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Middle East
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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.
Asif Ali Zardari (left) is welcomed to Hunan by local officials. Photo: EPA
Belt and Road Initiative

Pakistani president’s visit seeks to bolster ‘full spectrum’ of ties with China

Asif Ali Zardari’s visit also comes at a time when Islamabad is seeking to play a key role in ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.

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China stock market

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

Japan

In hot water: Japan’s bathhouses struggle to stay afloat as oil prices spike

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Style Edit

Style Edit: Poly MGM Museum’s new ‘Silk Roads Beyond Borders’ treasures

New Italian and Persian treasures make their Asia debut, expanding the museum’s Silk Road narrative with rare works that illuminate centuries of East-West exchange.

Michele Marieschi’s Ca’ Foscari and Palazzo Balbi on the Grand Canal (c.1738-1740). Photo: Fotostudio Rapuzzi
Israel

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.

Israel

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.

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Family offices

How the Middle East war is boosting family offices, private banking in Hong Kong

Conflict prompts rich investors to diversify, boosting Hong Kong’s role as a hub for family offices and private banking.

Hong Kong was the world’s top initial public offering market in the first quarter, after reclaiming the title last year for the first time since 2019. Photo: Dickson Lee
Diplomacy

Opinion | 122 years on, Mackinder’s ‘heartland’ remains geopolitically decisive

Conflicts in Ukraine and Iran have returned strategic focus to the idea of Eurasia as central to the global power contest, challenging the viability of the Indo-Pacific pivot.

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US, Israel war on Iran

China is poised to reap rewards as energy shock heats up the race for renewables

The US war on Iran may have inadvertently triggered a global transition that will favour Beijing’s green leadership, analysts predict.

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Syria

Syria begins long-awaited first trial of Assad-era officials

Atef Najib was head of the Political Security Branch in southern Syria’s Daraa province under Assad. He faces charges related to the arrest and torture of teenagers in 2011.

Judicial officials and people attend the first trial session at the Palace of Justice, in Damascus, Syria, on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Li Auto targets BMW and Mercedes with premium SUVs in Middle East, Asia-Pacific

Beijing-based EV maker expects overseas deliveries to account for 30 per cent of its total by 2030, president Ma Donghui says.

Li Auto’s flagship L9 SUV is displayed at the ongoing Auto China in Beijing. Photo: Reuters
China economy

Opinion | For the US dollar, a subtler shift than a ‘petroyuan’ order is underfoot

Talk of a dollar collapse or ‘petroyuan’ order arriving amid the Iran war misses the mark. The larger shift is subtler and no less consequential.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Trump’s oil crisis is accelerating the end of the fossil fuel era

Ironically for president ‘drill, baby, drill’, this crisis may prove an irreversible tipping point for clean energy.

Malaysia

At Malaysia’s arms bazaar, drone dealers chase Southeast Asian market share

‘Drone warfare is the future,’ say arms dealers in Kuala Lumpur – and the region’s militaries are buying in.

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Malaysian army officers visit the booth of Special Technology Control, a Russian developer of unmanned systems, at the Defence Services Asia exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
Israel

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.

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

Opinion | To be the world No 2 financial centre, Hong Kong must be a rule maker

In a fragmenting world where the old financial order is being renegotiated, the greater prize goes to those who help set the new standards.

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US, Israel war on Iran

US uses unusual routes to send jet fuel to Asia bases as Hormuz stays shut

The shipments to Subic Bay and Yokose add to a growing trend of US military fuel heading to regions that typically rely on Mideast supplies.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war is tearing polyester fabric of fast fashion – and shoes could be next

Conflict-driven oil price spikes are straining Asia’s polyester supply chain, threatening higher costs for firms like Zara and H&M.

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A person carrying a bag walks by a Zara store in Plaza de Espana in Madrid, Spain. Photo: Reuters
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.

Japan

As oil costs soar, Japan’s bathhouses struggle to keep heads above water

A shrinking customer base and ageing owners also threaten the survival of these neighbourhood social hubs.

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War and conflict

Opinion | Blinding the world with lies makes peacemaking an impossible task

From Iran to the Horn of Africa, disinformation is killing diplomacy. Mediators need facts, not state-sponsored fictions.

A satellite image shows smoke rising from an oil refinery in Tuapse, Russia, on Monday after an overnight strike claimed by Ukraine’s military. Photo: Planet Labs PBC/Reuters
Russia

Russia says US using coups, kidnappings to ‘defend its well-being’ at any cost

‘The United States has officially declared that no one can dictate to it,’ Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says.

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Captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro heads towards the Daniel Patrick Manhattan United States Courthouse for an initial appearance to face US federal charges in New York City in January. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

US sanctions China-based oil refinery and 40 shippers over Iran oil

Hengli Petrochemical’s facility in Dalian can process 400,000 barrels per day, making it one of the biggest independent refineries in China.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers target global expansion at Auto China amid energy shock

Most carmakers taking part in the exhibition have either debuted models designed for export markets or announced expansion plans.

China’s military drills

China stages navy drill as US and Philippines embark on Balikatan 2026

The Liaoning aircraft carrier appears to be among 14 large naval vessels snapped on manoeuvres in a satellite image circulating online.

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China’s first aircraft carrier went into commission in 2012 and was named “Liaoning” after the northeastern province. Photo: Xinhua via AP
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.

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

HK Electric to cut May fuel charges but warns of sharp future increase

Fuel charge to fall for second month as lower earlier costs feed through, but Middle East conflict likely to push up prices later this year.

Food and agriculture

Outside In | The Iran war is brewing a food crisis we must avert

The world’s focus has been on energy shortages but famine and widening food insecurity are faces of the same coin.

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