Contours of the new Middle East
HOW and why the Assad regime collapsed like a house of cards in a mere 11 days, after battling foreign-sponsored rebel groups, including IS and Al Qaeda, for some 13…
Is Middle Eastern escalation inevitable?
AFTER several weeks of preparations, Israel carried out its promised attack on Iran in the small hours of Saturday but the scale and scope of the air/missile strikes appeared limited. It also…
Airlines fly over Afghanistan as Middle East becomes the greater risk
Singapore Airlines, British Airways and Lufthansa have increased their flights over Afghanistan after years of largely avoiding it now the Middle East conflict has made it seem a relatively safe…
Shifting Middle Eastern sands
THE unexpected thaw between Saudi Arabia and Iran is a major diplomatic triumph for China. In a rapprochement mediated by Beijing, the two archrivals, which had been engaged in a bitter…
Top US general makes unannounced Middle East trip as Iran threat looms
The top US general began an unannounced visit to the Middle East on Saturday to discuss ways to avoid any new escalation in tensions that could spiral into a broader…
Blinken to Saudi as window shrinks on Middle East mega-deal
Washington’s top diplomat will travel to Saudi Arabia on Sunday as the deadline approaches on a landmark — and, analysts say, long-shot — deal that would see the kingdom recognise…
Investors pull record sums from Saudi in Middle East fund flight
Foreign investors pulled a record amount of money from US equity funds tracking Saudi Arabia in October as the Middle East’s worst violence in decades shook the region’s business-friendly narrative.…
Middle East throws central banks yet more unknowns
After months playing catch-up with inflation, central bankers were starting to believe they have finally pegged interest rates at just about the right level to keep a lid on prices…
US military steps up Middle East surveillance as threats to troops grow
The US military is taking new steps to protect its troops in the Middle East as concerns mount about attacks by Iran-backed groups, and it is leaving open the possibility…
Chinese envoy heads to Middle East in bid to contain war
China will this week weigh into the Israel-Hamas war by sending its special envoy to the Middle East, after the United States asked it to use its influence to stop…
