US foreign policy

Vance, Rubio strike different tone on Iran and Israel

Statements by US Vice-President J.D. Vance (left) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) have at times diverged over the past week, especially on the subject of Israel.

How Iran turned the tables on Israel

US President Donald Trump (right) with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago last December. Relations between the two leaders have soured over the US-Iran deal.

As deal to end war emerges from chaos, Iran and China sweep the stakes

Iran could be said to have enhanced its geostrategic weight in the West Asian region by proving it could stand up to both Israel and the US.

News analysis

‘Charismatic but naive’: Taiwanese opposition KMT chief’s peacemaker pitch leaves US unimpressed

KMT chair Cheng Li-wun is welcomed on June 8 with lion dance performances at New York’s Chinatown by the overseas Taiwanese community.

Anthropic disables most advanced AI models after US order limiting foreign access

The Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models would be subject to export controls to any location outside of the United States and to all foreign persons within the country.

Commentary

Trump’s regime change playbook: The Cuba chapter

The US policy towards Cuba involves staged but relentless pressure designed to bring the regime to the point of collapse. But US officials are wrong if they believe they can control what follows, says the writer.

As the US rows back on Indo-Pacific, Japan steps up to the plate

Japan's defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi made it clear at the Shangri-La Dialogue that he wants his country to bring together the region's security efforts.

Person of the Moment

US War Secretary Pete Hegseth may just make Asia great again

US War Secretary Pete Hegseth speaking at the first plenary session at the Shangri-La Dialogue on May 30.

Shangri-La Dialogue 2026

Hegseth hails Asian partners for boosting security spending; omits Taiwan in roll call

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue on May 30.

Trump-Xi summit leaves trail of doubts over US support for Taiwan

On the second anniversary of his inauguration on May 20, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te declared that "foreign forces" cannot decide the future of the island, which relies heavily on US security backing to deter a potential Chinese attack.

E-paper

Newsletters

Podcasts

RSS Feed

About Us

Terms & Conditions

Personal Data Protection Notice

Need help? Reach us here.

Advertise with us

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