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The latest news, analysis and opinion on Russia. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
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Moscow
Head of State
President Vladimir Putin
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Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin
The Tang Honglu Well Stele pictured at its original site in Lushun in the early 20th century. Photo: Handout
China-Japan relations

Japan urged to ‘correct historical errors’, return Tang dynasty stele to China

9.5-tonne stone slab shipped to Japan as ‘war trophy’ in 1908 is described as one of China’s most significant ‘lost national treasures’.

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Brics

Testing the waters: is Brics evolving into a security alliance?

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Middle East

Iran cleric demands death for protesters, threatens Trump amid unrest

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US-China relations

Tesla’s defeat, Harvard’s success, Beijing’s shock: 7 US-China relations reads

From China’s EV power to Hegseth’s new threat, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in the first half of January 2026.

Practitioners perform martial art next to a BYD Sealion 7 electric vehicle at Singapore Motorshow on January 9. Photo: AFP
Iran

Putin offers to mediate Iran-Israel tensions after Trump threat

The Russian leader spoke with Israel’s Netanyahu and Iran’s Pezeshkian on Friday, offering Moscow’s help to de-escalate tensions, the Kremlin said.

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US-Venezuela conflict

Trump pick for South America command sidesteps China questions at Senate hearing

Lieutenant General Francis Donovan’s answers frustrated even Republicans in favour of a military-first plan to counter Chinese influence.

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Open Questions series

Open Questions | China wins if Venezuela ensnares Trump, Mearsheimer says

Maduro’s ‘kidnap’ and naked grab for Venezuela’s oil may leave US bogged down and less able to keep eye on China, political scientist John Mearsheimer says.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Greenland

Europeans send military personnel to Greenland in message to Trump

Initial deployments are small, but Denmark is planning a ‘larger, more permanent’ Nato presence.

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Ukraine war

Kremlin warns Ukraine running out of time to accept peace terms

The Kremlin insists Ukraine is running out of options as US-led talks stall, warning that the ‘situation is deteriorating’ for Kyiv daily.

India

‘Trump’s wrath’: India’s aim to diversify trade via Iran faces tariff threat

The 25 per cent tariff against countries that trade with Iran may curtail India’s plan to develop the Chabahar port in Iran.

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Officials attend a ceremony in 2019 to mark the first export convoy to India via Iran at Chabahar port. Photo: Getty Images
India

Trump’s 500% tariff push raises risk of India-US trade freeze

Such punitive tariffs would erode India’s export competitiveness and force the country to reorient its trade elsewhere, analysts warn.

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A train carrying cargo containers rides along a railway track in Ajmer, India, in August 2025. The US is India’s largest export market, receiving about 18 per cent of its total goods exports. Photo: AFP
United States

US halts visas for 75 countries indefinitely; China not on the list

Trump administration pauses immigrant visa processing from January 21, affecting applicants worldwide while exempting key visa categories.

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United States

Denmark cites ‘fundamental disagreement’ with Trump over Greenland

US president asserts ‘we need Greenland’, as Denmark announces a stepped-up military presence in the Arctic with its allies.

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Ukraine war

Opinion | Why Russia is gambling on a protracted war in Ukraine

Despite a stagnating economy and mounting casualties on the battlefield, Moscow believes it can wait out Ukrainian and Western resolve.

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Ukrainian rescuers work to extinguish a fire at a heavily damaged residential building following Russian drone and missile attacks in Kyiv, Ukraine, on January 9. Photo: AFP
Vladimir Putin

How Putin’s focus on Ukraine war leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba exposed

Russia’s war in Ukraine leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba vulnerable, exposing security failures and eroding trust in Moscow’s global influence.

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at the Kremlin during their May 2025 meeting in Moscow. Photo: Reuters
China's military weapons

Why the US may find Iran’s air defence system harder to break than Venezuela’s

China’s most advanced export, the HQ-9B surface-to-air missile, is reported to be integrated into Iranian systems.

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US-Venezuela conflict

Letters | The strategic calculations behind Trump’s Venezuela raid

Readers discuss the objectives of the US raid on Venezuela, why the episode pleases China and Russia, and how to help Shenzhen shine as a global city.

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China energy security

Can China’s cheap, renewable energy help it outrun the US in the AI race?

China’s energy buildout means cheap, green and reliable electricity fuels its manufacturing and tech industries, giving it an edge over rivals.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
Middle East

Trump urges on protesters in Iran as crackdown death toll surges

As Tehran accuses the US of inciting violence, Trump warns of ‘very strong action’ if Iran hangs protesters.

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United States

Republican bill eyes Greenland as 51st US state in Trump’s arctic power play

Republican congressman from Florida, Randy Fine introduced a bill to annex Greenland, citing national security.

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India

Germany’s Merz backs India-EU trade deal during first official visit to Asia

The German chancellor and India’s Modi have signed agreements aimed at boosting bilateral trade and enhancing defence cooperation.

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrives for an appointment on Monday as part of his state visit to India. Photo: dpa
Donald Trump

Video | Trump slaps 25% extra tariffs on Iran’s trading partners

Trump announces tariffs ‘effective immediately’ on economies doing business with Tehran, including India and China, Iran’s largest trading partner.

U.S. President Donald Trump points while sitting next to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as they attend a meeting with oil industry executives, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 9, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Diplomacy

Opinion | Why China now needs North Korea’s denuclearisation

As optimism grows over an end to the Ukraine war, a weakening of Moscow’s support for Pyongyang may give Beijing new leverage to stabilise the Korean peninsula.

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Greenland

Greenland says it should be defended by Nato, rejects any US takeover

The Arctic island’s government insists that security must happen through the Western alliance, not via US ownership.

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US-Venezuela conflict

Cuba’s president denies being in talks with US after Trump threats

Havana rejects ‘make a deal’ ultimatum as Trump vows to cut off Venezuelan oil and money to the communist-run island.

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Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel speaks during an event held in support of Venezuela, in Havana on January 3. Photo: EPA
US-China relations

Europe’s real threat is its own inner ‘demon’, not Russia: former Chinese envoy

Beijing’s longest-serving ambassador to the US also claims Nato has outlived its relevance, as Trump ramps up pressure on Greenland.

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Cui Tiankai served as China’s ambassador to the United States from 2013 to 2021. Photo: Reuters
Asean

Opinion | Why US ops in Venezuela have shaken Asia-Pacific’s middle powers

Middle powers fear a return to ‘rules of the jungle’ geopolitics as rival powers carve out spheres of influence.

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Greenland

Britain in talks with Nato allies over Arctic security as US eyes Greenland

UK minister says talks on the Arctic ‘business as usual’, while Trump posits having Greenland ‘one way or the other’.

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