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

3 h. ago Trump recasts US allies as tools to counter China in security playbook: analysts

US President Donald Trump’s new national security strategy frames America’s allies not just as partners, but as instruments to preserve US primacy and counter China’s rise, analysts say. The strategy urges wealthy allies to increase defence spending, align more closely with Washington on measures such as export controls, and take greater responsibility for their regions, a shift that recasts long-standing alliances as tools in great-power competition. The 33-page document declares that the era...

Politics

3 h. ago Why China may be better placed than US in tussle for rare earths

During his Southeast Asia trip in October, US President Donald Trump sealed deals with Malaysia and Thailand on the same day – both aimed at securing and diversifying America’s supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths. Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim agreed to step up cooperation on building and expanding critical minerals supply chains, according to a White House statement. They also agreed to strengthen the security of critical minerals and rare earths supplies in...

Politics

4 h. ago US Supreme Court to weigh Trump bid to limit birthright citizenship

The US Supreme Court agreed on Friday to decide the legality of President Donald Trump’s directive to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States, a contentious part of his efforts to curb immigration and a step that would alter how a 19th century constitutional provision has long been understood. The justices took up a Justice Department appeal of a lower court’s ruling that blocked Trump’s executive order telling US agencies not to recognise the citizenship of children born in the US...

Politics

4 h. ago Trump’s national security blueprint aims to combat China’s rise in Latin America

The White House released a national security blueprint on Friday, marking a sweeping assertion of US influence in the Americas. The framework pledges to prevent non-Western powers from expanding their foothold across the Western Hemisphere, a clear reference to China’s growing presence in the region. In US strategic parlance, the “Western Hemisphere” refers broadly to the Americas, a geopolitical space long regarded as a place Washington has sway over. This belief harks back to the Monroe...

Politics

4 h. ago Trump’s new national security blueprint aims to combat China’s rise in Latin America

Trump’s new national security blueprint aims to combat China’s rise in Latin America  South China Morning Post

Politics

4 h. ago US judge orders release of grand jury transcripts in Epstein case

A US federal judge on Friday ordered the release of the grand jury transcripts from the investigation in Florida of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Justice Department requested the unsealing of the transcripts after US President Donald Trump signed a bill last month requiring the public release of all government records regarding Epstein. Grand jury proceedings are generally kept secret and a previous Justice Department request to unseal the transcripts from Epstein’s Florida case...

Events

6 h. ago China’s He Lifeng holds ‘constructive’ call with US officials Bessent, Greer

Top Chinese and US officials held a call on Friday to discuss trade, including ongoing efforts to implement an agreement to de-escalate their countries’ trade war. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng had an “in-depth and constructive” video call with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported. Both sides agreed to promote the stable development of bilateral trade and economic ties, and “expand the list for cooperation...

Politics

6 h. ago China’s VP has ‘constructive’ call with Trump officials Bessent and Greer

Beijing and Washington held a call on Friday to discuss bilateral trade and economic ties, as a variety of practical issues – from soybean orders to computer chips – remain problematic despite the trade truce in October. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng’s video call with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was part of a bilateral negotiation mechanism started this year to address issues between the world’s two largest economies. The two sides had...

Politics

8 h. ago EU hits Musk’s X with US$140 million fine, risking Trump’s ire

The European Union hit Elon Musk’s X with a €120 million (US$140 million) fine on Friday for breaking its digital rules, in a move that risks a fresh clash with US President Donald Trump’s administration. The high-profile probe into the social media platform was seen as a test of the EU’s resolve to police Big Tech. US Vice-President J.D. Vance fired a warning against “attacking” US firms through “censorship” before the penalty was even made public. Imposing the first fine under its powerful...

Events

10 h. ago US lawmakers move to block Trump from easing China chip curbs

US lawmakers move to block Trump from easing China chip curbs  Asia Financial

Politics

12 h. ago IceCure Medical (NASDAQ: ICCM) adds China patent, IP portfolio reaches 55 assets

IceCure Medical (NASDAQ: ICCM) adds China patent, IP portfolio reaches 55 assets  Stock Titan

Politics

12 h. ago Trump national security blueprint declares ‘era of mass migration is over,' targets China’s rise

Trump national security blueprint declares ‘era of mass migration is over,' targets China’s rise  Fox News

Events

12 h. ago ‘If Jesus were born in America now’: church’s nativity challenges ICE policy

Mother Mary wearing a respirator mask to protect herself from tear gas. Baby Jesus with zip-tied hands, wrapped in a thin blanket that looks like aluminium foil. Masked centurions with sunglasses and green vests labelled “ICE”. This is how the Lake Street Church of Evanston in suburban Chicago chose to assemble its nativity scene for the Christmas season. The church and its leaders have been vocal critics of the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz and expressed a message with their...

Events

16 h. ago From steel to space: China giant sells first 2 satellites in bold pivot

Jigang Group spent decades forging the metal for China’s infrastructure boom. Now, the former industrial titan is building hardware for the final frontier. The state-owned company, once one of the nation’s top steel producers, has secured orders for its first two satellites – an all-important step in its years-long transformation to capture demand in the country’s burgeoning commercial space industry. Reporting this week on the purchase, the Economic Observer said production was expected to...

Politics

18 h. ago Bali mulls Airbnb ban to put a lid on revenue leak, overtourism

Bali is considering a ban on Airbnb’s accommodation, its latest attempt to impose order on a resort island struggling to cope with a record surge in tourism. Use of Airbnb-style rentals has exploded in recent years, eroding tax revenue from hotels even as foreign arrivals boom, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster told state news agency Antara. The proliferation of unregistered villas and guest houses in turn hampers the government’s ability to raise revenue to fund public services, he was quoted as...

Society

20 h. ago Aukus deal to move ‘full steam ahead’ after surviving Trump review

The Pentagon said on Thursday it has endorsed the tripartite Aukus security pact with the United Kingdom and Australia, which would involve Canberra’s acquisition of at least three Virginia-class nuclear submarines within 15 years. The administration of Donald Trump said earlier this year it was reviewing a 2021 deal for the nuclear-powered attack submarines signed under his presidential predecessor, Joe Biden. The Department of Defence completed its five-month review, which endorsed the Aukus...

Politics

24 h. ago China motorcyclist fulfils woman’s wish by honouring dead son at Tibet’s sacred stone

A young man in China who rode an electric motorcycle from his hometown in eastern China to Tibet has helped a woman realise her wish of bringing her deceased son’s photo to a stone renowned for being the closest place to heaven. Dou Jiaqi, who recently turned 18, completed his electric motorcycle journey from Xinyi, a small city in Jiangsu province, to Lhasa on November 24, as reported by the Xuzhou Daily. The 4,800-km journey took him 11 days, according to the report. About a week before Dou...

Sport

25 h. ago HSBC to occupy over 40,000 sq ft at Hong Kong’s Capitol Centre in 2026

HSBC is set to occupy more than 40,000 sq ft of space in Capitol Centre in Causeway Bay, as Hong Kong’s largest bank joins a growing list of finance and banking firms snapping up commercial space in the city. The London-headquartered lender signed a five-year lease, which starts May 18, 2026, for five levels – ground plus four floors of the building, according to Land Registry records. The deal was registered in late November. The records did not show the size or rent for the leased space, but...

Events

26 h. ago Trump praises DR Congo and Rwanda leaders, who sign his deal as fighting continues

US President Donald Trump praised the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda for their courage as they signed a deal on Thursday aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Congo and opening the region’s critical mineral reserves to the US government and American companies. The moment offered Trump – who has repeatedly and with a measure of exaggeration boasted of brokering peace in some of the world’s most entrenched conflicts – another chance to tout himself as a dealmaker...

Politics