https://www.scmp.com/rss/524499/feed The latest news and updates on Kash Patel, an American lawyer and former federal prosecutor, he assumed leadership of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in February 2025. His extensive career includes serving as a public defender, a national security prosecutor at the Department of Justice, and a senior counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He also held significant roles within the Trump administration, including Deputy Assistant to the President on the National... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The FBI has opened a criminal leak investigation focusing on a journalist who wrote a critical article about Kash Patel, the head of the US law enforcement agency, the cable news channel MS Now reported on Wednesday. Patel filed a US$250 million suit last month against The Atlantic magazine and the author of the article, Sarah Fitzpatrick, calling it a “sweeping, malicious, and defamatory hit piece”. The Atlantic story accused Patel of frequently drinking to excess and said he was in danger of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352669/fbi-reportedly-probing-leaks-behind-article-bureau-chief-kash-patels-drinking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352669/fbi-reportedly-probing-leaks-behind-article-bureau-chief-kash-patels-drinking?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 18:01:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters FBI ⁠Director Kash Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic and its reporter ⁠Sarah Fitzpatrick following the publication of an article on Friday alleging the director had a drinking problem that could pose a threat to national security. The magazine’s story, initially titled “Kash Patel’s Erratic Behavior Could Cost Him His Job”, cited more than two dozen anonymous sources expressing concern about Patel’s “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences” that “alarmed officials at... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3350779/fbis-patel-sues-atlantic-us250-million-says-drinking-story-lie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3350779/fbis-patel-sues-atlantic-us250-million-says-drinking-story-lie?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:11:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press As they fled an Iranian missile strike, some Israelis with Android phones received a text offering a link to real-time information about bomb shelters. But instead of a helpful app, the link downloaded spyware giving hackers access to the device’s camera, location and all its data. The operation, attributed to Iran, showed sophisticated coordination and is just the latest tactic in a cyber conflict that pits the US and Israel against Iran and its digital proxies. As Iran and its supporters seek... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348285/iran-linked-hackers-open-low-cost-digital-front-us-israeli-attacks-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348285/iran-linked-hackers-open-low-cost-digital-front-us-israeli-attacks-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 06:49:43 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A pro-Iranian hacking group claimed Friday to have hacked an account of FBI Director Kash Patel and has posted online what appear to be years-old photographs of him, along with a work résumé and other personal documents. Many of those records appeared to be more than a decade old. “Kash Patel, the current head of the FBI, who once saw his name displayed with pride on the agency’s headquarters, will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims,” said a message posted on Friday... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348214/pro-iran-hackers-say-they-breached-fbi-chief-patels-email-account-post-personal-files?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348214/pro-iran-hackers-say-they-breached-fbi-chief-patels-email-account-post-personal-files?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:39:34 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) students in an Old Dominion University classroom subdued and killed the shooter who killed one person and wounded two others, the FBI announced on Thursday. Dominique Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI’s (Federal Bureau of Investigation) Norfolk field office, said at a news conference that the suspect identified by authorities as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh shouted “Allahu akbar” before the shooting. Then the ROTC students stopped him, showing “extreme... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346418/gunman-who-injured-2-people-virginias-old-dominion-university-dead-college-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346418/gunman-who-injured-2-people-virginias-old-dominion-university-dead-college-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 19:05:45 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A 41-year-old man was killed Thursday after ramming his pickup truck into a synagogue on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, causing a blaze and triggering a huge police response. US media reported the assailant had recently lost family members in an Israeli strike in Lebanon, as part of the ongoing Middle East war. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security identified the assailant as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, who was born in Lebanon, came to Detroit in 2011 on a visa granted to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346417/police-respond-report-active-shooter-michigan-synagogue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346417/police-respond-report-active-shooter-michigan-synagogue?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:13:44 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo A former senior US official has said working closely with allies and partners is the only effective way to constrain China. “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 partners and allies,” said Kurt Campbell, the former deputy secretary of state under Joe Biden. That is no doubt true, but good luck convincing them. When so many top officials within the US government up to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3344272/how-unhinged-washington-unleashes-american-craziness-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3344272/how-unhinged-washington-unleashes-american-craziness-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 13:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Fresh surveillance images from Nancy Guthrie’s porch the night she went missing, coupled with intense police activity across Arizona and the detention of a man had raised hopes that authorities were nearing a major break. By Wednesday, however, the man said he had been released after questioning, leaving it unclear where the investigation stood into last week’s disappearance of Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie. Just hours after the FBI released videos on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343236/man-questioned-about-nancy-guthries-disappearance-says-he-was-released?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343236/man-questioned-about-nancy-guthries-disappearance-says-he-was-released?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:49:20 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Authorities investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie released the first surveillance images on Tuesday showing a masked person on her porch the night she went missing, as law enforcement and her family intensified calls for public help more than a week into the search. Law enforcement searching for the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie has not identified any suspects or persons of interest, and it is unclear if she is still alive. FBI Director Kash Patel posted the images on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343114/nancy-guthrie-disappearance-fbi-releases-images-masked-person?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343114/nancy-guthrie-disappearance-fbi-releases-images-masked-person?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:43:12 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Cambodia continues to work with China, the United States and Britain on the case of Chen Zhi, the business tycoon accused of masterminding a vast network that scammed billions from victims around the world, according to a government minister in Phnom Penh. “We are collaborating with the US, China and also the UK,” Chhay Sinarith, a senior minister who also heads Cambodia’s Commission for Combating Online Scams, said in an interview with the South China Morning Post on Monday. Chen, who held... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342993/uk-us-cybercrime-cooperation-continues-after-chen-zhi-extradition-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342993/uk-us-cybercrime-cooperation-continues-after-chen-zhi-extradition-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:02:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Prominent Republicans and gun rights advocates helped elicit a White House turnabout this week after bristling over the administration’s characterisation of Alex Pretti, the second person killed this month by a federal officer in Minneapolis, as responsible for his own death because he lawfully possessed a weapon. The death produced no clear shifts in US gun politics or policies, even as US President Donald Trump shuffles the lieutenants in charge of his militarised immigration crackdown. But... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341413/trump-faces-second-amendment-backlash-over-ice-shooting-alex-pretti?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341413/trump-faces-second-amendment-backlash-over-ice-shooting-alex-pretti?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:35:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder for Canada who was among the FBI’s top fugitives and faces charges related to multinational drug trafficking and the killing of a federal witness, was arrested on Friday, two people familiar with the matter told Associated Press. Wedding, 44, is accused of running a drug trafficking operation and officials say he orchestrated several killings to further the drug crimes. He was on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list and authorities had offered a US$15 million... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341065/ryan-wedding-arrested-ex-olympian-fugitive-fbis-most-wanted-list-caught-mexico?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341065/ryan-wedding-arrested-ex-olympian-fugitive-fbis-most-wanted-list-caught-mexico?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:00:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The FBI said on Friday it had disrupted a plot to attack a North Carolina supermarket and fast-food restaurant on New Year’s Eve, arresting a man who officials said was inspired by Islamic State and had pledged loyalty to the extremist militants. Christian Sturdivant, 18, of Mint ‍Hill, North Carolina, was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terror organisation after officials say he communicated his attack plans to an undercover FBI (Federal bureau of Investigation)... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338580/fbi-says-it-disrupted-potential-new-years-eve-attack-inspired-islamic-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338580/fbi-says-it-disrupted-potential-new-years-eve-attack-inspired-islamic-state?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 18:16:21 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Public calls are growing for the FBI to give its promised US$50,000 reward to a homeless man who provided information essential to leading authorities to the gunman they say killed two Brown University students and an MIT professor. Authorities say they received a tip from an anonymous source on Tuesday about a Reddit post on the Providence subreddit, according to a law enforcement affidavit from the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office. That post eventually led investigators to a New... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337206/brown-shooting-will-homeless-man-who-helped-fbi-find-gunman-get-us50000-reward?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337206/brown-shooting-will-homeless-man-who-helped-fbi-find-gunman-get-us50000-reward?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 23:46:55 +0000 Reuters Reuters Four people were facing criminal charges in connection with what US Attorney General Pam Bondi described on Monday as a foiled bomb plot that contemplated multiple targets, including US immigration agents and their vehicles. The four individuals have been charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device, according to the complaint filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California. “The Turtle Island Liberation Front - a far-left, pro-Palestine,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3336544/fbi-arrests-4-suspects-new-years-eve-terror-plot-targeting-california?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3336544/fbi-arrests-4-suspects-new-years-eve-terror-plot-targeting-california?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:50:45 +0000 Reuters Reuters The man held as a “person of interest” in the Brown University shooting that left two students dead and nine injured will be released from custody, authorities said on Sunday night. Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said earlier at a midday news conference that a man in his 20s had been taken into custody in connection with Saturday’s gun violence but gave no further details. But at a late-night news conference hours later, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and other state and local officials told... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3336445/hunt-brown-university-shooter-continues-police-release-person-interest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3336445/hunt-brown-university-shooter-continues-police-release-person-interest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 05:58:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters The FBI arrested a 30-year-old Virginia man and charged him on Thursday with planting a pair of pipe bombs in Washington the night before the January 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump, capping a years-long investigation that gave rise to numerous conspiracy theories. The suspect, Brian Cole Jnr, of Woodbridge, was charged with use of an explosive device and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials, Attorney General Pam Bondi and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335250/fbi-arrests-suspect-2021-capitol-riot-pipe-bomb-case-after-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335250/fbi-arrests-suspect-2021-capitol-riot-pipe-bomb-case-after-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:58:44 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Charges against the man accused of shooting two National Guard members have been upgraded to first-degree murder after one of the soldiers died, the US attorney for the District of Columbia announced on Friday, while investigators continue to seek a motive. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24 were hospitalised in critical condition after the Wednesday afternoon shooting near the White House. Trump announced on Thursday evening that Beckstrom had died. US Attorney... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334576/afghan-national-charged-first-degree-murder-national-guard-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334576/afghan-national-charged-first-degree-murder-national-guard-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 14:47:01 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it would review the immigration status of every permanent resident or “green card” holder from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following the attack on National Guard troops in Washington. The announcement came as US President Donald Trump said that one of the National Guard members, 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, had died of her wounds, while the other, Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, was ‘fighting for his life’. US officials have... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334434/trump-admin-reviewing-every-green-card-19-countries-after-washington-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334434/trump-admin-reviewing-every-green-card-19-countries-after-washington-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 23:19:30 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump said that one of the two West Virginia National Guard members shot by an Afghan national near the White House had died, calling the shooter who had worked with the CIA in his native country a “savage monster”. As part of his Thanksgiving call to US troops, Trump said that he had just learned that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died, while Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, was “fighting for his life”. “She’s just passed away,” Trump said. “She’s no longer with us.... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334426/national-guard-shooting-afghan-suspect-drove-across-us-carry-out-attack-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334426/national-guard-shooting-afghan-suspect-drove-across-us-carry-out-attack-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 16:53:00 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump has denied a report that he was considering removing FBI Director Kash Patel amid a string of controversies. “No, he’s doing a great job, I think,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday aboard Air Force One. MS NOW reported earlier Tuesday that Trump was considering replacing Patel with FBI co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey, as concerns swirled over the director’s social media posts during high-profile investigations and the use of a government jet to visit his... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334160/trump-denies-considering-ouster-fbi-director-patel-after-new-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334160/trump-denies-considering-ouster-fbi-director-patel-after-new-report?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 01:59:27 +0000 Reuters Reuters The FBI has requested interviews with six Democratic members of the US Congress who in a video message told members of the military they can legally refuse to carry out unlawful orders, a Justice Department official said on Tuesday. The Pentagon on Monday threatened to recall Senator Mark Kelly, a US Navy veteran and one of the six lawmakers, to active duty potentially to face military charges over what Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth described on social media as “seditious” acts. US President... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334151/fbi-probes-democratic-lawmakers-who-warned-us-military-about-illegal-orders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334151/fbi-probes-democratic-lawmakers-who-warned-us-military-about-illegal-orders?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 23:08:34 +0000 Frank Tang Frank Tang US President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday disclosed further details about its agreement with China on the control of fentanyl precursors, key ingredients in the production of the drug that kills tens of thousands of Americans each year. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel said in a regular White House briefing that China has agreed to control seven chemical subsidiaries that are used to produce the lethal drug, after Beijing’s export control decision announced on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3332557/us-outlines-china-plan-curb-fentanyl-chemicals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3332557/us-outlines-china-plan-curb-fentanyl-chemicals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:20:26 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Beijing has tightened controls over fentanyl precursors destined for countries in North America following the recent summit in South Korea between the US and Chinese presidents. The Ministry of Commerce announced on Monday that China would make adjustments to the catalogue of drug-related precursor chemicals and require licences for the export of certain chemicals to the United States, Canada and Mexico. Specifically, exports of 13 chemicals to the three countries now require a permit, according... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332240/china-tightens-controls-fentanyl-precursors-bound-us-canada-and-mexico?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332240/china-tightens-controls-fentanyl-precursors-bound-us-canada-and-mexico?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 13:08:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The US and Cambodia will revive flagship military exercises for the first time in eight years, the latest sign of warming ties following a flurry of deals between the two sides including a Trump-backed peace accord with Thailand. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the return of the Angkor Sentinel drills after a meeting with his Cambodian counterpart on the sidelines of a security summit in Malaysia on Friday. The defence exercises were suspended in 2017, at a time when Washington... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3331158/us-cambodia-military-drills-return-after-8-year-hiatus-amid-warming-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3331158/us-cambodia-military-drills-return-after-8-year-hiatus-amid-warming-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2025 05:35:56 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Multiple people who had allegedly been plotting a violent attack over the Halloween weekend were arrested Friday in Michigan, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post. The law enforcement effort was focused on suburban Detroit. Patel said more information would be released later. Investigators believe the plot was inspired by Islamic State extremism and are investigating whether those in custody were potentially radicalised online, according to two people briefed on the investigation... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3331137/fbi-foils-halloween-weekend-attack-plot-michigan-director-kash-patel-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3331137/fbi-foils-halloween-weekend-attack-plot-michigan-director-kash-patel-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 19:32:53 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were among more than 30 people who have been charged in connection with schemes involving illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by organised crime, US authorities said on Thursday. FBI Director Kash Patel and other law enforcement officials said the multiple charges involved four mafia families and organised crime networks, and “mind-boggling” amounts of fraud. Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, accused... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3330115/portland-trail-blazers-coach-billups-heats-rozier-arrested-gambling-probe-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3330115/portland-trail-blazers-coach-billups-heats-rozier-arrested-gambling-probe-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 14:17:47 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press New Zealand’s defence minister warned in an interview that small countries in the South Pacific face growing pressure from great power competition for their rare minerals and fisheries wealth, and that more action was needed from regional neighbours to help in preserving island nations’ sovereignty. Judith Collins, who also oversees New Zealand’s intelligence and space portfolios, spoke on Wednesday before departing for Washington, where she will meet Trump administration officials including... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3329139/new-zealand-seeks-us-help-protect-pacific-china-over-rare-minerals-fisheries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3329139/new-zealand-seeks-us-help-protect-pacific-china-over-rare-minerals-fisheries?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:25:59 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The FBI in 2023 analysed phone records of more than half a dozen Republican lawmakers as part of an investigation into efforts by US President Donald Trump to overturn the results of the 2020 election, according to information released on Monday by Republican senators. The records enabled investigators to see basic information about the date and time of the calls but not the content of the communications, the senators said. The data encompassed several days during the week of January 6, 2021,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3328061/fbi-analysed-phone-records-senators-part-trump-january-6-probe-lawmakers-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3328061/fbi-analysed-phone-records-senators-part-trump-january-6-probe-lawmakers-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 23:01:50 +0000 Associated Press,Reuters Associated Press,Reuters The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein. On the first day of their new term, the justices declined to take up a case that would have drawn renewed attention to the sordid sexual abuse saga after US President Donald Trump’s administration sought to tamp down criticism over its refusal to publicly release more investigative files from Epstein’s case. Lawyers for Maxwell, a British socialite, argued that she never... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3328046/supreme-court-declines-hear-ghislaine-maxwell-appeal-epstein-sex-trafficking-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3328046/supreme-court-declines-hear-ghislaine-maxwell-appeal-epstein-sex-trafficking-case?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 14:20:21 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press On a visit to New Zealand, FBI Director Kash Patel gave the country’s police and spy bosses gifts of inoperable pistols that were illegal to possess under local gun laws and had to be destroyed, New Zealand law enforcement agencies said. The plastic 3D-printed replica pistols formed part of display stands Patel presented to at least three senior New Zealand security officials in July. Patel, the most senior Trump administration official to visit the country so far, was in Wellington to open the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3327388/fbis-patel-sparks-scandal-new-zealand-illegal-gun-gifts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3327388/fbis-patel-sparks-scandal-new-zealand-illegal-gun-gifts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 08:58:59 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The gunman who opened fire on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas hated the US government and wanted to incite terror by killing federal agents, officials said Thursday, offering the first hint of a motive in the attack. Citing handwritten notes found at his suburban home, authorities said 29-year-old Joshua Jahn set out to ambush the agency and then fatally shot himself following the assault. The shooting at daybreak Wednesday targeted the ICE office building, including a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326905/gunman-dallas-ice-facility-wanted-terrorise-agents-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326905/gunman-dallas-ice-facility-wanted-terrorise-agents-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 22:54:22 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah man charged with murder on Tuesday in the shooting of Charlie Kirk, sent a text message confessing to his partner and hid a note beforehand saying he had the chance to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices “and I’m going to take it”, a prosecutor said. DNA on the trigger of the rifle that killed Kirk also matched that of Robinson, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said while outlining the evidence and announcing charges that could result in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3325780/tyler-robinson-charged-charlie-kirks-murder-could-face-death-penalty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3325780/tyler-robinson-charged-charlie-kirks-murder-could-face-death-penalty?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 18:38:56 +0000 Reuters Reuters Kash Patel defended his tenure as FBI director before a US Senate panel on Tuesday, angrily pushing back on questions about his handling of the investigation into the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the firings of veteran officials. Patel’s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee came as critics, including some allies of US President Donald Trump, have questioned his leadership of the most prominent US law enforcement agency. Patel offered a broad defence of his... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3325779/trumps-fbi-chief-grilled-over-charlie-kirk-shooting-epstein-files?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3325779/trumps-fbi-chief-grilled-over-charlie-kirk-shooting-epstein-files?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 17:44:48 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The FBI on Friday searched the Maryland home and Washington office of former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton as part of a criminal investigation into the potential mishandling of classified information, a person familiar with the matter said. Bolton was not detained and has not been charged with any crimes, said the person, who was not authorised to discuss the investigation by name and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Messages left with a spokesperson for Bolton... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322867/fbi-searches-home-ex-trump-national-security-adviser-bolton-classified-documents-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322867/fbi-searches-home-ex-trump-national-security-adviser-bolton-classified-documents-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 12:01:26 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen China has rejected claims that it is a growing espionage threat to New Zealand, calling the suggestions in Wellington’s latest intelligence report “groundless” and “riddled with ideological bias”. In the annual report released on Thursday, New Zealand said it was facing its toughest national security challenges, with increasing threats of foreign interference and espionage. It said Beijing was the “most active” player in this interference, an escalation from last year when it labelled China a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322652/textbook-misinformation-china-rejects-new-zealand-security-report-accusations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322652/textbook-misinformation-china-rejects-new-zealand-security-report-accusations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 10:00:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The White House pulled out all the stops on Wednesday to promote claims that Barack Obama headed a “treasonous conspiracy” against Donald Trump, seeking to redirect public attention from the uproar over its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein affair. Trump’s intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard told a White House press briefing there had been a “years-long coup” by Obama. The extraordinary narrative essentially rehashed Trump’s long-standing argument that investigations into Russia’s multilayered... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3319358/white-house-pushes-obama-coup-story-epstein-questions-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3319358/white-house-pushes-obama-coup-story-epstein-questions-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 02:07:24 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg For US President Donald Trump, whose political career has benefited from voter anxiety over Washington elites, the health of his predecessor and the riches of Wall Street, the past week offered a reversal of fortune. Trump’s efforts to escape the uproar over Jeffrey Epstein failed spectacularly, after The Wall Street Journal published a story alleging he once sent a suggestive birthday letter to the disgraced financier – a claim the president denied. The White House was forced to make a rare... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3318899/trumps-week-wins-dented-epstein-storm-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3318899/trumps-week-wins-dented-epstein-storm-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 08:55:59 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan When the Federal Bureau of Investigation last week arrested a suspected Chinese hacker for allegedly stealing sensitive American research on Covid-19 vaccines in 2020, the head of America’s top law enforcement agency hailed the episode as “manhunting” the Chinese Communist Party. “The CCP’s relentless attacks on our institutions will not go unanswered,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on social media. “The FBI will hunt down those who threaten our national security – wherever they hide,” he wrote,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3318356/us-china-spy-wars-intensify-under-trump-20-tech-competition-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3318356/us-china-spy-wars-intensify-under-trump-20-tech-competition-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 19:41:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran-linked hackers have threatened to disclose more emails stolen from US President Donald Trump’s circle, after distributing an earlier batch to the media ahead of the 2024 US election. In online chats with Reuters on Sunday and Monday, the hackers, who go by the pseudonym Robert, said they had roughly 100 gigabytes of emails from the accounts of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan, Trump adviser Roger Stone and porn star-turned-Trump antagonist Stormy... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3316447/iran-linked-hackers-threaten-release-trump-aides-emails?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3316447/iran-linked-hackers-threaten-release-trump-aides-emails?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2025 22:51:39 +0000