https://www.scmp.com/rss/325433/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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,Yuanyue Dang Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang Direct trade between China and the United States continues its shrinking trend, new US government data showed on Thursday, as the anniversary of “Liberation Day” highlights how last year’s tariff escalations deepened tensions between the two global powers. The figures come ahead of a planned leaders’ meeting in Beijing next month, where both sides are expected to explore ways to stabilise relations after a period of renewed economic strain, and just hours before he announced a fresh set of... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348857/trump-tariffs-cast-shadow-us-china-trade-shrinks-ahead-leaders-meet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348857/trump-tariffs-cast-shadow-us-china-trade-shrinks-ahead-leaders-meet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:25:26 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. As Trump ramps up pressure on Cuba, China has ‘very limited options’ As Washington stepped up rhetoric and pressure on Cuba after the start of its campaign in Iran, Beijing found itself torn between geopolitical reality and ideological affinity. Read the full story here. 2. US threats... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3348581/us-threats-new-chile-leader-china-tariff-mexico-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3348581/us-threats-new-chile-leader-china-tariff-mexico-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:00:10 +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 Two aid boats bound for Cuba that were feared missing after they set sail from Mexico have “safely transited” to the island, the US coastguard said on Friday. The Mexican Navy had reported on Thursday that it launched a search and rescue mission after losing communication with the vessels, which had left from Isla Mujeres in southeast Mexico on March 20 with nine people aboard. The US coastguard, which was not involved in the search efforts, said on Friday it had received a report at 10.36am... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348215/missing-aid-boats-safely-crossed-cuba-us-coastguard-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348215/missing-aid-boats-safely-crossed-cuba-us-coastguard-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:32:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Mexican navy said on Thursday that it was searching for two boats transporting humanitarian aid for Cuba with nine crew of different nationalities on board. The vessels set sail last Friday from Isla Mujeres in Mexico’s southeastern state of Quintana Roo and were due to arrive in Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday this week, the navy said in a statement. It said that there had been neither “communication nor confirmation of their arrival” in Cuba and that it has alerted naval commanders in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348065/mexicos-navy-searches-2-cuba-bound-aid-boats-are-missing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348065/mexicos-navy-searches-2-cuba-bound-aid-boats-are-missing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 01:41:46 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China warned Mexico on Thursday it could impose retaliatory measures after concluding a formal investigation into tariffs Mexico imposed on more than 1,400 categories of Asian goods, in a dispute that threatens to complicate Mexico City’s parallel negotiations to renew its trade agreement with the United States. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said the tariffs, which range from 5 to 50 per cent on 1,463 product categories in force since January 1, restrict the entry of Chinese goods,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3348054/china-threatens-mexico-trade-reprisals-over-50-import-duties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3348054/china-threatens-mexico-trade-reprisals-over-50-import-duties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:04:39 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China has accused Mexico of imposing trade and investment barriers through tariff hikes on its goods, a sign the friction between the two trading partners – fuelled by escalating pressure from Washington under US President Donald Trump – is continuing to build. The Ministry of Commerce announced on Wednesday that the Mexican government’s measures to raise tariffs on imports from countries not party to its free trade agreements constitute a breach of trade rules. The move primarily affects... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347881/china-says-mexicos-tariff-hikes-constitute-trade-barriers-after-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347881/china-says-mexicos-tariff-hikes-constitute-trade-barriers-after-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The first boat of a flotilla carrying medical supplies, food and solar panels reached Cuba on Tuesday to aid the island as a US fuel blockade deepens its energy crisis. The Maguro shrimp fishing boat docked in Havana three days later than hoped after battling strong winds, currents and a pesky battery during its journey from Mexico. As they approached Havana’s colonial-era fortification, the international activists stood on the cabin roof of the boat - symbolically renamed “Granma 2.0” as a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347810/humanitarian-aid-boat-arrives-cuba-amid-us-blockade-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347810/humanitarian-aid-boat-arrives-cuba-amid-us-blockade-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:27:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared likely to rule in favour of President ⁠Donald Trump’s administration in its defence of the government’s authority to turn away asylum seekers when officials deem US-Mexico border crossings too overburdened to handle additional claims. The justices heard arguments in a legal dispute involving a policy called “metering” that the Republican president’s administration may seek to revive after it was dropped by Trump’s Democratic predecessor Joe Biden in 2021.... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347771/supreme-court-justices-lean-towards-trump-asylum-processing-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347771/supreme-court-justices-lean-towards-trump-asylum-processing-case?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:24:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Spain’s King Felipe VI has been invited to the 2026 World Cup in Mexico by President Claudia Sheinbaum, the royal palace said on Wednesday, signalling a thaw in relations between the two countries. Diplomatic relations have been strained since 2019, when the Mexican government demanded that the Spanish crown apologise for the abuses committed during the conquest and subsequent colonisation of the Americas in the 16th century. Sheinbaum excluded the king from her inauguration in October 2024... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347089/mexico-invites-spains-king-world-cup-sign-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347089/mexico-invites-spains-king-world-cup-sign-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 23:34:04 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Spain’s monarch said on Monday the Spanish conquest of the Americas included “much abuse” and “ethical controversies”, striking a conciliatory tone amid a years-long row between Spain and Mexico over colonial-era abuses committed by the Spanish crown centuries ago. King Felipe made the remarks while speaking with Mexico’s ambassador to Spain, Quirino Ordaz, during a visit to a museum exhibition in Madrid about the role of women in pre-Columbian Mexico. About the centuries-old Spanish conquest,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346823/spains-king-acknowledges-much-abuse-conquest-americas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346823/spains-king-acknowledges-much-abuse-conquest-americas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 02:53:11 +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 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A US federal appeal court allowed the Trump administration on Monday to temporarily resume summarily deporting undocumented migrants to countries that are not their own. The US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, in a 2-1 vote, lifted a block on the so-called third-country deportations that had been imposed by a lower court. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled last month that third-country deportations were unlawful but put his ruling on hold to allow the government time to file an appeal. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346805/trump-administration-can-resume-third-country-deportations-appeal-court-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346805/trump-administration-can-resume-third-country-deportations-appeal-court-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:35:10 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China announced visa-free entry for Canadian and British nationals on February 17, allowing citizens of the two countries to cross the border and stay for up to 30 days with no more than a passport. The move was just the latest expansion of China’s visa-free policies, which have eased entry rules for citizens of dozens of nations over the past few years as part of an effort to boost tourism. Immigration officials now allow travellers from dozens of countries to stay without a visa for up to 10... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346504/here-are-5-ways-enter-china-without-visa-land-sea-or-air?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346504/here-are-5-ways-enter-china-without-visa-land-sea-or-air?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Vietnam produced the largest trade surplus with the United States in January, overtaking both Mexico and China, latest official US data shows, as its exports rose sharply while Chinese direct shipments to the United States fell. Hanoi has been negotiating a trade deal with Washington for months but no agreement has been reached because of the large trade gap and disagreements over tariff rates the US wants to impose on Vietnamese goods, officials have said. In January, Vietnam’s trade surplus... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346477/vietnam-records-world-highest-trade-surplus-us-surpassing-mexico-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346477/vietnam-records-world-highest-trade-surplus-us-surpassing-mexico-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 07:30:08 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The United States’ decision to launch Section 301 investigations into alleged unfair trade practices by China and several other economies – which could allow Washington to reimpose higher tariffs – is a “bluff” designed to give US President Donald Trump some perceived leverage ahead of his expected trip to China, analysts said. But the threat is unlikely to work on Beijing, which has grown used to the president’s “art of the deal” tactics, they added. “Trump’s move before his China trip is... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346365/trumps-tariff-investigation-bluff-will-not-work-china-analysts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346365/trumps-tariff-investigation-bluff-will-not-work-china-analysts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration on Wednesday opened a new trade investigation into manufacturing in foreign countries – an effort that comes after the Supreme Court struck down US President Donald Trump’s previous use of tariffs by declaring an economic emergency. Trump and his team have made clear that they’re seeking to replace the hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenues after the Supreme Court’s February ruling by using different laws to establish new tariffs. In this case, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346279/us-launches-trade-probe-china-and-eu-bid-revive-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346279/us-launches-trade-probe-china-and-eu-bid-revive-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 23:46:48 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Harry Potter alum Emma Watson has been spotted with a new beau and, according to People, she’s “really into him”. The Little Women actress was first spotted with Mexican entrepreneur Gonzalo Hevia Baillères in late 2025 in Courchevel, France. They were later seen spending time together in Mexico and, most recently, photographed sharing a kiss at an airport last week, seemingly confirming their relationship status. She was previously rumoured to be dating Brandon Green, son of fashion tycoon Sir... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3345968/who-emma-watsons-rumoured-new-boyfriend-gonzalo-hevia-bailleres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3345968/who-emma-watsons-rumoured-new-boyfriend-gonzalo-hevia-bailleres?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:00:18 +0000 Fan Chen,Zhao Ziwen Fan Chen,Zhao Ziwen China has vowed to firmly safeguard its overseas interests – a core objective reaffirmed in its latest five-year plan – at a time when global volatility is testing supply chains and regional influence. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that Beijing would continue to strengthen its capacity to protect Chinese interests and citizens abroad, put the people first, and develop a global system for security and risk prevention. According to analysts, his remarks reflect the growing pressures on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345902/world-full-turmoil-china-stands-firm-mountain-compatriots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345902/world-full-turmoil-china-stands-firm-mountain-compatriots?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:00:14 +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 dpa dpa Iran’s football federation president Mehdi Taj has given a bleak outlook regarding the World Cup in summer in the United States, Mexico and Canada the day after the US and Israel started air attacks against his country. “What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Taj told sports portal Varzesh3 on Sunday. “The US regime has attacked our homeland and this is an incident that will not go unanswered.” Iran has been drawn into Group... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3345056/iran-football-federation-chief-speaks-about-world-cup-after-attacks-sport-affected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3345056/iran-football-federation-chief-speaks-about-world-cup-after-attacks-sport-affected?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 19:06:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US military shot down a government drone with a laser-based anti-drone system, an accident that prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to bar flights on Thursday in an area around Fort Hancock, Texas, congressional aides told Reuters. Congressional aides told Reuters the Pentagon used the high-energy laser system to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection drone near the Mexican border, in an area ‌that often has incursions from Mexican drones used by drug cartels. The Pentagon,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344810/us-military-laser-shoots-down-government-drone-texas-incident?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344810/us-military-laser-shoots-down-government-drone-texas-incident?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 03:36:29 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong A reported threat by US President Donald Trump to withdraw from the North American trade pact could push Canada closer to China, analysts say, even as his new global 15 per cent tariff has little immediate impact due to existing trade agreements. Washington, Ottawa and Mexico City are set to renegotiate terms of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) before a possible extension on July 1. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Trump was quietly considering exiting the trade deal –... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344595/trumps-usmca-exit-threat-seen-pushing-canada-chinas-arms-hedge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344595/trumps-usmca-exit-threat-seen-pushing-canada-chinas-arms-hedge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A girlfriend of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the powerful leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel who was killed by the Mexican military, was key to finding him in Tapalpa, a picturesque village of holiday homes in western Mexico. The 59-year-old Oseguera, nicknamed “El Mencho”, was wounded in a clash with soldiers on Sunday and died while being airlifted to hospital. The operation was launched when Mexican military intelligence agents, supported by the US military’s Northern Command, learned... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344409/how-rendezvous-girlfriend-led-violent-end-mexicos-most-wanted-drug-kingpin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344409/how-rendezvous-girlfriend-led-violent-end-mexicos-most-wanted-drug-kingpin?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 04:23:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A day after the Mexican army killed the country’s most powerful drug lord, the picturesque town where it happened was a study in contrasts. Tourist shops in Tapalpa were open Monday, and workers were on the job. But gunshots also rang out, and in the street was a dead man lying beside a bullet-pocked vehicle. Meanwhile, heavily armed Mexican security forces kept up their battle with cartel gunmen following the killing that sparked a surge in violence and put the country on edge. Cartel fighters... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344389/73-people-died-attempt-capture-mexican-cartel-leader-and-its-violent-aftermath-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344389/73-people-died-attempt-capture-mexican-cartel-leader-and-its-violent-aftermath-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 23:57:49 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho”, on Sunday, decapitating what had become Mexico’s most powerful drug cartel and thrusting swaths of the nation into chaos. The drug lord was the Mexican government’s biggest prize yet to show the Trump administration in its efforts to crack down on the cartels, and his death was met with a forceful reaction from the cartel, known by its Spanish initials CJNG. Cars burned out by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344279/mexican-army-kills-leader-jalisco-new-generation-cartel-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344279/mexican-army-kills-leader-jalisco-new-generation-cartel-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 18:43:54 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US military has carried out another deadly strike on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. US Southern Command said on social media that the boat “was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations”. It said the strike on Friday killed three people. A video linked to the post shows a boat floating in the water before bursting into flames. Friday’s attack raises the death toll from the Trump... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344191/us-military-kills-3-latest-strike-narcoterrorist-boat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344191/us-military-kills-3-latest-strike-narcoterrorist-boat?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 01:53:12 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell I would like to explore some rather interesting data buried deep in the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Economic and Social Trends 2026 report: an estimated 15.3 per cent of jobs worldwide depended on foreign demand in 2024. In other words, they depend on international trade. The ILO report, based on data from 80 economies that account for 85 per cent of global employment, says this amounts to 465 million jobs. Of these, 278 million are in Asia and the Pacific and 96 million are in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344016/despite-trumps-trade-wars-globalisation-eurasias-win-or-lose?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344016/despite-trumps-trade-wars-globalisation-eurasias-win-or-lose?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Lunar New Year wasn’t always on LuLu Grant’s radar. Adopted at two from Fuzhou, China and raised in the US state of Washington, Grant decided to cut her birth country out of her life at a young age. Decades later, she would celebrate Spring Festival alongside her birth family with a complex array of feelings about her two worlds. “People think that finding your birth family is so joyous, and part of it is, but it’s also very sad and very difficult,” she said, adding that “it’s not how I wish it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344038/born-china-raised-us-adoptees-explore-meaning-identity-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344038/born-china-raised-us-adoptees-explore-meaning-identity-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:03:35 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US military said Tuesday that it carried out strikes on three boats accused of smuggling drugs in Latin American waters, killing 11 people in one of the deadliest days of the Trump administration’s months-long campaign against alleged traffickers. The series of strikes conducted Monday brought the death toll to at least 145 people since the administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in small vessels since early September. Like most of the military’s statements on the 42... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343855/11-killed-us-strikes-3-more-alleged-drug-boats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343855/11-killed-us-strikes-3-more-alleged-drug-boats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 23:32:54 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Spain said on Monday it will use UN channels to send humanitarian aid to Cuba, which is suffering an acute economic crisis worsened by a de facto US fuel blockade. “Spain will provide humanitarian aid … to Cuba through the United Nations system in the form of food and essential health products,” the foreign ministry said in a statement following a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries in Madrid. The announcement follows the dispatch by Mexico of 800 tonnes of humanitarian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343777/spain-send-humanitarian-aid-cuba-through-un-amid-us-fuel-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343777/spain-send-humanitarian-aid-cuba-through-un-amid-us-fuel-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 21:51:37 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The Trump administration spent more than US$35 million to deport roughly 300 migrants to countries they had no connection to, doling out millions of dollars in lump sum transfers to foreign governments without a system to track how the money was used, according to a report released on Friday. The figures from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats average out to a cost of roughly US$116,666 per person deported. In Rwanda, which received seven deportees, the total cost reached about US$1.1... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343551/us-paid-us35-million-deport-300-remote-islands-african-nations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343551/us-paid-us35-million-deport-300-remote-islands-african-nations?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 01:24:15 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump is privately musing about exiting the North American trade pact, people familiar with the matter said, injecting further uncertainty about the deal’s future into pivotal renegotiations involving the US, Canada and Mexico. The president has asked aides why he shouldn’t withdraw from the agreement, which he signed during his first term, though he has stopped short of flatly signalling that he will do so, according to the people who spoke on condition of anonymity to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343375/trump-privately-weighs-quitting-usmca-trade-pact-he-negotiated-risking-us2-trillion-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343375/trump-privately-weighs-quitting-usmca-trade-pact-he-negotiated-risking-us2-trillion-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 16:06:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters Two of China’s leading carmakers, BYD and ⁠Geely, are among the finalists vying to purchase a Nissan–Mercedes-Benz plant in Mexico, according to a ⁠person familiar with the matter, as China seeks a manufacturing foothold in a country where US tariffs are fuelling factory closures and lay-offs. The finalists emerged from nine companies expressing interest in acquiring the factory, including at least two other major Chinese manufacturers: Chery and Great Wall Motor, according to two sources... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343369/chinas-byd-and-geely-bid-nissan-mercedes-mexico-plant-dodge-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343369/chinas-byd-and-geely-bid-nissan-mercedes-mexico-plant-dodge-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:30:30 +0000 dpa dpa Turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, sunbeds under swaying palms – and complete privacy. Some celebrities and ultra-wealthy individuals have leased or even bought private islands. For most, however, having their own island will remain a dream. Unless you are a cruise passenger, who can today experience exclusive beaches and resorts as part of their journey. Major cruise lines such as MSC, Norwegian and Carnival have their own islands and operate resorts exclusively for the passengers on their... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3343251/disney-royal-caribbean-cruise-lines-are-spending-big-private-island-escapes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3343251/disney-royal-caribbean-cruise-lines-are-spending-big-private-island-escapes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg For a few hours on Wednesday, the sleepy airport of El Paso, Texas, became a sudden flashpoint for confusion. Late Tuesday night, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a terse notice to pilots that airspace in the area would close - for an unprecedented 10 days - due to “special security reasons”. And then almost as suddenly, the FAA lifted the restrictions on Wednesday morning. Conflicting accounts of what prompted the action in the first place quickly emerged. Trump administration... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343253/us-military-laser-tech-and-cartel-drones-stir-airspace-confusion-texas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343253/us-military-laser-tech-and-cartel-drones-stir-airspace-confusion-texas?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 02:31:12 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier President Donald Trump faced noteworthy pushback over his signature tariff policy in the US Congress this week as his popularity slipped and more lawmakers in his party appeared willing to risk his wrath. While the pushback is unlikely to result in any immediate concrete change to his aggressive tariff policy, which has roiled markets and upended global supply chains, it represents a striking challenge for a president who has lashed out at critics and otherwise maintained an iron grip on his... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3343243/trump-faces-rare-pushback-within-his-party-over-tariffs-polls-slide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3343243/trump-faces-rare-pushback-within-his-party-over-tariffs-polls-slide?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:59:35 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China will support Cuba “in the best way possible” as the island grapples with an energy crisis following tougher measures imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday. Speaking at a regular press briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China “will do what it can” to assist Havana and again condemned what he described as “inhumane actions that deprive the Cuban people of their right to survival and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343242/china-vows-do-what-it-can-us-blockade-leaves-cuba-just-weeks-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343242/china-vows-do-what-it-can-us-blockade-leaves-cuba-just-weeks-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:37:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reopened the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas on Wednesday morning, just hours after it announced a 10-day closure that would have grounded all flights to and from the airport. The FAA said in a social media post that it has lifted the temporary closure of the airspace over El Paso, saying there was no threat to commercial aviation and that all flights will resume. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on social media... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343217/el-paso-texas-airport-grounds-all-flights-due-special-security-reasons-10-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343217/el-paso-texas-airport-grounds-all-flights-due-special-security-reasons-10-days?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:35:42 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Cuban aviation officials have warned airlines that there is not enough fuel for planes to refuel on the island, the latest step in its moves to ration energy as the Trump administration cuts the Caribbean nation off from its fuel resources. The government of Cuba published the notices to airlines and pilots on Sunday night, warning that jet fuel would not be available at nine airports across the island, including Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, starting on Tuesday and continuing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343015/cuba-warns-airlines-its-almost-out-fuel-us-blockade-deepens-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343015/cuba-warns-airlines-its-almost-out-fuel-us-blockade-deepens-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:20:50 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US military forces boarded a sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the ship from the Caribbean Sea as part of an oil quarantine meant to squeeze Venezuela, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday. Venezuela had faced US sanctions on its oil and relied on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains. Following the US raid to capture then-president Nicolas Maduro in early January, several tankers fled the Venezuelan coast, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342982/us-boards-sanctioned-oil-tanker-indian-ocean-after-pursuit-caribbean-hegseth-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342982/us-boards-sanctioned-oil-tanker-indian-ocean-after-pursuit-caribbean-hegseth-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 23:49:33 +0000 Reuters Reuters Mexican ‌authorities have recovered 10 bodies in the search for workers kidnapped last month from a mine run by Canada’s Vizsla ‍Silver Corp in Mexico’s northern state of Sinaloa, the country’s attorney general’s office said on Monday. The attorney general’s office said in a statement that it found 10 bodies in the municipality of Concordia, of which five have so far been identified. Forensic teams are working to identify the remaining five bodies, it added. Relatives of those kidnapped told... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3342978/3-kidnapped-miners-found-dead-mexico-countrys-mining-chamber-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3342978/3-kidnapped-miners-found-dead-mexico-countrys-mining-chamber-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 21:07:19 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela As US President Donald Trump continues to wage war against renewable energy, a new Chinese study revealing the strain that renewable integration places on power transformers could give him fresh technical ammunition. The researchers discovered that high renewable energy integration could make power transformers, vital components that regulate voltage in electricity grids, age faster than previously thought. High levels of wind and solar energy increased bidirectional power flow switching – the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342827/us-transformers-are-ageing-renewable-energy-could-make-things-worse-china-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3342827/us-transformers-are-ageing-renewable-energy-could-make-things-worse-china-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 06:00:11 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China’s resumption of Canadian canola purchases, brokered during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s state visit to Beijing last month, faces an uncertain year, with upcoming North American trade talks posing a significant risk, industry players warn. Beyond the initial shipments, some insiders said, there remained “no public assurance” that imports would continue uninterrupted, as the United States was likely to turn the region, through a renewed trade pact with Canada and Mexico, into a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342694/china-canada-canola-deal-faces-fragility-test-usmca-trade-talks-loom-insiders-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342694/china-canada-canola-deal-faces-fragility-test-usmca-trade-talks-loom-insiders-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Cuba and the United States ‍are in communication, a Cuban diplomat said on Monday, although he said the exchanges have not yet evolved into a formal “dialogue”. Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, told Reuters the US government was aware that Cuba was “ready to have a serious, meaningful and responsible ⁠dialogue”. “We have had exchange of messages, we have embassies, we have had communications, but we cannot say we have had a table of dialogue,” de Cossio told Reuters in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3342162/trump-says-mexico-will-stop-sending-oil-energy-starved-cuba?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3342162/trump-says-mexico-will-stop-sending-oil-energy-starved-cuba?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 23:45:45 +0000 Frank Chen,Yeon Woo Lee Frank Chen,Yeon Woo Lee When the first cohort of elite foreign captains parachuted into Chinese airlines in the 2000s, their sky-high pay – sometimes reaching 1 million yuan a year – raised eyebrows among their Chinese counterparts. These hotshot aviators, with their international exposure and qualifications, enjoyed a stratospheric level of success in the burgeoning Chinese market. Facing a shortage of experienced pilots, Chinese carriers embraced them with open arms, granting generous benefits and speedy paths to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342101/chinas-expat-pilots-arrived-red-carpet-now-theyre-taking-red-eye-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342101/chinas-expat-pilots-arrived-red-carpet-now-theyre-taking-red-eye-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian At Davos, US President Donald Trump declared he had “always had a very good relationship with President Xi” Jinping, calling the Chinese leader “an incredible man”, “highly respected by everybody”. Trump also praised TikTok’s decision to transfer parts of its US business to a consortium of US investors, thanking Xi on social media. This broadly friendly rhetoric is likely to be a signal of Washington’s keen interest in finalising a trade deal with the world’s second-largest economy. Trump’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341461/trumps-power-politics-paving-way-g2-world-order-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341461/trumps-power-politics-paving-way-g2-world-order-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:30:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A former Canadian Olympic snowboarder pleaded not guilty to running a billion-dollar drug trafficking ring and orchestrating multiple killings, as one of the FBI’s top fugitives made his first US court appearance on Monday since he was arrested in Mexico last week and flown to California. US authorities say Ryan Wedding, who competed in a single event for his home country in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, had been hiding in Mexico for more than a decade. He was added to the FBI’s 10... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341317/ex-olympic-snowboarder-pleads-not-guilty-running-billion-dollar-drug-smuggling-ring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341317/ex-olympic-snowboarder-pleads-not-guilty-running-billion-dollar-drug-smuggling-ring?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 23:28:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday played down US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat against Canada, saying the comments should be viewed with an eye towards a coming trade deal review. Asked about Trump’s threat to impose 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports should Ottawa finalise a new trade deal with China, Carney told reporters that the North American free trade deal is up for review this year and “the president is a strong negotiator”. “I think some of these... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341309/carney-links-trumps-new-tariff-threat-north-america-trade-deal-review?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341309/carney-links-trumps-new-tariff-threat-north-america-trade-deal-review?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 18:02:01 +0000