Bahrain

Trump says Gaza ‘war is over’ as he heads to Middle East on high-stakes peace trip

13 Oct 2025 - 1:13PMvideocam

Trump’s Gaza deal forged by diplomacy blitz, help from Arab and Muslim allies

10 Oct 2025 - 11:38AM

Qatar joins Gulf neighbours in African funding game with US$103 billion pledge

Al-Mansour Holdings is looking to tap into six resource-rich sub-Saharan countries for minerals, oil and gas.

4 Sep 2025 - 3:17PMvideocam

A labourer carries a sack of ore at the Rubaya coltan mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo on March 24. Photo: Reuters

Israel

UAE says Israeli annexation of West Bank ‘red line’ for Abu Dhabi

The UAE’s warning is its strongest criticism of Israel since the start of the Gaza war, and raises concerns about the Abraham Accords.

3 Sep 2025 - 8:54PM

Ukraine war

Ukraine eases wartime ban on men aged 18-22 from travelling abroad

Since the start of the war, Ukrainian men have required authorisation to leave Ukraine to ensure enough conscripts to fight Russia’s invasion.

27 Aug 2025 - 8:13AM

At least 76 dead, dozens missing after migrant boat sinks off Yemen

Yemeni security forces were conducting operations to recover a ‘significant’ number of bodies.

4 Aug 2025 - 4:45PM

Fishing boats in the Gulf of Aden. Dozens of migrants died when a boat carrying around 150 people sank off Yemen’s coast in bad weather on Sunday. File photo: Shutterstock

Asian Angle | Why Malaysia seeks enduring Asean-GCC-China cooperation

Malaysia’s history as a global bridge drives this new trilateral forum, mirroring historical trade routes from China to the Middle East.

28 Jul 2025 - 10:05AMvideocam

Hong Kong stock exchange

Opinion | Hong Kong must spread its wings and look beyond mainland Chinese IPOs

If Hong Kong wants to lead Asia’s next capital markets cycle, it needs to become the top choice for the whole region, not just the mainland.

21 Jul 2025 - 9:34AMvideocam

China-Middle East relations

Asean-GCC economic axis: the Global South’s answer to US volatility?

The two blocs’ emerging alliance looks to leverage each other’s strengths to buffer both regions from tariffs and US-China trade tensions.

22 Jul 2025 - 4:20PM

Asean and Gulf officials join hands for a group photo at the second Asean-GCC Summit in Kuala Lumpur on May 27. Photo: AFP

China likely to strengthen backing for Iran as it looks to secure interests

With Iran ‘deeply tied’ to Chinese interests, analyst says it will be a balancing act for Beijing as it pursues regional stability.

10 Jul 2025 - 4:59PMvideocam

China could step up investment and imports of oil and gas from Iran under a 25-year cooperation agreement signed in 2021. Photo: Reuters

Israel-Iran conflict

How Israel-Iran war sent ripples of fear through the global maritime trade

The ghost of the 1980s ‘tanker war’ returned as Iran’s threats to close the Strait of Hormuz saw ships change course and freight rates soar.

30 Jun 2025 - 8:45AM

Asian Angle | Are migrant workers the real glue cementing Asean-GCC ties?

The surprising truth behind the growing partnership lies in its people-to-people connections, remittances, the haj and financial mobility.

28 Jun 2025 - 12:00PMvideocam

Singapore

Singapore Airlines in Gulf flight freeze amid US-Iran escalation

British Airways also cancelled flights and diverted planes mid-journey after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites raise fears of retaliation.

23 Jun 2025 - 4:53PMvideocam

A Singapore Airlines plane at Changi International Airport in Singapore. Photo: EPA-EFE

US bases in the Middle East under threat as Iran vows retaliation

The US has thousands of troops deployed on bases across the Middle East - and Iran says they could be legitimate targets.

23 Jun 2025 - 11:16AM

US President Donald Trump during a visit to Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar on May 15. Photo: Reuters

Gulf states urge maximum restraint following US strikes on Iran

Home to multiple US military bases, Gulf leaders called for maximum restraint as strikes on Iran raise the possibility of wider war.

22 Jun 2025 - 11:03PM

China travel

Explainer | 5 ways to enter mainland China without a visa

China has rapidly expanded its visa-free entry schemes in recent years to boost its tourism sector. Here is how the systems work.

16 Jun 2025 - 9:31PMvideocam

China travel

China expands visa-free entry

Passport holders from 46 countries can visit China for 30 days visa-free under Beijing’s loosened entry policy.

12 Sep 2025 - 12:53PM

Tourists visit the Great Wall of China. Photo: Reuters

US-China trade war

Xi-Trump phone call, inflation data and more

This week: Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump talk on the phone, factory activity contracts and government condemns EV price war. Next week: May trade and inflation numbers, visa-free travel for four Gulf states, Huawei smartphone debut and more.

6 Jun 2025 - 5:00PM

China-Middle East relations

Opinion | Beyond trade, Asean-GCC-China summit heralds Asia’s cultural renaissance

The recent meeting in Kuala Lumpur transcended economics and geopolitics, representing a pivotal moment of inter-civilisational engagement.

1 Jun 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

China offers visa-free travel to 4 Gulf countries following landmark meeting

Passport holders from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain will be allowed to stay for up to 30 days under year-long trial policy.

28 May 2025 - 8:15PMvideocam

Premier Li Qiang (centre) speaks during the Asean-GCC-China summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

China-Middle East relations

Arab leaders meet to craft counter to Trump’s Gaza plan

The US president has proposed to ‘take over’ the Palestinian territory and relocate its over 2 million residents to Egypt and Jordan.

22 Feb 2025 - 12:37PMvideocam

(From left) Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Emir of Kuwait Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, Jordan Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah and UAE’s National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al-Nahyan pose for a picture during their meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday. Photo: Saudi Ministry of Media via AP

Fifa

Bahrain concerns taken ‘seriously’ after death threats since Indonesia game

Players have faced ‘insults, slander, threats and hacking operations’ online, Bahrain’s FA alleges, since last week’s 2-2 draw with Indonesia.

19 Oct 2024 - 4:16AM

President Xi to welcome Arab state leaders, with Palestine and trade on agenda

Leaders of Egypt, Bahrain, Tunisia and UAE to visit Beijing for meetings with Xi and ministerial conference of China-Arab States Cooperation Forum

27 May 2024 - 8:16PMvideocam

Opinion | Why can’t US and China jointly seek Middle East peace and still compete?

Although they support rival camps and pursue divergent geopolitical games, the US and China are also working for the same thing: the region’s security and stability.

25 Apr 2024 - 10:56AMvideocam

Kuwait’s emir Sheikh Nawaf laid to rest in low-key funeral

Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 86, died on Saturday. Foreign leaders and envoys paid their final respects, including the Saudi crown prince and the rulers of Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan.

18 Dec 2023 - 1:05AM

The coffin of Kuwait’s late Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah is carried out of the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque in Kuwait City on Sunday. Photo: AFP