https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/522013/feed The US Supreme Court: A prominent Washington, D.C.-based governmental body, it is the highest judicial court in the United States. Its primary mission is to ensure equal justice under law as the final court of appeal and guardian of the Constitution. The Court’s main activities include interpreting federal law, exercising judicial review, and resolving inter-state disputes. Noted for establishing judicial review in *Marbury v. Madison* and its significant impact on civil rights, such as... en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Alex Lo Alex Lo “Actions have consequences,” British Minister of State for Skills and former home secretary Baroness Jacqui Smith said of Palestine Action, the protest group proscribed as a terrorist organisation across the United Kingdom. She was lecturing the group’s members and supporters, who are legion in Britain, on taking responsibility for their actions. From where everyone else is sitting, she might as well have been talking about her Labour Party colleagues, such as fellow former home secretary Yvette... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3371369/britains-ban-pro-palestinian-author-sally-rooney-makes-it-laughing-stock https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3371369/britains-ban-pro-palestinian-author-sally-rooney-makes-it-laughing-stock Tue, 20 Oct 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil on Monday asked the US Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that opened the door for US President Donald Trump’s administration to rearrest and deport the Palestinian activist. Khalil’s lawyers asked the justices to take up his case after the Philadelphia-based 3rd US Circuit ‌Court of Appeals ruled that federal immigration law barred a lower-court judge from ordering his release from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Khalil was among... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3371429/palestinian-activist-mahmoud-khalil-asks-us-supreme-court-review-deportation-case https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3371429/palestinian-activist-mahmoud-khalil-asks-us-supreme-court-review-deportation-case Mon, 19 Oct 2026 20:52:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by accused September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two alleged accomplices that sought to revive plea deals which were later revoked. Mohammed and two others charged with involvement in the 2001 September 11 attacks – Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi – struck pre-trial agreements to avoid the death penalty in 2024, during the administration of president Joe Biden. After criticism by some victims’ families, Biden’s defence... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3371419/us-supreme-court-denies-bid-accused-9/11-mastermind-revive-plea-deal https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3371419/us-supreme-court-denies-bid-accused-9/11-mastermind-revive-plea-deal Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:48:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters Police detained India’s ‘cockroach’ movement founder Abhijeet Dipke on Friday, student leaders and supporters on Friday as hundreds poured into central Delhi, waving the national flag and demanding the resignation of India’s election chief. The youth-led ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP), opposition groups and student organisations have held almost daily protests this month demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over a revision of voter lists that critics ⁠say favours... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371196/indian-police-detain-cockroach-movement-leader-ahead-new-delhi-protest https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371196/indian-police-detain-cockroach-movement-leader-ahead-new-delhi-protest Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:06:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indian police detained several opposition lawmakers in the capital of New Delhi on Tuesday for trying to breach barricades during a protest march to demand the resignation of the election chief over a controversial revision of voter lists. The march presents a fresh political challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi midway into his ‌third term, just months after similar protests forced the resignation of his education minister over exam paper leaks. Parties opposing Modi’s government along with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369942/india-opposition-lawmakers-detained-over-protest-against-election-chief https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369942/india-opposition-lawmakers-detained-over-protest-against-election-chief Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:01:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A condemned female murderer who survived two lethal injections during a botched execution by the US state of Tennessee was in critical condition and receiving “life-saving care”, her lawyer said on Thursday. In an extraordinary chain of events, Christa Pike, 50, was whisked from a prison execution chamber to a hospital Wednesday night, still alive despite two deadly doses of pentobarbital. “What we have been told is that she is in critical condition, receiving life-saving care,” Randy Spivey... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369503/christa-pike-life-saving-care-after-botched-tennessee-execution https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369503/christa-pike-life-saving-care-after-botched-tennessee-execution Fri, 02 Oct 2026 03:02:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Tennessee officials were unable to put Christa Pike to death on Wednesday for a 1995 murder after administering two doses of a lethal drug. A death penalty expert said it was an unprecedented failure, and Tennessee’s governor halted the remaining execution for the rest of the year. Pike, 50, was alive and loudly snoring after the attempted lethal injection and taken by ambulance from the prison, her lawyers said. She was being treated at a hospital, but they said they had not been told about her... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369413/tennessee-fails-execute-christa-pike-after-2-doses-lethal-drug https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369413/tennessee-fails-execute-christa-pike-after-2-doses-lethal-drug Thu, 01 Oct 2026 04:14:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters A US appeal court on Wednesday halted the ⁠execution of death row inmate Christa Pike in Tennessee, less than two hours before she was scheduled to become the first woman that state has put to death in more than 200 years. The 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a “short stay of execution” to give it time to weigh Pike’s claim that her allegations of childhood sexual abuse were not adequately considered during her sentencing. The court did not provide a specific time frame. Pike, whose... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369385/us-tennessees-first-execution-woman-200-years-halted https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369385/us-tennessees-first-execution-woman-200-years-halted Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:00:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US Supreme Court on Tuesday let President Donald Trump’s administration continue swiftly deporting people to countries other than their own for now, while the justices consider whether the policy is legal. The apparent 6-3 order temporarily lifts lower court requirements for migrants to get a chance to object before being sent to countries to which they have no ties. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in December. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson would have... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369275/us-supreme-court-lets-trump-resume-deportations-third-countries https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369275/us-supreme-court-lets-trump-resume-deportations-third-countries Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:21:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters A US judge blocked the Trump administration on Monday from conditioning counterterrorism funds to state and local ‌governments on changes to election administration. The decision by Washington-based US District Judge Amir Ali marks the latest defeat for US President Donald Trump in his bid to increase the federal government’s authority over elections ahead of the November 3 midterms, when his Republicans are fighting to retain majorities in both houses of Congress. Earlier this year, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369120/judge-blocks-trump-tying-anti-terrorism-grants-election-changes https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369120/judge-blocks-trump-tying-anti-terrorism-grants-election-changes Mon, 28 Sep 2026 23:20:38 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US’ cybersecurity agency on Thursday released an election infrastructure security plan 40 days before November’s midterms, laying out potential threats to election systems and listing services it would offer to election officials to protect the vote. The plan, which Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had originally promised to release by mid-August, comes after the Trump administration has been trying to kickstart efforts to help states protect voting systems. Election officials... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368719/us-cybersecurity-agency-releases-election-infrastructure-plan-40-days-midterms https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368719/us-cybersecurity-agency-releases-election-infrastructure-plan-40-days-midterms Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:39:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US Supreme Court dealt a major blow Monday to President Donald Trump’s attempts to restrict mail-in voting before the November midterm elections, denying his request to lift an order halting the divisive plan. Only two of the six conservative justices on the nine-member panel offered a dissent. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in a concurring opinion with the majority, said Trump’s plan may ultimately be legal in the long run, but “state and local election officials do not have sufficient time to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367518/us-supreme-court-rejects-trump-mail-ballot-restrictions-midterms https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367518/us-supreme-court-rejects-trump-mail-ballot-restrictions-midterms Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:22:37 +0000 Reuters Reuters A second federal judge late on Sunday moved to block President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing a new ‌US Postal Service (USPS) rule that would tighten mail-in voting requirements, though the US Supreme Court is still weighing the administration’s request to overturn a separate order blocking the rule. Washington-based ⁠US District Judge Carl Nichols’ decision comes as Trump’s ‌Republicans battle to retain control of both houses of Congress in the ‌November 3 midterms. Trump, who... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367478/trumps-mail-voting-restrictions-blocked-second-judge https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367478/trumps-mail-voting-restrictions-blocked-second-judge Mon, 14 Sep 2026 10:57:45 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa American football coach Lane Kiffin has been making headlines in the past weeks as his team, the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers, await a verdict on whether they will be expelled from the collegiate Southeastern Conference (SEC). Leaders from schools in the conference are planning to meet on Thursday to discuss expelling LSU amid a dispute over the team’s push to add players who spent time on NFL teams. On Tuesday, the SEC amended a lawsuit filed last week to request a temporary... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3367011/meet-lane-kiffins-ex-wife-layla-who-supporting-him-amid-lsu-expulsion-threat https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3367011/meet-lane-kiffins-ex-wife-layla-who-supporting-him-amid-lsu-expulsion-threat Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:00:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters President Donald Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to let it enforce a new US Postal Service rule tightening the use of mail-in ballots, moving swiftly after a judge temporarily blocked the regulation ahead of November’s midterm elections. In an emergency request, the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to lift Boston-based US District ‌Judge Indira Talwani’s order temporarily preventing the USPS from enforcing the new rule, which it adopted following an executive... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3366285/trump-takes-mail-ballot-fight-us-supreme-court https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3366285/trump-takes-mail-ballot-fight-us-supreme-court Thu, 03 Sep 2026 22:43:26 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US lawmakers targeted China and birth tourism on Wednesday for the second time this week during hearings on birthright citizenship, a constitutional right upheld by the Supreme Court in June but still under challenge from the Trump administration. “The demand for US citizenship for the children of Chinese nationals has led to unscrupulous companies assisting these individuals for profit,” said Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas. Wednesday’s Judiciary hearing was called to review June’s Supreme... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/politics/article/3366161/us-lawmakers-target-china-birth-tourism-citizenship-fight-intensifies https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/politics/article/3366161/us-lawmakers-target-china-birth-tourism-citizenship-fight-intensifies Wed, 02 Sep 2026 22:18:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US Supreme Court on Monday allowed President Donald Trump to continue construction of his White House ballroom, granting him a major victory as he works to leave a permanent mark on Washington. The conservative-dominated court ruled 5-4 to lift a lower order demanding most construction be halted, saying that the plaintiff in the case likely did not have legal standing to sue. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s three liberals in dissenting, writing in an opinion that the major... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3365903/us-supreme-court-lets-trumps-white-house-ballroom-construction-continue https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3365903/us-supreme-court-lets-trumps-white-house-ballroom-construction-continue Mon, 31 Aug 2026 22:07:20 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened a prominent NBC broadcast journalist with possible punishment by US media regulators as the Republican expressed disappointment with coverage of his candidate endorsements ahead of November’s midterm elections. Trump took to his Truth Social platform to attack Kristen Welker as the “unpopular ‘hostess’ of the once great Meet the Press” talk show. He objected to her having said the president had had “mixed results” on his endorsement of political... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3365780/trump-calls-punishment-nbc-reporter-us-media-regulators https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3365780/trump-calls-punishment-nbc-reporter-us-media-regulators Sun, 30 Aug 2026 19:37:37 +0000 Reuters Reuters A US federal judge on Thursday blocked the US Postal Service from implementing core parts of a new rule it adopted at President Donald Trump’s direction that would tighten mail-in voting requirements ahead of the November congressional elections. US District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston issued a temporary restraining order ‌at the behest of Democratic-led states and voting rights groups after the US Supreme Court on Monday issued a ruling that led to the lifting of earlier injunctions blocking... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3365520/us-judge-blocks-rule-implementing-trump-plan-curb-mail-ballots https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3365520/us-judge-blocks-rule-implementing-trump-plan-curb-mail-ballots Fri, 28 Aug 2026 02:51:40 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado New US restrictions on mailed ballots took effect on Thursday, leaving state and local election officials racing to comply – or persuade a federal judge to intervene – weeks before millions of ballots are due to be sent to voters ahead of November’s midterm elections. The US Postal Service rules require election authorities to assign unique bar codes to outgoing and return ballot envelopes, submit voters’ names, addresses and corresponding bar code information through a new federal portal, and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/us-elections/article/3365509/new-us-mail-voting-rules-take-effect-states-warn-midterm-disruption https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/us-elections/article/3365509/new-us-mail-voting-rules-take-effect-states-warn-midterm-disruption Thu, 27 Aug 2026 20:42:02 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Ghislaine Maxwell’s bid to overturn her sex trafficking conviction and be freed from prison was rejected by a federal judge Tuesday who said the claims by Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and long-time associate that new evidence had emerged were “demonstrably meritless”. Maxwell filed a habeas petition last December seeking to set aside her conviction and free her from a 20-year prison sentence, claiming exonerating information was withheld and false testimony presented at her trial,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3365249/judge-rejects-ghislaine-maxwells-miscarriage-justice-claims-and-bid-prison-release https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3365249/judge-rejects-ghislaine-maxwells-miscarriage-justice-claims-and-bid-prison-release Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:48:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US Supreme Court gave President Donald Trump a temporary victory on Monday, lifting a lower court block on his executive order curbing the use of mail-in ballots. The Republican president signed an order in March seeking to restrict mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections but it was immediately met with multiple legal challenges. Democratic-led states sued the administration on grounds that under the US Constitution, states – and not the federal government – retain broad... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3365116/us-supreme-court-clears-way-trump-mail-voting-order-advance-midterms https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3365116/us-supreme-court-clears-way-trump-mail-voting-order-advance-midterms Mon, 24 Aug 2026 21:30:47 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US Supreme Court on Friday allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to continue construction of his White House ballroom project for now, temporarily pausing a judicial order that would halt much of the development. The court’s action, known as an administrative stay, gives the justices additional time to consider the administration’s formal request to let it continue working on the US$400 million ballroom while a lawsuit by a historic preservation ‌group seeking to stop the project... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3364894/us-supreme-court-lets-trump-continue-work-white-house-ballroom-now https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3364894/us-supreme-court-lets-trump-continue-work-white-house-ballroom-now Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:15:46 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US Supreme Court on Monday again rebuffed President Donald Trump’s push to throw out a jury’s US$5 million finding that he sexually abused the writer E. Jean Carroll at a New York City department store in the mid-1990s and later defamed her. The Republican president’s lawyers had asked the justices to reconsider their refusal to hear his appeal. It is unusual – although not unheard of – for the court to grant such requests. Trump paid the judgment shortly after the court declined to take up... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3364332/us-top-court-again-rejects-trump-push-toss-out-e-jean-carroll-verdict https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3364332/us-top-court-again-rejects-trump-push-toss-out-e-jean-carroll-verdict Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:02:51 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The Trump administration announced on Wednesday the establishment of a task force to end birth tourism in the latest push to curtail the practice after the Supreme Court recently rejected US President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict constitutional birthright citizenship. Working alongside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the US State Department wrote in a fact sheet that it is “using all available tools to defend the integrity of US citizenship, ensure non-immigrant visas are used... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3363833/us-sets-task-force-combat-birth-tourism-revokes-more-600-visas https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3363833/us-sets-task-force-combat-birth-tourism-revokes-more-600-visas Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Emma Ma Emma Ma The wave of US tariff refunds is reaching Chinese companies. More than US$38 million in tariff rebates, plus accrued interest, from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has landed in the bank accounts of five listed Chinese firms since last month, providing a windfall that is expected to bolster their earnings. The five listed firms primarily operate in the automotive and healthcare sectors. Each secured an average tariff refund of US$7.64 million, representing between 13.12 per cent and 53.58... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3363528/wave-us-tariff-refunds-flows-back-chinese-firms-buoying-profits-millions https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3363528/wave-us-tariff-refunds-flows-back-chinese-firms-buoying-profits-millions Mon, 10 Aug 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that his new White House counsel will be Will Scharf, the staff secretary who as the Trump-appointed head of the National Capital Planning Commission helped secure approval for the US$400 million ballroom project. Trump said that, beginning September 1, Scharf will be replacing David Warrington, who will be leaving the administration to join the private sector. Trump noted that Scharf previously served as a federal prosecutor and represented him in a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3363471/trump-announces-staff-secretary-will-scharf-will-be-his-new-white-house-counsel https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3363471/trump-announces-staff-secretary-will-scharf-will-be-his-new-white-house-counsel Sun, 09 Aug 2026 22:52:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President ⁠Donald Trump is renewing his effort to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, keeping alive his assault on the central bank’s independence even after the US Supreme Court in June dealt him a significant setback in his bid to remove her earlier this year, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The White House told Cook in a letter this week that the president was “considering” removing her from her role and demanded she respond to unproven mortgage fraud allegations within three... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3363370/trump-renews-effort-fire-feds-lisa-cook-despite-supreme-court-ruling https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3363370/trump-renews-effort-fire-feds-lisa-cook-despite-supreme-court-ruling Fri, 07 Aug 2026 21:11:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters A US federal appeal court ordered Donald Trump’s administration on Friday to stop construction on a US$400 million ballroom on the site of the White House’s demolished East Wing, dealing the Republican leader a major setback in a case testing his presidential authority. “Each president is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House” and cannot fundamentally reshape it without congressional approval, the Washington-based US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said in a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3363361/us-court-blocks-trumps-us400-million-white-house-ballroom-project https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3363361/us-court-blocks-trumps-us400-million-white-house-ballroom-project Fri, 07 Aug 2026 15:46:28 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday seeking to narrow birthright citizenship and intensify a crackdown on “birth tourism”, making a new attempt to restrict automatic citizenship after his original policy was rejected by the Supreme Court. Trump announced the measures unexpectedly during a White House event, describing the Supreme Court’s June 30 ruling as “very unfortunate” and arguing that wealthy foreigners had built businesses around securing US citizenship for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3363223/trump-signs-new-orders-targeting-birthright-citizenship-and-birth-tourism https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3363223/trump-signs-new-orders-targeting-birthright-citizenship-and-birth-tourism Thu, 06 Aug 2026 21:41:30 +0000 Reuters Reuters A group of 25 Democratic-led US states sued US President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday, arguing that the president’s latest round of tariffs on goods from 60 trading partners, like most of his earlier sweeping tariffs, exceeds his legal authority to tax imports. The states’ lawsuit filed in the US ‌Court of International Trade in New York follows previous challenges by small US businesses, which sued to block the tariffs on the day they went into effect last month. States and small... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3362848/democratic-us-states-sue-challenge-trumps-latest-round-tariffs https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3362848/democratic-us-states-sue-challenge-trumps-latest-round-tariffs Mon, 03 Aug 2026 20:19:44 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi As the Philippines hosted Southeast Asian foreign ministers in late July, the sea would not stay quiet. On July 20, Chinese and Philippine crews fought beside the BRP Sierra Madre with oars and batons; one Filipino sailor was reportedly injured while each side blamed the other. Days later, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the security forum, Philippine vessels went to the Scarborough Shoal. Manila said Chinese ships used water cannons on Philippine ships,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3362228/reduce-south-china-sea-friction-beijing-and-manila-need-it-writing https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3362228/reduce-south-china-sea-friction-beijing-and-manila-need-it-writing Sat, 01 Aug 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to clear the way for an executive order from US President Donald Trump that could dramatically change mail-in voting ahead of November’s midterm elections. The Justice Department asked the justices to halt for now lower court decisions blocking the sweeping changes in nearly half the country. The request comes soon after Trump delivered an address elevating his years-long push to raise doubts about the legitimacy of elections and could... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3362052/trump-administration-urges-supreme-court-allow-order-targeting-mail-voting https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3362052/trump-administration-urges-supreme-court-allow-order-targeting-mail-voting Mon, 27 Jul 2026 23:14:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters Two small businesses in the United States have ⁠challenged President Donald ⁠Trump’s latest round of tariffs on goods ⁠from 60 trading partners, saying that the new policy, like most of Trump’s previous tariffs, went beyond the president’s authority to tax imports. The lawsuit, filed in the US trade court in New York on Friday, argues that the new tariffs require ‌more detailed country-specific findings about “forced labour” to be legally justified. The two small businesses, backed by a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3361812/us-small-businesses-sue-trump-administration-over-new-forced-labour-tariffs https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3361812/us-small-businesses-sue-trump-administration-over-new-forced-labour-tariffs Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:27:19 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell After devoting the first half of 2026 to an ineffectual, expensive and inconclusive military adventure in Iran, it seems US President Donald Trump is about to turn afresh to the wars he loves best – the tariff wars he still believes can make America great again. He can’t quite walk away from the war in the Persian Gulf. Iran’s refusal to capitulate has left Trump with an awkward obligation to fight on, despite the widespread unpopularity of the conflict, even among his base, and the need to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3361593/trumps-latest-tariff-tantrum-unlikely-end-well-us https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3361593/trumps-latest-tariff-tantrum-unlikely-end-well-us Fri, 24 Jul 2026 09:05:54 +0000 Nayan Seth,Mark Magnier Nayan Seth,Mark Magnier The United States imposed late on Thursday a fresh wave of tariffs against 60 economies, including China, Japan, South Korea, India and European Union member states, hours before a temporary 10 per cent blanket levy was due to expire. The tariffs, ranging from 10 to 12.5 per cent, are the outcome of a Section 301 investigation into forced labour, with Washington arguing that existing measures have failed to keep goods produced with forced labour out of supply chains. “Today’s action will begin... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3361650/us-slaps-fresh-tariffs-china-50-plus-countries-latest-wave https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3361650/us-slaps-fresh-tariffs-china-50-plus-countries-latest-wave Thu, 23 Jul 2026 21:43:49 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin When the US Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship, his attention soon turned from the justices to China, prompting a sarcastic social media post. “I would like to congratulate President Xi, and the Great Country of China, on their massive Birthright Citizenship WIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” Trump wrote on social media. In the hours that followed, the Department of Justice instructed federal prosecutors to prioritise investigations of “birth... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/politics/article/3361263/trump-turns-china-renewed-birthright-citizenship-push https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/politics/article/3361263/trump-turns-china-renewed-birthright-citizenship-push Mon, 20 Jul 2026 20:14:00 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Questions about who belongs to a nation and how citizenship should be acquired remain as contentious today as they have ever been. The rise of xenophobic, far-right politics in many countries is an ugly consequence of this debate. On June 30, 2026, the United States Supreme Court rejected an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that sought to end so-called birthright citizenship, the guarantee of citizenship to almost anyone born on American soil, including the children of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3360860/after-us-birthright-citizenship-ruling-lessons-how-foreigners-once-became-chinese https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3360860/after-us-birthright-citizenship-ruling-lessons-how-foreigners-once-became-chinese Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:15:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett told lawmakers Tuesday that a sharp increase in threats targeting her and other justices is increasingly encroaching on their personal and family lives. During a rare appearance by justices before Congress, Barrett said she had to take a bulletproof vest home a few years ago, something she struggled to explain to her 12-year-old son. “I didn’t expect that performing this service would put me in the position of explaining to my children what a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3360581/supreme-court-justices-facing-spike-threats-they-tell-us-lawmakers https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3360581/supreme-court-justices-facing-spike-threats-they-tell-us-lawmakers Tue, 14 Jul 2026 20:15:28 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Writer E. Jean Carroll has collected over US$5.6 million that a jury awarded in her sexual abuse and defamation lawsuit against US President Donald Trump, court records and her lawyers said. The payment – representing the US$5 million jury award, plus interest – was made Monday from an account where it had been held in escrow since the 2023 verdict, according to court records. Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, confirmed the payment on Tuesday. “We are pleased to report that she has received the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3360575/e-jean-carroll-paid-us56-million-owed-trump-sex-abuse-and-defamation-case https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3360575/e-jean-carroll-paid-us56-million-owed-trump-sex-abuse-and-defamation-case Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:58:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he would ask the Supreme Court to rehear a case challenging his executive order curtailing birthright citizenship, a long-shot ‌bid to reverse the court’s rejection of one of his signature policies. The court last month rejected Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship in the US, ruling that his directive violated language in the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment that confers ⁠citizenship to those born in the United States who are... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3359908/trump-says-he-will-ask-us-supreme-court-rehear-birthright-citizenship-case https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3359908/trump-says-he-will-ask-us-supreme-court-rehear-birthright-citizenship-case Wed, 08 Jul 2026 23:16:27 +0000 Reuters Reuters A judge on Wednesday authorised the payment of a multimillion-dollar award to magazine writer E. Jean Carroll to satisfy a 2023 civil verdict in which a jury found US President ‌Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming her. US District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan ordered the disbursement of nearly US$5.8 million to the former Elle magazine advice columnist, representing the original US$5 million verdict plus interest. The funds had been held in escrow while Trump appealed the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3359899/e-jean-carroll-can-collect-us5-million-damages-trump-us-judge-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3359899/e-jean-carroll-can-collect-us5-million-damages-trump-us-judge-says Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:54:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US Supreme Court has again struck down campaign spending limits, this ⁠time rejecting federal restrictions on coordinated spending between political parties and their candidates on free speech grounds. The ruling on Tuesday comes as major Republican committees head towards the November midterm elections with a significant cash advantage over their Democratic counterparts. Siding with Vice-President J.D. Vance and other Republican challengers, the court ruled 6-3 that a cap on the amount of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3358944/us-supreme-court-again-rejects-cap-political-campaign-spending-limits https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3358944/us-supreme-court-again-rejects-cap-political-campaign-spending-limits Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:03:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US Supreme Court cleared the way on Tuesday for ⁠states to impose restrictions on transgender student athletes, upholding laws in West Virginia and Idaho banning them from female sports teams. It delivered a major victory to conservatives in one of the country’s most fiercely contested culture-war battles. The justices overturned decisions by lower courts siding with transgender students who challenged the bans in the two states as violating the US Constitution and a federal... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3358940/us-supreme-court-upholds-state-bans-transgender-student-athletes https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3358940/us-supreme-court-upholds-state-bans-transgender-student-athletes Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:00:28 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin In a historic ruling, the US Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a Trump administration executive order targeting birthright citizenship, preserving a defining principle of what it means to be born an American. The court ruled 6-3 in Trump vs Barbara, holding that children born in the United States to undocumented parents or parents on temporary visas are entitled to US citizenship. While undocumented immigration has long been central to the debate about birthright citizenship, so-called birth... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3358939/us-supreme-court-strikes-down-trump-birthright-citizenship-order https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3358939/us-supreme-court-strikes-down-trump-birthright-citizenship-order Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:46:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US Supreme Court on Monday fortified President Donald Trump’s powers to fire members of independent government agencies, but carved out protections for the Federal Reserve by blocking the firing of Governor Lisa Cook. In a 6-3 ruling, the court’s conservative majority rejected a challenge by Democratic Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, ruling that Trump had the power to fire “subordinates who exercise the President’s power”. The decision is expected to have wide-ranging... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3358803/us-supreme-court-rejects-trumps-unprecedented-bid-fire-fed-governor-lisa-cook https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3358803/us-supreme-court-rejects-trumps-unprecedented-bid-fire-fed-governor-lisa-cook Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:53:38 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US Supreme Court on Thursday backed a Trump administration move to strip deportation protections from some 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians living in the United States. The 6-3 ruling by the conservative-dominated court could have implications for more than one million beneficiaries of so-called Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from more than a dozen countries. Justice Samuel Alito, whose majority opinion was joined by the five other conservative justices, said the Department of Homeland... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3358409/us-supreme-court-paves-way-trumps-mass-deportation-haitians-and-syrians https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3358409/us-supreme-court-paves-way-trumps-mass-deportation-haitians-and-syrians Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:39:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US Supreme Court refused on Tuesday to let a Rastafarian man sue state prison officials in Louisiana after guards held him down and shaved him bald in violation of his religious beliefs in a case brought under a federal law protecting incarcerated people from religious discrimination. The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling powered by its conservative majority, upheld a lower court’s decision to dismiss Damon Landor’s lawsuit, agreeing that he could not sue the individual prison officials and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3358111/rastafarian-man-cant-sue-prison-guards-who-shaved-him-bald-us-supreme-court-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3358111/rastafarian-man-cant-sue-prison-guards-who-shaved-him-bald-us-supreme-court-says Tue, 23 Jun 2026 20:11:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters The European Parliament approved on Tuesday cutting duties on many US goods imports to fulfil the European Union’s side of a trade ‌deal struck last year, and avert a new round of tariff conflict between the world’s largest trading partners. US President Donald Trump struck a framework deal with the European Union at his Turnberry golf course in Scotland last July under which the EU agreed to remove import duties on US industrial goods in return for tariffs of 15 per cent on most EU... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3357334/eu-bows-trump-pressure-tariffs-warns-future-chaos https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3357334/eu-bows-trump-pressure-tariffs-warns-future-chaos Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:25:53 +0000 Ronny Tong Ronny Tong The recent enactment of a subsidiary legislation in Hong Kong regarding the appropriate procedure to be followed in cases of non-national security offences involving national security considerations not surprisingly spurred some to revisit the chief executive’s power, granted under the national security law in 2020, to issue a certificate as to whether an act involves issues of national security. That some people express concern that such an important task is left to the executive and not the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3356615/why-executive-branches-are-best-placed-gauge-national-security-risks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3356615/why-executive-branches-are-best-placed-gauge-national-security-risks Sun, 14 Jun 2026 01:30:05 +0000