

Jailed Iranian Nobel winner ‘critical’ after heart attack

Supporters say the life of 2023 peace laureate Narges Mohammadi is at ‘immediate and irreparable risk’ in an Iranian prison.

Australia

Huge blaze at Australian refinery threatens petrol supply amid global oil crisis

The Geelong plant is one of only two operating oil refineries in Australia and supplies 10 per cent of the country’s total demand.

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The Philippines

Desperate times, drastic measures? Filipinos call for fuel caps as crisis bites

The Philippines is one of the worst hit by the oil crisis, but its deregulation law prevents the government from capping fuel prices.

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A pump attendant uses adhesive tape to change figures of fuel prices in Quezon City on April 7. Photo: EPA
China trade

Record-setting Canton Fair under Middle East cloud as costs hit China’s exports

Manufacturers and buyers offer on-the-ground perspectives at China’s largest trade exhibition, swapping stories and predictions amid massive turnout.

Buyers browse household electrical appliances at the 139th session of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, in Guangdong province on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

US warns of China’s ‘invasion rehearsals’ as Trump seeks record military budget

Washington puts spotlight on Beijing’s Taiwan, space operations during hearing on US military’s combat readiness for next year.

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United States

US envoy Waltz touts ‘America first’ policy, budget cuts in Senate swipe at UN

US ambassador to UN joined other Washington envoys hailing US-led cost-cutting, efficiency drive and streamlining of UN’s cumulative ‘bloat’.

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US, Israel war on Iran

US cites optimism over a deal even as Iran threatens to close Red Sea shipping

US Treasury to end Iran oil waivers, warning China – top buyer – that banks risk secondary sanctions as American pressure intensifies.

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Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz faces renewed uncertainty as US restrictions and Iranian warnings unsettle key shipping lanes. Photo: Getty Images
Israel

Israeli security cabinet to discuss possible Lebanon ceasefire: senior official

Senior Hezbollah official Ibrahim al-Moussawi says diplomatic efforts by Iran and other regional states could produce a ceasefire soon.

A building is struck during an Israeli attack in Beirut, Lebanon, on March 31. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says the Iran war is ‘close to over’. Is he just out of options?

Several clocks are ticking for the American president as he looks for a way out of the deadlock, observers suggest.

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China energy security

US officials claim China is ‘hoarding’ oil. What does the data say?

While US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China is stockpiling crude amid the Iran war, the numbers suggest Beijing is facing a supply crunch.

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