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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington on Thursday. Photo: AP

Diplomacy

Trump says he will decide on US involvement in Iran within 2 weeks

Opposition to backing Israel includes voices in Trump’s ‘America First’ base, from Steve Bannon to Marjorie Taylor Greene.

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Israel says Iran fired cluster bomb-bearing missile at civilians

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Chinese student who raped and drugged 10 women jailed for life in UK

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Middle East

Explainer | What are the nuclear contamination risks from Israel’s attacks on Iran?

Damage has been reported to sites at Natanz, Isfahan, Arak and Tehran, in what Israel says is a bid to stop Iran from building an atomic bomb.

This satellite image shows damage at the Iranian nuclear facility at Arak in central Iran, after an Israeli strike. Photo: Maxar Technologies via AFP
This satellite image shows damage at the Iranian nuclear facility at Arak in central Iran, after an Israeli strike. Photo: Maxar Technologies via AFP

United States & Canada

Canada will ‘adjust’ counter-tariffs on US metals if no Trump deal in 30 days

Prime Minister Mark Carney also unveiled a raft of measures to support local companies facing 50 per cent US metal duties.

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United States & Canada

SpaceX Starship explodes in setback to Musk’s Mars mission

A huge blast enveloped the rocket as it stood upright on a test stand in Texas.

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Middle East

Iranian missiles hit Israeli hospital and Tel Aviv area; Israel attacks nuclear sites

Iran and Israel trade fresh air attacks after Iran’s supreme leader rejected US calls for surrender.

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Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, Israel, following a missile strike. Photo: Reuters
Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, Israel, following a missile strike. Photo: Reuters

United States & Canada

US President Trump delays US’ TikTok ban again: ‘deadline purgatory’

It is not clear how many times Trump can keep extending the ban as the government continues to try to negotiate a deal for TikTok.

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Middle East

If Iran’s Khamenei falls, what would replace him?

Iranian opposition is divided and there is no guarantee new rulers would be any less hardline, analysts say.

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China

China to evacuate citizens from Israel, US brain drain: SCMP daily highlights

From China’s military parade leaks to top scientists leaving the US in the summer, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

A masked Israeli policeman stands guard outside a building that was hit by an Iranian missile in Israel’s central city of Holon on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Europe

European, Iranian foreign ministers to hold nuclear talks on Friday in Geneva

The meeting comes as European countries call for de-escalation in the face of Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran’s nuclear programme.

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Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet a European delegation in Geneva on Friday for nuclear talks. Photo: AFP/HO/Iran’s ministry of foreign affairs
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet a European delegation in Geneva on Friday for nuclear talks. Photo: AFP/HO/Iran’s ministry of foreign affairs

United States & Canada

US strike threat against Iran exposes deep Maga rift for Trump

Maga supporters fear US involvement in a new Middle East war, but Trump says his backers ‘are more in love with me today’.

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China

Will US actively join Israel against Iran? Pentagon chief stays mum

Defence secretary tells lawmakers his job is to ‘make sure the president has options’ as Democrats fret about China threat in Indo-Pacific.

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China Economy

Exclusive | China’s C929 widebody jet to make maiden commercial flight by 2035: source

Comac manager tells partners at Paris Air Show that plane is expected to be certified domestically by 2032.

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A model of the C929 widebody passenger jet on display at the Comac booth at November’s Zhuhai air show. Photo: Reuters

World

‘Crunch time’ for climate as scientists issue urgent global warning

Scientists warn key climate indicators in uncharted territory, 1.5-degree ‘carbon budget’ nearly exhausted.

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TOPSHOT - This photograph shows the sun setting with an orange haze, at sunset in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, northern France, on June 3, 2025. Large smoke plumes caused by violent and early wildfires in Canada have been hovering over north-western Europe since late May, at very high altitudes without posing health risks, sometimes causing orange sunsets, the European Copernicus observatory stated on June 3, 2025. (Photo by Sameer Al-DOUMY / AFP)
TOPSHOT - This photograph shows the sun setting with an orange haze, at sunset in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, northern France, on June 3, 2025. Large smoke plumes caused by violent and early wildfires in Canada have been hovering over north-western Europe since late May, at very high altitudes without posing health risks, sometimes causing orange sunsets, the European Copernicus observatory stated on June 3, 2025. (Photo by Sameer Al-DOUMY / AFP)

World

Why rice could survive better in a warming world

A major study reveals the unique resilience of rice, with minimal projected yield drops compared to other key crops.

World

Nimbus: the Covid-19 variant that may cause ‘razor blade throat’

Variant linked to severe sore throat spreads, growing in prevalence globally.

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Politics

The China-US face-off: a visual guide to Xi and Trump’s key people

Discover the power players in Xi and Trump’s teams; the key people setting the agenda on diplomacy, the military, the economy, security and science.

The China-US face-off: a visual guide to Donald Trump and Xi Jinping’s inner circles

United States & Canada

Power players: a visual guide to Trump’s team and their views on China

Discover who is in Donald Trump’s inner circle, their backgrounds, stances on China and the roles they will play in shaping the future of the US.

United States & Canada

US strike threat against Iran exposes deep Maga rift for Trump

Maga supporters fear US involvement in a new Middle East war, but Trump says his backers ‘are more in love with me today’.

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Middle East

‘I don’t care’: Trump dismisses US intel that Iran isn’t building a nuclear weapon

President’s remarks align him with Netanyahu, contradicting his own intelligence director’s testimony about Iran’s nuclear programme.

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US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One. Photo: Reuters
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Open Questions series

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

US-China rivalry doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game: Jessica Chen Weiss

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

China’s rise, potential recession, no WWIII yet: 11 key interviews from 2024

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Why eco-warrior Ma Jun sees hope for China’s role in Cop29 amid US uncertainty

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Historian on why we aren’t heading towards WWIII yet and how wars have changed

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

China’s evolving role in Middle East conflicts, according to an academic

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

US-China rivalry doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game: Jessica Chen Weiss

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

China’s rise, potential recession, no WWIII yet: 11 key interviews from 2024

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Why eco-warrior Ma Jun sees hope for China’s role in Cop29 amid US uncertainty

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Historian on why we aren’t heading towards WWIII yet and how wars have changed

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

China’s evolving role in Middle East conflicts, according to an academic

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
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OPINION
Richard Heydarian

Opinion | How Trump has landed the US in a strategic mess from Ukraine to Iran

Richard Heydarian
Jianlu Bi

Opinion | Behind Trump’s deportation theatre lies an American tragedy

Jianlu Bi
Genevieve Donnellon-May

Opinion | Israeli strikes one more challenge for new China-Iran rail corridor

Genevieve Donnellon-May
Lijia Zhang

Opinion | In China-Russia relations, power speaks louder than friendship

Lijia Zhang
Yuqi Li,Jersey Lee

Opinion | Why the US and China have failed to stop war in the Middle East

Yuqi Li
Jersey Lee
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Nicholas Spiro

The View | Despite setbacks, Seoul’s property market is an example of resilience

Nicholas Spiro
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MULTIMEDIA
Video

Trump shows off giant flagpoles at White House

‘Best in the world’: Trump shows off new giant flagpoles at the White House
01:08
Video

Trump says US ‘may’ or ‘may not’ attack Iran

Trump says US ‘may’ or ‘may not’ strike Iran as Tehran rejects call to surrender
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Video

Trump considers appointing himself as US Fed chief

Trump muses about appointing himself to lead Federal Reserve in new attack on Powell
02:47
Video

Trump demands Tehran’s ‘unconditional surrender’

Israel-Iran conflict enters sixth day as Trump demands Tehran’s ‘unconditional surrender’
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