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War and conflict

War and conflict
The latest news, analysis and opinion on War and conflict. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A giant billboard in Tehran declaring: ‘The Strait of Hormuz remains closed’. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran fires on 3 ships in Strait of Hormuz after Trump extends ceasefire

Iran state TV says two ships were attacked by the Revolutionary Guard and are in the force’s custody.

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Food and agriculture

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Iran crisis casts light on energy security from the US to Asia

Myanmar

Why Myanmar’s token amnesties are ‘no cause for celebration’

Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is now due for release in 2043 – provided she survives to the age of 97.

A protester from Myanmar living in Japan holds a placard showing detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a rally in December outside Myanmar’s embassy in Tokyo denouncing the junta’s election. 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

The incidents are among several that have occurred since a 10-day Lebanon ceasefire came into effect last Thursday.

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Pacific nations

Pacific Islanders skip food, medicine amid global fuel shortage from Iran war

Pacific nations are the most reliant on diesel for power generation worldwide. They imported about 2.2 million tonnes of fuel in 2025.

Boats ply the waterway in Buka, Papua New Guinea. Many Pacific Island communities rely on boat transport for movement. Photo: AFP
Israel

Israel jails soldiers for vandalising Jesus statue in Lebanon

Both the soldier who smashed the sculpture with a sledgehammer and the one who photographed the act will receive military detention.

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Myanmar

Myanmar president seeks peace talks by July 31, 2 rebel groups reject offer

Of the rebel groups that Min Aung Hlaing mentioned in his offer, the Karen National Union and the Chin National Front have rejected his call.

US-China relations

Trump extends Iran ceasefire, claims interception of ‘gift from China’

Strait blockade stays as US seizes vessel said to be carrying ammunition for Iran; Beijing denies role and talks face fresh doubt.

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Cargo ships near the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Reuters
China energy security

China confronts Middle East supply shock, as State Council mulls energy strategy

Premier Li Qiang urges ‘bottom-line mentality’ to secure power as Beijing sees coal and Russian gas among options to offset reliance on imported crude.

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Premier Li Qiang presides over a State Council group study session on energy development on Monday. Photo Xinhua
Diplomacy

Opinion | China’s diplomacy succeeds even if it doesn’t bring Middle East peace

From Beijing’s perspective, diplomacy is remarkably effective in advancing China’s regional interests and differentiating it from the US.

Singapore

Strait talking: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia unite to secure safe shipping

Together, the Straits of Malacca and Singapore form the world’s busiest corridor for crude oil and petroleum liquids by volume.

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Malaysia

Malaysian sultan warns Asean staring at ‘economic crisis’ over Hormuz closure

Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah said Southeast Asia faces food and energy insecurity, urging swift Middle East conflict resolution.

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Vehicles line up to fill LPG at a fuel station in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last month. Photo: EPA
India

Iran firing on Indian oil tankers in Hormuz sparks ‘mistaken identity’ fears

Analysts say the episode reveals how easily military pressure and confusion in Hormuz can affect vessels not meant to be in the line of fire.

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Ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
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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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.

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US-China relations

US must make more bombers, bring China in on nuclear arms talks: senator

Republican Deb Fischer, whose subcommittee oversees US nuclear arsenal, insisted Beijing must be part of any future treaty negotiations.

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DF-5C nuclear missiles are displayed during a military parade in Beijing in September 2025. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Beyond Panama and Hormuz: 8 critical waterways under the global microscope

Amid US actions in the two major shipping channels, attention has shifted to the strategic importance and potential risks elsewhere.

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European Union

Bulgaria’s pro-Kremlin ex-president wins election, Russia and EU welcome victory

Rumen Radev has criticised military support for Ukraine’s war effort and the European Union’s heavy reliance on renewable energy.

Iran

Video | US forces seize Iranian ship

Iran announced it had no plans yet to take part in a second round of negotiations, citing excessive US demands.

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The Philippines

Philippine army kills at least 10 Maoist rebels during battles in Negros

The military said a local New People’s Army leader was among the dead, with both sides engaged in six firefights in Toboso.

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Fighters of the New People’s Army conduct a drill at an undisclosed location in Sierra Madre, Philippines, in 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE
Russia

Russia arrests German woman over bomb plot it says is linked to Ukraine

There have been arrests of Western citizens by Russia amid the Ukraine war, typically on espionage charges that are widely seen as baseless.

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Malaysia

Delays, rising costs hit Asia’s trade as Gulf crisis spills beyond oil

Port congestion has resulted in longer vessel queues and mounting scheduling pressure, forcing Malaysian operators to tighten access.

Art

Vietnamese-American’s war-themed art stirs painful parallels with clashes today

A Hong Kong exhibition dedicated to the late artist Dinh Q. Le highlights his commentary on US military force and the human cost of conflict.

“Untitled 1” (2013), by Dinh Q. Le. Photo: 10 Chancery Lane Gallery. This woven image is based on the infamous “Napalm Girl” photograph taken during the Vietnam war. It is featured in an exhibition at Hong Kong’s 10 Chancery Lane Gallery that pays tribute to the late Vietnamese artist. Photo” courtesy of 10 Chancery Lane Gallery
US, Israel war on Iran

Is Malacca Strait at risk from Hormuz ‘chain reaction’ after Iranian warning?

Chinese analyst says the Mideast crisis has made the world start ‘thinking about the security of shipping routes again’.

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“The era of imposing security from across the oceans has come to an end,” Iran’s senior adviser Ali Akbar Velayati has said. Photo: EPA
South Korea

South Korea targets India, Vietnam in ‘co-prosperity’ push for trade and tech

President Lee embarks on a strategic trip to New Delhi and Hanoi, boosting economic ties and supply chains amid the Middle East chaos.

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Middle East

Israel entrenches hold on south Lebanon, vows to counter threats with ‘full force’

Israel’s military unveils a map of its new southern ‘forward defence line’, days after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect.

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