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TOPIC COLLECTION

Middle East

Included topics:
A salesman presents gold bars at a jewellery shop inside the Gold Market at the Old Souk in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on April 13. Photo: EPA
US, Israel war on Iran

Gold continues decline as inflation fears outweigh hope of end to Iran war

The metal is down nearly 20 per cent from its all-time high in January as investors focus on the Federal Reserve’s plans to combat inflation.

Thailand

Trade, Ho Chi Minh’s legacy: Vietnam’s To Lam seeks to ‘re-energise’ Thai ties

China-India relations

What India’s ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’ near Malacca means for its China ties

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Israel declares new swathe of Lebanon ‘a combat zone’, imperilling ceasefire

Israel extends combat zone north in the first such sweeping warning since the April 16 ceasefire.

An Israeli military artillery unit drives into Lebanon after crossing the Israeli‑Lebanese border. Photo: Reuters

Israel’s Lebanon strikes challenge Trump’s Iran talks amid Hezbollah’s defiance

Israel’s offensive aimed at weakening the group complicates US-Iran peace efforts, analysts say.

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Iran and US trade air strikes, testing negotiations to end war

US military downs four drones and hits a ground station, triggering Iranian retaliation.

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Homesick Filipino migrants count cost of separation for a ‘better’ future

Economic necessity has forced Filipino migrants like Jeffrey Ongoco to spend years away from the people they left home to support.

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Overseas Filipino workers from Kuwait hold their documents upon their arrival at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in 2018. Photo: Reuters

Polar shipping era: China, South Korea bypass old trade lines amid Hormuz crisis

Passage through the waters could reduce transit times to Europe, offering an alternative to traditional routes amid rising geopolitical risks.

As Iran war stokes water security fears, Central Asia could turn to China

Nations facing chronic water shortages might look to Chinese investment to upgrade their creaking Soviet-era infrastructure, observers say.

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Trump appears to threaten to ‘blow up’ Oman, after question on Iran and Hormuz

Asked if he would accept a deal to allow Iran and US ally Oman to control the strait, Trump said the Gulf state must ‘behave’.

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US President Donald Trump points his finger during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

What to watch at Shangri-La Dialogue after Trump’s China visit resets ties

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s speech at Asian security forum to serve as important gauge of whether summit has stabilised US-China relations.

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s trip to this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue marks his fourth visit to the Indo-Pacific region as Pentagon chief. Photo: Reuters

Who is Jonathan Andic, son of fashion brand Mango’s founder Isak Andic?

After joining the Spanish fashion brand in 2005, Jonathan rose to be its executive vice-president a decade later – and a few weeks after his father’s death.

South Korea aims to join top tier of ‘loyal wingman’ combat drone race

Planned indigenous engine for the most complex UAV technology to support crewed fighter jets ‘a deliberate bid’ by Seoul.

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Israel says it killed Hamas’ new armed wing chief in Gaza strike

Mohammad Odeh eliminated after his predecessor was killed in a similar attack this month.

Mohammad Odeh and his family's funeral took place Wednesday in Gaza City, with hundreds of mourners in attendance. Photo: APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Israel pounds Lebanon with heaviest bombing in weeks, expands ground operations

Strikes kill and wound dozens as Israeli forces push beyond the ‘Yellow Line’ in southern Lebanon.

Ali Salman, 12, who was injured in an Israeli strike, lies on a bed at Jabal Amel hospital in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon. Photo: AP

Trump builds massive arena at White House for birthday cage fight

Crews are erecting an octagon-shaped cage on the South Lawn for next month’s UFC event.

South Korea eyes first nuclear submarine by mid-2030s, but hurdles run deep

Delayed US talks, non-proliferation concerns and budget pressures stand in the way of Seoul’s bid to boost its defence, analysts say.

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China’s Wang Yi tells UN multilateralism must be protected in swipe at US

Beijing’s top diplomat says ‘world peace and security are in great jeopardy’ and that UN Charter should be safeguarded at all costs.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks to reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday. Photo: AP

Iran restores partial internet access after record months-long blackout

The shutdown was imposed after US and Israeli air strikes on Iranian leaders and infrastructure began in February.

West Bank settlers steal Palestinian family’s sheep herd ahead of Eid festival

About 4,000 head of livestock have been stolen by settlers since the start of 2026, according to Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture.

Tanker hit by explosion near Hormuz hours after US strikes on Iran

The incident, in the Gulf of Oman about 60 nautical miles east of Muscat, was an ‘external explosion’, UKMTO said.

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Vessels are anchored off Oman in the the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Double standards? How North American conservatives viewed 2 China trips

The North American right cast Trump’s Beijing visit as ‘deal-making diplomacy’ while attacking the Canadian leader for ‘hedging with China’.

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US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, pictured on May 14 at the welcoming ceremony for Trump’s recent visit to Beijing. Photo: Reuters

Top China, Singapore diplomats reaffirm commitment to Malacca Strait transit

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tells counterpart that keeping the critical shipping lane open is ‘a shared aspiration of all countries’.

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China defence chief Dong Jun tipped to skip this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue

The regional security forum opens on Friday in Singapore with no official word yet on who will lead the Chinese delegation.

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As Marco Rubio visits New Delhi, what could it mean for US-India ties?

The US secretary of state’s trip aims to mend bilateral relationship, focusing on trade, defence and Quad unity.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during their meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

US hits Iran with fresh strikes amid negotiations to end war

Marco Rubio insists a deal with Iran remains within reach after the US military claimed its attacks were in ‘self-defence’.

A billboard in Tehran depicting the Strait of Hormuz reads 'Forever in Iran's Hand'. Photo: AFP

Israel steps up Lebanon strikes to ‘crush’ Hezbollah

Netanyahu pledges to intensify Israeli firepower, citing drone threats since April 17 ceasefire.

‘New form of war’: an insider view of China’s AI strategy in electronic warfare

Fusing AI with radio waves can create faster, smarter and more resilient radars and communication methods designed to confuse enemy jammers.

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Middle East
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Middle East. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.