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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

The Panama-flagged container ship M/V Vela Nova. On Tuesday, the US Navy said it had fired on the ship after it attempted to break the US blockade of Iran’s ports. Photo: Vladimir Tonic / Handout via Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

US says it has fired on ship in Gulf of Oman to enforce Iranian ports blockade

A US Navy helicopter fired on and disabled the Panama-flagged ship after the crew ignored warnings from US forces, said US Central Command.

4 hours agovideocam

Venezuela

Israel and Venezuela renew consular ties after 17 years of no diplomacy

6 hours ago

United States

Rights groups sue the Trump administration over ICC sanctions

12 Aug 2026 - 1:31AM

Diplomacy

Opinion | A strong China is the best hope for the ‘long peace’ to endure

If China’s rise shows it rejects hegemonic ambitions, the hope is that it can make a difference and foster a more peaceful world.

11 Aug 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump demands Iran pay compensation as hopes fade for Hormuz agreement

US president says the issue must be included in future negotiations after Tehran sought damages for US and Israeli strikes.

11 Aug 2026 - 5:55AMvideocam

China-Middle East relations

‘Islamic Nato’ may create China opening in Middle East

A new military alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey creates a potential gap with the US and the possibility of greater China influence in the region.

10 Aug 2026 - 5:07PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says US ‘low-keying it’ with Iran, playing down urgency over Hormuz

US president calls dealings with Tehran a ‘chess game’ as a diplomatic breakthrough fails to materialise.

10 Aug 2026 - 2:21PM

US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Photo: AP

Middle East

Yemen’s Houthis attack Saudi refinery, testing new defence pact

Rebel strikes hit Jazan oil complex and kill seven in Mocha as Saudi Arabia seals security alliance with Turkey and Pakistan.

10 Aug 2026 - 4:28PM

China-Middle East relations

China waits in wings as Mecca pact signals Gulf move beyond US security umbrella

The Nato-style deal between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey highlights the growing doubts in the region about over-reliance on Washington.

10 Aug 2026 - 1:15AMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

Israel’s Netanyahu rejects Trump’s Gaza plan endorsed by Hamas

Israeli leader dismisses 15-point document for the future of war-torn Gaza in the latest break with the White House.

10 Aug 2026 - 3:26PM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: dpa

Science

US and Israeli physicists hail China’s glueball discovery as a ‘triumph’

Global experts praise team for solving 50-year-old puzzle, while Chinese social media buzzes with Nobel Prize predictions.

9 Aug 2026 - 6:58PMvideocam

The Beijing Spectrometer III particle detector at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider in Beijing, where researchers have found the strongest evidence yet for the long-sought glueball. Photo: Handout

Saudi Arabia

How Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact acts as ‘insurance’ over US disengagement

The Mecca deal may emerge as a third geopolitical ‘centre of gravity’ in the Middle East, with more members joining, analysts say.

9 Aug 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

‘Hopeless’: Palestinian Christians leave West Bank as hardships mount

Christians leave due to the deterioration of the humanitarian and economic situation in the West Bank, clergy members say.

8 Aug 2026 - 11:48AM

Americas and the Caribbean

Trump ally Abelardo de la Espriella sworn in as Colombia president

The right-wing ex-lawyer who calls himself ‘The Tiger’ vowed to bomb cocaine labs, build mega prisons and usher in closer ties with the US.

8 Aug 2026 - 2:39PM

Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella salutes after taking the oath of office in Cali, Colombia, on Friday. Photo: AP

China-Middle East relations

Where do China-Israel ties stand after closure of Chengdu consulate?

Amid recent bilateral friction, Beijing has no intention of maliciously damaging relations with Middle East country, analyst says.

7 Aug 2026 - 10:27PMvideocam

China has repeatedly criticised Israel and the United States over their military actions against Iran this year and urged immediate ceasefires. Photo: Shutterstock

Middle East

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign joint defence deal

The nations are particularly concerned by the increasingly aggressive military stances of both Israel and revolutionary Shiite Iran.

7 Aug 2026 - 10:53PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran seeks to bar US and Israeli ships in Hormuz deal with Oman

Tehran pushes for strict transit bans and fees in draft waterway pact as Trump claims negotiations are ‘moving along good’.

7 Aug 2026 - 11:24AM

US, Israel war on Iran

How US became trapped in ‘dreadful situation’ of its own making over Iran war

With Iran holding firm to its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, Trump faces one of two choices: capitulate or risk a ‘forever war’, experts say.

6 Aug 2026 - 3:21PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16. Photo: Getty Images

Ukraine war

Why Russia’s ballistic missiles are breaking through in Ukraine

Interceptors are running low, warning times are seconds, and only one air-defence system can stop them.

6 Aug 2026 - 1:53PM

United States

Progressive Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan primary in jolt to Democrats

He defeated moderate Haley Stevens, who was backed by the Democratic establishment, in a vote seen as a test of the party’s direction.

6 Aug 2026 - 3:50AM

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran nears Hormuz deal with Oman, conditions reopening on US actions

Tehran agrees to joint route with neighbour across strait, taking effective control of traffic without Washington’s input.

6 Aug 2026 - 12:24PM

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

Netanyahu says Israel didn’t agree to US-backed Gaza plan

The Israeli leader has received guarantees that the Israeli army would only need to leave its current positions in Gaza after Hamas disarms.

5 Aug 2026 - 8:13PM

US President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, in December. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong ship crews stranded in Strait of Hormuz ‘safe and offered counselling’

Industry representative says the stranded crew face little immediate safety risk, though months at sea have affected them mentally and physically.

5 Aug 2026 - 6:21PM

US, Israel war on Iran

US waging war on Iran not worth the cost, most Americans say in new survey

Marquette Law School poll also found 75 per cent of respondents nationwide did not believe the conflict was worth the cost.

5 Aug 2026 - 2:42PM

United States

Defunct SpaceX rocket crashes into moon, kicks up dust

The school bus-sized object weighing four tonnes slammed into the lunar surface at 8,690km/h.

6 Aug 2026 - 5:24AMvideocam

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches carrying Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander in Cape Canaveral, Florida, in January 2025. Photo: Reuters

United States

US-Saudi nuclear doubt, Boko Haram’s AI terrorism: 7 global relations reads

From US arms promises to EU sanctions and USMCA troubles, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in July 2026.

4 Aug 2026 - 10:14PM

Boko Haram has been found to use both Chinese and American AIs in their terrroism plots – possibly with advice from Islamic State. Photo: Shutterstock

Indonesia

Offside move? Why Indonesia’s football chief backed Fifa privatisation plan

Erick Thohir said the Indonesian football association should back Fifa’s proposal because of its contributions to the local game.

4 Aug 2026 - 6:29PMvideocam

Singapore

Massive Attack’s Singapore ban tests legal limits of artistic freedom

Singapore concertgoers urge leniency for the band’s pro-Palestine acts on stage but lawyers say that a line has to be drawn.

4 Aug 2026 - 5:11PMvideocam

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Israel

US says it has fired on ship in Gulf of Oman to enforce Iranian ports blockade

A US Navy helicopter fired on and disabled the Panama-flagged ship after the crew ignored warnings from US forces, said US Central Command.

Israel and Venezuela renew consular ties after 17 years of no diplomacy

Rights groups sue the Trump administration over ICC sanctions

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | A strong China is the best hope for the ‘long peace’ to endure

If China’s rise shows it rejects hegemonic ambitions, the hope is that it can make a difference and foster a more peaceful world.

Trump demands Iran pay compensation as hopes fade for Hormuz agreement

US president says the issue must be included in future negotiations after Tehran sought damages for US and Israeli strikes.

‘Islamic Nato’ may create China opening in Middle East

A new military alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey creates a potential gap with the US and the possibility of greater China influence in the region.

Trump says US ‘low-keying it’ with Iran, playing down urgency over Hormuz

US president calls dealings with Tehran a ‘chess game’ as a diplomatic breakthrough fails to materialise.

Yemen’s Houthis attack Saudi refinery, testing new defence pact

Rebel strikes hit Jazan oil complex and kill seven in Mocha as Saudi Arabia seals security alliance with Turkey and Pakistan.

China waits in wings as Mecca pact signals Gulf move beyond US security umbrella

The Nato-style deal between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey highlights the growing doubts in the region about over-reliance on Washington.

Israel’s Netanyahu rejects Trump’s Gaza plan endorsed by Hamas

Israeli leader dismisses 15-point document for the future of war-torn Gaza in the latest break with the White House.

US and Israeli physicists hail China’s glueball discovery as a ‘triumph’

Global experts praise team for solving 50-year-old puzzle, while Chinese social media buzzes with Nobel Prize predictions.

How Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact acts as ‘insurance’ over US disengagement

The Mecca deal may emerge as a third geopolitical ‘centre of gravity’ in the Middle East, with more members joining, analysts say.

‘Hopeless’: Palestinian Christians leave West Bank as hardships mount

Christians leave due to the deterioration of the humanitarian and economic situation in the West Bank, clergy members say.

Trump ally Abelardo de la Espriella sworn in as Colombia president

The right-wing ex-lawyer who calls himself ‘The Tiger’ vowed to bomb cocaine labs, build mega prisons and usher in closer ties with the US.

Where do China-Israel ties stand after closure of Chengdu consulate?

Amid recent bilateral friction, Beijing has no intention of maliciously damaging relations with Middle East country, analyst says.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign joint defence deal

The nations are particularly concerned by the increasingly aggressive military stances of both Israel and revolutionary Shiite Iran.

Iran seeks to bar US and Israeli ships in Hormuz deal with Oman

Tehran pushes for strict transit bans and fees in draft waterway pact as Trump claims negotiations are ‘moving along good’.

How US became trapped in ‘dreadful situation’ of its own making over Iran war

With Iran holding firm to its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, Trump faces one of two choices: capitulate or risk a ‘forever war’, experts say.

Why Russia’s ballistic missiles are breaking through in Ukraine

Interceptors are running low, warning times are seconds, and only one air-defence system can stop them.

Progressive Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan primary in jolt to Democrats

He defeated moderate Haley Stevens, who was backed by the Democratic establishment, in a vote seen as a test of the party’s direction.

Iran nears Hormuz deal with Oman, conditions reopening on US actions

Tehran agrees to joint route with neighbour across strait, taking effective control of traffic without Washington’s input.

Netanyahu says Israel didn’t agree to US-backed Gaza plan

The Israeli leader has received guarantees that the Israeli army would only need to leave its current positions in Gaza after Hamas disarms.

Hong Kong ship crews stranded in Strait of Hormuz ‘safe and offered counselling’

Industry representative says the stranded crew face little immediate safety risk, though months at sea have affected them mentally and physically.

US waging war on Iran not worth the cost, most Americans say in new survey

Marquette Law School poll also found 75 per cent of respondents nationwide did not believe the conflict was worth the cost.

Defunct SpaceX rocket crashes into moon, kicks up dust

The school bus-sized object weighing four tonnes slammed into the lunar surface at 8,690km/h.

US-Saudi nuclear doubt, Boko Haram’s AI terrorism: 7 global relations reads

From US arms promises to EU sanctions and USMCA troubles, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in July 2026.

Offside move? Why Indonesia’s football chief backed Fifa privatisation plan

Erick Thohir said the Indonesian football association should back Fifa’s proposal because of its contributions to the local game.

Massive Attack’s Singapore ban tests legal limits of artistic freedom

Singapore concertgoers urge leniency for the band’s pro-Palestine acts on stage but lawyers say that a line has to be drawn.

Opinion | A strong China is the best hope for the ‘long peace’ to endure