https://www.scmp.com/rss/323578/feed Donald John Trump, born June 14, 1946, became the 45th president of the United States in 2017, after he defeated Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the general election of 2016. His unpredictable tenure saw the beginning of a trade war between the US and China. The trade war persisted after he left office following a 2020 defeat to Joe Biden. In 2024 he mounted a third campaign, defeating Biden's then-VP, Kamala Harris, to earn a second term as president. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Washington’s deployment of most of its long-range cruise missiles from the Pacific to the Middle East could indicate it has arms supply constraints in the Iran war, while signalling to “friends and foes alike in the Indo-Pacific” its interests lie elsewhere, analysts say. According to US media reports, the Pentagon ordered nearly the entire inventory of its Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER) cruise missiles to be moved from the Pacific, and even from the continental... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349263/what-us-telling-its-pacific-allies-removing-missiles-use-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349263/what-us-telling-its-pacific-allies-removing-missiles-use-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:20:23 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump said every bridge and power plant in Iran would be destroyed in “four hours”, unless the Middle East nation met a deadline for accepting his demands, including the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz. Every bridge would be “decimated” and every power plant “will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again”, Trump told reporters on Monday as he reiterated a deadline of Tuesday 8pm New York time (8am on Wednesday Hong Kong time). Iran must allow... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3349262/trump-steps-iran-threats-deadline-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3349262/trump-steps-iran-threats-deadline-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:12:44 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press With US President Donald Trump’s deadline rapidly approaching for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face the massive bombing of the country’s infrastructure, Iran on Tuesday urged youths to form human chains around power plants and its president said 14 million people had answered calls to volunteer to fight. Trump has threatened to bomb all of Iran’s power plants and bridges if Iran does not meet his Tuesday 8pm EDT deadline (8am Wednesday Hong Kong time) to allow shipping traffic to fully... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349248/iran-calls-human-chains-around-its-power-plants-trumps-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349248/iran-calls-human-chains-around-its-power-plants-trumps-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:10:46 +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 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Vietnam’s Communist Party boss To Lam was elected president by the National Assembly on Tuesday, capping his bid to centralise authority in a nation where senior cadres have traditionally governed collectively. In less than two years as party chief, the 68-year-old has swept aside rivals and transformed the country through an aggressive reform drive – literally redrawing the map as he combined provinces and slashed bureaucracy. Lam has set an ambitious target of 10 per cent annual growth for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349235/lam-emerges-vietnams-supreme-leader-after-being-elected-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349235/lam-emerges-vietnams-supreme-leader-after-being-elected-president?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 06:35:20 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A new cast of Castros is emerging in Cuba: a grandson and a great-nephew are moving up the corridors of power, while another is an eccentric Instagram influencer declaring that Cubans want capitalism. US President Donald Trump’s administration is putting pressure on Cuba, demanding change and restricting oil exports to the country, but the Castro dynasty still holds sway on the communist-run island. Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, a colonel and grandson of 94-year-old former president Raul... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349226/new-cast-castros-emerging-cuba-where-name-holds-sway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349226/new-cast-castros-emerging-cuba-where-name-holds-sway?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:39:58 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for Steve Bannon, a former adviser to US President Donald Trump, to overturn his conviction in a case linked to the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Bannon, a leading figure on the far-right, served four months in prison in 2024 for defying a subpoena to testify before a congressional panel investigating the 2021 attack. But he appealed to the Supreme Court to have the conviction overturned, a legal challenge the Trump administration joined in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349196/supreme-court-clears-path-overturn-conviction-ex-trump-aide-steve-bannon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349196/supreme-court-clears-path-overturn-conviction-ex-trump-aide-steve-bannon?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:55:00 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin Khushboo Razdan,Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump has claimed that ordinary Iranians were urging the US to keep bombing their own country in pursuit of “freedom”, as he renewed his warning of sweeping strikes on Iran’s critical infrastructure if negotiations fail ahead of his Tuesday deadline. Sounding triumphant after what he described as a “dangerous” operation to rescue a wounded American pilot from deep inside Iran, Trump on Monday warned that Iran could be “taken out in a night”, saying US forces had the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349195/trump-hails-iran-rescue-warns-strikes-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349195/trump-hails-iran-rescue-warns-strikes-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:41:37 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao As US President Donald Trump’s Tuesday deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz approached, Pakistan put forward a fresh proposal for an immediate ceasefire on Monday, offering what one analyst described as “a critical opportunity” for talks. The plan was brokered through overnight contacts between Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, US officials including Vice-President J.D. Vance and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to Reuters. It called for an immediate halt to hostilities... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349189/pakistans-peace-plan-critical-opportunity-us-iran-talks-ahead-trump-deadline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349189/pakistans-peace-plan-critical-opportunity-us-iran-talks-ahead-trump-deadline?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:20:54 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo “T he United States has become a rogue state.” That’s the title of a recent column in the Foreign Policy magazine. I generally agree with the author, but would dispute the title. The US has always been a rogue state. And yet, something does seem to have changed fundamentally under Donald Trump, especially with his second term in office. So what gives? “The United States is now acting like a predatory hegemon, exploiting positions of leverage built up over decades to exploit allies and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349185/america-has-always-been-rogue-state-and-even-more-so-under-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349185/america-has-always-been-rogue-state-and-even-more-so-under-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:15:08 +0000 Jianxi Liu Jianxi Liu “We’ve had some very bad allies in Nato,” US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, warning Washington could walk away from the transatlantic alliance unless allies fall in line with his Iran policy. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte plans to visit the United States soon to stabilise the alliance. The timing is stark: Trump’s latest threat comes as several European capitals have openly refused to back Washington’s campaign to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, with some blocking the US from using... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348563/closing-airspace-us-europe-opens-existential-debate-over-nato?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348563/closing-airspace-us-europe-opens-existential-debate-over-nato?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,William Zheng Seong Hyeon Choi,William Zheng The rescue of a missing American crew member after Iran shot down an F-15E fighter jet is proof of the United States’ “comprehensive capability” to mount high-risk rescue operations, according to Chinese analysts. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the missing crew member – one of two on the fighter jet shot down over southern Iran on Friday – had been rescued. It was the first manned US aircraft shot down over Iran since the US-Israel war on the country began on February... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349170/while-trump-hails-daring-airman-rescue-iran-chinese-experts-count-us-wins-and-losses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349170/while-trump-hails-daring-airman-rescue-iran-chinese-experts-count-us-wins-and-losses?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:13:31 +0000 Agencies Agencies Iran on Monday rejected the latest ceasefire proposal and instead said it wants a permanent end to the war, as US President Donald Trump’s ultimatum loomed within hours. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said Tehran had conveyed its response through Pakistan, a key mediator. “We won’t merely accept a ceasefire,” said Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo. “We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.” The White House did not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349153/iran-and-us-receive-draft-proposal-45-day-ceasefire-attacks-continue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349153/iran-and-us-receive-draft-proposal-45-day-ceasefire-attacks-continue?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:18:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korea appears to be distancing itself from long-time partner Iran and carefully managing its public messaging to preserve the possibility of a new relationship with the US after the Iran war, South Korean lawmakers have said, citing the spy agency. Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said North ‌Korea had not sent weapons or supplies so far to Iran since the conflict started on February 28, and did not issue public condolences upon the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349136/north-korean-silence-iran-signals-openness-us-talks-seouls-spy-agency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349136/north-korean-silence-iran-signals-openness-us-talks-seouls-spy-agency?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 06:32:16 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The Japanese government is arranging summit talks with Iran, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday, with tensions mounting in the Middle East as US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz approaches. “We are preparing dialogues at the leadership level at an appropriate time,” Takaichi told a parliamentary committee when asked by an opposition lawmaker about Japan’s diplomatic efforts regarding the US-Israeli war with Iran. “Japan will make every effort... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349124/japans-takaichi-seeks-urgent-summit-iran-trumps-hormuz-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349124/japans-takaichi-seeks-urgent-summit-iran-trumps-hormuz-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 05:32:07 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Major powers are closely watching Hungary’s election next week – a vote seen as a referendum on Europe’s right and crucial for Chinese interests in the EU. Recent polls show self-styled “illiberal democrat” Viktor Orban’s Fidesz trailing challenger Peter Magyar’s Tisza Party by between 19 and 23 points among likely voters ahead of an election on Sunday that has been described as “Europe’s most consequential”. For China, Russia and the United States under President Donald Trump, an Orban defeat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349109/orban-brink-could-hungarys-election-dent-chinas-influence-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349109/orban-brink-could-hungarys-election-dent-chinas-influence-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:00:08 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu A US clampdown on visas for mainland Chinese and Hong Kong students last May led to year-on-year declines of 42 per cent and 35 per cent in the number of permits granted, but a consultant has said the impact has been short-lived. One PhD student from the mainland said US President Donald Trump’s actions had led to him giving up an offer to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to enrol at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) last year after he found America’s once-vibrant... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3349093/how-us-clampdown-affected-mainland-chinese-hong-kong-student-visa-numbers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3349093/how-us-clampdown-affected-mainland-chinese-hong-kong-student-visa-numbers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:30:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Democratic Republic of Congo will receive some migrants as part of a new deal under the Trump administration’s third-country programme, its government said on Sunday, the latest such African nation to receive migrants being deported from the United States. The deportees will start arriving in DR Congo this month, the Congolese Ministry of Communications said in a statement, without further details on the date or the number of deportees expected. It described the arrangement as a “temporary”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349108/dr-congo-latest-african-nation-receive-third-country-deportees-us-under-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349108/dr-congo-latest-african-nation-receive-third-country-deportees-us-under-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 22:53:36 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Andrew Tilton, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Goldman Sachs, speaks to the South China Morning Post about the long-term future of China’s economy after the “two sessions” in Beijing and ahead of an expected Xi-Trump summit – all during an oil crisis sparked by the US-Israel war against Iran. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. What impact will the oil shock arising from the Iran war have on the growth of Asian economies this year? Asia is greatly affected by the war... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348903/andrew-tilton-chinas-growth-prospects-economic-trajectory-wake-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348903/andrew-tilton-chinas-growth-prospects-economic-trajectory-wake-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 22:00:29 +0000 Zhang Zhipeng Zhang Zhipeng The US-Israeli strikes on Iran and ensuing conflagration offer a window into how the US-led order works. For all its contributions, it functions like an air conditioner – cooling the American centre by pumping hot air into the periphery. Aggressive interest rate hikes export inflation to emerging markets. Proxy wars outsource geopolitical risk to distant theatres. The United States stays cool while the Global South absorbs the brunt of the heat. But the vents are closing: developing nations are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348447/global-south-nations-are-insulating-themselves-heat-us-actions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348447/global-south-nations-are-insulating-themselves-heat-us-actions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Agencies Agencies US President Donald Trump did not take a break from his polarising rhetoric on Easter Sunday, delivering an expletive-laden attack on Iran that sparked criticism on Capitol Hill and beyond. “Open the F****n Strait, you crazy b******s, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!” the president wrote early on Sunday, renewing his threat to unleash heavy bombing on Iranian power plants and bridges if Tehran refused to unblock the strategic Strait of Hormuz. “Praise be to Allah,” Trump added,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349103/trump-draws-criticism-fiery-expletive-laden-easter-message-attacking-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349103/trump-draws-criticism-fiery-expletive-laden-easter-message-attacking-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 17:45:02 +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 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji While the Iran war has sent shock waves through energy markets across Asia, one corner of the region has been hit especially hard. South Asia’s reliance on Middle Eastern fuel and Gulf remittances threatens to push some of its most exposed economies to the brink, analysts warn, as the conflict drives energy and food costs to multi-year highs. For Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, whose International Monetary Fund bailout programmes and thin fiscal buffers limit their ability to shield citizens... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348974/why-war-iran-threatens-unleash-unrest-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348974/why-war-iran-threatens-unleash-unrest-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 05:30:08 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju As Russia comes to India’s aid amid the global energy crisis, a familiar mantra has resurfaced among officials and political analysts – that Moscow is New Delhi’s “all weather-friend”. Such a stance is anchored by deep strategic interests, with both countries viewing each other as vital to their balancing between China and an increasingly erratic United States, according to observers. On Friday, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said Moscow was well-positioned to ramp up oil and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349063/india-turns-trusted-friend-russia-oil-lng-supply-iran-war-energises-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349063/india-turns-trusted-friend-russia-oil-lng-supply-iran-war-energises-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 04:29:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel and Kuwait on Sunday, a day after US President Donald Trump said the Islamic republic had 48 hours to cut a deal or face “all Hell”. Kuwait and Israel said their air defences were responding to the latest attacks from Iran, part of the war that erupted more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes that triggered retaliation by Tehran. The war has spread conflict throughout the Middle East and convulsed the global economy. Iran’s forces maintain a tight... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349059/iran-attacks-kuwait-israel-after-trump-sets-deadline-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349059/iran-attacks-kuwait-israel-after-trump-sets-deadline-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 03:03:40 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle The dramatic launch of the first manned space mission to the moon for more than 50 years invokes a childlike sense of excitement and wonder, with reflections on the prospect of another giant leap for mankind. Four astronauts, three from the United States and one from Canada, are on course to travel further away from Earth than any of their predecessors, circling the moon. Some of us are old enough to remember the first lunar missions in the 1960s and ’70s. These formed the backdrop to our... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349049/lunar-mission-gives-fresh-perspective-troubled-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349049/lunar-mission-gives-fresh-perspective-troubled-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 16:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Tehran had 48 hours left to cut a deal or face “all Hell”, as US and Iranian forces scrambled to find a downed American airman. Trump’s latest threat came after a strike near an Iranian nuclear power plant prompted evacuations, and as Tehran announced fresh attacks and the Israeli military said it had detected another missile launch from Yemen. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they hit a commercial ship in Bahrain, as they maintained their tight... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349050/iran-has-48-hours-make-deal-says-trump-or-us-will-unleash-hell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349050/iran-has-48-hours-make-deal-says-trump-or-us-will-unleash-hell?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:08:45 +0000 Reuters Reuters Five European Union finance ministers are calling for a tax on windfall profits of energy companies in reaction to rising fuel prices due to the Iran war, according to a letter from ‌the ministers to the EU Commission seen by Reuters on Saturday. The finance ministers of Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria made the joint call in a letter dated Friday, saying such a measure would be a signal that “we stand united and are able to take action”. “It would also send a clear message that those... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349035/eu-finance-ministers-urge-tax-energy-firms-profits-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349035/eu-finance-ministers-urge-tax-energy-firms-profits-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 09:32:17 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley A century on, T.S. Eliot’s poem The Hollow Men strikes a disturbingly ominous note: This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper. With the way things are going at present, we could be about to find out which of these endings it will be. The hope is that the Iran-centred conflagration in the Middle East will not turn into a nuclear apocalypse and that the “whimper” will be merely a cry from the depths of global economic recession. But either scenario is possible while the Trump... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348882/can-world-markets-ride-out-rest-trumps-reign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348882/can-world-markets-ride-out-rest-trumps-reign?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Efforts by South Korea and France to secure safe passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz are likely to be centred on a post-war defensive armada with other countries. Analysts also say both nations are wary of joining the Middle East conflict at this point in time and antagonising Iran. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday revealed he had agreed with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to cooperate on safety in the strategic oil supply strait. Lee made the remarks after a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348983/why-south-korea-france-prefer-diplomacy-over-force-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348983/why-south-korea-france-prefer-diplomacy-over-force-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Australian comedian Jenny Tian set off a wave of deep laughter across an Adelaide audience at a recent comedy festival by saying she had tired of democracy at home. So, Tian explained, she moved to the US to give “fascism” a whirl instead. The 30-year-old showbiz pro was born to Chinese parents, making her race a rarity in Western stand-up comedy. But the crowd was a near sell-out. I saw Tian’s March performance during a visiting media tour of Australia after days of meetings with national... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348468/australias-180-degree-shift-5-years-ago-china-favour-us-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348468/australias-180-degree-shift-5-years-ago-china-favour-us-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo The whole world has come to oppose the Iran war, including most Americans. Just as Israel took part in the 1956 Suez crisis, which signalled the last hurrah of European imperialism, it is now jointly prosecuting a pointless but destructive war that is likely to spell the twilight of American hegemony. This time, though, the Jewish state won’t get away so easily. From the Palestinian territories to Iran and Lebanon, it can no longer hide its Zionist expansionism that threatens the entire... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348754/twilight-us-hegemony-and-israeli-expansionism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348754/twilight-us-hegemony-and-israeli-expansionism?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump is seeking congressional approval for US$1.5 trillion in defence spending in his new budget proposal, underscoring his administration’s focus on military investment as the country remains engaged in conflict in the Middle East. The blueprint released by the White House on Friday for the financial year 2027 proposes a 44 per cent increase in the US defence budget – implementing the widely controversial plan first unveiled by Trump in a January social media post. If... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3349007/trump-administration-seeks-us15-trillion-defence-new-budget-request?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3349007/trump-administration-seeks-us15-trillion-defence-new-budget-request?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:26:42 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press American employers added a surprisingly strong 178,000 new jobs last month, rebounding from a dismal February, while the unemployment rate dipped to 4.3 per cent. The Labor Department reported on Friday that hiring marked a rebound from the loss of 133,000 jobs in February. The job gains were about three times what economists had forecast. The unemployment rate was down from 4.4 per cent in February. That is partly because the labour force – those working and looking for work – dropped by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348998/us-adds-178000-jobs-march-rebounding-february-losses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348998/us-adds-178000-jobs-march-rebounding-february-losses?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:23:03 +0000 Agencies Agencies President Donald ⁠Trump on Friday said the ⁠US can open the Strait of Hormuz with a little more time, as pressure mounts for his administration to find a ‌quick resolution to a war against Iran. “With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL,& MAKE A FORTUNE,” he said in a post on Truth Social. Nearly ⁠five weeks after it started with a joint US-Israeli aerial ‌assault, the war in Iran continues to spread chaos across the region and roil ‌financial markets, raising... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348991/us-can-take-strait-hormuz-more-time-says-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348991/us-can-take-strait-hormuz-more-time-says-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:18:26 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A New Zealand doctor has sent the US embassy in Wellington an invoice for his clinic’s fuel bills, saying that President Donald Trump and his administration should take responsibility for starting a war that has sent oil prices spiralling. Shane Dunphy asked the embassy to reimburse him for the NZ$2,790.95 (US$1,600) in petrol vouchers he gave staff at Onslow Medical Centre in the capital so that they could travel to work, The Guardian newspaper reported. “Because of the current fuel crisis,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348977/new-zealand-doctor-bills-us-embassy-rising-fuel-costs-payment-expected-within-7-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348977/new-zealand-doctor-bills-us-embassy-rising-fuel-costs-payment-expected-within-7-days?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:25:40 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Subscribers: The Daily Pulse won’t be published on April 6 because of China’s Ching Ming Festival. We will resume publication on Tuesday, April 7. Data released on the first anniversary of President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs announcement shows how his trade war has hammered the United States’ direct imports from China as manufacturers shift production to other markets. The US goods trade deficit with China fell by more than 50 per cent in the first two months of this year to... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3348953/liberation-day-anniversary-war-iran-taiwans-kmt-visits-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3348953/liberation-day-anniversary-war-iran-taiwans-kmt-visits-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:01:05 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell The Trump administration has assured us that the long-awaited summit in Beijing between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump will now be held on May 14 to 15. Whether you believe the meeting will go ahead is up to you. Beijing has not confirmed it, but neither has it contradicted the White House. That is more than can be said for Tehran’s brutal response to White House claims that US-Iran peace negotiations are under way. Even if we take the White House summit claim at face value,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348890/3-reasons-xi-trump-summit-wont-be-waste-time-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348890/3-reasons-xi-trump-summit-wont-be-waste-time-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai A Chinese fugitive suspected of drug-related crimes has been repatriated from the United States and handed to police in China, the first such case in years, according to state media. The suspect was returned to China by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) via cooperation channels between the two countries, based on information provided by Chinese narcotics control authorities, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday, citing the Ministry of Public Security. The Chinese national,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348926/beijing-hails-us-cooperation-ice-returns-suspected-drug-smuggler-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348926/beijing-hails-us-cooperation-ice-returns-suspected-drug-smuggler-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:00:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Japan’s order for hundreds of Tomahawk missiles from the US is under threat as the American-Israeli war with Iran burns through inventories, the latest example of how the conflict is drawing in supplies and troops at the expense of defending against Washington’s primary strategic rival, China. Tomahawk missiles are a centrepiece of Tokyo’s new strategy of equipping itself with long-range strike capabilities to deal with challenges from China and North Korea. But Washington has informed Tokyo... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348914/us-delays-japans-tomahawk-missile-supplies-iran-strikes-take-priority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348914/us-delays-japans-tomahawk-missile-supplies-iran-strikes-take-priority?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:30:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Threatening to destroy Iran’s electricity grid and to reduce the country of 90 million to destitution, US President Donald Trump is shattering precedent by not just accepting but gloating about acts seen as potential war crimes. The consequences for Trump, at least in the near term, are probably none, experts say, as his administration works hard to undermine international institutions tasked with keeping norms. The Geneva Conventions governing the laws of war, agreed following World War II,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348912/trumps-stone-age-threats-against-iran-spark-war-crimes-alarm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348912/trumps-stone-age-threats-against-iran-spark-war-crimes-alarm?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:26:47 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Controlled escalation? Trump hails ‘victories’ in Iran but vows more strikes US President Donald Trump declared the US‑Israel war against Iran had delivered “decisive, overwhelming victories”, even as he signalled that key military... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348885/trump-hails-victories-iran-chinas-underwater-tunnels-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348885/trump-hails-victories-iran-chinas-underwater-tunnels-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cuba’s government announced on Thursday that it was pardoning 2,010 prisoners as a “humanitarian” gesture during Holy Week, after pledging in March to release dozens amid heightened US pressure on Havana. The major announcement comes days after US President Donald Trump eased a de facto oil blockade of Cuba by allowing a Russian tanker to deliver crude to the fuel-starved island. The Trump administration has called for change in communist-run Cuba’s system of government and the US president has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348888/cuba-pardons-2010-prisoners-humanitarian-gesture-amid-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348888/cuba-pardons-2010-prisoners-humanitarian-gesture-amid-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:50:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Thursday the tallest bridge in Iran had been destroyed, hours after threatening to bomb the country “back to the Stone Ages”. Ghodratollah Seif, the deputy governor of Alborz province, where the B1 bridge is located, said the strike had killed eight people and wounded 95 others, according to state TV and Fars news agency. Due to reporting restrictions, Agence France-Presse is not able to access the sites of strikes nor to independently verify tolls in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348868/trump-hails-destruction-irans-tallest-bridge-warns-much-more-follow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348868/trump-hails-destruction-irans-tallest-bridge-warns-much-more-follow?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:52:34 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press After crashing his SUV last week in Florida, Tiger Woods took out his phone and told a deputy, “I was just talking to the president,” according to body camera footage released Thursday showing Woods’ arrest on a DUI charge. The phone conversation was not captured on video, but Woods could be heard saying, “Thank you so much,” as he hung up and the deputy approached. It was not clear if Woods was referring to US President Donald Trump, whose former daughter-in-law, Vanessa Trump, is dating... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348863/after-car-crash-tiger-woods-told-officer-he-was-talking-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348863/after-car-crash-tiger-woods-told-officer-he-was-talking-president?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:33:45 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial US President Donald Trump’s televised address to the nation left it and the world barely wiser about a timeline for ending the United States-Israeli war with Iran or how a blockaded sea lane for global oil supplies is to be reopened. After previously predicting the war could end in two to three weeks, Trump hailed “decisive, overwhelming” victories in Iran on a scale rarely seen. But he signalled that key military objectives were still “nearing completion” and that further strikes could inflict... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348813/trumps-iran-address-fails-set-minds-ease-or-clearly-signal-direction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348813/trumps-iran-address-fails-set-minds-ease-or-clearly-signal-direction?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:15:12 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Frank Chen Xiaofei Xu,Frank Chen As China and the United States wrapped up their sixth and most recent round of trade talks in Paris this March, a minor mishap briefly stole the spotlight. A sudden gust of wind toppled two American flags in the background, where journalists were waiting for US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Officials rushed to tape them to the wall – a fitting tableau for a trade war that, one year on, is patched together by a truce yet remains far from resolved. At their respective press appearances,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348826/us-china-trade-war-1-year-who-really-holds-upper-hand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348826/us-china-trade-war-1-year-who-really-holds-upper-hand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Four Artemis astronauts were zooming towards the moon on Thursday after a major engine firing, a milestone that commits Nasa to the first crewed lunar fly-by in more than half a century. With enough thrust to accelerate a stationary car to highway driving speed in less than three seconds, the Orion capsule engine blasted the astronauts on their trajectory towards the moon, which they now will loop as part of the 10-day Artemis II mission. “Human beings have left Earth orbit” for the first time... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348862/nasas-artemis-crew-gets-green-light-make-big-push-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348862/nasas-artemis-crew-gets-green-light-make-big-push-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:52:18 +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 US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the Army’s top uniformed officer to step down, the Pentagon said on Thursday without giving a reason for the departure as the United States wages a war against Iran. General Randy George “will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately”, said Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesman. George has held the post of Army chief of staff, which typically runs for four years, since August 2023 under the Biden... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348861/hegseth-ousts-armys-top-uniformed-officer-even-us-wages-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348861/hegseth-ousts-armys-top-uniformed-officer-even-us-wages-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:23:47 +0000