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AdvertisementUnited StatesWorldUnited States & CanadaSnap benefits cut off during US shutdown, driving long lines at food pantriesUS judges have ordered the Trump administration to keep funding the programme, but it is not clear how and when payments will be made
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP1Associated PressPublished: 6:26am, 2 Nov 2025People across the US formed long lines for free meals and groceries at food pantries and drive-through giveaways on Saturday, after monthly benefits through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme, or Snap, were suddenly cut off because of the ongoing government shutdown.
AdvertisementIn the New York borough of the Bronx, about 200 more people than usual showed up at the World of Life Christian Fellowship International pantry, many bundled in winter hats and coats and pushing collapsible shopping trolleys as they waited in a line that spanned multiple city blocks. Some arrived as early as 4am to choose from pallets of frui..

A potential ISIS-inspired attack in Michigan was foiled just hours before Halloween, after FBI arrested multiple suspects allegedly plotting a “pumpkin day” assault, reports CNN.The operation was carried out early Friday, preventing what director Kash Patel described as a “violent attack” planned for the holiday weekend.FBI swoops in after 'pumpkin day' clue
The plan was uncovered after months of online surveillance of a chatroom where several men allegedly discussed carrying out an ISIS-inspired attack in US. According to officials, an undercover FBI operative had been inserted into the group during the early stages of planning.The suspects had recently gone to a shooting range armed with AK-47s and other weapons, practising tactical reloads and firing dozens of rounds. That was when investigators intercepted a spooky reference to “pumpkin day” — believed to be a coded term for Halloween. This led the FBI to act immediately.“This morning the FBI thwarted a potential terroris..

JD Vance was at the center of a major controversy after he said he hopes that his Hindu wife would one day convert to Christianity. As Vice President JD Vance addressed the row over his statement about his wife Usha Vance's religion and made it clear that it was her faith that helped him reconnect with his own religion, the Hindu American Foundation asked the VP why he never thought of engaging with Hinduism as well. The organization said that, given the present anti-Hindu sentiment online, his public acknowledgement of the positive impact of Hinduism on him would be more reasonable. Accused of throwing his wife's religion under the bus, JD Vance said it's disgusting to interpret his statement in this way. JD Vance said Usha Vance is not a Christian and has no plans to convert but like many people in an interfaith marriage or an interfaith relationship, he hopes that she may one day see things as he does. “Regardless, I'll continue to love and support her and talk t..

AdvertisementUS-China trade warChinaTrump hails ‘lasting’ deal with Xi, dangles more possible tariff cutsAgreement pauses rare earth restrictions and lowers some levies, but analysts warn key disputes remain unresolved
Reading Time:4 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP3Khushboo Razdanin WashingtonandMark Magnierin New YorkPublished: 6:06am, 1 Nov 2025Updated: 6:16am, 1 Nov 2025Just back from his whirlwind Asia tour, US President Donald Trump on Friday hailed a newly negotiated trade deal with China as a “long-lasting” victory even as he teased the possibility of more tariff concessions.
AdvertisementAboard Air Force One en route to his Palm Beach, Florida, resort, Trump painted the Busan, South Korea, summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday as a blockbuster for US agriculture, especially soybeans, and dangled the prospect of stronger trade ties.“The deal with China is going to be wonderful. It’s going to be long lasting,” Trump said, crediting his personal rapport with Xi for th..

AdvertisementChina exportsEconomyChina EconomyCuts to US ‘fentanyl tariffs’ help Chinese exporters close the gap on competitionAnalysts said the reduction in US tariffs creates space for Chinese producers to gain on Asian competitors – particularly in low-cost goods
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP1Alice LiandRalph JenningsPublished: 6:00am, 1 Nov 2025With the US cutting its tariffs on Chinese imports by 10 per cent – halving a duty initially imposed by Washington over allegations of complicity in the fentanyl trade – analysts said the reduction may further strengthen the competitiveness of Chinese exporters, particularly in mass-produced goods.
AdvertisementFollowing a meeting on Thursday between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in South Korea, the world’s two largest economies reached a consensus on the issue, with the US agreeing to remove half of its 20 per cent in fentanyl-related tariffs on China, effective immediately.
The 90-day pause on tariff inc..

The decision by King Charles III to strip his younger brother Prince Andrew of all royal titles and honours marks one of the most dramatic disciplinary moves in modern royal history. Once known as His Royal Highness The Duke of York, Andrew will now be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a private citizen with no formal royal privileges. But what exactly did he lose, and how much power does the monarch really have to take it all away?What were Prince Andrew’s titles?Before his fall from grace, Andrew held an array of prestigious royal titles bestowed over a lifetime of service and birthright. At his birth in 1960, he was styled “His Royal Highness Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward of York.” As the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, he automatically held the title of Prince and the style His Royal Highness (HRH).When he married Sarah Ferguson in 1986, the late Queen conferred upon him a traditional dukedom, naming him Duke of York, along with the subsidiary ..

In one of the most heartbreaking moments for Democrats, Kamala Harris recalled the time she realised her 2024 presidential campaign was over, and she had gone “into a state of shock” when told she was short of 200,000 votes and lost to the MAGA chief Donald Trump. “I got a call from my campaign manager saying we need 200,000 more votes that we can’t find,” Harris said on The Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett. “I was in a state of shock, I was so inarticulate. I kept saying ‘My God, my God, my God’ over and over.” The former vice president also discussed her relationship with former President Joe Biden, under whom she had served. Harris took over as the Democratic nominee after Biden dropped out of the race in July 2024, but ultimately lost to Trump in November. In her new memoir, 107 Days, Harris recounts concern over Biden’s ability to run for re-election. Speaking to Bartlett, she revealed she had sensed something was “a little off” with Biden months before the election. “H..

AdvertisementArtificial intelligenceTechTech TrendsAI models from China’s DeepSeek, Alibaba and the US flatter users too much, study findsResearch judges models from Alibaba and DeepSeek among the most sycophantic, an issue which could impact relationships and mental health
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP1Vincent ChowPublished: 7:00am, 31 Oct 2025Leading artificial intelligence models from the United States and China are “highly sycophantic”, and their excessive flattery may make users less likely to repair interpersonal conflicts, a new study has found.AdvertisementThe study by researchers at Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon University published earlier this month tested how 11 large language models (LLMs) responded to user queries seeking advice on personal matters, including cases involving manipulation and deception.
In AI circles, sycophancy is the phenomenon of chatbots excessively agreeing with users. DeepSeek’s V3, released in December 2024, was found to be ..

AdvertisementIsrael-Gaza warWorldMiddle EastIsrael confirms identities of latest Gaza hostage bodies returned by HamasSahar Baruch was taken from kibbutz Beeri, and Amiram Kuper was kidnapped with his wife from their home in kibbutz Nir Oz
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAgence France-PressePublished: 6:57am, 31 Oct 2025Israel said Thursday that it had identified the remains of hostages Amiram Kuper and Sahar Baruch, whose bodies were returned by Hamas earlier in the day.
AdvertisementA statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the families of the deceased men had been informed after “completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine”.
Militants took 251 people hostage during Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza.
Sahar Baruch was taken from kibbutz Beeri to Gaza and killed during a failed army rescue operation two months later. He was 25 when he died.
Amiram Kuper, 84 at the t..

Representative AI image Dubai’s Halloween scene has blossomed into a high-fashion spectacle where fantasy and luxury merge under desert skies. From rooftop catwalks and masquerade dinners to influencer-hosted beach parties, the emirate’s Halloween nights are now curated experiences driven by style, brand activations and social-media moments. These lavish events reflect Dubai’s rising status as a global influencer hub and show how Halloween has been reinvented beyond costumes or candy.The high-fashion Halloween evolution in DubaiOver recent years Dubai has transformed Halloween into more than a celebration of scares. Luxury venues are adopting theatrical themes ranging from “cursed circus” soirées to futuristic masquerade balls. Immersive indoor festivals and private yacht parties present Halloween as a glamour-led celebration designed for nightlife, fashion and photography. The emphasis is on exclusive access and Instagram-ready aesthetics.Influencers and content creators sit at the ce..