2 h. ago Trump talks trade with Canada, Mexico leaders at World Cup draw

US President Donald Trump met with the leaders of Mexico and Canada to discuss trade issues on Friday after the leaders hosted the 2026 World Cup draw at Washington’s storied Kennedy Centre. The White House said Trump held talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum after the star-studded event, but gave no details on their discussions. Canadian media said the meeting lasted for 45 minutes and the leaders spoke on their own, with no staff present. Trump...

Politics

32 h. ago Trump and Sheinbaum to meet for first time at Fifa World Cup draw in Washington

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will hold a short in-person meeting with US President Donald Trump this week in Washington, as they continue to negotiate over US tariffs on her nation’s goods. Their first face-to-face encounter will take place on Friday, Sheinbaum confirmed during her daily press briefing on Thursday. Sheinbaum will also meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Washington, where the leaders are set to attend the draw for the 2026 Fifa World Cup hosted by the...

Politics

52 h. ago Bessent calls Beijing an ‘ally’ after Trump signs bill on ties with Taiwan

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday described the United States as an ally to both mainland China and Taiwan, while at the same time asserting that its relationships have not shifted, hours after US President Donald Trump enacted legislation deepening US ties with the self-governed island. Asked about concerns among some in Washington about the Trump administration’s approach to the long-held policy of strategic ambiguity on the Taiwan issue at The New York Times DealBook Summit,...

Politics

3 d. ago Pope Leo urges Trump not to attempt military ousting of Venezuela’s Maduro

Pope Leo urged US President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday not to try to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro using military force. Leo, the first US pope, said it would be better to attempt dialogue or impose economic pressure on Venezuela if Washington wants to pursue change there. The Trump administration has been weighing options to combat what it has portrayed as Maduro’s role in supplying illegal drugs that have killed Americans. The socialist Venezuelan president has denied...

Events

5 d. ago Trump confirms call with Venezuela’s Maduro as US military piles pressure

US President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday he had recently spoken with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro amid soaring tensions between the two countries, while Caracas condemned what it called US preparations for an attack. The United States is piling the pressure on Venezuela, with a major military build-up in the Caribbean, the designation of an alleged drug cartel run by Maduro as a terrorist group, and an ominous warning from Trump that Venezuelan airspace is “closed”. Washington says the aim...

Events

5 d. ago Trump’s world view offers Beijing a window of opportunity on Taiwan

Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, a growing chorus of Chinese officials and analysts have talked of an unprecedented window of opportunity for Beijing to recalibrate its domestic and international strategies. At its heart lies the Taiwan question, a perennial flashpoint in relations between Washington and Beijing. As the Trump administration ramps up its “America first” policies abroad, the US – the self-appointed world’s policeman for seven decades – has embarked on an...

Politics

7 d. ago Trump vows to freeze migration from ‘Third World Countries’ after Washington attack

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday his administration will “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries”, following an attack near the White House he attributed to Biden-era immigration vetting failures. Trump did not identify any countries by name or explain what he meant by third-world countries or “permanently pause”. He said the plan would include cases approved under former president Joe Biden’s administration. “I will permanently pause migration from all Third...

Politics

8 d. ago Trump orders review of immigrant visas after National Guard attack

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...

Events

1 week ago Trump calls Takaichi after Xi, China’s cruise dominance: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump talks to Japanese PM hours after his overnight call with China’s Xi Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed “the close cooperation” between Tokyo and Washington in a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, hours after Trump spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. 2. China sends emergency return vehicle to space...

Politics

1 week ago Trump calls Japanese PM hours after his overnight call with China’s Xi

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed “the close cooperation” between Tokyo and Washington in a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, Japanese media reported. The conversation – which took place hours after Trump spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping – covered strengthening of the Japan-US alliance along with the various challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region, Takaichi said, according to the Fuji News Network. “During the conversation, President...

Politics

1 week ago Trump talks to Japanese PM hours after his overnight call with China’s Xi

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed “the close cooperation” between Tokyo and Washington in a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, hours after Trump spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Takaichi said her conversation with Trump covered the strengthening of the Japan-US alliance along with the various challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region, according to the Fuji News Network. The phone call came amid escalating tension between Beijing and Tokyo...

Politics

1 week ago Beijing says US initiated ‘positive, friendly and constructive’ Trump

Washington initiated the phone call between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Monday, Beijing has clarified, describing the conversation as “positive”. “According to my understanding, the call was initiated by the US side, and the atmosphere of the conversation was positive, friendly and constructive,” Mao Ning, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, told a regular press conference on Tuesday. Communication between the two heads of state on issues of shared concern...

Politics

2 w. ago Judge orders Trump end National Guard deployment in Washington DC

A US federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to end its months-long deployment of National Guard troops to help police the nation’s capital. US District Judge Jia Cobb concluded that President Donald Trump’s military takeover in Washington DC illegally intrudes on local officials’ authority to direct law enforcement in the district. She put her order on hold for 21 days to allow for an appeal, however. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued to challenge the...

Politics

2 w. ago US honours Republican titan Dick Cheney, with Trump off the funeral guest list

Dick Cheney, celebrated as a master Republican strategist but defined by the darkest chapters of America’s “war on terror”, was honoured on Thursday in a funeral attended by Washington’s elite that pointedly left out US President Donald Trump. Cheney’s career over half a decade reads like a catalogue of American statecraft, even as his long shadow over foreign policy – as defence secretary during the Gulf War and as the 46th vice-president under George W. Bush – still divides the country. Bush...

Politics

2 w. ago Dick Cheney’s funeral held in Washington, with Trump off guest list

Dick Cheney, celebrated as a master Republican strategist but defined by the darkest chapters of America’s “War on Terror”, was honoured on Thursday in a funeral attended by Washington’s elite that pointedly left out President Donald Trump. Cheney’s career reads like a catalogue of American statecraft, even as his long shadow over foreign policy - as defence secretary during the Gulf War and the 46th vice-president under George W. Bush - still divides the country. Bush and fellow former...

Politics

2 w. ago As US and China turn their eyes to Central Asia, Russia loses out

As a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Moscow has lost much of its influence in Central Asia. In the coming months and years, the United States is expected to expand its presence in this strategically important region. But given that China has developed close economic ties with regional actors, how does Beijing view Washington’s ambitions? Coincidentally or not, on November 6, the US and China both held important meetings with Central Asia. In Washington, US President Donald Trump hosted the...

Politics

2 w. ago China rapidly expands nuclear test site as Trump revives Cold War tension

China rapidly expands nuclear test site as Trump revives Cold War tension  The Washington Post

Events

2 w. ago China expands desert nuclear test site as Trump revives nuclear tension

China expands desert nuclear test site as Trump revives nuclear tension  The Washington Post

Events

2 w. ago US ends arms embargo, but can it pry Cambodia away from China on defence?

By lifting its arms embargo on Cambodia, Washington has signalled that President Donald Trump aims to lure Phnom Penh away from Beijing – a move experts warn would be difficult to achieve. According to a notice from the US Federal Register, the State Department formally ended its arms embargo on Cambodia as of November 7, and any arms sales to the country will now be decided on a case-by-case basis. “Based on Cambodia’s diligent pursuit of peace and security, including through renewed engagement...

Politics

4 w. ago US’ nuclear submarine nod gives South Korea massive depth of power

The United States has given South Korea the green light to build nuclear-powered submarines – a landmark decision that could significantly boost Seoul’s naval capabilities and place it among a select group of nations with such assets. Analysts say the move could reshape Northeast Asia’s strategic landscape in ways that not only strengthen deterrence but also reduce the risk of open conflict, as Washington recalibrates its alliance priorities under President Donald Trump. Trump announced the...

Events