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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

A Palestinian girl sits inside a house damaged during the Israel-Hamas war in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Israel-Gaza war

‘No one lifts a finger’: Gaza’s fate eclipsed by Middle East war

Gaza remains mired in a severe humanitarian crisis and efforts to permanently end the war between Israel and Hamas have stalled.

4 Jul 2026 - 4:19PM

China travel

China’s economic clout boosts ‘passport power’, index finds

3 Jul 2026 - 4:00PM

US-China relations

Which Trump will show up at Nato summit? Odds are it will be the fuming one

3 Jul 2026 - 8:08PMvideocam

Central Asia

Opinion | In today’s ‘great game’, Central Asian nations are no longer prizes to be won

Instead of being caught between great powers, the five Central Asian nations are using hegemonic rivalries to advance their own interests.

2 Jul 2026 - 6:38AM

People walk past the Nur-Astana Mosque, the third largest mosque in Central Asia, in Astana, Kazakhstan, on May 25. Photo: AFP

Venezuela

Why did they pancake? Building failures, soft soil amplify Venezuela quake destruction

Experts point to poor code enforcement, risky geography as factors in collapses in the wake of twin earthquakes.

30 Jun 2026 - 2:40PMvideocam

Malaysia

Malaysia narrows hunt for replacement missiles after Norway axes contract

Turkey, South Korea and two unspecified European nations are in the frame to replace a cancelled Norwegian anti-ship missile.

29 Jun 2026 - 6:00PM

China trade

China cuts through Russia, Mideast instability with alternate cargo route

Middle Corridor through Kazakhstan and across Caspian Sea would have transit time of 15 to 18 days, compared with 45 to 60 for ocean routes.

29 Jun 2026 - 3:40PM

A photo taken on February 2 shows the first cross-Caspian Sea China-Europe freight train departing from the Nanchang International Land Port in Nanchang, in east China’s Jiangxi Province. Photo: Xinhua

Human rights

Turkish police detain dozens at Istanbul Gay Pride event held despite ban

Since 2015, the annual Pride march has been almost systematically banned and suppressed.

29 Jun 2026 - 2:57PM

Donald Trump

New poll shows eroding global trust in Trump and America

Pew survey across 36 nations found just 23 per cent of respondents had confidence in Trump to do the right thing in world affairs.

24 Jun 2026 - 2:00PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

No victory, no defeat: Iran war pauses with a fragile freeze

Thousands dead, hundreds of billions lost and an agreement many analysts expect to collapse. The Iran ceasefire, explained.

16 Jun 2026 - 1:25PMvideocam

Smoke rises behind the Azadi Tower in Tehran following a US-Israeli military strike on Iran in early March. Photo: ISNA/AP

US, Israel war on Iran

The US and Iran have signed a ‘great deal’. So what happens now?

Memorandum of understanding expected to open pathway for talks on most contentious issues, including nuclear programme and sanctions.

15 Jun 2026 - 3:50PMvideocam

A man stops at a newsstand in Islamabad, Pakistan on Sunday, ahead of the expected US-Iran peace deal signing. Photo: Reuters

Britain

UK anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson says he was detained under terrorism laws

Police said a man in his 40s had been arrested under the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act as he flew back to Britain from Russia.

15 Jun 2026 - 5:28AM

US, Israel war on Iran

In latest about-face, Trump calls off ‘very hard’ attack on Iran

After warning of imminent military action, US president says an agreement may be days away in a repeat of claims made in recent weeks.

12 Jun 2026 - 9:13AM

Malaysia

Malaysia’s hunt for Russian oil tests Anwar’s ‘friends with all’ policy

Sourcing crude from Moscow to counter Middle East supply shocks risks drawing a backlash from the West.

11 Jun 2026 - 7:15PMvideocam

Russia

Disgruntled parents and children force Russia to remove Roblox ban

Moscow banned access to the gaming platform last year, accusing it of promoting ‘LGBT propaganda’.

11 Jun 2026 - 5:53PM

Around 100 million people use Roblox daily, according to the company. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Israel and Iran hold fire after exchange, but warn of escalation if provoked

Middle East foes lift immediate safety restrictions while actively preparing for the next wave of retaliation.

9 Jun 2026 - 3:47PMvideocam

United States

US to send third-country deportees to Central African Republic

Amid demonstrations across the US against Trump’s immigration policies, the impoverished African country has agreed to take deported migrants from other countries.

7 Jun 2026 - 11:41PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Pakistan’s mediators in Iran as US downs drones, Lebanon looks for peace

Pakistan’s interior minister visited Tehran to restart US-Iran negotiations as the US military said it shot down two Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz.

7 Jun 2026 - 7:52PM

Iranians walk past a huge billboard featuring previous supreme leaders Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a street in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Ukraine war

Ukrainian drones target St Petersburg after Putin rejects Zelensky’s offer

St Petersburg residents told to remain at home as the attack underscores Kyiv’s growing ability to hit deep inside Russia.

6 Jun 2026 - 8:21PM

Russia

UK’s Keir Starmer says Russia could attack Nato within 4 years

His comments echo similar time frames expressed by other European leaders and Nato chief Mark Rutte.

5 Jun 2026 - 11:25PMvideocam

China’s aircraft carriers

Why do China and other powers still want aircraft carriers?

Submarines and drones are ‘the story of naval warfare in the 21st century’ but carriers continue to be an important symbol of military might.

2 Jun 2026 - 12:00PM

China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, uses electromagnetic catapults. Photo: Xinhua

Music

US rapper Travis Scott panned in Turkey for 20-minute performance

Fans demand refunds for the heavily delayed set that the hip-hop star later claimed was just a ‘party’ for a friend.

2 Jun 2026 - 10:50AM

Rapper Travis Scott performing in 2022. Photo: TNS

Malaysia

‘We are a small country’: why Malaysia is resisting US defence spending call

Malaysia faces a dilemma in modernising an ageing military without overwhelming public finances or appearing to choose sides, analysts say.

1 Jun 2026 - 5:56PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

How ‘strategic ambiguity’ made Turkey a winner in the Iran war

However, experts caution that the country’s economic instability and enduring regional rivalries have capped its gains.

1 Jun 2026 - 6:08PMvideocam

Italy

Italy bans Kanye West concert over security concerns

Authorities scrap festival performance following pressure from local Jewish groups over rapper’s controversial history.

1 Jun 2026 - 9:58AM

Kanye West after arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport in 2025. Photo: AFP

Islamic State

Man jailed for 15 years over foiled Taylor Swift concert attack plot in Austria

Austrian court convicts 21-year-old over planned 2024 bombing that forced the cancellation of concerts.

29 May 2026 - 3:13PM

‘Beran A’ being escorted by security personnel for his trial. Photo: Reuters

Fashion

Who is Jonathan Andic, son of fashion brand Mango’s founder Isak Andic?

After joining the Spanish fashion brand in 2005, Jonathan rose to be its executive vice-president a decade later – and a few weeks after his father’s death.

27 May 2026 - 6:00PM

Drones

South Korea aims to join top tier of ‘loyal wingman’ combat drone race

Planned indigenous engine for the most complex UAV technology to support crewed fighter jets ‘a deliberate bid’ by Seoul.

27 May 2026 - 6:19PMvideocam

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Turkey

‘No one lifts a finger’: Gaza’s fate eclipsed by Middle East war

Gaza remains mired in a severe humanitarian crisis and efforts to permanently end the war between Israel and Hamas have stalled.

China’s economic clout boosts ‘passport power’, index finds

Which Trump will show up at Nato summit? Odds are it will be the fuming one

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | In today’s ‘great game’, Central Asian nations are no longer prizes to be won

Instead of being caught between great powers, the five Central Asian nations are using hegemonic rivalries to advance their own interests.

Why did they pancake? Building failures, soft soil amplify Venezuela quake destruction

Experts point to poor code enforcement, risky geography as factors in collapses in the wake of twin earthquakes.

Malaysia narrows hunt for replacement missiles after Norway axes contract

Turkey, South Korea and two unspecified European nations are in the frame to replace a cancelled Norwegian anti-ship missile.

China cuts through Russia, Mideast instability with alternate cargo route

Middle Corridor through Kazakhstan and across Caspian Sea would have transit time of 15 to 18 days, compared with 45 to 60 for ocean routes.

Turkish police detain dozens at Istanbul Gay Pride event held despite ban

Since 2015, the annual Pride march has been almost systematically banned and suppressed.

New poll shows eroding global trust in Trump and America

Pew survey across 36 nations found just 23 per cent of respondents had confidence in Trump to do the right thing in world affairs.

No victory, no defeat: Iran war pauses with a fragile freeze

Thousands dead, hundreds of billions lost and an agreement many analysts expect to collapse. The Iran ceasefire, explained.

The US and Iran have signed a ‘great deal’. So what happens now?

Memorandum of understanding expected to open pathway for talks on most contentious issues, including nuclear programme and sanctions.

UK anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson says he was detained under terrorism laws

Police said a man in his 40s had been arrested under the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act as he flew back to Britain from Russia.

In latest about-face, Trump calls off ‘very hard’ attack on Iran

After warning of imminent military action, US president says an agreement may be days away in a repeat of claims made in recent weeks.

Malaysia’s hunt for Russian oil tests Anwar’s ‘friends with all’ policy

Sourcing crude from Moscow to counter Middle East supply shocks risks drawing a backlash from the West.

Disgruntled parents and children force Russia to remove Roblox ban

Moscow banned access to the gaming platform last year, accusing it of promoting ‘LGBT propaganda’.

Israel and Iran hold fire after exchange, but warn of escalation if provoked

Middle East foes lift immediate safety restrictions while actively preparing for the next wave of retaliation.

US to send third-country deportees to Central African Republic

Amid demonstrations across the US against Trump’s immigration policies, the impoverished African country has agreed to take deported migrants from other countries.

Pakistan’s mediators in Iran as US downs drones, Lebanon looks for peace

Pakistan’s interior minister visited Tehran to restart US-Iran negotiations as the US military said it shot down two Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz.

Ukrainian drones target St Petersburg after Putin rejects Zelensky’s offer

St Petersburg residents told to remain at home as the attack underscores Kyiv’s growing ability to hit deep inside Russia.

UK’s Keir Starmer says Russia could attack Nato within 4 years

His comments echo similar time frames expressed by other European leaders and Nato chief Mark Rutte.

Why do China and other powers still want aircraft carriers?

Submarines and drones are ‘the story of naval warfare in the 21st century’ but carriers continue to be an important symbol of military might.

US rapper Travis Scott panned in Turkey for 20-minute performance

Fans demand refunds for the heavily delayed set that the hip-hop star later claimed was just a ‘party’ for a friend.

‘We are a small country’: why Malaysia is resisting US defence spending call

Malaysia faces a dilemma in modernising an ageing military without overwhelming public finances or appearing to choose sides, analysts say.

How ‘strategic ambiguity’ made Turkey a winner in the Iran war

However, experts caution that the country’s economic instability and enduring regional rivalries have capped its gains.

Italy bans Kanye West concert over security concerns

Authorities scrap festival performance following pressure from local Jewish groups over rapper’s controversial history.

Man jailed for 15 years over foiled Taylor Swift concert attack plot in Austria

Austrian court convicts 21-year-old over planned 2024 bombing that forced the cancellation of concerts.

Who is Jonathan Andic, son of fashion brand Mango’s founder Isak Andic?

After joining the Spanish fashion brand in 2005, Jonathan rose to be its executive vice-president a decade later – and a few weeks after his father’s death.

South Korea aims to join top tier of ‘loyal wingman’ combat drone race

Planned indigenous engine for the most complex UAV technology to support crewed fighter jets ‘a deliberate bid’ by Seoul.

Opinion | In today’s ‘great game’, Central Asian nations are no longer prizes to be won