https://www.scmp.com/rss/322262/feed The latest news, politics and current affairs from the United States & Canada. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A US jury on Wednesday found that entertainment giant Live Nation wielded monopoly power at its Ticketmaster business, violating federal and state antitrust laws, according to California’s attorney general. A verdict that could have profound repercussions in the concert world came after four days of deliberations, and remedies could include breaking up Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The jury found Live Nation and Ticketmaster liable for anticompetitive conduct that harmed the music industry and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350231/ticketmaster-owner-live-nation-ran-illegal-monopoly-us-jury-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350231/ticketmaster-owner-live-nation-ran-illegal-monopoly-us-jury-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:52:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Newly released video shows a high school principal in Oklahoma tackling and disarming a former student who entered the lobby of the school and began firing a pistol. Pauls Valley High School Principal Kirk Moore was shot in the leg during the April 7 attack but managed to wrestle the suspect onto a bench, disarm him and remain on top of him until law enforcement officers arrived, according to court records. The video, released by the school district in response to an Open Records Act request,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350226/us-high-school-principal-tackles-and-disarms-gunman-students-flee-dramatic-video-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350226/us-high-school-principal-tackles-and-disarms-gunman-students-flee-dramatic-video-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:21:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump posted an image of Jesus embracing him on Wednesday, as a war of words between his administration and the pope showed little sign of abating. The image, reposted to Trump’s Truth Social account, shows Trump with his eyes closed, touching temple-to-temple with a similarly posed Jesus. Trump is standing behind a microphone, and behind him is an American flag. The original post ‌had a caption that included the words: “God might be playing his Trump card!” Trump’s repost... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350224/trump-posts-image-jesus-hugging-him-amid-row-pope-over-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350224/trump-posts-image-jesus-hugging-him-amid-row-pope-over-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:44:40 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump has said he will fire Jerome Powell if the Federal Reserve chair does not step down “in time”, adding that he will not drop the Justice Department investigation into the central bank leader. “I’ll have to fire him, OK, if he’s not leaving on time. I’ve held back firing him. I’ve wanted to fire him, but I hate to be controversial,” Trump said in an interview with Fox Business. “I want to be uncontroversial. But he will be fired,” he said in the interview taped on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350211/trump-threatens-fire-fed-chair-powell-if-he-doesnt-step-down-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350211/trump-threatens-fire-fed-chair-powell-if-he-doesnt-step-down-time?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:45:08 +0000 James David Spellman James David Spellman The fraying of the ceasefire in the US-Israel war against Iran reflects grim patterns of history. Truces are often doomed because they focus on stopping battle-related violence and rarely begin to address the underlying struggles that ignited hostilities. A pause without a shared common endgame often resets the battlefield as reasons harden for prolonging warfare. Viable political solutions seldom follow and take hold for peace to endure. Over the past decade, we’ve seen the perils. The Minsk... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349904/given-history-ceasefires-its-no-surprise-us-iran-truce-fraying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349904/given-history-ceasefires-its-no-surprise-us-iran-truce-fraying?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow A leaked plan to grant the US military sweeping overflight access to Indonesia’s airspace has triggered a domestic backlash over concerns that Jakarta is “colluding with the aggressor” amid Washington’s war on Iran. Analysts say the defence document, first reported by New Delhi-based newspaper the Sunday Guardian, raises concerns that President Prabowo Subianto may be trading away Indonesia’s strategic independence. The proposal, which reportedly emerged following a meeting in February between... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350143/indonesia-leaked-plan-us-military-overflights-triggers-sovereignty-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350143/indonesia-leaked-plan-us-military-overflights-triggers-sovereignty-row?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:11:03 +0000 Reuters Reuters Britain’s King Charles will have tea and a private meeting with ⁠President Donald Trump during his US state visit later this month, as the UK government hopes his “soft power” can heal a damaging rift between the allies caused by the Iran war. The monarch and his wife Queen Camilla head across the Atlantic on April 27, a four-day trip ostensibly to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence from Britain but one that now has far greater significance amid a growing spat between Trump and ‌Prime... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350114/britains-king-charles-charm-trump-state-visit-overshadowed-us-uk-rift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350114/britains-king-charles-charm-trump-state-visit-overshadowed-us-uk-rift?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 03:27:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US military said on Tuesday that four people had been killed in a strike on another alleged drug-trafficking boat, the fourth such deadly attack in as many days. US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said in a post on X that the strike – just as the previous three – occurred in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It posted aerial video on social media showing a vessel bobbing in the water before being struck by a projectile and exploding. The four new fatalities raise the total death toll of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350107/us-military-says-4-killed-fourth-drug-boat-strike-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350107/us-military-says-4-killed-fourth-drug-boat-strike-week?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 02:13:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The retrial of disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein on a rape charge on which a jury was previously deadlocked started on Tuesday, although he will remain imprisoned for other offences regardless of the verdict. Weinstein is accused of the third-degree rape of Jessica Mann, who starred in the 2015 romantic comedy This Isn’t Funny. The judge declared a mistrial last June after the jury foreman refused to return to deliberate the case amid a jury-room feud. Weinstein is being retried on that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350100/harvey-weinstein-rape-retrial-begins-new-york?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350100/harvey-weinstein-rape-retrial-begins-new-york?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:34:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump and his wife, Lara, will accompany the president on his trip next month to China, a spokeswoman for the family organisation said on Tuesday. Two sources earlier said members of Trump’s family, including Eric, were ‌considering joining Trump on his highly anticipated May 14-15 visit, potentially to contribute to US-China business relations. The spokeswoman said that Eric, who manages his father’s business empire, would go in a personal capacity. “Eric... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350096/trumps-son-eric-join-fathers-state-visit-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350096/trumps-son-eric-join-fathers-state-visit-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:47:28 +0000 Asad Ullah Asad Ullah The conventional indictment runs like this: blinded by ideology and captured by special interests, the US and Israel have blundered into a region they never understood, sowing instability they neither anticipated nor desired. It is a damning argument. It also happens to be, in one important respect, too generous. The more unsettling possibility, supported by two decades of observable behaviour, is that these policies produce not disorder as a side effect but something far more useful: a conflict... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349970/who-profits-most-us-israel-iran-stalemate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349970/who-profits-most-us-israel-iran-stalemate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse J.D. Vance had two jobs last week: get an Iran deal and keep Hungary’s Viktor Orban in power. Neither happened for the US vice-president. The 41-year-old Vance looked exhausted as he left Pakistan on Sunday after 21 hours that failed to produce an agreement with Tehran to end a war he had never wanted to begin with. At a terse press conference in Islamabad, Vance delivered the “bad news” and took just three questions before getting on a plane for the long flight back home. But just before... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349979/double-defeat-vance-failed-iran-talks-and-orbans-exit-bruise-us-vice-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349979/double-defeat-vance-failed-iran-talks-and-orbans-exit-bruise-us-vice-president?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 03:33:17 +0000 Reuters,Associated Press Reuters,Associated Press Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney returns to Parliament on Tuesday with more power after he secured a majority government by sweeping three special elections. Carney’s Liberals now have 174 of the 343 seats in the House of Commons and won’t need support from opposition parties to pass legislation after winning three districts that became vacant after last year’s election. It would also likely mean Carney, who took office with no political experience and has earned global praise for his efforts... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349976/canadas-carney-secures-majority-government-special-election-wins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349976/canadas-carney-secures-majority-government-special-election-wins?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 03:03:43 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service US President Donald Trump on Monday defended his now deleted social media post that appeared to depict himself as Jesus Christ, contending that it was meant to portray him as “a doctor” after right-wing figures continued a recent trend of pushing back on the president’s recent comments. “Well, it wasn’t a depiction. It was me, I did post it. And I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross,” Trump said during an impromptu event at the White House. “There was a Red Cross worker... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349972/trump-claims-jesus-meme-caused-outcry-was-him-doctor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349972/trump-claims-jesus-meme-caused-outcry-was-him-doctor?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:36:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Minnesota county is investigating the arrest of a Hmong-American man by federal officers that was captured on video as a potential case of kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment, officials said on Monday. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher said at a news conference they are pursuing information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that they need for their investigation into the arrest of ChongLy “Scott” Thao, 56, on January 18. Ramsey County includes the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349967/minnesota-investigates-ice-arrest-hmong-american-man-possible-kidnapping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349967/minnesota-investigates-ice-arrest-hmong-american-man-possible-kidnapping?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 23:57:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters US congressman Eric Swalwell said on Monday he will resign from the House of Representatives, bowing to pressure from both Democrats and Republicans to leave Congress or face expulsion following sexual misconduct allegations that upended his campaign for governor. The California Democrat vowed to fight the allegations but said ‌he must also “take responsibility and ownership” of his mistakes. “Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349966/swalwell-quit-congress-following-sexual-misconduct-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349966/swalwell-quit-congress-following-sexual-misconduct-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 23:03:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Dozens of protesters were detained by ⁠police in New ⁠York City on Monday during demonstrations ⁠calling for the blocking of arms sales to Israel and an end to US military support for its ally. Demonstrators included anti-war group Jewish Voice for Peace, which said around 90 people were detained. ‌Among those detained was whistle-blower Chelsea Manning, a former US Army soldier and WikiLeaks source. The New York City Police Department said there were “multiple” arrests but did not provide a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349963/dozens-arrested-new-york-protesters-demand-us-blocks-sale-bombs-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349963/dozens-arrested-new-york-protesters-demand-us-blocks-sale-bombs-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:57:42 +0000 Reuters Reuters Former ⁠Brazilian intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem ⁠has been detained by ICE in the ⁠United States, the agency reported on its website on Monday, after he fled Brazil in September following his conviction for plotting a coup with ex-president Jair Bolsonaro. Ramagem, a former Federal Police inspector, was sentenced to over 16 years in prison for his role ‌in a plot to overturn leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s 2022 election victory over Bolsonaro. Ramagem’s lawyers did not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349961/brazils-fugitive-ex-spy-chief-detained-ice-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349961/brazils-fugitive-ex-spy-chief-detained-ice-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:05:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A federal judge dismissed US President Donald Trump’s US$10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch on Monday over a story on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. US District Judge Darrin P. Gayles in Florida wrote in the order that Trump had failed to make the argument that the article was published with the intent to be malicious, but gave the president a chance to file an amended complaint. In a social media post several hours after the ruling, Trump said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349958/judge-dismisses-trumps-us10-billion-wall-street-journal-lawsuit-over-epstein-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349958/judge-dismisses-trumps-us10-billion-wall-street-journal-lawsuit-over-epstein-report?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:35:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US pop superstar Britney Spears has checked herself into rehab following her arrest last month on suspicion of driving while intoxicated near Los Angeles, US media reported on Sunday. The 44-year-old singer was arrested in early March and booked into custody by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department on suspicion of DUI (driving under the influence). She was released soon after, and a representative for Spears at the time described the incident as “completely inexcusable” and said Spears would... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349951/us-singer-britney-spears-checks-rehab-following-arrest-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349951/us-singer-britney-spears-checks-rehab-following-arrest-media?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:11:51 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is on the verge of securing a majority government as special elections are held in three districts on Monday. Votes are being cast in the Toronto-area districts of Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale, which are considered safe seats for Carney’s Liberals, and in the Montreal-area district of Terrebonne, which is considered a toss-up. Winning just one of them would give Carney a majority. The Liberals now have 171 members of Parliament in the House of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349948/canadian-pm-carney-verge-majority-government-amid-special-elections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349948/canadian-pm-carney-verge-majority-government-amid-special-elections?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:24:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters US congressman Eric Swalwell ⁠on Sunday said he was suspending his campaign for governor of California, as he faces calls from fellow Democratic lawmakers and dozens of his former staffers to leave Congress following accusations of sexual assault. “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell wrote in a post on X, without elaborating. “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made - but that’s my fight,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349840/swalwell-suspends-california-governor-bid-amid-sexual-assault-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349840/swalwell-suspends-california-governor-bid-amid-sexual-assault-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 03:49:31 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo on Sunday night, saying he did not think the US-born global leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church was “doing a very good job” and that “he’s a very liberal person”, while also suggesting the pontiff should “stop catering to the Radical Left”. Flying back to Washington from Florida, Trump used a lengthy social media post to sharply criticise Leo, then kept it up after disembarking, in comments on the tarmac... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349830/trump-attacks-pope-leo-calling-him-weak-crime-and-terrible-foreign-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349830/trump-attacks-pope-leo-calling-him-weak-crime-and-terrible-foreign-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:02:15 +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 dpa dpa US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that there would be an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fight in the White House grounds to mark his 80th birthday on June 14. Trump, a UFC fan, made the announcement on social media. This year marks the 250th anniversary of US independence and the initial plans were for the fight to take place on July 4, US Independence Day. On Saturday, Trump was attending a UFC fight in Miami with several family members and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, when... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349785/trumps-80th-birthday-bash-feature-ufc-fight-white-house?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349785/trumps-80th-birthday-bash-feature-ufc-fight-white-house?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 07:37:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo on Saturday denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” that is fuelling the US-Israel war on Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace. Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St Peter’s Basilica on the same day the US and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held. History’s first US-born pope did not mention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349769/pope-leo-slams-delusion-omnipotence-stoking-us-israeli-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349769/pope-leo-slams-delusion-omnipotence-stoking-us-israeli-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 03:25:35 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Still marvelling over their moon mission, the Artemis II astronauts received a thunderous welcome home on Saturday from hundreds who took part in Nasa’s lunar comeback that set a record for deep space travel. The crew of four arrived at Ellington Field near Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre and Mission Control, flying in from San Diego where they splashed down just offshore the evening before. After a quick reunion with their spouses and children, the astronauts took the hangar stage, surrounded by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349765/over-moon-artemis-ii-astronauts-make-emotional-homecoming-after-record-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349765/over-moon-artemis-ii-astronauts-make-emotional-homecoming-after-record-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 22:20:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Manhattan ⁠district attorney’s office confirmed ⁠on Saturday that it ⁠is investigating sexual assault allegations against US congressman Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat and a leading candidate for governor of the state. The San Francisco Chronicle on Friday reported ‌that a woman who previously worked in Swalwell’s district office accused him of two nonconsensual sexual encounters, one while she was employed by him in 2019 and another in 2024 after she had left his staff. She told CNN... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349764/sex-assault-claims-against-california-governor-hopeful-eric-swalwell-under-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349764/sex-assault-claims-against-california-governor-hopeful-eric-swalwell-under-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 21:06:34 +0000 Reuters Reuters ⁠Police in the United States ⁠have arrested a man for allegedly ⁠throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home and for making threats outside the artificial intelligence start-up’s headquarters. In a social media post, the San Francisco Police ‌Department said an unknown man threw an incendiary device at a North Beach residence at 4.12am on Friday and then escaped on foot. The 20-year-old suspect was detained about an hour later after police received a call about a man threatening... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349719/molotov-attack-openai-ceo-sam-altmans-home-leads-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349719/molotov-attack-openai-ceo-sam-altmans-home-leads-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:34:57 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Artemis II capsule and its four-member crew streaked through Earth’s ⁠atmosphere and safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday after nearly 10 days in space, capping the first voyage by humans to the vicinity of the moon in over half a century. Nasa’s gumdrop-shaped Orion capsule, dubbed Integrity, parachuted gently into the sea off the Southern California coast shortly after 5pm, concluding a mission that took the astronauts deeper into space than anyone had flown before. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349718/watch-artemis-ii-astronauts-hurtle-home-moon-towards-splashdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349718/watch-artemis-ii-astronauts-hurtle-home-moon-towards-splashdown?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 23:09:41 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Importers seeking tariff refunds will be able to begin filing their requests on April 20, US Customs and Border Protection said on Friday. In the first phase, the CBP’s Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries tool, called CAPE, will process paperwork for certain straightforward and recent import entries – leaving more complex refund scenarios for later. The move comes as the administration looks to comply with the February ruling by the US Supreme Court that threw out duties that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349716/trump-tariff-refund-tool-will-go-live-april-20-us-customs-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349716/trump-tariff-refund-tool-will-go-live-april-20-us-customs-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:59:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump’s plans for a new triumphal arch in the capital, unveiled on Friday, include a towering winged figure with a Lady Liberty-like torch and crown, flanked by two eagles and guarded by four lions – all gilded. The 12-page plan released by the US Commission on Fine Arts shows the arch will stand 250 feet tall (76.2 metres) from its base to the tip of the winged figure’s torch, with “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” inscribed in gold atop either side of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349713/trump-unveils-plan-triumphal-arch-washington-eagles-lions-lots-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349713/trump-unveils-plan-triumphal-arch-washington-eagles-lions-lots-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:14:04 +0000 Reuters Reuters French President Emmanuel Macron has invited US President ⁠Donald Trump to a ⁠sumptuous dinner at the ornate Palace of ⁠Versailles the day after a G7 summit in mid-June, although it remains unclear if Trump will attend either event, sources said. France is the host of this year’s G7, with a leaders’ summit in the lakeside resort of Evian-les-Bains at the foot ‌of the French Alps scheduled for June 15-17 – dates that Macron has already moved to accommodate a mixed martial arts event Trump is... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349688/macron-woos-trump-g7-summit-versailles-palace-dinner-will-he-bite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349688/macron-woos-trump-g7-summit-versailles-palace-dinner-will-he-bite?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:35:07 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China’s green energy transition is expanding from a domestic security priority into a potent geopolitical asset at a time of heightened global uncertainty, according to the latest official reading of the country’s 15th five-year plan. That shift has been tested in recent weeks by the US-Israeli war in Iran and Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz – a chokepoint for 20 per cent of global oil and gas supplies. While Tehran signalled it would reopen the strait on Tuesday under a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349646/why-chinas-green-energy-strategy-may-shield-it-iran-war-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349646/why-chinas-green-energy-strategy-may-shield-it-iran-war-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Everyday Iranians are awaiting planned negotiations between Washington and Tehran with a mixture of scepticism and outright fear, caught between a government they say does not understand peace and an American president who has threatened to destroy “a whole civilisation”. Talks between the United States and Iran and hosted by Pakistan were hanging in the balance on Friday, but if they go ahead they could transform a temporary ceasefire in the US-Israeli campaign against the Islamic Republic into... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349660/fear-anxiety-grip-iranians-ahead-us-talks-im-scared-war-starting-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349660/fear-anxiety-grip-iranians-ahead-us-talks-im-scared-war-starting-again?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:15:13 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The Pentagon and the Vatican denied allegations of a rift following Pope Leo’s criticism of the Trump administration and a news report of a contentious meeting between a papal envoy and a top US defence official. In separate statements, the two sides both professed an eagerness to get along, saying the meeting that occurred in January was frank but polite. The Defence Department issued a statement that said “we have nothing but the highest regard and welcome continued dialogue with the Holy... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349613/pentagon-plays-down-rift-vatican-despite-pope-leos-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349613/pentagon-plays-down-rift-vatican-despite-pope-leos-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 05:15:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters A lobbying firm led by one of Donald Trump Jnr’s hunting buddies helped a Chinese company ⁠make its case to a US national security watchdog, public filings show. The case involved a US ⁠start-up that was seeking to have the Chinese firm removed as one of its investors. The watchdog rejected the US firm’s request for ⁠a national security review of the Chinese firm’s investment, according to a document seen by Reuters, handing a rare win to a Chinese company in Washington. The decision has not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349575/chinese-business-hired-lobbying-firm-ties-donald-trump-jnr-washington-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349575/chinese-business-hired-lobbying-firm-ties-donald-trump-jnr-washington-win?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:16:03 +0000 Reuters Reuters A US judge in Washington ruled ⁠on Thursday that the Pentagon is ⁠hampering journalists in defiance of a court order that required it to restore access to credentialled reporters covering the seat of US military power. US District Judge Paul Friedman said the Defence Department must comply with his earlier order that sided with The New York Times newspaper and other news organisations ‌challenging restrictions imposed on them last year. “The Department cannot simply reinstate an unlawful policy... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349574/us-judge-orders-pentagon-restore-press-access-credentialed-reporters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349574/us-judge-orders-pentagon-restore-press-access-credentialed-reporters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:40:07 +0000 Juan Pablo Sims,Brice Tseen Fu Lee Juan Pablo Sims,Brice Tseen Fu Lee The Iran war has been framed as a Middle East crisis with global energy consequences. That is true, but incomplete. It is also reshaping China’s strategic map. The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, the jump in oil prices and the shock to shipping and energy markets have reinforced a lesson for Beijing: vulnerability begins with concentration. When one region becomes more unstable, the value of diversified suppliers, routes and external partners rises. That is why Latin America matters more to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349271/middle-east-crisis-pushing-china-deepen-latin-america-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349271/middle-east-crisis-pushing-china-deepen-latin-america-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian ⁠President Vladimir Putin’s special ⁠envoy Kirill Dmitriev is currently in the United States and is meeting members of US President Donald Trump’s administration for ‌discussions on a peace deal for Ukraine and US-Russia economic cooperation, sources with knowledge of the visit said on Thursday. The visit comes before the US decision on ⁠whether to extend sanctions relief on Russian oil, ‌which expires on April 11 and could also be on the agenda. The ‌United States issued a 30-day waiver... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349572/russian-special-envoy-us-meet-trump-administration-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349572/russian-special-envoy-us-meet-trump-administration-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:00:23 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US first lady Melania Trump on Thursday rejected what she called “lies” about her relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in a rare White House address where she also called on Congress to hold public hearings for his victims. The first lady denied having ties to Epstein or knowledge of his crimes in a brief but strongly worded statement, saying the “lies” linking her to the disgraced financier “need to end today”. “I am not ‌Epstein’s victim,” said Melania Trump, while also... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349570/melania-trump-denies-any-ties-epstein-or-knowledge-his-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349570/melania-trump-denies-any-ties-epstein-or-knowledge-his-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:09:47 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump said he plans to impose a 20 per cent tariff on all cars imported from the European Union unless the trade bloc “soon” removes import duties and other barriers to US goods, escalating global trade tensions. “Based on the Tariffs and Trade Barriers long placed on the US and it great companies and workers by the European Union, if these Tariffs and Barriers are not soon broken down and removed, we will be placing a 20% Tariff on all of their cars coming into the US. Build... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349566/trumps-tariff-threat-european-cars-escalates-global-trade-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349566/trumps-tariff-threat-european-cars-escalates-global-trade-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:44:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Thursday that he represents a proud nation seeking to maintain global order, pushing back against the latest comments about ‌the Arctic island by US President Donald Trump. Trump on Wednesday vented his frustration with Nato as relations reached a crisis point over the Iran war, stating that the military alliance was not around when needed, and that he still ⁠remembered Greenland, a “BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE”. “What is important ‌for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349563/greenland-hits-back-trump-amid-nato-tensions-were-not-some-piece-ice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349563/greenland-hits-back-trump-amid-nato-tensions-were-not-some-piece-ice?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:31:12 +0000 Marco Vicenzino Marco Vicenzino The two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran is a real diplomatic breakthrough. It has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, triggered a relief rally in global markets and eased the immediate fear of a spiralling energy shock. But its strategic significance lies less in the relief it has produced than in the uncertainty it leaves behind. The truce is time-limited, tied to negotiations and built around temporary safe passage rather than a settled regional order. The ceasefire terms and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349425/asia-us-iran-ceasefire-offers-little-relief-and-much-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349425/asia-us-iran-ceasefire-offers-little-relief-and-much-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:30:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Buffeted by six weeks of war in the Middle East, airlines have scrambled to trim routes and costs as fuel bills explode and wary clients think twice about their travel plans, a situation that could persist even if a fragile truce holds. Carriers have largely halted flights in the Gulf region, with Air France announcing this week that it was extending its suspensions until May 3 – a decision a source said was made before this week’s ceasefire between the United States and Iran. With no certainty... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349544/why-us-iran-truce-may-not-end-high-airfares-and-flight-disruptions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349544/why-us-iran-truce-may-not-end-high-airfares-and-flight-disruptions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Former US attorney general Pam Bondi does not plan to appear for a planned interview with a House of Representatives committee on the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files following her firing by US President Donald Trump, the Justice Department told Congress on Wednesday. Bondi was subpoenaed ‌last month to testify in her formal role as attorney general, rendering the demand invalid now that she no longer holds that title, a Justice Department official wrote in a letter to the House Oversight... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349438/bondi-wont-appear-us-lawmakers-over-epstein-files-justice-department-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349438/bondi-wont-appear-us-lawmakers-over-epstein-files-justice-department-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:39:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Canadian opposition legislator defected to the ruling Liberal Party on Wednesday, leaving Prime Minister Mark Carney on the verge of a parliamentary majority that would make it easier to push through his agenda. The centrist Liberals, ‌governing with a minority after the April 2025 election, need opposition support to pass key legislation. Carney says he needs a majority to deal with US President Donald Trump’s trade measures. The prime minister welcomed the defection by Marilyn Gladu – a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349435/canadas-carney-verge-majority-after-another-conservative-mp-jumps-ship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349435/canadas-carney-verge-majority-after-another-conservative-mp-jumps-ship?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:11:53 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A US federal judge on Wednesday handed down a sentence of 15 years in prison to a woman who pleaded guilty to selling actor Matthew Perry the ketamine that killed him in 2023. “You’re going to have to show some epic resilience,” Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett said to Jasveen Sangha, echoing the defendant’s words earlier in the hearing about her self-improvement. Citing the unique role Sangha admitted to playing in Perry’s death and her broader drug-dealing business, the judge gave the 42-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349433/ketamine-queen-gets-15-years-jail-selling-matthew-perry-drugs-killed-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349433/ketamine-queen-gets-15-years-jail-selling-matthew-perry-drugs-killed-him?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:48:02 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Long Island architect who led a secret life as a serial killer pleaded guilty on Wednesday to murdering seven women and admitted he killed an eighth in a string of long-unsolved crimes known as the Gilgo Beach killings. Rex Heuermann, 62, entered the pleas in a courtroom packed with reporters, police and victims’ relatives, some of whom wept as he detailed his crimes for the court. He will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole at a later date. Heuermann’s guilty... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349432/us-man-pleads-guilty-murdering-7-women-and-admits-he-killed-another?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349432/us-man-pleads-guilty-murdering-7-women-and-admits-he-killed-another?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:03:07 +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