Record-breaking heatwave grips western US at tail end of winter
A punishing heatwave has been gripping the western United States, with parts of the region logging record temperatures – even though it was still...
Japan’s Takaichi conveys to Trump her ‘strong intent’ to meet North Korea’s Kim
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told US President Donald Trump on Thursday that she wants to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un...
Belarus frees 250 political prisoners, US removes more sanctions in latest signs of thaw
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko freed 250 prisoners on Thursday – the biggest batch to be released so far – in return for a further...
EU leaders clash with Hungary’s Orban for blocking Ukraine loan
European Union leaders failed to convince Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday to lift his blockade on a €90 billion (US$103 billion) EU...
Is Pakistan building ICBMs? Non-proliferation experts dispute US warning
A US intelligence assessment warning of a potential threat from Pakistan’s prospective intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) has been challenged by nuclear non-proliferation experts, who...
US federal debt becoming ‘alarmingly unsustainable’ as Iran war fuels spending: analysts
The United States’ rapidly mounting sovereign debt pile – which reached an unprecedented US$39 trillion on Wednesday – is becoming “alarmingly unsustainable” and a...
Hearing into deadly Tai Po fire enters second day
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. A public evidential...
Iran war revives pandemic-era shocks – and may go further
By the time this column appears, the world will feel very different from when my previous column appeared earlier this month. In just days,...
Can China commercial satellite’s ‘octopus tentacle’ pass low-orbit refuel test?
China has followed last year’s secretive high-orbit satellite-to-satellite refuelling test with another in-orbit servicing mission that is aimed at advancing docking and refuelling technologies,...