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Pakistan
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Pakistan

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Pakistan
Pakistan
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Pakistan. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Capital
Islamabad
Head of State
President Asif Ali Zardari
Head of Government
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
Smoke rises above RIyadh amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Since the war began on February 28, Iranian missiles and drones have targeted key Saudi infrastructure. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Shifting Saudi ties: what role could China take after Iran war is over?

Caught between Washington and Tehran, Riyadh may shift towards self-reliance and diversifying partnerships, observers note.

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Middle East

Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire, testing Lebanon truce as talks loom

Taiwan

Trump effect? Taiwan poll reveals deep doubts about US military protection

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war latest: Trump’s ceasefire reversal and tensions simmer with China

US president says he will indefinitely extend the ceasefire with Iran but it is still not clear if Tehran will take part in peace talks.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US blockade of Iran’s ports violated the ceasefire and amounted to “an act of war”. Photo: Stringer/dpa
IPO

Victory Giant skyrockets after biggest Hong Kong IPO this year

The Nvidia supplier jumped on its trading debut, underscoring demand for AI hardware stocks and the resilience of Hong Kong IPO demand amid Middle East upheavals.

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump, Iran and the Strait of Hormuz: here’s what happened overnight

A two-week ceasefire is about to expire, and it’s not clear if Tehran will show up for a second round of talks.

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US, Israel war on Iran

US and Iran warn they are ready for war as clock ticks on ceasefire end

As talks remain in limbo, a key Iranian figure says the Islamic Republic is ready to ‘show new cards on the battlefield’.

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A national flag of Iran hangs from a building in Tehran that was damaged by US-Israeli attacks. Photo: Xinhua
Middle East

Defying Hezbollah, Lebanon’s president seeks end to hostilities with Israel talks

Ambassadors are set to meet in Washington on Thursday as President Aoun hopes to ‘save Lebanon’ amid a fragile ceasefire.

US, Israel war on Iran

US-Iran talks in the air as high-seas ship seizure reignites Hormuz tensions

Pakistan scrambles to save talks in Islamabad following the US military’s seizure of an Iranian-flagged vessel.

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US, Israel war on Iran

What the US-Iran ‘fight-talk’ dynamic means before their ceasefire ends

Meanwhile, China expresses ‘concern’ over America’s interception of Iranian-flagged cargo ship in Gulf of Oman.

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A police officer gestures to a vehicle at a check post near Faisal Masjid on Sunday, as Pakistan tries to convene a tentative second phase of peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war escalates as Houthis threaten to sever Saudi oil exports

Targets reportedly include a Saudi pipeline to the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and a UAE export terminal at Fujairah, outside the Gulf.

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Armed Houthi loyalists attend a rally in Yemen last month demanding a resumption of attacks against Red Sea shipping. Photo: Xinhua
US, Israel war on Iran

Exclusive | Iran keen on deal with US but has higher ‘pain tolerance’: think tank chief

Mohamed Amersi, who is close to Iranian negotiators, says regime is prepared for long haul and will not give up its missile programme.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Turkey’s Erdogan urges Iran, US to use ceasefire to push for lasting peace

At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Erdogan also stressed the importance of acting with ‘prudent understanding’ to end the Iran war.

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran, US say Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial vessels

Move eases oil fears, but US’ Iran blockade remains amid questions over enforcement and China’s role, as Trump claims to have ended 10 wars.

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A drone view shows the Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arriving in Iraq’s territorial waters off Basra, Iraq, on Friday. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Lebanon becomes key to Iran-US peace talks amid fears of Israel’s ‘hegemony’

Pakistan is the regional go-between to help maintain the 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon and push for a conclusive deal to end the Iran war.

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Displaced people make their way back to their home on Friday crossing the bridge in Qasmiyeh linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country as a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect. Photo: Reuters
Science

China’s space station crew to ‘maximise opportunities’ with extra month in orbit

The Shenzhou-21 astronauts were embroiled in drama last year after their probe was used in an emergency mission for the previous crew.

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Energy

Pakistan oil tanker becomes first to exit through Hormuz since US blockade began

Transits through the narrow waterway have been mostly in single digits since US and Israeli strikes began at the end of February.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Will China arm Iran during the 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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An Iranian woman walks past a large-scale billboard referring to the Strait of Hormuz as ‘Forever on Iran’s hand’, at a square in Tehran, Iran, 15 April 2026. Photo: EPA
US-China relations

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

From soybeans and tariffs to Chinese-American plays, here are highlights from our US correspondents in early April 2026.

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
US, Israel war on Iran

Fact-Check | This video of ‘Iran capturing US pilot’ was filmed in Pakistan

The conflict in the Middle East has led to videos being shared out of context by social media users.

A screenshot showing scenes from a video falsely claiming to show a US pilot captured by Iran, with lines drawn through by the SCMP. Photo: Handout/SCMP
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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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.

Middle East

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
China-India relations

Exclusive | Quad summit plan turns uneasy as India pushes ahead without top leaders: sources

Trump foresees a ‘big, fat hug’ from China’s Xi Jinping as New Delhi mulls a face-saver Quad meet-up without the US president.

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India’s Narendra Modi embraces Donald Trump at the White House on June 26, 2017. Photo: AP
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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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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