https://www.scmp.com/rss/265598/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump did not take a break from his polarising rhetoric on Easter Sunday, delivering an expletive-laden attack on Iran that sparked criticism on Capitol Hill and beyond. “Open the F****n Strait, you crazy b******s, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!” the president wrote early on Sunday, renewing his threat to unleash heavy bombing on Iranian power plants and bridges if Tehran refused to unblock the strategic Strait of Hormuz. “Praise be to Allah,” Trump added,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349103/trump-draws-criticism-fiery-expletive-laden-easter-message-attacking-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349103/trump-draws-criticism-fiery-expletive-laden-easter-message-attacking-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 17:45:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed concern about planned concerts in London by US rapper Kanye West, who has a history of antisemitic outbursts. Campaigners against antisemitism added their voices to the protests on Sunday and Pepsi, sponsors of the festival concerned, pulled out of the event. The disgraced 48-year-old hip-hop star – now known as Ye – is set to play three nights at the Wireless festival in London in July as part of a European comeback tour. Starmer told The Sun... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349102/british-pm-slams-london-music-festival-booking-kanye-west-sponsor-pepsi-quits-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349102/british-pm-slams-london-music-festival-booking-kanye-west-sponsor-pepsi-quits-event?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 17:00:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Afghanistan aims to increase trade with Central Asian countries to US$10 billion within the next three or four years, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Sunday. Trade with Central Asian countries to Afghanistan’s north came to about US$2.7 billion in 2025, itself a significant increase over previous years, Muttaqi said. He stated Afghanistan’s new trade goal with its neighbours at a “constructive dialogue” meeting in Kabul with representatives from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349095/afghanistan-wants-us10-billion-trade-deals-central-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349095/afghanistan-wants-us10-billion-trade-deals-central-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 13:26:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Critical infrastructure across the Gulf came under attack from Iran on Sunday with damage reported at civilian facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. Gulf countries have faced repeated drone and missile salvoes from Iran over past weeks in response to US and Israeli strikes that began at the end of February. Iran has targeted energy and other industrial infrastructure in the oil-rich Gulf nations, accusing its neighbours of allowing US forces to carry out attacks from their... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349084/uae-bahrain-and-kuwait-lose-water-energy-infrastructure-iran-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349084/uae-bahrain-and-kuwait-lose-water-energy-infrastructure-iran-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 08:53:41 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Three Indonesian peacekeepers killed in two separate explosions in southern Lebanon last week were laid to rest in their hometowns on Sunday. Peacekeeper Farizal Rhomadhon, 28, died when a projectile exploded on March 29 in southern Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah have been fighting since Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war. Two other blue helmets, Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, 33, and Muhammad Nur Ichwan, 26, died a day later when an explosion struck a logistics convoy of the UN Interim... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349076/indonesia-lays-rest-peacekeepers-killed-lebanon-prabowo-condemns-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349076/indonesia-lays-rest-peacekeepers-killed-lebanon-prabowo-condemns-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:18:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Rory McIlroy, whose emotional 2025 Masters victory completed an incredible career grand slam, chases an even rarer feat this year – repeating as champion at Augusta National. The 36-year-old from Northern Ireland hopes to join Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only golfers to capture back-to-back green jackets when the 90th Masters tees off Thursday. “I know defending the Masters tournament is a pretty rare feat, and it’s something I’d love to do,” McIlroy said. “I’ve won it once... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3349065/rory-mcilroy-aims-join-illustrious-group-rare-masters-repeat-augusta?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3349065/rory-mcilroy-aims-join-illustrious-group-rare-masters-repeat-augusta?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 05:54:24 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse In a corner of suburban Singapore, Betty Boon vaults a guardrail, crawls underneath a slide, executes forward shoulder rolls and scales a steep slope, finishing the course to applause. “Good job!” the 69-year-old’s coach cheers. This is “geriatric parkour”, where around 20 retirees learn to tackle a series of relatively demanding exercises, building their agility and enjoying a sense of camaraderie. Boon, an upbeat grandmother, says learning parkour has aided her confidence and independence as... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3348892/why-singaporeans-aged-60-plus-are-learning-parkour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3348892/why-singaporeans-aged-60-plus-are-learning-parkour?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 04:15:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel and Kuwait on Sunday, a day after US President Donald Trump said the Islamic republic had 48 hours to cut a deal or face “all Hell”. Kuwait and Israel said their air defences were responding to the latest attacks from Iran, part of the war that erupted more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes that triggered retaliation by Tehran. The war has spread conflict throughout the Middle East and convulsed the global economy. Iran’s forces maintain a tight... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349059/iran-attacks-kuwait-israel-after-trump-sets-deadline-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349059/iran-attacks-kuwait-israel-after-trump-sets-deadline-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 03:03:40 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Tehran had 48 hours left to cut a deal or face “all Hell”, as US and Iranian forces scrambled to find a downed American airman. Trump’s latest threat came after a strike near an Iranian nuclear power plant prompted evacuations, and as Tehran announced fresh attacks and the Israeli military said it had detected another missile launch from Yemen. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they hit a commercial ship in Bahrain, as they maintained their tight... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349050/iran-has-48-hours-make-deal-says-trump-or-us-will-unleash-hell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349050/iran-has-48-hours-make-deal-says-trump-or-us-will-unleash-hell?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:08:45 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An earthquake that struck Afghanistan overnight killed 12 people, including eight members of the same family, a government official and the Afghan Red Crescent Society said on Saturday. A neighbour who helped in rescue efforts said that the eight who died, on the outskirts of Kabul, were a refugee family recently returned from neighbouring Iran. The 5.8-magnitude quake struck at 8.42pm (1612 GMT) on Friday at a depth of 186km (115 miles) at the epicentre in northeastern Badakhshan province,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3349043/afghanistan-quake-kills-12-including-8-family-who-had-just-left-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3349043/afghanistan-quake-kills-12-including-8-family-who-had-just-left-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:09:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto never imagined that the “little character I drew would become so big”, bouncing through the decades from pixelated New York sewers to a silver-screen space epic. There were more technical constraints when the red-capped plumber made his 1980s debut, says Miyamoto, the design mastermind of Japan’s Nintendo, as The Super Mario Galaxy Movie hits the cinemas this week. In the earliest Mario arcade games, the character was only 16 pixels tall, a far cry from the rich... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348737/tough-choices-mario-creator-shigeru-miyamoto-made-new-movie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348737/tough-choices-mario-creator-shigeru-miyamoto-made-new-movie?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran on Saturday executed two men convicted of membership in a banned opposition group and carrying out disruptive actions aimed at overthrowing the Islamic Republic, the judiciary said. The executions were the latest in a series targeting members of the banned People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK), after four other convicted members of the group were put to death earlier in the week. They also come against the backdrop of Iran’s war with the United States and Israel, sparked by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349026/rights-groups-raise-alarm-after-iran-executes-2-more-opposition-group-members?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349026/rights-groups-raise-alarm-after-iran-executes-2-more-opposition-group-members?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 06:31:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Israeli military said on Saturday it had begun striking “Hezbollah infrastructure” in Beirut after it destroyed a bridge in eastern Lebanon to prevent the Iran-backed group’s reinforcements from crossing. Two loud explosions were heard in the capital within half an hour early on Saturday, with smoke billowing from one of them. Local media reported two strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a locality that has been a target of Israeli strikes in recent days as the military presses on with its... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349021/israel-targets-iran-backed-hezbollah-sites-lebanon-fresh-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349021/israel-targets-iran-backed-hezbollah-sites-lebanon-fresh-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 05:16:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Hong Kong’s beloved kapok trees are not blooming as they once did, raising concern among conservationists who see it as a sign that nature is falling out of sync as the climate warms. Locally known as “hero trees” for their majestic appearance, kapoks attract large numbers of photographers every spring when their bright red flowers bloom on otherwise bare branches. But that contrast has been fading in recent years as leaves that should have been shed during winter stay put as the seasons change,... https://www.scmp.com/yp/news/hong-kong/environment/article/3348917/hong-kongs-kapok-hero-trees-lose-their-glory-climate-warms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/news/hong-kong/environment/article/3348917/hong-kongs-kapok-hero-trees-lose-their-glory-climate-warms?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse They are sipping smoothies, snapping phone pics, dealing with crashed email and fixing broken toilets: astronauts, they are just like us. The four crew members zipping through space towards the moon are carrying out a mission unlike any before it, but they are also still muddling on through life’s mundanities – all while they float around together in a square footage equivalent to two minivans. Mission specialist Christina Koch, the first woman to venture into deep space, said preparing for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349013/space-plumber-rescue-artemis-astronauts-navigate-life-aboard-orion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349013/space-plumber-rescue-artemis-astronauts-navigate-life-aboard-orion?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 02:40:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse State-run public transport in Pakistan’s capital and most populous province will be free for the coming month, officials said, after the government drastically raised fuel prices due to the Iran war. The announcement came after street protests and long queues of motorcycles at fuel stations triggered by a late-night decision on Thursday to impose a 42.7 per cent rise in the price of petrol to 485 rupees (US$1.70) per litre. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif back-pedalled late on Friday, saying he... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349010/pakistan-offers-30-days-free-public-transport-following-40-petrol-hike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349010/pakistan-offers-30-days-free-public-transport-following-40-petrol-hike?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 01:46:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Police in Sri Lanka arrested 152 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, on Friday for allegedly running a cyberscam operation out of a hotel in the island’s northwest, officials said. The raid took place in the coastal town of Chilaw, 80km (50 miles) north of Colombo, following a tip-off, said police spokesman Frederick Wootler. “Those involved in scamming will be dealt with under our criminal law, while others could be deported,” Wootler said. Local police sources said two Chinese men who tried to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349001/sri-lanka-arrests-152-alleged-chinese-run-cyberscam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349001/sri-lanka-arrests-152-alleged-chinese-run-cyberscam?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:23:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Human remains have been found aboard a cargo ship struck by Iran while transiting the Strait of Hormuz last month, the vessel’s owner said on Friday, after three crew members were reported missing following the attack. US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February prompted Tehran to respond by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial artery for global oil supplies. The Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree was struck in March while travelling through the strait after departing Khalifa port in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348975/human-remains-found-thai-ship-attacked-iran-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348975/human-remains-found-thai-ship-attacked-iran-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:22:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Israeli military said Friday it had struck more than 3,500 targets across Lebanon in the month since fighting with the Hezbollah militant group began. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 after Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel to avenge the US-Israeli attack that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel has responded with massive strikes across Lebanon and a ground offensive. The Israeli military said on Friday it had killed about 1,000... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348961/israel-strikes-over-3500-lebanon-targets-month-says-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348961/israel-strikes-over-3500-lebanon-targets-month-says-military?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:26:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Threatening to destroy Iran’s electricity grid and to reduce the country of 90 million to destitution, US President Donald Trump is shattering precedent by not just accepting but gloating about acts seen as potential war crimes. The consequences for Trump, at least in the near term, are probably none, experts say, as his administration works hard to undermine international institutions tasked with keeping norms. The Geneva Conventions governing the laws of war, agreed following World War II,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348912/trumps-stone-age-threats-against-iran-spark-war-crimes-alarm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348912/trumps-stone-age-threats-against-iran-spark-war-crimes-alarm?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:26:47 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cuba’s government announced on Thursday that it was pardoning 2,010 prisoners as a “humanitarian” gesture during Holy Week, after pledging in March to release dozens amid heightened US pressure on Havana. The major announcement comes days after US President Donald Trump eased a de facto oil blockade of Cuba by allowing a Russian tanker to deliver crude to the fuel-starved island. The Trump administration has called for change in communist-run Cuba’s system of government and the US president has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348888/cuba-pardons-2010-prisoners-humanitarian-gesture-amid-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348888/cuba-pardons-2010-prisoners-humanitarian-gesture-amid-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:50:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japan abruptly axed Nils Nielsen as coach on Thursday just 12 days after taking them to Women’s Asian Cup glory, with football chiefs accusing him of being “lax” and “lacking passion”. Greenlander Nielsen led a rampant Japan to their third Asian title in four tournaments, beating hosts Australia 1-0 in the final in Sydney on March 21. The 54-year-old had been in the job since December 2024 and was the first foreign-born coach of the Japan women’s team. The Japan Football Association (JFA) said... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348880/japan-axe-coach-nils-nielsen-12-days-after-winning-womens-asian-cup-lacking-passion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348880/japan-axe-coach-nils-nielsen-12-days-after-winning-womens-asian-cup-lacking-passion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Mothers wearing medical masks sat next to children who were sitting or lying in dim rooms at William Soler Paediatric Hospital, with the sun providing the only light through the windows. The doctors here at Cuba’s main paediatric heart hospital face tough decisions: which children receive life-saving treatment first, and which must wait longer. Universal healthcare is one of the proud achievements of the Cuban revolution, but the island’s hospitals have struggled with shortages and ageing... https://www.scmp.com/yp/news/world/article/3348827/amid-us-blockade-cuban-childrens-heart-hospital-makes-tough-choices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/news/world/article/3348827/amid-us-blockade-cuban-childrens-heart-hospital-makes-tough-choices?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Women’s Asian Cup finalists Japan and Australia renewed calls on Thursday for equal prize money with the men’s tournament in a direct challenge to the Asian Football Confederation and accused the governing body of “ignoring” previous requests. Japan beat hosts Australia 1-0 in the final in Sydney on March 21 in front of more than 74,000 fans, the biggest crowd in the competition’s history. It concluded a tournament that made global headlines after seven members of the Iran squad sought asylum... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348850/womens-asian-cup-finalists-accuse-governing-body-ignoring-pleas-equal-prize-money?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348850/womens-asian-cup-finalists-accuse-governing-body-ignoring-pleas-equal-prize-money?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 02:00:24 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Thursday the tallest bridge in Iran had been destroyed, hours after threatening to bomb the country “back to the Stone Ages”. Ghodratollah Seif, the deputy governor of Alborz province, where the B1 bridge is located, said the strike had killed eight people and wounded 95 others, according to state TV and Fars news agency. Due to reporting restrictions, Agence France-Presse is not able to access the sites of strikes nor to independently verify tolls in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348868/trump-hails-destruction-irans-tallest-bridge-warns-much-more-follow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348868/trump-hails-destruction-irans-tallest-bridge-warns-much-more-follow?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:52:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Associated Press,Reuters Agence France-Presse,Associated Press,Reuters Fear for her son’s fate kept Maisoun Shawamreh awake through the night in the occupied West Bank following the Israeli parliament’s approval of a law permitting the execution of Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks classified as “terrorism”. The legislation orders West Bank military courts – which try only Palestinians – to make the death penalty the default sentence for those convicted, except in special circumstances. “The mothers of prisoners – none of us slept last night,” Shawamreh said... https://www.scmp.com/yp/news/world/article/3348822/palestinians-horrified-israels-new-law-fear-death-hanging-without-due-process?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/news/world/article/3348822/palestinians-horrified-israels-new-law-fear-death-hanging-without-due-process?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:00:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Manny Pacquiao’s planned September fight with Floyd Mayweather will not be an exhibition, the Philippine boxing legend said on Thursday, days after his fellow hall of famer said their bout would be strictly entertainment. Netflix last month announced a long-awaited rematch of the highest-grossing clash in boxing history, with Pacquiao and Mayweather – now both in their late forties – set to clash at the Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19. But Mayweather this week stunned the boxing world by... https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3348848/philippines-manny-pacquiao-says-fight-against-floyd-mayweather-not-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3348848/philippines-manny-pacquiao-says-fight-against-floyd-mayweather-not-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Four Artemis astronauts were zooming towards the moon on Thursday after a major engine firing, a milestone that commits Nasa to the first crewed lunar fly-by in more than half a century. With enough thrust to accelerate a stationary car to highway driving speed in less than three seconds, the Orion capsule engine blasted the astronauts on their trajectory towards the moon, which they now will loop as part of the 10-day Artemis II mission. “Human beings have left Earth orbit” for the first time... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348862/nasas-artemis-crew-gets-green-light-make-big-push-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348862/nasas-artemis-crew-gets-green-light-make-big-push-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:52:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse In a leafy Tehran park on Thursday, Iranians gathered for picnics on the final day of the Persian new year holidays, shrugging off US President Donald Trump’s threats to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages”. The country has been at war for more than a month and Trump – who launched the conflict alongside Israel on February 28 – has vowed to strike Iran hard for another “two or three weeks”. Powerful blasts shook the Iranian capital on Thursday. Still, hundreds of families sat out under mild,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348860/iran-war-music-and-barbecues-tehran-despite-trump-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348860/iran-war-music-and-barbecues-tehran-despite-trump-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:11:46 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Four children were stabbed to death on Thursday at a kindergarten in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, police said. The male suspect, in his thirties, gained access by posing as a parent before attacking children aged around two and three with a knife, police said. “We confirm a tragic incident at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Program school in Makindye Division, Kampala City, where a male suspect brutally stabbed and killed four juveniles,” police spokeswoman Racheal Kawala said. The suspect... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3348855/man-stabs-4-children-death-uganda-kindergarten?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3348855/man-stabs-4-children-death-uganda-kindergarten?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:14:57 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A UK-led meeting of some 40 countries on the Strait of Hormuz crisis wrapped up on Thursday with a demand for the “immediate and unconditional” reopening of the vital shipping route but no immediate breakthrough. “Iran is trying to hold the global economy hostage in the Strait of Hormuz. They must not prevail,” British foreign minister Yvette Cooper said in a statement. “To that effect, partners today called for the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait and respect for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348854/britain-says-40-countries-discuss-reopening-strait-hormuz-after-iran-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348854/britain-says-40-countries-discuss-reopening-strait-hormuz-after-iran-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:09:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that a military operation to liberate the Strait of Hormuz is “unrealistic”, while lamenting Donald Trump’s differing daily statements on the Iran war and Nato. “There are those who advocate for the liberation of the Strait of Hormuz by force through a military operation, a position sometimes expressed by the United States,” Macron said during a visit to South Korea. “I say sometimes because it has varied, it is never the option we have chosen... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348842/frances-macron-says-military-operation-liberate-strait-hormuz-unrealistic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348842/frances-macron-says-military-operation-liberate-strait-hormuz-unrealistic?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:51:47 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has reached unprecedented levels since the start of the war with Iran, with NGOs and opposition figures denouncing an environment of impunity. While so-called “Jewish terrorism” has drawn widespread condemnation both in Israel and abroad, little has been done to curb it. Assaults by violent settlers against Palestinians have been carried out for years, often to the indifference of mainstream Israeli... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348798/surging-jewish-terrorism-west-bank-condemned-goes-unpunished?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348798/surging-jewish-terrorism-west-bank-condemned-goes-unpunished?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 08:45:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Coach Graham Arnold has challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental play-off in Mexico. Meanwhile, Japan, who were the first nation to qualify for the finals in North America, made their own slice of history with a statement 1-0 win over England that showed they could go deep at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348703/world-cups-last-qualifier-iraq-plot-shock-while-japan-confident-making-more-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348703/world-cups-last-qualifier-iraq-plot-shock-while-japan-confident-making-more-history?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The BBC defended on Wednesday its handling of a DJ sacked years after he was the subject of a police investigation into allegations of sexual offences against a teenage boy. The controversy surrounding former radio host Scott Mills, 53, is the latest involving a high-profile presenter to roil the publicly funded broadcaster. London’s Metropolitan Police said this week that it questioned Mills in 2018 over allegations of “serious sexual offences” against a boy under the age of 16. The case was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348708/bbc-defends-action-new-sex-abuse-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348708/bbc-defends-action-new-sex-abuse-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:54:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse At a petrol station in the Washington suburbs, drivers confronted the harsh domestic repercussions of the war on Iran, as spiking fuel prices hit household budgets hard. Jeanne Williams, 83, had just driven 160km from Richmond, Virginia, where she was visiting her elder sister. “That is horrible,” she said, stunned by the prices visible on the Liberty petrol station’s LED board. “I’m not angry. I’m just bewildered, confused, unhappy,” she said. “Because we didn’t ask for the war.” On Tuesday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348644/how-us-stupid-war-iran-torched-fuel-price-stability-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348644/how-us-stupid-war-iran-torched-fuel-price-stability-america?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz has thrown the global economic system into turmoil, yet Israel, which launched attacks on Tehran alongside the United States, has emerged as a rare exception. Since Israel and its US ally started the Middle East war on February 28, economies from Asia to Europe and the US have come under pressure from surging oil and natural gas prices that have driven up fuel and electricity costs. Israel, however, has remained largely insulated from the shock. Central... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348629/how-israel-dodged-hormuz-energy-crisis-while-others-reel-blow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348629/how-israel-dodged-hormuz-energy-crisis-while-others-reel-blow?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:43:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran has the “necessary will” to end the war with the US and Israel, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday, stressing that Tehran was seeking guarantees the conflict would not flare up again. The comment by the head of state – which boosted markets in the US – came after a day of heavy strikes on Iran and followed a tough warning from the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Guards threatened to retaliate against leading US tech firms such as Google, Meta and Apple from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348588/iran-says-it-has-will-end-war-trump-zigzags-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348588/iran-says-it-has-will-end-war-trump-zigzags-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 19:10:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday that they would target leading US technology firms like Apple, Google and Meta if more Iranian leaders were killed in “targeted assassinations”. “These companies, starting from 8pm Tehran time on Wednesday, April 1, should expect the destruction of their relevant units in exchange for every assassination in Iran,” the Guards said in a statement listing the names of 18 companies it alleged were complicit in the killing of officials. “We advise the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348585/iran-says-will-target-apple-google-and-meta-if-more-its-leaders-are-killed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348585/iran-says-will-target-apple-google-and-meta-if-more-its-leaders-are-killed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:23:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Philippines said on Tuesday it will rename more than 100 island features in a bid to reinforce its “sovereignty” in the disputed South China Sea, including areas claimed by China. The features to be renamed under President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s executive order belong to the Spratly archipelago, site of repeated confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels. Beijing claims the South China Sea in nearly its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348577/philippines-rename-disputed-south-china-sea-islands-boost-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348577/philippines-rename-disputed-south-china-sea-islands-boost-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:40:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Japanese prosecutor who publicly accused her boss of rape condemned her office on Tuesday for failing to protect victims, after it rejected her request for an independent probe into harassment within the organisation. Very few women in Japan speak out about sexual assault but Hikari (not her real name) came forward in 2024 to accuse Osaka’s then top prosecutor of raping her six years earlier. Kentaro Kitagawa, head of the Osaka District Public Prosecutor’s Office, was arrested and admitted the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348575/japan-rape-accuser-condemns-prosecutions-failure-protect-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348575/japan-rape-accuser-condemns-prosecutions-failure-protect-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:58:54 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse King Charles III will visit the United States in late April, Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday, despite some calls for the trip to be cancelled or delayed amid the Iran war. Confirmation of the monarch’s first state visit to the US comes at a rocky time for the so-called US-UK “special relationship”, with US President Donald Trump repeatedly criticising Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s reticence over the US-Israel war against Tehran. The trip by the king and Queen Camilla would “celebrate the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348570/king-charles-pay-state-visit-us-late-april-amid-iran-war-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348570/king-charles-pay-state-visit-us-late-april-amid-iran-war-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:55:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A woman was bitten by a wolf in a shopping centre in the German city of Hamburg, the city’s deputy mayor said Tuesday, in the first such attack in modern times. The wolf entered the complex in the northern city’s Altona area on Monday evening after being repeatedly spotted in different parts of Hamburg over several days, Katharina Fegebank told journalists. The incident is the first of its kind since the species began returning to Germany almost 30 years ago, according to the Federal Agency for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348542/wolf-bites-woman-german-city-shopping-area?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348542/wolf-bites-woman-german-city-shopping-area?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:39:27 +0000 Associated Press,Agence France-Presse Associated Press,Agence France-Presse Earlier this month, Iraq coach Graham Arnold was stranded in Fujairah, on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates, because of the Middle East war. He wondered if his national team would even be able to compete for one last chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. After travelling a long and winding road to reach Mexico, Arnold and Iraq will seek to return to a World Cup after an absence of 40 years when they face Bolivia in the final of their intercontinental play-off in Monterrey in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348511/fifa-world-cup-2026-after-harrowing-travel-ordeal-iraq-hope-secure-asia-its-9th-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348511/fifa-world-cup-2026-after-harrowing-travel-ordeal-iraq-hope-secure-asia-its-9th-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Italy have one more obstacle standing between them and a return to the World Cup in the shape of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who host the Azzurri on Tuesday in what promises to be a tense qualification play-off final in Zenica. Meanwhile, Kosovo are on the verge of winning a spot in the finals for the first time – a potentially momentous sporting turnaround for Europe’s youngest nation. For Italian fans, a battling win over Northern Ireland in last week’s semi-final did little to ease their fears... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348436/fifa-world-cup-italy-hoping-scale-bosnian-everest-tiny-kosovo-verge-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348436/fifa-world-cup-italy-hoping-scale-bosnian-everest-tiny-kosovo-verge-history?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 02:00:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse On Wednesday, the United Nations’ General Assembly designated the transatlantic African slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity”, despite opposition by the United States and abstaining from some European countries. The resolution was spearheaded by Ghana and received 123 votes in favour. Three countries – Argentina, Israel and the United States – voted against, and 52 abstained, including Britain and EU member states. “Today, we come together in solemn solidarity to affirm truth and... https://www.scmp.com/yp/news/world/article/3348408/un-names-african-slave-trade-gravest-crime-against-humanity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/news/world/article/3348408/un-names-african-slave-trade-gravest-crime-against-humanity?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Premier League’s global appeal is built on packed stadiums and electric atmospheres but as the arms race for talent intensifies, fans are feeling the pinch. A recent Uefa report found English football’s “Big Six” – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham – earned nearly 20 per cent more from selling tickets for home matches in the 2024/25 season than 12 months before. Revenue from bumper broadcasting deals and commercial sponsorship still provides the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348361/premier-league-football-fans-feel-pinch-ticket-price-hikes-clubs-target-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348361/premier-league-football-fans-feel-pinch-ticket-price-hikes-clubs-target-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced confidence on Monday that Iran’s Islamic republic would eventually fall, though he again said that was not the objective of the US-Israeli war on the country. “I think this regime will collapse internally. But at the moment, right now, what we’re doing is just degrading their military capacity, degrading their missile capacity, degrading their nuclear capacity and also weakening them from the inside,” Netanyahu told conservative US broadcaster... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348461/irans-islamic-republic-will-collapse-internally-says-netanyahu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348461/irans-islamic-republic-will-collapse-internally-says-netanyahu?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:36:53 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A French court on Monday issued an arrest warrant and a one-year prison sentence against the Chinese captain of a suspected Russian “shadow fleet” tanker over failing to comply with orders to stop his ship. Chen Zhangjie, 39, was sentenced in absentia after the French navy boarded the Boracay tanker in September before releasing the vessel and its crew days later, in what Russian leader Vladimir Putin condemned as “piracy”. The court in the western city of Brest also ordered Chen to pay a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348452/french-court-convicts-chinese-captain-oil-tanker-linked-russian-shadow-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348452/french-court-convicts-chinese-captain-oil-tanker-linked-russian-shadow-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:21:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Swedish prosecutor on Monday charged a man, suspected of selling his wife’s sexual services to over 120 men, with aggravated pimping, several rapes and assault. The man, 62, was arrested in late October after his wife reported him to police in northern Sweden. He has been held in custody since then. According to the charge sheet, the man had for years benefited financially from pressuring his wife “to perform and submit to sexual acts”. The man was accused of creating ads online, setting up... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348435/sweden-charges-monster-man-selling-wife-over-120-men?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348435/sweden-charges-monster-man-selling-wife-over-120-men?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:47:39 +0000