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Turkey

Latest news and updates on the country which straddles both Europe and Asia.

Capital

Ankara

Head of State

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Head of Government

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Israel-Iran conflict

From Iraq to Iran: the US quest for Israeli military dominance – and its fallout

This decades-long strategy has not only redrawn the regional map but also exposed the limits of China’s Middle East influence, analysts say.

28 Jun 2025 - 11:00AMvideocam

Donald Trump

Trump rattles Nato allies as he descends on summit

25 Jun 2025 - 8:45AM

China-Middle East relations

White House clarifies Trump’s comment on China buying Iranian oil

25 Jun 2025 - 6:17AMvideocam

Israel-Iran conflict

US, Israel crossed ‘big red line’, Iran FM says as he heads to Moscow

Iran’s top diplomat calls US strikes a ‘grave crime’, vows Iran will defend itself ‘by all means necessary’.

22 Jun 2025 - 8:07PMvideocam

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hold a news conference in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo: AP

Indonesia

Indonesia is buying more weapons – but can it sustain such defence spending?

Analysts question whether Indonesia has the wherewithal to finance and maintain its defence systems.

19 Jun 2025 - 4:06PM

Israel-Iran conflict

Turkey ramps up missile production amid fears of wider Middle East war

President Erdogan said Ankara aims to boost the deterrence level so that ‘no one would dare to even challenge us’.

17 Jun 2025 - 8:43PMvideocam

Israel-Iran conflict

China’s Xi urges Israel, Iran to ‘de-escalate’, says Beijing can be peacemaker

President Xi Jinping’s remarks during talks with Uzbek counterpart come as China begins to evacuate nationals from Iran and Israel.

17 Jun 2025 - 8:55PMvideocam

Smoke and fire rise from the site of a missile attack by Iran, in the Israeli city of Haifa on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Diplomacy

Xi boosts China ties in resource-rich Central Asia

A summit with five leaders from Central Asia offers President Xi Jinping the chance to snap up more raw materials for China’s economy in a region once viewed as Russia’s backyard.

17 Jun 2025 - 5:52PM

US-China trade war

The US-China rivalry is reshaping global supply chains – who benefits most?

Vietnam, Indonesia and other emerging economies could emerge as winners, analysts say.

16 Jun 2025 - 7:00PMvideocam

The Philippines

Does Philippines have ‘credible’ undersea might against China?

Japan’s advanced submarine warfare expertise could play a critical role in helping Manila develop undersea warfare capabilities, experts say.

16 Jun 2025 - 6:30PMvideocam

A Philippine Navy helicopter prepares to land on Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyer Takanami during a joint maritime exercise held off the coast of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon in the South China Sea on June 14. Photo: Kyodo

Ukraine war

Putin wishes Trump happy birthday, says Russia ready for new Ukraine talks

Ukraine’s Zelensky urged the US to ‘shift tone’ in its dialogue with Moscow, saying it was ‘too warm’ and would not help to end the war.

15 Jun 2025 - 1:52PMvideocam

A Ukrainian rescuer works to extinguish a fire at the site of a drone attack in the Sumy region on June 11. Photo: AFP

China's military weapons

Seoul’s radical drone carrier bids to shape next-gen naval warfare

HCX-23 Plus could position country as potential ‘first mover’ for unmanned, drone-optimised navy assets, expert says.

15 Jun 2025 - 5:20PMvideocam

On Our Radar

Take a magic carpet ride at the Hong Kong Palace Museum

The wonders of imperial carpets and Islamic arts in all their tufted splendour are making their way to Hong Kong.

13 Jun 2025 - 12:28PM

Ukraine war

Ukraine receives more than 1,200 fallen soldiers’ bodies from Russia

The soldiers died in battles across Kursk and several Ukrainian regions, according to an organisation involved in retrieving military casualties.

11 Jun 2025 - 8:37PM

A man holds a portrait of his missing or captured son during the arrival of freed injured and severely wounded Ukrainian POWs on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Ukraine war

Kremlin says Putin, Zelensky, and Trump meeting ‘unlikely’ after Istanbul talks

The Kremlin dismissed chances of the three leaders meeting soon, citing complex peace negotiations and awaiting Ukraine’s response to demands.

3 Jun 2025 - 8:51PM

The Kremlin cooled any peace talk hopes between Vladimir, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Donald Trump. Photo: AFP

Ukraine war

Ukraine invited to Nato summit as peace talks make little headway

Trump ‘open’ to meeting leaders of Ukraine and Russia to push for a ceasefire.

3 Jun 2025 - 11:42AM

Ukraine war

Russia sets out punitive terms at peace talks with Ukraine

Two sides talk for barely an hour in Istanbul in their second round of direct negotiations since 2022.

3 Jun 2025 - 10:02AM

Ukraine war

Ukraine strikes Russian airbases in long-range drone assault on eve of talks

Ukraine said it damaged US$7 billion worth of Russian aircraft parked at four airbases in ‘operation Spider’s Web’.

2 Jun 2025 - 4:37PM

In this image taken from video released June 1, 2025, by a source in the Ukrainian Security Service shows a Ukrainian drone striking Russian planes deep in Russia’s territory. Photo: SBU via AP

Fashion

Meet the fashion designer Kylie Jenner just collabed with, Dilara Findikoglu

The designer is inspired by Islamic mythology and horror films, but her most recent collab with Kylie Jenner showed her corset-heavy artistry while keeping Khy’s signature body-hugging silhouettes.

1 Jun 2025 - 6:00AM

United States

US to scrutinise visas for officials, targeting those ‘responsible for censorship’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US will refuse visas to foreign officials who block Americans’ social media posts.

28 May 2025 - 11:48PMvideocam

Ukraine war

US and Russia row as Moscow masses 50,000 troops near Ukrainian region

Ukraine-Russian war intensifying as Trump warns Putin he is ‘playing with fire’.

28 May 2025 - 7:58PM

Ukrainians fire a howitzer towards Russian troops in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine. Photo: Reuters

Emmanuel Macron

Macron denies dispute with wife as Russia mocks face shoving video

France’s first lady seems to push her husband as they land in Vietnam. He says they were joking.

27 May 2025 - 9:05AMvideocam

The hand of Brigitte Macron can be seen on the face of French President Emmanuel Macron as the couple arrive in Vietnam. Photo: Reuters

United States

Opinion | With his ‘historic’ tour, Trump puts US power back in the Middle East

In reasserting the US in the centre of the Middle East’s strategic calculus, Trump also weakens the leverage and influence of Russia and China.

23 May 2025 - 5:30AM

Japan

Japan’s road safety at risk: accidents spark foreign drivers licensing debate

Surge in inbound tourism and immigration, coupled with ease of permit system, has led to more foreigners unfamiliar with Japan’s traffic rules.

22 May 2025 - 3:50PM

Middle East

Opinion | How Trump’s Middle East tour revealed Gulf states’ priorities

While the Gulf states seek benefits from Washington and Beijing, Chinese leaders must deliver more tangible support to secure recent gains.

22 May 2025 - 8:51AM

US President Donald Trump walks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an arrival ceremony at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 13. Photo: AP

India

Why India is boosting arms sales to Armenia amid Pakistan, Turkey tensions

India’s move is seen as an effort to counter a growing strategic alignment between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

21 May 2025 - 11:00AMvideocam

A soldier salutes next to an Akash missile system during a parade in New Delhi. India is planning to deliver a second batch of Akash-1S surface-to-air missile systems to Armenia under a 2022 treaty. Photo: AFP

Ukraine war

Ukraine’s Zelensky accuses Russia of ‘trying to buy time’ to ‘continue war’

The accusation comes a day after US President Donald Trump spoke with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Zelensky urging the two to begin ceasefire negotiations.

20 May 2025 - 7:42PM

India

From jam to jeans, Indians’ boycott of Turkish goods grows

Some 13 million family-run grocery stores plus fashion websites Myntra and AJIO have joined the boycott over Turkey’s support for Pakistan.

20 May 2025 - 11:29AMvideocam

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