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Middle East
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Middle East

Middle East
Middle East
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Middle East. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Imported sulphur is unloaded at a port in Nantong, Jiangsu province, in 2018. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Hormuz crisis tarnishing copper production, raising costs, Chinese analysts say

China Minmetals Economic Research Institute says disruption of sulphur shipments through strait is having ripple effects on copper production.

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong’s economic figures look good but business unease is rising

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Oil shock fuels BEVs to 9 of top 10 in sales, with China brands overtaking Tesla

India

Iran’s ‘anti-American’ rhetoric tests India’s balancing act at Brics meeting

Foreign Minister Araghchi seeks the bloc’s backing against US pressure in New Delhi, but India likely to prioritise de-escalation and trade.

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India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (right) shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi during the Brics meeting in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

UAE denies Israel’s Netanyahu made secret visit during Iran war

Netanyahu’s office claims a ‘historic breakthrough’, but Abu Dhabi dismisses reports of any clandestine meeting.

Iran

Iran war pushes Asia’s Gulf migrants to use stablecoins for remittances

The risk of sanctions has fuelled concerns that monetary transfers from migrant workers via banks or other operators could be disrupted.

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Hong Kong transport

HK Express cuts surcharge by 12.8% as fuel prices ease amid Mideast war

Adjustment follows similar moves by Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines, which have both announced reductions in fuel surcharges.

Hong Kong Express counters at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Eugene Lee
China-EU relations

Global shocks push European firms in China to rethink supply chains

Supply disruptions and rising costs linked to Middle East instability are forcing companies to adjust sourcing, production and investment plans.

China trade

Asia needs ‘institutional toolbox’ to survive global shocks, China experts warn

Ahead of Trump’s China visit, experts at an RCEP forum discuss a supply-chain overhaul, looking to insulate the world’s biggest trading bloc.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

China and US teams race to find easy summit deliverables at meeting in Seoul

The two sides will seek to ‘iron out any last-minute issues’ in single day of talks, economist says.

Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last met in person in Paris on March 16. Photo: Handout
US-China relations

Chinese company that tracked US bombers over Iran wears sanctions with pride

MizarVision defiant after Washington imposes sweeping ban for publishing open-source images detailing Operation Fury activities.

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Chinese OSINT start-up MizarVision is in Washington's crosshairs over its publication of satellite imagery showing US military activity in the Middle East. Photo: Weibo/觅熵MizarVision
Israel

Israel strikes Lebanon as 380 reported killed since April 17 ceasefire

Hezbollah leader vows to turn battlefield into ‘hell’ as Lebanon and Israel get set for more talks in Washington.

US-China relations

US confirms delegation to Apec meeting in China as Trump sets off for Beijing

US representatives to attend Apec trade and investment meetings in Shanghai and Suzhou this month as key Trump-Xi summit looms.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

US defence secretary joins Trump on China trip in rare diplomatic move

Pete Hegseth becomes first Pentagon chief to accompany a US president to Beijing since Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit.

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies before the Senate on Tuesday regarding the White House’s proposed military budget. Photo: Getty Images
US, Israel war on Iran

China presses Pakistan to deepen Iran mediation ahead of Trump-Xi talks

Wang Yi highlights Strait of Hormuz security and regional stability as Middle East tensions loom over Beijing talks.

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Wang Yi said Beijing would continue supporting Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts to help restore peace and stability in the Middle East. Photo: EPA
United States

US consumer inflation jumps as Iran war sends energy prices higher

Inflation had been dropping more or less steadily since peaking with a 9.1 per cent year-over-year spike in prices in June 2022.

Japan

Oil crunch drains colour from 1 of Japan’s favourite snacks

Calbee says it is using monochrome designs for some of its products, as the Iran war has caused a shortage of naphtha used in packaging.

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Israel-Gaza war

Israel pushes ahead with Eichmann-style tribunal for October 7 attackers

Israeli lawmakers set up a special tribunal and allow for the death penalty for Hamas-led 2023 attackers.

The 1962 trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann was broadcast live on television. Photo: AFP
China airliners

European airlines adding China flights despite Russian airspace barrier

Demand for China-Europe flights surges as airlines avoid Iranian, Russian airspace and divert tourists away from Southeast Asia.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

From ‘Taco’ to ‘Nacho’: Wall Street’s new buzzword as Trump preps for China trip

Traders’ catch-cry ‘Not a chance Hormuz opens’ replaces ‘Trump always chickens out’ as grim predictions swirl over gridlock, oil prices.

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Wealth management

Chinese successors assume control sooner as US$11 trillion wealth transfer looms

Asia-Pacific’s largest intergenerational wealth transfer in modern times is set to transpire over the next 20 to 30 years, UBS says.

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China’s inheriting generation are stepping into responsibility within their families at a younger age, according to Swiss bank UBS which has predicted a US$11 trillion wealth transfer in the Asia-Pacific region over the next 30 years.
US-China relations

Editorial | Trump-Xi summit may not yield a deal but is still significant

China and the US need to build strategic trust and a working framework, stabilising ties amid global uncertainty and fragmentation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcoming US President Donald Trump at the square outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 9, 2017. Photo: Xinhua
US, Israel war on Iran

US tells banks to flag suspected Iranian money-laundering networks

Banks are asked to look out for oil labelled ‘Malaysian blend’ to disguise its Iranian origin and missing or falsified shipping documents.

Diplomacy

Opinion | Just because Brics isn’t a coherent bloc doesn’t mean it’s impotent

The grouping has a future, not as a binding structure demanding policy alignment but as a tool for members to enhance leverage and maximise options.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

Trump’s China visit watched in US for signs of stability – and tangible wins

American business and policy circles seek trade certainty, AI dialogue and signs rivalry can be managed despite wider tensions.

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US businesses and manufacturers are watching for signs the summit could stabilise supply chains and ease trade uncertainty. Photo: Shutterstock
Lebanon

Israeli soldiers jailed for desecration of Virgin Mary statue in Lebanon

Viral photo shows an Israeli soldier with his arm around statue, holding a cigarette up to its mouth.

An IDF soldier appearing to put a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong property

The View | Hong Kong’s property recovery could be more robust than many think

A variety of local factors as well as shifts in geopolitics and global commercial real estate are working in Hong Kong’s favour.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

What to expect from this week’s Trump 2.0 visit to Beijing

Nearly a decade after his first-term visit, Trump returns to Beijing amid tensions over tariffs, Taiwan and tech rivalry.

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