Venezuela

Trump offers Latin American leaders US missile strikes to hit drug cartels

The US president launched a 17-nation ‘counter cartel’ coalition at his ‘Shield of the Americas’ summit.

8 Mar 2026 - 1:46AM

US President Donald Trump attends the “Shield of the Americas” summit in Miami, Florida, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Australia

Opinion | Australia needs to make its stance on the Iran attacks known

By refusing to condemn these legally baseless strikes, the Albanese government risks choosing ‘might is right’ over the UN Charter.

7 Mar 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

Opinion | Are investors spooked by Iran violence? Market response suggests not

Renewed fighting in the Middle East bodes ill for the global economy, but it is not yet enough to counterbalance other short-term factors.

6 Mar 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

Trump demands Iran forces surrender or die, wants say on next leader

US president dismisses Khamenei’s son as a ‘lightweight’ and orders Iranian forces to lay down arms or face ‘guaranteed death’.

6 Mar 2026 - 5:40PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump at the White House on Sunday. Photo: AP

Opinion | China waits and watches as the US fights all its tigers at once

Far from freeing up resources to focus on China, Trump’s administration finds itself fighting fires on several fronts, sapping its resources.

5 Mar 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

Security forces fire tear gas to disperse a protest against US and Israeli attacks on Iran, at a bridge leading to the fortified Green Zone where the US embassy is located, in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 2. Photo: AP

US Senate rejects bid to curb Trump’s Iran war powers despite growing concerns

The bipartisan resolution, which failed by 52-47 votes, was aimed at stifling Donald Trump’s authority to continue military strikes on Iran.

6 Mar 2026 - 7:56AMvideocam

Is the US in decline? After Iran strikes, maybe not, Chinese analysts say

The popular idea in China that American strength is waning may need a rethink, observers say.

4 Mar 2026 - 11:59PMvideocam

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China-Middle East relations

Khamenei’s fall exposes China’s military AI lag versus US: Beijing adviser

Zheng Yongnian cites precision strikes on Iran and earlier Venezuela raid to warn about risks posed by deep AI integration in US military.

4 Mar 2026 - 11:01PMvideocam

Plumes of smoke rise in Iranian capital Tehran following US-Israeli missile strikes on March 1. Photo: AFP

Why China is staying on the sidelines of the US-Iran conflict

Decision based on consideration of Beijing’s own interests as well as its ties with Washington and others, analysts say.

4 Mar 2026 - 8:23PMvideocam

Since the large-scale attacks by the US and Israel against Iran began over the weekend, Beijing has limited its response to diplomatic statements. Photo: AFP

Ukraine war

Trump’s Iran attack sparks calls in Russia to abandon Ukraine talks

Some Russian hardliners are urging Vladimir Putin to double down on the war in Ukraine.

4 Mar 2026 - 6:37PMvideocam

North Korea

North Korea’s hostage strategy packs more bite in post-Iran US shake-up

The Pentagon wants Seoul to shoulder more of its defence burden. Analysts say it may have strengthened Kim Jong-un’s hand instead.

4 Mar 2026 - 5:25PMvideocam

China energy security

As US-Iran war threatens oil supplies, will China speed up its green transition?

Beijing is still dependent on fossil fuels but Washington’s recent interventions may prompt officials to fast-track shift, analysts say.

3 Mar 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Iran announced on Monday announced it had closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz, while Qatar halted liquefied natural gas production and Saudi Arabia shut down its largest oil refinery. The turmoil has hit global energy markets, as oil and gas prices soar. Photo: Reuters

War and conflict

Editorial | Strikes on Iran may complicate US-China ties

No significant impact expected on China’s, or Hong Kong’s, economy from the most recent conflict in the Middle East.

3 Mar 2026 - 7:15AM

Will Iran attack derail Trump’s high-stakes China visit to meet Xi Jinping?

China has condemned killing of Iranian leader as a grave violation of sovereignty and called US incitement of regime change ‘unacceptable’.

2 Mar 2026 - 11:38PMvideocam

China-Middle East relations

Opinion | Attack on Iran normalises global descent into the ‘law of the jungle’

By waging war under the logic of pre-emptive defence, the US and Israel are hollowing out the foundations of international law.

2 Mar 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Iran attack a ‘wake-up call’ for China on electronic warfare and intelligence

Retired PLA colonel urges China to watch out for ‘internal infiltration and intelligence leaks’ and boost ‘security around critical targets’.

2 Mar 2026 - 10:36PMvideocam

An image taken from Israeli military footage shows what it says are large-scale strikes on “the headquarters of the Iranian terror regime” in Tehran on March 1. Photo: Handout

Opposition leader Machado will return to Venezuela in coming weeks

The Nobel Peace Prize winner prepares for a homecoming that the acting president warns will require her to ‘answer’ to the state.

2 Mar 2026 - 10:23AM

Middle East

Burgers, then war: Trump’s bluffs before Iran strikes

The US president gave mixed signals about whether the attack was coming, but his weekend Mar-a-Lago trip may have been the big giveaway.

1 Mar 2026 - 6:55AMvideocam

Trump says US discussing ‘friendly takeover’ of Cuba: ‘they’re in big trouble’

‘They have no money, they have no oil, they have no food,’ the president says, as the US puts pressure on the Communist-run island.

28 Feb 2026 - 2:52AM

Student activists Tampa, Florida, protest against the US oil embargo on Cuba on Thursday. Photo: AFP

North Korea

North Korea’s Kim warns of ‘eternal confrontation’ without US dialogue

As long as Washington acknowledges Pyongyang as a nuclear power, there is ‘no reason not to get along’, the North Korean leader says.

27 Feb 2026 - 8:07PMvideocam

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and daughter Ju-ae attend a military parade to commemorate the Ninth Workers’ Party congress on Wednesday. Photo: KCNA/AFP

Cuba coastguard kills 4 in firefight with US-registered speedboat

The authorities says shots were fired from the vessel as they approached to identify it.

26 Feb 2026 - 7:19AM