Last Updated: 09:08 GMT Wednesday, 13 May. 2026

What You Need to Know About the Federal Gas Tax

President Trump said he would like to suspend the 18.4-cent-a-gallon tax, but it's a move that may save drivers only a few dollars a month.
Emmett Lindner / NY Times   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 09:03:50

Taiwan stages live-fire drill on mainland-facing island as Trump heads to Beijing

Taiwan staged a large-scale live-fire drill on a frontline island near mainland China on Wednesday, hours before President Donald Trump was due to land in Beijing for high-stakes talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The exercise on Kinmen, also known as Quemoy, simulated a People's Liberation Army amphibious assault on ...
Lawrence Chung / South China Morning Post   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 09:01:43

Trump flies to Beijing, Nvidia's Huang joins trip at last minute

US President Donald Trump said he would urge China's Xi Jinping to "open up" to American business, and belatedly added Nvidia's Jensen Huang to the list of executives accompanying him on a trip to Beijing. "I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to 'open up' China ...
Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma / South China Morning Post   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 09:00:30

'New historical juncture': Beijing frames Trump visit as 'milestone' for stable ties

Ahead of US President Donald Trump's state visit, China's state-controlled media has framed the summit with President Xi Jinping as an opportunity to steer relations towards greater stability and mutual respect, despite grievances and tensions. Xie Feng, China's ambassador to the US, echoed that message in a wide-ranging Newsweek interview ...
Shi Jiangtao / South China Morning Post   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 08:40:11

STAT+: Bill Cassidy risked his legacy. It may not be enough to save his career

Sen. Bill Cassidy risked his legacy. It may not be enough to save his career.
Chelsea Cirruzzo and Daniel Payne / Stats   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 08:30:00

China's Xi expected to press Trump on Taiwan, tariffs during summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping likely to seek concessions on arms sales to Taiwan, analysts say.
Al Jazeera   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 07:48:54

Iran war day 75: Trump-Xi talks loom in Beijing as tensions rise in Gulf

Trump heads to Beijing for high-stakes talks with Xi Jinping as tensions over the Iran war continue to escalate.
Al Jazeera   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 07:45:44

Nvidia's Jensen Huang joins Trump as tech dominates China trip

Invitation to be part of group including Elon Musk and Tim Cook highlights American AI and tech ambitions The billionaire chief executive of the chipmaker Nvidia, Jensen Huang, has joined Donald Trump's China delegation after a reported last-minute invitation, highlighting the US's AI and tech ambitions. Huang will join a ...
Kalyeena Makortoff / Guardian   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 07:41:26

Wes Streeting tipped to have 'problematic' relationship with Donald Trump if he challenges Keir Starmer

Wes Streeting has been tipped to have a "problematic to say the least" relationship if he successfully challenges Keir Starmer and enters No10. Speaking to GB News, Foreign Correspondent Sara Firth said the Health Secretary's previous association with Peter Mandelson. The Prime Minister has been under intense pressure to step ...
Marcus Donaldson / GB News   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 07:17:15

Trump and Xi to meet in Beijing: The key issues shaping the China summit

Trump and Xi meet as trade, Taiwan and the Iran war dominate a high-stakes US-China summit.
Al Jazeera   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 07:08:18

How Neil Gorsuch-and Senate Republicans-Stole a SCOTUS Seat and Changed the Court Forever

And how Gorsuch then became a judicial wild card who doesn't always rule along partisan lines.
Susan Matthews / Moneybox   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 07:05:00

President Trump in China: Can two rival superpowers find common ground?

When President Donald Trump lands in Beijing on May 13 for a two-day state visit and summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the world will be watching a diplomatic engagement that carries implications far...
Dr. Ashok Sharma / Times of India   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 07:00:35

US and China in 'unprecedented' cooperation against scam centres in Dubai

The FBI and Chinese police have taken part in a joint operation targeting scam networks in Dubai, in a rare show of cooperation ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to China. Dubai Police - which led the operation dubbed Tri-Force Sentinel - said at least nine scam hubs were ...
Laura Zhou / South China Morning Post   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 07:00:11

US-China head-to-head: Explained in 11 maps and charts

Before President Trump's visit to Beijing, Al Jazeera compares the US and China on economics, military and resources.
Al Jazeera   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 06:47:45

Trump and Xi: a path to US-China rivalry without war

US President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing this week may ease tensions at the margins of the US-China rivalry. But it will not change a central fact: neither side can escape the rivalry, and neither side can decisively win it. The biggest challenge for Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping ...
Kai He and Huiyun Feng / Asia Times   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 06:29:22

Trump-Xi China summit: five key issues on the agenda

It is nearly 10 years since the US president made a state visit to China, and Iran, Taiwan, trade, AI and drugs look set to dominate Donald Trump's state visit to China this week - the first by the US president in nearly a decade - comes amid a time ...
Mark Saunokonoko / Guardian   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 06:24:07

Chinese tech index surges to all-time high as investors await Trump-Xi summit

China's ChiNext board, a tech-focused index of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, reached an all-time intraday high on Wednesday, passing the 4,000-point mark hours before US President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing with a coterie of tech executives. As of Wednesday afternoon, the index had reached a peak ...
Coco Feng / South China Morning Post   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 06:17:02

Elon Musk and Jensen Huang among CEOs joining Trump on China trip

A total of 18 US executives have joined the president on his visit, where he will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
BBC   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 06:15:13

Decoding America: Trump takes tech bros to China - podcast

On the eve of Donald Trump's trip to Beijing, co-hosts Reged Ahmad and Jonathan Yerushalmy examine how the US president's approach to relations with Xi Jinping has changed since he first ran for office, and what both leaders expect to get from the meeting. They also look at the tech ...
Presented by Reged Ahmad with Jonathan Yerushalmy; produced by Daniel Semo who also did the sound design and mix; Executive producer is Hannah Parkes / Guardian   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 06:07:35

Chinese Oil Tanker Tests Safe Passage Through Strait of Hormuz

A Chinese tanker is attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, Bloomberg reported today, citing ship-tracking data showing the VLCC moving south along the eastern side of the chokepoint. The moment is delicate for relations between the United States, China, and Iran as President Trump heads to Beijing for talks ...
Irina Slav / Oil Price   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 06:00:00

Trump weighs in on Starmer and bumper China visit preview

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Sky   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 05:45:00

What to know about Trump-Xi summit with trade, Taiwan and Iran on the agenda

As Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump prepare for a highly anticipated summit, both China and the United States say their ties have been broadly stable in recent months - and they are planning on keeping it that way. But many issues are at stake in one of the world's ...
Malta Independent   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 05:27:00

Trump Tower on Gold Coast scrapped because brand 'toxic to Australians'

The Surfers Paradise development has been abandoned with Altus Property Group and the Trump Organization blaming each other The little-known property developer and the US president's son were all smiles when they shook hands on Valentine's Day within the gilded walls of Mar-a-Lago on a deal they claimed would bring ...
Joe Hinchliffe / Guardian   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 05:13:54

China and US teams race to find easy summit deliverables at meeting in Seoul

Chinese and US trade delegations meeting in South Korea today are expected to focus on locking in deliverables for this week's summit in Beijing rather than engaging in substantive negotiations, analysts said, as both sides race through talks hours before US President Donald Trump's planned arrival in China. The two ...
Xiaofei Xu / South China Morning Post   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 04:59:47

South Asia can't afford a US-China blowup - or a Trump-Xi deal

As US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping convene in Beijing this week (May 14-15, 2026), the world's two largest economies are attempting-once again-to stabilize a relationship strained to breaking point by punitive tariffs and an emerging technological iron curtain. The agenda is dense with unresolved friction: the ...
Jannatul Naym Pieal / Asia Times   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 04:47:26

Sapphire 2026: SAP heralds dawn of 'autonomous enterprise'

SAP CEO Christian Klein and his top team trumpeted the advent of the 'autonomous enterprise' during the opening keynote at the supplier's global Sapphire event in Orlando
Computer Weekly   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 04:45:00

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joins Trump on China trip following call from the U.S. president

Seeking Alpha   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 04:04:49

The Trump Administration Is a Powerful but Unreliable Ally of Second Amendment Advocates

Even as the Justice Department files lawsuits aimed at vindicating gun rights, it undermines them in other cases.
Jacob Sullum / Hit & Run   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 04:01:26

Trump due in China for high-stakes summit with Xi Jinping, as Iran war looms over talks

The US president will arrive with tech leaders including Elon Musk and Tim Cook, with trade, AI and Taiwan all set to be discussed Donald Trump is due to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening, the first visit to China by a US president in nearly a decade, as he ...
David Smith in Beijing / Guardian   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 04:01:18

Trump's Shrinking Ambitions on China

The president came into office planning harsher trade moves on China than on the rest of the world. Here's why he's had to scale them back.
Ana Swanson / NY Times   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 04:01:04

Trump is up against China's great wall of confidence

The US president will encounter a very different country to the one he visited in 2017
FT   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 04:00:30

Putin and Zelenskyy cool on US-led peace talks

Moscow and Kyiv lose faith in Donald Trump's diplomacy even in the event of Iran war ending
FT   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 04:00:22

How China Could Wield Its Control of Rare Earths Against Trump

A central question hanging over the summit this week is whether China will agree to extend a temporary postponement of even tougher rare-earth export controls.
Keith Bradsher / NY Times   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 04:00:15

Here's How Trump's Trade War on China Ended Up in a Stalemate

As President Trump prepares to meet with Xi Jinping, a trade war that once threatened to freeze commerce between the two countries has given way to an uneasy truce.
Alexandra Stevenson / NY Times   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 04:00:06

'It's a failed nation': Trump pressures Cuba as fuel crisis deepens

US President Donald Trump has called Cuba 'a failed nation', as his administration expands its pressure campaign.
Al Jazeera   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 03:54:38

Cosmic order, political authority: the messaging in temple setting for Trump's China visit

From Obama's evening chats on Yingtai island in the grounds of Zhongnanhai to Trump's tea reception in the Forbidden City, historic settings have long formed a symbolic backdrop to key moments in US-China diplomacy. As Trump prepares for his visit to China from Wednesday to Friday - the first by ...
Meredith Chen / South China Morning Post   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 03:45:16

Jensen Huang gets last-minute invite to Trump-Xi Summit

The Nvidia CEO was notably not included on the list of CEOs invited to attend the summit that was circulated Monday.
Katherine Long / Politico   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 03:44:40

China-US trade talks kick off in Seoul ahead of high-profile leaders' summit

Senior officials from China and the United States have started a new round of trade talks in Seoul, South Korea, hours ahead of US President Donald Trump's scheduled arrival in Beijing. The delegations - led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent - arrived at Terminal ...
Xinyi Wu,Yulu Ao / South China Morning Post   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 03:34:15

Xi-Trump Beijing meeting to lift Chinese stocks, Morgan Stanley says

Morgan Stanley expects US President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing to give Chinese stocks a moderate lift if the current trade truce is extended. The bank's base case forecasts an 8 per cent gain to 28,400 for Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index by the second quarter of 2027, as well ...
Julie Zhang / South China Morning Post   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 03:14:56

Elon Musk and Tim Cook among CEOs joining Trump on China trip

A total of 17 US executives are set to join the president on his visit, where he will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
BBC   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 02:52:26

Jensen Huang is joining Trump's China trip after the U.S. president called the Nvidia CEO

The U.S. chipmaker executive was not included in earlier lists of business leaders participating in President Donald Trump's trip to China this week.
CNBC   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 02:51:47

Trump puts Taiwan arms sales, Hong Kong jailed activist Lai on agenda ahead of meeting with Xi

Trump said Monday that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and the imprisonment of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai would be among the issues at the summit in Beijing.
CNBC   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 02:49:21

Oil prices today: Crude slips after three-day rally as markets track Iran ceasefire

Oil prices dipped Wednesday after a three-day rally, with traders watching the Iran conflict's ceasefire and the Trump-Xi summit. Despite a slight fall, crude remains above $100 a barrel due to ongoing supply fears. Analysts predict elevated prices for months, impacting global inflation and potentially delaying US interest rate cuts.
TOI Business Desk / Times of India   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 02:41:51

Either Iran agrees to deal or US can 'finish the job' - Trump

The US leader did not provide a clear answer when asked whether he was prepared to abandon the ceasefire with Iran
Tass   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 02:40:00

Wednesday Watch

Around X: @Business President Trump said he'd prioritize trade discussions during his summit with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and downplayed the amount of attention they would devote to the Iran war. EXCLUSIVE: Anthropic is in early talks with investors to raise at least $30 billion in fresh financing, setting the ...
Unknown / Between the Hedges   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 02:25:00

Nvidia's Jensen Huang joins Trump's trip to China at last minute

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will join US President Donald Trump on his trip to China this week, the company has confirmed. "Jensen is attending the summit at the invitation of President Trump to support America and the administration's goals," an Nvidia representative told the South China Morning Post in an ...
Coco Feng,Wency Chen,Ji Siqi / South China Morning Post   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 02:06:44

Trump's plan to discuss Taiwan arms sales with Xi rattles Asian allies

Negotiations with Beijing on weapons exports to Taipei would break long US precedent
FT   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 02:01:14

Trump's man is set to make the president very angry

Kevin Warsh is getting ready to sit on one of the hottest seats in America. He just found out he won't be able to deliver what Donald Trump expects from him.
Stephen Bartholomeusz / Sydney Morning Herald   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 02:00:00

Trump's 'Golden Dome' will cost $1.2tn and might not stop all-out missile attack

That pricetag is nearly seven times higher than Trump's initial estimate, found an independent budget office.
BBC   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 01:59:53

Asia markets mixed as investors watch Trump-Xi meeting and Iran tensions

Asian markets mixed on Wednesday as investors grappled with inflation, U.S.-Iran tensions and U.S.-China trade talks.
CNBC   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 01:42:37

1MDB financier Jho Low asks Trump for a pardon

Alleged mastermind behind multibillion-dollar scandal appears in US filing that lists pardon requests
FT   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 01:28:50

'It's not a swimming pool' - Americans react to Trump's reflecting pool makeover

As the president continues his initiative to make Washington DC 'safe and beautiful', tourists and locals are conflicted over the $13m renovation.
BBC   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 01:22:18

For Chinese exporters, Iran worries eclipse tariff woes as Trump, Xi prepare to meet

Heading into the summit, Beijing and Washington will likely reaffirm their shared intention to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore stability in the region.
CNBC   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 01:14:04

Justice Dept. Officials Consider Settling Trump Suit Against I.R.S.

One of the settlement terms under review is for the I.R.S. to drop any audits of the president, his family members and businesses.
Andrew Duehren and Alan Feuer / NY Times   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 01:02:07

Privacy screens and police dogs: how Beijing is preparing for Trump's visit

Beijing intensified security and prepared key venues on Tuesday as the Chinese capital awaited the arrival of US President Donald Trump and his high-stakes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week. Trump is expected to stay at the five-star Four Seasons Hotel in northeastern Beijing after arriving on ...
Alcott Wei / South China Morning Post   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 01:00:20

Plans for Australia's first Trump Tower scrapped due to 'toxic' brand, developer says

The 91-storey luxury hotel on the Gold Coast in Queensland was meant to be Australia's tallest building.
BBC   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 00:42:23

Marty Makary, Trump's F.D.A. Commissioner, Resigns After Weeks of Pressure

The agency's top food official will step in to the role after Dr. Makary privately said he opposed the administration decision to approve flavored vapes.
Christina Jewett / NY Times   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:11

Iran war live: Trump travels to China as conflict with Tehran looms large

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 2,883 people and injured 8,787 since March 2, Lebanon's Health Ministry says.
Al Jazeera   |   Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00

Malaysia's Jho Low seeking Trump pardon for 1MDB fraud

Jho Low, the fugitive Malaysian financier accused by the United States of being the mastermind of one of the largest financial frauds in history, has asked US President Donald Trump for a pardon. Low, who was charged in 2018 but has evaded arrest, submitted a pardon application to the US ...
Bloomberg / South China Morning Post   |   Tue, 12 May 2026 23:38:02

Trump Posted Fake Quote Attributed to GOP Senator

NOTUS: "President Donald Trump posted a quote on Truth Social on Monday night attributed to Sen. John Kennedy that claimed former President Barack Obama was part of an illegal Obamacare moneymaking scheme." "The claim is baseless. What's more, the quote isn't even real. Kennedy has never said anything like it."
Taegan Goddard / Taegan Goddard   |   Tue, 12 May 2026 23:27:43

US confirms delegation to Apec meeting in China, hours after Trump sets off for Beijing

The United States announced on Tuesday that it would send a delegation to the second Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2026 Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM2) and related meetings in China this month, just hours after US President Donald Trump departed for Beijing ahead of a high-stakes summit with Chinese counterpart Xi ...
Lucy Quaggin / South China Morning Post   |   Tue, 12 May 2026 23:22:51

Iran in complete control of Trump's fate

The humiliation of the POTUS is at hand. Iran will not resume talks on nuclear issues until: Ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon Lifting all sanctions Releasing frozen Iranian assets Compensation for war damages and losses Recognition of Iran's sovereign rights over the Strait of Hormuz These conditions ...
Houses and Holes / MacroBusiness   |   Tue, 12 May 2026 23:00:54

Trump-Xi summit will be no 'Nixon in China' moment - that they are talking is enough for now

Xi and Trump: A plastic friendship at best? Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images Rana Mitter, Harvard Kennedy School Meetings between Chinese and American leaders are not exactly routine, but few are historically groundbreaking. The exceptions include the very first visit by a sitting U.S. president to China, when Richard Nixon ...
Guest Voice / Moderate Voice   |   Tue, 12 May 2026 22:47:23

Meet Cameron Hamilton, the Fired FEMA Chief Who Trump Has Nominated to Lead the Agency Again

Meet Cameron Hamilton.
Connor Greene / Time   |   Tue, 12 May 2026 22:37:24

South Carolina Rebuffs Trump on Redistricting

The Hill: "South Carolina's Senate on Monday declined to extend its legislative calendar to consider drawing new GOP-favored congressional lines, dealing a blow to President Trump before the midterms this fall."
Taegan Goddard / Taegan Goddard   |   Tue, 12 May 2026 22:35:37

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary Resigns, Ending a Controversial Tenure at the Agency

Makary's tenure at the agency was marked by a series of controversies and clashes.
Connor Greene / Time   |   Tue, 12 May 2026 22:29:13

Flavored vapes doomed Trump's FDA head

This story appeared inThe Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life.Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary is out of a job. What happened? Makary, who led the federal agency ...
Cameron Peters / Vox   |   Tue, 12 May 2026 22:15:00