https://www.scmp.com/rss/522181/feed The latest news and top stories on Nicolas Maduro, the former president of Venezuela in US custody. After more than a decade in power, Maduro’s tenure effectively ended on January 3, 2026, when he was abducted by US special forces during a pre-dawn raid on his Caracas compound. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, were subsequently exfiltrated to New York City to face narcotrafficking charges. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Richard Harris Richard Harris The mighty Zambezi River has its source in northern Zambia, and flows north, west, south, then east, tracing borders for several countries including Zimbabwe. As the river enters Zimbabwe, the water molecules begin to flow faster, unknowingly energised – developing first into a rush, then eventually a torrent as they plunge down the Victoria Falls. This is an excellent analogy of the extremes of stock market price movements. In a stock market crash, prices move slowly, then very fast. My... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348698/us-hong-kong-theres-no-excuse-insider-trading?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348698/us-hong-kong-theres-no-excuse-insider-trading?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States on Wednesday lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez, according to an Office of Foreign Assets Control entry on the Treasury Department website. The newly announced sanctions relief is the latest US recognition of Rodriguez as a legitimate authority in Venezuela ever since the US military captured her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife on January 3 in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. The pair have since been taken to New York to face drug... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348729/us-lifts-sanctions-venezuelas-acting-president-rodriguez-who-praises-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348729/us-lifts-sanctions-venezuelas-acting-president-rodriguez-who-praises-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 02:09:16 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words The White House announced last week that US President Donald Trump’s visit to China has been delayed to mid-May, citing the conflict in Iran. Beijing’s response has been muted: the Foreign Ministry noted only that the two sides “have remained in communication” over the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348393/unfinished-business-delay-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348393/unfinished-business-delay-trumps-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States has formally reopened its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, after the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the South American country following the Trump administration’s removal of then-president Nicolas Maduro in early January. The State Department announced on Monday that it had resumed normal operations at the embassy in Caracas – which had been in need of significant repair, including remediation from mould – after a seven-year closure that began during US President... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348456/us-reopens-embassy-venezuela-months-after-military-operation-remove-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348456/us-reopens-embassy-venezuela-months-after-military-operation-remove-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:45:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia said on Monday that an oil tanker carrying ‌100,000 tonnes of crude oil had arrived in Cuba and that Moscow would stand by its friends by working on further supplies despite a US blockade of the Communist-run island. The US cut off Venezuela’s oil exports to Cuba after toppling Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, and US President Donald Trump threatened to slap punishing ⁠tariffs on any other country that sent crude to Cuba. But Trump on Sunday signalled he ‌was reversing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348420/russian-oil-tanker-arrives-cuba-moscow-vows-stand-havana?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348420/russian-oil-tanker-arrives-cuba-moscow-vows-stand-havana?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:58:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald ⁠Trump signalled he was reversing course on blocking oil shipments to Cuba on Sunday, saying he had “no problem” with any country sending in crude as a Russian tanker neared a Cuban port with a badly needed shipment. A sanctioned Russian vessel, part of the country’s “shadow fleet”, was just off the coast of eastern Cuba on Sunday, according to ship tracking data, and was expected to reach port on Monday, ‌a lifeline for the country’s economy that has nearly ground to a halt... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348329/us-allow-russian-oil-tanker-reach-cuba-possible-lifeline-caribbean-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348329/us-allow-russian-oil-tanker-reach-cuba-possible-lifeline-caribbean-island?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 23:29:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro cut a relaxed figure Thursday as he returned to a federal court in New York for his second appearance since his capture by US forces in an extraordinary nighttime raid. During the one-hour hearing, the judge indicated he would not dismiss the case over Maduro and his wife’s apparent inability to afford their legal bill without aid from the Venezuelan government. The former leader, 63, and wife Cilia Flores have been held in a Brooklyn jail for almost... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348055/venezuelas-maduro-back-court-after-shock-capture-us-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348055/venezuelas-maduro-back-court-after-shock-capture-us-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:26:45 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The first boat of a flotilla carrying medical supplies, food and solar panels reached Cuba on Tuesday to aid the island as a US fuel blockade deepens its energy crisis. The Maguro shrimp fishing boat docked in Havana three days later than hoped after battling strong winds, currents and a pesky battery during its journey from Mexico. As they approached Havana’s colonial-era fortification, the international activists stood on the cabin roof of the boat - symbolically renamed “Granma 2.0” as a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347810/humanitarian-aid-boat-arrives-cuba-amid-us-blockade-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347810/humanitarian-aid-boat-arrives-cuba-amid-us-blockade-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:27:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Cuba is ⁠prepared for the unlikely ⁠possibility of a ⁠military engagement with the United States, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said over the weekend in response to US President Donald Trump’s threats to take over ‌the Caribbean island nation. Havana and Washington entered talks earlier this month as an oil blockade imposed by Trump pushes the Communist-run nation deeper into economic crisis. Trump last week escalated his rhetoric against Cuba, saying he expected to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347511/cuba-ready-potential-attack-us-amid-oil-blockade-deputy-foreign-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347511/cuba-ready-potential-attack-us-amid-oil-blockade-deputy-foreign-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 19:30:48 +0000 Alcott Wei,Seong Hyeon Choi Alcott Wei,Seong Hyeon Choi Iran’s power structure, succession mechanism and geographic conditions are all factors in its military resilience, despite the decapitation of its leadership by the US and Israel, according to Chinese experts. They also said the United States was unlikely to achieve regime change in Iran without deploying ground forces, a lesson one expert argued Beijing would take into account for any operation on Taiwan. Beginning on February 28, the US and Israel have killed a string of senior Iranian... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347070/chinese-experts-assess-military-decapitation-iran-venezuela-lessons-closer-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347070/chinese-experts-assess-military-decapitation-iran-venezuela-lessons-closer-home?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:37:24 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan As Washington steps up rhetoric and pressure on Cuba after its campaign in Iran, Beijing finds itself torn between geopolitical reality and ideological affinity. According to analysts, Beijing has few good options to counter US hegemony in Washington’s own backyard, and its response is likely to be constrained to diplomatic opposition and modest humanitarian aid. They said any disruption to global stability ultimately harmed Beijing’s interests and did not see prolonged US military action... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346970/trump-ramps-pressure-cuba-china-has-very-limited-options?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346970/trump-ramps-pressure-cuba-china-has-very-limited-options?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cuba’s leader on Tuesday said the US would face “unbreakable resistance” if it tries to take over the impoverished island nation, as communist authorities scrambled to fix a nationwide electricity blackout. Cuba’s government has been under increasingly crushing pressure, with Washington enforcing an oil blockade and openly stating it wants to end the nearly seven-decade-old US stand-off with the one-party communist state. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba’s decision announced this week... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346971/cubas-leader-vows-unbreakable-resistance-if-us-tries-take-over-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346971/cubas-leader-vows-unbreakable-resistance-if-us-tries-take-over-island?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:01:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump vowed on Monday to “take” Cuba as the communist island plunged into darkness under a total power blackout linked to a crippling oil embargo imposed by Washington. After nearly seven decades defying the United States, Havana’s communist authorities are under massive pressure from a Trump administration determined to make history. “You know, all my life I’ve been hearing about the United States and Cuba. When will the United States do it?” Trump told reporters at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346808/cubas-national-electric-grid-collapses-leaving-millions-without-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346808/cubas-national-electric-grid-collapses-leaving-millions-without-power?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 21:40:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The American flag was raised on Saturday over the US embassy in Venezuela for the first time since 2019, a move that highlighted the recent shift in relations between the two countries since then President Nicolas Maduro was captured by American troops in January. Though the flag is now waving, the building is undergoing renovations and it remains unclear when it will fully reopen. The move comes after several statements from US President Donald Trump in support of Maduro’s successor, acting... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346631/american-flag-raised-us-embassy-venezuela-first-time-2019?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346631/american-flag-raised-us-embassy-venezuela-first-time-2019?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 20:43:46 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The Chilean capital Santiago awoke on Wednesday to a mixture of celebration and tension. As the city prepared for the inauguration of its centre-right president, the new government’s first crisis was already unfolding behind the scenes: an undersea fibre-optic cable linking the South American country to Hong Kong that had enraged Washington and may prove a watershed moment in how Latin America handles critical infrastructure projects and its partnership with Beijing. Jose Antonio Kast was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346261/inauguration-day-chiles-new-president-inherits-chinese-cable-scandal-and-us-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346261/inauguration-day-chiles-new-president-inherits-chinese-cable-scandal-and-us-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:44:08 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan China’s military on Wednesday warned the United States against allowing artificial intelligence (AI) to “determine life and death” in warfare, as a dispute between the Pentagon and AI firm Anthropic highlighted growing tensions over military use of the technology. Speaking at a regular briefing in Beijing, defence ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said the “unrestricted application of AI by the military” could “erode ethical constraints and accountability in wars” and risk a “dangerous technological... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346254/china-warns-us-against-granting-ai-ability-determine-life-and-death-battlefield?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346254/china-warns-us-against-granting-ai-ability-determine-life-and-death-battlefield?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:01:09 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng US President Donald Trump will not go to any cities beyond Beijing during his visit to China scheduled for late this month because of his tight schedule and security concerns, according to sources familiar with the matter. Several sources, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said United States “advance parties” arrived in China’s capital in “early March” and their preparations for the high-stakes summit had entered the “final stage”. The South China Morning Post has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345970/trumps-china-visit-limited-beijing-due-tight-schedule-and-security-needs-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345970/trumps-china-visit-limited-beijing-due-tight-schedule-and-security-needs-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:00:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged Latin American nations to use military power against the “cancer” of drug cartels and offered to support them with US missile strikes targeting narco kingpins. Trump, currently waging a war with Iran, laid out a muscular position for advancing Washington’s interests in the western hemisphere, pronouncing that communist-led Cuba was “in its last moments of life” and advocating tough action by allies against organised crime blighting the region. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345839/trump-offers-latin-american-leaders-us-missile-strikes-hit-drug-cartels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345839/trump-offers-latin-american-leaders-us-missile-strikes-hit-drug-cartels?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 17:46:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said Friday Cuba was next on his agenda after Iran, predicting that the communist-run island, crippled by a US energy blockade, is “gonna fall pretty soon”. “They want to make a deal so badly,” Trump told CNN in a phone interview, a day after suggesting that he would turn to an unspecified project for Cuba after the war against Iran. “We’re really focused on this one right now. We’ve got plenty of time, but Cuba’s ready – after 50 years,” he added, explaining that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3345780/trump-says-cuba-going-fall-pretty-soon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3345780/trump-says-cuba-going-fall-pretty-soon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:22:01 +0000 Richard Harris Richard Harris So, the Trump administration has now decapitated two governments, Venezuela and Iran. You can be sure most world leaders will be videoconferencing from secure bunkers from now on. Iran’s leaders brought this upon themselves by being aggressively extremist, especially about their stated aim to destroy Israel, another sovereign state. They have sought to destabilise fellow Muslim states in the Middle East and beyond for decades. Iran’s antipathy towards its neighbours has caused it to attack no... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345426/are-investors-spooked-iran-violence-market-response-suggests-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345426/are-investors-spooked-iran-violence-market-response-suggests-not?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Mark Magnier,Xinmei Shen Lucy Quaggin,Mark Magnier,Xinmei Shen US President Donald Trump called on Iran’s armed forces on Thursday to surrender or face the consequences and urged the nation’s diplomats to request asylum at their postings around the world. “I’m once again calling on all members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the military and the police, to lay down their arms,” Trump said. “So you’ll be perfectly safe with total immunity, or you’ll face absolutely guaranteed death, and I don’t want to see that.” Speaking at the White House at a sports... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345628/trump-says-he-must-be-involved-picking-irans-new-leader-khameneis-son-unacceptable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345628/trump-says-he-must-be-involved-picking-irans-new-leader-khameneis-son-unacceptable?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:14:18 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The US’ decapitation of Iran’s leaders highlights America’s superior military strength and runs counter to the popular view in China that the United States is in decline, according to international relations specialists. The weekend operation, conducted with Israel, killed Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior commanders within the country’s armed forces, just weeks after a US Special Forces team abducted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Those two incidents –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345445/us-decline-after-iran-strikes-maybe-not-chinese-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345445/us-decline-after-iran-strikes-maybe-not-chinese-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China must speed up military applications of AI and deepen civil-military fusion to narrow its strategic gap with the United States, a leading Chinese political scientist and adviser to Beijing has said. Citing US-Israeli precision strikes that eliminated Iran’s supreme leader, Zheng Yongnian warned that China risked repeating historical mistakes if it limited artificial intelligence (AI) mostly to civilian or entertainment uses and failed to convert frontier technologies into decisive hard... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345408/khameneis-fall-exposes-chinas-military-ai-lag-versus-us-beijing-adviser-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345408/khameneis-fall-exposes-chinas-military-ai-lag-versus-us-beijing-adviser-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang China and Iran may be strategic partners but, as was the case with America’s special operation in Venezuela in January, China has offered no security support to Iran over the US and Israeli attacks. The decision was based on a consideration of Beijing’s own interests, its ties with the US and other countries, and to minimise military and financial risks to China, according to analysts. Since the large-scale attacks against Iran began over the weekend, Beijing has limited its response to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345387/why-china-staying-sidelines-us-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345387/why-china-staying-sidelines-us-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters When US President Donald Trump returned ⁠to the White House last year, some Russian hardliners were cautiously optimistic, hoping his unpredictability ⁠and transactional nature might benefit Moscow on Ukraine. But his attack on Iran means many now see him as a growing threat to Russia itself and are questioning if Trump is the pragmatic, potentially pro-Moscow strongman ready to deal in realpolitik that they thought he was. Some hawks are publicly demanding that Moscow abandon US-brokered peace... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345434/trumps-iran-attack-sparks-calls-russia-abandon-ukraine-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345434/trumps-iran-attack-sparks-calls-russia-abandon-ukraine-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:37:13 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The abiding concern with violent conflict in the Middle East is regional escalation and heightened geopolitical tensions. This fear is very real after the US-Israeli air strikes on Iran that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The strikes have triggered missile attacks on US bases in the region and neighbouring countries, roiled markets, pushed up the price of oil and grounded thousands of passenger flights. The air strikes on Iran are an unacceptable violation of an independent... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3345159/strikes-iran-may-complicate-us-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3345159/strikes-iran-may-complicate-us-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:15:12 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,Yuanyue Dang Seong Hyeon Choi,Yuanyue Dang The US and Israel’s air strikes against Iran, supported by electronic and cyber capabilities, serve as a “wake-up call” for China’s intelligence strategy and its military’s approach to deploying advanced technologies in modern warfare, analysts say. In weekend air strikes against Iran that killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the US struck over 1,000 targets with an array of advanced weaponry, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, stealth fighters and bombers. And for the first time... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345123/iran-attack-seen-wake-call-chinas-electronic-warfare-and-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345123/iran-attack-seen-wake-call-chinas-electronic-warfare-and-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:42:23 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Venezuelan opposition leader and winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize Maria Corina Machado said on Sunday that she will return to Venezuela in the coming weeks and that elections will be held in the South American country. Machado did not set a date for her return but said one of the objectives will be to prepare “for a new and gigantic electoral victory”. In a message shared on social media, the politician called on her supporters to “strengthen the unity of Venezuelans that began with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3345059/venezuelas-opposition-leader-machado-will-return-country-coming-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3345059/venezuelas-opposition-leader-machado-will-return-country-coming-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 22:44:21 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse On a visit to Texas on Friday, US President Donald Trump gave a raucous speech on the economy and then stopped off at a fast-food joint. “Hamburgers for everyone!” Trump declared to cheering customers at the Whataburger restaurant in Corpus Christi, before the 47th president left clutching a bag with order No 47. Nine hours later, in the dead of night, Trump announced from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida that he had ordered the start of a major attack against Iran. It was the culmination of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345001/burgers-then-war-trumps-bluffs-iran-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345001/burgers-then-war-trumps-bluffs-iran-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 22:13:05 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump suggested a possible “friendly takeover of Cuba” as the White House looks to leverage the Communist-run island’s energy crisis to exert greater influence. “They’re in big trouble, and we could very well do something good, I think, very positive for the people that were expelled, or worse, from Cuba that live here,” Trump told reporters on Friday as he departed the White House for Texas. “You know, we have people living here that want to go back to Cuba.” “We could very... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344941/trump-says-us-discussing-friendly-takeover-cuba-theyre-big-trouble?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344941/trump-says-us-discussing-friendly-takeover-cuba-theyre-big-trouble?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 18:52:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cuba’s coastguard shot dead four people and injured six others travelling in a US-registered speedboat in an exchange of fire off the Cuban coast on Wednesday, the interior ministry in Havana said. The “illegal” Florida-registered boat was detected one nautical mile from Falcones Cay in Villa Clara province, the ministry said in a brief statement. As a coastguard vessel approached to identify the boat “shots were fired from the boat”, injuring the commander of the Cuban vessel, the ministry... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344655/cuba-coastguard-kills-4-firefight-us-registered-speedboat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344655/cuba-coastguard-kills-4-firefight-us-registered-speedboat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 20:08:14 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim US President Donald Trump delivered his first official State of Union address of his second term on Tuesday night, defending his policies and touting his administration’s biggest achievements since his return to the White House. In the longest speech of its kind, Trump spoke of a “golden age of America”, saying “America is respected again, perhaps like never before”. The American leader is grappling with a series of challenges, including rising economic woes, mounting foreign policy tensions and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344546/5-top-takeaways-us-president-donald-trumps-2026-state-union-address?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344546/5-top-takeaways-us-president-donald-trumps-2026-state-union-address?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 04:50:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US military forces boarded a third sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean Sea in an effort to target illicit oil connected to Venezuela, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. An organisation that tracks ship movements said the vessel was the only tanker left to pursue after more than a dozen fled the coast of Venezuela following the capture of the South American country’s authoritarian then-president, Nicolas Maduro. The boarding is the 10th interdiction of an oil... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344520/us-boards-third-venezuela-linked-oil-tanker-indian-ocean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344520/us-boards-third-venezuela-linked-oil-tanker-indian-ocean?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 21:46:22 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok In the early days of 2026, there has been an unexpected turn in China’s global relations. Some US allies have started reaching out to China just as China faced complications in ties with some friendly countries in the Global South. The underlying cause for both trends is the Trump administration’s imperial behaviour. With the dramatic abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and US President Donald Trump’s wish to control Venezuela’s oil, China’s economic stake in one of its closest... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344410/chinas-latin-america-strategy-goes-well-beyond-venezuela-and-panama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344410/chinas-latin-america-strategy-goes-well-beyond-venezuela-and-panama?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Venezuela’s National Assembly on Thursday unanimously approved a long-awaited amnesty law that could free hundreds of political prisoners jailed for being government detractors. But the law excludes those who have been prosecuted or convicted of promoting military action against the country - which could include opposition leaders like Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, who has been accused by the ruling party of calling for international intervention like the one that ousted former... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344082/venezuela-approves-amnesty-law-could-free-hundreds-political-prisoners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344082/venezuela-approves-amnesty-law-could-free-hundreds-political-prisoners?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 04:48:47 +0000 Reuters Reuters The top commander overseeing US forces in Latin America, General Francis Donovan, and senior Pentagon official Joseph Humire made a surprise visit to Venezuela on Wednesday for security talks, US officials said. The trip is the first by a US military delegation since US ‌forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in an audacious raid last month and whisked him to New York to face drug-trafficking charges. The visit was first reported by Reuters. Venezuela’s government said the US military... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343955/top-us-commander-makes-surprise-visit-venezuela-weeks-after-maduro-capture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343955/top-us-commander-makes-surprise-visit-venezuela-weeks-after-maduro-capture?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:37:23 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US military said Tuesday that it carried out strikes on three boats accused of smuggling drugs in Latin American waters, killing 11 people in one of the deadliest days of the Trump administration’s months-long campaign against alleged traffickers. The series of strikes conducted Monday brought the death toll to at least 145 people since the administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in small vessels since early September. Like most of the military’s statements on the 42... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343855/11-killed-us-strikes-3-more-alleged-drug-boats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343855/11-killed-us-strikes-3-more-alleged-drug-boats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 23:32:54 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Spain said on Monday it will use UN channels to send humanitarian aid to Cuba, which is suffering an acute economic crisis worsened by a de facto US fuel blockade. “Spain will provide humanitarian aid … to Cuba through the United Nations system in the form of food and essential health products,” the foreign ministry said in a statement following a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries in Madrid. The announcement follows the dispatch by Mexico of 800 tonnes of humanitarian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343777/spain-send-humanitarian-aid-cuba-through-un-amid-us-fuel-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343777/spain-send-humanitarian-aid-cuba-through-un-amid-us-fuel-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 21:51:37 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US military forces boarded another sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean Sea in an effort to target illicit oil connected to Venezuela, the Pentagon said on Sunday. Venezuela had faced US sanctions on its oil for several years, relying on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains. US President Donald Trump ordered a quarantine of sanctioned tankers in December to pressure then-President Nicolas Maduro before... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343657/us-military-boards-another-oil-tanker-indian-ocean-after-tracking-it-caribbean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343657/us-military-boards-another-oil-tanker-indian-ocean-after-tracking-it-caribbean?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 22:46:54 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service US President Donald Trump on Saturday celebrated Valentine’s Day by sharing a series of cards that praised his accomplishments while predictably slamming Democrats and even poking fun at his own secretary of state. The cards, posted by the White House on social media, kick off with a picture of a handcuffed and blindfolded Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro following his capture from his country in January. It is made to look a classic Valentine’s Day card, with the phrase: “You captured my... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343604/trumps-valentines-day-cards-feature-maduro-greenland-and-mockery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343604/trumps-valentines-day-cards-feature-maduro-greenland-and-mockery?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 01:30:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US military said on Friday it killed three alleged drug traffickers in a strike on a boat in the Caribbean. The attack raises the death toll from the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats to 133 people in at least 38 attacks carried out since early September in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. “Three narcoterrorists were killed during this action. No US military forces were harmed,” US Southern Command said in a statement on social media. A video linked to the post... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343553/3-dead-us-launches-new-strike-suspected-drug-boat-caribbean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343553/3-dead-us-launches-new-strike-suspected-drug-boat-caribbean?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 02:26:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Friday that a change of government in Iran would be the “best thing that could happen”, as he sent a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East to ratchet up military pressure on the Islamic republic. Trump’s comments were his most overt call yet for the toppling of Iran’s clerical establishment, and came as he pushes on Washington’s arch-foe Tehran to make a deal to limit its nuclear programme. At the same time, the exiled son of the Iranian shah toppled in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343549/trump-says-change-power-iran-would-be-best-thing-he-sends-second-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343549/trump-says-change-power-iran-would-be-best-thing-he-sends-second-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 23:44:41 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse President Donald Trump boasted on Friday about a secret US “discombobulator” weapon that can block Russian and Chinese defence systems, as he met the elite troops who captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Trump’s comments at the Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina marked the first time he has talked about the mysterious device at a public event, after previously letting some details slip in interviews. “They even talk about the discombobulator, because they never got a shot off,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343546/trump-hails-us-discombobulator-weapon-he-meets-maduro-op-troops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343546/trump-hails-us-discombobulator-weapon-he-meets-maduro-op-troops?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 20:57:22 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US eased sanctions on Venezuela’s energy sector on Friday, issuing two general licences that allow global energy companies to operate oil and gas projects in the Opec member and for other companies to negotiate contracts to bring in fresh ‌investments. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a general licence allowing Chevron, BP, Eni, Shell and Repsol to operate oil and gas operations in Venezuela. Those companies still have offices in the country and stakes in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343543/us-allows-oil-majors-resume-venezuela-operations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343543/us-allows-oil-majors-resume-venezuela-operations?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 17:14:33 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg China has bought some Venezuelan oil that was bought earlier by the US, according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “China has already bought some of the crude that’s been sold by the US government,” Wright told the media in Caracas, without giving details. “Legitimate Chinese business deals under legitimate business conditions” would be fine, he said, when asked about possible joint ventures in the country. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said he wasn’t familiar with Wright’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343368/china-bought-legitimate-venezuelan-oil-us-after-maduro-seizure-energy-secretary-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343368/china-bought-legitimate-venezuelan-oil-us-after-maduro-seizure-energy-secretary-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:23:13 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China will support Cuba “in the best way possible” as the island grapples with an energy crisis following tougher measures imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday. Speaking at a regular press briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China “will do what it can” to assist Havana and again condemned what he described as “inhumane actions that deprive the Cuban people of their right to survival and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343242/china-vows-do-what-it-can-us-blockade-leaves-cuba-just-weeks-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343242/china-vows-do-what-it-can-us-blockade-leaves-cuba-just-weeks-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:37:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Cuban aviation officials have warned airlines that there is not enough fuel for planes to refuel on the island, the latest step in its moves to ration energy as the Trump administration cuts the Caribbean nation off from its fuel resources. The government of Cuba published the notices to airlines and pilots on Sunday night, warning that jet fuel would not be available at nine airports across the island, including Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, starting on Tuesday and continuing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343015/cuba-warns-airlines-its-almost-out-fuel-us-blockade-deepens-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343015/cuba-warns-airlines-its-almost-out-fuel-us-blockade-deepens-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:20:50 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US military forces boarded a sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the ship from the Caribbean Sea as part of an oil quarantine meant to squeeze Venezuela, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday. Venezuela had faced US sanctions on its oil and relied on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains. Following the US raid to capture then-president Nicolas Maduro in early January, several tankers fled the Venezuelan coast, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342982/us-boards-sanctioned-oil-tanker-indian-ocean-after-pursuit-caribbean-hegseth-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342982/us-boards-sanctioned-oil-tanker-indian-ocean-after-pursuit-caribbean-hegseth-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 23:49:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Venezuela’s Nobel peace laureate Maria Corina Machado said on Monday that armed men “kidnapped” a close ally shortly after his release by authorities, following ex-leader Nicolas Maduro’s capture. The country’s Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed later that same day that former National Assembly vice-president Juan Pablo Guanipa, 61, was again taken into custody and put under house arrest, arguing that he violated the conditions of his release. Guanipa would be placed under house arrest “in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3342858/venezuela-frees-several-opposition-members-after-lengthy-politically-motivated-detentions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3342858/venezuela-frees-several-opposition-members-after-lengthy-politically-motivated-detentions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 22:39:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US government on Thursday announced an additional US$6 million in aid for Cuba as the island’s crisis deepens and tensions escalate between the two countries, with Cuba’s president accusing the US of an “energy blockade”. The aid was largely meant for those living in Cuba’s eastern region, which Hurricane Melissa slammed into late last year. The supplies include rice, beans, pasta, cans of tuna and solar lamps that will be delivered by the Catholic Church and Caritas, said US Department of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3342640/us-pledges-food-aid-cuba-while-putting-squeeze-fuel-supply?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3342640/us-pledges-food-aid-cuba-while-putting-squeeze-fuel-supply?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 07:35:56 +0000