Trump urges ‘no changes’ to spending bill to end 3-day government shutdown

US President Donald Trump urged the House of Representatives on Monday to swiftly adopt a spending bill and end the three-day government shutdown.
“I hope all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this Bill, and send it to my desk WITHOUT DELAY,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The shutdown followed a breakdown in negotiations because of Democratic anger over the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents, which derailed talks over new money for…

China’s expat pilots arrived on a red carpet – now, they’re taking a red-eye out

When the first cohort of elite foreign captains parachuted into Chinese airlines in the 2000s, their sky-high pay – sometimes reaching 1 million yuan a year – raised eyebrows among their Chinese counterparts.
These hotshot aviators, with their international exposure and qualifications, enjoyed a stratospheric level of success in the burgeoning Chinese market. Facing a shortage of experienced pilots, Chinese carriers embraced them with open arms, granting generous benefits and speedy paths to…

Why China and Europe should care about Central Asia’s water crisis

Central Asia’s water insecurity may seem a distant concern. But its rivers underpin Eurasian trade corridors, sustain global food markets and power regional energy systems. As water stress worsens, this is no longer just an environmental issue but a strategic threat across Eurasia – demanding urgent attention in Beijing, Brussels and beyond.
Central Asia is warming twice as fast as the global average, accelerating glacier retreat in mountain ranges that act as natural reservoirs. As a result,…

Queen’s University Belfast cuts ties with US politician George Mitchell over Epstein links

Queen’s University Belfast on Monday cut ties with former US Senator George Mitchell over his links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, saying it was no longer appropriate to remain associated with the key figure in the Northern Ireland peace deal.
The university said its ⁠decision followed new information on Mitchell released in the latest trove of millions of files linked to late convicted sex offender Epstein by the US Justice Department last Friday.
The university plans to remove…

UK’s Starmer under fire from MPs over China trip amid claims he was ‘tricked’ by Beijing

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced backlash over his trip to China amid claims that the UK government has been “tricked” by Beijing.
Conservative former security minister Tom Tugendhat raised the issue of Chinese sanctions on British parliamentarians after Starmer announced that “all restrictions” had been lifted on current members.
Tugendhat, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, Senior Deputy Speaker Nusrat Ghani and Conservative former minister Neil O’Brien were among those…

Iran’s President Pezeshkian orders nuclear talks with US as Trump hopeful of deal

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, local media said on Monday, after US leader Donald Trump said he was hopeful of a deal to avert military action against the Islamic Republic.
Following the Iranian authorities’ deadly response to anti-government protests that peaked last month, Trump has threatened military action and ordered the dispatch of an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East.
Trump has maintained he is hopeful of making…

China tightens grip on Brazil minerals as Chalco, Rio Tinto buy control of CBA for US$886m

China’s state-owned aluminium giant Chalco and Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto have agreed to buy a controlling stake in Brazil’s Companhia Brasileira de Aluminio (CBA) in a deal valued at US$886 million, marking one of the most significant foreign acquisitions in Brazil’s metals sector in recent years and reinforcing China’s growing footprint in the country’s strategic mineral assets.
The transaction covers Brazilian conglomerate Grupo Votorantim’s 68.6 per cent stake in CBA and will be…

Trump lifts Russia-related oil tariffs on India under new trade deal

After more than a year of haggling, US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a major trade deal between Washington and New Delhi that significantly de-escalates economic tensions between the two nations.
A White House official confirmed to the South China Morning Post that the deal will remove the 25 per cent punitive Russia oil tariffs.
Trump in a social media post earlier said that he held a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“He [Modi] agreed to stop buying Russian Oil,…

Fifa boss sorry for offending British football fans, defends Trump peace prize

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has apologised over remarks he made about British fans and defended the decision to award a peace prize to US President Donald Trump.
Infantino said at last month’s World Economic Forum in Davos that the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 had been special because “for the first time in history no Brit was arrested”.
His comments were described as a “cheap” joke at the expense of fans by the Football Supporters’ Association, while the UK’s football policing lead Chief…

Russian captain found guilty over crew member’s death in US tanker crash

The Russian captain of a container ship that crashed into a US ‍tanker off the east coast of Britain in March last year was found guilty in a London court on Monday of causing the death of a crew member through gross negligence.
Vladimir Motin, 59, was captain of the Solong when it hit the Stena Immaculate tanker, which was anchored and carrying just ⁠over 220,000 barrels of high-grade aviation fuel.
The March 10 crash started a blaze on both ships and caused the death of Solong crew member Mark…

Traces of toxin found in more Nestlé baby milk formula samples in Hong Kong

Hong Kong authorities have found traces of a toxin in another five samples of Nestlé baby milk formula, marking the second such discovery since batches of the firm’s products were withdrawn over contamination fears.
The Centre for Food Safety said on Monday night that during its ongoing follow-up investigations, five samples among 22 batches recalled earlier tested positive for the toxin cereulide, produced by the Bacillus cereus bacterium.
The toxin levels ranged from 0.2 to 1.3 micrograms per…

Chinese student on trial in Germany for raping sedated partner, echoing Pelicot case

A Chinese student accused of having drugged and raped his girlfriend numerous times while filming her went on trial in Germany on Monday, in the latest case that recalls the plight of French woman Gisele Pelicot.
Prosecutors believe that it was only due to coincidence that the Chinese woman did not die during the ordeal and have charged the 27-year-old defendant with seven counts of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and aggravated rape, alongside other offences.
The defendant did not…

Confronting the Global Fertility Crisis: Five Pillars for Humanity’s Future

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]
The world is at a demographic crossroads. Fertility rates have fallen below replacement levels in two-thirds of the global population, threatening economic stability, cultural continuity, and sustainable development. This is no longer a regional challenge—it is a global transformation that demands urgent collective action.
The inaugural Global Fertility Crisis Forum, held in Hong Kong, convened leaders from the United…

UK’s Mandelson faces scrutiny over Epstein ties and leaked government briefing

Britain’s former US ambassador, Peter Mandelson, received money from Jeffrey Epstein and leaked a confidential government ‍briefing to him, newly released files appeared to show, triggering calls on Monday for the police to investigate.
Late on Sunday, Mandelson left the Labour Party to prevent “further embarrassment”, after he was fired from his envoy role last year following revelations about his connections to the late convicted sex offender.
He said he had no recollection of any payments…

Brazil gold, Peru’s China scandal, post-Venezuela worries: 7 Latin America relations reads

We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin America relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. US won’t rule out pressuring Venezuela to curb China, Russia ties

In the wake of the abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on January 3, the White House stopped short of denying reports that America had urged Venezuela to cut ties with US adversaries such as China, Russia and…

Trump administration unveils US$12 billion push to curb China’s grip on critical minerals

Seeking to blunt China’s dominance over critical minerals that underpin hi-tech manufacturing, the administration of US President Donald Trump is rolling out a slate of measures this week aimed at reducing US reliance on Beijing.
A White House official confirmed to the South China Morning Post that Trump has launched a US$12 billion public-private initiative to build a large commercial stockpile of critical minerals titled “Project Vault”.
The project is being billed as a strategic reserve…

More overseas Chinese grads return, as brain gain powers future of home-grown frontiers

Defying a tight domestic job market, a record wave of overseas graduates is flooding back to China, eager to snatch up opportunities in its fast-growing tech and advanced manufacturing sectors.
The influx, up 12 per cent in 2025 to an eight-year high, signals “determined confidence” among globally trained talent, according to findings by job-recruitment platform Zhaopin.
And the robustness of this homecoming trend, at 2.25 times the 2018 level, points to a “sustained trend” in domestic…

Trump’s peace board no match for UN and a possible boon to China, analysts find

US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace is unlikely to pose a credible challenge to the United Nations, analysts say.
They also warn that legal ambiguity, as well as doubts over credibility and funding, make the initiative’s long-term viability uncertain.
Beijing was likely to respond cautiously but might also see some advantages if Washington’s attention was diverted elsewhere, leading to China potentially taking on a more proactive role in some regional security matters, they said.
The…

Philippines faces historic dual impeachments for Marcos, Duterte as political crisis deepens

Dual impeachment cases were filed on Monday against Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte, marking a historic first with the nation’s top two officials each facing twin complaints accusing them of betrayal of public trust.
Observers told This Week in Asia that the political exercise, while risking economic collateral damage, could show how a political crisis could be tackled through “institutionalisation” using constitutional means, instead of military intervention.
Former congressman Neri…

Italy’s Trevi Fountain introduces entry fee to combat overcrowding

Italy’s Trevi Fountain launched a new ticketing system on Monday, making the famous Rome landmark the latest tourist site to charge entry in a bid to raise funds and battle overcrowding.
People posed in the sunshine in front of the Baroque masterpiece after paying the two-euro (US$1.68) fee to access the now largely crowd-free area next to the basin.
“Tell me it’s not worth two euros! It’s worth thousands if not millions, it’s beautiful!” 41-year-old Polish tourist Agata Harezlak said.
The…