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Middle East
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Middle East

Middle East
Middle East
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Middle East. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Pub-goers enjoy a few drinks in Lan Kwai Fong ahead of this weekend’s rugby. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong economy

Bars gearing up for bumper Hong Kong Sevens weekend

Bar operators dismiss concerns that higher airfares because of Middle East war will deter rugby fans from visiting city.

North Korea

Nuclear defiance: North Korea’s Kim signals he won’t be the next Iran

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Business of climate change

Asia-Pacific firms face credit pressure from Iran war energy shock, S&P says

Future of transport

‘First of its kind’ flying taxi station completed in Dubai

Commercial operations, with flights by California-based Joby Aviation, are expected to begin by the end of the year.

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An electric air taxi by Joby Aviation flies near the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in New York in November 2023. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Israel and Lebanon begin 10-day ceasefire as US pushes broader deal

Pause may ease tensions with Iran, with Trump eyeing White House talks, though doubts linger over prospects for a lasting peace deal.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Will China arm Iran during the ceasefire?

Pentagon says Beijing offered assurances as US tightens blockade and warns Tehran talks could quickly give way to renewed strikes.

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US-China relations

Trump-Xi summit worries, new fertiliser woes: 7 US-China relations reads

From soybeans and tariffs to Chinese-American plays, here are highlights from our US correspondents in early April 2026.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before their meeting in South Korea in October 2025. Photo: AP
China-Asean relations

Can Japan’s US$10b energy shield oust China’s influence in Southeast Asia?

Pledge is a bid to ‘embed Japan at the centre of Southeast Asia’s energy security architecture’, observer notes, but questions its impact.

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US-China trade war

Trade tensions dim foreign investment outlook in US and China, survey finds

US and China have ‘suffered the most’ amid global decline in outbound investment appetite due to heightened geopolitical tensions.

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Africa

In Cameroon, Pope Leo assails ‘tyrants ravaging’ world amid Trump row

‘The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild,’ Leo says.

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Pope Leo releases a white dove at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
India

Opinion | Why India feels exposed by Pakistan’s diplomacy in Iran war

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

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English and Urdu newspapers at a roadside stall after the US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad on April 12. Photo: AFP
European Union

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

IEA executive director Birol said the Hormuz blockade-induced energy crisis will hit nations including Japan, China and India harder.

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Malaysia

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

The deal creates a mutual spillover valve, allowing the partners to swap surplus energy once domestic demand is satisfied.

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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.

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A woman walks next to an anti-US mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday. Photo: WANA via Reuters
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.

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.

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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.

CATL’s has gained on expectations the Fujian-based company would step up its expansion into energy storage. Photo: Reuters
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.

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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’.

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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.

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

Lebanon’s president refuses talks with Israel amid Trump’s peace push

The Lebanese leader said Beirut’s position is that a ceasefire should ⁠precede negotiations.

Israeli army vehicles and bulldozers operate in southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel, on Wednesday. Photo: AP
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.

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.

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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.

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A pump attendant uses adhesive tape to change figures of fuel prices in Quezon City on April 7. Photo: EPA
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.

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.

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