World

Trump says he will meet Putin in Hungary for Ukraine talks after ‘very productive’ call

Trump says he will meet Putin in Hungary for Ukraine talks after 'very productive' call1 hour agoShareSaveSean SeddonShareSaveReutersPutin and Trump met in person at a US base in Alaska in August 2025US President Donald Trump says “great progress” was made during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, with the pair agreeing to face-to-face talks in Hungary.
He said the call, the first with Putin since mid-August, was “very productive”, adding that teams from Washington and Moscow will meet next week.
Trump did not confirm a date for his meeting with Putin in Budapest. The Kremlin said work on the summit would begin “immediately” after the “extremely frank and trustful” call.
The talks came a day before Ukraine's President Zelensky was to visit the White House, and with Trump weighing whether to arm Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep into Russia.
As he arrived in the US, Zelensky said Moscow was “rushing to resume dialogue as ..

World

Netanyahu ‘determined’ to pressure Hamas to find remaining dead hostages

Netanyahu 'determined' to pressure Hamas to find remaining dead hostages4 hours agoShareSaveSean SeddonShareSaveEPABenjamin Netanyahu addressed a memorial ceremony at the Mount Herzl cemetery in JerusalemIsrael's prime minister has told a memorial for victims of the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023 that he is “determined” to secure the return of the dead hostages still in Gaza, and that the country will continue to fight terrorism with “full force”.
Benjamin Netanyahu made the comments hours after Hamas returned the bodies of two more hostages but said it was not able to access the remaining 19.
There has been fury in Israel that Hamas has not returned all the bodies in line with last week's Gaza ceasefire deal, though the US has downplayed the suggestion it amounts to a breach.
Also on Thursday, Donald Trump signalled he was willing to see fighting resume if Hamas “continues to kill people”.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, the US president said “we will hav..

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‘Proud Dad of US Marine’ deported by ICE agents moments after visiting pregnant daughter at California military base

(Phoro: X) A US Marine’s father was deported and his mother detained after both were arrested by federal immigration officials while visiting family at Camp Pendleton in California.Under the MAGA government, immigration enforcement is even affecting military families.Steve Rios, a Marine from Oceanside, said his parents, Esteban Rios and Luisa Rodriguez, went to Camp Pendleton on September 28 to have breakfast with his pregnant sister, Ashley Rios, and her husband, who is also a Marine.The couple was stopped at the gate by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.“They were taken into custody and later released with ankle monitors,” Steve Rios said. “At a later check-in with federal immigration officials, they were detained again.”The arrested parents came to the United States from Mexico 30 years ago, reports NBC 7 San Diego.Esteban Rios was wearing a red shirt and a white hat reading “Proud dad of a U.S. Marine” when he was taken into custody, his son said. “He said, ‘Yeah, t..

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‘As soon as I say the word’: Trump says Israel could return to Gaza if Hamas violates ceasefire, vows all hostages will be freed

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Israeli forces could return to Gaza on his command if Hamas compromises the ceasefire deal.Trump said that he could deploy the IDF “as soon as he says the word” if Hamas fails to follow through on the ceasefire agreement, reports CNN.“What’s going on with Hamas – that’ll be straightened out quickly,” Trump said in a brief telephone call. He was referring to accusations by Israel that Hamas has not fully complied with the agreement to hand over hostages, both living and deceased.The 20-point peace plan outlined by Trump stated, “Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.” As of Wednesday morning, all 20 living Israeli hostages had been released, while only four bodies had been returned. The Israeli military reported that one of the bodies did not belong to an Israeli hostage. “Getting those 20 hostages out was paramount,” Trump said.Violent clashes have continued in Gaz..

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Ticked off: MAGA fume as Trump’s watches fail to deliver on the price tag

Some of Donald Trump’s MAGA faithful are ticked off with his watch company after a number of buyers complained of delivery issues.
Reviews of the presidential time-pieces sit at an average of 2.7 stars out of 5, according to TrustPilot, with many customers leaving Trump-like reviews blasting the operation as a “scam.” Out of all the reviews, 62 percent were negative, with 58 percent giving just a one-star rating.
Commercials for Trump’s “Fight, Fight, Fight” watch collection are now running regularly on the Newsmax channel, with prices ranging from $499 to $799, and even higher for custom made designs. Styles include “Fight Fight Fight Malachite,” the “Mugshot Suit Collectible,” and the “First Lady Mini” in “hot pink,” according to the official website.
While the site provides estimated shipping on all products, which are supposedly made to order, it says that arrival times are not guaranteed.
Despite this, many reviews seen by The Independent – whose authenticity could not be verifie..

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‘Extremely dangerous’: why China’s 5-year plan will double down on food security

AdvertisementChina food securityEconomyChina EconomyWhy China’s next 5-year plan will double down on food securityBeijing has made huge strides in its self-sufficiency push – but trade tensions, climate risks and supply-chain shocks keep fears alive
Reading Time:5 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPMandy Zuoin ShanghaiPublished: 6:00am, 16 Oct 2025As China drafts its 15th five-year plan – the next entry in a line of expansive blueprints that have set the tone for the country’s development over more than seven decades – we examine how these documents inform and reflect high-level policy priorities, what to expect in the coming iteration and why food security is set to remain a cornerstone in Beijing’s push for self-reliance.
AdvertisementFor more stories in this ongoing series, click here. To view SCMP Plus Factsheets on the 15th five-year plan and more premium content, click here.For decades, one of the most common mantras from China’s leadership has been to “firmly hold the rice bowls of th..

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Trump says he’s authorised CIA to operate in Venezuela

AdvertisementAmericas and the CaribbeanWorldAmericasTrump says he’s authorised CIA to operate in VenezuelaThe US president did not reply when asked if the CIA had authority to take out Maduro, but said he thinks Venezuela is ‘feeling the heat’
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP3BloombergPublished: 5:46am, 16 Oct 2025Updated: 6:08am, 16 Oct 2025US President Donald Trump said he had authorised the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to take covert action in Venezuela, arguing that he had to stem the flow of drugs and illegal migrants into the US.
Advertisement“I authorised it for two reasons,” Trump said at the White House, adding that Venezuelan leaders had “emptied their prisons into the United States of America” and “we have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela”.
Trump was asked about the issue after The New York Times reported earlier on Wednesday that he had authorised the CIA to take action as part of efforts to ratchet up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro.
According ..

World

Hamas returns two more bodies but says it cannot retrieve remaining dead hostages

Hamas returns two more bodies but says it cannot retrieve remaining dead hostages1 hour agoShareSaveShareSaveReutersHamas says it needs specialised equipment to recover the remaining bodies of the hostages Hamas says it has handed over the bodies of two more Israeli hostages under the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire deal, but says it needs time and specialised equipment to recover the rest of the deceased from the ruins of Gaza
The group's armed wing said in a statement it was committed to the deal but had returned all the bodies of hostages it was able to reach.
US President Donald Trump has said Israeli forces could resume fighting in Gaza if Hamas does not uphold the agreement.
In a statement, the Israeli PM's office said Israel had received – through the Red Cross – coffins containing the bodies of hostages which were now awaiting official identification.
“The IDF urges the public to act with sensitivity and wait for official identification, which will first be communi..

World

‘Worse than starting from scratch’: How big is the task of rebuilding Gaza?

'Worse than starting from scratch': How big is the task of rebuilding Gaza?5 hours agoShareSavePaul Brown,Kayleen Devlin,Erwan Rivault andBarbara MetzlerBBC VerifyShareSaveGetty ImagesAs thousands of Gazans made the journey back to their neighbourhoods following the ceasefire, many of them already knew their homes were in ruins.
The prospect of rebuilding homes, businesses and all the institutions and services needed for a return to normal life in Gaza is daunting by any measure: the UN estimates that the damage amounts to $70bn.
As Prof Andreas Krieg, a Middle East security expert from King's College London, says: “It's worse than starting from scratch – here you aren't starting in the sand, you are starting with rubble.”
The level of destruction on the strip is “now in the region of 84%. In certain parts of Gaza, like in Gaza City, it's even up to 92%”, says Jaco Cilliers, UN Development Programme special representative for the Palestinians.
This damage ..