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US-Israel war on Iran

US-Israel war on Iran
Latest news and updates on the US and Israel's strikes on Iran, in which Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, and Iran's responses.
Cargo ships are loaded with containers at the port of Bangkok on April 3, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Thailand

Bridge too far? Hormuz crisis revives Thailand’s controversial plan

While the plan to bypass the Malacca Strait is popular with Anutin’s government, economists and environmentalists say it is not realistic.

India

India’s major airlines on ‘verge of closing down’ as high fuel costs sting

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War and conflict

Will Israel’s use of Iron Dome to aid Arab neighbour recalibrate Mideast defence?

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Middle East

Why UAE’s exit from Opec is good news for oil-thirsty Asia

Once free of Opec’s production caps, the world’s sixth-largest oil producer plans to flood the market with 5 million barrels a day.

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An oil technician climbs down a tower at a refinery in Jebel Ali, UAE. Photo: AP
China GDP

US economic gap over China to widen, but Iran might bring them closer: Mahbubani

Get your head checked, strategist Mahbubani tells those who underestimate the US and China, while forecasting a bigger GDP gulf between the two by 2030.

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US-Iran tensions

‘Wartime’ in Iran and Trump’s extended blockade: here’s what happened overnight

As the US president hit out at Germany’s chancellor, Iran said it did not consider the war to be over, while the UAE pulled out of Opec.

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China exports

How China’s reported sulphuric acid export ban could have global buyers reeling

Foreign firms fear more halts following reports of a ban on the export of the chemical, crucial for fertiliser and battery production.

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Illustration by Henry Wong
Iran

Opinion | US-Iran ceasefire can’t paper over fires in the Strait of Hormuz

The US blockade is war by another name and must end. Two other things must change for the Iran ceasefire to become genuine diplomacy.

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United States

US and Nato in frustrating ‘marriage crisis’, Belgian defence minister says

Theo Francken believed the strained transatlantic relationship should remain ‘united’, although sometimes Nato ‘can be a paper tiger’.

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Donald Trump

King Charles promotes US-UK bond before Congress at a time of deep divisions

British monarch urges US to reject isolationism in a landmark speech during a state visit aimed at repairing ties.

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US Vice-President J.D. Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson applaud King Charles before his address to a joint session of Congress. Photo: AFP
UAE

UAE to leave Opec after 6 decades, oil cartel unity questioned

Abu Dhabi, long at odds over quotas, says exit will free output as experts point to Saudi rift and push to boost production.

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The United Arab Emirates has announced it will be leaving the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Opec+ from May 1. Photo: EPA
Fifa

Iran, expanded World Cup under spotlight as Vancouver hosts Fifa congress

Concerns over greater costs, Iran’s participation the main issues less than two months before first 48-team edition of tournament.

China energy security

China orders maritime security research as Hormuz crisis exposes trade risks

The research agenda will also focus on safeguarding port access and critical mineral investments amid rising threats to global trade.

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China GDP

Unpacking China’s April Politburo statement

SCMP Plus annotates the readout from the April meeting of China’s top decision-making Politburo, which resolved to accelerate measures to limit the economic fallout from the Iran war.

Unpacking China’s April Politburo statement
Asean

Why Malacca Strait tolls are unlikely despite Indonesia’s maritime push

Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are united in upholding the principle of free passage but this must be ‘actively maintained’, analysts say.

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A worker walks past a liquefied natural gas tanker in the Malacca Strait on April 15. Photo: EPA
China GDP

China’s Politburo steps up policy response as Iran war shakes global economy

China’s leadership vows to push forward with infrastructure projects, boost tech self-reliance and safeguard energy security.

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Hong Kong property

Hong Kong home prices rise to 28-month high as buyers shrug off war fears

Prices of the city’s residential property rose by 1.4 per cent, showing strong resilience despite economic turbulence caused by the Iran war.

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Thailand

‘Hard to breathe’: Southeast Asia’s workers reel from warmer offices, heatwave

‘The canteen and even the 7-Eleven downstairs are cooler than our office, which is why people end up gathering there,’ a Thai worker says.

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Office workers walk with umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun during hot weather in Bangkok, Thailand, last month. Photo: EPA
King Charles III

UK king begins historic US state visit shadowed by transatlantic tensions

The monarch’s four-day visit comes as relations remain strained between Donald Trump and the UK government.

Middle East

Lebanese minister backs Hezbollah disarmament, but warns it will take time

Haneen Sayed in Washington says the process must be gradual as a ceasefire continues to be marred by deadly violations.

Religion

Pope meets first female Archbishop of Canterbury in symbolic Vatican encounter

Sarah Mullally, the first woman to serve as spiritual leader of the Church of England, and the pope exchanged gifts and prayed together.

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Pope Leo meets Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally at The Vatican on Monday. Photo: Simone Risoluti / Vatican media / AFP
Abbas Araghchi

Trump and Iran trade red lines as Putin enters the diplomatic crossfire

Message via Pakistan outlines terms on nuclear work and Strait of Hormuz, as Moscow signals support and Washington considers next move.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday in St Petersburg. Photo: AP
Nato

Nato considers end to annual summits to shield alliance from Trump

Nato summits have seen scenes of tension with the US president, and some members want fewer of them, possibly none in 2028.

Mainland China

2 months into the Iran war, who holds the upper hand?

Analysts are divided on who has the most to lose as the conflict drags on.

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Iran

Video | Over 20,000 seafarers stranded by Strait of Hormuz shutdown

20,000 seafarers on around 1,600 ships are stranded in the Persian Gulf due to transit risks.

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, April 20, 2026. REUTERS
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Iran

Opinion | Reopen Strait of Hormuz by reframing Iran’s tolls as reconstruction

The deeper issue is whether post-war reconstruction and security in the Gulf will be handled through negotiation or recurring coercion.

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The Panama-flagged MSC Francesca is seen during seizure by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz on April 24. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
China manufacturing

China’s industrial profits hit 6-month high amid Iran war price spikes

Fuel-processing sector pivots to profit while tech gains shield margins from modest revenue growth, highlighting an efficiency-led rally over a demand recovery.

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Japan

In hot water: Japan’s bathhouses struggle to stay afloat as oil prices spike

“Sentos” have cut operating hours and welcomed fewer customers, with some deciding to fold amid the energy crisis.

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