https://www.scmp.com/rss/5/feed Breaking news, analysis and opinion from the SCMP's international edition. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Trump administration on Tuesday formally appealed against a judge’s order for refunds of the US president’s global tariffs after they were struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year. At stake is some US$166 billion in revenue. A refunds system handled by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has already begun to process repayments. Last month, the CBP said in a court filing that it was on track to process about US$85 billion in repayments, with US$20.6 billion approved for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355756/us-government-appeals-against-judges-order-trump-tariff-refunds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355756/us-government-appeals-against-judges-order-trump-tariff-refunds?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 23:39:25 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Canada and Mexico on Tuesday called for a 16-year renewal of the North American free trade agreement with the United States, in hopes of binding the three countries to a pact that US President Donald Trump has openly questioned. The agreement is vital for Canada and Mexico, as the US is their main trading partner and the destination for 75 and 80 per cent of their exports, respectively. In a letter Monday, Ottawa’s minister in charge of Canada-US trade Dominic LeBlanc said: “Canada recommends... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355755/canada-and-mexico-tell-us-they-want-free-trade-deal-renewed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355755/canada-and-mexico-tell-us-they-want-free-trade-deal-renewed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 23:21:40 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US Justice Department on Tuesday dropped a contentious plan to create a US$1.8 billion compensation programme that critics had denounced as a “slush fund” for President Donald Trump’s political allies. “We are not moving forward with the fund,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said during testimony before a House committee. The about-face is a setback for one of Trump’s most divisive second term initiatives, which had drawn criticism from Democrats, legal experts and numerous Republicans... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355754/trump-team-abandons-us18-billion-slush-fund-compensate-supporters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355754/trump-team-abandons-us18-billion-slush-fund-compensate-supporters?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 22:11:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse They went to war together against Iran, but Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s relationship is under strain after the US president reportedly called the Israeli premier “crazy”. Trump unleashed a profane tirade over the phone at Netanyahu over Israel’s threats to bomb the Lebanese capital Beirut, fearing it would undermine talks with Tehran, the Axios news outlet and ABC News reported. It underscored the increasingly shaky ties between two right-wing allies with lots to lose politically from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355753/trump-netanyahu-relationship-under-growing-strain-over-iran-youre-crazy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355753/trump-netanyahu-relationship-under-growing-strain-over-iran-youre-crazy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 21:41:11 +0000 Genevieve Donnellon-May Genevieve Donnellon-May In a move that could rattle global grain markets, China and neighbouring Kazakhstan – Central Asia’s largest grain producer and a key Belt and Road Initiative partner – agreed last week to establish a joint grain-trading platform during talks in Astana. The two sides also discussed long-term supply contracts, logistics hubs, dry ports and technology cooperation in storage and processing. Although full details remain limited, reports indicate the platform will be modelled on China’s state-managed... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355557/china-kazakhstan-grain-trading-deal-shows-shifting-asian-food-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355557/china-kazakhstan-grain-trading-deal-shows-shifting-asian-food-order?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil has won wider access to the world’s biggest beef market after China recognised the entire country as free of foot-and-mouth disease, though a new quota will still cap prices. The decision was announced on Tuesday by China’s General Administration of Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and was communicated during Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira’s visit to Beijing. After a risk analysis, Beijing lifted the restriction on northern Brazil and recognised the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355752/china-clears-brazilian-beef-foot-and-mouth-disease-quota-limits-profits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355752/china-clears-brazilian-beef-foot-and-mouth-disease-quota-limits-profits?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 21:03:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump will attend ⁠the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on July 24, he said in a social media post on Tuesday, after the annual event was postponed following a shooting. The black-tie gathering of journalists and politicians in Washington was postponed after a ‌suspect stormed a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the event on April 25, with Trump present. Trump and first lady Melania Trump were safely rushed out of the dinner. In a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355749/white-house-correspondents-dinner-gets-new-date-wake-shooting-incident?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355749/white-house-correspondents-dinner-gets-new-date-wake-shooting-incident?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:26:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse There is an 80 per cent chance of the warming El Nino phenomenon developing between June and August, increasing the risk of extreme weather events, the World Meteorological Organization said on Tuesday. “Fuelled by unusually warm ocean waters in the tropical Pacific, El Nino conditions are developing and are set to influence global temperature and rainfall patterns,” the United Nations’ WMO weather and climate agency said. Forecasts from the WMO global network “indicate a pronounced shift... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3355748/un-warns-world-prepare-el-nino-extreme-weather?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3355748/un-warns-world-prepare-el-nino-extreme-weather?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:07:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Trump administration has proposed a new punitive tariff of 25 per cent on many imports from Brazil, after deciding its practices were unfair on a range of issues from digital trade to illegal deforestation, top trade official Jamieson Greer said late on Monday. The measures, under the Section 301 trade statute, cover areas such as electronic payment services, preferential tariffs, intellectual property protection and ethanol market access as well, the Office of the United States Trade... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355743/us-proposes-25-tariff-punish-brazil-over-trade-practices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355743/us-proposes-25-tariff-punish-brazil-over-trade-practices?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:13:00 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Brussels agrees on tougher China trade policy, as Beijing vows retaliation The European Commission agreed on a tough new approach to trade relations with China in May, at a rare Beijing-focused debate among Brussels’ leadership. The trade-focused orientation debate is seen internally as the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3355389/putin-beijing-china-shock-eu-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3355389/putin-beijing-china-shock-eu-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:00:15 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US casts Cuba as China-linked security threat while still pushing for talks One day after the United States brought criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355387/china-cuba-us-security-threat-brazils-rare-earths-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355387/china-cuba-us-security-threat-brazils-rare-earths-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters A surge in gang-related shootings and bombings over the last decade, dozens of which were carried out by minors, has set Sweden apart from its European peers and left authorities an urgent problem: what to do with children who kill. The government, in power since 2022 and heading into a tight election in September where crime is a key issue, says the softly-softly approach of the past has failed and it is time to get ‌tough by sending children aged under 15 to prison rather than into social... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355733/sweden-prepares-prisons-13-year-old-gang-killers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355733/sweden-prepares-prisons-13-year-old-gang-killers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:45:45 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Places well-endowed with natural resources don’t usually become great powers or world-conquering empires. If anything, many suffer from the “resource curse”, which corrupts the domestic elite and invites foreign intervention, exploitation or outright colonisation. Like people, communities or nations that have fought to overcome adversity and disadvantages often become the most successful. Challenges – whether natural, geographical, social or military – make them fighters and winners. New... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3355507/how-adversity-has-guided-path-chinese-civilisation-through-ages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3355507/how-adversity-has-guided-path-chinese-civilisation-through-ages?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee The wide-ranging geopolitical rivalry between Beijing and Washington could soon expand into biotechnology, raising the prospect of fresh tensions even as American pharmaceutical firms have turned to China’s fast-growing industry for new drug candidates. Biotech in the world’s second-largest economy has long been viewed as a predominantly low-cost manufacturing base with opportunities arising from its vast domestic market. But years of sustained investment, cost advantages and faster development... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3355700/next-tech-war-why-biotech-may-become-new-us-china-battleground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3355700/next-tech-war-why-biotech-may-become-new-us-china-battleground?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 11:00:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Kenyan court blocked on Tuesday for another three weeks a proposed US Ebola quarantine facility that has triggered protests killing two people and ordered the government to disclose its agreement with Washington. The proposed 50-bed unit on an air force base in central Kenya for Americans exposed to the virus in Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda ‌has angered many Kenyans. They accuse the US of offloading the health risk of caring for patients. A Kenyan court last week temporarily... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3355719/protests-over-us-ebola-centre-kenya-kill-2-court-keeps-block-site?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3355719/protests-over-us-ebola-centre-kenya-kill-2-court-keeps-block-site?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:34:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters The head of the World Health Organization on Monday concluded his visit to Democratic Republic of Congo by briefing the president on the response to the Ebola outbreak, which an aid agency warned was likely much larger than official figures show. The outbreak, already the third-largest on record, persisted for weeks undetected, say health officials, who were behind the curve and ‌struggling to bring it under control. Arriving in DR Congo last week, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3355662/who-chief-ends-dr-congo-visit-group-warns-ebola-likely-spread-undetected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3355662/who-chief-ends-dr-congo-visit-group-warns-ebola-likely-spread-undetected?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 06:37:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian drones and missiles pounded the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities early on Tuesday, killing at least 18 people and wounding more than 100, authorities said, following days of warnings about Moscow’s plans for a major assault. Russia has targeted Ukraine’s power supply and infrastructure in a war now more than four years old, while Ukraine has stepped up attacks this year on Russian oil facilities. Both deny targeting civilians. It was the third heavy assault on Kyiv in under a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355645/major-russian-attack-kyiv-other-ukraine-cities-kills-least-9-wounds-dozens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355645/major-russian-attack-kyiv-other-ukraine-cities-kills-least-9-wounds-dozens?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 05:09:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters Denmark’s Social Democratic leader ⁠Mette Frederiksen said on Monday ⁠she has agreed to form a centre-left coalition government, maintaining her grip on power amid a crisis in ties with US President Donald Trump over the future of Greenland. The deal to form a minority cabinet gives Frederiksen a third ‌consecutive term as prime minister, ending months of uncertainty after a March election in which 12 parties won seats in the Danish parliament. “I have been to see His Majesty the King and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355638/denmarks-prime-minister-secures-third-term-after-marathon-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355638/denmarks-prime-minister-secures-third-term-after-marathon-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 04:41:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim on Monday slammed the Trump administration for potentially allowing advanced American AI chips to ‌be sent to overseas units of Chinese firms, and called on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify to Congress on the issue, according to a statement. In a surprise move, the Department of ⁠Commerce, which oversees US exports, on Sunday issued guidance to ‌close a potential loophole that may have led companies to export the world’s most advanced... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355616/senators-blast-trump-allowing-ai-chips-be-sent-overseas-units-chinese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355616/senators-blast-trump-allowing-ai-chips-be-sent-overseas-units-chinese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 22:53:44 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China’s top diplomat said on Monday that Beijing and Brasilia should “jointly repel external challenges”, as the two countries opened a high-level strategic dialogue in Beijing. Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remark during a visit by his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, who arrived in the Chinese capital this weekend for the fifth Global Strategic Dialogue between the two governments. “Practical cooperation in all areas has been steadily enhanced, and the two peoples have never been so... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355615/china-urges-brazil-jointly-repel-external-challenges-ties-deepen-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355615/china-urges-brazil-jointly-repel-external-challenges-ties-deepen-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:58:23 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian “You have absolutely no idea of what you’re talking about. The whole point of Pax Silica is to partner with countries who are good at doing different things because everyone wins from a secure supply chain,” wrote US Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg on a social media website in response to an online critic of the US strategic initiative with the Philippines. The spirited exchange came after Manila’s reported rejection of a request to extend diplomatic immunity to US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355350/philippines-bet-shaky-investment-pledges-us-risks-chinas-ire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355350/philippines-bet-shaky-investment-pledges-us-risks-chinas-ire?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump’s nearly US$1.8 billion fund to compensate victims of alleged government “weaponisation” has been put on hold after the White House faced fierce opposition from Republicans in Congress, three sources familiar with the plan said on Monday. The rare rebuke of Trump demonstrated some Republicans’ increased willingness to flex their political power against the president, particularly after his endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355614/trumps-us18-billion-weaponisation-fund-hold-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355614/trumps-us18-billion-weaponisation-fund-hold-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:49:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters China’s SAIC Motor plans to set ⁠up a car ⁠factory in Spain’s ⁠northwestern region of Galicia that would be its first production facility in the European Union, the regional government said on Monday. Galicia’s leader Alfonso Rueda said his administration ‌had given strategic priority to the project, with an initial investment envisaged at around €200 million (US$232 million). The project, which includes a logistics hub, still requires the central government’s approval for foreign direct... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355613/chinas-saic-plans-build-first-eu-car-plant-spains-galicia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355613/chinas-saic-plans-build-first-eu-car-plant-spains-galicia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:28:46 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US decision to classify two Brazilian gangs as terrorist organisations is a political one aimed at boosting an ally of US President Donald Trump, the son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, politicians and analysts say. The gangs join eight other Latin American organised crime groups designated by the US as foreign terrorist organisations. But unlike the rest, they do not operate in the United States. The listing of First Capital Command, known as PCC, and Red Command, or CV,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3355612/us-targeting-brazilian-gangs-attempt-sway-election-there-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3355612/us-targeting-brazilian-gangs-attempt-sway-election-there-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:06:00 +0000 dpa dpa US President Donald Trump has suffered a partial legal setback in his push to exclude transgender people from the military. The Trump administration may not remove the plaintiffs who brought the case from active military service, a federal appeals court in Washington said on Monday. The wider ban remains in place for now, however, giving the administration time to appeal. The ruling partly upheld a lower court decision that found the exclusion of transgender people from military service violated... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355611/pentagon-policy-illegally-banned-transgender-troops-military-appeal-court-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355611/pentagon-policy-illegally-banned-transgender-troops-military-appeal-court-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 19:31:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US State Department plans to drastically slash the number of US embassies and consulates in Africa that can process visas for foreigners seeking to go to the United States. The almost 50 US embassies and consulates that are processing visa applications will be reduced to 20 in the coming weeks, according to three US officials and an internal memo obtained by Associated Press. There is not yet a set date for the change, but it is expected in June, according to the officials, who were not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3355610/us-drastically-slash-number-embassies-africa-can-process-visas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3355610/us-drastically-slash-number-embassies-africa-can-process-visas?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 19:05:15 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado Efforts to negotiate an end to war in the Middle East appeared in limbo on Tuesday, after Iran-linked media reported that Tehran had suspended contact with Washington over Israel’s expanding offensive in Lebanon, even as US President Donald Trump insisted talks were continuing “at a rapid pace” and claimed to have helped broker a halt to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The conflicting accounts highlighted the fragile state of negotiations aimed at ending more than three months of... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3355608/trump-says-israel-dial-back-fighting-lebanon-after-iran-threatens-end-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3355608/trump-says-israel-dial-back-fighting-lebanon-after-iran-threatens-end-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:33:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US rapper Travis Scott angered fans in Istanbul after a performance that barely lasted 20 minutes, with the audience booing as he left the stage early on Monday, footage on social media showed. On his first tour of Turkey, the 35-year-old hip-hop star made his Istanbul debut late on Sunday and was to hold another event in the western Izmir resort on Monday. The Istanbul event was billed as “a performance that goes beyond a classic concert” with a limited audience of just 2,500 fans, according to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355607/fans-furious-travis-scotts-20-minute-istanbul-debut-set?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355607/fans-furious-travis-scotts-20-minute-istanbul-debut-set?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:16:48 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A UK court on Monday jailed a British Sikh man for life for killing a university student in a case that sparked anger after police handcuffed the dying victim following a false claim of racial abuse. A judge at Southampton Crown Court sentenced Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old local resident, to life in prison with an obligation to spend at least 21 years in jail for the killing of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak on December 3. A jury on Friday found Digwa guilty of murdering the accountancy and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355606/british-sikh-man-jailed-life-student-killing-southampton?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355606/british-sikh-man-jailed-life-student-killing-southampton?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:41:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Reporters and the public will be allowed to attend a key coming hearing for the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk, after a Utah judge on Monday denied a defence request to restrict access. Tyler Robinson’s defence team had asked Judge Tony Graf to close portions of the preliminary hearing on July 6–10, when prosecutors must show they have enough evidence to warrant a trial. It will mark the most significant presentation of evidence to date in a case that has so far focused on matters of media... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355605/key-hearing-man-accused-killing-charlie-kirk-will-be-public-judge-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355605/key-hearing-man-accused-killing-charlie-kirk-will-be-public-judge-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:11:39 +0000 dpa dpa Six people were stabbed in the hours after the Arsenal victory parade, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed, with a total of 24 arrests during the event. Thousands of Arsenal fans lined the streets around the Emirates Stadium in London on Sunday as the team embarked on their Premier League trophy parade. The Met deployed more than 500 officers to police the event, which saw 10 suspects arrested on suspicion of assaulting the police, one of whom allegedly threw racist abuse. One officer... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355599/6-stabbed-hours-after-arsenal-premier-league-victory-parade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355599/6-stabbed-hours-after-arsenal-premier-league-victory-parade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:59:56 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Peter Mandelson assured the British government it would “never regret” appointing him as ambassador to the United States, according to documents released on Monday, a pledge that was dramatically proven wrong within months. More than 1,500 pages of files relating to the appointment of Mandelson, a friend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as envoy to Washington at the start of US President Donald Trump’s second term, were released by the government to comply with a demand by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355598/uk-publishes-new-mandelson-files-raising-heat-pm-starmer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355598/uk-publishes-new-mandelson-files-raising-heat-pm-starmer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:52:34 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China’s contribution to global growth is underestimated while the yuan is positioned to emerge as a fundamentally strong global currency, according to a new study from a prominent Beijing-based think tank. Researchers from the China Finance 40 Forum (CF40) – comprising senior regulators and financial experts – said the country’s investment scale could be as much as 3.4 times that of the United States when measured by the volume of physical investment. The analysis, published in a note on Sunday,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3355562/chinas-investment-driven-role-global-growth-underestimated-study-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3355562/chinas-investment-driven-role-global-growth-underestimated-study-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:00:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Hundreds of youths in Kenya’s central town of Nanyuki on Monday showed against the establishment at the Laikipia Air Base of an Ebola quarantine centre for American citizens exposed to the virus. The protests come two days after Kenya’s High Court suspended the establishment of the facility and the arrival of any foreign patients pending the hearing of a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya and a constitutional watchdog. The two organisations cited Kenya’s fragile health system as the reason... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3355580/young-kenyans-protest-ebola-quarantine-centre-us-citizens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3355580/young-kenyans-protest-ebola-quarantine-centre-us-citizens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:05:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ⁠ordered attacks on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday, signalling further escalation of a war that has complicated mediation towards resolving the US-Iran conflict. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said on Monday that Israeli attacks in Lebanon were among factors causing a delay to the diplomatic process to end the US-Iran war, reiterating that a Lebanon ceasefire was an integral part of any... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355575/netanyahu-orders-strikes-beiruts-southern-suburbs-clouding-iran-mediation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355575/netanyahu-orders-strikes-beiruts-southern-suburbs-clouding-iran-mediation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:56:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US said it struck Iranian military sites at the weekend and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Monday it had targeted a US base in response, the latest exchange of attacks amid negotiations to end the three-month-old war. The US and Iran have sporadically exchanged strikes ‌since their ceasefire took effect in early April as diplomacy aimed at a more durable agreement drags on. A similar exchange occurred last Thursday and was described in near-identical terms by both sides. The weekend US... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355512/us-says-struck-iran-military-sites-tehran-responds-targeting-base?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355512/us-says-struck-iran-military-sites-tehran-responds-targeting-base?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:48:21 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese archaeologist who discovered 5,000-year-old city pleads guilty to corruption 2. Hong Kong body took action after teacher carried female student like bride 3. ‘Clear-eyed’ on China: the takeaways from Pete Hegseth’s Shangri-La speech 4. Rising costs in Singapore spur business migration as... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3355501/chinese-archaeologist-pleads-guilty-firms-flee-singapores-costs-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3355501/chinese-archaeologist-pleads-guilty-firms-flee-singapores-costs-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:32:04 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Former US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell used one of his first major public appearances since leaving office to defend independent institutions while accepting an award Sunday honouring his efforts to preserve the central bank’s independence. Speaking at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Powell called universities, courts, Congress and the central bank “the foundation and the embodiment of our democracy” and argued that the Fed’s independence was a “priceless asset” that must be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355503/powell-uses-jfk-award-speech-defend-fed-political-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355503/powell-uses-jfk-award-speech-defend-fed-political-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 03:35:39 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu It’s that time of the year again – tax season, so don’t forget to fill out your return. It’s also the time of the year when the Hong Kong government decides on pay rises for its civil service staff of over 170,000. There’s a well-established system for deciding on pay rises. It includes the pay trend survey submitted to the government last week. Its preliminary results indicate that civil servants are in line for wage increases of 4.12 per cent for senior civil servants, 2.64 per cent for... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3355319/who-benefits-significant-improvement-hong-kongs-finances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3355319/who-benefits-significant-improvement-hong-kongs-finances?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US Department of Commerce on Sunday moved to close a year-old potential loophole it had created that may have led companies to export ‌the world’s most advanced chips – such as Nvidia’s most sophisticated Rubin and Blackwell processors, as well as AMD’s MI350x – to Chinese entities located outside China. The unexpected guidance suggests the United States’ best artificial intelligence chips may have been making their way to the subsidiaries of Chinese AI firms based in places such as Malaysia... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355492/us-takes-step-halt-nvidia-ai-chip-shipments-chinese-firms-outside-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355492/us-takes-step-halt-nvidia-ai-chip-shipments-chinese-firms-outside-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 21:46:33 +0000 Reuters Reuters Syrian President ⁠Ahmed al-Sharaa held a phone ⁠call with US President Donald Trump in which they discussed supporting the Syrian economy and the latest regional developments, the Syrian presidency said ‌on Sunday. During the call, Sharaa said lifting the remaining US sanctions on Syria was essential to reviving the economy and attracting investments, according to the statement. The United States says some sanctions remain in ⁠place despite dismantling most of its Syria sanctions regime and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355491/syrias-sharaa-holds-phone-call-trump-syrian-presidency-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355491/syrias-sharaa-holds-phone-call-trump-syrian-presidency-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 20:26:38 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A family of four from Massachusetts were killed when a bus crashed into multiple vehicles in Virginia as they were travelling to a wedding. The family wedding will go forward on Sunday in South Carolina but it also will be a time to mourn the loss of Dmitri and Ecaterina Doncev and their two children, Emily and Mark, a relative said Saturday. “A son, a father – the whole family – everyone that has been dear to us,” Carolina Bublik said. The Doncevs were killed when a coach caused a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355490/chinese-bus-driver-charged-crash-killed-5-virginia-including-family-4?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355490/chinese-bus-driver-charged-crash-killed-5-virginia-including-family-4?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 19:45:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s chief negotiator warned on Sunday the United States was not to be trusted, saying Tehran would not agree to any deal with Washington unless it fully secured Iranian rights. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s remarks came as reports emerged that US President Donald Trump had sent a tougher peace proposal back to Iran, and underlined the rift that the parties still need to close. Any tweaks to the draft could further delay an agreement to formally end the Middle East war and reopen the Strait of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355489/iran-says-does-not-trust-us-trump-toughens-terms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355489/iran-says-does-not-trust-us-trump-toughens-terms?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 19:10:30 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A museum in eastern France on Sunday reported to police the theft of a banana that forms a core part of a multimillion-dollar artwork by Italian visual artist Maurizio Cattelan. The missing fruit – which was taped to a wall to form the provocative work by Cattelan called Comedian – was noticed by a guard on Saturday to have gone missing. An iteration of the artwork was bought by Chinese-born cryptocurrency founder Justin Sun in 2024. He forked out US$6.2 million for the work, then days later ate... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355488/french-museum-reports-theft-banana-italian-artists-multimillion-dollar-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355488/french-museum-reports-theft-banana-italian-artists-multimillion-dollar-work?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 18:36:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A concert by the US rapper Kanye West, who was supposed to perform on July 18 in Reggio Emilia in northern Italy, has been banned on public safety grounds, the authorities said. The prefect of the province, Salvatore Angieri, said the decision was made following requests from bodies including the local Jewish community. They had “expressed reservations” about the appearance of the rapper as part of the Pulse of Gaia Festival, the statement released on Friday evening said. Another concert by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355487/italy-bans-kanye-west-concert-over-security-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355487/italy-bans-kanye-west-concert-over-security-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 17:36:53 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon in the deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter-century, the military said on Sunday. The taking of Beaufort castle, near the city of Nabatiyeh, followed days of air strikes and intense fighting in nearby villages between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants. The capture marked a major Israeli advance in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on March 2, when... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355486/israeli-army-captures-strategic-crusader-built-castle-lebanon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3355486/israeli-army-captures-strategic-crusader-built-castle-lebanon?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 17:04:35 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A United Airlines flight bound for Spain from Newark Liberty International Airport turned around mid-flight on Saturday due to a possible security threat. The flight departed at around 6pm local time for Palma de Mallorca, Spain, but landed back at Newark at 9.37pm, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The airline said there were 190 passengers and 12 crew members on the Boeing 767 aircraft. According to air traffic control audio, security came to inspect the aircraft... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355484/united-airlines-flight-spain-turns-back-newark-us-after-possible-security-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355484/united-airlines-flight-spain-turns-back-newark-us-after-possible-security-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 16:26:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press French police detained 780 people involved in violent clashes in Paris and other French cities that erupted on Saturday night after Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League title. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 57 officers were wounded, with most suffering minor injuries, as football fans set off fires and vandalised shops. One small group even tried to storm a Paris police station. Nuñez said at a news conference on Sunday that “the situation has been largely brought under... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355479/french-police-arrest-780-after-violent-paris-saint-germain-celebrations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3355479/french-police-arrest-780-after-violent-paris-saint-germain-celebrations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 13:56:31 +0000 Athanasios Platias,Vasilis Trigkas Athanasios Platias,Vasilis Trigkas Sun Tzu wrote that “fighting and winning all your battles is not the height of skill; subduing the enemy without fighting is the height of skill”. That maxim offers perhaps the clearest lens to interpret the logic of American grand strategy under US President Donald Trump. What many dismiss as inconsistency may conceal a patient strategic deception. The aim is not direct confrontation, but the quiet reshaping of the global economy in support of long-term US power. The US wants to improve its... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3355267/us-quietly-plays-long-game-energy-dominance-against-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3355267/us-quietly-plays-long-game-energy-dominance-against-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Colombia’s first-round presidential vote on Sunday triggered a run-off between a pro-Trump showman and a leftist philosopher-turned-senator, after a security-dominated campaign that has been the most violent in over a decade. Colombia’s electoral authority said right-wing hopeful Abelardo de la Espriella won 44 per cent of the vote, beating leftist favourite Ivan Cepeda with 41 per cent and a string of other candidates who trailed far behind. It was a stronger-than-expected showing for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3355473/colombian-voters-weigh-economic-reforms-against-right-wing-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3355473/colombian-voters-weigh-economic-reforms-against-right-wing-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 12:06:24 +0000