1 hour ago Russia launches deadly barrage on Ukraine after Putin–Trump summit shelved

Russia launched multiple drone and missile strikes on Ukraine as the latest peace attempts by US President Donald Trump appeared to be floundering. The attack killed at least six civilians, including two children, with more than a dozen injured across the country in the early hours of Wednesday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X. Zelensky said that 10 regions came under attack, including Kyiv, Odesa and Dnipro, adding that while the attack primarily targeted energy...

Politics

12 h. ago Can Trump’s gut instinct win over Xi Jinping at Apec summit?

US President Donald Trump is expected to approach his coming summit with Xi Jinping by relying on personal chemistry and his “gut”, but his ability to charm the Chinese leader will be limited at best, analysts and former government officials in Washington said on Tuesday. The first meeting in six years between the heads of the world’s two largest economies is expected to take place shortly before the October 31-November 1 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in South Korea. Among the topics...

Politics

12 h. ago Can Donald Trump’s gut instinct win over Xi Jinping at Apec summit?

US President Donald Trump is expected to approach his coming summit with Xi Jinping by relying on personal chemistry and his “gut”, but his ability to charm the Chinese leader will be limited at best, analysts and former government officials in Washington said on Tuesday. The first meeting in six years between the heads of the world’s two largest economies is expected to take place shortly before the October 31-November 1 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in South Korea. Among the topics...

Politics

21 h. ago Why Trump’s ‘best for business’ diplomacy will fail with Russia or China

“All I’ve done all my life is deals,” US President Donald Trump told the Gaza peace summit, going on to say “maybe this is going to be the greatest deal of them all”. Trump has cultivated his image on being the greatest deal-maker, a legacy central to his identity as a business tycoon and now fundamental to his reputation as a world leader. The ceasefire in Gaza has been framed as a crowning achievement in this repertoire. “Together we’ve achieved what everyone said was impossible, but at long...

Politics

25 h. ago Can Scott Bessent see China’s trade counterstrike with clear eyes?

After a video call last Saturday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng are expected to meet in Malaysia this week to hopefully ease tensions before US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping potentially meet on the sidelines of this year’s Apec summit. The meeting was in doubt when Trump threatened to impose an additional 100 per cent tariff on China, despite later relenting that it might not be sustainable. Washington blamed Beijing for the escalation,...

Events

49 h. ago Will Zelensky join Trump and Putin in Budapest for peace talks? Only if invited

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he would be ready to join Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Donald Trump at their summit in Hungary if he is invited. Trump and Putin said they would meet in the Hungarian capital, possibly in a matter of weeks, as the US leader continues to try to broker a peace deal to end the three-and-a-half-year war, triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion. “If I am invited to Budapest – if it is an invitation in a format where we meet as three...

Politics

3 d. ago Robots take centre stage at Canton Fair, defying US tariff concerns

At the autumn session of the twice-yearly Canton Fair – China’s oldest and largest trade exhibition – which opened this week, the busiest pavilions were those showcasing robotics, smart manufacturing and new energy vehicles. At the exhibition halls in Guangzhou, the capital of southern China’s Guangdong province, cameras flashed, crowds surged and long queues formed at booths displaying hi-tech products, with concerns about the shadows cast by US tariff increases thin on the ground. The sales...

Politics

4 d. ago Trump meets Zelensky, says he hopes Tomahawks won’t be needed to end war

US President Donald Trump appeared cool on Friday on the prospect of sending long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, suggesting to counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during a White House meeting that they may not be necessary if he can broker a peace deal. Zelensky came to Washington looking for arms to bolster his country’s forces in Ukraine’s three-year-old conflict with Russia, but Trump frequently highlighted his peace summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a matter of weeks, as Trump...

Politics

4 d. ago Trump urged to attend Quad Summit in India to showcase US leadership, counter China: ‘Beijing most serious challenge’

Trump urged to attend Quad Summit in India to showcase US leadership, counter China: ‘Beijing most serious challenge’  Mint

Politics

7 d. ago ‘Heartbroken’: Malaysia’s smokers and drinkers brace for a ‘sin tax’ shock

As the workday grinds on in Kuala Lumpur, 23-year-old office worker Adib finds solace in a few quiet cigarettes, but his unhealthy habit is about to come at a higher price. From next month, a new government policy will drive up the price of tobacco and alcohol in Malaysia as higher so-called sin taxes take effect. Unveiled by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in last week’s budget, the measure aims to improve public health. Yet it has also raised concerns about the rising cost of living. It...

Events

9 d. ago Hamas releases 20 living hostages as Trump declares Gaza war over

Hamas handed over the 20 surviving Israeli hostages on Monday under a ceasefire agreement, as US President Donald Trump and other world leaders geared up for a summit on Gaza. In Tel Aviv, a huge crowd which gathered to support hostage families erupted in joy, tears and song as news broke of the first releases, though the pain for the loss of those who had not survived was palpable. The releases are part of a ceasefire agreement brokered by Trump, with Israel due in return to free nearly 2,000...

Events

9 d. ago Trump, hailed in Israel, declares Gaza war ‘over’ as hostages return in ceasefire

Israel said the last 20 surviving hostages returned home on Monday after two years in captivity in Gaza, as US President Donald Trump received a standing ovation from Israeli lawmakers after brokering a ceasefire with Hamas. Trump’s lightning visit to Israel came ahead of a summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh co-chaired by the American president, who has declared the war in Gaza “over”. In Tel Aviv, a huge crowd that gathered to support hostage families erupted in joy, tears...

Events

1 week ago Malaysia braces for a volatile Asean summit with Trump centre stage

Just weeks ago, securing US President Donald Trump’s attendance at this month’s Asean summit was seen by many as a diplomatic masterstroke by Malaysia’s leader. But the fanfare surrounding the notoriously fickle American president’s impending arrival in Southeast Asia has since faded, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s apparent triumph of statesmanship transforming into a high-wire act fraught with risk. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ next summit is set to be held in...

Politics

1 week ago Melania Trump says she secured return of Ukrainian children via Putin talks

US first lady Melania Trump said on Friday she had secured the release of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia after establishing an extraordinary back channel of communication with President Vladimir Putin. In a rare public announcement at the White House, she revealed weeks of behind the scenes diplomacy with the Kremlin chief after he held a summit in Alaska with her husband, US President Donald Trump. Eight children displaced by Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine had been returned to their...

Politics

1 week ago China Tightens Rare Earth Export Controls Ahead Of Crucial Trump

China Tightens Rare Earth Export Controls Ahead Of Crucial Trump-Xi Summit In South Korea  Swarajyamag

Politics

1 week ago ‘I only care about Thailand’: PM snubs Trump’s Cambodia border mediation

Donald Trump has urged Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to pursue a peaceful resolution to the country’s simmering border conflict with Cambodia, as the US president looked to bolster his credentials for a Nobel Peace Prize. Trump’s push for a Thai-Cambodian peace deal was made in a letter to the Thai prime minister on Wednesday, coming just days before his planned trip to the region to attend a summit of leaders from Asean in Malaysia later this month. Trump’s intervention earlier this...

Politics

1 week ago Trump to face uncompromising Xi at APEC summit, warns China expert

Trump to face uncompromising Xi at APEC summit, warns China expert  Washington Times

Events

2 w. ago Asia’s youth lie flat, Indonesian megaproject downgrade: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Anwar’s Trump card: why Malaysia wants US president at Asean summit Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has prioritised pragmatism over ideology in sticking to his guns on inviting US President Donald Trump to attend the Asean summit this month, observers say. 2....

Politics

2 w. ago Japan’s LDP to pick new leader amid Trump summit talks and election woes

Japan’s long-governing party will choose a new leader to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in a key party vote on Saturday, as it hopes to regain public support and stay in power after major election losses. The Liberal Democratic Party (LFP), whose consecutive losses in parliamentary elections in the past year have left it in the minority in both houses, wants to select a leader who can quickly address challenges in and outside Japan, while seeking cooperation from key opposition groups to...

Politics

2 w. ago Japan’s LDP elects Sanae Takaichi, poised to be first female PM

China hawk Sanae Takaichi won the leadership of Japan’s ruling party on Saturday, putting her on course to become the country’s first woman prime minister. The 64-year-old, whose hero is Margaret Thatcher, is charged with reviving the ailing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as a new anti-immigration grouping snaps at its heels. The arch-conservative will almost certainly be approved by parliament as Japan’s fifth prime minister in as many years, a step that local media say could come the week of...

Politics