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TOPIC COLLECTION

Middle East

Included topics:
A woman wears a mask featuring a Wi-Fi symbol to protest against internet censorship in Iran during a demonstration in Frankfurt on May 16. Photo: dpa
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran restores partial internet access after record months-long blackout

The shutdown was imposed after US and Israeli air strikes on Iranian leaders and infrastructure began in February.

Israel-Gaza war

West Bank settlers steal Palestinian family’s sheep herd ahead of Eid festival

US, Israel war on Iran

Tanker hit by explosion near Hormuz hours after US strikes on Iran

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Double standards? How North American conservatives viewed 2 China trips

The North American right cast Trump’s Beijing visit as ‘deal-making diplomacy’ while attacking the Canadian leader for ‘hedging with China’.

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US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, pictured on May 14 at the welcoming ceremony for Trump’s recent visit to Beijing. Photo: Reuters

Top China, Singapore diplomats reaffirm commitment to Malacca Strait transit

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tells counterpart that keeping the critical shipping lane open is ‘a shared aspiration of all countries’.

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China defence chief Dong Jun tipped to skip this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue

The regional security forum opens on Friday in Singapore with no official word yet on who will lead the Chinese delegation.

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As Marco Rubio visits New Delhi, what could it mean for US-India ties?

The US secretary of state’s trip aims to mend bilateral relationship, focusing on trade, defence and Quad unity.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during their meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

US hits Iran with fresh strikes amid negotiations to end war

Marco Rubio insists a deal with Iran remains within reach after the US military claimed its attacks were in ‘self-defence’.

Israel steps up Lebanon strikes to ‘crush’ Hezbollah

Netanyahu pledges to intensify Israeli firepower, citing drone threats since April 17 ceasefire.

‘New form of war’: an insider view of China’s AI strategy in electronic warfare

Fusing AI with radio waves can create faster, smarter and more resilient radars and communication methods designed to confuse enemy jammers.

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AI can predict optimal frequencies for long-range transmissions hours in advance, giving Chinese forces a reliable communication edge during solar storms or electronic attacks, study says. Photo: Getty Images

Mexico’s president sees ‘no issue’ with her country hosting Iran World Cup team

Claudia Sheinbaum said she was told by Fifa the US was reluctant to have the Iranian team spend time outside the matches on US territory.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum at the National Palace in Mexico City on Monday. Photo: Luis Barron / eyepix via ZUMA Press Wire / dpa

Iran signals moves to reconnect to global internet after wartime blackout

Presidential decree aims to restore connectivity to its pre-war state after almost 90 days of digital isolation.

Trump now ties Iran deal to major expansion of Abraham Accords

US president suggests Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other regional powers normalise ties with Israel to secure peace.

How China could benefit as US-Iran talks raise hopes of oil sanctions relief

Beijing’s support is seen as critical to peace negotiations – and analysts believe this could push Washington to relax sanctions on Chinese oil buyers.

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China’s imports of Iranian oil have fallen sharply in recent months, according to the US think tank Middle East Forum, citing data from commodity intelligence firm Kpler. Photo: Reuters

Israeli far-right ministers want ‘return to war in Lebanon’ despite peace talks

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich advocated for strikes on Beirut and cutting off electricity to Lebanon.

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Israeli far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir delivers a speech during a gathering by right-wing activists near the border with Gaza on October 21, 2024, calling to establish a new Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip. Photo: AFP

China lauds Pakistan’s ‘proactive role’ in US-Iran peace talks and vows support

Shehbaz Sharif tells his hosts in Beijing that efforts to mediate between Tehran and Washington ‘moving in the right direction’.

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Checklist tourism trends as travellers go for selfies over ‘real stories’

From Paris to Turkey, tourists blitzing through sites for social media snaps are causing crowding and concerns that they’re missing the point.

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Pope calls for ‘disarming’ of AI, technology should be ‘human friendly’

Pope Leo called for the ‘disarming’ of artificial intelligence, and warned of ‘new forms of slavery’ behind its rise.

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Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his first Encyclical Letter ‘Magnifica Humanitas’, focused on the rise of artificial intelligence, in The Vatican on Monday. Photo: AFP

UAE deports Pakistani Shiites: jobs lost and savings frozen amid Iran war

Over one hundred deported Pakistanis said they were unable to retrieve their luggage or savings before being placed ‌on deportation flights.

China boosts peacekeeping budget share amid warnings UN may be sidelined

SIPRI says Beijing’s participation in such UN missions helps ‘project an image of itself as a responsible major power’.

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Muslims begin haj in sweltering heat and shadow of Middle East tensions

Over 1.5 million faithful gather as annual sacred rites in Mecca officially get under way.

Pilgrims pray around the cube-shaped Kaaba in the Grand Mosque. Photo: AP

Netanyahu increasingly isolated as Trump pursues Iran peace deal

The lack of a decisive victory in the Iran war has led Trump to lose confidence in the Israeli prime minister, analysts say.

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US President Donald Trump points towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on December 29, 2025. Photo: Reuters

Exclusive | Hong Kong airport set for volume shift after flights rejigged amid fuel crisis

Some airlines say they will operate all scheduled flights beyond June after initial consolidation efforts to offset higher jet fuel prices.

Oil falls as US touts progress on Iran deal, reopening Hormuz

Brent prices slide over 5 per cent, even as Trump insists he will not rush into a final accord.

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Global tensions, funding crisis threaten peacekeeping missions, SIPRI warns

Alarm as peacekeeping deployments fall to lowest levels in at least 25 years.

UN peacekeepers operating in Democratic Republic of Congo in 2025. The country has been one of several flashpoints in recent times. Photo: Reuters

Open Questions | Stable US-China ties? It won’t last long, Evan Medeiros says

After Trump’s China trip, political scientist gives his assessment on Taiwan, trade leverage, the Iran war and Beijing’s tensions with Tokyo.

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Illustration: Henry Wong

Turkish riot police storm opposition party HQ to evict ousted leadership

Security forces unleash tear gas and rubber bullets inside CHP offices following a highly controversial court ruling.

Israeli strike kills parents and infant son in Gaza refugee camp

The attack on Nuseirat sends the enclave’s death toll past 880 since the brokered October truce.

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Middle East
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