Qatar

‘Plan B is war’: Gaza truce faces late April test despite Trump’s peace push

Observers say the unresolved question of Hamas’ disarmament leaves the fragile truce vulnerable to collapse.

20 Feb 2026 - 4:57PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump raises the gavel during the “Board of Peace” meeting in Washington on Thursday. Photo: EPA

US-China trade war

Washington offers US$200 million to boost US smartphone industry in Indo-Pacific

State Department subsidies for US companies to shore up US artificial intelligence supply chain in region and counter China’s dominance.

20 Feb 2026 - 7:24AMvideocam

Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ debuts with Gaza pledge as war threat looms elsewhere

The US president gathers global allies to fund Gaza’s reconstruction while issuing a final 10-day warning to Iran.

20 Feb 2026 - 10:04AM

United States

‘Baby blue’ out, gold in: how Air Force One will look after Trump’s order

Air Force One’s next look marks a big departure from the current white and two-tone blue livery.

19 Feb 2026 - 10:07AM

US President Donald Trump disembarks Air Force One in Zurich, Switzerland in January. Photo: Reuters

Iran fires missiles, Khamenei threatens to sink US warship amid nuclear talks

As the talks began, local media announced that Iran had fired live missiles towards the Strait of Hormuz.

17 Feb 2026 - 10:54PMvideocam

US-Iran tensions

Iran’s foreign minister in Geneva for second round of talks with US

Talks will centre on Iran’s controversial nuclear programme, as the US deploys a second aircraft carrier to the region.

16 Feb 2026 - 2:42PM

World artists back Palestine rapporteur Francesca Albanese despite criticism

Albanese faces calls from France and Germany to step down over remarks in which she criticised ‘most of the world’ for enabling Israel’s ‘genocide’ in Gaza.

14 Feb 2026 - 11:17PM

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories attends a demonstration during a nationwide strike in Italy, called by the USB union in solidarity with Gaza and against the government and its plan to increase military spending, in Rome, Italy, on November 29 last year. Photo: Reuters

UAE-Saudi rift over security threats push Arab mediators to act

Bahrain and Egypt are attempting to mend ties between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, after a public falling out in December.

14 Feb 2026 - 9:22PM

Demonstrators step on pictures of UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a protest against the UAE’s support for the RSF in Sudan, on the day of the two-year anniversary of the conflict, on April 15 last year. Photo: Reuters

Iran’s revolution anniversary marred by protests, nuclear tensions

Iran’s 47th Revolution anniversary sees pro-regime rallies amid public anger over crackdowns and heightened US nuclear tensions.

11 Feb 2026 - 7:30PMvideocam

US-China relations

China, Trump targeted in House hearing on foreign influence in US non-profits

Claims made at Congressional hearing that network of foreign donors paid American advocacy groups billions to try to influence US policy.

11 Feb 2026 - 6:31AMvideocam

In message to Iran, Trump weighs sending second aircraft carrier to Middle East

The US president warned that the US would have to do ‘something very tough’ if a deal was not reached.

11 Feb 2026 - 1:40PM

An F/A-18F Super Hornet preparing to launch from the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian. Photo: US Navy via AFP

Saudi Arabia, Syria sign telecom and airline deals as sanctions lift

Saudi Arabia has been a major backer of Syria’s Islamist authorities who took power after toppling long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

8 Feb 2026 - 12:04AM

A handout picture provided by the Saudi Royal Palace shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) greeting Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa as US President Donald Trump looks on, in Riyadh on May 14 last year. Photo: AFP

US-Iran nuclear talks set for Oman amid rising Middle East tensions

Planned talks moving from Turkey after a US jet downs an Iranian drone, though the role of regional Arab allies remains in limbo.

4 Feb 2026 - 10:11PM

Malaysia

Malaysia’s Petronas to tap Qatar for gas as local reserves dwindle

QatarEnergy has also signed a 27-year deal to sell LNG to Japan’s JERA, the first long-term pact between the two nations in over a decade.

4 Feb 2026 - 9:21AM

Hong Kong stock market

Chinese energy drink maker Eastroc’s shares debut flat in Hong Kong

Eastroc, which raised US$1.3 billion in city’s biggest IPO so far this year, draws strong retail demand amid heightened regulatory scrutiny.

3 Feb 2026 - 4:35PM

Eastroc’s IPO attracted 16 cornerstone investors, who subscribed to about 49 per cent of the offer. Photo: Handout

Diplomacy

Opinion | Canada’s Carney charts a ‘third path’ for middle powers

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has offered a principled and pragmatic agenda for nations navigating a new era of great power rivalry.

27 Jan 2026 - 5:30AM

IPO

Chinese drinks maker Eastroc’s US$1.3 billion Hong Kong IPO gives it wings

Shanghai-listed firm is selling 40.9 million shares for HK$248 each, which would give it a market cap of about US$21 billion.

26 Jan 2026 - 4:49PM

Saudi Arabia

‘Anything can happen’: Saudi-UAE rift risks tearing Middle East apart

The Gulf neighbours have turned from friends to foes, fighting proxy wars across the region and forcing global powers to pick a side.

25 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM

Yemeni separatists wave South Yemen and UAE flags during a protest against Saudi Arabia in Aden on December 30. Photo: EPA

Donald Trump

Trump invests US$51 million in bonds linked to his own policy agenda

Without a blind trust, Trump builds wealth as president with bond trades in firms his policies affect, drawing scrutiny over conflicts of interest.

16 Jan 2026 - 8:16PM

Donald Trump reacts to a question from a reporter after signing a series of executive orders at the White House in February 2025. Photo: TNS

Pakistan

Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia plan defence deal to counter chaos in Middle East

Iran’s neighbours are worried that the US’ increasingly erratic behaviour may pose a risk to regional power balance and trade, analysts say.

16 Jan 2026 - 5:54PMvideocam

US says Iran halted 800 protester executions after Trump warnings

White House cites direct pressure for the stay of executions, as Gulf allies scramble to de-escalate threats of a US military strike on Iran.

16 Jan 2026 - 10:08AM

Pakistan

Pakistan’s arms deals cleared for take-off as orders soar for JF-17 jets

The jets, co-produced with China, proved their worth during the India-Pakistan tensions, when they destroyed an S-400 air defence system.

16 Jan 2026 - 11:12AMvideocam

A visitor takes a look at a JF-17 jet fighter during an air show in Dubai in 2017. Photo: Reuters

Banking & finance

Growth in sovereign investors’ China exposure slows amid political tensions

Inflows fall 58 per cent as sovereign wealth funds grow cautious, yet outlook signals selective opportunities ahead, experts say.

14 Jan 2026 - 7:30PM

Sovereign investment activity has become increasingly politicised, forcing some Western state-owned investors to avoid major deals in China, according to a data platform. Photo: EPA

Trump vs Iran: Gulf allies fear US ‘help’ may unleash chaos

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are urging against military action, even as the US president teases that ‘help is on its way’.

14 Jan 2026 - 12:11PMvideocam