South China Morning Post — World
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Iran condemns US plans to announce new sanctionsIran on Saturday denounced US plans to announce new sanctions that could put further strain on the Islamic Republic’s economy and have an impact on its most important trading partners including China. Iran on Saturday warned countries against taking part in the United States’ “economic war” against the Islamic Republic, saying they would be considered enemies. “We declare to all countries … do not join the economic war waged by the United States. Any country participating in the imposition of...South China Morning Post — World
Iran warns Gulf nations against helping US as UAE halts trade tiesIran’s armed forces warned Gulf countries against assisting the US military on Wednesday, hours after the United Arab Emirates announced it was severing economic ties with Tehran following new attacks on shipping. The Gulf is dotted with US military installations, including in the UAE, which said on Tuesday that Iran had fired two ballistic missiles at vessels off its coast. Despite a recent lull in hostilities between the United States and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz – which Tehran has blockaded...South China Morning Post — World
Moscow strikes Ukrainian steel plant as Kyiv targets Russian economyRussia carried out a wave of air strikes on Ukraine overnight, killing two people at a steel plant, and Kyiv launched a heavy drone attack on the Moscow region that killed one person and set ablaze a warehouse used by Russia’s leading e-commerce retailer. Romania, which borders Ukraine, said an F-18 fighter on a Nato air policing mission had shot down a drone that breached its airspace during the latest attacks. It did not specify the origin of the drone, which entered from Moldova, but a...South China Morning Post — World
US readies Iran penalties as Trump downplays midterms impactThe US is readying unprecedented economic measures against Iran, as President Donald Trump seeks to intensify efforts to force Tehran to capitulate after almost six months of war. The president said in a brief interview with Fox News that the US was planning to hit Iran’s economy hard, and that he did not care if the conflict were to end before the November US midterm elections, which would hinge on voter perceptions of the economy. Trump has struggled to find an off-ramp to the war, which has...South China Morning Post — World
Trump says he’ll soon declare Strait of Hormuz to be US territoryPresident Donald Trump on Friday said he would “soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz waterway part of US territory after defeating Iran. “After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated – pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” he said with a chuckle during a political rally at a police academy in Garden City, New York. “It’s true,” he added. It was unclear how seriously Trump intended the remark or whether it represented a new policy...South China Morning Post — World
Brics’ ‘stiffest test’: can India, China rally bloc to resolve Strait of Hormuz crisis?A summit next month by the Brics grouping of nations has raised hopes that major players India and China will align to rally member states to resolve the Strait of Hormuz crisis, with the United States making little headway. Analysts say the forum from September 12 to 13 amid the global energy crisis wrought by the Middle East conflict could see parallel diplomacy, given the 11-member grouping’s economic clout accounts for about 40 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product. “I see a...South China Morning Post — World
Iran seeks to bar US and Israeli ships in Hormuz deal with OmanIran will seek to bar US and Israeli ships from the Strait of Hormuz and require compensation from hostile countries before they’re allowed to sail through it, according to local media reports on a proposed Iran-Oman deal to manage the crucial waterway. The agreement has become key to expectations for a reopening of Hormuz and a resumption of energy flows that have been throttled since the US and Israel attacked Iran in February. “That’s clearly not going to go down well in Washington,” said...South China Morning Post — World
Trump says new talks with Iran set to begin after calling off attackUS President Donald Trump said that new negotiations with Iran would begin on Monday after he decided to hold off on striking the Islamic republic to pursue a deal to end the war entering its sixth month. Trump told reporters on Sunday that the talks would cover the Strait of Hormuz – a route for global energy supplies that has become a key sticking point in the conflict – and ultimately, the denuclearisation of Iran. For its part, Iran said it was nearing a deal with Oman over a new route...South China Morning Post — World
Trump holds off Iran strikes after Middle East allies outline dealUS President Donald Trump in a Saturday evening social media post claimed that Middle Eastern allies had reached the parameters of a deal to end the Iran war and said that he would hold off on ordering new strikes in the five-month-old conflict for now. Trump added that the emerging deal “would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat”. “Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the...South China Morning Post — World
Iran’s foreign minister warns of any ‘adventurous action’ by USIran warned this weekend against any “adventurous action” by the US and said it would retaliate decisively if American forces follow through on US President Donald Trump’s threats of fresh attacks on Iranian targets. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi’s comments in separate phone calls on Saturday with senior Turkish, Pakistani and Saudi officials came just hours after Kuwait’s army said it destroyed hostile drones launched by Iran against several vital facilities. Speaking to Pakistan’s...South China Morning Post — World
Trump’s irritation over leak signals strains as Netanyahu visits White HouseUS President Donald Trump voiced irritation with Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of their White House meeting on Tuesday, complaining that details of the Israeli prime minister’s planned talking points on Iran had surfaced publicly, in a fresh sign of strain between the two leaders. Asked about reports that Netanyahu wanted to talk to him about Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified facility buried deep underground near one of Iran’s main nuclear sites, Trump said, using Netanyahu’s nickname: “I don’t need...South China Morning Post — World
Russian attack kills 10 after Zelensky hosts US firm making Patriot air defence systemsA Russian ballistic missile strike on Friday in Ukraine’s Kyiv region killed 10 people and injured almost 100 others at a site where a defence industry event was being held, Ukrainian officials and industry representatives said. The attack came a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky met in Kyiv with senior representatives of Raytheon, the US company that makes Patriot air defence systems. Raytheon did not immediately respond to an email inquiring whether any of its workers were at the...South China Morning Post — World
US-Iran fighting escalates as explosions heard near US base in Iraq, sirens in BahrainDrones carrying explosives targeted a city in northern Iraq where US forces are stationed, and sirens rang out in Bahrain on Friday, hours after the American military said it finished its 13th night of strikes against Iran. The conflict has flared again over the past week, as the US pounded Iran while Tehran attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted US assets and allies in the region. The strait, a crucial passage for the world’s energy supplies, is at the centre of the latest fighting...South China Morning Post — World
Can Southeast Asia survive more Iran war fuel shocks?Southeast Asia’s governments have spent months trying to blunt the effects of war-driven energy shocks from the Middle East, but renewed fighting between the United States and Iran has exposed how limited those defences are, analysts have warned. The latest flare-up has revived fears of a second round of fuel disruption across the region, where many economies remain heavily dependent on imported oil and shipping routes linked to the Gulf. Southeast Asian leaders expressed “grave concern” over...South China Morning Post — World
Trump’s latest tariff tantrum unlikely to end well for the USAfter devoting the first half of 2026 to an ineffectual, expensive and inconclusive military adventure in Iran, it seems US President Donald Trump is about to turn afresh to the wars he loves best – the tariff wars he still believes can make America great again. He can’t quite walk away from the war in the Persian Gulf. Iran’s refusal to capitulate has left Trump with an awkward obligation to fight on, despite the widespread unpopularity of the conflict, even among his base, and the need to...South China Morning Post — World
Coke is hit? In India, Iran war can shortage sends Diet Coke prices fizzingFirst, the US-Israeli war on Iran sparked a Diet Coke shortage in India by squeezing supplies of aluminium cans, triggering an unusual wave of “Diet Coke parties” in one of the world’s largest consumer markets. But now, the fizzy drink is getting pricier. Across India, Coca-Cola has hiked prices of Diet Coke – sold predominantly in aluminium cans in the country – by more than 10 per cent due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has choked its supply chain. As a result, the company had...South China Morning Post — World
More Americans think China is world leader in AI, new survey revealsMore than one-third of Americans see China, and not the United States, as the global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), according to a Pew Research Centre survey released on Thursday, as US President Donald Trump confirmed the technology would be on the agenda when his Chinese counterpart visits the US later this year. The survey found that 36 per cent of Americans believe China is more advanced than the United States in developing artificial intelligence. By comparison, only 12 per cent...South China Morning Post — World
Trump throws newly signed Saudi nuclear deal into doubt with Israel recognition demandThe White House threw a US-Saudi Arabia nuclear deal into question on Thursday, a day after it was signed, emphasising that it depended on the oil-rich Gulf country recognising Israel under a 2020 diplomatic initiative. “The Civil Nuclear Deal … will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords,” US President Donald Trump wrote on social media, adding that the deal would not include enrichment and involve only non-military use of...South China Morning Post — World
US senators clash over scope of Chinese connected-vehicle banUS senators broadly agree that Chinese connected vehicles should be kept off American roads. But a bipartisan attempt to codify and expand existing restrictions has exposed divisions over whether the proposed ban could ensnare European carmakers and increase costs for American electric vehicle producers. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation advanced the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, a bill that would prohibit the import, manufacture and sale of connected...South China Morning Post — World
As the West finds common cause, China prepares for the worstMid-July should have been a moment of quiet satisfaction in Beijing. Fresh data showed China’s favourability surpassing that of the United States in 25 of 37 nations surveyed by Pew Research Centre, including key European countries. Domestically, the second-quarter gross domestic product growth of 4.3 per cent, while softer than the first financial quarter, kept the annual target within reach. The logic was simple: with the US distracted by Donald Trump’s erratic trade wars and isolationist...South China Morning Post — World
Trump vows to punish Iran and Houthis for Red Sea attacks as oil surges over US$100US President Donald Trump promised “major military punishment” for Iran and its Houthi allies after the Yemeni fighters struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, extending the Middle East war to a second major shipping chokepoint. Fears that disruption could widen to block another sea route sent global oil prices surging in one of the steepest rises of the war. Brent crude rose more than 6 per cent, piercing the level of US$100 a barrel for the first time since May. Two weeks since the...South China Morning Post — World
Malaysia probes telecoms giant Maxis over Khairul Aming privacy leakA social media post over an unpaid phone bill has triggered a data-protection investigation in Malaysia, after one of the country’s most recognisable influencers questioned how a stranger obtained details from his telecoms account. The episode involving Khairul Amin Kamarulzaman, better known as Khairul Aming, has raised uncomfortable questions for telcos about how tightly they manage customer account information and how quickly private details can be exposed when those controls fail. Khairul...South China Morning Post — World
China’s new chip stores data with a single electron, breaking AI memory bottleneckHow many electrons does it take to store a single bit of information? For today’s most advanced dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips from Samsung and SK Hynix, the answer is roughly 200,000. That is the price of reliability – a vast reservoir of charge needed to ensure a “1” or “0” does not fade into noise. But a team at Fudan University in Shanghai has just collapsed that number to its theoretical floor: one. In a paper published in Science on July 16, microelectronics professor Zhou Peng...South China Morning Post — World
Houthis target Saudi tankers in Red Sea, threatening another Iran war chokepointThe Iranian-aligned Houthis said on Thursday they struck two Saudi oil tankers as part of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening to create a second chokepoint on global oil supplies alongside Iran’s near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Two weeks since the effective collapse of an interim truce meant to end the war, the US military launched another nightly round of air strikes on Iran, prompting Iran to fire at neighbouring Arab countries that house US bases. US Secretary of State Marco...South China Morning Post — World
US unveils civilian nuclear deal with Saudi ArabiaThe US on Wednesday announced a landmark deal with Saudi Arabia that would establish a civilian nuclear programme in the Gulf country, with Washington insisting the agreement includes safeguards against non-proliferation. The move comes as the US under President Donald Trump fights a war with Iran that began in large part over concerns with Tehran’s nuclear programme – an issue that remains a key point of contention during now-stalled peace talks. Two agreements – one on “peaceful nuclear...South China Morning Post — World
Trump threatens to bomb Iranian bridge or power plant after Hormuz attacksUS President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant each time Tehran attacks a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating Washington’s response as the conflict spread across the region and placed another major shipping route at risk. The warning came hours before Trump was due to attend the return of four US service members killed in Iranian attacks and related operations in Jordan and Iraq. “From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran...South China Morning Post — World
US ‘hit Iran very hard’, Trump says, as both inch closer to all-out warThe United States conducted a new round of air strikes early on Monday targeting Iran after announcing the death of another American service member, hitting around a northwestern city believed to be home to underground missile bases. Iran responded by launching an attack targeting Bahrain, the home of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, and Kuwait. The latest attacks again showed how, step by step, the US and Iran have inched closer to all-out war as last month’s interim deal meant to permanently end the...South China Morning Post — World
Many allegations, little evidence: unpacking the China election-interference recordsDeclassified US intelligence files showing millions of Americans’ voter information do not back Trump’s claims Beijing hacked 2020 election.South China Morning Post — World