https://www.scmp.com/rss/5/feed Breaking news, analysis and opinion from the SCMP's international edition. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin As Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump wrapped up their three-day state visit on Friday, a stark contrast in the two presidential couples’ hand-holding dynamics was on display, body language experts said. The exchanges between Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, and Trump and first lady Melania Trump, were closely followed on the trip, with the couples’ activities together on Friday culminating in an outing at the National Archives Museum in Washington. The couples’ divergent... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368874/what-donald-trump-and-xi-jinping-revealed-body-language-their-wives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368874/what-donald-trump-and-xi-jinping-revealed-body-language-their-wives?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 23:29:47 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Tehran had offered Washington a plan that would see the Strait of Hormuz reopened to maritime navigation within seven days once agreed. Araghchi met with US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff for talks on Tuesday, and previously set out conditions for ending the war and reopening the vital energy shipping channel. “Iran has conveyed to the United States, through Qatar, a concrete seven-day plan. If the necessary conditions are... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368872/iran-offers-us-plan-reopen-hormuz-within-7-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368872/iran-offers-us-plan-reopen-hormuz-within-7-days?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 21:03:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Investigators believe Tasia Fortune was already dead before the black woman’s body was hanged from a tree behind an abandoned home in the Mississippi capital this summer, a detective testified on Friday. The hanging of Tasia Fortune’s body, which was found on August 3, was “staged”, Jackson police detective Samuel Dukes testified, citing the medical examiner’s opinion. Authorities have not disclosed the exact cause of Fortune’s death, but they did rule it a homicide and have arrested two men,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368871/black-woman-tasia-fortunes-hanging-was-staged-after-her-death-mississippi-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368871/black-woman-tasia-fortunes-hanging-was-staged-after-her-death-mississippi-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 19:59:37 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China is poised to decide which of two Latin American women becomes the first to lead the United Nations, after three rounds of informal voting in the Security Council failed to produce a favourite. Several UN delegations that spoke to the South China Morning Post over the past three days said Beijing was weighing Rebeca Grynspan, the Costa Rican economist who heads UN Trade and Development, and Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana’s ambassador to the UN. The same delegations said China had ruled... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3368869/china-set-decide-if-costa-rican-or-guyanese-diplomat-becomes-first-woman-un-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3368869/china-set-decide-if-costa-rican-or-guyanese-diplomat-becomes-first-woman-un-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:09:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters US television networks resumed coverage of President Donald Trump’s White House events on Friday, providing the first live pool access for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit, as a legal battle continues over restrictions on CNN, MS Now and Politico. Trump last week banned the three outlets from the White House, before a judge ordered the administration to restore their access. The White House television press pool aired video of Xi’s arrival at the White House for tea on the final day of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368868/us-tv-networks-back-white-house-trump-praises-fair-coverage-xi-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368868/us-tv-networks-back-white-house-trump-praises-fair-coverage-xi-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:07:41 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. Unrivalled Xi-Trump summit analysis: get real-time updates and exclusive boots-on-the-ground reporting from our US and China bureaus all year round. Subscribe now with great savings to stay ahead. After three days in Washington, President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan returned to China with a promise of more face-to-face diplomacy with US President Donald Trump later this year, but not a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368858/last-day-xis-us-visit-begins-trump-white-house-tea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368858/last-day-xis-us-visit-begins-trump-white-house-tea?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:49:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pope Leo on Friday warned against losing humanity in a “paradise of machines”, after church bells rang and thousands gathered to welcome him to France amid worldwide concern over the dangers of artificial intelligence. “If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment,” Leo said after President Emmanuel Macron welcomed him to the presidential palace, on the first of four days... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368852/paris-pope-warns-against-losing-humanity-paradise-machines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368852/paris-pope-warns-against-losing-humanity-paradise-machines?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:14:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters European Union member countries ⁠have agreed a ⁠deal to release €6.6 billion (US$7.5 billion) in EU funds linked to military aid for Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Friday. The money will ‌come from the European Peace Facility, a fund used by EU members to finance military aid to countries outside the bloc. It also refunds EU governments for military aid they have provided. Of the released funds, €900 million will ⁠go to the EU’s military assistance mission for Ukraine and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368849/eu-release-us75-billion-linked-ukraine-military-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368849/eu-release-us75-billion-linked-ukraine-military-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 12:57:47 +0000 Simon Tay Simon Tay The good news is, when US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Washington this week, neither chose confrontation. Amid the high pomp and ceremony, what China has called “constructive strategic stability” continues. Even an uneasy truce in great power relations can be useful. Both recognise the considerable incentive to prevent their economic rivalry from spiralling out of control. Even limited understandings can reduce risks in artificial intelligence (AI) and other... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3368638/us-china-world-asean-must-do-more-avoid-choosing-sides?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3368638/us-china-world-asean-must-do-more-avoid-choosing-sides?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 12:30:12 +0000 dpa dpa Italy has passed a decree banning face coverings in all schools and capping the proportion of newly arrived foreign pupils with insufficient Italian at 30 per cent per class from the next school year, the government in Rome said on Friday. The government said the 30 per cent quota applies in primary school to children who do not hold Italian citizenship, were not born in Italy and have not attended an Italian kindergarten for at least two years. In secondary schools the same rules apply, except... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368837/italy-ban-burkas-schools-30-cap-pupils-poor-italian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368837/italy-ban-burkas-schools-30-cap-pupils-poor-italian?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:20:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Six people, including four tourists, were missing after a building collapsed following an explosion early Friday in Athens’ historic Plaka district that was probably due to a huge gas leak. The city’s mayor Haris Doukas called the blast an “unbelievable disaster” and spoke of the likelihood of an “explosion triggered by … a very significant gas leak” that led to the collapse of the two-storey building at around 7.30am on Friday morning. The building is just below the Acropolis. According to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368808/3-injured-after-explosion-causes-building-collapse-athens-tourist-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368808/3-injured-after-explosion-causes-building-collapse-athens-tourist-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 09:13:15 +0000 Agencies Agencies President Emmanuel Macron said France would send troops to defend an oil plant in Saudi Arabia as the Iran-backed Houthi militia took responsibility for new attacks on the kingdom. Macron said in a television interview Thursday with TF1 and France 2 that he would send soldiers and military support to help protect the Saudi port of Yanbu. Saudi Arabia came under attack from the Houthi militia on Thursday, with the kingdom saying it intercepted missiles fired towards the Red Sea port of Yanbu and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368772/france-protect-key-saudi-oil-terminal-houthis-step-missile-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368772/france-protect-key-saudi-oil-terminal-houthis-step-missile-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 06:03:48 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon and Emmy winner Hannah Einbinder were among a reported 100 people detained by police in New York on Thursday as they broke up a protest against the Israeli prime minister. NYPD officers handcuffed and led away Thelma & Louise star Sarandon at the demonstration as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was readying to address the United Nations General Assembly. The New York Post reported Einbinder, of the show Hacks, had also been frogmarched from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368728/hollywood-star-susan-sarandon-among-100-arrested-new-york-anti-netanyahu-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368728/hollywood-star-susan-sarandon-among-100-arrested-new-york-anti-netanyahu-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 23:43:58 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Amnesty International called for the abolition of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is tasked with leading Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant crackdown, in a report released on Thursday. The report, titled “We Had Whistles, They Had Guns”, documents widespread human rights violations during ICE’s large-scale operations, the rights watchdog said. The release comes less than a week after a Venezuelan migrant, Wilber Garces Perez, was shot and wounded by an ICE agent in Austin, Texas,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368727/amnesty-international-calls-abolition-ice-report-documenting-rights-violations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368727/amnesty-international-calls-abolition-ice-report-documenting-rights-violations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 23:19:18 +0000 dpa dpa UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has told Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a face-to-face meeting that Britain will “not tolerate intimidation, threats or hostile activity on UK soil” from groups linked to his country. Miliband met his Iranian counterpart in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday. The Foreign Office said the pair discussed the war in the Middle East, the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the UK’s “unwavering resolve to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368726/uk-will-not-tolerate-intimidation-foreign-secretary-tells-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368726/uk-will-not-tolerate-intimidation-foreign-secretary-tells-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 23:05:08 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao The European Commission is pressing China for progress by next month to address the widening EU-China trade imbalance, and raising the possibility of new protectionist trade policy. The deadline raises a question: how should China and its trading partners address perceived economic imbalances while sharing the benefits of Chinese industrial competitiveness? China’s merchandise trade surplus approached US$1.2 trillion last year even as other exporting economies press for controls. “Overcapacity”... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368293/chinas-industrial-strengths-must-also-benefit-its-trading-partners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368293/chinas-industrial-strengths-must-also-benefit-its-trading-partners?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 21:30:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Costa Rica’s President Laura Fernandez on Thursday fired her foreign minister for attending a meeting on Latin America’s security led by US President Donald Trump without telling her. Fernandez said she should have been the one to attend the meeting of Trump’s anti-cartel “Shield of the Americas” alliance in New York, and that Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar’s failure to consult her caused “great strategic damage”. The meeting took place on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3368722/costa-ricas-foreign-minister-fired-attending-trump-meeting-without-telling-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3368722/costa-ricas-foreign-minister-fired-attending-trump-meeting-without-telling-president?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 21:18:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters The two US senators backing a permanent legislative ban on Chinese cars in the United States agreed on Thursday to delay their plan to use a fast track procedure to win Senate approval until next week, to seek the support of a lone holdout. Republican Senator Bernie Moreno and Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin had planned to seek ‌approval for the procedure – which requires unanimous Senate backing – on Thursday, the same day that US President Donald Trump met China’s President Xi Jinping in... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368721/us-senators-delay-effort-permanently-ban-chinese-cars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3368721/us-senators-delay-effort-permanently-ban-chinese-cars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 20:30:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US mortgage rates have exceeded 7.0 per cent, data showed Thursday, reaching their highest level since Donald Trump returned to the presidency as voters grapple with high costs of living ahead of midterm elections. The popular 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.03 per cent as of Thursday, a stark uptick from 6.30 per cent the same period a year ago. This is the highest average level since January 16 last year, just days before Trump returned to the White House, according to data from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368720/us-30-year-mortgage-rates-top-7-highest-trump-presidency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368720/us-30-year-mortgage-rates-top-7-highest-trump-presidency?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 19:52:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US’ cybersecurity agency on Thursday released an election infrastructure security plan 40 days before November’s midterms, laying out potential threats to election systems and listing services it would offer to election officials to protect the vote. The plan, which Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had originally promised to release by mid-August, comes after the Trump administration has been trying to kickstart efforts to help states protect voting systems. Election officials... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368719/us-cybersecurity-agency-releases-election-infrastructure-plan-40-days-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368719/us-cybersecurity-agency-releases-election-infrastructure-plan-40-days-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:39:04 +0000 Reuters Reuters A man armed with a knife killed a priest and injured four other people during an attack on clergy and worshippers at a Benedictine abbey in southern Poland on Thursday, authorities ‌said. The man used a knife he took from a kitchen there to attack one woman and four men, including one priest who was in a confessional, a prosecutor said. The attack took place at a Benedictine Sisters monastery on the grounds of the abbey in Jaroslaw, local media reported. A 31-year-old Ukrainian man was arrested,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368718/knifeman-kills-priest-injures-4-attack-polish-abbey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368718/knifeman-kills-priest-injures-4-attack-polish-abbey?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:11:28 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Lashing out at his country’s critics, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu angrily dismissed allegations of Israeli genocide in Gaza as “the biggest lie of the century” in a defiant speech to the UN General Assembly that asserted his nation’s right to wage war against Iran. Scores of delegates trooped out of the hall in protest. Netanyahu addressed the plenum after days of speeches by world leaders condemning Israel’s war in Gaza and accusing him of orchestrating a genocide against the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368717/abbas-accuses-israel-waging-genocidal-war-gaza-pre-recorded-un-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368717/abbas-accuses-israel-waging-genocidal-war-gaza-pre-recorded-un-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 17:40:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Croatian court has approved the extradition of a Ukrainian man who is wanted in Germany in connection with the 2022 undersea explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines, state media said on Thursday. The report from HRT Television quoted the suspect’s lawyer Ljubo Pavaskovic as saying that he will appeal the September 18 ruling. It was not immediately clear when the man could be handed over to Germany. He was arrested on a European warrant in the northern Croatian town of Pula in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368715/croatian-court-approves-extradition-nord-stream-blast-suspect-germany?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368715/croatian-court-approves-extradition-nord-stream-blast-suspect-germany?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:46:52 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The eviction of an 87-year-old from her Madrid home has highlighted a political paralysis that has thwarted efforts to resolve Spain’s chronic housing crisis, fuelling debate before next year’s election. Maricarmen Abascal’s 70-year stay at her home in upmarket central Madrid ended on Wednesday when she left escorted on a stretcher, flanked by protesters on one side and police on the other – a traumatic event broadcast live on TV. Unable to afford a 275-per cent increase to the monthly rent... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368712/spains-housing-crisis-spotlight-eviction-pensioner-87?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368712/spains-housing-crisis-spotlight-eviction-pensioner-87?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:56:09 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. Xi’s US summit: Access real-time updates, geopolitical risk analysis, and exclusive reporting from an Asian perspective. Subscribe now with our limited-time offer to stay ahead. President Xi Jinping and China’s first lady Peng Liyuan arrived at the White House on Thursday, on Xi’s first trip to the US in nearly a decade, following US President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing in May. Trump greeted Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368706/xi-begins-first-full-day-us-visit-meet-trump-white-house-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368706/xi-begins-first-full-day-us-visit-meet-trump-white-house-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:53:20 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A British far-right activist who has led protests against migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats was charged on Thursday after allegedly slashing a dinghy in the water. The incident comes as agitators against immigration adopt a confrontational new tactic of trying to stop the boats landing on England’s shores, clashing with police and rescuers in the process. A video posted on Tuesday on social media appears to show Daniel Thomas, 37, taking a knife to an inflatable boat, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368701/uk-far-right-activist-arrested-after-migrant-boat-slashed-english-channel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368701/uk-far-right-activist-arrested-after-migrant-boat-slashed-english-channel?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:11:35 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press When Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz at the start of the war, choking off sea passage for some 15 million barrels of oil a day, many feared that prices would skyrocket, cratering the world economy. Instead, nearly seven months on, oil is expensive but not exorbitant, and analysts say there is enough oil available to meet current global needs, even as the higher prices cause political problems for US President Donald Trump and others. That’s because Saudi Arabia and other Gulf producers... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368688/gulf-nations-keep-oil-flowing-amid-iran-war-its-getting-costly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368688/gulf-nations-keep-oil-flowing-amid-iran-war-its-getting-costly?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:40:36 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and its northeast killed eight people on Thursday in attacks that included a maternity hospital and a farm, officials said. Moscow has stepped up its air ‌war in recent months, deploying more of its faster and harder-to-stop drones while Ukraine is short of interceptors to down ballistic missiles. Two people died in the latest assault on Kyiv, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in New York for the UN General... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3368667/8-killed-russian-strikes-ukraine-maternity-clinic-damaged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3368667/8-killed-russian-strikes-ukraine-maternity-clinic-damaged?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:08:42 +0000 Reuters Reuters The White ⁠House said on Thursday it has reinstated journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico after a federal judge deemed US President Donald Trump’s ban of the three news outlets likely to be unconstitutional and ordered their access immediately restored. The midday reinstatement came after a chaotic few hours earlier on Thursday when the journalists continued to be blocked from entering the White House grounds. That prompted the three news organisations to request an immediate hearing before... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368609/us-judge-orders-white-house-lift-trump-ban-news-outlets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368609/us-judge-orders-white-house-lift-trump-ban-news-outlets?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 05:37:38 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed Argentina’s claim to sovereignty over the islands known to Britain as the Falklands and to Argentines as the Malvinas, calling it a key issue for his nation and urging the parties to find a “peaceful solution” as tensions with London over the disputed archipelago grow. “The Malvinas for us is a national cause,” Milei, a strong ally of US President Donald Trump, said Wednesday while addressing the UN General Assembly in New York. Milei accused the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3368606/milei-renews-argentinas-falklands-claim-rails-against-useless-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3368606/milei-renews-argentinas-falklands-claim-rails-against-useless-un?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 05:11:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Italy’s Senate on Wednesday gave final approval to legislation paving the way for a return to nuclear power nearly four decades after the Chernobyl disaster prompted the country to abandon atomic energy. The measure cleared the upper house 81-51 with seven abstentions. It marks a major step in Premier Giorgia Meloni’s drive to bolster energy security and meet climate goals, even though the construction of possible new reactors is still years away. The bill, which earlier passed the lower Chamber... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368603/italy-greenlights-return-nuclear-power-after-decades-long-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368603/italy-greenlights-return-nuclear-power-after-decades-long-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 04:44:43 +0000 Ji Siqi,Teresa Elena Frontado,Carol Yang,Alyssa Chen Ji Siqi,Teresa Elena Frontado,Carol Yang,Alyssa Chen With China and the US agreeing to extend a tariff truce that was set to expire in November – and US President Donald Trump giving his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, a personal welcome on the tarmac – analysts say the Chinese leader’s state visit has begun on a positive note. The extension will run for two months through January 10, a sign the world’s two largest economies are willing to negotiate broader agreements and build positive momentum despite an increasingly heightened rivalry spanning... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368583/deep-respect-analysts-weigh-trumps-red-carpet-welcome-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3368583/deep-respect-analysts-weigh-trumps-red-carpet-welcome-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:30:20 +0000 Reuters Reuters Venezuela’s interim ⁠President Delcy Rodriguez told the UN ⁠General Assembly on Wednesday that the country would hold ⁠elections as part of a transition to “full democracy”, but did not give a specific date for the vote. “I want to make this very clear at this General Assembly: there will be elections in Venezuela,” said Rodriguez, who came to power after American forces captured then-President Nicolas Maduro in a January raid. Rodriguez said the government had initiated talks with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3368582/un-venezuelas-interim-president-promises-elections-without-setting-date?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3368582/un-venezuelas-interim-president-promises-elections-without-setting-date?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:29:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The heads of major artificial intelligence firms pleaded with the United Nations on Wednesday to save the world or at least its people – by somehow regulating the fast-expanding technology that they have been designing. “If managed poorly, I even believe AI could be a risk to humanity as a whole,” said Dario Amodei, chief executive officer of Anthropic. And from his competitor Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, came this assessment: “We could lose control of the future to AI”. Both said the countries of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368575/tech-leaders-un-sake-humanity-please-control-ai-technology-we-created?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368575/tech-leaders-un-sake-humanity-please-control-ai-technology-we-created?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 23:44:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Turkey will hand over control of its base in Bashiqa in northern Iraq to Baghdad, the Turkish presidency announced on Wednesday in a joint statement with its neighbour. “In light of progress achieved by these security measures implemented by Iraq, Turkish forces will gradually hand over the Bashiqa-Zilkan base to the Federal Government of Iraq in accordance with the agreed mechanism and timetable,” a joint statement said. The announcement followed a meeting Wednesday between Turkish President... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368571/turkey-hand-over-military-base-iraq?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368571/turkey-hand-over-military-base-iraq?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 22:59:22 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the US for a high-stakes summit, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio moved to restrict visas for those who “engage in or facilitate” birth tourism, a practice the Trump administration has increasingly accused China of. “By restricting visa issuance of those who both engage in and profit from this fraud, we are sending a clear message: the United States will not allow foreigners to exploit our immigration system and violate the sanctity of US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3368569/us-restricts-visas-birth-tourism-ahead-xi-jinpings-summit-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3368569/us-restricts-visas-birth-tourism-ahead-xi-jinpings-summit-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:50:26 +0000 Ravi Kant Ravi Kant A country’s diaspora can be a symbol of its pride and power. A nation’s diaspora can help it build international value through success stories, promote its soft power through culture and contribute to its economic progress through remittances, investments and transfers of expertise. India and China have among the world’s largest diasporas. They also offer two very different models of how countries can leverage their diasporas. In India, before the 1991 reforms, people mostly saw those who left... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367636/china-leveraging-its-diaspora-boost-economy-unlike-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367636/china-leveraging-its-diaspora-boost-economy-unlike-india?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:30:06 +0000 SCMP SCMP This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. Unrivalled Xi-Trump summit analysis: get real-time updates and exclusive boots-on-the-ground reporting from our US and China bureaus. Subscribe now with great savings to stay ahead. President Xi Jinping met US President Donald Trump at Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews airbase, in the first face-to-face talks between the Chinese and American leaders since Trump visited Beijing in May. On this first... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368567/xi-begin-3-day-us-visit-rare-airport-welcome-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368567/xi-begin-3-day-us-visit-rare-airport-welcome-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:18:58 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Moscow at the United Nations on Wednesday that his nation would strike back and make the coming winter deeply painful for Russia, if the two sides cannot agree a truce on energy attacks before the cold sets in. Ukraine and its allies are racing to secure limited agreements on energy infrastructure and Black Sea shipping before winter, fearing renewed Russian strikes on power and heating ‌facilities, while Moscow continues to show little interest in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3368566/ukraines-zelensky-warns-painful-winter-russia-if-energy-truce-talks-fail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3368566/ukraines-zelensky-warns-painful-winter-russia-if-energy-truce-talks-fail?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:01:32 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier US President Donald Trump has been very eager to show off to Chinese leader Xi Jinping his new US$5 million White House helipad, his latest bid to stamp his image on Washington. While Xi might act impressed and compliment the US president on his latest building project – part of Trump’s bid to match Xi’s splendour-filled hosting four months ago in Beijing and show the Chinese that Americans can build infrastructure too – do not count on Xi actually trying it out with a chopper ride this week... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3368565/donald-trump-built-us5-million-white-house-helipad-dont-expect-xi-jinping-use-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3368565/donald-trump-built-us5-million-white-house-helipad-dont-expect-xi-jinping-use-it?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 20:07:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Relatives of people who committed suicide using poison sold by a Canadian man gave wrenching accounts of pain and loss on Wednesday in court before a judge tasked with deciding the former chef’s prison term. Kenneth Law pleaded guilty in May to aiding in the suicide of 14 people in Canada after prosecutors determined they lacked evidence to convict him of murder over his online forums where he advised people on how to end their lives. Law has admitted that he proactively looked for customers,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368564/grief-and-pain-flow-hearing-canadian-suicide-poison-vendor-kenneth-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368564/grief-and-pain-flow-hearing-canadian-suicide-poison-vendor-kenneth-law?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:58:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday killed an Indian sailor, Omani and Indian authorities said, with the latter condemning the ongoing attacks in the vital shipping lane. Since the start of the Middle East war, Iran has sought to impose its control over the maritime conduit for Gulf oil and gas, occasionally striking ships accused of failing to coordinate with its authorities or deviating from its preferred route. In retaliation, the US has been enforcing a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368562/indian-sailor-killed-attack-vessel-hormuz-india-and-oman-authorities-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368562/indian-sailor-killed-attack-vessel-hormuz-india-and-oman-authorities-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:20:43 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Paraguayan President Santiago Pena told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that his country “is not neutral” on the Taiwan Strait, pledging support for the self-ruled island and calling for its “full and meaningful participation” in the UN system. Casting a conflict in the strait as a potentially far greater threat than the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Pena warned of “ominous clouds gathering over the Indo-Pacific” and of a conflict that would hit Japan, the rest of East and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368561/paraguays-president-urges-un-let-taiwan-calls-islands-exclusion-stain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368561/paraguays-president-urges-un-let-taiwan-calls-islands-exclusion-stain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:01:59 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the welcome planned for Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, saying it would be “irresponsible” for the world’s two largest economies to avoid talks at the highest level despite their disagreements. Speaking to reporters at the United Nations hours before Xi’s expected arrival in Washington, Rubio was asked about criticism from Republican Senator Roger Wicker, who had argued against inviting the Chinese leader for a lavish visit. “The relationship... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3368559/marco-rubio-defends-xi-jinpings-us-visit-essential-despite-deep-disagreements?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3368559/marco-rubio-defends-xi-jinpings-us-visit-essential-despite-deep-disagreements?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 17:14:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused US President Donald Trump of a “bullying mentality” at the United Nations on Wednesday, saying Iran would not surrender in the war with the US but remained open to diplomacy to end the conflict. In a wartime address to the 193-member UN General Assembly, Pezeshkian said threats would only ‌harden Iran’s resolve, rejecting Trump’s warning that he could annihilate Iran if no deal were reached. “The remarks made by the US president yesterday … are a sign... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368558/irans-pezeshkian-accuses-trump-bullying-mentality-vows-no-surrender?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368558/irans-pezeshkian-accuses-trump-bullying-mentality-vows-no-surrender?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 16:38:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who was at the centre of abuse allegations that spurred the #MeToo movement, was resentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting a former production assistant. Weinstein, 74, forcibly performed oral sex in 2006 on Miriam Haley, one of dozens of women who have made accusations against the Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love producer. Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in 2020 for the sexual assault, but it was overturned on appeal in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368557/harvey-weinstein-gets-15-years-jail-2006-new-york-sex-crime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368557/harvey-weinstein-gets-15-years-jail-2006-new-york-sex-crime?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 16:04:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US-backed Board of Peace is proposing a six-month US$2.45 billion plan to begin reconstruction and governance in Gaza as President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan struggles to stay afloat. At a meeting of the group’s board, the governors unveiled a 66-project blueprint to get things started while acknowledging enormous hurdles that must still be overcome. The projects include ambitious infrastructure, education and health initiatives that are designed to support Trump’s 20-point plan to end... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368551/trumps-board-peace-proposes-us245-billion-gaza-reconstruction-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3368551/trumps-board-peace-proposes-us245-billion-gaza-reconstruction-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:37:34 +0000 Reuters Reuters Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli ordered the one-day closure of the Colosseum on Wednesday as a mark of respect after a worker was ‌killed overnight in an accident. Andrea Moretti, a 22-year-old technician, died after falling several metres while installing a new lighting system inside the ancient Roman arena. Built 2,000 years ago, the Colosseum was the biggest amphitheatre in the ⁠Roman Empire, used to host gladiator fights, executions and animal hunts. ‌It is Italy’s most visited... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368532/italys-colosseum-closes-after-worker-dies-accident?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3368532/italys-colosseum-closes-after-worker-dies-accident?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 11:09:37 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Three shooters killed at least 11 people including a woman who was believed to be pregnant in an attack at a house party in South Africa, police said on Wednesday. Three others were wounded in the mass shooting late on Tuesday night in KwaMakhutha township around 30km (19 miles) south of the city of Durban on the east coast. The people had gathered at the house for a party when the suspects entered the house and opened fire, police said. Ten people, including the pregnant woman, died at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3368504/south-africa-mass-shooting-leaves-11-dead-3-wounded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3368504/south-africa-mass-shooting-leaves-11-dead-3-wounded?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:51:02 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Contemporary Amperex Technol­ogy Ltd (CATL) has cleared all regulatory hurdles for its mega factory in Hungary, a development that analysts expect will help the world’s largest producer of electric vehicle (EV) batteries extend its reach to international marques like BMW and Volkswagen. Production of battery cells at the €7.3 billion (US$8.35 billion) plant in Debrecen, the second-largest city in Hungary, began on Tuesday after it fulfilled all preconditions for a trial run, the company said. It... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3368463/chinese-ev-battery-giant-catl-starts-trial-production-hungarian-factory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3368463/chinese-ev-battery-giant-catl-starts-trial-production-hungarian-factory?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 06:00:04 +0000