https://www.scmp.com/rss/519917/feed Donald Trump won a White House second term after defeating Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris in the November 5, 2024 US election. Get news, analysis and opinions here. 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 Associated Press Associated Press A man on trial for trying to assassinate US President Donald Trump last year at his Florida golf course declined to testify on Monday as part of a defence in which he is representing himself. Ryan Routh wrapped up his case before lunch after questioning a firearms expert and two character witnesses for three hours in the morning. US District Judge Aileen Cannon asked if Routh wanted to testify himself and he said: “I will not testify.” Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday morning and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326449/man-accused-trying-assassinate-trump-florida-rests-his-case-without-testifying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326449/man-accused-trying-assassinate-trump-florida-rests-his-case-without-testifying?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 21:40:37 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Rudy Giuliani is recovering from a fractured vertebra and other injuries following a car crash in New Hampshire in which he was a passenger, a spokesperson for the former New York City mayor said Sunday. Giuliani was being driven in a rented Ford Bronco by his spokesperson Ted Goodman when their vehicle was struck from behind by a Honda HR-V driven by a 19-year-old woman late Saturday evening, New Hampshire State Police said in a statement. Troopers witnessed the crash, which caused both... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323840/former-new-york-mayor-rudy-giuliani-hospitalised-after-car-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323840/former-new-york-mayor-rudy-giuliani-hospitalised-after-car-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Aug 2025 20:46:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Elon Musk was ordered on Wednesday by a federal judge to face a lawsuit by voters accusing the world’s richest person of defrauding them into signing a petition to support the US Constitution for a chance to win his US$1 million-a-day giveaway. US District Judge Robert Pitman in Austin, Texas, said Jacqueline McAferty plausibly alleged in her proposed class action that Musk and his political action committee America PAC wrongly induced her to provide personal identifying information as part of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322583/elon-musk-must-face-lawsuit-claiming-he-ran-illegal-us1-million-election-lottery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322583/elon-musk-must-face-lawsuit-claiming-he-ran-illegal-us1-million-election-lottery?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 23:56:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The conservative network Newsmax will pay US$67 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of defaming a voting equipment company by spreading lies about US President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, according to documents filed on Monday. The settlement comes after Fox News Channel paid US$787.5 million to settle a similar lawsuit in 2023 and Newsmax paid what court papers describe as US$40 million to settle a libel lawsuit from a different voting machine manufacturer, Smartmatic, which also was... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3322286/newsmax-agrees-pay-us67-million-defamation-case-over-2020-election-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3322286/newsmax-agrees-pay-us67-million-defamation-case-over-2020-election-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 18:22:43 +0000 Robert Delaney,Finbarr Bermingham Robert Delaney,Finbarr Bermingham US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was brokering a meeting between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and their Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to be followed by a trilateral meeting that would include the US leader. The declaration followed back-to-back meetings at the White House, including Trump’s in-person meeting with the Ukrainian president, in which he also dangled the possibility of US troops supporting Ukraine. He also met jointly with Zelensky, European... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3322287/speaking-white-house-trump-and-zelensky-say-trilateral-putin-may-follow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3322287/speaking-white-house-trump-and-zelensky-say-trilateral-putin-may-follow?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 18:13:00 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump said he would sign an executive order ahead of next year’s midterm elections targeting mail-in ballots and voting machines, a move that would dramatically change how millions of Americans cast their ballots. “I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly ‘Inaccurate,’ Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES,” Trump posted on social media on Monday. Trump provided no evidence to back up his claims of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322284/trump-floats-executive-order-end-mail-ballots-and-voting-machines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322284/trump-floats-executive-order-end-mail-ballots-and-voting-machines?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 17:12:32 +0000 Angela Huyue Zhang,S. Alex Yang Angela Huyue Zhang,S. Alex Yang The White House announced on Monday that the United States and China will temporarily suspend or lift the import tariffs they imposed on each other in April, pending further negotiations on a trade agreement. But while the announcement offers long-awaited relief to businesses and has boosted market confidence, investors would be wise to curb their enthusiasm. Taking cues from his background in business, US President Donald Trump uses tariffs as a bargaining chip, seemingly convinced that... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3310103/why-us-china-trade-ceasefire-wont-save-christmas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3310103/why-us-china-trade-ceasefire-wont-save-christmas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 May 2025 10:30:08 +0000 From tariffs to package deliveries, unexpected policy declarations – and in some cases, near-immediate reversals – from US President Donald Trump are becoming an inescapable aspect of risk calculation for Chinese companies with links to the American market. Only a few weeks into Trump’s second term, many businesses are already struggling to cope with the swift changes, including the brief suspension and resumption of accepting parcels from mainland China and Hong Kong – an order issued and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3297637/chinese-firms-trapped-trump-policy-maelstrom-struggle-stay-course?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3297637/chinese-firms-trapped-trump-policy-maelstrom-struggle-stay-course?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2025 22:00:15 +0000 Advocacy groups representing FBI agents appealed to the US Congress on Monday to intervene to stop possible mass firings of agents who worked on the investigation of the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack and other investigations condemned by US President Donald Trump. In a letter to Republican and Democratic leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives, the groups warned that Trump-appointed leaders at the Justice Department were taking actions that imperilled the careers of thousands of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3297237/fbi-advocates-appeal-congress-agents-face-scrutiny-january-6-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3297237/fbi-advocates-appeal-congress-agents-face-scrutiny-january-6-work?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Feb 2025 23:57:03 +0000 Behold the law of unintended consequences, the reward for those who see no further than their nose – or, in Donald Trump’s case, no further than the baying demands of those who swept him into office. In less than two weeks, we have witnessed from the US president a veritable blitzkrieg of statements, proclamations and memorandums intended to impress his fans, and shock and awe adversaries at home and overseas. But the illegality (revocation of birthright citizenship enshrined in the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3296841/can-law-unintended-consequences-temper-trump-and-his-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3296841/can-law-unintended-consequences-temper-trump-and-his-team?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jan 2025 08:30:08 +0000 In his inauguration address, US President Donald Trump delivered two important messages – that he will start a “common sense” revolution and that the US’ decline is over. Many consider these more rhetorical than practical. However, if we seriously examine his rhetoric, it’s possible to find deeply rooted US philosophical traditions. At the same time, the premature notion about the decline of US power and its international status under the Trump administration should give us pause. For sure,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3296334/how-trumps-use-kayfabe-could-unlock-new-era-us-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3296334/how-trumps-use-kayfabe-could-unlock-new-era-us-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jan 2025 12:30:08 +0000 US President Donald Trump stripped Secret Service protection on Tuesday from his former national security adviser, John Bolton, who became the target of an Iranian murder plot after he served in the White House. A spokesperson for Bolton said the Secret Service called Bolton on Monday night and said his security detail would end at noon the next day. “I am disappointed but not surprised that President Trump has decided to terminate the protection previously provided by the United States Secret... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295717/trump-strips-secret-service-protection-ex-adviser-bolton-target-iran-murder-plot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295717/trump-strips-secret-service-protection-ex-adviser-bolton-target-iran-murder-plot?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2025 22:45:57 +0000 Donald Trump on Wednesday called a Washington bishop “nasty” and demanded an apology, after she told the US president from the pulpit that he was sowing fear among the country’s immigrants and LGBTQ people. “The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295714/trump-lectured-bishop-after-he-targets-transgender-people-and-immigrants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295714/trump-lectured-bishop-after-he-targets-transgender-people-and-immigrants?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2025 20:48:03 +0000 The US Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday voted to send the nomination of billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as US President Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary on to the full Senate for approval. The committee voted 16-11 to send the nomination on to a final confirmation vote in the Senate. All Republicans voted in favour of the nomination, but Bessent also won approval votes from two Democrats, Mark Warner and Maggie Hassan. If approved as expected, Bessent, 62, will be one of the new... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295710/scott-bessents-nomination-trumps-treasury-chief-clears-senate-finance-committee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295710/scott-bessents-nomination-trumps-treasury-chief-clears-senate-finance-committee?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2025 18:09:09 +0000 US President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending all American foreign help programmes for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals. It was not immediately clear how much help would initially be affected by the Monday order as funding for many programmes has already been appropriated by Congress and is obliged to be spent, if that has not already happened. The order, among many Trump signed on his first day back in office, said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295695/trump-suspends-us-foreign-aid-90-days-pending-american-values-review?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295695/trump-suspends-us-foreign-aid-90-days-pending-american-values-review?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:41:59 +0000 A who’s who of the world’s wealthiest people surrounded President Donald Trump as he took the oath of office – gathering a combined net worth exceeding US$1.3 trillion for the occasion. Seated prominently behind the Trump family for Monday’s swearing-in were the top three individuals on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. Also spotted inside the Capitol Rotunda for the inaugural ceremony were LVMH Chief Executive Officer and France’s richest man, Bernard... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295678/trumps-inauguration-support-worth-us13-trillion-musk-bezos-zuckerberg-attendance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295678/trumps-inauguration-support-worth-us13-trillion-musk-bezos-zuckerberg-attendance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2025 11:05:35 +0000 US President Donald Trump on Monday began issuing a raft of expected executive actions on immigration, energy and other issues, moving swiftly on some of his campaign pledges mere hours after being sworn in for a second term. Among the 46 issued on Monday, 10 had to do with immigration and six were related to climate and energy. Cracking down on illegal migration and “climate extremism” while championing an “America-first” stance were cornerstones of Trump’s presidential election campaign. As... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3295557/immigration-crackdown-and-paris-agreement-pull-out-among-first-acts-second-trump-term?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3295557/immigration-crackdown-and-paris-agreement-pull-out-among-first-acts-second-trump-term?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jan 2025 23:12:46 +0000 This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Donald Trump vowed his administration would be “taking back” the Panama Canal on Monday, in his inauguration speech following his swearing in as the country’s 47th president. Trump said that the US had been “treated very badly” by Panama and that American ships are being “severely... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3295416/donald-trump-be-sworn-47th-us-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3295416/donald-trump-be-sworn-47th-us-president?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jan 2025 16:00:24 +0000 SCMP will report on the inauguration day of US president-elect Donald Trump live from 12am Tuesday HKT. The live blog will be made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. When Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, a new chapter of geopolitical uncertainty will be written, potentially ushering in an intensified... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3295285/donald-trumps-inauguration-us-china-rivalry-opens-new-and-uncertain-chapter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3295285/donald-trumps-inauguration-us-china-rivalry-opens-new-and-uncertain-chapter?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jan 2025 01:00:18 +0000 US President-elect Donald Trump told thousands of roaring supporters on Sunday that he would impose severe limits on immigration on his first day in office, vowing to swiftly fulfil the central promise of his presidential campaign on Sunday at a rally inside a packed Washington arena a day before he returns to power. “By the time the sun sets tomorrow, the invasion of our country will have come to a halt,” he said to cheers at a “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” at the Capital One... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295407/trump-promises-brand-new-day-harsh-immigration-limits-pre-inauguration-victory-rally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295407/trump-promises-brand-new-day-harsh-immigration-limits-pre-inauguration-victory-rally?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jan 2025 23:47:21 +0000 The United States has held presidential inaugurations every four years since its first president, George Washington, was sworn in back in 1789. Intended to mark the peaceful transfer of power and serve as a unifying event for the nation, the ceremony features some elements that are consistent regardless of party affiliation, such as the oath of office, while the invited speakers may send out different signals and performances may vary widely in tone. Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/explainers/article/3295281/us-presidential-inaugurations-pomp-circumstance-and-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/explainers/article/3295281/us-presidential-inaugurations-pomp-circumstance-and-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jan 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Germany’s ambassador to the United States has warned that the incoming Trump administration will rob US police and the media of their independence and hand big tech companies “co-governing power”, according to a confidential document seen by Reuters. The briefing document, dated January 14 and signed by Ambassador Andreas Michaelis, describes US president-elect Donald Trump’s agenda for his second White House term as one of “maximum disruption” that will bring about “a redefinition of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295356/trump-plans-maximum-disruption-constitutional-order-germanys-ambassador-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295356/trump-plans-maximum-disruption-constitutional-order-germanys-ambassador-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jan 2025 01:57:45 +0000 US president-elect Donald Trump has told advisers he wants to travel to China after he takes office, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, quoting people familiar with the discussions. Trump has expressed interest in travelling to China in his first 100 days in office, the report said, citing one of the people. Trump’s inauguration is Monday, and Chinese state news agencies said on Friday that Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng will attend as Beijing stands ready to strengthen... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295354/trump-wants-visit-china-president-us-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295354/trump-wants-visit-china-president-us-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jan 2025 23:54:58 +0000 US president-elect Donald Trump has launched his own cryptocurrency, appropriately called $TRUMP, sparking feverish buying that sent its market capitalisation soaring on Saturday to several billion dollars. In a message posted on social media, Trump unveiled the so-called meme coin, which is designed to capitalise on the popularity of a certain personality, movement or viral internet trend. Meme coins have no economic or transactional value and are often seen as a means of speculative... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295345/trump-launches-his-own-meme-coin-and-its-value-soars-billions-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295345/trump-launches-his-own-meme-coin-and-its-value-soars-billions-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jan 2025 17:52:53 +0000 US president-elect Donald Trump may take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of intense cold weather. “The weather forecast for Washington, DC, with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.” The Rotunda is prepared as the inclement weather alternative for each inauguration in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295276/trump-swearing-will-move-inside-capitol-rotunda-because-intense-cold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295276/trump-swearing-will-move-inside-capitol-rotunda-because-intense-cold?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jan 2025 17:27:37 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is expected to miss the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump on January 20, bucking a trend among high-profile technology leaders. Huang is visiting East Asia this week, as he typically does around the time of the Lunar New Year, according to a person familiar with the situation. He had never previously attended a US presidential inauguration, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the plans had not been announced. That makes Nvidia an... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3295129/nvidia-ceo-skips-trumps-inauguration-lunar-new-year-asia-visit-source-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3295129/nvidia-ceo-skips-trumps-inauguration-lunar-new-year-asia-visit-source-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jan 2025 04:30:07 +0000 The official US presidential and vice-presidential portraits of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance were released on Thursday, just days ahead of their inauguration. Trump’s portrait bears a notable resemblance to his mugshot from August 2023 at Fulton County Jail in Georgia, with the US president-elect glaring at the camera. Vance, meanwhile, appears to have a small smile on his face while his arms are crossed. Both men are pictured wearing dark blue suits and blue ties. “In just four days, Donald J.... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295100/trumps-official-portrait-released-and-it-looks-his-mugshot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295100/trumps-official-portrait-released-and-it-looks-his-mugshot?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2025 23:00:06 +0000 During his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday, Scott Bessent, Donald Trump’s choice for US treasury secretary, signalled a willingness to resume trade negotiations with China and defended the president-elect’s tariff policy as a useful tool to gain leverage. Bessent said that he would push China to buy American goods, indicating openness to a trade agreement like the “phase one” deal that the US and China reached in Trump’s first term. He also said the US must ensure that the dollar remains... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3295098/nominee-us-treasury-secretary-suggests-possible-restart-trade-talks-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3295098/nominee-us-treasury-secretary-suggests-possible-restart-trade-talks-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2025 22:48:57 +0000 Donald Trump wants to make Hollywood “bigger, better and stronger” and has cast Mel Gibson, Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone as stars of what he is calling his “Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California”. On Wednesday, the president-elect announced on his social media site that the three actors would be his eyes and ears to the moviemaking town. “It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood!” he wrote on Truth... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295095/trump-says-hollywood-needs-help-names-mel-gibson-jon-voight-and-stallone-ambassadors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295095/trump-says-hollywood-needs-help-names-mel-gibson-jon-voight-and-stallone-ambassadors?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2025 20:09:06 +0000 John Ratcliffe, US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for director of the CIA, pledged on Wednesday that, should he be approved to lead the spy agency, he would intensify its focus on China and emerging technologies. Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence (DNI) during Trump’s first term, told the Senate Intelligence Committee during his confirmation hearing that the US faced “what may be the most challenging national security environment in our nation’s history” –... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3294935/cia-director-nominee-vows-increase-focus-china-and-emerging-technologies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/us-elections/article/3294935/cia-director-nominee-vows-increase-focus-china-and-emerging-technologies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jan 2025 22:26:08 +0000 US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal that will end fighting in Gaza, and added it was reached by working alongside the incoming Donald Trump administration. But when asked by a reporter whether he or Trump deserved more credit for getting the deal done, Biden quipped: “Is that a joke?” Biden and US president-elect Trump are both claiming credit for the agreement after the White House brought Trump’s Middle East envoy into... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3294934/biden-reacts-question-trump-getting-credit-gaza-ceasefire-joke?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3294934/biden-reacts-question-trump-getting-credit-gaza-ceasefire-joke?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jan 2025 20:43:47 +0000 The Village People and US president-elect Donald Trump have apparently buried the hatchet. On Monday, lead singer Victor Willis – the iconic disco-music group’s San Diego-based founder and leader – announced that Village People had accepted an invitation to perform at multiple Trump inauguration events next week, including at least one that Trump will attend. They join a line-up of performers that also includes Carrie Underwood, Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood. The president-elect is a long-time fan... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294777/village-people-perform-trump-inauguration-dismay-gay-activists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294777/village-people-perform-trump-inauguration-dismay-gay-activists?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jan 2025 23:09:27 +0000 Pete Hegseth, US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defence, told Congress on Tuesday that he would ensure the Pentagon recognised the Chinese Communist Party as “front and centre” among foreign threats to the US, in a confirmation hearing that largely focused on his character and past conduct. Hegseth refrained from surprising foreign policy comments in his four-hour hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, deflecting questions on Ukraine and stressing that he... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3294774/pete-hegseth-trumps-choice-defence-secretary-deflects-allegations-during-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3294774/pete-hegseth-trumps-choice-defence-secretary-deflects-allegations-during-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jan 2025 22:07:10 +0000 Former first lady Michelle Obama will skip the inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump, the second time in two weeks that she is not attending a gathering of former US leaders and their spouses. Former presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will come together again for the inauguration. Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will join their husbands for the January 20 swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol, representatives said. “Former President Barack... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294763/michelle-obama-skip-trumps-inauguration-following-absence-jimmy-carters-state-funeral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294763/michelle-obama-skip-trumps-inauguration-following-absence-jimmy-carters-state-funeral?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jan 2025 16:15:07 +0000 With 48km (30 miles) of tall black temporary fencing, 25,000 law enforcement officers and security checkpoints set up to process hundreds of thousands of spectators, Washington is braced for president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week. The Monday swearing-in on the steps of the US Capitol and parade to the White House will follow a weekend featuring protests by Trump’s opponents and parties and rallies by the Republican’s supporters. The inauguration follows a campaign marked by two... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294742/washington-sees-higher-threat-environment-trump-inauguration-adds-fortresslike-fencing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294742/washington-sees-higher-threat-environment-trump-inauguration-adds-fortresslike-fencing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jan 2025 16:00:10 +0000 US Special Counsel Jack Smith concluded that Donald Trump engaged in an “unprecedented criminal effort” to hold on to power after losing the 2020 election, but was thwarted in bringing the case to trial by the president-elect’s November election victory, according to a report published on Tuesday. The report details Smith’s decision to bring a four-count indictment against Trump, accusing him of plotting to obstruct the collection and certification of votes following his 2020 defeat by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294682/us-justice-department-releases-final-report-trump-bid-overturn-2020-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294682/us-justice-department-releases-final-report-trump-bid-overturn-2020-election?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jan 2025 07:46:37 +0000 Donald Trump is not typically known for his calm or reserve, but in a craftsman’s workshop in rural China the US president-elect sits in divine contemplation. Cross-legged with his eyes half-closed, in a pose evoking the Buddha, this porcelain version of America’s divisive leader-in-waiting is the work of designer and sculptor Hong Jinshi. The Zen-like figures – which Hong sells for between 999 yuan and 20,000 yuan (US$135 and US$2,700) depending on their size – first went viral in 2021 on the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3294520/donald-trump-buddha-figures-chinese-sculptor-see-renewed-interest-elon-musk-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3294520/donald-trump-buddha-figures-chinese-sculptor-see-renewed-interest-elon-musk-next?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jan 2025 09:24:04 +0000 US Special Counsel Jack Smith, who led the federal cases against Donald Trump on charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat and mishandling of classified documents, has resigned, as the Republican US president-elect prepared to return to the White House. Smith resigned on Friday from the US Department of Justice, according to a court filing on Saturday to US District Judge Aileen Cannon, asking her to lift a court order she issued blocking release of his final report. Notice of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294394/trump-prosecutor-jack-smith-resigns-us-justice-department?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294394/trump-prosecutor-jack-smith-resigns-us-justice-department?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jan 2025 22:29:05 +0000 Donald Trump Jnr, the son of the incoming US president, and his companions are reported to have recruited people in Greenland with the prospect of a free lunch in an expensive hotel to portray them as Trump supporters in videos. The Danish radio station DR reported that it had heard from several sources that the videos, made during the group’s short trip to Greenland, showed homeless people and others who often hang around in front of a supermarket next to the hotel. “These are homeless and old... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294393/donald-trump-jnr-got-homeless-greenlanders-don-maga-hats-free-lunch-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294393/donald-trump-jnr-got-homeless-greenlanders-don-maga-hats-free-lunch-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jan 2025 20:26:53 +0000 Social media giant Meta announced Friday it is dismantling its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes across the company, marking another major shift in strategy as it aligns with politically conservative priorities. In an internal memo to employees, the company outlined sweeping changes including the elimination of its diverse slate hiring approach and the disbanding of its DEI team. The move comes amid what Meta describes as “a changing legal and policy landscape” following recent... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294339/meta-abandons-racial-diversity-programmes-zuckerberg-woos-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294339/meta-abandons-racial-diversity-programmes-zuckerberg-woos-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2025 21:11:15 +0000 US president-elect Donald Trump doesn’t have to go to jail, pay a fine or perform community service as a result of his New York hush money conviction. A judge ended the case Friday with a sentence of an unconditional discharge, closing the case with no punishment. But unless the conviction for falsifying business records is someday overturned, Trump will have felonies on his criminal record, which will affect some of his rights. Here are some of the potential impacts and some things that won’t... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294334/felon-trump-can-vote-after-sentencing-cant-own-gun-has-turn-over-dna?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294334/felon-trump-can-vote-after-sentencing-cant-own-gun-has-turn-over-dna?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2025 17:38:35 +0000 Donald Trump ran on a return to his “America First” foreign policy platform. The US, he said, could no longer afford to be the world’s policeman. On his watch, he pledged, there would be no new wars. But since winning a second term, the president-elect has been embracing a new imperialist agenda, threatening to seize the Panama Canal and Greenland – perhaps by military force – and saying he will use economic coercion to pressure Canada to become the nation’s 51st state. “Canada and the United... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294097/trumps-america-first-shifts-imperialist-rhetoric-eyeing-canada-greenland-panama-canal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294097/trumps-america-first-shifts-imperialist-rhetoric-eyeing-canada-greenland-panama-canal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jan 2025 16:00:11 +0000 US president-elect Donald Trump’s comments that Canada should become the 51st state are no longer a joke and are meant to undermine America’s closest ally, Canada’s finance minister said on Wednesday. Dominic LeBlanc, the country’s point person for US-Canada relations, said Trump was smiling when he first made the comment during a dinner at Mar-a-Lago with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in late November. “The joke is over,” said LeBlanc. “It’s a way for him, I think, to sow confusion, to agitate... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293977/canadas-leaders-say-trumps-51st-state-joke-isnt-funny-any-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293977/canadas-leaders-say-trumps-51st-state-joke-isnt-funny-any-more?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2025 20:50:02 +0000 Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum responded sarcastically on Wednesday to US president-elect Donald Trump’s proposal to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Standing before a global map in her daily press briefing, Sheinbaum proposed drily that North America should be renamed “América Mexicana”, or “Mexican America”, because a founding document dating from 1814 that preceded Mexico’s constitution referred to it that way. She also noted that the Gulf of Mexico had been... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293975/mexicos-president-trolls-trump-suggests-us-be-renamed-mexican-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293975/mexicos-president-trolls-trump-suggests-us-be-renamed-mexican-america?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:47:46 +0000 US president-elect Donald Trump is considering declaring a national economic emergency to provide legal justification for a series of universal tariffs on allies and adversaries, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. The move will allow Trump to build a new tariff programme by using the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), which authorises a president to manage imports during a national emergency, the report said. “Nothing is off the table,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293973/trump-may-declare-national-emergency-so-he-can-impose-tariff-plan-us-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293973/trump-may-declare-national-emergency-so-he-can-impose-tariff-plan-us-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:33:49 +0000 A record 24 million people have signed up for insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act, former President Barack Obama’s landmark health legislation, as the programme awaits an uncertain future under a Republican-controlled White House and Congress. Never have so many people enrolled in healthcare coverage through the government marketplace, a point of pride for many Democrats but a red flag to some Republicans. US President Joe Biden has pushed an expansion of the programme, signing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293937/obamacare-hits-record-enrolment-uncertain-future-awaits-under-trump-20?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293937/obamacare-hits-record-enrolment-uncertain-future-awaits-under-trump-20?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2025 16:00:11 +0000 Joe Biden thinks he could have won re-election if he had stayed in the White House race, he said in an interview published on Wednesday – while conceding he was unsure if he would have served another full term. The 82-year-old Democrat, who leaves office on January 20, was asked by USA Today if he believed victory over Republican Donald Trump was a realistic prospect last November, and he pointed to unspecified polling and said: “I think yes.” “I really thought I had the best chance of beating... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293967/biden-says-he-could-have-defeated-trump-election-i-had-best-chance-beating-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293967/biden-says-he-could-have-defeated-trump-election-i-had-best-chance-beating-him?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2025 15:21:12 +0000 The highly decorated soldier who exploded a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas used generative AI including ChatGPT to help plan the attack, Las Vegas police said on Tuesday. Nearly a week after 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger fatally shot himself, officials said according to writings, he did not intend to kill anyone else. An investigation of Livelsberger’s searches through ChatGPT indicate he was looking for information on explosive targets, the speed at which certain... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293822/man-who-exploded-cybertruck-outside-trump-hotel-used-chatgpt-help-plan-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293822/man-who-exploded-cybertruck-outside-trump-hotel-used-chatgpt-help-plan-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jan 2025 23:41:08 +0000 A US federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the public release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on investigations into Donald Trump as an appeal court weighs a challenge to the disclosure of a much-anticipated document just days before the president-elect reclaims office. The ruling from US District Judge Aileen Cannon may represent a short-lived victory for Trump but it’s nonetheless the latest instance of the Trump-appointed jurist taking action in the Republican’s favour. The halt... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293814/release-special-counsel-report-donald-trump-blocked-us-judge-aileen-cannon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293814/release-special-counsel-report-donald-trump-blocked-us-judge-aileen-cannon?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jan 2025 18:18:57 +0000