https://www.scmp.com/rss/169749/feed The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is situated on the northern coast of South America. Home to an estimated population of 29.1 million, it covers around 916,445 square kilometres which includes the Andes mountains and the Amazon Basin Rainforest. Its main export is oil. Venezuela was colonized by Spain in 1522 but continued resistance led in 1811 to it becoming the first Spanish American country to declare independence. A chequered political history followed which saw dictatorships rise and... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Jet fuel shortages and surging prices are forcing flight cancellations across the Asia-Pacific, a squeeze that could intensify after the United States began controlling oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz following failed peace talks with Iran. Tehran’s effective closure of the strait – a chokepoint for about 20 per cent of global oil supply – is hitting regional airlines, particularly in countries without strategic energy reserves, analysts said. Jet fuel reached nearly US$198 in the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349928/asia-air-travel-faces-turbulence-iran-war-exposes-jet-fuel-vulnerability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349928/asia-air-travel-faces-turbulence-iran-war-exposes-jet-fuel-vulnerability?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:00:31 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the United States has no valid reason to carry out a military attack against the island or to attempt to depose him. Speaking in an interview on NBC News’ Meet the Press programme, the president said an invasion of Cuba would be costly and affect regional security. But should it happen, Diaz-Canel said, Cubans would defend themselves. “If the time comes, I don’t think there would be any justification for the United States to launch a military aggression... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349817/cubas-president-warns-us-against-attacking-island-or-trying-depose-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349817/cubas-president-warns-us-against-attacking-island-or-trying-depose-him?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 16:47:00 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Two months after the United States’ capture and forcible extradition of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro – and as the South American country attempts to settle into a state of relative normalcy in the aftermath of the military incursion – a cohort of Chinese migrants are relocating there in search of business opportunities. Not all are new arrivals. Mey Hou, a long-term Venezuela resident in her 40s who fled the country during Maduro’s tenure, said many people from her hometown in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347566/maduros-capture-sparked-outrage-confusion-and-chinese-migration-wave-venezuela?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347566/maduros-capture-sparked-outrage-confusion-and-chinese-migration-wave-venezuela?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 02:00:07 +0000 Peter T. C. Chang Peter T. C. Chang With the coming summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump back on schedule for May, the two leaders present two starkly different paths for the world: one defined by a “community with a shared future” and the other driven by unpredictable impulses of rivalry and division. While Trump postponed the April summit to engage Xi without the distractions of the war he launched on Iran, a swift resolution before their meeting does not seem likely – despite the newly... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349273/can-community-shared-future-prevail-over-zero-sum-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349273/can-community-shared-future-prevail-over-zero-sum-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao A temporary but fragile ceasefire is in place after US President Donald Trump pulled back from the brink of a wider Iran war. For Beijing, as it prepares for Trump’s high-stakes visit planned for next month, the key question is what the Iran crisis reveals about Trump’s governing style, and whether it has left him emboldened or simply more unpredictable and volatile. The episode is the latest example of what Chinese observers call Trump’s “split” style: abrupt swings between conciliatory talk of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349519/how-can-beijing-prepare-trumps-drunken-boxing-style-his-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349519/how-can-beijing-prepare-trumps-drunken-boxing-style-his-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s state assets watchdog has established a new department to oversee foreign investments, as firms continue to expand their global footprint amid an increasingly turbulent geopolitical outlook. The new bureau, launched by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) on Wednesday, will guide state-owned enterprises in their international operations, according to its website. It will also be responsible for helping firms optimise and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349496/china-strengthens-oversight-state-owned-assets-overseas-amid-global-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349496/china-strengthens-oversight-state-owned-assets-overseas-amid-global-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Alyssa Chen,Fan Chen Alyssa Chen,Fan Chen The United States boasts military superiority over Iran but has emerged as the strategic loser in the five-week conflict, with gains limited to a fragile two-week ceasefire and conditional passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to analysts. Shortly before US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to meet his demands or face destruction of its civilian infrastructure, the US and Iran entered a two-week ceasefire agreement mediated by Pakistan. Beijing reportedly intervened at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349423/why-us-iran-ceasefire-seen-failure-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349423/why-us-iran-ceasefire-seen-failure-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:00:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The president who yearned for a Nobel Peace Prize and once revelled in the appearance of solving conflicts turned to the language of annihilation as he struggled to find a resolution to his war of choice in Iran. US President Donald Trump’s latest threat over the Iran war hit a new extreme on Tuesday as he warned “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again”, if Iran failed to make a deal that included reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz. The Republican president’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349340/madness-or-bluster-trumps-apocalyptic-language-raises-key-questions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349340/madness-or-bluster-trumps-apocalyptic-language-raises-key-questions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:50:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Peruvians will choose from a bewildering array of 35 presidential candidates this Sunday, electing the next leader of an Andean nation beset by crime and a string of short-lived, scandal-tainted presidencies. “Now any old person runs for office,” said 51-year-old teacher Jane Layza, pondering the plethora of presidential hopefuls, and how she will cast her ballot. A few in the field are well known – a popular male comic, the daughter of a brutal autocrat, and a former Lima mayor who likens... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349325/peru-set-choose-bewildering-array-35-presidential-hopefuls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349325/peru-set-choose-bewildering-array-35-presidential-hopefuls?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:12:53 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Most Southeast Asians would choose China as a strategic partner over the US if forced to pick, as analysts attribute the findings of an annual survey to recent geopolitical and trade uncertainties driven by Washington’s policies. But analysts warn against interpreting the respondents’ sentiment in the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute survey as a zero-sum game between the superpowers, saying that Asean is looking to diversify partners in a multipolar world. When asked which superpower the region... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349247/most-asean-prefer-china-over-us-partner-poll-trump-cited-biggest-concern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349247/most-asean-prefer-china-over-us-partner-poll-trump-cited-biggest-concern?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:05:32 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The city of Minneapolis released a video on Monday showing a chase and scuffle that ended in a non-fatal shooting in January and the suspensions of two federal officers involved in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. The video – from a city-owned security camera – captured part of the incident in which federal officers chased a Venezuelan man to his home. Another Venezuelan man who lives there was shot during the confrontation. Federal authorities in February dropped... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349198/video-brings-new-scrutiny-minnesota-ice-shooting-after-charges-against-2-men-collapsed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349198/video-brings-new-scrutiny-minnesota-ice-shooting-after-charges-against-2-men-collapsed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:28:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters Venezuela’s government and its political opposition are seeking to coordinate their legal defence of the oil-rich country’s United States assets, after Washington’s official recognition of ‌interim president Delcy Rodriguez raised questions about who could represent the country in US courts. Lawyers for Rodriguez’s government and the opposition asked Manhattan-based US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn on Monday to pause for 45 days a case in which creditors are seeking to seize funds linked to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349197/venezuelas-government-opposition-may-cooperate-safeguard-us-assets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349197/venezuelas-government-opposition-may-cooperate-safeguard-us-assets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:47:22 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Whether it wraps up quickly or drags on, the repercussions of the US-Israeli war on Iran will echo for years, reshaping warfare, geopolitics, energy security and global perceptions of American tactical and strategic power. In the first of a three-part series, Mark Magnier looks at how the Iran war may alter Beijing’s approach to potential conflict over Taiwan, asymmetrical weaponry and the United States as an adversary. The US military is formidable, well-disciplined, projects deadly force... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349130/how-lessons-iran-war-could-shape-mainland-chinas-calculus-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349130/how-lessons-iran-war-could-shape-mainland-chinas-calculus-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 16:01:07 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Last month in Florida, many leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean showed up for the so-called Shield of the Americas summit. Prefacing his speech, the self-styled US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared, “I only speak American.” Most people there spoke Spanish and/or English. Both the northern and the southern parts of the hemisphere are called American, but there is no such language as Hegseth’s, at least linguistically. However, it was clear what he meant. The United States just... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349098/why-beijing-now-only-true-partner-africa-and-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349098/why-beijing-now-only-true-partner-africa-and-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 15:05:43 +0000 Richard Harris Richard Harris The mighty Zambezi River has its source in northern Zambia, and flows north, west, south, then east, tracing borders for several countries including Zimbabwe. As the river enters Zimbabwe, the water molecules begin to flow faster, unknowingly energised – developing first into a rush, then eventually a torrent as they plunge down the Victoria Falls. This is an excellent analogy of the extremes of stock market price movements. In a stock market crash, prices move slowly, then very fast. My... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348698/us-hong-kong-theres-no-excuse-insider-trading?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348698/us-hong-kong-theres-no-excuse-insider-trading?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States on Wednesday lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez, according to an Office of Foreign Assets Control entry on the Treasury Department website. The newly announced sanctions relief is the latest US recognition of Rodriguez as a legitimate authority in Venezuela ever since the US military captured her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife on January 3 in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. The pair have since been taken to New York to face drug... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348729/us-lifts-sanctions-venezuelas-acting-president-rodriguez-who-praises-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348729/us-lifts-sanctions-venezuelas-acting-president-rodriguez-who-praises-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 02:09:16 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Lawmakers in the United States have urged the administration of US President Donald Trump to take action against China’s alleged sanctioned oil imports by blacklisting port operators and blocking complex settlement networks. Despite Washington’s temporary easing of sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil to relieve price pressures from the US-Israeli war in Iran, the “House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party” has released a 41-page... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348668/us-house-committee-calls-major-crackdown-chinas-alleged-sanctioned-oil-imports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348668/us-house-committee-calls-major-crackdown-chinas-alleged-sanctioned-oil-imports?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:10:31 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words The White House announced last week that US President Donald Trump’s visit to China has been delayed to mid-May, citing the conflict in Iran. Beijing’s response has been muted: the Foreign Ministry noted only that the two sides “have remained in communication” over the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348393/unfinished-business-delay-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348393/unfinished-business-delay-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States has formally reopened its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, after the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the South American country following the Trump administration’s removal of then-president Nicolas Maduro in early January. The State Department announced on Monday that it had resumed normal operations at the embassy in Caracas – which had been in need of significant repair, including remediation from mould – after a seven-year closure that began during US President... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348456/us-reopens-embassy-venezuela-months-after-military-operation-remove-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348456/us-reopens-embassy-venezuela-months-after-military-operation-remove-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:45:16 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng The surge in US service members in the Middle East suggests the Iran war could become a protracted, low-intensity conflict as Donald Trump eyes a trip to China in May, Chinese military analysts say. The deployment of elite forces and the US president’s recent tactics in Venezuela indicated Washington was highly aware of and seeking to avoid a costly drawn-out war like Vietnam, the observers added. On Sunday, The New York Times and The Washington Post reported that several hundred US Army Rangers... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348428/why-donald-trump-needs-short-term-win-iran-he-visits-xi-jinping-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348428/why-donald-trump-needs-short-term-win-iran-he-visits-xi-jinping-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia said on Monday that an oil tanker carrying ‌100,000 tonnes of crude oil had arrived in Cuba and that Moscow would stand by its friends by working on further supplies despite a US blockade of the Communist-run island. The US cut off Venezuela’s oil exports to Cuba after toppling Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, and US President Donald Trump threatened to slap punishing ⁠tariffs on any other country that sent crude to Cuba. But Trump on Sunday signalled he ‌was reversing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348420/russian-oil-tanker-arrives-cuba-moscow-vows-stand-havana?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348420/russian-oil-tanker-arrives-cuba-moscow-vows-stand-havana?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:58:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald ⁠Trump signalled he was reversing course on blocking oil shipments to Cuba on Sunday, saying he had “no problem” with any country sending in crude as a Russian tanker neared a Cuban port with a badly needed shipment. A sanctioned Russian vessel, part of the country’s “shadow fleet”, was just off the coast of eastern Cuba on Sunday, according to ship tracking data, and was expected to reach port on Monday, ‌a lifeline for the country’s economy that has nearly ground to a halt... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348329/us-allow-russian-oil-tanker-reach-cuba-possible-lifeline-caribbean-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348329/us-allow-russian-oil-tanker-reach-cuba-possible-lifeline-caribbean-island?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 23:29:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro cut a relaxed figure Thursday as he returned to a federal court in New York for his second appearance since his capture by US forces in an extraordinary nighttime raid. During the one-hour hearing, the judge indicated he would not dismiss the case over Maduro and his wife’s apparent inability to afford their legal bill without aid from the Venezuelan government. The former leader, 63, and wife Cilia Flores have been held in a Brooklyn jail for almost... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348055/venezuelas-maduro-back-court-after-shock-capture-us-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348055/venezuelas-maduro-back-court-after-shock-capture-us-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:26:45 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Beijing’s long-standing geopolitical playbook – stay in your lane, avoid military entanglement, prepare exhaustively and issue bland “win-win” statements about the UN charter and calls to talk not fight – could see China emerge favourably from the Iran war, said economists, analysts and former US officials, as the conflict enters its fourth week with little end in sight and the US barrelling ahead. “People always say that China doesn’t understand the Mideast,” said Jeremy Chan, senior analyst... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347827/why-chinas-strategy-stay-out-iran-war-working-and-crisis-may-spur-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347827/why-chinas-strategy-stay-out-iran-war-working-and-crisis-may-spur-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Philippines is working with Washington to secure waivers and exemptions that will allow it to obtain oil from US-sanctioned countries and guarantee supplies, its ambassador to the United States said. The Philippines, which relies heavily on imported fuel, declared a state of national energy emergency on Tuesday to deal with the fallout from the Middle East war, including ‌the disruptions to oil procurement. “We are working with the State Department to get waivers or exemptions to purchase... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3347899/philippines-says-it-working-us-obtain-oil-us-sanctioned-nations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3347899/philippines-says-it-working-us-obtain-oil-us-sanctioned-nations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:59:07 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen There is little chance the US could bring China to the table on any nuclear arms control agreements in the short term, despite upcoming leaders’ meetings this year, experts said on Tuesday, as the Trump administration pushes for a trilateral deal including China after the previous US-Russia treaty expired last month. There is “no shortage of good ideas” for how the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could move the world towards ending a nuclear... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347775/us-unlikely-get-china-join-new-nuclear-arms-control-agreement-say-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347775/us-unlikely-get-china-join-new-nuclear-arms-control-agreement-say-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 23:02:23 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong He accused the United States of “state terror”. He vowed North Korea would never surrender its nuclear weapons. And yet Kim Jong-un’s address to the Supreme People’s Assembly contained one notable omission: any direct attack on Donald Trump. That absence was an attempt to leave the door to diplomacy ajar, analysts said, even as North Korea’s supreme leader slammed it shut on the notion that his nuclear-armed nation could be pressured, coerced or subdued like other US adversaries. “The United... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347683/north-koreas-kim-slams-us-state-terror-spares-trump-third-term-address?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347683/north-koreas-kim-slams-us-state-terror-spares-trump-third-term-address?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 06:55:43 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen US President Donald Trump’s focus on short-term deliverables and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s bid for bilateral stability are likely to mean an exceptionally amicable summit when they finally sit down, despite “unusual” circumstances brought by the Iran conflict, former senior US diplomat Kurt Campbell said. Trump and Xi’s upcoming high-stakes meeting in Beijing, which was postponed for at least five weeks from its original March 31 date, will see both leaders be “extraordinarily polite and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347642/former-biden-official-says-trump-xi-summit-will-go-well-amid-unusual-circumstances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347642/former-biden-official-says-trump-xi-summit-will-go-well-amid-unusual-circumstances?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 21:01:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters Cuba is ⁠prepared for the unlikely ⁠possibility of a ⁠military engagement with the United States, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said over the weekend in response to US President Donald Trump’s threats to take over ‌the Caribbean island nation. Havana and Washington entered talks earlier this month as an oil blockade imposed by Trump pushes the Communist-run nation deeper into economic crisis. Trump last week escalated his rhetoric against Cuba, saying he expected to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347511/cuba-ready-potential-attack-us-amid-oil-blockade-deputy-foreign-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347511/cuba-ready-potential-attack-us-amid-oil-blockade-deputy-foreign-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 19:30:48 +0000 dpa dpa Cuba has refused to allow the US embassy in Havana to import diesel to power its generators during the island’s ongoing energy crisis, according to a media report. The Cuban foreign ministry denied the request, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing a protest note in which Havana described the embassy’s claim to such privileges as “shameless” and unavailable to the Cuban people. The move comes as the Caribbean island grapples with severe fuel shortages and widespread power outages. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347453/cuba-rejects-shameless-us-request-diesel-amid-trump-oil-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347453/cuba-rejects-shameless-us-request-diesel-amid-trump-oil-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 23:39:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A US federal judge on Friday ruled as unconstitutional a Pentagon press access policy that withdrew accreditations from a host of prominent media organisations. Elements of the policy are “unlawful because they violate the First and Fifth Amendments of the United States Constitution”, a judge in Washington said in response to a lawsuit brought by The New York Times. US media and a host of international news outlets including Agence France-Presse, Associated Press and Fox News declined to sign... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347398/us-judge-rules-restrictive-pentagon-press-access-unconstitutional?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347398/us-judge-rules-restrictive-pentagon-press-access-unconstitutional?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 23:09:02 +0000 Zhao Minghao Zhao Minghao The US military strike against Iran is, by most accounts, a war of choice. Most policy analysts believe Iran poses no imminent threat to the United States. President Donald Trump’s decision appears partly intended to offset the political fallout from setbacks in his tariff policies and reinforce his image as a strongman president. Trump is believed to have been encouraged by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to wage war. US military preparations for the operation appear limited and there... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346798/us-war-iran-presents-complex-strategic-challenge-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346798/us-war-iran-presents-complex-strategic-challenge-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Alcott Wei,Seong Hyeon Choi Alcott Wei,Seong Hyeon Choi Iran’s power structure, succession mechanism and geographic conditions are all factors in its military resilience, despite the decapitation of its leadership by the US and Israel, according to Chinese experts. They also said the United States was unlikely to achieve regime change in Iran without deploying ground forces, a lesson one expert argued Beijing would take into account for any operation on Taiwan. Beginning on February 28, the US and Israel have killed a string of senior Iranian... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347070/chinese-experts-assess-military-decapitation-iran-venezuela-lessons-closer-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347070/chinese-experts-assess-military-decapitation-iran-venezuela-lessons-closer-home?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:37:24 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan As Washington steps up rhetoric and pressure on Cuba after its campaign in Iran, Beijing finds itself torn between geopolitical reality and ideological affinity. According to analysts, Beijing has few good options to counter US hegemony in Washington’s own backyard, and its response is likely to be constrained to diplomatic opposition and modest humanitarian aid. They said any disruption to global stability ultimately harmed Beijing’s interests and did not see prolonged US military action... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346970/trump-ramps-pressure-cuba-china-has-very-limited-options?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346970/trump-ramps-pressure-cuba-china-has-very-limited-options?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cuba’s leader on Tuesday said the US would face “unbreakable resistance” if it tries to take over the impoverished island nation, as communist authorities scrambled to fix a nationwide electricity blackout. Cuba’s government has been under increasingly crushing pressure, with Washington enforcing an oil blockade and openly stating it wants to end the nearly seven-decade-old US stand-off with the one-party communist state. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba’s decision announced this week... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346971/cubas-leader-vows-unbreakable-resistance-if-us-tries-take-over-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346971/cubas-leader-vows-unbreakable-resistance-if-us-tries-take-over-island?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:01:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast wasted no time. Less than a week after his inauguration, Chile’s arch-conservative president on Monday began overseeing preparations to build a border barrier - part of his flagship campaign promise to block immigrants from crossing illegally. From Chile’s northern frontier area of Chacalluta, where legions of immigrants have slipped across the Peruvian border into one of the region’s most prosperous nations, Kast vowed to implement what he calls his “Border... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346819/channeling-trump-chiles-new-president-launches-work-border-barrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346819/channeling-trump-chiles-new-president-launches-work-border-barrier?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 02:32:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump vowed on Monday to “take” Cuba as the communist island plunged into darkness under a total power blackout linked to a crippling oil embargo imposed by Washington. After nearly seven decades defying the United States, Havana’s communist authorities are under massive pressure from a Trump administration determined to make history. “You know, all my life I’ve been hearing about the United States and Cuba. When will the United States do it?” Trump told reporters at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346808/cubas-national-electric-grid-collapses-leaving-millions-without-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346808/cubas-national-electric-grid-collapses-leaving-millions-without-power?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 21:40:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The American flag was raised on Saturday over the US embassy in Venezuela for the first time since 2019, a move that highlighted the recent shift in relations between the two countries since then President Nicolas Maduro was captured by American troops in January. Though the flag is now waving, the building is undergoing renovations and it remains unclear when it will fully reopen. The move comes after several statements from US President Donald Trump in support of Maduro’s successor, acting... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346631/american-flag-raised-us-embassy-venezuela-first-time-2019?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346631/american-flag-raised-us-embassy-venezuela-first-time-2019?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 20:43:46 +0000 Reuters Reuters Anti-government protesters attacked a ⁠Communist party office in northern Cuba early on Saturday, a ⁠state-run newspaper reported, in a rare outburst of public dissent triggered by worsening blackouts that have been exacerbated by a US oil blockade. A rally against power cuts and food shortages appeared to begin peacefully in the city of Moron late on Friday then turned violent in the early hours of Saturday morning, Invasor newspaper said. Videos on social media showed a large fire and ‌people... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346624/protesters-cuba-attack-communist-party-office-amid-blackout-fury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346624/protesters-cuba-attack-communist-party-office-amid-blackout-fury?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:52:55 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Friday that his government has held recent talks with the US, marking the first time the Caribbean country confirms such speculation. He said the talks “were aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences between our two nations. International factors facilitated these exchanges”. He did not elaborate on those factors. Diaz-Canel said no petroleum shipments have arrived on the island in the past three months, which he blamed on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346541/cuba-confirms-talks-us-island-gasps-under-trumps-energy-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346541/cuba-confirms-talks-us-island-gasps-under-trumps-energy-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:43:41 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan China’s military on Wednesday warned the United States against allowing artificial intelligence (AI) to “determine life and death” in warfare, as a dispute between the Pentagon and AI firm Anthropic highlighted growing tensions over military use of the technology. Speaking at a regular briefing in Beijing, defence ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said the “unrestricted application of AI by the military” could “erode ethical constraints and accountability in wars” and risk a “dangerous technological... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346254/china-warns-us-against-granting-ai-ability-determine-life-and-death-battlefield?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346254/china-warns-us-against-granting-ai-ability-determine-life-and-death-battlefield?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:01:09 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng A Hong Kong property tycoon has called for a more prudent approach to the city’s development rather than accelerating projects amid global uncertainties, saying the industry’s willingness to invest in the Northern Metropolis hinges on the health of the market. Far East Consortium chairman David Chiu Tat-cheong also described the megaproject’s new land disposal approach – which requires winning bidders to handle multiple developments on a large plot – as good intentions with unintended negative... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3346140/hong-kong-tycoon-urges-prudent-approach-development-amid-global-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3346140/hong-kong-tycoon-urges-prudent-approach-development-amid-global-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:30:12 +0000 Amber Wang,Alcott Wei Amber Wang,Alcott Wei The Chinese defence minister has signalled strategic caution with his call for the country to “shape” a stable environment for Beijing’s broader political and diplomatic agenda, according to analysts. Dong Jun made the call on Friday during a group discussion involving military and armed police lawmakers at the country’s annual legislative gathering in Beijing. According to meeting minutes released to the media, Dong stressed four times in his fewer than 400-word remarks that the military’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346113/stability-comes-first-chinese-defence-chief-signals-beijings-strategic-caution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346113/stability-comes-first-chinese-defence-chief-signals-beijings-strategic-caution?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:00:32 +0000 Julien Chaisse Julien Chaisse Over the past 12 months, a series of political and military crises has erupted in different parts of the world. Do they have anything in common? On the surface, the dramas in Iran, Panama, Venezuela and Greenland look separate, each with its own cast, excuse and headlines. What links them is not ideology, or the public language used to sell each move. It is the map. Iran sits beside the Strait of Hormuz, the choke point for Gulf energy flows. Panama sits astride one of the world’s trade... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345449/what-crises-iran-panama-venezuela-and-greenland-have-common?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345449/what-crises-iran-panama-venezuela-and-greenland-have-common?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:30:08 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng US President Donald Trump will not go to any cities beyond Beijing during his visit to China scheduled for late this month because of his tight schedule and security concerns, according to sources familiar with the matter. Several sources, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said United States “advance parties” arrived in China’s capital in “early March” and their preparations for the high-stakes summit had entered the “final stage”. The South China Morning Post has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345970/trumps-china-visit-limited-beijing-due-tight-schedule-and-security-needs-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345970/trumps-china-visit-limited-beijing-due-tight-schedule-and-security-needs-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:00:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged Latin American nations to use military power against the “cancer” of drug cartels and offered to support them with US missile strikes targeting narco kingpins. Trump, currently waging a war with Iran, laid out a muscular position for advancing Washington’s interests in the western hemisphere, pronouncing that communist-led Cuba was “in its last moments of life” and advocating tough action by allies against organised crime blighting the region. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345839/trump-offers-latin-american-leaders-us-missile-strikes-hit-drug-cartels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345839/trump-offers-latin-american-leaders-us-missile-strikes-hit-drug-cartels?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 17:46:34 +0000 Donald Rothwell Donald Rothwell The Iranian diaspora has been celebrating and governments around the world have generally not mourned the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in last weekend’s US and Israeli air strikes on Iran. While there has been much political justification for these attacks from Washington and Israel, neither has sought to legally justify their conduct. No real effort has been made to reference the acknowledged right of self-defence, most likely because the evidence did not exist. In other words, there was no... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3345741/australia-needs-make-its-stance-iran-attacks-known?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3345741/australia-needs-make-its-stance-iran-attacks-known?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Richard Harris Richard Harris So, the Trump administration has now decapitated two governments, Venezuela and Iran. You can be sure most world leaders will be videoconferencing from secure bunkers from now on. Iran’s leaders brought this upon themselves by being aggressively extremist, especially about their stated aim to destroy Israel, another sovereign state. They have sought to destabilise fellow Muslim states in the Middle East and beyond for decades. Iran’s antipathy towards its neighbours has caused it to attack no... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345426/are-investors-spooked-iran-violence-market-response-suggests-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345426/are-investors-spooked-iran-violence-market-response-suggests-not?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Mark Magnier,Xinmei Shen Lucy Quaggin,Mark Magnier,Xinmei Shen US President Donald Trump called on Iran’s armed forces on Thursday to surrender or face the consequences and urged the nation’s diplomats to request asylum at their postings around the world. “I’m once again calling on all members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the military and the police, to lay down their arms,” Trump said. “So you’ll be perfectly safe with total immunity, or you’ll face absolutely guaranteed death, and I don’t want to see that.” Speaking at the White House at a sports... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345628/trump-says-he-must-be-involved-picking-irans-new-leader-khameneis-son-unacceptable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345628/trump-says-he-must-be-involved-picking-irans-new-leader-khameneis-son-unacceptable?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:14:18 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang The bombs falling on Iran have extinguished any remaining doubt. The US-Israeli military campaign has ignited a major regional war. This explosion of violence is the ultimate rebuke to a central promise of US President Donald Trump’s second term: that America could disengage from distant quagmires to focus on confronting China. Over a year into this administration, the strategic picture affirms the conclusion I reached last summer: America’s hoped-for single-minded containment of China lies in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345177/china-waits-and-watches-us-fights-all-its-tigers-once?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345177/china-waits-and-watches-us-fights-all-its-tigers-once?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 01:30:09 +0000