Advertisement
Advertisement
Middle East
TOPIC
 / location

Middle East

Middle East
Middle East
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Middle East. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Cathay Pacific and HK Express Aircraft at the Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: May Tse
Hong Kong economy

Impact of Middle East war on Hong Kong’s aviation hub status ‘relative’: experts

Flight cuts to mitigate surging fuel prices could affect transit traffic in short run, but impact will also depend on duration of conflict, they say.

Malaysia

Malaysia foils illegal ship-to-ship fuel transfer in waters off Penang

Donald Trump

‘Not a fan’: Trump launches extraordinary attack on pope as rift deepens over war

videocam
7
Hong Kong stock market

Stocks drop and oil surges back above US$100 as US blockade of Hormuz escalates war

Stock markets across Asia fell, with Japan’s Nikkei losing 1.1 per cent and South Korea’s Kospi dropping 1.2 per cent.

videocam
Cargo ships near the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump said that American forces would block the strait on Monday after peace talks with Iran collapsed. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong property

Hong Kong safe haven appeal seen rising as Middle East turmoil clouds outlook

A slowdown in Hong Kong office leasing reflects caution among multinationals, yet analysts see upside as investors seek stability.

Hong Kong economy

From toilet paper to travel: why inflation could soon hit Hongkongers hard

Continuing uncertainty because of the Middle East war-linked oil shock will intensify inflationary pressures, analysts warn.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Electric & new energy vehicles

How China’s EV battery king CATL powers up profits while EV makers struggle

Consolidation, scale and technology advantages enhance pricing power as firm’s domestic market share hits 18-month high.

The world’s bestselling power battery maker for nine years in a row, CATL in March reported a net profit of 72.2 billion yuan. Photo: Handout
My Take

My Take | Iran’s emergence as a major power should be welcome in a multipolar world

Countering US imperialism and Israeli state terrorism should now be an imperative for the entire international community.

videocam
Lebanon

Israel’s Netanyahu says ‘war continues’ during visit to southern Lebanon

Lebanon’s PM says he’s working to get Israeli troops out as Hezbollah militants fight back.

Israel

Israeli bombardment kills infant in Lebanon during father’s funeral

The air strike took place on Wednesday amid hopes that the US-Iran ceasefire would apply to Lebanon, as Israeli strikes killed more than 350.

videocam
A Lebanese soldier next to a building destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon, on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua
US, Israel war on Iran

‘Blown to hell’: Trump announces US blockade of Strait of Hormuz

The US plans to block ‘all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports’ starting on Monday.

videocam
188
US President Donald Trump says the American navy will block entry to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: TNS
Central Asia

Opinion | Why China is looking to Central Asia as Middle East grows riskier

The region’s strategic value as a corridor of resilience is becoming harder to ignore.

videocam
European Union

Ireland police remove farmers, blockades protesting against fuel price rises

The protests have led to blockades at Ireland’s only oil refinery and prevented tanker trucks from delivering fuel to petrol stations.

Malaysia

Minister warns Malaysia will enter ‘critical period’ for fuel supply by June

Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah said the government was exploring alternative materials amid global shortages and rising costs.

videocam
A man fills his car with petrol at a fuel station in Port Dickson, Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan. Photo: EPA
The Philippines

‘We let the soup get cold’: Filipino street food in a stew over LPG price shock

Manila’s street food stalls forced to raise prices and serve colder meals as they grapple with soaring fuel costs.

videocam
People eat braised beef stew locally known as “pares” at a stall in Manila, the Philippines, on April 7. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Pope Leo slams ‘delusion of omnipotence’ stoking US-Israeli war on Iran

The pontiff urged prayer and peace talks, rejecting religious justifications for violence.

videocam
US, Israel war on Iran

‘We have no trust in the other side’: Iran blames US as talks end with no deal

Tehran’s lead negotiator hits out at Washington after Islamabad talks, while Vance says sticking point was lack of nuclear commitments.

videocam
136
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
India

Fish and vegetarianism major flashpoints in India’s West Bengal election

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has promoted dietary restrictions as part of its Hindu nationalist agenda.

videocam
A labourer inspects a Hindustan Ambassador yellow taxi, transporting fish at a wholesale market on January 30, in Kolkata, West Bengal state, India. Photo: AFP
Ukraine war

Russia and Ukraine begin 32-hour ceasefire for Orthodox Easter

Kyiv says it will reciprocate the Kremlin-ordered truce from Saturday afternoon until the end of Sunday.

videocam
Hong Kong transport

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific and HK Express cut some flights as jet fuel prices rise

Cathay reduction affects flights mainly on regional routes, along with some services to Australia, South Asia and South Africa, from May 16 to June 30.

videocam
US, Israel war on Iran

How the Gulf conflict recast risks for Asian investors in Dubai

Asian firms that use Dubai as a launch pad into the Middle East are weighing new threats to liquidity, logistics and confidence.

videocam
Smoke rising from an area near the Dubai International Airport is seen after a drone attack amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran on March 16. Photo: Reuters
China trade

‘Cancelling orders’ in China: Hormuz oil crisis hits transport and manufacturing

Analysts and industry insiders say higher costs are squeezing margins, with some of China’s wary industrial heartland compelled to make day-to-day purchases.

videocam
Employees work on an assembly line producing smartphone holders at a plastic-accessories factory in China’s Guangdong province earlier this month. Rising oil prices are driving up production costs for plastic manufacturers. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Japan’s Middle East oil habit gets an Iran war reality check

Almost all of Japan’s oil comes from the Middle East. A closed strait turned that dependence into a trap.

videocam
4
US, Israel war on Iran

US presses Iran as talks gear up in Pakistan under fragile ceasefire

Vice-President J.D. Vance to lead negotiations in Islamabad as Tehran sets preconditions, Trump warns of military action if diplomacy fails.

videocam
4
Singapore

Singapore, Australia vow uninterrupted fuel supply amid global energy shock

Both countries are also working towards a legally binding agreement on economic resilience and essential supplies.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) with his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong during their meeting at the Istana presidential palace in Singapore on Friday. Photo: LianHe Zaobao / Chia Ti Yan / AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran’s Hormuz toll threat lays bare Asia’s energy vulnerability

Analysts warn that charging ships to pass through Hormuz could set a dangerous precedent for other strategic waterways and hit Asia hardest.

videocam
Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, on March 11. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

‘Their affair’: Anwar on Singapore’s refusal to negotiate over Hormuz

Responding to remarks by the city state’s top diplomat, Anwar said Malaysia balances regional ties with firm stands on global issues.

videocam
4
US, Israel war on Iran

‘I’m scared of war starting again’: fear grips Iranians ahead of US talks

Residents of Tehran face Pakistan-hosted talks with scepticism and anger, caught between a repressive regime and Trump’s threats.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement