https://www.scmp.com/rss/325707/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan The United States has denied any role in Norway’s decision to cancel a missile sale to Malaysia, saying it had supported the acquisition, after the dispute raised questions over Washington’s influence on weapons deals involving American-made components. The dispute centres on Naval Strike Missiles (NSMs) built by Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace for a fleet of new Malaysian combat ships, with Kuala Lumpur saying it had already paid 95 per cent of the contract, valued at €126 million... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354344/us-denies-role-norways-cancelled-missile-sale-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354344/us-denies-role-norways-cancelled-missile-sale-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 07:06:15 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The US military will deploy its Typhon midrange missile launcher and Himars rocket system to southwestern Japan next month for joint exercises with the Self-Defence Forces, sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, in a move apparently aimed at deterring China. The systems will be deployed to the Maritime Self-Defence Force’s Kanoya Airbase in Kagoshima prefecture during the Valiant Shield and Orient Shield joint exercises between June and September, the sources said. The Typhon... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354294/us-send-typhon-himars-missile-systems-japan-drills-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354294/us-send-typhon-himars-missile-systems-japan-drills-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 01:23:26 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore’s plan to trial weaponised unmanned drones has put a spotlight on Southeast Asia’s fast-growing interest in systems that can track and strike at targets without putting operators directly in harm’s way. But as countries race to upgrade their drone and counter-drone capabilities, analysts say regulation, transparency and confidence-building will be crucial to prevent accidents or miscalculations that could fuel regional tensions. Singapore announced on Thursday that it would start... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354246/singapores-weaponised-drone-trial-spotlights-regional-rush-unmanned-systems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354246/singapores-weaponised-drone-trial-spotlights-regional-rush-unmanned-systems?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US special envoy to Greenland, the Arctic island coveted by President Donald Trump, said on Wednesday that Washington needs to rebuild its presence in the Danish autonomous territory. At the height of the Cold War, Washington had 17 military facilities in Greenland, but closed them over the years and currently has just one – the Pituffik base in the north of the island. Trump has repeatedly argued the US needs to control Greenland because of national security concerns, claiming that if it... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354290/us-needs-put-its-footprint-back-greenland-trump-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354290/us-needs-put-its-footprint-back-greenland-trump-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 21:48:02 +0000 Reuters Reuters The ⁠European Union has shortlisted ⁠tungsten, rare earths and ⁠gallium for its first joint stockpile of critical minerals aimed at reducing its reliance on China, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The EU is also talking to major ports ‌including Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the region’s biggest, to store the minerals, one of the three and a fourth source said. The move marks one of the bloc’s most concrete steps to insulate its economy from Beijing’s production dominance in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354245/eu-picks-tungsten-rare-earths-gallium-first-critical-mineral-stockpile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354245/eu-picks-tungsten-rare-earths-gallium-first-critical-mineral-stockpile?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 09:29:26 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Norway’s revocation of export licences for a naval missile system sold to Malaysia has thrust into sharp relief the United States’ ability to kill an arms deal between two other sovereign nations simply by restricting components its own industries supplied. Analysts suspect a gyroscope used in the guidance system of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace’s Naval Strike Missile and other US-made components are the reason Malaysia’s navy will not be receiving the weapons it contracted for – and paid nearly... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354174/us-suspected-forcing-norway-cancel-malaysias-us147-million-missile-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354174/us-suspected-forcing-norway-cancel-malaysias-us147-million-missile-order?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 03:57:21 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s planned deployment of long-range surveillance drones on remote Pacific islands would mark a significant expansion of its ability to monitor Chinese naval activity, as Beijing’s warships operate more frequently beyond the first island chain. The drones are to be stationed on Iwo Jima and Chichijima Island in the Ogasawara chain south of Tokyo, according to a report by the Yomiuri newspaper published on Monday. The airfield on Minamitorishima, about 1,950km (1,211 miles) southeast of Tokyo... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354156/japan-plans-island-drone-deployment-monitor-chinese-naval-activity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354156/japan-plans-island-drone-deployment-monitor-chinese-naval-activity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 01:30:12 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem Japan’s Type 88 surface-to-ship missile entered service decades ago and is already being retired in favour of a more capable successor, yet the prospect of Tokyo transferring the ageing system to the Philippines has stirred a debate that reaches far beyond its modest specifications. Manila expressed interest in acquiring the Type 88 around the same time as Japanese forces were demonstrating the missile’s firepower at joint drills with American and Philippine troops, according to Tokyo-based... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354091/why-philippines-wants-japans-old-type-88-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3354091/why-philippines-wants-japans-old-type-88-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 09:30:06 +0000 Albee Zhang Albee Zhang China’s military mouthpiece has issued a rare warning that personnel may be insufficiently trained to operate new weapons, including unmanned systems, despite Beijing’s rapid advances in hardware. Some military units showed a low level of integration between personnel and equipment, Monday’s PLA Daily article cautioned, highlighting limited trust in systems and weak coordination between human operators and technology. It warned that without proper integration, “even advanced equipment may fail... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353974/can-pla-training-catch-chinas-rapid-weapon-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353974/can-pla-training-catch-chinas-rapid-weapon-development?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Belarus said on Monday its armed forces had begun training exercises involving Russian nuclear weapons, in a move that drew strong condemnation from Ukraine. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko agreed in 2023 – a year after Russia’s ‌invasion of Ukraine – to host Russian tactical nuclear missiles. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made clear that Moscow retains control of their use. “During the training, in cooperation with the Russian side, it is planned to practise the delivery of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3354016/belarus-holds-drills-russian-nuclear-weapons-drawing-criticism-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3354016/belarus-holds-drills-russian-nuclear-weapons-drawing-criticism-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 16:31:45 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Scientists in China have identified a new type of rare earths formation in the frigid northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin – a discovery that could challenge assumptions about how rare earths occur across the country. Unlike the clay-heavy deposits of southern China – which require chemical leaching to release the elements – the northern formations consist of loose sand and gravel formed by natural freeze-thaw cycles. This difference could make extraction more efficient, less costly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3353922/china-rare-earth-breakthrough-icy-northeast-could-cement-countrys-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3353922/china-rare-earth-breakthrough-icy-northeast-could-cement-countrys-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called on top military officials to bolster front-line units and turn the southern border into an “impregnable fortress”, state media reported on Monday. Kim gave the instruction at a meeting on Sunday where a photo released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed him presiding over commanding military officers wearing full-dress uniform. The North Korean leader told the military officials that a “great change” would be made in an effort to deter war and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353919/north-korea-turn-southern-border-impregnable-fortress-against-arch-enemy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353919/north-korea-turn-southern-border-impregnable-fortress-against-arch-enemy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 03:37:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump and top cabinet officials addressed thousands of Americans at a mass prayer rally in Washington on Sunday – an event critics saw as an overt display of Christian nationalism undermining the separation of church and state. The gathering was organised by the White House as part of a programme of celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary and billed as an opportunity to revive the idea of a country founded on Christian principles. During the outdoor event on the National... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353909/white-house-mass-prayer-event-seeks-reclaim-us-christian-roots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353909/white-house-mass-prayer-event-seeks-reclaim-us-christian-roots?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 23:41:36 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A widely touted economic hub in the Philippines will involve eight more countries, signalling greater international confidence in the long-term viability of the ambitious project to boost connectivity and trade in a key region. The Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), a trilateral infrastructure initiative led by the US, Japan, and the Philippines, is set to receive additional support from Canada, Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Initially envisioned as a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353736/western-powers-ramp-support-philippines-luzon-economic-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353736/western-powers-ramp-support-philippines-luzon-economic-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 11:07:49 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Finland warned the public of drones possibly entering its airspace, for the first time near the capital city Helsinki, in the early hours of Friday. Flights were disrupted at the country’s biggest airport, Helsinki-Vantaa, and about 1.8 million residents of southern Finland were told to remain indoors after overnight Ukrainian strikes on Russia near Finland prompted concern that unmanned aircraft had strayed into the country. The emergency warning was issued at 3.49am local time and authorities... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353703/finland-warns-drone-scare-near-helsinki-fighter-jets-scrambled-flights-diverted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353703/finland-warns-drone-scare-near-helsinki-fighter-jets-scrambled-flights-diverted?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 09:00:53 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is weighing a sharp rise in defence spending as pressure from US President Donald Trump and deteriorating regional security conditions force Tokyo to reassess how much it must do to protect itself. The party is expected to debate raising outlays to as much as 5 per cent of gross domestic product, a level that would bring Japan in line with many Nato member states and mark another major shift for a country that had long kept defence spending close to 1 per... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353577/trump-behind-japans-push-radical-military-spending-hike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353577/trump-behind-japans-push-radical-military-spending-hike?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong China has unveiled its latest photonic quantum computer, Jiuzhang 4.0, with researchers saying it can outperform the world’s fastest classical supercomputer by a vast margin, further strengthening Beijing’s push towards quantum supremacy. The results, published on May 13 in the peer-reviewed journal Nature, mark the latest milestone in China’s rapidly advancing quantum programme led by a team of scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China headed by Chinese quantum physicist... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3353602/does-chinas-jiuzhang-40-computer-herald-age-quantum-supremacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3353602/does-chinas-jiuzhang-40-computer-herald-age-quantum-supremacy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem A proposed airport on a former US naval base in the Philippines near the entrance to Manila Bay is drawing fresh strategic attention after Washington agreed to fund a feasibility study, a move analysts say fits into US efforts to strengthen logistics, access and interoperability with the country in the South China Sea. Experts said the proposed Sangley Point International Airport in Cavite could become more than a commercial aviation project because of its access to the South China Sea and the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353548/why-us-backing-philippine-airport-former-sangley-point-naval-base?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353548/why-us-backing-philippine-airport-former-sangley-point-naval-base?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Lee Min-Yong Lee Min-Yong The US strikes on Iran sent a clear signal to Pyongyang. But rather than retreat or show renewed interest in denuclearisation, North Korea has doubled down on deterrence. In recent weeks, Pyongyang has tightened security around its leadership and continued its missile launches, underscoring its sensitivity to Washington’s military posture. From Pyongyang’s perspective, these moves are meant not only to gauge how far US military pressure could one day extend, but also to signal that North Korea’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353183/why-stability-must-come-denuclearisation-korean-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353183/why-stability-must-come-denuclearisation-korean-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 21:30:04 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang A US Senate hearing on nuclear capabilities issued a warning about China on Wednesday, hours before US President Donald Trump was due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Senator Roger Wicker, the Mississippi Republican who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in his opening statement that China has been engaged in an “unprecedented nuclear expansion” in recent years. China, Wicker said, had “rapidly constructed hundreds of new missile silos, expanded mobile missile and ballistic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353483/us-senate-warns-chinas-nuclear-capabilities-hours-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353483/us-senate-warns-chinas-nuclear-capabilities-hours-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 21:14:01 +0000 Reuters Reuters The United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry denied on Wednesday a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office that he visited the country and held a secret meeting with its president. The Israeli Prime Minister’s ‌Office said earlier he travelled to the UAE during the war with Iran and met Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. A statement by the Emirati foreign ministry said that Emirati relations with Israel “are public” and “not based on non-transparent or unofficial... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353479/israels-netanyahu-made-secret-visit-uae-during-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353479/israels-netanyahu-made-secret-visit-uae-during-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 18:30:55 +0000 Amber Wang,Alcott Wei Amber Wang,Alcott Wei US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s rare presence in President Donald Trump’s entourage to Beijing signals a willingness on both sides to strengthen military communications to de-escalate and avoid crises, and suggests US arms sales to Taiwan will feature in talks, analysts say. The Chinese experts expected Beijing to include Defence Minister Dong Jun in talks during the summit, with one source suggesting that Dong and Hegseth might also hold separate negotiations on the sidelines of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353458/what-does-pentagon-chief-hegseths-presence-china-say-about-trumps-military-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353458/what-does-pentagon-chief-hegseths-presence-china-say-about-trumps-military-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 13:23:22 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia said on Wednesday it was weighing legal action after Norway blocked the export of missiles ordered for its navy, in a last-minute decision that has dealt a fresh blow to one of the country’s most troubled defence projects. The row centres on the Naval Strike Missile, ordered from Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace for Malaysia’s long-delayed littoral combat ship programme. Government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had raised the matter with his Norwegian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353441/malaysia-weighs-legal-action-after-norway-blocks-missile-exports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353441/malaysia-weighs-legal-action-after-norway-blocks-missile-exports?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 10:03:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters South Korea was reviewing a phased contribution to efforts to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said on Wednesday, signalling support steps short of military participation. Ahn told a press conference with South Korean reporters in Washington that he had conveyed Seoul’s position at a meeting with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth on Monday. “We said at about this level that, fundamentally, we will participate as a responsible member of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353396/south-korea-signals-phased-support-us-led-hormuz-mission-after-ship-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353396/south-korea-signals-phased-support-us-led-hormuz-mission-after-ship-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 06:40:15 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo After the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803, which almost doubled the size of the United States’ territory, US president Thomas Jefferson commissioned the legendary Lewis and Clark expedition, which surveyed new routes from the Missouri river to the Pacific coast. It also carried out work in agriculture, ethnography (with indigenous peoples) and geography. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, that was the kind of science the US government was willing to pay for – practical,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353088/us-scientific-self-harm-will-only-help-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353088/us-scientific-self-harm-will-only-help-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The United States announced on Tuesday that it would send a delegation to the second Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2026 Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM2) and related meetings in China this month, just hours after US President Donald Trump departed for Beijing ahead of a high-stakes summit with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The US delegation will head to Shanghai and Suzhou from May 11 to 24 to “continue advancing ‘America first’ foreign, trade, and investment policies,” according to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353339/us-confirms-delegation-apec-meeting-china-hours-after-trump-sets-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353339/us-confirms-delegation-apec-meeting-china-hours-after-trump-sets-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 23:22:51 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi Against the backdrop of a shifting diplomatic landscape, US President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Beijing this week for a high-stakes summit. While Washington frames the visit, delayed by the war in Iran, as a pivotal effort to rebalance ties, the bravado of maximum pressure masks a deepening domestic vulnerability. Trump’s arrival comes at a critical juncture; his administration faces multiple crises. The looming 2026 midterms have intensified pressure from a restless agricultural... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353159/trumps-art-deal-playbook-failing-beijing-asserts-itself?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353159/trumps-art-deal-playbook-failing-beijing-asserts-itself?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has become the first American defence chief in decades to accompany a sitting president on a state visit to China, in a rare departure from long-established diplomatic practice. Hegseth boarded Air Force One bound for Beijing alongside US President Donald Trump on Tuesday afternoon, according to the White House. Trump is set to hold highly anticipated bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday and Friday. A South China Morning Post tally shows... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3353336/us-defence-secretary-joins-trump-china-trip-rare-diplomatic-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3353336/us-defence-secretary-joins-trump-china-trip-rare-diplomatic-move?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 20:54:22 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defence shield will cost as much as US$1.2 trillion to deploy and operate, six times above current forecasts, according to a new estimate – and would still probably fail to stop an all-out attack. The new forecast from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office relies on capabilities spelled out in Trump’s January 2025 executive order unveiling the idea rather than any government plan because the administration has given no details about what the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353334/trumps-golden-dome-cost-us12-trillion-may-fail-stop-all-out-attack-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353334/trumps-golden-dome-cost-us12-trillion-may-fail-stop-all-out-attack-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 19:45:54 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia on Tuesday test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile as part of efforts to modernise the country’s nuclear forces, a launch hailed by President Vladimir Putin just days after his claim that the fighting in Ukraine was nearing an end. Putin said that the nuclear-armed Sarmat missile would enter combat service at the end of the year. It was built to replace the ageing Soviet-built Voyevoda. “This is the most powerful missile in the world,” Putin declared, adding that the combined... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353329/putin-hails-russias-test-new-nuclear-capable-icbm-calls-it-worlds-most-powerful?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353329/putin-hails-russias-test-new-nuclear-capable-icbm-calls-it-worlds-most-powerful?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 18:03:32 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Two national agencies fighting corruption in Ukraine have named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former chief of staff as an official suspect in a major corruption investigation. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced late on Monday that Andriy Yermak is suspected of an alleged 460-million-hryvnia (US$10.5 million) money-laundering scheme. The announcement coincided with, but was not connected to, the end of a three-day... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353287/zelenskys-ex-chief-staff-named-suspect-money-laundering-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353287/zelenskys-ex-chief-staff-named-suspect-money-laundering-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 10:32:42 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea is treading carefully in attributing blame for the strike on one of its cargo ships earlier this month, even as preliminary signs point to Iranian drones being the culprit. Seoul has surveillance footage of the incident in the early hours of May 4 – when two airborne objects struck the HMM Namu while it lay at anchor off the United Arab Emirates – but so far has said little. Observers believe the government is biding its time and waiting to deliver a verdict until after a highly... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353221/south-korea-cautious-blaming-iran-ship-strike-ahead-us-china-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353221/south-korea-cautious-blaming-iran-ship-strike-ahead-us-china-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 04:20:43 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Taiwan would be discussed in his talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and pledged to raise the case of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying at their summit in Beijing this week. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the Chinese President would be more likely than he to bring up the Taiwan issue at their meeting on Thursday and Friday. “He’ll bring up Taiwan, I think, more than I will,” he said. Asked whether the US should... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353197/trump-raise-taiwan-jimmy-lai-case-when-he-meets-xi-beijing-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353197/trump-raise-taiwan-jimmy-lai-case-when-he-meets-xi-beijing-week?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 21:24:26 +0000 dpa dpa British paratroopers landed on a “golf course covered in rocks” to supply medical personnel and oxygen to Britain’s most remote overseas territory as it deals with a suspected hantavirus case, an army commander said on Sunday. The UK Health Security Agency confirmed on Friday that a British national had disembarked from the cruise ship MV Hondius to the South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, where they live, with a suspected case of hantavirus. Six paratroopers, a Royal Air Force (RAF)... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353102/paratroopers-jump-britains-most-remote-inhabited-island-hantavirus-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353102/paratroopers-jump-britains-most-remote-inhabited-island-hantavirus-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 05:10:53 +0000 Jane Cai Jane Cai Nine years after his lavish first visit to China as US president, Donald Trump is scheduled to head back to Beijing on May 13-15. With tensions over tariffs, Taiwan and tech rivalry still simmering, the summit will test whether the world’s two biggest powers can stabilise their fractious relationship. What to expect Pragmatic deals over grand resets Don’t look for a historic breakthrough. The focus is expected to be on extending the trade truce, locking in fresh Chinese purchases of American... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353055/trumps-china-return-whats-changed-his-friendly-2017-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353055/trumps-china-return-whats-changed-his-friendly-2017-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Asad Ullah Asad Ullah On April 28, the United Arab Emirates informed the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) it was leaving. Three days’ notice. No call to Riyadh beforehand, apparently. The grievance about production quotas was years old: Abu Dhabi had threatened to quit in 2021. What’s changed has nothing to do with the barrel count. It is about who underwrites Abu Dhabi’s security when it acts on a decision Riyadh opposes. After Iran struck UAE infrastructure, Abu Dhabi sent only a foreign... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352666/why-uaes-opec-exit-spells-beginning-end-gulf-unity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352666/why-uaes-opec-exit-spells-beginning-end-gulf-unity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia and Ukraine swapped accusations of breaking a US-brokered ceasefire on Sunday, with both sides claiming to have suffered casualties in drone and artillery strikes over the past 24 hours. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia was neither observing the truce nor “even particularly trying to”, adding there had been no calm in front-line areas despite a lull in large-scale attacks and pledged that Ukraine would retaliate for any aggression shown by Moscow. “Yesterday and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353070/ukraine-reports-multiple-casualties-despite-trump-backed-truce-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353070/ukraine-reports-multiple-casualties-despite-trump-backed-truce-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 18:01:41 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A South Korean cargo ship hit in the Strait of Hormuz six days ago was struck by unidentified aircraft, the foreign ministry in Seoul said on Sunday, days after the fire-damaged HMM Namu arrived in Dubai. US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran had “taken some shots” at the Panama-flagged vessel and urged South Korea to join US operations aimed at restoring normal shipping through the strait. The vital waterway has been virtually closed since the United States and Israel launched a war... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353065/unidentified-aircraft-hit-korean-cargo-ship-hormuz-monday-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353065/unidentified-aircraft-hit-korean-cargo-ship-hormuz-monday-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 14:57:38 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi When US President Donald Trump announced that 5,000 US troops would leave Germany, the immediate reading in Western capitals was political: another round in Trump’s running quarrel with European allies, triggered by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s criticism of Washington’s handling of the war with Iran. For Beijing, the more interesting reading is structural. The drawdown coincides with a period in which Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spent much of 2026 cultivating a “partners not rivals”... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju Vietnam has become the latest country to enter talks to buy India’s supersonic BrahMos missile – and at least 15 more are reportedly interested – as defence ministries across Asia and elsewhere increasingly look beyond Western-made systems. New Delhi and Hanoi are in advanced negotiations over a potential US$700 million deal, with talks progressing during Vietnamese President To Lam’s visit to India this week, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352981/vietnam-joins-rush-indias-battle-tested-brahmos-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352981/vietnam-joins-rush-indias-battle-tested-brahmos-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 05:30:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday oversaw a scaled-back military parade in Moscow commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Security was tight as Putin spoke at the event, even as a US-brokered three-day ceasefire eased concerns about possible Ukrainian attempts to disrupt the festivities. Putin hailed Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, declaring that they “face an aggressive force that is armed and supported by the entire bloc of Nato”. The president did not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352987/russia-marks-victory-day-parade-moscow-under-tight-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352987/russia-marks-victory-day-parade-moscow-under-tight-security?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 08:42:58 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem It took less than six minutes for Japan’s Type 88 missile to find its mark, a decommissioned Philippine warship 75km (47 miles) off the coast of Ilocos Norte. The US-made Tomahawk took rather longer to hit its target, some 630km (390 miles) away. It was, analysts say, a pointed display of resolve: Japanese, American and Filipino troops bringing this year’s Balikatan joint exercises to a thunderous close with a volley of missiles fired from sites in the far northern Philippines. The Tomahawk... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352922/balikatan-2026-us-japan-philippines-flex-military-muscle-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352922/balikatan-2026-us-japan-philippines-flex-military-muscle-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 04:00:06 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s Mogami-class destroyer appears to be pulling ahead in the race to become the next generation of warships for the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), in what would be another major deal for Japan’s defence industry just weeks after Tokyo announced it was lifting its long-held ban on weapons exports. Under its 2025 Defence Capability Plan, the government in Wellington has committed to replacing its two ANZAC-class frigates – launched in the early 1990s – with more capable, modern warships. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352966/why-japans-mogami-class-warship-winning-over-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352966/why-japans-mogami-class-warship-winning-over-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 02:30:05 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a three-day ceasefire and a prisoner exchange following US-mediated talks, saying negotiations to end the war were continuing and “we are getting closer and closer every day”. “I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE (May 9th, 10th, and 11th) in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump posted on social media. “The Celebration in Russia is for Victory Day, but likewise in Ukraine,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352962/trump-announces-three-day-ceasefire-between-russia-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352962/trump-announces-three-day-ceasefire-between-russia-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 20:24:39 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The recently concluded Balikatan joint drills have marked a shift in the Philippines’ defence strategy alongside Japan, with Tokyo offering the transfer of warships to its Southeast Asian ally, while a top Filipino official for the first time voiced “serious concern” over islands claimed by Beijing and Tokyo. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr on Wednesday said Manila now considered the uninhabited Diaoyu Islands, which Japan calls the Senkaku Islands, a security flashpoint in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352942/philippines-shifts-defence-strategy-japan-eyes-wider-security-focus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352942/philippines-shifts-defence-strategy-japan-eyes-wider-security-focus?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 12:25:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korea said on Friday it would deploy new long-range artillery systems this year that were capable of striking South Korea’s capital region and would commission its first naval destroyer in coming weeks. The announcement comes days after South Korea said the North’s newly revised constitution drops all references to Korean unification, in line with leader Kim Jong-un’s vows to terminate ties with South Korea and establish a two-state system on the Korean peninsula. Kim visited a munitions... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352837/north-korea-move-artillery-capable-striking-seoul-border-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352837/north-korea-move-artillery-capable-striking-seoul-border-south?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 03:19:40 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain A year after fending off a massive Indian air assault with the help of Chinese warplanes and missiles, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Thursday unveiled plans to upgrade its fleet through further acquisitions of Chengdu J-10C fighters and substantial upgrades to the JF-17s co-produced by the two allies. The PAF further confirmed that it has signed an “initial collaborative agreement” for the acquisition of fifth-generation Shenyang J-35 stealth fighter, without disclosing any details about the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352829/chinese-j-35-stealth-jets-set-give-pakistan-edge-over-india-fifth-generation-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352829/chinese-j-35-stealth-jets-set-give-pakistan-edge-over-india-fifth-generation-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russia and Ukraine launched major attacks on each other Friday, with a two-day unilateral ceasefire that Moscow had declared around its World War II commemorations appearing to be in tatters. Ukraine never said it would abide by Moscow’s call to halt strikes and lambasted Russian leader Vladimir Putin for only wanting to pause fighting so he could stage a grand parade on Red Square on Saturday. Kyiv said Moscow ignored a Ukrainian call to halt fighting earlier this week – a counterproposal for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352819/zelensky-warns-russias-allies-against-attending-wwii-parade-moscow-repeats-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3352819/zelensky-warns-russias-allies-against-attending-wwii-parade-moscow-repeats-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 21:55:52 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan When the United States and the Philippines opened this year’s Balikatan exercises, the message travelled far beyond the parade ground. More than 17,000 troops are taking part in drills set to run until May 8. What matters is where the drills unfold, who has joined and what kind of regional habit they are helping to normalise. Japan took part in its first Balitakan live-fire exercises. Australia, Canada, France and New Zealand were also active participants. Then the exercises moved closer to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352387/why-chinas-warning-over-military-blocs-finding-listeners-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352387/why-chinas-warning-over-military-blocs-finding-listeners-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Beijing’s study of the wars in Iran and Ukraine could sharpen its ability to wage information warfare against Americans during a Taiwan Strait conflict, exposing vulnerabilities in US preparedness, experts said on Wednesday. S. Clinton Hinote, a retired US Lieutenant General, said he was “impressed” with the propaganda coming out of Iran since the outbreak of the war in February, warning that Beijing would deploy similar tactics if conflict erupts over Taiwan. “That’s coming,” he told a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352811/chinas-use-propaganda-may-outwit-us-if-taiwan-conflict-arises-experts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352811/chinas-use-propaganda-may-outwit-us-if-taiwan-conflict-arises-experts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 17:00:29 +0000