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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.
Pony AI is one of three robotaxi firms that have received approval from authorities to operate driverless cabs on designated roads in cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Photo: Handout
Electric & new energy vehicles

Pony AI and Toyota roll out robotaxis in China’s autonomous drive push

Guangzhou-based Pony AI begins output of 1,000 autonomous cabs and targets a 3,000-unit fleet by the end of 2026 as it expands globally.

Israel

Israel kills 4 suspected militants in Gaza’s Rafah despite ceasefire

European Union

Prince William visits Saudi Arabia as UK seeks deeper economic ties

China's military weapons

Chinese drone for anti-submarine warfare among systems at Saudi defence show

Demand is growing in the Middle East for autonomous platforms and it is now one of the largest overseas markets for China’s military drones.

China has one of the biggest pavilions at this week’s World Defence Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Amber Wang
Australia

Israeli president’s visit to Australia met with protests

While Isaac Herzog comforts a community reeling from the Bondi massacre, his arrival has sparked protests and a massive security operation.

China’s private sector

China’s Pop Mart gains on earnings hopes as investors eye growth beyond Labubu

The toymaker’s stock gains as user growth, livestream sales and overseas expansion signal resilience despite softer consumer demand in China.

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Mergers & Acquisitions

M&A market ‘firing on all cylinders’, headed for record year: Citigroup

Confident companies and investors, solid economic growth, low inflation and ample capital drive outlook, bank’s global M&A co-head says.

Guillermo Baygual, Citigroup’s global co-head of mergers and acquisitions, pictured in Hong Kong on February 6, 2026. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong urged to widen Stock Connect and woo global firms to boost listings

City should pitch Southeast Asia, Middle East to draw global listings and issue long-term bonds to attract patient capital, think tank says.

Banking & finance

Will Hong Kong, Singapore capture Asia’s capital inflows? DBS CEO weighs in

The two financial hubs are best choices for global investors seeking to diversify their portfolios amid geopolitical risks, Tan Su Shan says.

Lebanon

Lebanon’s Tripoli called a ‘disaster-stricken city’ after deadly collapse

Tripoli’s mayor warns that thousands of people remain at risk in unsafe buildings due to years of neglect.

Rescue teams search for survivors in Tripoli, Lebanon. Photo: Reuters
Iran

Iran sentences Nobel laureate to 7 more years amid stand-off with US

As Iran extends the jail term for Narges Mohammadi, its foreign minister strikes a maximalist position after US talks.

A mural with a picture of Iran’s Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a street in Tehran, Iran. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
Russia

Russia says suspect in shooting of top general detained in Dubai

Moscow says Russian Lyubomir Korba was held in Dubai for a shooting, with two accomplices identified – one in Moscow, while one fled to Ukraine.

Iran

Iran defies Trump and US pressure over uranium enrichment

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insists Iran won’t yield on enrichment, calling resilience – not weapons – its ‘atomic bomb’ despite US threats.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

AutoFlight unveils world’s largest flying car as China races to lead the skies

CATL-backed AutoFlight debuts Matrix, targeting global expansion, as Beijing moves to set standards for domestic eVTOL makers and operators.

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AutoFlight describes eVTOL aircraft Matrix as the largest of its kind in the world. Photo: Handout
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, Syria sign telecom and airline deals as sanctions lift

Saudi Arabia has been a major backer of Syria’s Islamist authorities who took power after toppling long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

A handout picture provided by the Saudi Royal Palace shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) greeting Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa as US President Donald Trump looks on, in Riyadh on May 14 last year. Photo: AFP
Iran

Oman mediates Iran-US nuclear talks amid tensions and Trump’s threats

The meeting is the first between the two sides since Washington joined Israel’s war with Tehran in June with strikes on nuclear sites.

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US-Iran tensions

Ahead of talks, Iran deploys ballistic missile at underground ‘missile city’

Tehran signals offensive readiness as negotiators arrive in Oman for high-stakes talks.

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Pizza Hut

Pizza shut: iconic chain to close 250 US locations

Yum! Brands targets underperforming restaurants as it conducts a strategic review for Pizza Hut.

The restaurant chain opened nearly 1,200 outlets across 65 countries last year. Photo: Facebook / @Pizza Hut Taiwan
Israel-Gaza war

Gaza’s violent reality: hundreds have been killed since October ceasefire

At least 556 Palestinians have died in Israeli strikes, while four Israeli soldiers have been killed in the same period.

IPO

Morgan Stanley sees another record year for Hong Kong IPOs as pipeline hits 450

Mainland China’s issuers will still dominate city’s IPO market, executive says, but US and Southeast Asian companies are also joining in.

China energy security

China’s cheap oil flows under strain as US ramps up Iran, Venezuela pressure

US restrictions could lead China to turn to higher-priced barrels in other markets, while it continues to reduce its reliance on oil imports.

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An oil tanker is anchored in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela. China’s reliance on low-price crude from Venezuela is under strain as the United States tightens control over the country’s oil industry. Photo: Xinhua
Iran

Trump says Iran leaders should be ‘very worried’ as talks near

Negotiations will take place in Oman, but there is disagreement over whether Tehran’s missile programme will be discussed.

A Shahab-3 missile is displayed next to a portrait of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran in September 2021. Photo: TNS
Iran

Road to equality? Iran formally allows women to ride motorcycles

In a country where women’s public presence is heavily regulated, the right to operate a vehicle is a powerful indicator of shifting social boundaries.

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Israel-Gaza war

‘Where is the ceasefire?’: Israeli strikes kill 21 Palestinians in Gaza

More than 530 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since an October ceasefire, as Gaza health officials decry the ‘continued genocidal war’.

Iran

US-Iran nuclear talks set for Oman amid rising Middle East tensions

Planned talks moving from Turkey after a US jet downs an Iranian drone, though the role of regional Arab allies remains in limbo.

A satellite image taken on February 1 shows a new roof over a previously destroyed building at Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site. Photo: Planet Labs PBC via Reuters
Iran

US fighter jet shoots down Iranian drone approaching aircraft carrier

The Iranian Shahed-139 was flying towards the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea ‘with unclear intent’, a US official says.

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An F-35C Lightning II prepares to land on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln on January 28. Photo: US Navy via AFP
US-China relations

USS Abraham Lincoln is in the Arabian Sea. So is a Chinese vessel

Research ship Dayang Yihao may have been sailing near the American warship, independent military observer says in a social media post.

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Donald Trump

Iran plans nuclear talks with US as Trump warns of ‘bad things’

Facing threats of potential US military action, Tehran agrees to a Friday meeting in Istanbul on its nuclear programme.

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