US foreign policy

Mecca defence accord underscores West Asia’s shifting geopolitical sands

(From left) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Mecca on Aug 7.

‘Texas of the Mountain West’: US state of Utah on drive to court Singapore investors

The Doppelmayr USA site located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Austrian manufacturer Doppelmayr is set to nearly double the size of its Utah production facility in September.

US to close consulates in Japan’s Nagoya and Indonesia’s Medan, sources say

The US State Department said it planned to close its posts in St George’s, Grenada; Nagoya, Japan; Medan, Indonesia; Douala, Cameroon; and Winnipeg, Canada.

Democratic US states sue to challenge Trump’s latest tariffs

How are middle powers and small states surviving in this brave new world?

US President Donald Trump participates in a friendship walk through Zhongnanhai Garden with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, May 15, 2026.

Zelensky plays a new card: MAGA influencer diplomacy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s latest meeting with US President Donald Trump on July 28 at the White House was a far cry from the humiliating treatment he received in 2025.

News analysis

Netanyahu’s low-key White House visit speaks volumes about souring US-Israel ties

Deep differences over US policy, such as the sale of F-35 US fighter jets to Turkey have strained ties between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.

Asia isn’t waiting for America to quit its Iran distraction

(From left) Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, India’s Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New Delhi, India, on May 26.

News analysis

Beyond tariffs, Trump’s playbook pushes US solutions for ASEAN needs

The US is ASEAN’s second-largest trading partner, and remains the largest single source of foreign direct investment for the bloc.

Marco Rubio tells diplomats to play down talk of American tech ‘kill switch’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila on July 22, 2026. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / POOL / AFP) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s talking points, which were circulated worldwide, show how US diplomats are trying to deal with the international backlash from the Trump administration’s efforts to control how and to whom American AI companies release their models.

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.