https://www.scmp.com/rss/507544/feed Democratic politician Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States of America on January 20, 2021, beating out then-president Donald Trump. He attempted to fend off a Trump challenge in the 2024 election, but stepped down after a disastrous debate performance that left many questioning his mental acuity. He was succeeded in the fight by his VP, Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump. Biden had previously served as the 47th vice-president of the United States under Barack Obama from 2009 to... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Trump Justice Department said on Friday it was seeking to expand the use of the death penalty in federal capital cases and add the firing squad, electrocution and gas to lethal injection as methods of execution. “The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said. Under US... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351388/trump-justice-department-adds-firing-squads-federal-executions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351388/trump-justice-department-adds-firing-squads-federal-executions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 18:16:50 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US Department of Justice is reclassifying FDA-approved and state-licensed marijuana as a less dangerous drug, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Thursday. The announcement does not legalise marijuana across the United States. In a post on X, Blanche said the Justice Department was “immediately rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I to ⁠Schedule III”. The department is also initiating an expedited hearing to consider the broader rescheduling... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351203/trump-reclassifies-state-licensed-medical-marijuana-less-dangerous-drug?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351203/trump-reclassifies-state-licensed-medical-marijuana-less-dangerous-drug?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:24:27 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The US visa system rolls out the “red carpet” for spies and aids China’s alleged efforts to steal American innovation, senators charged at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, as Washington and Beijing intensify competition for dominance in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies. Through its permissive legal channels, the US is “inviting, welcoming, come on in with the red carpet rolled out” people who steal military and commercial secrets, Republican Senator Ashley Moody of Florida... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351062/us-visa-system-rolls-out-red-carpet-chinese-spies-congressional-hearing-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351062/us-visa-system-rolls-out-red-carpet-chinese-spies-congressional-hearing-told?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:37:28 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The global balance of power has tilted to major emerging economies such as China and India as US hegemony is increasingly undermined – much of it by its own actions, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. In his speech on Saturday at the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Lavrov argued that the foundations of globalisation powered primarily by America had “come to an end”. He added that the trend had been under way during former US president Joe Biden’s administration, and that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350598/russias-lavrov-says-balance-power-shifting-emerging-economies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350598/russias-lavrov-says-balance-power-shifting-emerging-economies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:42:35 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham In June 2021, from a podium in the Cornish countryside, former US president Joe Biden told a relieved Europe that “America is back at the table”. The comment – made after a summit of the Group of Seven rich nations – became a galvanising force for reinvigorated transatlanticism after the first term of Donald Trump had left it in tatters. When Russia invaded Ukraine eight months later, the G7 became the forum of choice for cooking up punitive sanctions against Russia. It was also the venue for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350572/rupture-how-europe-fell-out-love-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350572/rupture-how-europe-fell-out-love-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China has advised its citizens travelling to the US to avoid a Seattle airport, citing “malicious interrogation and harassment” of some 20 Chinese academics. The Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday that the academics had valid visas and were going to a conference but were denied entry after “unreasonable interrogation” by US border officers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The ministry said that any citizens planning to travel to the US in the near future should improve their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350333/china-warns-travellers-avoid-seattle-airport-after-academics-denied-entry-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350333/china-warns-travellers-avoid-seattle-airport-after-academics-denied-entry-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:31:48 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A US jury on Wednesday found that entertainment giant Live Nation wielded monopoly power at its Ticketmaster business, violating federal and state antitrust laws, according to California’s attorney general. A verdict that could have profound repercussions in the concert world came after four days of deliberations, and remedies could include breaking up Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The jury found Live Nation and Ticketmaster liable for anticompetitive conduct that harmed the music industry and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350231/ticketmaster-owner-live-nation-ran-illegal-monopoly-us-jury-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350231/ticketmaster-owner-live-nation-ran-illegal-monopoly-us-jury-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:52:39 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau In a rare public protest in Singapore, hundreds gathered in Hong Lim Park over the weekend to denounce the “US war machine”. They brandished placards and banners, including one with horns drawn on US presidents past and present captioned: “This is what terrorists look like.” The demonstration, which required organisers to get permission from the authorities, came as public sentiment across the region sours against Washington. Observers attribute this to the perception that the United States has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350160/are-us-singapore-relations-under-pressure-public-trust-declines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350160/are-us-singapore-relations-under-pressure-public-trust-declines?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump and his wife, Lara, will accompany the president on his trip next month to China, a spokeswoman for the family organisation said on Tuesday. Two sources earlier said members of Trump’s family, including Eric, were ‌considering joining Trump on his highly anticipated May 14-15 visit, potentially to contribute to US-China business relations. The spokeswoman said that Eric, who manages his father’s business empire, would go in a personal capacity. “Eric... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350096/trumps-son-eric-join-fathers-state-visit-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350096/trumps-son-eric-join-fathers-state-visit-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:47:28 +0000 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 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 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Washington’s China policy lacks strategy, coherence and a clear framework in US President Donald Trump’s second term, mirroring his first, according to a former senior official in the Joe Biden administration. Former Biden officials, speaking at a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace event on Tuesday, said there was little evidence of systemic policy when they assumed power in early 2021, after Trump’s first term, a pattern that appeared to be repeating itself. “There were themes about how... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347772/trumps-china-policy-lacks-strategy-and-coherence-former-biden-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347772/trumps-china-policy-lacks-strategy-and-coherence-former-biden-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:00:13 +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 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is facing accusations of diplomatic sycophancy after White House footage showed her giggling at a portrait of an autopen – placed by US President Donald Trump in the spot reserved for his predecessor Joe Biden – during summit talks last week. The clip, posted on the official White House website, shows Takaichi pointing at the framed picture, then laughing and covering her mouth. It was filmed on the “Presidential Walk of Fame”, a gallery unveiled by Trump... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347717/japan-pm-mocked-trump-sycophant-after-giggling-bidens-autopen-portrait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347717/japan-pm-mocked-trump-sycophant-after-giggling-bidens-autopen-portrait?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:40:50 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen US President Donald Trump’s focus on short-term deliverables and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s bid for bilateral stability are likely to mean an exceptionally amicable summit when they finally sit down, despite “unusual” circumstances brought by the Iran conflict, former senior US diplomat Kurt Campbell said. Trump and Xi’s upcoming high-stakes meeting in Beijing, which was postponed for at least five weeks from its original March 31 date, will see both leaders be “extraordinarily polite and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347642/former-biden-official-says-trump-xi-summit-will-go-well-amid-unusual-circumstances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347642/former-biden-official-says-trump-xi-summit-will-go-well-amid-unusual-circumstances?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 21:01:23 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The United States’ rapidly mounting sovereign debt pile – which reached an unprecedented US$39 trillion on Wednesday – is becoming “alarmingly unsustainable” and a potential threat to the global economy, with spending likely to spiral even further amid the Iran war, analysts said. It remains unclear whether US President Donald Trump has the political will to rein in borrowing, despite promising to eliminate the national debt while campaigning for office in 2016, and other countries including... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347192/us-federal-debt-becoming-alarmingly-unsustainable-iran-war-fuels-spending-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347192/us-federal-debt-becoming-alarmingly-unsustainable-iran-war-fuels-spending-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Twice on Monday, US President Donald Trump said he had wrangled a confession of sorts from an Oval Office predecessor who he said had expressed regret in a private conversation about not attacking Iran the way Trump has been doing for more than two weeks. But there’s just a little problem: representatives for the four living former presidents – three Democrats and one Republican – said none had been in touch with Trump recently. Trump declined to name the former president when reporters asked... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346927/trump-claims-mystery-ex-president-backed-his-war-iran-no-one-owning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346927/trump-claims-mystery-ex-president-backed-his-war-iran-no-one-owning?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:15:45 +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 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The BBC said on Monday it had asked a US federal court in Florida to dismiss a US$10 billion lawsuit brought by US President Donald Trump against the British broadcaster. Trump launched a lawsuit last year over a BBC documentary that edited his 2021 speech ahead of the US Capitol riot. The documentary was “never aired in Florida – or the US” or available to stream there on any platform, a representative for the British Broadcasting Corporation said in a comment sent to Agence France-Presse. It... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346800/bbc-asks-florida-court-dismiss-trumps-us10-billion-lawsuit-over-january-6-speech-edit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346800/bbc-asks-florida-court-dismiss-trumps-us10-billion-lawsuit-over-january-6-speech-edit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:01:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Donald Trump and his attorney general were sued on Thursday by retail investors in two social media rivals of TikTok seeking to reverse the US president’s approval of a deal by the company’s Chinese owner ByteDance to form a majority American-owned joint venture. The lawsuit, the ‌first legal challenge to the deal, argues that Trump’s approval last year violated requirements set out in a 2024 divestiture law. Two California residents who hold shares in Alphabet and Meta Platforms sued, backed by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345636/trump-sued-bid-undo-approval-tiktoks-us-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345636/trump-sued-bid-undo-approval-tiktoks-us-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 23:48:26 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Less than six weeks ahead of a likely summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, preparations are inadequate, bilateral contacts anaemic and outcomes diminished, according to analysts and former government officials familiar with planning. The shortfall reflected in part Trump’s reluctance to delegate, disdain for process and focus on quick wins, banking instead on personal magnetism and his “gut” as summit organising principles, they said. The planning deficit also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-summit-preparations-falter-planning-gaps-unsettle-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-summit-preparations-falter-planning-gaps-unsettle-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters A US judge permanently barred the Justice Department on Monday from releasing a prosecutor’s report on the criminal case accusing US President Donald Trump of unlawfully retaining classified documents following his first term in office. Florida-based US District Judge Aileen Cannon found that releasing the report would be a “manifest injustice” to the Republican president and two ‌former associates who were charged alongside him because it would detail substantial allegations of criminal... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344380/us-judge-permanently-blocks-release-report-trump-classified-documents-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344380/us-judge-permanently-blocks-release-report-trump-classified-documents-case?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 17:47:49 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Working closely with like-minded countries remains the most effective strategy to counter an increasingly powerful China – in marked contrast to the policies of US President Donald Trump – said a former senior US official, while admitting that the Joe Biden administration made some key mistakes that undercut its own effectiveness. “Given the size and the immensity of the China challenge, the only way that the United States is going to be effective to meet that challenge is if we work with other... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3344053/former-biden-official-says-us-must-work-allies-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3344053/former-biden-official-says-us-must-work-allies-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 22:16:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A red, white and blue colour scheme championed by US President Donald Trump will become the new look for Air Force One, the US military said on Thursday. The Air Force said a “red, white, gold and dark blue paint scheme” will be used for the updated jet that is slated to serve as Air Force One as well as other, smaller jets that routinely fly other top government officials. The military released a rendering of the new look that matches an aeroplane model that has been seen in the Oval Office for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343954/baby-blue-out-gold-how-air-force-one-will-look-after-trumps-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343954/baby-blue-out-gold-how-air-force-one-will-look-after-trumps-order?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:07:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A federal judge in Florida on Thursday set a February 2027 trial date for US President Donald Trump’s US$10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. Trump filed the suit against the British broadcaster last year over the editing of his speech ahead of the US Capitol riot in a documentary on the flagship BBC current affairs show Panorama. Trump alleges that the BBC’s editing of his January 6, 2021 speech made it appear that he had explicitly urged supporters to attack the Capitol, where... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343374/trumps-us10-billion-bbc-defamation-suit-going-trial-2027-florida?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343374/trumps-us10-billion-bbc-defamation-suit-going-trial-2027-florida?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 16:00:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Republican US lawmaker on Wednesday accused Attorney General ⁠Pam Bondi of concealing the names of powerful associates of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as she faced questions about the Justice Department’s handling of investigative files in a charged hearing before a House of Representatives panel. Congressman Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, who helped lead the effort to require the files’ release, accused the Justice Department of a “massive failure”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343237/us-lawmakers-accuse-bondi-hiding-names-epstein-associates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343237/us-lawmakers-accuse-bondi-hiding-names-epstein-associates?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 19:42:28 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Beijing came under sharp criticism on Tuesday at a highly contentious US Congressional hearing on the influence of foreign funds in US politics – but so did US President Donald Trump. The hearing by the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which shapes tax and tariff legislation, comes amid deep partisanship and Trump’s declining popularity ahead of a November midterm election. “Tax-exempt organisations funded by foreign donors are exploiting very lucrative US tax benefits to incite violence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343119/china-and-trump-targeted-house-hearing-foreign-influence-us-non-profits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343119/china-and-trump-targeted-house-hearing-foreign-influence-us-non-profits?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 22:31:04 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou The South China Sea continues to act as a lightning rod for competing claims among regional powers. In the first of a three-part series, Laura Zhou examines how a new conservation framework is being leveraged to advance territorial ambitions within these highly contested waters. Amid simmering tensions in the South China Sea, a likely new legal and diplomatic battlefield has emerged. Two decades in the making, the High Seas Treaty, also known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342892/will-new-high-seas-treaty-open-fresh-front-line-south-china-sea-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342892/will-new-high-seas-treaty-open-fresh-front-line-south-china-sea-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Luuk van Middelaar is the director of the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics, a think tank he co-founded in 2022. A political theorist and historian by trade, he has written several books and was in the cabinet of the first European Council president Herman Van Rompuy. Van Middelaar is widely read and cited across Europe for his analysis of the EU’s political evolution, with his books translated into many languages and awarded major European literary prizes. He writes regularly for leading... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342650/europe-must-act-fast-trumps-more-brutal-new-world-order-luuk-van-middelaar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342650/europe-must-act-fast-trumps-more-brutal-new-world-order-luuk-van-middelaar?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 22:00:30 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The first husband of former first lady Jill Biden has been charged with killing his wife at their Delaware home in late December, authorities announced in a news release on Tuesday. William Stevenson, 77, of Wilmington was married to Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975. Caroline Harrison, the Delaware Attorney General’s spokeswoman, confirmed in a phone call that Stevenson is the former husband of Jill Biden. Stevenson remains in jail after failing to post US$500,000 bail after his arrest on Monday on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342292/jill-bidens-first-husband-charged-killing-wife-domestic-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342292/jill-bidens-first-husband-charged-killing-wife-domestic-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 19:16:53 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow The last treaty limiting nuclear weapons deployments by the US and Russia expires on Thursday, ending more than 50 years of restraints on the world’s two biggest nuclear powers. Russia has offered a one-year extension to New Start, which was originally signed in 2010 by then-presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama. No “substantive reaction” has been received from the US, Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, said in a recent interview with the Kommersant... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/article/3342231/china-grows-nuclear-arsenal-last-us-russia-limits-expire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/article/3342231/china-grows-nuclear-arsenal-last-us-russia-limits-expire?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:01:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Come Thursday, barring a last-minute change, the final treaty in the world that restricted nuclear weapon deployment will be over. New START, the last nuclear treaty between Washington and Moscow after decades of agreements dating to the Cold War, is set to expire, and with it restrictions on the two top nuclear powers. The expiration comes as President Donald Trump, vowing “America first”, smashes through international agreements that limit the United States, although in the case of New START,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341983/end-era-us-russia-prepare-exit-final-nuclear-arms-treaty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341983/end-era-us-russia-prepare-exit-final-nuclear-arms-treaty?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 06:43:35 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israel said Friday that it will reopen the pedestrian border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt in both directions over the weekend, marking an important step forward for US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, said in a statement that starting on Sunday a “limited movement of people only” would be allowed through the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s main gateway to the outside world. The announcement followed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3341879/israel-signals-limited-rafah-reopening-sunday-after-nearly-2-year-gaza-border-shutdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3341879/israel-signals-limited-rafah-reopening-sunday-after-nearly-2-year-gaza-border-shutdown?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:10:58 +0000 Mark Magnier,Frank Tang Mark Magnier,Frank Tang US President Donald Trump on Friday named former Federal Reserve official Kevin Warsh to be the next head of the US central bank, after teasing his choice for weeks, with Jerome Powell due to step down from the top job in May. The 55-year-old Warsh, who served as a governor of the Federal Reserve Board from 2006 to 2011, appeared to align with Trump’s bid to control the monetary policymaking institution as economic issues – from tariffs to affordability – dominate the policy agenda ahead of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3341870/trump-picks-former-federal-reserve-official-kevin-warsh-chair-us-central-bank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3341870/trump-picks-former-federal-reserve-official-kevin-warsh-chair-us-central-bank?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 12:22:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters US Agency for International Development staffers in early 2024 drafted a warning to senior officials in Joe Biden’s administration: Northern Gaza had turned into an “Apocalyptic Wasteland” with dire shortages of food and medical aid. Three months after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and Israel’s incursion into the Gaza Strip, the internal message laid out in gruesome detail scenes observed by United Nations staff who visited the area on a two-part humanitarian fact-finding mission in January... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3341861/us-envoys-israel-blocked-apocalyptic-gaza-warning-2024-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3341861/us-envoys-israel-blocked-apocalyptic-gaza-warning-2024-report?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:43:37 +0000 Reuters Reuters Top Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees called on Thursday for US President Donald Trump’s chief spy to brief their panels on why she was ‍present at an FBI raid on an election facility in Georgia. Senator Mark Warner and Congressman Jim Himes told Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in a letter that they were deeply concerned with her presence at Wednesday’s FBI operation, saying that the US intelligence community “should be focused on foreign threats”. “When... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341758/why-was-americas-top-spy-present-fbi-raid-georgia-election-facility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341758/why-was-americas-top-spy-present-fbi-raid-georgia-election-facility?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 02:50:04 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Donald Trump lost his bid for re-election in 2020. But for more than five years, he has been trying to convince Americans the opposite is true by falsely saying the election was marred by widespread fraud. Now that he is president again, Trump is pushing the federal government to back up those bogus claims. On Wednesday, the FBI served a search warrant at the election headquarters of Fulton County, Georgia, which includes most of Atlanta, seeking ballots from the 2020 election. That follows... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341688/why-trumps-georgia-election-raid-escalates-his-2020-obsession-warning-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341688/why-trumps-georgia-election-raid-escalates-his-2020-obsession-warning-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 09:00:35 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The man accused of squirting an unknown substance on Democratic US congresswoman Ilhan Omar at a town hall in Minneapolis has a criminal history and has made online posts supportive of US President Donald Trump. Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, was convicted of felony vehicle theft in 1989, has been arrested multiple times for driving under the influence and has had numerous traffic citations, Minnesota court records show. There are also indications he has had significant financial problems, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341599/ilhan-omar-attack-suspect-kazmierczak-convicted-felon-who-made-pro-trump-posts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341599/ilhan-omar-attack-suspect-kazmierczak-convicted-felon-who-made-pro-trump-posts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:45:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump’s border tsar, Tom Homan, met with the Minneapolis mayor and the Minnesota governor on Tuesday in a show of detente, as the ‌White House sought to ease unrest gripping the city after two US citizens were shot dead by federal agents. Homan was put in charge of the Minneapolis immigration enforcement drive to replace US Border Patrol “commander at large” ‍Gregory Bovino, who sources said was being demoted and removed after having overseen most of Trump’s crackdowns in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341470/trump-says-will-de-escalate-little-bit-minneapolis-amid-outcry-over-killings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341470/trump-says-will-de-escalate-little-bit-minneapolis-amid-outcry-over-killings?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 22:30:58 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng TikTok has officially launched a US joint venture tasked with “safeguarding the American content ecosystem”, with commercial activities such as e-commerce, advertising and marketing remaining under the company’s existing US entities. The arrangement has been widely compared with Apple’s 2018 move to transfer mainland Chinese iCloud user data to Guizhou-Cloud Big Data (GCBD), according to Chinese media. GCBD is a project owned by the Guizhou provincial government-backed company AIPO Cloud... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3340996/tiktok-us-joint-venture-seen-resembling-apples-china-icloud-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3340996/tiktok-us-joint-venture-seen-resembling-apples-china-icloud-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han TikTok and its Chinese owner ByteDance have officially established a venture to transfer parts of its US business to a consortium of mostly US investors, effectively securing the platform’s future for its 170 million American users. The company made the announcement on Thursday, hours ahead of a Friday shutdown deadline. The deal – first outlined by TikTok chief executive Chew Shou Zi in an internal memo last month – was set to close this week, though it had not previously received the formal... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3340918/tiktok-confirms-deal-create-new-us-venture-averting-shutdown-few-hours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3340918/tiktok-confirms-deal-create-new-us-venture-averting-shutdown-few-hours?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 01:55:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his prosecution of Donald Trump on Thursday with Republican critics in the US Congress, citing overwhelming evidence that he led a “criminal scheme” to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Although Smith, who led two failed prosecutions against Trump, never got his day in court, the televised hearing before the House Judiciary Committee provided the opportunity he has long sought to make his case to the American public. A veteran federal... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340901/trump-engaged-criminal-scheme-overturn-election-ex-special-counsel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340901/trump-engaged-criminal-scheme-overturn-election-ex-special-counsel?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:02:11 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Jeffrey Ding is an assistant professor of political science at George Washington University. He is the author of Technology and the Rise of Great Powers, an award-winning book exploring the impact of technology on geopolitical competition, as well as the founder of the ChinAI newsletter, which tracks developments in China’s artificial intelligence (AI) industry. In this interview, Ding explains why “diffusion”, not innovation, will determine whether China or the US will prevail in the AI race,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3340790/artificial-intelligences-practical-uses-not-race-agi-what-counts-jeffrey-ding-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3340790/artificial-intelligences-practical-uses-not-race-agi-what-counts-jeffrey-ding-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 06:30:13 +0000 Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan,Xinmei Shen Mark Magnier,Khushboo Razdan,Xinmei Shen There was moderate relief after US President Donald Trump walked back his threat to take Greenland by force on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, but also concern among critics and lawmakers that his speech was little more than a diversion at a time of significant global peril. Attendees watching in the Davos Congress Centre and millions tuned in around the world received a full dose of unfettered Trump as, during his 70-minute speech, he slammed Nato member Denmark for not... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3340748/trumps-freewheeling-davos-speech-draws-unease-allies-and-critics-alike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3340748/trumps-freewheeling-davos-speech-draws-unease-allies-and-critics-alike?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 20:44:53 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han The White House’s top science adviser on Wednesday said that the Biden administration’s decision to get rid of the Justice Department’s China Initiative was “damaging”, though stopped short of recommending that it should be fully brought back. Asked by Florida Republican Daniel Webster whether the termination of the programme aimed at combating alleged economic espionage from Beijing was detrimental, Michael Kratsios, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said:... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339936/white-house-says-biden-decision-scrap-china-initiative-flawed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339936/white-house-says-biden-decision-scrap-china-initiative-flawed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 22:56:19 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Some people wonder whether China could carry out a sophisticated state-sponsored kidnapping like the US capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife. And it’s not just that; there is state terrorism like remote assassinations by drones, which also end up killing a lot of civilian bystanders, not to mention breaching the sovereignty of their countries. The United States can apparently do that anywhere around the world. Such Hollywood-style cowboy militarism no doubt makes its... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339687/chinese-century-may-already-be-here?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339687/chinese-century-may-already-be-here?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Japan “may already have produced weapons-grade plutonium in secret” and “has the technological and economic capabilities to achieve nuclear armament in a short period of time”, according to an official Chinese report released on Thursday. The report assessing Japan’s nuclear threat cited former US president Joe Biden’s direct message to Chinese President Xi Jinping that Japan had the capacity to have nuclear weapons “virtually overnight”. Biden first disclosed the information in an interview... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339370/china-cites-bidens-message-xi-japan-could-build-nuclear-weapons-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339370/china-cites-bidens-message-xi-japan-could-build-nuclear-weapons-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:11:20 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Health tech gadgets displayed at the annual CES trade show make a lot of promises. A smart scale promoted a healthier lifestyle by scanning your feet to track your heart health, and an egg-shaped hormone tracker uses artificial intelligence to help you figure out the best time to conceive. Technology and health experts, however, question the accuracy of products like these and warn of data privacy issues – especially as the US federal government eases up on regulation. The US Food and Drug... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339151/dose-uncertainty-experts-wary-ai-health-tech-gadgets-display-ces-trade-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339151/dose-uncertainty-experts-wary-ai-health-tech-gadgets-display-ces-trade-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 06:34:32 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration will withdraw from dozens of international organisations, including the UN’s population agency and the UN treaty that establishes international climate negotiations, as the US further retreats from global cooperation. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order suspending US support for 66 organisations, agencies and commissions following his instructions for his administration to review participation in and funding for all international... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339107/trump-pulls-us-out-dozens-international-organisations-including-un-linked-agencies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339107/trump-pulls-us-out-dozens-international-organisations-including-un-linked-agencies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 23:25:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Approaching the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the official plaque honouring the police who defended democracy that day is nowhere to be found. It’s not on display at the Capitol, as is required by law. Its whereabouts aren’t publicly known, though it’s believed to be in storage. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has yet to formally unveil the plaque. And the Trump administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking to dismiss a police... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338822/where-january-6-memorial-plaque-missing-tribute-sparks-legal-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338822/where-january-6-memorial-plaque-missing-tribute-sparks-legal-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 16:00:16 +0000