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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.
Drivers line up to refuel at a petrol station in China’s Jiangsu province last week, amid concerns about rising energy prices due to the ongoing Middle East conflict. Photo: EPA
China inflation

China has ‘room’ for imported inflation, but economic risks rising: PBOC adviser

As US-Israel war with Iran sends prices up, a monetary expert says impact on China depends on conflict’s severity, while higher energy costs are worrying.

United States

King Charles to pay state visit to US in late April amid Iran war woes

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Iran

Trump urges countries seeking oil to go to Strait of Hormuz and ‘just take it’

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Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong exporter confidence falls at steepest rate in 2 years

Trade Development Council says for first quarter of 2026, current performance index fell to 46.5 from 51.4 while expectation index declined to 46.9 from 51.9.

The TDC had earlier forecast exports to grow by 8 to 9 per cent in 2026. Photo: Elson Li
Semiconductors

South Korea turns to Russia for naphtha as Asia’s chip industry feels squeeze

South Korea’s return to Russian naphtha – vital for semiconductor manufacturing – highlights Asia’s fragile supply chain amid Iran conflict.

Malaysia

Malaysia raises 2026 growth forecast despite Iran war risks

Strong demand for AI semiconductors and an anticipated uptick in tourism are forecast to help the economy defy global volatility.

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Malaysia

Fuelling up: the new ‘obsession’ drawing Singaporeans to Johor

Singaporeans flock to Johor for cheaper RON97 amid rising local petrol prices, sparking concerns about potential panic buying.

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Singapore-registered cars filling up with RON97 at a petrol station in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Photo: The Star
US, Israel war on Iran

After early anger, Gulf allies press Trump for final blow to Iran

The UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain are pushing hard for Trump to order a ground invasion of Tehran, according to a diplomat.

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US, Israel war on Iran

‘Without US, there’s no Nato’: Rubio says ties may be reviewed amid Trump snub

‘An alliance has to be mutually beneficial. It cannot be a one-way street. Let’s hope we can fix it,’ America’s top diplomat says.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran pressuring Houthis to attack Red Sea tankers, officials say

Any campaign by the Houthis against ships in the waterway and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait would further roil global energy markets.

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A Houthi soldier mans a machine gun on a pickup truck while on patrol during a rally in solidarity with Iran in Sanaa, Yemen, on Friday. Photo: EPA
Banking & finance

Opinion | Dubai’s loss could be Hong Kong’s gain, but only if city is ready

The case for Hong Kong as a recipient of displaced Gulf wealth is sound but the city must ensure it has the capacity to absorb new capital and talent.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Stocks

Video | South Korea’s ‘ant’ investors embrace stock market chaos

South Korean retail investors bought a record 7 trillion won (US$4.6 billion) worth of stocks in a single day, even as the Kospi slumped.

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran’s Islamic republic will ‘collapse internally’, says Netanyahu

Gulf allies of the US, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are meanwhile urging Trump to continue prosecuting the war against Iran.

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China-EU relations

Europe’s crisis tourism: how the Iran war swallowed the EU’s geopolitical agenda

From trade with China to the Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock, Brussels’ agenda has been repeatedly knocked off course.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Gun violence in the US

FBI says man who crashed truck into Michigan synagogue was inspired by Hezbollah

Ayman Ghazali’s March 12 attack was a ‘Hezbollah-inspired act of terrorism purposely targeting the Jewish community’, the FBI said.

The front entrance of Temple Israel synagogue a day after an active shooter incident on March 13, in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Photo: Getty Images / AFP
China-Middle East relations

Chinese container ships pass through Strait of Hormuz at second attempt, data shows

The two ships, which had turned back on Friday, are the first non-Iranian container ships to leave the Gulf since the war began.

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Israel-Gaza war

Israel approves death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis

The law makes the death penalty – by hanging – the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians convicted for nationalistic killings.

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Crime

France studies possible Iran link after bomb attack foiled at Bank of America

A link to Iran is suspected due to similarities to ‘recent attempted attacks in Europe which a pro-Iran group claimed responsibility for’.

Private security members work next to a police van outside Bank of America’s Paris offices on Monday. Photo: Reuters
China trade

Will Iran’s strikes on Gulf smelters strengthen China’s aluminium dominance?

Analysts say disruption at plants could shift more output to China, which already produces more than half of global supply.

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Japan

Japan’s PM will mull top-level talks with Iran at ‘appropriate’ time

Stability in the Middle East is vital for Japan, which relies on the region for over 90 per cent of its crude oil imports.

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Israel

Israel suspends military unit that assaulted CNN crew in West Bank

It suspended the Netzah Yehuda, a unit of ultra-Orthodox soldiers that has been linked to abuses of Palestinian civilians in the past.

Israeli soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda unit during a swearing-in ceremony at the end of their military training, when graduates receive an assault rifle and a Bible (Tanakh), at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem in 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-Iran tensions

Why Trump needs a short-term win in Iran before he visits Xi in China

A surge in US service members in the Middle East suggests the makings of a protracted and low-intensity conflict, analysts say.

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US sailors and marines aboard the USS Tripoli at an unspecified location in the Middle East on Friday. Photo: US Central Command via AP
US, Israel war on Iran

How the Hormuz attacks stoke oil-shock fears and memories of 1970s stagflation

A timeline of past oil shocks is seen offering ‘clear lessons’ for today’s Strait of Hormuz crisis, with an eye on ripple effects and contingency tools.

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war and rogue drones force European aviation safety rethink

As the Middle East conflict clogs flight corridors between Asia and Europe, EASA chief warns of ‘hybrid warfare’ risks.

Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks fall with Asia as Iran conflict drives oil prices higher

Most Asian markets retreat as surging oil prices fuel concerns over the economic fallout, while aluminium producers rally on supply fears.

The Hang Seng Index retreated 0.8 per cent on Monday. Photo: Dickson Lee
Iran

Video | Pakistan talks aim to end Middle East fighting

Top diplomats from key regional powers gathered in Islamabad on March 29 to discuss how to end the fighting in the Middle East.

This handout photograph taken on March 29, 2026 and released by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (2L) in a meeting with his counterparts Saudi Arabia’s Faisal bin Farhan (L), Turkey’s Hakan Fidan (2R) and Egypt’s Badr Abdelatty at the Foreign Ministry office in Islamabad. Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey were expected to meet on March 29 for talks on the war in the Middle East, with Islamabad acting as a go-between between the United States and Iran. (Photo by Pakistan Foreign Ministry / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / - / Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs” - HANDOUT - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong on ‘yellow alert’, Kadoorie says, as Middle East war fuels oil crisis

CLP Power chairman Michael Kadoorie says Hong Kong’s electricity supply steady for now and touches on question of his retirement.

South China Sea

Will Strait of Hormuz blockade push Philippines back to China for energy talks?

Ferdinand Marcos Jnr says a reset in the fractious relationship is under way but observers aren’t so sure.

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