https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/323578/feed Donald John Trump, born June 14, 1946, became the 45th president of the United States in 2017, after he defeated Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the general election of 2016. His unpredictable tenure saw the beginning of a trade war between the US and China. The trade war persisted after he left office following a 2020 defeat to Joe Biden. In 2024 he mounted a third campaign, defeating Biden's then-VP, Kamala Harris, to earn a second term as president. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he would speak very soon with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the reported plague death of a laboratory technician, as Washington pressured Moscow for transparency. Russian authorities denied that they were imposing anti-plague measures and played down the reports of an incident at a plague research institute in Siberia’s Irkutsk region last week. But Washington is showing growing concern, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling on Russia... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369967/trump-says-will-speak-putin-plague-after-death-russian-lab-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369967/trump-says-will-speak-putin-plague-after-death-russian-lab-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 23:42:07 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma As President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump talked tariffs, agricultural quotas and critical minerals at last month’s closely watched summit in Washington, an “elephant in the room” loomed over the discussion: China’s efforts to gradually diversify away from US dollar assets. Beijing has gradually been cutting its holdings of US Treasuries while pushing to expand the yuan’s global use and developing alternative financial architecture. While these issues may not have featured in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3369918/after-cordial-xi-trump-summit-could-chinas-us-dollar-pivot-cause-tremors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3369918/after-cordial-xi-trump-summit-could-chinas-us-dollar-pivot-cause-tremors?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump suggested to a crowd of his supporters in Nebraska that Iran could “take out” a major US city like Los Angeles or San Diego, drawing a swift rebuke from California’s Democratic leaders and some fellow Republicans. Trump, speaking at a political rally in the state’s farm belt on Monday, discussed American wartime economic sacrifices and said he was determined to “see a tremendous victory, because it verifies all the things we did”. “And again, remember, with the ‌war,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369961/trump-says-iran-could-take-out-los-angeles-or-san-diego-drawing-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369961/trump-says-iran-could-take-out-los-angeles-or-san-diego-drawing-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:34:35 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press British police on Tuesday arrested a 22-year-old man in London on suspicion of a terror offence over a security incident at a US-run military airbase in England that authorities have linked to Iran. The arrest is the seventh in connection with a suspected plot against RAF Fairford, located 160km (100 miles) west of London, which has been used by American bombers to strike Iran during this year’s war. Five British men in their 20s were detained near the perimeter of the base in the early hours of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369956/uk-police-arrest-seventh-man-linked-security-incident-us-run-airbase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369956/uk-police-arrest-seventh-man-linked-security-incident-us-run-airbase?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:05:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Iceland had long been a “critical outpost” for security during a visit to the island, as his country pushed for greater US influence in the Arctic region. His trip comes after US President Donald Trump has stirred up the power balance in the region by making threats to buy or annex Greenland. The United States signed a security pact with Denmark and Greenland in late September that will allow Washington to establish two new military bases... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369952/iceland-critical-outpost-security-rubio-says-during-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369952/iceland-critical-outpost-security-rubio-says-during-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:17:33 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A Singaporean woman has been added to a US list of “the worst of the worst criminal aliens,” becoming the third citizen from the city state to appear on the register, after convicted sex offender Amos Yee and money launderer Lim Seok Pheng. Jing Emtage, 54, was sentenced in July last year to two years and two months in prison on seven counts of second-degree promoting prostitution across multiple Washington state massage parlours she ran with her husband, Gerald Emtage. Gerald Emtage, 49, was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3369934/singaporean-massage-parlour-boss-added-us-worst-worst-criminal-aliens-list?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3369934/singaporean-massage-parlour-boss-added-us-worst-worst-criminal-aliens-list?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:51:26 +0000 Zhou Xiaoming Zhou Xiaoming The recent US-China summit yielded a narrow, caution-filled outcome for bilateral trade: a two-month extension of the Kuala Lumpur trade truce, which now expires on January 10 next year. This reprieve eases fears of immediate tariff escalation and shows that head-of-state diplomacy can still curb spiralling confrontation. Yet the short timeline exposes the wide gulf separating the two sides’ priorities. China’s position has been unambiguous: removal of all punitive tariffs and restrictive... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369750/short-trade-truce-cant-paper-over-realities-us-china-relationship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369750/short-trade-truce-cant-paper-over-realities-us-china-relationship?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow US F-35 stealth fighters have joined Indian warplanes for military exercises near the Pakistan border in recent days, marking the first time America’s most advanced multirole combat aircraft has taken part in joint drills in India. The US jets’ participation in the drills “signals a degree of military confidence and interoperability that is difficult to manufacture through communiques”, Sushant Singh, a South Asian studies lecturer at Yale University and former Indian Army officer, told This... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369870/india-sizes-us-f-35-stealth-jets-landmark-first-home-turf?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369870/india-sizes-us-f-35-stealth-jets-landmark-first-home-turf?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:47:05 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. The latest meetings between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended, yet again, with little to show in the way of a breakthrough. What grabbed international headlines was the pageantry, from Trump’s unprecedented greeting of Xi on the tarmac to a personal... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3369758/trump-xi-meeting-mattered-more-was-first-apparent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3369758/trump-xi-meeting-mattered-more-was-first-apparent?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 03:30:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, a US Army psychiatrist who shot dead 13 people at a military base in 2009, the Pentagon said on Monday. Hasan’s execution for the attack at Fort Hood in Texas – which also wounded more than two dozen people – will be the first carried out by the US military since 1961. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth “has recommended – and President Donald J. Trump has approved – death by U.S. Army firing squad for convicted... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369851/trump-approves-firing-squad-execution-us-military-base-shooter-nidal-hasan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369851/trump-approves-firing-squad-execution-us-military-base-shooter-nidal-hasan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 02:17:38 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall The alleged murder of an Okinawan woman by a US marine has raised questions over the American military presence on the island, piling pressure on its newly elected governor just as the prefecture assumes greater importance in Japan’s regional security strategy. Anna Yagi, 39, was found dead at a hotel in Naha in the early hours of Saturday morning. A postmortem determined she died from suffocation. The killing sparked protests the following day, with around 100 people rallying outside the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369802/marines-arrest-murder-japan-fuels-anger-over-us-military-presence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369802/marines-arrest-murder-japan-fuels-anger-over-us-military-presence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump ⁠on Monday said taxpayers will no longer ⁠pay for television ads featuring him shortly before the November congressional elections after widespread criticism of the campaign-style spots. Ethics experts and lawmakers from both parties have criticised the three nationally broadcast ads, which celebrate a “golden age of America”, and called ‌for independent investigations. In a post on his Truth Social site on Monday, Trump said he considered the ads to be “a positive... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369846/trump-says-will-pay-tv-ads-after-pushback-over-taxpayer-funding-close-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369846/trump-says-will-pay-tv-ads-after-pushback-over-taxpayer-funding-close-election?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 23:34:24 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump said on Monday that a threat linked to Iran ⁠had prompted the removal of American B-1 bombers from a British airbase. The planes had been stationed at RAF Fairford, the preferred European base for US bombers, and had recently been used in US strikes on Iran. Last week, five British men were arrested near the base – which Iran’s Revolutionary Guards previously said was a legitimate target – on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. “We had an idea that there might be a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369843/us-bombers-moved-uk-airbase-due-iran-linked-threats-trump-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369843/us-bombers-moved-uk-airbase-due-iran-linked-threats-trump-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 21:40:14 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Mainland Chinese prefer coercion over military force to settle the “reunification question” with Taiwan, and their opinion of the US remains low, although they favour engaging with Washington on trade and security. These are the results from the latest survey of mainland citizens, conducted between April 16 and June 26. This straddled the first summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing but came before the second one in Washington last month. “The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369842/mainland-chinese-favour-diplomacy-achieve-taiwan-reunification-caveats-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369842/mainland-chinese-favour-diplomacy-achieve-taiwan-reunification-caveats-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 21:14:15 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington in September was steeped in pageantry. The Chinese president received two 21-gun salutes in three days, watched a flyover by the powerful B-2 stealth bomber, and viewed the founding documents of American democracy at the National Archives. US President Donald Trump called his summit with Xi a “great meeting” and rated it a “12 out of 10”. Xi was also positive, saying “everything is done to the highest order of perfection, and there is thought in every... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369774/beijing-wanted-more-xis-washington-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369774/beijing-wanted-more-xis-washington-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 21:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Separatists won provincial elections in Quebec on Monday, with a promise to hold a vote on leaving Canada after US President Donald Trump leaves office, testing Prime Minister Mark Carney’s message of national unity. But the Parti Quebecois fell short of a majority government in Canada’s French-speaking province, offering some solace for the federalist camp. The PQ win still upends Canada’s political landscape as the country confronts a trade war and annexation threats levelled by the United... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369837/quebec-votes-provincial-election-separatist-surge-poses-test-canadas-pm-carney?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369837/quebec-votes-provincial-election-separatist-surge-poses-test-canadas-pm-carney?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:22:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US Energy Department will announce US$150 million in new funding for power lines in Alaska on Monday as Vice-President J.D. Vance visits the state, where Republicans are ‌fighting to hold a critical Senate seat in the November midterm elections. Vance is set to rally voters for Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, who is locked in a tight re-election battle with Democrat Mary Peltola. Flipping the seat is key to the Democratic Party’s strategy to take control of the US Senate and recent polls... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369834/us-announce-us150-million-alaska-power-lines-vance-visits-battleground-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369834/us-announce-us150-million-alaska-power-lines-vance-visits-battleground-state?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 16:41:39 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado For more than eight decades, the remains of US fighter pilot Morton Sher lay unrecovered in China. A photograph of a memorial to him in a Hunan village eventually helped investigators find where his plane crashed in 1943. Sher was buried in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina, in December 2025, a homecoming that offers a rare example of what US-China cooperation can achieve for families of missing servicemen. That cooperation has now drawn fresh attention. After the recent summit between... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3369832/us-search-missing-airmen-china-gains-new-attention-after-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3369832/us-search-missing-airmen-china-gains-new-attention-after-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:10:35 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China’s Communist Party’s mouthpiece has published a 10-day series highlighting the prospects and resilience of the country’s economy under its 15th five-year plan, following President Xi Jinping’s closely watched meeting with US President Donald Trump. The series, published by People’s Daily from September 25 through the National Day holiday period, ran under the pen name “Jinxuan”, which is widely believed to be associated with the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/policy/article/3369809/peoples-daily-10-day-series-highlights-potential-ai-private-sector-15th-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/policy/article/3369809/peoples-daily-10-day-series-highlights-potential-ai-private-sector-15th-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:05 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brazil is set for a presidential run-off after right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro won a surprise first-round victory, threatening Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s grip on power in South America’s largest economy. Bolsonaro, son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, took 47 per cent of the ballots in Sunday’s election, beating out Lula on 45 per cent. Brazilians will vote again on October 25 as neither candidate got the 50 per cent share needed to claim outright victory. US-China... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369805/brazil-china-ties-focus-bolsonaro-gets-election-edge-over-lula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369805/brazil-china-ties-focus-bolsonaro-gets-election-edge-over-lula?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:46:21 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Eight more companies from countries belonging to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative have applied to list in Hong Kong, the city’s trade promotion chief has revealed. Frederick Ma Si-hang, chairman of the Trade Development Council, also said on Monday the city’s economy would benefit from improving China-US ties. Speaking on the sidelines of the Global Youth Powerhouse Summit, Ma said interest in Hong Kong’s capital markets from Central Asia had surged after a high-level delegation led by Chief... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3369784/8-more-firms-belt-and-road-initiative-countries-apply-ipos-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3369784/8-more-firms-belt-and-road-initiative-countries-apply-ipos-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 07:55:41 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Taipei’s top diplomat is in Arizona this week to open a de facto consulate and tour the state’s semiconductor corridor, just days after US President Donald Trump wrapped up the pageantry of a state visit for President Xi Jinping. Lin Chia-lung, Taiwan’s foreign minister, arrived in Phoenix late on Saturday for a three-day visit that highlights the deepening economic ties between Washington and Taipei. His visit will not include stops in Washington or meetings with anyone at the State Department,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369770/days-after-xi-trump-summit-top-taiwan-diplomat-opens-de-facto-consulate-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369770/days-after-xi-trump-summit-top-taiwan-diplomat-opens-de-facto-consulate-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 07:13:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press FBI Director Kash Patel is engaged to his country singer girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, the pair announced in a post to X on Sunday evening. Wilkins, 27, posted a black-and-white photo of herself standing with Patel, 46, flashing her hand in front of them to show off her ring with the caption: “Went and got the law involved”. The two have been dating since before Patel took over as head of the FBI in 2025, when she attended his swearing in. The country singer and political commentator released her... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369738/fbi-chief-kash-patel-and-country-singer-alexis-wilkins-announce-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369738/fbi-chief-kash-patel-and-country-singer-alexis-wilkins-announce-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 01:28:21 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Laotian citizen deported by the United States to eSwatini under Donald Trump administration’s immigration crackdown was released from a maximum-security prison in the African nation on Sunday after being held there for more than a year, his lawyer said. Phone Chomsavanh was among five immigrants deported to eSwatini – where he has no ties – in July 2025, in the early days of the Trump administration’s secretive and highly contentious third-country deportation programme. Chomsavanh’s US-based... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3369736/laotian-man-freed-eswatini-jail-14-months-after-us-third-country-deportation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3369736/laotian-man-freed-eswatini-jail-14-months-after-us-third-country-deportation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:48:16 +0000 Orange Wang,Carol Yang Orange Wang,Carol Yang Zheng Yongnian is a political scientist in China and a government adviser. His academic work is mainly about contemporary China, particularly politics, the country’s transformation and its external relations. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. Many have offered a lukewarm assessment of the Xi-Trump summit in Washington, citing the lack of a breakthrough. What is your take? There are two primary views right now. One is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369686/zheng-yongnian-china-us-realism-and-battling-upper-hand-next-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369686/zheng-yongnian-china-us-realism-and-battling-upper-hand-next-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 22:00:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US Air Force has removed its bombers stationed at a US-run military airbase in England used to strike Iran following an investigation into a planned terror attack at the RAF Fairford base. The bombers were redeployed back to their home bases in the United States, according to a Pentagon official who was not authorised to discuss sensitive military movements and spoke on Sunday on condition of anonymity. Aviation watchers such as the Military Air Tracking Alliance have observed dozens of B-52... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369734/us-air-force-removes-all-bombers-uk-airbase-targeted-suspected-terror-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369734/us-air-force-removes-all-bombers-uk-airbase-targeted-suspected-terror-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 21:31:53 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Bosnian Serb nationalist politician Milorad Dodik has declared victory for his party in an election in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday that was shaped by economic pressures, the prospect of the Balkan nation joining the European Union and ethnic tensions that have divided the country since its brutal 1992–95 war. Dodik is a staunchly pro-Russia politician who, despite not appearing on the ballot, has dominated the campaign and inflamed divisions with separatist rhetoric that have sparked fears... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369733/serb-separatist-dodik-declares-victory-bosnia-vote-ethnic-tensions-eu-hopes-collide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369733/serb-separatist-dodik-declares-victory-bosnia-vote-ethnic-tensions-eu-hopes-collide?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 20:36:54 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s top diplomat insisted on Sunday that there would be no military solution to the United States’ war against the Islamic republic, with talks on ending the conflict apparently at an impasse. A campaign of heavy bombardment failed to bring a decisive close to the war launched by the US and Israel in late February, and Washington in recent weeks has dialled back military operations in favour of economic pressure. The main point of contention remains Iran’s attempt to blockade the Strait of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369731/iran-tells-us-there-no-military-solution-middle-east-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369731/iran-tells-us-there-no-military-solution-middle-east-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 19:44:29 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil’s presidential election will go to a run-off on October 25 between President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who has promised the Trump administration access to Brazil’s rare earths to cut US reliance on China. With 99.9 per cent of ballots counted from Sunday’s vote, Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro, had 47.07 per cent of votes and Lula had 45.11 per cent, triggering an automatic run-off. Lula, who at 80 is seeking a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3369728/brazilians-head-polls-high-stakes-polarised-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3369728/brazilians-head-polls-high-stakes-polarised-election?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 17:48:51 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Beijing has been urged to do more to protect its overseas interests with a call for diplomatic engagement to reshape international rules and deeper security cooperation with other countries. As China’s expanding global footprint comes under pressure from geopolitics and restrictions from the West, a Chinese analysis posted on the Global Security Research social media account has called for a major shift in strategy. The author was not identified, but the account regularly posts analysis and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369678/china-urged-build-system-protect-expanding-overseas-interests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369678/china-urged-build-system-protect-expanding-overseas-interests?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Wang Xiangwei Wang Xiangwei For American and Chinese people interested in the outcome of the latest summit between China’s President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, their conclusions could not be more different if they turn to the media and pundits for guidance. Chinese state media spared no superlative, echoing the official description of the summit as: forging the right way for the major powers to get along and writing a new chapter in ties. It played up the fact that Trump gave Xi the highest-level reception... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3369358/how-g2-effect-trump-xi-summit-reverberating-through-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3369358/how-g2-effect-trump-xi-summit-reverberating-through-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taipei’s dilemma over its history during World War II appeared to deepen as Beijing and Washington looked to the Flying Tigers as a source of connection and goodwill during last month’s Xi–Trump summit. US President Donald Trump’s description of China as an American ally during the war has raised concerns in Taiwan that what could have been a valuable historical connection with the United States ended up benefiting Beijing’s ties with Washington. The dilemma resurfaced after Trump and Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3369692/taipeis-dilemma-over-history-deepens-xi-trump-praise-wwii-flying-tigers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3369692/taipeis-dilemma-over-history-deepens-xi-trump-praise-wwii-flying-tigers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Huge billboards on the walls of Tehran mocking US President Donald Trump and depicting American drones under the boot of an Iranian soldier are providing a chronicle of Iran’s war with the United States and Israel. Khaneh-ye Tarrahan, or Designers’ House, produces the billboards with anti-US messaging for prominent locations in Tehran where they are seen daily by large crowds of passers-by, including the city’s famed Valiasr Square. The team created a towering portrayal of Trump’s lips sewn and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369685/trump-burger-hormuz-meet-iranian-team-behind-billboard-war-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369685/trump-burger-hormuz-meet-iranian-team-behind-billboard-war-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 05:35:04 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump shared online the supposed phone number of a Republican US senator on Saturday in an escalating dispute over making daylight saving time permanent. In a social media post, the president urged people to call a phone number he said belonged to Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who opposes the Trump-backed Sunshine Protection Act. The act would end the twice-yearly practice ‌of changing clocks by one hour. Trump says most Americans want more afternoon sunlight,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369675/trump-shares-senator-tom-cottons-phone-number-daylight-saving-time-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369675/trump-shares-senator-tom-cottons-phone-number-daylight-saving-time-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 01:21:41 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The US is set to deploy one of its signature anti-ship missile systems to the Japanese island closest to Taiwan, an unprecedented move that comes as tensions in the region between Beijing and Tokyo continue to simmer. The ground-based US uncrewed missile platform known as the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) will be deployed on Yonaguni Island in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture during biennial joint exercises this month, according to the regional bureau of the Japanese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369666/us-deploy-nmesis-anti-ship-system-japanese-island-closest-taiwan-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369666/us-deploy-nmesis-anti-ship-system-japanese-island-closest-taiwan-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 13:45:24 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korea said on Saturday it test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile that it claimed has manoeuvrable flight capabilities designed to evade missile defences in South Korea and Japan. The latest test comes amid heightened tensions between the two Koreas over border landmine blasts. Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said her brother supervised the test of the missile, which she described as strategic, implying it was designed to deliver nuclear... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3369665/north-korea-test-fires-intermediate-range-missile-amid-mine-blast-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3369665/north-korea-test-fires-intermediate-range-missile-amid-mine-blast-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:41:52 +0000 Reuters Reuters A “handful” of Group of 20 trade ministers rejected US calls to curb excess industrial capacity and “non-market” policies, the US Trade Representative’s office said on Friday, exposing divisions within the group of major economies. The US, this year’s G20 chair, issued the statement ‌a day after a trade meeting in Milwaukee that revealed that only two countries – Mexico and Argentina – signed on to a US-led statement calling for more work and cooperation to eliminate goods produced with forced... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369647/g20-countries-divided-over-us-call-curb-excess-industrial-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369647/g20-countries-divided-over-us-call-curb-excess-industrial-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 05:59:32 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Flydubai co-pilot who officials said nearly crashed a Tel Aviv-bound flight with 182 people aboard was barred from flying by his native Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views, a person familiar with the matter said on Saturday. The co-pilot has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, according to three people with knowledge of the situation, including a Gulf and Western diplomat. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. The United... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369644/flydubai-plane-attack-co-pilot-previously-barred-flying-oman-over-extremist-views?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369644/flydubai-plane-attack-co-pilot-previously-barred-flying-oman-over-extremist-views?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 04:53:37 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. The adoption of the Phnom Penh Declaration at last week’s international conference on online scams contains welcome language on international cooperation and victim protection. However, the 11-point statement ultimately leaves some of the hardest questions unanswered. Its... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3369521/phnom-penh-declaration-online-scams-short-details?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3369521/phnom-penh-declaration-online-scams-short-details?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters US ⁠President Donald Trump is expected to name Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to be his top adviser on AI, a position the president has called “AI tsar” in ‌the past, according to a source familiar with the decision. Clayton already oversees 18 US intelligence agencies as the nation’s top spy and is expected to keep that role. “Any personnel announcement will be announced directly by the president,” a White ⁠House official said in a statement when asked about Clayton ‌being... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369639/trump-expected-name-jay-clayton-ai-tsar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369639/trump-expected-name-jay-clayton-ai-tsar?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 22:41:49 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The US has conducted a non-nuclear underground experiment to enhance its ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions that it explicitly linked with a test that Washington suspects China carried out in 2020 – an accusation Beijing denies. The US Department of Energy announced on Wednesday that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) conducted a “subsurface, non-nuclear chemical high-explosive” experiment at the Nevada National Security Site, which it said aimed to “increase the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369638/us-blast-simulation-targets-chinas-alleged-secret-nuclear-testing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369638/us-blast-simulation-targets-chinas-alleged-secret-nuclear-testing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 22:38:41 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth US Republican Senator Steve Daines, a close aide to President Donald Trump and a key interlocutor between Washington and Beijing, has called on the two capitals to stay engaged and “not retreat” over differences on issues including rare earth supply chains. Daines told the South China Morning Post that both sides still had issues that predated Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington last week and that they would continue working on them after the summit. “So that’s again why... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369505/no-retreat-key-trump-ally-urges-continued-us-china-engagement-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369505/no-retreat-key-trump-ally-urges-continued-us-china-engagement-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva named China as a possible partner in his critical minerals plans, three days before Sunday’s closely fought election. Lula told Flow, one of the country’s most-watched podcasts, on Thursday evening that Brazil should stop shipping out raw ore. “We want to transform them here in Brazil,” he said of the minerals. Asked whether China fit into his plans, Lula said it could be a partner “bringing technology to us”, as could the United States. “[Donald]... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369636/brazils-lula-hails-bold-chinese-investors-rival-pitches-rare-earths-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369636/brazils-lula-hails-bold-chinese-investors-rival-pitches-rare-earths-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 21:04:21 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Igor Patrick Teresa Elena Frontado,Igor Patrick Panama’s comptroller general said on Friday that his office would send prosecutors more audit material on former executives of CK Hutchison’s local subsidiary next week, as part of a criminal investigation into the Hong Kong conglomerate’s annulled Panama Canal ports concession. Speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington, Anel Flores said prosecutors had requested documents concerning Panama Ports Company (PPC), the operator of the Balboa and Cristobal terminals at either end of the canal... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369635/panama-auditor-targets-ex-port-regulators-and-hong-kong-firms-executives-canal-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369635/panama-auditor-targets-ex-port-regulators-and-hong-kong-firms-executives-canal-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 19:10:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters Group ⁠of Seven countries agreed on Friday to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil from emergency reserves and pledged to refrain from energy export restrictions after pressure from US President Donald Trump. The US led a pressure campaign on the European Union to draw down emergency diesel inventories, with the Trump administration warning that failure to act could lead to a US ban on diesel exports. Such a ban could sharply reduce supplies to Europe, which has become... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369626/trump-says-europe-agrees-release-diesel-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369626/trump-says-europe-agrees-release-diesel-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:51:04 +0000 Dewey Sim,Khushboo Razdan Dewey Sim,Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump is planning to attend the Asean summit next month, the South China Morning Post understands, as Washington vies with Beijing for influence in the region. If the trip happens, Trump’s appearance at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting, expected to run from November 16-18 in Manila, will be his second consecutive appearance at the gathering during this term. Trump was in Kuala Lumpur for Asean last year and in Manila for the meeting in 2017. Sources told the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369624/donald-trump-planning-trip-philippines-asean-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369624/donald-trump-planning-trip-philippines-asean-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:38:46 +0000 Chong Ming Lee Chong Ming Lee US President Donald Trump wants to retire one of the technology sector’s most recognisable acronyms, arguing that the term “artificial intelligence”, or AI, is no longer fit for purpose. On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order directing US federal agencies to replace “artificial intelligence” and “AI” with “super intelligence” and “SI” in official communications and non-statutory documents. He also instructed the White House science adviser to draft a new federal definition. The move... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3369617/whats-name-why-trump-wants-rebrand-ai-super-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/policy/article/3369617/whats-name-why-trump-wants-rebrand-ai-super-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:00:30 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump condemns ‘sick conspiracy’ against AI, says he is only guardrail needed US President Donald Trump downplayed growing concerns about artificial intelligence, claiming America already has guardrails to regulate the industry and warning that casting doubt on development only benefits... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369257/america-back-ai-conspiracy-chinas-laos-deal-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369257/america-back-ai-conspiracy-chinas-laos-deal-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:00:15 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez Taiwan has hailed the much-delayed arrival of two F-16V fighter jets as a demonstration of continuing American military support, despite a US presidential hold put on a separate multibilllion-dollar arms package. The two single-seat aircraft, which reached Chihhang Air Base in the eastern county of Taitung on Friday, are the first new F-16s received by the island since deliveries of its original F-16A/B fleet began in 1997. Compared with the earlier versions, the F-16V configuration incorporates... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369584/taiwan-hails-f-16v-delivery-sign-us-support-holds-after-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369584/taiwan-hails-f-16v-delivery-sign-us-support-holds-after-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 10:00:48 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi Not so long ago, Washington’s approach to relations with Beijing was anchored by a single assertive phrase: dealing “from a position of strength”. It was rooted in a unipolar mindset: a belief that the United States could dictate terms, manage competition unilaterally and demand compliance from a distance. Yet, at their recent summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump formally established a new strategic framework: a “constructive strategic stability relationship based... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3369233/how-us-went-position-strength-gung-ho-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3369233/how-us-went-position-strength-gung-ho-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 08:30:09 +0000