9 | | NOVEMBER 2026 "I generally like to start businesses that disrupt. We prefer to operate in the blue ocean rather than the red ocean, so look for a business that has a gap"................................Tony Fernandes, CEO, AirAsiaCHINA STEPS UP MIDDLE EAST DIPLOMACY WITH IRAN AND OMAN TALKSJAPAN AND VIETNAM CONSIDER NEW PACT TO PREVENT CRIMESYAS WORLD RESORT JOINS IHG'S VIGNETTE COLLECTIONChina has intensified its diplomatic engagement in the Middle East, seeking to encourage dialogue between the United States and Iran amid continuing regional tensions and disruptions to international energy supplies. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in Beijing on Monday.During the meeting, Wang stressed that dialogue and negotiations remained the only viable way to resolve the conflict and prevent further escalation. He also reaffirmed Beijing's support for Iran's sovereignty and security. The diplomatic engagement comes after several weeks of limited Chinese involvement in the efforts to end the conflict. Beijing appears increasingly concerned about the lack of progress and the wider consequences of prolonged instability in the region. The governments of Japan and Vietnam are contemplating establishing a new agreement that would enable them to share information regarding each other's nationals who are arrested or detained in their respective countries. The intended agreement seeks to enhance deterrence in response to the rising incidence of crimes perpetrated by Vietnamese citizens in Japan.Japan has to date entered into a similar reporting agreement or treaty with the US, the UK, China, and the former Soviet Union. According to the treaty and protocols, the Japanese government has sought an immediate consular meeting for a journalist from the Hokkaido Shimbun, a daily publication in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, who was apprehended by Russian officials on October 13 on charges of espionage. IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced that Yas World Resort, formerly known as Yas Plaza Hotels, on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, has joined its Vignette Collection brand. Developed by Aldar, the resort brings together six distinct hotels within one destination, making it the world's largest Vignette Collection property. It features over 1,400 rooms and suites, alongside shared access to a private beach, swimming pools, restaurants, wellness centers and recreational facilities.Guests can also access Yas Island's major theme parks and entertainment venues. The addition expands IHG's Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio, the world's second largest, and strengthens its presence across the Middle East. Each of the six hotels reflects a different aspect of Yas Island's character, hospitality and local culture. GEOPOLITICS & DIPLOMACYINTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHOSPITALITY & TOURISM
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