Topic: Middle East — Neutral reports only
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:56 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: CNBC
Snippet: European stocks are set to open higher on Monday as hopes for a deal between the U.S. and Iran rose over the weekend.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:53 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said securing a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon remains a central national objective, as the country marked Resistance and Liberation Day, which commemorates Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 after 22 years of occupation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:48 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: South China Morning Post
Snippet: Over 1.5 million faithful gather as annual sacred rites in Mecca officially get under way
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:48 UTC+10:00] [Grand Mosque] [Factuality: 100]
Source: South China Morning Post
Snippet: Over 1.5 million faithful gather as annual sacred rites in Mecca officially get under way
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:44 UTC+10:00] [Opinion] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Asia Times
Snippet: Keep independent journalism alive
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:34 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The Jerusalem Post
Snippet: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem's Sunday speech, particularly the threats to overthrow the Lebanese government.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:34 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: Israeli strikes in Gaza killed a man, his wife and their six-month-old baby on Saturday night, destroying four homes and displacing over 25 families.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:30 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: The governments of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkiye have jointly condemned Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over a video showing detained activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:30 UTC+10:00] [World / Middle East] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The Age
Snippet: Jerusalem: Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, on Sunday delivered an unusually harsh indictment of what he described as “a terrible process of brutalisation” creeping into Israeli society.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:26 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The National (UAE)
Snippet: The UAE and several other Arab and Muslim countries have condemned Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for his "appalling, degrading and unacceptable" treatment of activists seeking to deliver aid to Gaza.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:23 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: AP News
Snippet: Un peregrino musulmán se echa agua sobre la cabeza para refrescarse ante la Gran Mezquita durante el peregrinaje anual del haj en la ciudad sagrada de La Meca, en Arabia Saudí, el domingo 24 de mayo de 2026. (AP Foto/Altaf Qadri)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:22 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: CNBC
Snippet: Singapore on Monday reported lower-than-expected inflation for April at 1.8% in April, as the higher costs of energy due to the Iran war will take meaningful effect only from the third quarter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:09 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The National (UAE)
Snippet: In today's episode of Trending Middle East, US President Donald Trump tells negotiators to "take their time" as a deal between America and Iran moves closer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 15:06 UTC+10:00] [Politics / Federal] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The Age
Snippet: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has addressed public calls for a meeting from Australian activists who say they were abused and mistreated while in Israeli custody after their Gaza-bound flotilla was intercepted in international waters last week.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 14:52 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: South Korea
Snippet: SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. topped the smartphone markets in Central and South America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia in the first quarter on steady sales of its premium Galaxy S26 and budget Galaxy A series smartphones, industry data showed Monday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 14:51 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: CNBC
Snippet: Oil markets are nearing minimum operating levels in Asia, with Europe likely next and the U.S. potentially facing shortages by July, Jeff Currie, Carlyle's chief strategy officer of energy pathways, said Monday, underscoring the global energy shock due to the Iran war.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 14:50 UTC+10:00] [All News] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The Korea Herald
Snippet: Samsung Electronics ranked first in smartphone market share across Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia in the first quarter, maintaining its lead despite weaker regional demand and rising smartphone prices.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 14:46 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: Iran remains deeply distrustful of the United States despite ongoing negotiations, and no final understanding has yet been reached between the two sides, Tasnim News Agency reported, quoting a source.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 14:36 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 90]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there is a “pretty solid” proposal under discussion that would address Iran’s reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and launch what he described as a serious, time-limited negotiation on nuclear issues.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 14:26 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Hezbollah of conducting a “deliberate campaign to destabilise the country” as clashes and tensions continue in southern Lebanon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 14:17 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The Jerusalem Post
Snippet: Sgt. Nehoray Leizer was killed in battle while fighting in southern Lebanon, the IDF announced early Monday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 14:03 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: AP News
Snippet: Around 1.6 million Muslims have gathered in Mecca ahead of the start of Hajj, one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings, as pilgrims prepared for the beginning of the multi-day pilgrimage amid soaring temperatures and regional tensions. A timelapse shows pilgrims circling the Kabaa at the Grand Mosque as they arrived.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 13:42 UTC+10:00] [Military] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Asia Times
Snippet: Keep independent journalism alive
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 13:34 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: Iran has agreed in principle to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States lifting its naval blockade and resolving issues surrounding Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, according to Reuters, citing a senior US administration official.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 13:25 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: US President Donald Trump defended the emerging agreement with Iran, saying any deal he signs would be fundamentally different from the nuclear accord negotiated under former President Barack Obama.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 13:19 UTC+10:00] [National] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The Age
Snippet: Products & ServicesOpen Products & Services section
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 13:18 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The Jerusalem Post
Snippet: Representatives of IDF personnel stationed in southern Lebanon contacted fishermen on the Sea of Galilee over the past week, asking to purchase or receive donations of fishing nets to bolster defenses against Hezbollah's increasing drone threat, according to a report by KAN News on Sunday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 13:18 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The Jerusalem Post
Snippet: There is a familiar temptation in Washington whenever talks with Iran begin to move.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 13:05 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: Three Palestinian fishermen were wounded after Israeli naval vessels opened fire on their boat in waters off Gaza City on Sunday, according to reports from local journalists on the ground.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 13:01 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: India’s state-owned fuel retailers have increased petrol and diesel prices for the fourth time this month as they seek to recover losses caused by higher crude oil costs linked to the US-Israel war on Iran and disruptions to energy supplies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 13:00 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: ABC News
Snippet: Mon 25 May 2026 at 1:00pm
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 13:00 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The National (UAE)
Snippet: For the estimated 1.5 million Muslim pilgrims gathered in Makkah, today is a special moment. The beginning of Hajj is an exciting time but also one for reflection, renewal and embracing the timeless values that inform this physical and spiritual journey.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 12:57 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: South China Morning Post
Snippet: The lack of a decisive victory in the Iran war has led to Trump losing confidence in the Israeli prime minister, analysts say
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 12:57 UTC+10:00] [Stimson Centre] [Factuality: 100]
Source: South China Morning Post
Snippet: The lack of a decisive victory in the Iran war has led to Trump losing confidence in the Israeli prime minister, analysts say
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 12:37 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: South Korea
Snippet: SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's manufacturing confidence has rebounded into positive territory for the first time in three months despite prolonged tensions in the Middle East, a poll showed Monday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 12:35 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: AP News
Snippet: A person stands in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan’s Nikkei index, seen through the glass wall of an office building in Tokyo, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 12:18 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The Jerusalem Post
Snippet: One week after Noam Bettan came in second place in the Eurovision Song Contest, Noel Curran, CEO of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), sent an official letter to MK Hanoch Milwidsky, chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, expressing “deep concern” over a bill currently under discussion regarding Israel's public broadcasting network KAN.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 12:18 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The Jerusalem Post
Snippet: After six years of being overtaken by the rising level of the Sea of Galilee, Gofra Beach’s sulfur spring was finally reopened in mid-May after the water line lowered enough to reveal the mineral-rich pool.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 12:18 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The Jerusalem Post
Snippet: Amid ongoing updates on the progress of negotiations between the US and Iran, top IDF officers confirmed on Sunday that several branches of the military have reduced the number of reserve soldiers in the General Staff's headquarters.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 12:04 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Nikkei Asia
Snippet: Japanese stocks climbed across the board in Tokyo, helping lift the Tokyo Stock Price Index (Topix) to an all-time intraday high on May 25. (Photo by Nanami Sato)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 12:00 UTC+10:00] [Trump administration] [Factuality: 90]
Source: Guardian Australia
Snippet: President insists ‘I don’t make bad deals!’ as hawks from his own party call proposed agreement a disaster – key US politics stories from Sunday 24 May at a glance
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 11:34 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: Israeli forces carried out a double strike on a building in the southern Lebanese town of al-Duwayr, causing an unconfirmed number of civilian casualties, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 11:30 UTC+10:00] [World / Middle East] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The Age
Snippet: The United States and Iran have signalled that they are moving closer to a deal to end the war in the Middle East. But neither country has released a copy of the possible deal, and it remains unclear exactly what they agreed to – or if they agreed to much at all.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 11:29 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: South China Morning Post
Snippet: GDP grew 1 per cent in the first three months of this year, well above the government’s advance estimate of a 0.3 per cent contraction
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 11:29 UTC+10:00] [Singapore] [Factuality: 100]
Source: South China Morning Post
Snippet: GDP grew 1 per cent in the first three months of this year, well above the government’s advance estimate of a 0.3 per cent contraction
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 11:27 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: Hezbollah said it carried out 28 separate operations against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon on Sunday, using rockets, artillery and attack drones to target troops and military positions across the region.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 11:19 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 92]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: Global oil prices fell sharply as uncertainty surrounding a potential agreement between Washington and Tehran heightened concerns about the economic impact of continued disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 11:13 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: Middle East Eye
Snippet: US Senator Chris Murphy welcomed the prospect of an end to the conflict with Iran but sharply criticised President Donald Trump, arguing that the war had caused widespread destruction without achieving its stated objectives.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 11:09 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: CNBC
Snippet: Hello, this is Hui Jie writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of CNBC's Daily Open.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[2026-05-25 11:09 UTC+10:00] [General] [Factuality: 100]
Source: The Manila Times
Snippet: WASHINGTON, United States — US President Donald Trump tempered expectations of a Middle East deal by saying on Sunday he had told his negotiators not to "rush," even after both Tehran and Washington signalled progress towards an agreement to end the war.
--------------------------------------------------------------------