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The latest news, analysis and opinion on Russia. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
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South African and Chinese flags fly aboard the Chinese guided-missile destroyer Tangshan, moored at port in Cape Town for joint naval drills involving Brics members, on January 10. Photo: AFP
Brics

Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa mark Brics shift?

Observers describe high-profile exercise involving economic grouping as largely symbolic rather than step towards military alliance.

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China-Japan relations

Japan urged to ‘correct historical errors’, return Tang dynasty stele to China

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Brics

Testing the waters: is Brics evolving into a security alliance?

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Middle East

Iran cleric demands death for protesters, threatens Trump amid unrest

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami urged the execution of detained protesters, a step the Trump administration warned could spark military action.

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Iranian senior cleric Ahmad Khatami delivers his sermon during Friday prayer in Tehran in January 2018. Photo: AP
US-China relations

Tesla’s defeat, Harvard’s success, Beijing’s shock: 7 US-China relations reads

From China’s EV power to Hegseth’s new threat, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in the first half of January 2026.

Iran

Putin offers to mediate Iran-Israel tensions after Trump threat

The Russian leader spoke with Israel’s Netanyahu and Iran’s Pezeshkian on Friday, offering Moscow’s help to de-escalate tensions, the Kremlin said.

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US-Venezuela conflict

Trump pick for South America command sidesteps China questions at Senate hearing

Lieutenant General Francis Donovan’s answers frustrated even Republicans in favour of a military-first plan to counter Chinese influence.

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Lieutenant General Francis Donovan testifies during a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing in Washington on Thursday. Photo: AP
Open Questions series

Open Questions | China wins if Venezuela ensnares Trump, Mearsheimer says

Maduro’s ‘kidnap’ and naked grab for Venezuela’s oil may leave US bogged down and less able to keep eye on China, political scientist John Mearsheimer says.

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Greenland

Europeans send military personnel to Greenland in message to Trump

Initial deployments are small, but Denmark is planning a ‘larger, more permanent’ Nato presence.

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Ukraine war

Kremlin warns Ukraine running out of time to accept peace terms

The Kremlin insists Ukraine is running out of options as US-led talks stall, warning that the ‘situation is deteriorating’ for Kyiv daily.

Firefighters work at a private delivery company’s logistics hub hit by a Russian missile strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
India

‘Trump’s wrath’: India’s aim to diversify trade via Iran faces tariff threat

The 25 per cent tariff against countries that trade with Iran may curtail India’s plan to develop the Chabahar port in Iran.

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Officials attend a ceremony in 2019 to mark the first export convoy to India via Iran at Chabahar port. Photo: Getty Images
India

Trump’s 500% tariff push raises risk of India-US trade freeze

Such punitive tariffs would erode India’s export competitiveness and force the country to reorient its trade elsewhere, analysts warn.

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United States

US halts visas for 75 countries indefinitely; China not on the list

Trump administration pauses immigrant visa processing from January 21, affecting applicants worldwide while exempting key visa categories.

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United States

Denmark cites ‘fundamental disagreement’ with Trump over Greenland

US president asserts ‘we need Greenland’, as Denmark announces a stepped-up military presence in the Arctic with its allies.

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Demonstrators take part in a protest under the slogan ‘Greenland is for Greenlanders’ in front of the US embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Ukraine war

Opinion | Why Russia is gambling on a protracted war in Ukraine

Despite a stagnating economy and mounting casualties on the battlefield, Moscow believes it can wait out Ukrainian and Western resolve.

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Ukrainian rescuers work to extinguish a fire at a heavily damaged residential building following Russian drone and missile attacks in Kyiv, Ukraine, on January 9. Photo: AFP
Vladimir Putin

How Putin’s focus on Ukraine war leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba exposed

Russia’s war in Ukraine leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba vulnerable, exposing security failures and eroding trust in Moscow’s global influence.

China's military weapons

Why the US may find Iran’s air defence system harder to break than Venezuela’s

China’s most advanced export, the HQ-9B surface-to-air missile, is reported to be integrated into Iranian systems.

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US-Venezuela conflict

Letters | The strategic calculations behind Trump’s Venezuela raid

Readers discuss the objectives of the US raid on Venezuela, why the episode pleases China and Russia, and how to help Shenzhen shine as a global city.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House in Washington on January 9. Trump aims to convince them to support his plans for Venezuela. Photo: AFP
China energy security

Can China’s cheap, renewable energy help it outrun the US in the AI race?

China’s energy buildout means cheap, green and reliable electricity fuels its manufacturing and tech industries, giving it an edge over rivals.

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Middle East

Trump urges on protesters in Iran as crackdown death toll surges

As Tehran accuses the US of inciting violence, Trump warns of ‘very strong action’ if Iran hangs protesters.

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United States

Republican bill eyes Greenland as 51st US state in Trump’s arctic power play

Republican congressman from Florida, Randy Fine introduced a bill to annex Greenland, citing national security.

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Protesters rally outside the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, on March 15, 2025, declaring “Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people”. Photo: Reuters
India

Germany’s Merz backs India-EU trade deal during first official visit to Asia

The German chancellor and India’s Modi have signed agreements aimed at boosting bilateral trade and enhancing defence cooperation.

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrives for an appointment on Monday as part of his state visit to India. Photo: dpa
Donald Trump

Video | Trump slaps 25% extra tariffs on Iran’s trading partners

Trump announces tariffs ‘effective immediately’ on economies doing business with Tehran, including India and China, Iran’s largest trading partner.

Diplomacy

Opinion | Why China now needs North Korea’s denuclearisation

As optimism grows over an end to the Ukraine war, a weakening of Moscow’s support for Pyongyang may give Beijing new leverage to stabilise the Korean peninsula.

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Greenland

Greenland says it should be defended by Nato, rejects any US takeover

The Arctic island’s government insists that security must happen through the Western alliance, not via US ownership.

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A member of the French armed forces trains as part of a combined nations military drill in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, in September. Photo: Reuters
US-Venezuela conflict

Cuba’s president denies being in talks with US after Trump threats

Havana rejects ‘make a deal’ ultimatum as Trump vows to cut off Venezuelan oil and money to the communist-run island.

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Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel speaks during an event held in support of Venezuela, in Havana on January 3. Photo: EPA
US-China relations

Europe’s real threat is its own inner ‘demon’, not Russia: former Chinese envoy

Beijing’s longest-serving ambassador to the US also claims Nato has outlived its relevance, as Trump ramps up pressure on Greenland.

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Asean

Opinion | Why US ops in Venezuela have shaken Asia-Pacific’s middle powers

Middle powers fear a return to ‘rules of the jungle’ geopolitics as rival powers carve out spheres of influence.

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