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Egypt
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Israel-Gaza war
Spanish, Brazilian flotilla activists released after detention in Israel
Israel deported two activists it detained near Greece for leading an aid flotilla attempting to break the naval blockade on Gaza.
3 hours ago
US, Israel war on Iran
Qatari tanker crosses Strait of Hormuz as Trump awaits Tehran response
2 hours ago
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US, Israel war on Iran
US-Iran war no closer to ending as Gulf clashes flare
9 May 2026 - 8:56PM
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South Korea
South Korea draws Gulf oil storage interest as Hormuz stays closed
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE are among major oil producers looking to South Korea’s underground storage facilities, officials say.
9 May 2026 - 1:14PM
Oil storage tanks at the Daesan petrochemical complex in Seosan, South Korea. Most of the country’s “oil reserve base” storage facilities have been built underground. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran
New Israel-Lebanon talks to try to curb Hezbollah influence in region: Rubio
Marco Rubio says Washington is also awaiting Iran’s response to a new US proposal to end the conflict in the region.
9 May 2026 - 4:56AM
China energy security
China’s shipping firms brace for a new ‘era of chaos’ as Iran war drags on
Chinese shipping giants are signing long contracts and rejigging their networks, as they hedge against prolonged disruptions to global trade routes.
8 May 2026 - 9:30PM
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US, Israel war on Iran
US and Iran exchange attacks around Strait of Hormuz, testing ceasefire
New hostilities broke out as Iran reviews a US proposal to end war in the Middle East.
8 May 2026 - 11:24AM
The Iranian navy firing a missile, at an unknown location, in an image released on May 8. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran
US-Iran peace optimism fuels Asian stock market gains
Asian markets surge on hopes for an end to US-Iran conflict and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, even with many risks still hanging over markets.
7 May 2026 - 5:00PM
US, Israel war on Iran
US strikes Iranian tanker amid reports Washington and Tehran near deal
Trump reiterated that Iran ‘cannot have a nuclear weapon’ as both sides combined military pressure with diplomatic efforts to end deadlock.
7 May 2026 - 4:29AM
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Middle East
Israel strikes Beirut for first time since Lebanon ceasefire
The first aerial attack on the capital since April kills a senior Hezbollah commander.
7 May 2026 - 10:47AM
South Korea
South Korea rebuffs Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ call after Hormuz ship fire
A UN mandate and a global coalition are required before Seoul joins Trump’s mission to reopen the strait, officials indicate.
6 May 2026 - 9:16AM
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South Koreans protest in Seoul last month against an earlier request by US President Donald Trump to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: AFP
China food security
How the Middle East crisis is expanding China’s agrochemical influence
China accounts for about a third of global fertiliser production, and 70 per cent of the raw materials for chemical pesticides.
5 May 2026 - 8:29AM
US, Israel war on Iran
US’ Bessent urges China to help open Strait of Hormuz
Treasury chief says Beijing’s energy buys fund ‘top sponsor of terrorism’, calls for action as US asserts ‘absolute control’ over waterway.
5 May 2026 - 10:33AM
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Diplomacy
Strait of Hormuz woes, US-Nato ‘crisis’: 7 global relations reads
From a possible Trump-Iran joint venture to Russia-China talks, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in April 2026.
4 May 2026 - 10:30PM
Middle East
Israeli raid in West Bank leaves 1 Palestinian dead, 4 wounded
Nayef Samaro, 26, was one of five hit by gunfire; the Israeli military says troops fired after ‘terrorists’ threw rocks.
4 May 2026 - 10:02AM
Israeli soldiers during clashes with Palestinian protesters following an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Nablus. Photo: Xinhua
US, Israel war on Iran
Trump says US will ‘guide’ ships out of Hormuz, as vessels attacked
US to launch new mission dubbed ‘Project Freedom’ as Tehran signals interference would be seen as a ceasefire violation.
4 May 2026 - 1:17PM
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Israel-Gaza war
Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel face ‘extreme brutality’
Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted near Greece were brought to Israel for interrogation, and appeared in court on Sunday.
3 May 2026 - 4:34PM
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Middle East
‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.
3 May 2026 - 10:30AM
The port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on April 17. Photo: EPA/The UAE Presidential Court
US, Israel war on Iran
Trump says he’s reviewing new Iran proposal to end war
The president also has floated a new plan to reopen the Hormuz, after the US warned shipping firms against paying Iran for safe passage.
3 May 2026 - 7:09AM
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US, Israel war on Iran
Iran will not accept ‘imposed’ peace, Trump not satisfied with negotiations
US lawmakers are pressuring the President to resolve the war, while Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is attempting to ease the war’s toll on Iran’s economy.
2 May 2026 - 9:00PM
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Saudi Arabia
UAE’s Opec exit signals aim to accelerate foreign policy diversification
Iran’s attacks on Gulf states have forced Abu Dhabi to rethink its place within the Saudi Arabia-led diplomatic architecture, analysts say.
2 May 2026 - 5:00PM
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Middle East
Hezbollah’s cheap drones pose challenge for Israel – like ‘children’s toys’
The militant group is using devices linked to their launch site by a thin fibre-optic cable that can stretch for dozens of kilometres.
2 May 2026 - 2:48PM
Rockets fired from southern Lebanon intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system over the Upper Galilee region on April 11. Photo: AFP
2026 Xi-Trump summit
China’s UN envoy blasts US ‘bullying’ as sanctions widen before Trump-Xi talks
Curbs tied to Iran and a fragile ceasefire cast a shadow over the leaders’ planned Beijing summit as tensions between the powers mount.
2 May 2026 - 6:36AM
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US-China trade war
US sanctions China-based operator, others over alleged Iran oil trade links
State Department targets Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal for allegedly importing ‘tens of millions of barrels of sanctioned Iranian crude oil’.
2 May 2026 - 7:38AM
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US, Israel war on Iran
Trump says hostilities in Iran ‘terminated’ ahead of war powers deadline
Trump administration argues war in Iran has ended due to ceasefire, allowing White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval.
2 May 2026 - 5:00AM
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