TOPIC

/ location

Israel

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

Capital

Jerusalem

Head of State

President Isaac Herzog

Head of Government

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

NHK’s Tehran bureau chief Shinnosuke ‌Kawashima is believed to be the person released on bail on Monday. Photo: Handout

Japan

Japan confirms release of second citizen held in Iran

The person, believed to be the NHK’s Tehran bureau chief, is one of two Japanese nationals who had been detained in Iran.

15 minutes agovideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Damage control’? Behind France, Germany’s bid to contain Iran war oil fallout

7 Apr 2026 - 7:45AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Keep bombing’: Trump claims Iranians want more US strikes for ‘freedom’

4 hours agovideocam

Taiwan

How lessons from Iran war could shape mainland China’s Taiwan calculus

US strengths and strains offer Beijing a playbook, but key differences limit how far the conflict can guide future military strategy.

7 Apr 2026 - 2:20AMvideocam

Thailand

Oil smugglers in Thailand worsen supply crisis as Anutin warns of tough times

Police are investigating alleged oil hoarding in southern Thailand and reselling to nearby countries, citing ‘abnormal’ vessel movements.

6 Apr 2026 - 8:04PMvideocam

South Korea

South Korea aims to send ships to Saudi port for oil to bypass Hormuz

Special envoys will also sail to Oman and Algeria to try to secure oil via other routes, said lawmaker Ahn Do-geol.

6 Apr 2026 - 6:01PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran rejects ceasefire, wants permanent end to the war

Mediators had proposed ⁠a ceasefire plan and peace settlement. Iran will only accept ‘end of the war’ with guarantee of no further attacks.

6 Apr 2026 - 11:57PMvideocam

This video grab taken on Friday from images shared on social media on April 1, 2026, shows thick plumes of smoke following airstrikes in Iran’s central Isfahan province. Photo: via AFP

Japan

Japan’s Takaichi seeks urgent summit with Iran as Trump’s Hormuz deadline looms

Japan has been bearing the brunt of the Iran war as the resource-poor nation relies on the Middle East for most of its crude oil imports.

6 Apr 2026 - 1:32PM

United States

US court reinstates US$656 million judgment against PLO and Palestinian Authority

Following a 2025 Supreme Court ruling, judges revive a decade-old verdict for American victims of terror attacks in Israel.

6 Apr 2026 - 11:32AM

Ukraine war

Ukraine and Syria pledge security cooperation as Zelensky expands Middle East tour

Zelensky and Sharaa discuss drone defence and food security as Kyiv seeks to export its military expertise.

6 Apr 2026 - 9:50AM

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump draws criticism with fiery, foul-mouthed message threatening Iran

US president appears to extend deadline to Tuesday for Iran to ‘make a deal’ or he’s ‘blowing everything up’.

6 Apr 2026 - 4:58PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump before giving his national address on the Iran war last week. Photo: AP

Middle East

Israeli strikes kill 11 in Lebanon, Israel announces ‘security buffer’

Israel said it intends ‌to control a ‘security zone’ as deep as 30km into Lebanon and has issued evacuation orders for around 15 per cent of Lebanese territory.

6 Apr 2026 - 7:45AM

Religion

Pope Leo calls for peace, dialogue amid Ukraine, Iran wars in Easter mass

Leo addressed some 50,000 in St. Peter’s Square and quoted his predecessor, who reminded the faithful of the ‘great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day’.

5 Apr 2026 - 7:35PM

Middle East

UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait lose water, energy infrastructure to Iran strikes

Gulf countries have faced repeated drone and missile salvoes over Iran’s accusation that its neighbours allow US forces to carry out attacks from their territory.

6 Apr 2026 - 9:03AM

Smoke plumes billowing from the Jebel Ali port and desalination plant in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, after an Iranian strike on March 2. Photo: AFP

Indonesia

Indonesia lays to rest peacekeepers killed in Lebanon, Prabowo condemns attacks

Another blast took place at a UN facility in southern Lebanon on Friday, injuring three more Indonesian blue helmets.

5 Apr 2026 - 3:18PMvideocam

A relative reacts next to the grave of Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, a UN peacekeeper killed in Lebanon, after a funeral ceremony at Cikutra Heroes Cemetery in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine war

Zelensky fears Ukraine may get less US support to fight Russia due to Iran war

Zelensky has offered to share Ukraine’s battlefield expertise with the US and allies to develop countermeasures against Iranian attacks.

5 Apr 2026 - 3:48PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Fuel, food and fury: how the Iran war could topple South Asian governments

Analysts warn the crisis is threatening to spill over into wider economic and political instability.

5 Apr 2026 - 1:30PM

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong tourists choose safety, affordability with trips to mainland China

Travel industry leader says rise in airlines’ fuel surcharges and Mideast conflict have dampened Hongkongers’ desire to travel long distances.

5 Apr 2026 - 7:52PM

Crowds at the West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus on Friday. Photo: Jelly Tse

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran attacks Kuwait, Israel after Trump set deadline for deal

Kuwait and Israel say their air defences are responding to the latest attacks from Iran.

5 Apr 2026 - 3:56PMvideocam

Thailand

Thailand’s fishing industry fights for survival as Iran war hits fuel costs

Half of the fleet is already docked as the fishing association warns the whole sector may ‘collapse like dominoes’.

5 Apr 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

United States

My Take | Lunar mission gives a fresh perspective on a troubled world

The journey of Artemis II coincides with Easter and its message of peace that can resonate with all of us.

5 Apr 2026 - 12:00AM

A spectacular photo of Earth taken by Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman through the capsule window. Photo: Handout

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump gives Iran 48 hours to make deal, as US hunts for missing airman

Iran’s General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi responded by calling the US president’s threat a ‘helpless, nervous, unbalanced and stupid action’.

5 Apr 2026 - 6:39AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump speaks from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday. Photo: TNS

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Restrict everything’: Senegal curbs ministers’ foreign trips amid Iran war

PM says budgets in one of the world’s poorest nations were based on an oil price of US$62 a barrel. However, that has almost doubled.

4 Apr 2026 - 9:45PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

1 dead in strike near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant: IAEA

It is the fourth such incident in recent weeks involving Bushehr, which is closer to Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar than it is to Iran’s capital.

4 Apr 2026 - 10:26PMvideocam

China's military weapons

Iran points finger at Saudis and UAE after Chinese-made drone was shot down

Tehran says it has shot down a Wing Loong II, which could be proof of ‘active complicity’ in the US-Israeli war.

4 Apr 2026 - 6:13PMvideocam

Iran says a Wing Long II drone has been shot down over its territory. Photo: Dickson Lee

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Ease the burden’: 5 EU nations urge tax on energy firms’ profits

As fuel prices spike, finance ministers from Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria ‘stand united’ and call for action.

4 Apr 2026 - 7:10PMvideocam

A pump jack and drilling rig in Texas. File photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Rights groups raise alarm after Iran executes 2 more opposition group members

The hangings are the latest targeting members of the banned People’s Mojahedin of Iran after four others were executed earlier in the week.

4 Apr 2026 - 2:31PMvideocam

Middle East

Israel sets sights on Lebanon’s Hezbollah sites after blowing up crucial bridges

Lebanon was drawn into the Iran war when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel to avenge the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

4 Apr 2026 - 1:36PMvideocam

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Israel

Japan confirms release of second citizen held in Iran

The person, believed to be the NHK’s Tehran bureau chief, is one of two Japanese nationals who had been detained in Iran.

‘Damage control’? Behind France, Germany’s bid to contain Iran war oil fallout

‘Keep bombing’: Trump claims Iranians want more US strikes for ‘freedom’

How lessons from Iran war could shape mainland China’s Taiwan calculus

US strengths and strains offer Beijing a playbook, but key differences limit how far the conflict can guide future military strategy.

Oil smugglers in Thailand worsen supply crisis as Anutin warns of tough times

Police are investigating alleged oil hoarding in southern Thailand and reselling to nearby countries, citing ‘abnormal’ vessel movements.

South Korea aims to send ships to Saudi port for oil to bypass Hormuz

Special envoys will also sail to Oman and Algeria to try to secure oil via other routes, said lawmaker Ahn Do-geol.

Iran rejects ceasefire, wants permanent end to the war

Mediators had proposed ⁠a ceasefire plan and peace settlement. Iran will only accept ‘end of the war’ with guarantee of no further attacks.

Japan’s Takaichi seeks urgent summit with Iran as Trump’s Hormuz deadline looms

Japan has been bearing the brunt of the Iran war as the resource-poor nation relies on the Middle East for most of its crude oil imports.

US court reinstates US$656 million judgment against PLO and Palestinian Authority

Following a 2025 Supreme Court ruling, judges revive a decade-old verdict for American victims of terror attacks in Israel.

Ukraine and Syria pledge security cooperation as Zelensky expands Middle East tour

Zelensky and Sharaa discuss drone defence and food security as Kyiv seeks to export its military expertise.

Trump draws criticism with fiery, foul-mouthed message threatening Iran

US president appears to extend deadline to Tuesday for Iran to ‘make a deal’ or he’s ‘blowing everything up’.

Israeli strikes kill 11 in Lebanon, Israel announces ‘security buffer’

Israel said it intends ‌to control a ‘security zone’ as deep as 30km into Lebanon and has issued evacuation orders for around 15 per cent of Lebanese territory.

Pope Leo calls for peace, dialogue amid Ukraine, Iran wars in Easter mass

Leo addressed some 50,000 in St. Peter’s Square and quoted his predecessor, who reminded the faithful of the ‘great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day’.

UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait lose water, energy infrastructure to Iran strikes

Gulf countries have faced repeated drone and missile salvoes over Iran’s accusation that its neighbours allow US forces to carry out attacks from their territory.

Indonesia lays to rest peacekeepers killed in Lebanon, Prabowo condemns attacks

Another blast took place at a UN facility in southern Lebanon on Friday, injuring three more Indonesian blue helmets.

Zelensky fears Ukraine may get less US support to fight Russia due to Iran war

Zelensky has offered to share Ukraine’s battlefield expertise with the US and allies to develop countermeasures against Iranian attacks.

Fuel, food and fury: how the Iran war could topple South Asian governments

Analysts warn the crisis is threatening to spill over into wider economic and political instability.

Hong Kong tourists choose safety, affordability with trips to mainland China

Travel industry leader says rise in airlines’ fuel surcharges and Mideast conflict have dampened Hongkongers’ desire to travel long distances.

Iran attacks Kuwait, Israel after Trump set deadline for deal

Kuwait and Israel say their air defences are responding to the latest attacks from Iran.

Thailand’s fishing industry fights for survival as Iran war hits fuel costs

Half of the fleet is already docked as the fishing association warns the whole sector may ‘collapse like dominoes’.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}My Take | Lunar mission gives a fresh perspective on a troubled world

The journey of Artemis II coincides with Easter and its message of peace that can resonate with all of us.

Trump gives Iran 48 hours to make deal, as US hunts for missing airman

Iran’s General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi responded by calling the US president’s threat a ‘helpless, nervous, unbalanced and stupid action’.

‘Restrict everything’: Senegal curbs ministers’ foreign trips amid Iran war

PM says budgets in one of the world’s poorest nations were based on an oil price of US$62 a barrel. However, that has almost doubled.

1 dead in strike near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant: IAEA

It is the fourth such incident in recent weeks involving Bushehr, which is closer to Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar than it is to Iran’s capital.

Iran points finger at Saudis and UAE after Chinese-made drone was shot down

Tehran says it has shot down a Wing Loong II, which could be proof of ‘active complicity’ in the US-Israeli war.

‘Ease the burden’: 5 EU nations urge tax on energy firms’ profits

As fuel prices spike, finance ministers from Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria ‘stand united’ and call for action.

Rights groups raise alarm after Iran executes 2 more opposition group members

The hangings are the latest targeting members of the banned People’s Mojahedin of Iran after four others were executed earlier in the week.

Israel sets sights on Lebanon’s Hezbollah sites after blowing up crucial bridges

Lebanon was drawn into the Iran war when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel to avenge the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

My Take | Lunar mission gives a fresh perspective on a troubled world