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Middle East
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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.
The Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the western Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2020. Photo: AFP
War and conflict

Drone targets UAE nuclear power plant, straining Iran war ceasefire

The Barakah nuclear power plant went online in 2020 with the help of South Korea and is the first and only nuclear power plant on the Arabian Peninsula.

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Hong Kong economy

How can Hong Kong seize opportunities as US-China relations stabilise?

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China’s private sector

‘Explosive’: why China’s gold recycling industry is growing at record speed

Israel-Gaza war

Gaza: Israel kills Hamas leader as deaths mount despite ceasefire

Izz al-Din al-Haddad, born 1970, was killed in the attack by Israel. A joint funeral was held on Saturday for Haddad, his wife and their 19-year-old daughter.

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Palestinian relatives mourn over the body of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, during his funeral procession in Gaza City on Saturday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Stocks

Macroscope | Global stock markets are bubbling along on unjustified optimism

Hype around AI and some tech companies has inflated stock prices and left investors ebullient despite the rising risk of a market crash.

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United States

Trump says Isis second in command Abu-Bilal ‘eliminated from battlefield’

American and Nigerian forces had assassinated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki in a ‘flawlessly executed mission’, the US president said on social media.

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India

Iran war fallout triggers massive biofuel shift across Asia

Asia was first and hardest hit by fossil fuel disruptions caused by the Iran war’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

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A technician works on the top deck of a distillery at Bajaj Hindustan Sugar factory that produces ethanol in August 2023. Photo: AP
2026 Xi-Trump summit

Trump leaves China after much pomp and pageantry, but little to show for it

US president’s much-anticipated summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing resulted in more fanfare than concrete policy change, analysts say.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

Trump and his CEOs want China’s business – but has Asia moved on?

The US delegation went to Beijing looking for deals, but a ‘super cycle’ of capital expenditures across Asia is already fuelling enormous growth.

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Israel

Lebanon and Israel extend ceasefire despite new strikes

The US State Department will soon hold further negotiations aimed at reaching a permanent political agreement between the two countries.

Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike on Friday. Photo: Reuters
2026 Xi-Trump summit

After Xi-Trump, China tech stocks retreat as market weighs ‘fantastic’ deals

Mainland benchmarks slip as investors lock in profits following Beijing summit, while analysts say the lack of specific deal terms suggests a deterioration ‘freeze’.

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US President Donald Trump shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during his state visit to Beijing on May 14, 2026. Photo: Pool via Reuters
Israel

US casts first day of Israel-Lebanon talks as ‘positive’

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues in Lebanon as officials hold high-stakes talks ahead of Sunday deadline.

Brics

Opinion | Brics is less a structure than a sentiment

Despite lacking geopolitical alignment, Brics captures a prevailing mood among emerging economies that won’t fade away any time soon.

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Trump says Xi offered help on Iran as China seeks to keep Hormuz open

Chinese leader’s overture underscores how global issues are increasingly shaping US-China diplomacy and trade talks.

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China remains heavily dependent on Middle Eastern crude imports, with any prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz posing risks to its energy security and broader economy. Photo: Getty Images
US, Israel war on Iran

Hormuz crisis tarnishing copper production, raising costs, Chinese analysts say

China Minmetals Economic Research Institute says disruption of sulphur shipments through strait is having ripple effects on copper production.

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Imported sulphur is unloaded at a port in Nantong, Jiangsu province, in 2018. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong’s economic figures look good but business unease is rising

Hong Kong’s economic recovery is intact, but it would be folly to ignore the rising prices and uncertainty flowing from the Middle East.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Oil shock fuels BEVs to 9 of top 10 in sales, with China brands overtaking Tesla

Battery EVs take nine of top 10 sales spots amid surging oil prices, giving local brands the edge and pushing Tesla down April charts.

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India

Iran’s ‘anti-American’ rhetoric tests India’s balancing act at Brics meeting

Foreign Minister Araghchi seeks the bloc’s backing against US pressure in New Delhi, but India likely to prioritise de-escalation and trade.

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India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (right) shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi during the Brics meeting in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

UAE denies Israel’s Netanyahu made secret visit during Iran war

Netanyahu’s office claims a ‘historic breakthrough’, but Abu Dhabi dismisses reports of any clandestine meeting.

Iran

Iran war pushes Asia’s Gulf migrants to use stablecoins for remittances

The risk of sanctions has fuelled concerns that monetary transfers from migrant workers via banks or other operators could be disrupted.

Hong Kong transport

HK Express cuts surcharge by 12.8% as fuel prices ease amid Mideast war

Adjustment follows similar moves by Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines, which have both announced reductions in fuel surcharges.

Hong Kong Express counters at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Eugene Lee
China-EU relations

Global shocks push European firms in China to rethink supply chains

Supply disruptions and rising costs linked to Middle East instability are forcing companies to adjust sourcing, production and investment plans.

Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, speaks at a press conference in Beijing on April 14. Photo: dpa
China trade

Asia needs ‘institutional toolbox’ to survive global shocks, China experts warn

Ahead of Trump’s China visit, experts at an RCEP forum discuss a supply-chain overhaul, looking to insulate the world’s biggest trading bloc.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

China and US teams race to find easy summit deliverables at meeting in Seoul

The two sides will seek to ‘iron out any last-minute issues’ in single day of talks, economist says.

US-China relations

Chinese company that tracked US bombers over Iran wears sanctions with pride

MizarVision defiant after Washington imposes sweeping ban for publishing open-source images detailing Operation Fury activities.

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Chinese OSINT start-up MizarVision is in Washington's crosshairs over its publication of satellite imagery showing US military activity in the Middle East. Photo: Weibo/觅熵MizarVision
Israel

Israel strikes Lebanon as 380 reported killed since April 17 ceasefire

Hezbollah leader vows to turn battlefield into ‘hell’ as Lebanon and Israel get set for more talks in Washington.

Women grieve during a funeral procession on Sunday for nine people killed in an Israeli strike in the village of Saksakieh, southern Lebanon. Photo: AP
US-China relations

US confirms delegation to Apec meeting in China as Trump sets off for Beijing

US representatives to attend Apec trade and investment meetings in Shanghai and Suzhou this month as key Trump-Xi summit looms.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

US defence secretary joins Trump on China trip in rare diplomatic move

Pete Hegseth becomes first Pentagon chief to accompany a US president to Beijing since Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit.

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