Brokering a ceasefire appears all but impossible amid the escalating violence, as fears grow of a massive humanitarian crisis – and Israel vows to wipe the Palestinian militant group ‘off the face of the Earth’.
The Israel-Hamas war is set to put the region on a knife-edge with risks of escalation involving Iran, its Lebanon-based ally Hezbollah and even others.
Saudi Arabia’s nuclear programme has sparked concerns but the kingdom is very far away from having the means to build atomic weapons.
This week’s offensive was due to ‘decades of frustration after the failure of the international community’ to resolve conflict, say analysts, and with the war in Ukraine distracting Russia.
Gulf states don’t see the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor through the lens of US-China rivalry, analysts say – even if Washington would like it to counter Beijing’s belt and road plans.
But it will take time for Arab students to find Mandarin as attractive as European languages, observers say, given ‘historical perceptions’ and a shortage of native Chinese teachers.
Turkey has so far struggled to secure large-scale orders from the Asia-Pacific, despite scoring billion-dollar contracts in the Middle East and supplying Ukraine with its famous Bayraktar combat drones.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have sought Brics membership as they want to have “an additional hedge” against the US and diversify their economic partnerships
A major push by the US to nudge allies Israel and Saudi Arabia to forge diplomatic relations is unlikely to go far before the end of President Joe Biden’s term, according to several analysts.
Any delay could lead to the polls being conducted in early 2024 instead of November as scheduled.
The attacks in western Pakistan coincide with ongoing celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
As the Middle East shapes up to be a new battleground amid the US-China rivalry, Japan and South Korea must look beyond trade deals to increase their stake in the region.
The deals represent a rapid change in Turkey’s complex relationship with the Gulf, which is now back on a more friendly footing after years of rivalry.
Washington and Tehran are reportedly discussing a mini-deal regarding Iran’s nuclear programme aimed at preventing the dispute from escalating into armed conflict.
Negotiations in Bonn were dominated by arguments over who should be responsible for financing a ‘just transition’ to a clean energy-powered economy.
The UAE’s trade minister has said the country is ‘building a corridor of opportunity’ between the Gulf and Southeast Asia to eliminate barriers to trade, and create new avenues for strategic investment.
India’s refusal to send its national team to Pakistan on security grounds has sparked concerns about the ‘politicisation’ of cricket – and the possibility that the ‘game could splinter’.
Bhutto Zardari, 34, ‘wouldn’t have shot up to the very senior post of foreign minister without the military’s blessing’, one analyst notes.
Assad’s return to Arab League and Zelensky’s appearance mark efforts by Arab states to remain diplomatically neutral in the West’s tensions with Russia and China.
The former PM once had Pakistan’s all-powerful military on his side, but all that has changed with a series of mob attacks on security personnel last week linked to his party.
With their ancient cultural and historical sites – plus ‘very good shopping’ – the Gulf monarchies such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE have their sights set on enticing a new wave of luxury travellers from China.
Dozens of heavily-armed paramilitary troops took Khan into custody at the Islamabad High Court, where he was appearing in an unrelated case.
Top-secret documents show US detected allegedly suspicious construction activity at a container terminal in an Abu Dhabi port that is part-owned by China.
A brewing constitutional crisis has raised fears that Pakistan’s all-powerful military could now step in, as the practically bankrupt South Asian nation struggles to secure the latest tranche of an all-important bailout.
Pakistani officials moved a jailed Chinese national charged with blasphemy more than 200km away to a maximum-security prison for fear his presence could trigger a mob.
A source involved in the arrest said scores of infuriated Pakistani labourers descended on a Chinese camp, apparently intent on attacking the man, following a heated dispute about the slow pace of work during Ramadan.
Oil-heavy nation aims to capitalise on success as Riyadh-Tehran intermediary, say analysts, and is involved in Yemen peace negotiations and energy deals – some of them green – with Asian partners.
Gulf monarchies have grown tired of feeling insecure and being used as a doormat by their so-called allies in the West, and they have been adapting their policies and marshalling their trillion-dollar resources accordingly.
Three of the UK’s most prominent politicians share not just South Asian roots, but also come from well-off families and are graduates of prestigious private schools.
A landmark US$10 billion deal for a state-of-the-art refining complex in Liaoning province could be just the beginning, analysts say, as Beijing looks to shore up energy security and Riyadh hunts for a ‘win-win’ supply agreement.
