Advertisement
Advertisement
Middle East
TOPIC
 / location

Middle East

Middle East
Middle East
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Middle East. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
English and Urdu newspapers at a roadside stall after the US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad on April 12. Photo: AFP
India

Opinion | Why India is rankled by Pakistan playing mediator in US-Iran war

Pakistan, with its contested reputation, leapt into diplomatic action while India, despite its heft and concerns, was absent from the frame.

videocam
European Union

Europe running low on jet fuel, stoking fears of flight cancellations

videocam
Malaysia

‘New normal’: Malaysia and Australia strike energy supply pledge amid Iran war

videocam
Semiconductors

TSMC targets over 30% revenue surge in 2026, ramps up capex amid AI boom

AI dominates TSMC revenues as foundry giant pivots from smartphones to high-performance computing.

The TSMC logo is seen outside the company’s Museum of Innovation in Hsinchu, Taiwan April 9, 2026. Photo: Reuters
United States

Lula blasts Trump’s fear-based rule, calls for ‘great maturity’

‘Trump has no right to wake up in the morning and threaten a country,’ Brazil’s president says.

videocam
Skincare

Video | The Iran war is going to hurt your skincare routine

The region has seen plastic use surge by 900% since 1990, making Asia responsible for nearly a third of global plastic consumption.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China-EU relations

Open Questions | Europe lacks China strategy, needs new US approach, Biscop says

Sven Biscop, director at the Royal Institute for International Relations in Brussels, on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

videocam
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
CATL

CATL market cap tops US$293 billion as shares surge on mining arm

A new investment unit to manage mining assets signals CATL’s deeper shift beyond EV batteries into energy storage.

Hong Kong transport

Greater Bay Airlines suspends Bangkok flights amid fuel price surge

Flights unavailable for most dates from May 12 to September 22 in both directions of Hong Kong-Bangkok route.

videocam
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’.

videocam
13
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with his Iranian counterpart in a phone call on Wednesday regarding the Iran war and access to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Xinhua
Malaysia

Petrol patrol: Malaysia sends police to guard border stations as fuel leaks rise

Malaysia is trying to prevent its heavily subsidised petrol and diesel from being siphoned across land and sea borders as the global energy crisis bites.

videocam
A man fills his car with RON95 petrol at a station in Malaysia on March 25. Photo: EPA
US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says Israel, Lebanon leaders will speak for first time in decades

Talks would be historic, as a potential Lebanon ceasefire is seen as a critical condition for US-Iran peace.

US, Israel war on Iran

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.

Iran

Jailed Iranian Nobel winner ‘critical’ after heart attack

Supporters say the life of 2023 peace laureate Narges Mohammadi is at ‘immediate and irreparable risk’ in an Iranian prison.

Iranian rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi. Photo: Narges Mohammadi Foundation via AFP
Australia

Huge blaze at Australian refinery threatens petrol supply amid global oil crisis

The Geelong plant is one of only two operating oil refineries in Australia and supplies 10 per cent of the country’s total demand.

videocam
Flames shoot out from the Viva Oil Refinery in Geelong early Thursday morning. Photo: Handout/Giuliana Elakis/AFP
The Philippines

Desperate times, drastic measures? Filipinos call for fuel caps as crisis bites

The Philippines is one of the worst hit by the oil crisis, but its deregulation law prevents the government from capping fuel prices.

videocam
China trade

Record-setting Canton Fair under Middle East cloud as costs hit China’s exports

Manufacturers and buyers offer on-the-ground perspectives at China’s largest trade exhibition, swapping stories and predictions amid massive turnout.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
US-China relations

US warns of China’s ‘invasion rehearsals’ as Trump seeks record military budget

Washington puts spotlight on Beijing’s Taiwan, space operations during hearing on US military’s combat readiness for next year.

videocam
32
US President Donald Trump announces the US Navy’s “Golden Fleet” battleship programme at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, in December 2025. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
United States

US envoy Waltz touts ‘America first’ policy, budget cuts in Senate swipe at UN

US ambassador to UN joined other Washington envoys hailing US-led cost-cutting, efficiency drive and streamlining of UN’s cumulative ‘bloat’.

videocam
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.

videocam
6
Israel

Israeli security cabinet to discuss possible Lebanon ceasefire: senior official

Senior Hezbollah official Ibrahim al-Moussawi says diplomatic efforts by Iran and other regional states could produce a ceasefire soon.

A building is struck during an Israeli attack in Beirut, Lebanon, on March 31. Photo: Reuters
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.

videocam
30
More than 10,000 troops are taking part in the US blockade of Iran, according to the US Central Command. Photo: Handout
China energy security

US officials claim China is ‘hoarding’ oil. What does the data say?

While US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China is stockpiling crude amid the Iran war, the numbers suggest Beijing is facing a supply crunch.

videocam
8
China GDP

Despite Iran war, China set for ‘solid’ first-quarter GDP growth: analysts

Flexible growth target means little likelihood of imminent stimulus, but focus will switch to impact of disruptions in second quarter.

videocam
War and conflict

Opinion | Why ceasefires struggle and fail

From Ukraine to Gaza and the Middle East, the lesson of history is that ceasefires rarely hold.

videocam
US Vice-President J.D. Vance arrives for talks about Iran with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 11. Photo: AP
The Philippines

Why Southeast Asian nations are skipping major US-Philippine Balikatan drills

Given the rivalry between Washington and Beijing, joining the annual military exercise may risk being seen as picking the US, analysts say.

8
Philippine Navy Colonel Dennis Hernandez (left) looks on as United States Marines Colonel Robert Bunn speaks during a Balikatan briefing on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
Africa

Sudan enters 4th year of war as ‘abandoned crisis’ grows

The war has pushed parts of Sudan into famine and the UN says about 34 million people, or almost two of every three Sudanese, need help.

Indonesia

Prabowo’s overseas trips draw scrutiny as Indonesia urges fuel restraint

Since his inauguration in October 2024, Prabowo has gone on 51 official visits, travelling to 28 countries and chalking up 99 days overseas.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement