https://www.scmp.com/rss/5/feed Breaking news, analysis and opinion from the SCMP's international edition. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Gadi Eisenkot, an unassuming former army chief of staff, has a pathway to Israel’s top job after President Isaac Herzog tapped him to form the next government. Should he succeed, he would take over as prime minister from Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader whose inflammatory style has earned him as much admiration as it has outright hatred. Eisenkot, by contrast, is a reserved man, and some voters tired of Netanyahu see his rival’s relative lack of charisma as one of his greatest... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373679/who-eisenkot-former-israeli-general-expected-replace-netanyahu https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373679/who-eisenkot-former-israeli-general-expected-replace-netanyahu Sun, 08 Nov 2026 05:33:31 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Want to fly to the moon and help build a permanent lunar base? Nasa is accepting applications for a new astronaut class that will help grow the Artemis programme. Officials announced the news on Saturday during a Kennedy Space Centre air show promoting lunar exploration as well as advances in aviation and technology. Nasa’s last call for new astronauts was two years ago. More than 8,000 applied, with 10 making the final cut in September 2025. With only 32 active astronauts, the space agency... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373673/want-fly-moon-nasa-looking-new-astronauts-artemis-programme https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373673/want-fly-moon-nasa-looking-new-astronauts-artemis-programme Sat, 07 Nov 2026 23:53:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel’s president announced on Saturday he would task Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government following last week’s election, in what Netanyahu’s rivals see as a first step to remove the country’s longest-serving prime minister. The opposition bloc led by Eisenkot, a former military chief and political newcomer who has tried to appeal to secular and liberal Israelis, has opened the door to a once improbable alliance with ultra-Orthodox Jews, which could give it the numbers to form a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373671/israels-president-taps-eisenkot-form-government-setback-netanyahu https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373671/israels-president-taps-eisenkot-form-government-setback-netanyahu Sat, 07 Nov 2026 20:05:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Facing an incoming Democratic Congress, US President Donald Trump struck a combative tone on Saturday, offering friend and “violent fighter” Dana White the White House press secretary job and ordering the Justice Department to investigate his opponents. Democrats handed Trump’s Republicans a blowout defeat in midterm elections this week and will take control of both chambers of Congress in January. They are promising robust investigations of Trump and his administration. Trump, however, showed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373670/trump-asks-ufc-chief-dana-white-be-his-new-press-secretary-please-take-job https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373670/trump-asks-ufc-chief-dana-white-be-his-new-press-secretary-please-take-job Sat, 07 Nov 2026 19:44:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thousands of people protested across France on Saturday in a new show of anger against the government with clashes erupting between police and some protesters in Paris despite a lower turnout than in previous weeks. The protests marked the fourth consecutive weekend of demonstrations against the rising cost of living which have erupted as the country heads to presidential elections in five months’ time where the far-right sees its best chance yet to win power. A total of 146,000 people took part... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373669/clashes-paris-after-new-french-protests https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373669/clashes-paris-after-new-french-protests Sat, 07 Nov 2026 18:05:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Six people were killed and at least 15 wounded on Saturday when a gunman opened fire in the landmark historic centre of Poland’s second city of Krakow, in the country’s deadliest shooting in decades. Three bodies – of two women and a man – were later found at the suspect’s home, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, adding there was “much to suggest that they are members of the [suspect’s] immediate family”. Tusk also announced Poland would hold two days of mourning over the shooting that he... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373667/5-killed-shooting-tourist-heart-krakow-poland https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373667/5-killed-shooting-tourist-heart-krakow-poland Sat, 07 Nov 2026 16:33:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Guatemalan ⁠lawmaker and three ⁠police officers were ⁠killed in an armed attack in the eastern department of Zacapa, President Bernardo Arevalo said, condemning the violence and ordering security forces to ‌help identify those responsible. Lawmaker Julio Cesar Portillo Paz was attacked on Friday in Rio Hondo, Zacapa, and initially taken to a hospital with serious injuries. His death was later confirmed by the ⁠National Unity of Hope party, or UNE, to which he ‌belonged. Arevalo said the three... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3373663/guatemalan-lawmaker-3-police-officers-killed-armed-attack https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3373663/guatemalan-lawmaker-3-police-officers-killed-armed-attack Sat, 07 Nov 2026 15:01:41 +0000 Bob Savic Bob Savic China has framed its relationship with Switzerland as a model of practical, mutually beneficial cooperation at a time when its broader ties with the European Union remain more complicated and politically charged. Just before Swiss President Guy Parmelin’s recent visit to Beijing, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman noted that 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the China-Switzerland innovative strategic partnership, with adherence to free trade singled out as its principal... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373312/china-switzerland-trade-partnership-offers-model-amid-fraught-eu-ties https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373312/china-switzerland-trade-partnership-offers-model-amid-fraught-eu-ties Sat, 07 Nov 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Marshall Li,Zhengfei Zhang Marshall Li,Zhengfei Zhang The next US-China talk on artificial intelligence should begin with a simple question: do the two governments actually understand how rapidly AI’s capabilities are improving? Before deciding what to do about the technology, Washington and Beijing need a common way to measure its progress. Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump are expected to meet in Shenzhen soon, and AI is set to remain high on their agenda. Their continued exchanges on this transformative technology are a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373279/us-and-china-must-join-hands-measure-rising-ai-tide https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373279/us-and-china-must-join-hands-measure-rising-ai-tide Sat, 07 Nov 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump said the American military on Friday carried out new limited strikes on Iran, targeting an Iranian air defence system. Iranian state media reported the sound of two explosions in the Suza area of Qeshm Island, which is in a crucial waterway for oil shipments. Trump in an exchange with reporters described the military action as “minor”. “They knocked out – they built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five,” he told... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373633/trump-confirms-fresh-iran-strikes-days-after-voters-punish-war-polls https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373633/trump-confirms-fresh-iran-strikes-days-after-voters-punish-war-polls Sat, 07 Nov 2026 04:25:50 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US ⁠Food and Drug Administration said ⁠on Friday it was investigating a ⁠risk of neoplasia, or tumour formation including malignancy, associated with Novartis’ gene therapy Zolgensma. The Swiss drug maker earlier in the day disclosed two cases in which tumours in children showed evidence of being linked to its gene therapy drug used to treat patients less than ‌two years old with spinal muscular atrophy. Novartis said that it had received nine reports overall of tumours in patients... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373631/us-regulator-investigates-tumour-risk-children-given-novartis-gene-therapy https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373631/us-regulator-investigates-tumour-risk-children-given-novartis-gene-therapy Sat, 07 Nov 2026 03:35:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Washington is offering a US$20 million reward “and possible relocation” for information about Iran’s nuclear programme, the US military has said, as President Donald Trump reiterated that Tehran wants to make a deal to end the war. A State Department programme, Rewards for Justice, “is offering a reward of up to US$20 million and possible relocation for information about Iran’s nuclear programme, including its facilities, equipment and associated personnel, such as those in the scientific... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373625/irans-nuclear-programme-us-offers-us20-million-reward-information https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373625/irans-nuclear-programme-us-offers-us20-million-reward-information Sat, 07 Nov 2026 02:04:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Paraguayan President Santiago Pena was placed under house arrest on Friday on suspicion of breach of trust, shortly after the Senate removed him from office over the collapse of a major bank tied to his government. Pena had offered his resignation over the disaster, but lawmakers pressed ahead with impeachment proceedings that would strip him of immunity granted to former presidents. He did not attend the trial in the Senate despite earlier pledging to defend himself. The president “is declared... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3373623/paraguays-president-pena-impeached-over-ueno-banking-crisis-placed-under-house-arrest https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3373623/paraguays-president-pena-impeached-over-ueno-banking-crisis-placed-under-house-arrest Fri, 06 Nov 2026 23:41:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Faculty members at Cornell University on Friday passed a no-confidence resolution against the elite college’s leadership over its handling of an alleged gang rape that has sparked outcry in the US. The vote is not binding but marks a strong symbolic rebuke of administrators at the Ivy League college in New York state. According to a lawsuit, a female student was assaulted by seven male students at a fraternity house on campus. Following her initial allegations in 2024, Cornell shut down the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373621/cornell-faculty-vote-no-confidence-leadership-after-gang-rape-case https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373621/cornell-faculty-vote-no-confidence-leadership-after-gang-rape-case Fri, 06 Nov 2026 23:06:09 +0000 Lijia Zhang Lijia Zhang Travelling through South America earlier this year, I was repeatedly reminded of China’s growing importance. At Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, I spotted the logo of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. ICBC acquired an 80 per cent stake in Standard Bank Argentina in 2012, establishing a significant presence. In Buenos Aires, my friend Diego García, a publisher, offered a useful perspective: Argentina does not have to choose between China and the United States. It should... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373154/can-china-champion-global-south-without-speaking-it https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373154/can-china-champion-global-south-without-speaking-it Fri, 06 Nov 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pope Leo began an emotionally charged tour of South America on Friday, returning to a continent that helped shape his priesthood just three weeks after undergoing lung cancer surgery. The 71-year-old head of the Catholic Church will visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru over 12 days in one of the most intense papal foreign trips in decades, meeting political leaders, prisoners, the poor, as well as old friends. “I’m very happy to be here,” Leo told reporters on the plane before landing in Uruguay,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3373618/pope-leo-uruguay-kick-south-america-tour-just-weeks-after-lung-surgery https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3373618/pope-leo-uruguay-kick-south-america-tour-just-weeks-after-lung-surgery Fri, 06 Nov 2026 20:30:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Zoo Atlanta’s newest pandas munched bamboo and lounged on Friday during their public debut as smiling visitors lined up to welcome them. Ping Ping, a male, and Fu Shuang, a female, arrived in September from China under a 10-year loan agreement, bringing the cuddly black-and-white bears back to the zoo after a two-year absence. After spending the past weeks getting acclimated to their habitat, the six-year-old pandas greeted visitors in the newly renovated Arthur M. Blank Panda... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373615/panda-fans-flock-zoo-atlanta-debut-ping-ping-and-fu-shuang https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373615/panda-fans-flock-zoo-atlanta-debut-ping-ping-and-fu-shuang Fri, 06 Nov 2026 18:26:59 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The 82-year-old estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was arrested on Friday at a senior care facility in Florida on a charge of keeping child sexual abuse material in storage units in California, authorities said. Thomas Markle Snr was in a wheelchair wearing handcuffs when he was transported by ambulance with federal agents, according to video posted by The Daily Mail, a British tabloid newspaper. Markle’s arrest followed the seizure of “approximately 78 items, including slides,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373612/meghans-father-thomas-markle-arrested-us-child-sex-abuse-material-charges https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373612/meghans-father-thomas-markle-arrested-us-child-sex-abuse-material-charges Fri, 06 Nov 2026 16:02:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters Bomb threats warning “the clock ⁠is ticking” were sent to TV stations across Europe on Friday, prompting evacuations and programming to be suspended. Warnings were sent to Irish broadcaster RTE, Britain’s Sky, Bulgarian private station Nova TV and others, the companies said. No bombs were found at any affected site. RTE programmes were replaced by music and a pre-recorded ‌message, some for as long as three hours. The alerts follow a string of hoax bomb threats that has disrupted passenger... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373611/clock-ticking-european-tv-channels-targeted-wave-hoax-bomb-threats https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373611/clock-ticking-european-tv-channels-targeted-wave-hoax-bomb-threats Fri, 06 Nov 2026 15:31:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Employment in the United States grew by 165,000 jobs in October, far exceeding analysts’ expectations, with the unemployment rate dipping to 4.1 per cent, government data showed on Friday. The relatively stable labour market has allowed the US Federal Reserve – which has a dual mandate to maintain inflation at a long-term 2 per cent target while ensuring maximum employment – to make fighting stubbornly high prices its priority. The strong October data could add to pressure for further rate... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373607/us-adds-165000-jobs-october-labour-market-beats-expectations https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373607/us-adds-165000-jobs-october-labour-market-beats-expectations Fri, 06 Nov 2026 14:52:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters Shaken by the accuracy ⁠of Iran’s attacks on Bahrain and support for them among some Bahrainis, authorities in the Gulf island ⁠nation have launched a crackdown on Shiite Muslim clerics they accuse of fostering allegiance to Tehran at home. Bahraini officials have framed the move in existential terms, saying Iran seeks to undermine and ultimately topple the leadership of the only Gulf country that is ruled by a Sunni Muslim family but populated mostly by Shiites. Critics, including rights... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373604/iran-war-revives-bahrains-conflict-shiite-muslim-majority https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373604/iran-war-revives-bahrains-conflict-shiite-muslim-majority Fri, 06 Nov 2026 14:13:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters Tesla would wind down Cybertruck production at its Texas gigafactory around mid-2027, CEO Elon Musk said on Friday, after years of persistently weak sales for a futuristic model once touted as a rival to legacy pickup trucks that ultimately only sold in just a handful of markets because of its heavy, angular design. Musk said in an X post the production wind-down would enable the carmaker to accommodate increased output of its newly launched Cybercab model, which the billionaire has made central... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373598/teslas-musk-pulls-plug-cybertruck-robotaxi-push-after-years-poor-sales https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373598/teslas-musk-pulls-plug-cybertruck-robotaxi-push-after-years-poor-sales Fri, 06 Nov 2026 13:31:46 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The leader of a Kenyan doomsday cult linked to the deaths of more than 400 people was sentenced on Friday to 200 years in prison for the murders of 191 people. The High Court in Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa issued the sentence for Pastor Paul Mackenzie. He was convicted of murdering 190 children and one adult after he ordered his followers to starve themselves to death to meet Jesus. Justice Diana Kavedza said that Mackenzie, leader of the Good News International Church, bore the “primary... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3373594/kenyan-doomsday-cult-leader-jailed-200-years-murdering-191-followers https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3373594/kenyan-doomsday-cult-leader-jailed-200-years-murdering-191-followers Fri, 06 Nov 2026 12:55:28 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng American voters have spoken. In the midterm elections, Democrats won both the House and Senate in a sweeping rebuttal of US President Donald Trump’s erratic management of domestic and foreign affairs. Despite this, the trajectory of US-China geopolitical rivalry will remain unchanged for decades, with every chance of escalation. Foreign Affairs re-examines “The Delusions of American Power” in its latest issue. The lead article, “The Limits of American Power”, concludes that even with the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373304/midterm-swing-wont-change-trajectory-us-china-rivalry https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373304/midterm-swing-wont-change-trajectory-us-china-rivalry Fri, 06 Nov 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The European Union is investigating the possible misuse of EU funds earmarked for the renovation of a Spanish railway line where a train crash killed 69 people, prosecutors said on Friday. The October accident on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line was one of the worst railway disasters in Europe this century, overshadowing Spain’s coming general election this month. A similar investigation into the same stretch of track had already been opened in March in the wake of another accident that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373589/eu-investigates-fraud-spain-rail-funds-after-fatal-madrid-crash https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373589/eu-investigates-fraud-spain-rail-funds-after-fatal-madrid-crash Fri, 06 Nov 2026 12:16:52 +0000 Jim Au Yeung Jim Au Yeung An EU funding crunch is threatening to stifle the bloc’s ambitions to expand its influence in Southeast Asia, as Brussels grapples with a budget deadlock that could slow infrastructure investments across the fast-growing region. The funding squeeze could hinder the green transition and regional connectivity goals of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, even as Brussels seeks greater strategic autonomy amid competition with Beijing’s economic clout. Analysts expect the European Union to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373510/eus-southeast-asia-push-hits-funding-crunch-china-widens-lead https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373510/eus-southeast-asia-push-hits-funding-crunch-china-widens-lead Fri, 06 Nov 2026 06:30:22 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Three people accused of using artificial intelligence to impersonate corporate executives and lawyers to steal about US$129 million have been indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, prosecutors said Thursday. Over more than a year and a half, Jacob Soall, 41, Sharon Hazan, 54, and Guy Sheetrit, 42, targeted thousands of companies across the world in their AI scheme, according to the indictment filed in a US District Court in New York. Their victims included hospital... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373511/us-accuses-trio-using-ai-impersonate-ceos-and-lawyers-steal-us129-million https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373511/us-accuses-trio-using-ai-impersonate-ceos-and-lawyers-steal-us129-million Fri, 06 Nov 2026 05:43:32 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain The close defence relationship between the United States and Israel is set to be restructured over the coming two years, with billions of dollars in direct annual military aid being phased out in favour of joint weapons technology programmes. US President Donald Trump shocked Israelis and Americans alike on Tuesday by suddenly announcing that the roughly US$4 billion a year in direct military funding Israel received from Washington would be cut off by the end of the year. Speaking to Fox News on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373487/trumps-israel-aid-cut-reveals-push-trade-grants-tech-cooperation https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373487/trumps-israel-aid-cut-reveals-push-trade-grants-tech-cooperation Fri, 06 Nov 2026 05:00:29 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US midterm shift could squeeze China on AI, bring clarity to bilateral talks Beijing has vowed to continue working with Washington towards a “constructive relationship of strategic stability” following the Democrats’ sweeping victory... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3373481/us-democrats-win-could-squeeze-china-star-mathematician-leaves-us-scmps-7-highlights https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3373481/us-democrats-win-could-squeeze-china-star-mathematician-leaves-us-scmps-7-highlights Fri, 06 Nov 2026 04:45:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Canada unveiled a budget on Thursday that calls for “economic independence” and says that while reducing its reliance on the United States will take time, “the shift is under way”. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s second budget since taking office last year was presented to parliament just two days after President Donald Trump suffered a sweeping midterm election rebuke. While Democrats, who will take control of the US House and Senate next year, have already voiced a desire to ease Trump’s trade... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373484/canada-budget-charts-economic-independence-decisive-shift-us https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373484/canada-budget-charts-economic-independence-decisive-shift-us Fri, 06 Nov 2026 03:20:37 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he will announce on Sunday whom he will task with trying to form a new government, after the opposition’s Gadi Eisenkot secured a commanding number of recommendations to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Herzog held a second day of consultations with political parties on Thursday after the October 27 election, in which neither Netanyahu - a polarising right-winger who has led Israel through three years of war - nor Eisenkot - a former military chief... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373476/netanyahu-rival-eisenkot-tipped-seek-israeli-government-backing-arab-lists https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373476/netanyahu-rival-eisenkot-tipped-seek-israeli-government-backing-arab-lists Fri, 06 Nov 2026 02:10:44 +0000 Vasilis Trigkas Vasilis Trigkas At their October meeting in South Korea last year, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, recognising mutual vulnerability to export restrictions, agreed to suspend some of the most draconian measures they had imposed on each other: US port fees on Chinese-built vessels and Chinese export controls on rare earths. They also announced further summit-level talks. The leaders have since met twice: Trump visited Beijing in May, Xi visited Washington in September. They are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373140/chances-are-us-china-truce-will-be-extended-shenzhen-apec-summit https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373140/chances-are-us-china-truce-will-be-extended-shenzhen-apec-summit Fri, 06 Nov 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a proclamation that he says will preserve the Oval Office and Cabinet Room as a national monument, his first official action after his party was swept aside in midterm elections on Tuesday. But the action does not prevent future presidents from restyling the iconic office that Trump has filled to the brim with gold flourishes, nor does it prevent a successor from rolling back the proclamation itself. Trump himself has reversed national monument... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373469/trumps-first-move-after-midterms-ensuring-future-presidents-cant-change-his-oval-office https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373469/trumps-first-move-after-midterms-ensuring-future-presidents-cant-change-his-oval-office Thu, 05 Nov 2026 23:59:20 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service California state Senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco, a prolific Democratic lawmaker who has reshaped state policy on a host of fronts – from housing to transgender rights – will succeed former House speaker Nancy Pelosi in Congress after San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan called Wiener on Wednesday to concede, her campaign confirmed. Wiener, 56, who is gay and reviled by some on the far-right for his progressive policies and staunch LGBTQ+ advocacy work, overcame Pelosi’s endorsement of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373468/wiener-set-replace-pelosi-san-francisco-chan-concedes https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373468/wiener-set-replace-pelosi-san-francisco-chan-concedes Thu, 05 Nov 2026 22:39:49 +0000 Reuters Reuters ⁠California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Thursday he will commute the death sentences of all 548 inmates currently condemned to execution in his state, the largest death row in the western hemisphere, declaring he believes capital punishment to be morally wrong. The announcement, in a three-page letter addressed to “all Californians”, came as Newsom, a Democrat who is expected to seek his party’s presidential nomination in 2028, neared the end of his second and final four-year term as... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373467/california-governor-newsom-granting-clemency-all-548-death-row-inmates-state https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373467/california-governor-newsom-granting-clemency-all-548-death-row-inmates-state Thu, 05 Nov 2026 22:28:21 +0000 Alice Li,He Huifeng Alice Li,He Huifeng With domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. A presidential election in Brazil, a country thousands of miles away, might seem like just another headline to many in China. But for Chinese companies doing business... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3373387/lulas-upset-win-also-victory-chinese-firms-brazil https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3373387/lulas-upset-win-also-victory-chinese-firms-brazil Thu, 05 Nov 2026 22:00:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Tech-led Nasdaq notched its deepest one-day drop since ‘Liberation Day’ in April 2025, wiping out trillions in market value on fears of more AI scrutiny, particularly on data centre construction, after Democrats won big in US midterm elections. The Nasdaq Composite fell 5.5 per cent on investor fears that the Democratic Party’s sweeping midterm victory could stall AI infrastructure expansion and force a reckoning for smaller firms whose capacity to raise funds has already been limited by higher... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373465/ai-storm-dooms-tech-stocks-us2-trillion-decline-darkest-day-2025 https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373465/ai-storm-dooms-tech-stocks-us2-trillion-decline-darkest-day-2025 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 21:19:57 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Democratic socialist Nithya Raman ousted incumbent Democrat Karen Bass to become the next mayor of Los Angeles, ending a heated race that saw the one-time allies spar over frustration with the status quo. Bass called Raman on Thursday to concede, after the latest numbers showed Raman with 52 per cent of the vote against the outgoing mayor’s 48 per cent, with three-quarters of votes counted. “I’m deeply honoured to be your next mayor,” said Raman, 45, in a statement on social media. “I love this... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373464/india-born-leftist-nithya-raman-beats-incumbent-karen-bass-become-la-mayor https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373464/india-born-leftist-nithya-raman-beats-incumbent-karen-bass-become-la-mayor Thu, 05 Nov 2026 21:01:26 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Hundreds of thousands of striking workers protested across France on Thursday against the rising cost of living following weeks of youth-led demonstrations, with police firing tear gas as clashes broke out in some cities. The marches come as the euro zone’s second-largest economy battles to redress its dire finances, six months ahead of elections to replace President Emmanuel Macron, with the far-right leading in the opinion polls. While the CGT union put Thursday’s turnout at 1.6 million across... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373463/mass-protests-sweep-france-again-workers-strike-and-march-dignified-wage https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373463/mass-protests-sweep-france-again-workers-strike-and-march-dignified-wage Thu, 05 Nov 2026 20:23:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Independent journalist Yoani Sanchez, who has won awards for her reporting on Cuba, and two prominent Cuban activists were released Thursday after spending hours in detention in Havana. “I just got home. Thank you all for your solidarity and for spreading the word about the arbitrary detention I suffered this morning. That support is what managed to slide back the bolts and open the bars,” the 51-year-old wrote on X. Several human rights groups and press freedom organisations had denounced her... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3373461/cuba-detains-award-winning-journalist-yoani-sanchez https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3373461/cuba-detains-award-winning-journalist-yoani-sanchez Thu, 05 Nov 2026 19:19:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press From Michigan to the Middle East, Arabs are celebrating Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate win and delighting in his introduction of Arabic terms like habibi and “inshallah” to the American political lexicon. After being the target of Islamophobic rhetoric on the campaign trail, the rising political star, who will be the first Muslim-American US senator, has mocked his critics on the right while championing the Palestinian cause and leaning into his faith and Egyptian heritage. “J.D., habibi,” El-Sayed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373460/jd-habibi-arabs-celebrate-michigans-el-sayed-mocks-foes-term-affection https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373460/jd-habibi-arabs-celebrate-michigans-el-sayed-mocks-foes-term-affection Thu, 05 Nov 2026 18:18:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump predicted Thursday an imminent deal with Russia covering Ukraine and “all of Europe”, after his wife, first lady Melania Trump, hosted officials from the two warring countries at the White House. Trump revealed that he had an unscheduled meeting with Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy, following his involvement in the event hosted by the US first lady. Trump’s comments will fuel Ukrainian and European fears that he is pivoting towards the Kremlin... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373459/melania-trump-hosts-ukraine-russia-officials-calls-more-enduring-truce https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373459/melania-trump-hosts-ukraine-russia-officials-calls-more-enduring-truce Thu, 05 Nov 2026 17:25:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters Paraguayan President Santiago Pena is under criminal investigation following the collapse of a major digital bank, prosecutors have announced, as the South American leader prepares to defend himself before the Senate against possible removal from office on Friday. The crisis at Ueno Bank turned Pena’s long-ruling Colorado Party against him, a stunning reversal for the former International Monetary Fund economist who had enjoyed the backing of the country’s most powerful politicians and was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3373458/paraguays-president-pena-resigns-under-mounting-pressure-bank-collapse https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3373458/paraguays-president-pena-resigns-under-mounting-pressure-bank-collapse Thu, 05 Nov 2026 17:03:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Five oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and army said in separate statements, according to local media on Thursday. Since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, Tehran has severely restricted traffic through the strategic waterway, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil consumption. It regularly attacks ships it accuses of transiting without its authorisation. The United States military has in response imposed a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373454/iran-says-5-tankers-catch-fire-after-striking-naval-mines-strait-hormuz https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373454/iran-says-5-tankers-catch-fire-after-striking-naval-mines-strait-hormuz Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:35:51 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russell Brand, the risqué comic who bragged for years of his sexual exploits, was convicted Thursday of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others on allegations dating back years. The British actor-comedian faces a “significant” prison term when he is sentenced Monday, Judge Joel Bennathan said. Brand had been free, but he was taken into custody after the judge rejected a bail request to let him see his kids because of the possibility he might flee. “I regret the hardship caused to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373453/british-actor-russell-brand-faces-prison-after-rape-sexual-assault-conviction https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373453/british-actor-russell-brand-faces-prison-after-rape-sexual-assault-conviction Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:54:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment slipped to a 57-year low last week as lay-offs fell against the backdrop of a resilient labour market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 189,000 for the week ended October 31, the Labour Department ‌said on Thursday. Economists had forecast 196,000 claims for the latest week. Claims matched the 189,000 level touched in mid-July, which was the lowest reading since 1969. They have stayed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373451/us-labour-market-holds-firm-weekly-lay-offs-tumble-57-year-low https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3373451/us-labour-market-holds-firm-weekly-lay-offs-tumble-57-year-low Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:31:21 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse When cheers erupted at a packed Tel Aviv stadium for Boy George, it was not only a sign of the 65-year-old singer’s enduring fame. It was the sound of national delight at an international pop star willing to perform in an increasingly isolated Israel. A smattering of Israeli flags dotted the crowd as the flamboyant Culture Club frontman took the stage in a sequinned jacket for Wednesday’s sold-out performance with a simple greeting of “Shalom!” The British singer is one of the few international... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373444/boy-george-hailed-hero-defying-cultural-boycott-perform-israel https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3373444/boy-george-hailed-hero-defying-cultural-boycott-perform-israel Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:26:58 +0000 Emma Ma Emma Ma After the Democrats swept the US midterm elections, a divided government may help restrain future Treasury borrowing and prevent fresh deficit blowouts, though it will not necessarily bring down elevated bond yields, analysts say. The US Treasury Department unveiled its quarterly refunding statement on Wednesday, with market participants describing the overall borrowing outlook as largely neutral. Based on its projected financing needs, the Treasury said it expected to keep note and bond auction... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3373359/us-borrowing-outlook-steadies-after-midterms-treasury-yields-face-new-tests-analysts https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3373359/us-borrowing-outlook-steadies-after-midterms-treasury-yields-face-new-tests-analysts Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:00:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Finnish court on Thursday jailed the Russian captain and an Azerbaijani crew member of the cargo ship Fitburg for aggravated sabotage over damage to two subsea ‌telecommunications cables in the Gulf of Finland last year. Finland on December 31 seized the vessel in the Gulf of Finland while it was en route from Russia to Israel, on suspicion that it had damaged cables running from Helsinki to Estonia. The Helsinki District Court sentenced the captain to three years and six ⁠months in prison and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373432/finland-jails-russian-cargo-ship-captain-over-baltic-sea-cable-sabotage https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3373432/finland-jails-russian-cargo-ship-captain-over-baltic-sea-cable-sabotage Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:30:38 +0000 Tan Poh Hwee Tan Poh Hwee The latest front in the US-China technology contest is not advanced chips, artificial intelligence (AI) or telecommunications equipment. It is the laboratories that certify whether an electronic product may enter the American market. On October 29, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to stop recognising testing laboratories, telecoms certification bodies and accreditation organisations in China and in other economies that lack a “mutual recognition agreement” or comparable... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373171/us-china-tech-contest-has-moved-gatekeeping-product-testers https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373171/us-china-tech-contest-has-moved-gatekeeping-product-testers Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:30:07 +0000