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Turkey

Latest news and updates on the country which straddles both Europe and Asia.

Capital

Ankara

Head of State

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Head of Government

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

High levels of wind and solar energy increase bidirectional power flow switching, causing additional stress on transformers, a study has found. Photo: Xinhua

Science

US transformers are ageing. Why renewable energy could make things worse

Team in China finds that high renewable energy integration could make power transformers age nearly a quarter faster.

3 hours agovideocam

Lebanon

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

6 hours ago

China-Middle East relations

Exclusive | Why has a Nato member reaffirmed its Brics ambitions? Its envoy elaborates

5 Feb 2026 - 9:07AM

Middle East

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.

5 Feb 2026 - 9:58AM

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.

4 Feb 2026 - 10:11PM

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.

3 Feb 2026 - 6:56PM

Crime

Fury in Turkey after woman’s headless body found in rubbish bin

Police intercept male suspects as women’s rights groups express outrage at the latest brutal killing.

26 Jan 2026 - 2:45PM

Turkey’s flag. On Sunday, the decapitated body of a woman was found in a rubbish bin in Istanbul. File photo: EPA

Saudi Arabia

‘Anything can happen’: Saudi-UAE rift risks tearing Middle East apart

The Gulf neighbours have turned from friends to foes, fighting proxy wars across the region and forcing global powers to pick a side.

25 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM

Indonesia

‘Resilience’ is Indonesia’s new foreign policy buzzword, but is it just rhetoric?

Analysts warn the vague concept lacks a long-term strategy and risks Jakarta drifting from its non-aligned values into transactional deals.

25 Jan 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

Indonesia

Indonesia’s defence deal with Bosnia signals Asian middle power’s clout

The deal is in line with Jakarta’s goal to pursue an ‘active and free’ foreign policy beyond its Western partners.

23 Jan 2026 - 6:40PM

President Prabowo Subianto (third from left) and Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin (left) at the military academy in Magelang, Central Java in 2024. Photo: AFP/Indonesia’s presidential palace

Middle East

Syria gives Kurds 4 days to accept integration as US signals end of support

The government announced a new truce after seizing swathes of territory from the Syrian Democratic Forces.

21 Jan 2026 - 2:42PM

Syria

Syrian deal unravels as sides clash and Isis prisoners escape

Integration agreement with the SDF falters amid reports that hundreds of militants fled prison as government forces moved in.

20 Jan 2026 - 12:24PM

Middle East

Syrian government forces take Al-Omar oilfield as Kurds withdraw

Al-Omar was home to the largest US base in Syria. It had been controlled by Kurdish-led forces since 2017 after Islamic State group was pushed out.

18 Jan 2026 - 9:21PM

Israel-Gaza war

Israel objects to composition of Trump-led Gaza ‘board of peace’

PM Netanyahu says the unveiling of the board was not coordinated with Israel and contradicted his government’s policy.

18 Jan 2026 - 2:05AM

Palestinian girls walk past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the war in Gaza City on Friday. Photo: Reuters

Pakistan

Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia plan defence deal to counter chaos in Middle East

Iran’s neighbours are worried that the US’ increasingly erratic behaviour may pose a risk to regional power balance and trade, analysts say.

16 Jan 2026 - 5:54PMvideocam

A protester waves the Iranian flag outside UN headquarters in New York during a Security Council meeting on Iran on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Pakistan

Pakistan’s arms deals cleared for take-off as orders soar for JF-17 jets

The jets, co-produced with China, proved their worth during the India-Pakistan tensions, when they destroyed an S-400 air defence system.

16 Jan 2026 - 11:12AMvideocam

Iran

Trump vs Iran: Gulf allies fear US ‘help’ may unleash chaos

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are urging against military action, even as the US president teases that ‘help is on its way’.

14 Jan 2026 - 12:11PMvideocam

Middle East

Trump urges on protesters in Iran as crackdown death toll surges

As Tehran accuses the US of inciting violence, Trump warns of ‘very strong action’ if Iran hangs protesters.

14 Jan 2026 - 3:12PMvideocam

Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran on January. 9. Photo: AP

Israel-Gaza war

Hamas says will dissolve its Gaza government when Palestinian body takes over

Militant group agrees to cede power to technocratic committee under Trump-brokered plan, but silence remains over disarmament.

12 Jan 2026 - 11:17AM

Syria

Kurdish fighters refuse to leave Syria’s Aleppo after truce

Kurdish fighters defy Aleppo truce, sparking fears of wider conflict amid civilian evacuations and international pressure.

9 Jan 2026 - 8:41PM

Artificial intelligence

Chinese robot vacuum maker Dreame sees AI-driven appliances run household chores

The firm’s ambition is to become a ‘world-class technology company’, global president Chang Xinwei says.

9 Jan 2026 - 9:07AM

People at the CES trade show watch Dreame’s prototype Cyber X robot vacuum cleaner, the first such product designed to climb up and down an entire flight of stairs and handle multilevel cleaning. Photo: AFP

Malaysia

Ankara anchor: Malaysia finds Turkey ‘reliable friend’ in stormy global waters

Trump’s tariffs and actions in Venezuela are causing the Global South to look for less mercurial partners, analysts say.

8 Jan 2026 - 5:33PM

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim exchange a signed agreement in Ankara on Wednesday. Photo: Turkish Presidency/Xinhua

Syria

Deadly clashes in Aleppo shatter Syria’s fragile peace as thousands flee

Fierce fighting between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led SDF exposes the failure of a year-long plan to merge the two militaries.

8 Jan 2026 - 2:49PM

Saudi Arabia

US allies Saudi Arabia, UAE risk a split in Middle East over competing visions

A ‘new order’ is emerging as Abu Dhabi-backed separatist allies clash with pro-Riyadh governments in the region.

8 Jan 2026 - 5:21PM

Switzerland

Swiss grieve as all 40 bar fire victims identified - many of them under 18

Hundreds march in silence to honour victims of the New Year’s Swiss bar fire who were as young as 14.

5 Jan 2026 - 1:26PM

Switzerland

Explainer | Swiss bar inferno joins long list of world’s worst club fires

A look at some of the worst fires in bars, nightclubs and music venues in past decades, where celebrations turned to tragedy in seconds.

2 Jan 2026 - 2:38PM

The Mountain B pub in Thailand after it was ravaged by fire in 2022. Photo: AP

Israel

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland enrages Somalia, African Union

Several other countries also condemned Israel’s decision and Trump stated his opposition to US recognition of the breakaway state.

27 Dec 2025 - 10:14AM

Aviation accidents

Libya military chief and 7 others killed in jet crash in Turkey

Investigators are looking into a technical failure that brought down the delegation’s Falcon 50 jet shortly after take-off from Ankara.

24 Dec 2025 - 11:10AM

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Turkey

US transformers are ageing. Why renewable energy could make things worse

Team in China finds that high renewable energy integration could make power transformers age nearly a quarter faster.

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

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | Why has a Nato member reaffirmed its Brics ambitions? Its envoy elaborates

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.

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.

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.

Fury in Turkey after woman’s headless body found in rubbish bin

Police intercept male suspects as women’s rights groups express outrage at the latest brutal killing.

‘Anything can happen’: Saudi-UAE rift risks tearing Middle East apart

The Gulf neighbours have turned from friends to foes, fighting proxy wars across the region and forcing global powers to pick a side.

‘Resilience’ is Indonesia’s new foreign policy buzzword, but is it just rhetoric?

Analysts warn the vague concept lacks a long-term strategy and risks Jakarta drifting from its non-aligned values into transactional deals.

Indonesia’s defence deal with Bosnia signals Asian middle power’s clout

The deal is in line with Jakarta’s goal to pursue an ‘active and free’ foreign policy beyond its Western partners.

Syria gives Kurds 4 days to accept integration as US signals end of support

The government announced a new truce after seizing swathes of territory from the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Syrian deal unravels as sides clash and Isis prisoners escape

Integration agreement with the SDF falters amid reports that hundreds of militants fled prison as government forces moved in.

Syrian government forces take Al-Omar oilfield as Kurds withdraw

Al-Omar was home to the largest US base in Syria. It had been controlled by Kurdish-led forces since 2017 after Islamic State group was pushed out.

Israel objects to composition of Trump-led Gaza ‘board of peace’

PM Netanyahu says the unveiling of the board was not coordinated with Israel and contradicted his government’s policy.

Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia plan defence deal to counter chaos in Middle East

Iran’s neighbours are worried that the US’ increasingly erratic behaviour may pose a risk to regional power balance and trade, analysts say.

Pakistan’s arms deals cleared for take-off as orders soar for JF-17 jets

The jets, co-produced with China, proved their worth during the India-Pakistan tensions, when they destroyed an S-400 air defence system.

Trump vs Iran: Gulf allies fear US ‘help’ may unleash chaos

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are urging against military action, even as the US president teases that ‘help is on its way’.

Trump urges on protesters in Iran as crackdown death toll surges

As Tehran accuses the US of inciting violence, Trump warns of ‘very strong action’ if Iran hangs protesters.

Hamas says will dissolve its Gaza government when Palestinian body takes over

Militant group agrees to cede power to technocratic committee under Trump-brokered plan, but silence remains over disarmament.

Kurdish fighters refuse to leave Syria’s Aleppo after truce

Kurdish fighters defy Aleppo truce, sparking fears of wider conflict amid civilian evacuations and international pressure.

Chinese robot vacuum maker Dreame sees AI-driven appliances run household chores

The firm’s ambition is to become a ‘world-class technology company’, global president Chang Xinwei says.

Ankara anchor: Malaysia finds Turkey ‘reliable friend’ in stormy global waters

Trump’s tariffs and actions in Venezuela are causing the Global South to look for less mercurial partners, analysts say.

Deadly clashes in Aleppo shatter Syria’s fragile peace as thousands flee

Fierce fighting between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led SDF exposes the failure of a year-long plan to merge the two militaries.

US allies Saudi Arabia, UAE risk a split in Middle East over competing visions

A ‘new order’ is emerging as Abu Dhabi-backed separatist allies clash with pro-Riyadh governments in the region.

Swiss grieve as all 40 bar fire victims identified - many of them under 18

Hundreds march in silence to honour victims of the New Year’s Swiss bar fire who were as young as 14.

Explainer | Swiss bar inferno joins long list of world’s worst club fires

A look at some of the worst fires in bars, nightclubs and music venues in past decades, where celebrations turned to tragedy in seconds.

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland enrages Somalia, African Union

Several other countries also condemned Israel’s decision and Trump stated his opposition to US recognition of the breakaway state.

Libya military chief and 7 others killed in jet crash in Turkey

Investigators are looking into a technical failure that brought down the delegation’s Falcon 50 jet shortly after take-off from Ankara.

Exclusive | Why has a Nato member reaffirmed its Brics ambitions? Its envoy elaborates