https://www.scmp.com/rss/268514/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ada Li,Reuters Ada Li,Reuters The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon is considering making major changes, including moving the finish line to Kai Tak Sports Park and expanding the event over two days, but not everyone is a fan. With organisers expected to make recommendations to the government this month, Culture, Sports and Tourism Secretary Rosanna Law Shuk-pui has questioned whether the roads around the venue could support races that drew almost 74,000 runners this year. A new route would also be likely to include the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3349291/law-urges-caution-over-proposals-hong-kong-marathon-route-change-switch-2-day-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3349291/law-urges-caution-over-proposals-hong-kong-marathon-route-change-switch-2-day-event?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters ⁠Iraqi armed group ⁠Kataib Hezbollah, which is aligned with Iran, said on Tuesday it would release abducted US journalist Shelly Kittleson, adding that she must leave Iraq immediately. Kittleson ‌was abducted in late March in Baghdad. Middle East news site Al-Monitor said Kittleson was a US freelance journalist based in Rome who had covered several wars in the region and had contributed articles to ⁠the outlet. A video purporting to show Kittleson was shared ‌by a social media outlet close to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349310/pro-iran-group-says-will-release-us-journalist-kidnapped-iraq?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349310/pro-iran-group-says-will-release-us-journalist-kidnapped-iraq?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:54:50 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran’s government will decide whether the national team will play in the ⁠World Cup only once they ⁠receive a response from Fifa over ⁠the relocation of their matches, the country’s Minister of Sport Ahmad Donyamali has said. Iran’s football federation (FFIRI) has been pushing to move the team’s three World Cup group-stage matches from the United States to Mexico, citing American military involvement alongside Israel in strikes that sparked ‌an ongoing war in the region. Last month, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3349281/iran-wait-fifa-response-venue-switch-making-decision-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3349281/iran-wait-fifa-response-venue-switch-making-decision-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters US Vice-President J.D. Vance lavished praise on Hungary and Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday as he arrived in Budapest to boost the veteran nationalist leader’s campaign ahead of an election that many opinion polls suggest Orban will lose. Orban, a Eurosceptic nationalist in power since 2010, is facing the toughest re-election bid of his career, with independent polls indicating his Fidesz party will lose Sunday’s vote to centre-right challenger Peter Magyar’s Tisza party. Vance’s visit,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349288/president-loves-you-us-vance-visits-hungary-boost-orban-re-election-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349288/president-loves-you-us-vance-visits-hungary-boost-orban-re-election-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:18:02 +0000 Reuters Reuters Filipino farmers like Romeo Wagayan have ⁠been left with little choice ⁠but to let their vegetables rot in the ⁠field rather than sell them at a loss, as rising oil prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East drive up the cost of harvesting, labour and transport. “There’s nothing we can do,” said Wagayan, a 57-year-old vegetable farmer in the northern Philippine province of Benguet. “If we harvest ‌it, our losses only increase because of labour, transportation and packing costs. We don’t... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349246/filipino-farmers-leave-crops-rot-fuel-prices-drive-cost-harvest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349246/filipino-farmers-leave-crops-rot-fuel-prices-drive-cost-harvest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:53:03 +0000 Reuters,Associated Press Reuters,Associated Press Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-ting took bronze at the ⁠Asian Boxing Elite ⁠Championships on Monday in ⁠her first competition since a gender-eligibility row overshadowed her Olympic gold-medal-winning performance at the 2024 Paris Games. Lin opted not to compete in the world championships last year after ‌governing body World Boxing announced that women boxers would have to undergo mandatory sex testing as part of a new eligibility policy. The policy was introduced a year after Lin and Algerian Imane... https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3349227/chinese-taipei-boxer-lin-yu-ting-takes-bronze-asian-championships-competitive-return?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3349227/chinese-taipei-boxer-lin-yu-ting-takes-bronze-asian-championships-competitive-return?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Carlos Alcaraz said he was eager to get ⁠his socks dirty on ⁠clay again as the world ⁠No 1 returned to his preferred surface in Monaco this week to build momentum for his French Open title defence. Alcaraz won his fifth grand slam title by beating Jannik Sinner in an ‌epic final at Roland Garros last June, adding to his 2025 clay-court triumphs in Monte Carlo and Rome and a runner-up finish in Barcelona. “This is probably one of the best times of the season for me,” Alcaraz said. “I miss clay... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3349145/carlos-alcaraz-ready-get-socks-dirty-again-return-clay-monte-carlo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3349145/carlos-alcaraz-ready-get-socks-dirty-again-return-clay-monte-carlo?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters The British government was under growing pressure on Monday to bar American rapper Kanye West from entering the country after he was named as the headline act for the Wireless Festival of rap and hip-hop music set for July. West, now known as Ye, has been criticised in the past for antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism, which have led on several occasions to his ‌social media accounts, including on X, being barred. The decision to book Ye prompted several companies to pull their... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349199/pressure-mounts-uk-government-ban-kanye-west-after-festival-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349199/pressure-mounts-uk-government-ban-kanye-west-after-festival-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 23:06:53 +0000 Reuters Reuters Venezuela’s government and its political opposition are seeking to coordinate their legal defence of the oil-rich country’s United States assets, after Washington’s official recognition of ‌interim president Delcy Rodriguez raised questions about who could represent the country in US courts. Lawyers for Rodriguez’s government and the opposition asked Manhattan-based US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn on Monday to pause for 45 days a case in which creditors are seeking to seize funds linked to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349197/venezuelas-government-opposition-may-cooperate-safeguard-us-assets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349197/venezuelas-government-opposition-may-cooperate-safeguard-us-assets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:47:22 +0000 Reuters Reuters Bangladesh has launched an emergency ⁠vaccination campaign ⁠targeting more than a ⁠million children as a fast-spreading measles outbreak sweeps across the country. Health ministry figures show there have been 17 confirmed deaths from measles so far, with 113 suspected ‌deaths and more than 7,500 suspected infections nationwide. The campaign, led by the health ministry with support from Unicef, the World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, began in 18 high-risk districts,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349178/bangladesh-aims-vaccinate-over-1-million-children-fatal-measles-outbreak-spreads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349178/bangladesh-aims-vaccinate-over-1-million-children-fatal-measles-outbreak-spreads?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:27:02 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korea appears to be distancing itself from long-time partner Iran and carefully managing its public messaging to preserve the possibility of a new relationship with the US after the Iran war, South Korean lawmakers have said, citing the spy agency. Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said North ‌Korea had not sent weapons or supplies so far to Iran since the conflict started on February 28, and did not issue public condolences upon the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349136/north-korean-silence-iran-signals-openness-us-talks-seouls-spy-agency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349136/north-korean-silence-iran-signals-openness-us-talks-seouls-spy-agency?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 06:32:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukraine and Syria pledged greater security cooperation in talks on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said as Kyiv seeks to promote its military expertise across the region following the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran. Zelensky, continuing his tour of Middle East countries, ‌met with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus. “We agreed to work together to provide more security and opportunities for development for our societies,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram. In a later post,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349106/zelensky-syria-discuss-security-cooperation-president-ahmed-al-sharaa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349106/zelensky-syria-discuss-security-cooperation-president-ahmed-al-sharaa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 20:01:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters A cargo ⁠ship carrying wheat sank in the Sea of Azov after coming under attack from Ukrainian drones, a Russia-installed official said on Sunday, leaving one person dead and two ‌missing. Vladimir Saldo, Moscow-installed leader of the Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine’s Kherson region, said the attack happened on Friday but crew members were unable to make known what had happened to them until Sunday. “It became known that the reason for the sinking ⁠of the Volgo-Balt in the Sea of Azov was a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349105/ukrainian-drones-attacked-cargo-ship-sank-killing-1-russian-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349105/ukrainian-drones-attacked-cargo-ship-sank-killing-1-russian-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 19:28:00 +0000 Reuters Reuters An Israeli air strike on Kfarhata, a village in south Lebanon, killed seven people on Sunday, including a four-year-old child, Lebanon’s health ministry said in a statement. Another Israeli attack on the Jnah neighbourhood in Beirut killed four people and injured ‌39 others, the ministry added. The strike on Kfarhata followed an overnight evacuation order by the Israeli military instructing residents to leave the village. As Lebanese Christians, who make up roughly a third of the population,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349099/israeli-strikes-kill-11-lebanon-israel-announces-security-buffer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349099/israeli-strikes-kill-11-lebanon-israel-announces-security-buffer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 15:14:58 +0000 Reuters Reuters After ⁠losing its bid to acquire Warner Bros Discovery and its rich trove of characters and stories, Netflix ⁠is forging ahead with the challenging work of building culture-defining franchises on its own. Chief creative officer Bela ⁠Bajaria says Netflix will keep investing in original ideas, and partner with established studios such as MGM and Warner Bros, to try and produce movies and series that live on for years, in the vein of Stranger Things, Wednesday and Bridgerton. “To me, that’s just... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348894/how-netflix-seeking-next-stranger-things-after-failed-warner-bros-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348894/how-netflix-seeking-next-stranger-things-after-failed-warner-bros-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 13:15:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters The ⁠International ⁠Atomic Energy Agency ⁠on Saturday said that it has been informed by Iran ‌about a projectile striking close to the premises of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. The IAEA said in ⁠an X post that one ‌of the site’s physical protection staff members was ‌killed by a projectile ⁠fragment ⁠and that a building on site ‌was affected by shock waves and fragments. “No increase ‌in ‌radiation levels was ‌reported,” the IAEA said. Rafael Grossi, head of the agency, voiced “deep concern”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349039/strike-near-irans-bushehr-nuclear-plant-kills-1-says-iaea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349039/strike-near-irans-bushehr-nuclear-plant-kills-1-says-iaea?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Five European Union finance ministers are calling for a tax on windfall profits of energy companies in reaction to rising fuel prices due to the Iran war, according to a letter from ‌the ministers to the EU Commission seen by Reuters on Saturday. The finance ministers of Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria made the joint call in a letter dated Friday, saying such a measure would be a signal that “we stand united and are able to take action”. “It would also send a clear message that those... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349035/eu-finance-ministers-urge-tax-energy-firms-profits-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349035/eu-finance-ministers-urge-tax-energy-firms-profits-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 09:32:17 +0000 Reuters Reuters Wins over England and Scotland ⁠underline Japan’s status as the Asian nation most likely to make a major impact at the World Cup during an international window of mixed fortunes for the continent’s qualifiers for this summer’s finals. Iraq’s emotional 2-1 victory over Bolivia during the intercontinental play-offs in Mexico took the Gulf state to the World Cup for the ‌first time in 40 years and ensured Asia would have a record nine qualifiers at the tournament. But while Graham Arnold and his... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3349027/japan-underline-status-asias-best-world-cup-hope-fellow-qualifiers-get-mixed-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3349027/japan-underline-status-asias-best-world-cup-hope-fellow-qualifiers-get-mixed-results?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 06:52:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters Soon-to-be brides and grooms seeking ⁠short cuts to shed pounds before the big day have become the latest consumer target ⁠for weight-loss drugs in India. New Delhi wellness clinic Klarity Skin Clinic touts a “Mounjaro bride” package, while other clinics have woven weight-loss injections into “pre-wedding” transformation packages typically focused on skin treatments and hairstyle makeovers. In a social media video, Klarity offers “guided nutrition, Mounjaro and smart workouts” to prepare brides... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349011/here-comes-mounjaro-bride-indian-women-turn-weight-loss-drug-wedding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349011/here-comes-mounjaro-bride-indian-women-turn-weight-loss-drug-wedding?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 02:25:11 +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 Reuters Reuters Students across Russia are being offered large financial incentives ⁠to join drone units fighting in Ukraine as operators and engineers, while companies in Russia’s central Ryazan region have been given quotas to sign up workers for the army, documents show. The recruitment effort, which comes as Russian forces continue to grind forwards on the battlefield in Ukraine and as US-brokered peace talks are on ice due to the Iran war, suggests Moscow is diversifying its push to replenish its army’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3348784/russia-luring-students-large-financial-packages-join-drone-units?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3348784/russia-luring-students-large-financial-packages-join-drone-units?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:42:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters Sports authorities in Ukraine asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ⁠on Wednesday to examine ⁠the “neutral” status of Russian athletes ⁠they accused of having links to the military or competing in events that violated Olympic sanctions. The IOC allowed a limited number of athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics and ‌the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games with no flags or anthems, subject to vetting. This included stipulations that athletes not be linked to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3348734/ukraine-ask-ioc-examine-neutral-status-russian-athletes-paris-olympics-winter-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3348734/ukraine-ask-ioc-examine-neutral-status-russian-athletes-paris-olympics-winter-games?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck in Indonesia’s Northern Maluku Sea on Thursday, killing one person, damaging buildings and triggering tsunami waves, authorities and witnesses said, though monitoring agencies said the likelihood of further casualties was low. Indonesia’s meteorology agency BMKG said tsunami waves were reported in five locations, the highest at 0.75 metre (2.46 feet) in North ‌Minahasa in North Sulawesi and about 50 aftershocks were monitored, the largest at a magnitude of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348725/tsunami-warning-indonesia-philippines-malaysia-after-maluku-sea-quake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348725/tsunami-warning-indonesia-philippines-malaysia-after-maluku-sea-quake?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:45:58 +0000 Reuters Reuters Four astronauts blasted off from ⁠Florida on Wednesday on Nasa’s Artemis II mission, a high-stakes voyage around the moon that marks the United States’ boldest step yet toward returning humans to the lunar surface later this decade in a race with China. Nasa’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, topped with its Orion crew capsule, roared to life just before sunset at the agency’s Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying its debut crew - three US astronauts and a Canadian astronaut... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348724/historic-artemis-ii-moon-mission-lifts-amid-us-lunar-race-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348724/historic-artemis-ii-moon-mission-lifts-amid-us-lunar-race-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:41:22 +0000 Reuters Reuters Utah officials announced on Wednesday that they were ⁠closing a five-decade-old ⁠case after finding “definitive proof” that American ⁠serial killer Ted Bundy killed a 17-year-old Utah girl. The girl, Laura Ann Aime, went missing on the night of October 31, 1974, after leaving a party alone to make a purchase from a convenience store, the ‌Utah County Sheriff’s Office said. Her body was found by two college students on Thanksgiving Day that year, according to authorities, who added that her body... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348723/dna-links-serial-killer-ted-bundy-unsolved-murder-17-year-old-us-girl?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348723/dna-links-serial-killer-ted-bundy-unsolved-murder-17-year-old-us-girl?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:33:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters ⁠The Russian defence ministry said on Wednesday that its ⁠forces had taken full control of the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine, suggesting they had wrested control of a small sliver of land which had remained beyond their reach since 2022. Reuters could not independently verify the ‌battlefield report and a Ukrainian military spokesman said there had been no battlefield changes in the area in the last six months. More than 99 per cent of Luhansk, one of four Ukrainian regions Russia claimed as... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3348720/russia-says-it-has-taken-full-control-ukraines-luhansk-region?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3348720/russia-says-it-has-taken-full-control-ukraines-luhansk-region?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:55:17 +0000 Reuters Reuters Tiger Woods said on Tuesday ⁠he was stepping away to seek treatment and focus on his health after pleading not guilty to DUI charges stemming from his rollover crash in Florida last week. Woods, a 15-time major champion and the greatest golfer of his generation, was arrested last Friday afternoon on a charge of driving under the influence after his Land Rover rolled over on a two-lane road near his Jupiter Island home. No one was injured in the crash and Woods was released on bail ‌later that... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3348685/tiger-woods-miss-masters-after-stepping-away-treatment-following-arrest-after-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3348685/tiger-woods-miss-masters-after-stepping-away-treatment-following-arrest-after-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters France suspects a pro-Iranian group known as HAYI to be behind a foiled attack on Bank of America’s Paris offices, its anti-terrorism prosecutor said on Wednesday, while stressing the link has not yet been formally established. HAYI, which stands for Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya, or ‌Movement of the Companions of the Right Hand of Islam, had posted a video on social media on March 23 targeting Jewish interests and communities in France and Europe, the prosecutor’s office said in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348711/france-suspects-link-pro-iranian-group-foiled-paris-bomb-plot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348711/france-suspects-link-pro-iranian-group-foiled-paris-bomb-plot?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:30:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters A ⁠Russian An-26 ⁠military transport plane ⁠crashed into a cliff in Crimea, killing 29 people on board, due to a possible technical malfunction, Russia’s defence ministry said early on Wednesday, according to news agencies. Tass news agency, quoting the ministry, said communication with the aircraft was lost at about 6pm local time on Tuesday on a planned flight over Crimea. The peninsula, covered in sweeping mountains leading down to the coast of the Black Sea, was annexed by Russia from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3348594/russian-military-plane-crashes-crimea-cliff-killing-29-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3348594/russian-military-plane-crashes-crimea-cliff-killing-29-people?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:44:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters Global oil supplies are expected to be hit twice as hard this month as in March, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday, underlining the urgent need to resolve the conflict ‌over Iran that US President Donald Trump said could end soon. While Trump signalled he could wind down the war within weeks even without a deal, he also scaled up threats to pull the United States out of the Nato defence alliance if European states did not help stop Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz. “I was never... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348593/trump-says-us-could-end-war-iran-2-3-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348593/trump-says-us-could-end-war-iran-2-3-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:33:48 +0000 Reuters Reuters A US judge blocked Donald Trump on Tuesday from proceeding with construction of a US$400 million ballroom on the site of the White House’s demolished East Wing, halting for now one of the Republican president’s most visible efforts to reshape the seat of American power. US District Judge Richard ‌Leon granted a request for a preliminary injunction by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit organisation that brought a lawsuit alleging Trump exceeded his authority when he razed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348589/judge-halts-trumps-white-house-ballroom-project-unless-congress-approves-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348589/judge-halts-trumps-white-house-ballroom-project-unless-congress-approves-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 19:45:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters China’s football team received a reality check on Tuesday when they conceded two early goals to lose 2-0 to Cameroon in a Fifa Series match at AAMI Park in Melbourne. The defeat against the physically strong African side came four days after Shao Jiayi’s team had beaten World Cup-bound Curacao by the same score last Friday. Both China and Cameroon failed to qualify for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico starting in June. Cameroon, who are ranked inside the world top 50, took... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348564/china-football-team-sucker-punched-early-goals-wake-call-against-cameroon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3348564/china-football-team-sucker-punched-early-goals-wake-call-against-cameroon?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters President ⁠Donald Trump on Tuesday urged countries that did not help in the US-Israeli strikes on Iran to buy American oil and go to ‌the Strait of Hormuz and “just TAKE it”. Trump singled out Britain and France as unhelpful in the month-long war that has roiled global markets, driven up energy prices and seen Iran effectively close oil ⁠tanker traffic through the Strait. “All of those countries that can’t ‌get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which ‌refused... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348566/trump-urges-countries-go-strait-hormuz-and-just-take-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348566/trump-urges-countries-go-strait-hormuz-and-just-take-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:22:42 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Malaysian court on Tuesday ⁠ordered jailed former ⁠prime minister Najib Razak ⁠to pay US$1.3 billion to a former unit of scandal-tainted state fund 1MDB, state media reported. The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that Najib was liable for losses incurred by ‌SRC International, a former subsidiary of sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, state news agency Bernama reported. High Court judge Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin ruled that Najib breached his fiduciary duties, abused his position... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348554/malaysia-court-orders-ex-pm-najib-pay-us13-billion-1mdb-unit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348554/malaysia-court-orders-ex-pm-najib-pay-us13-billion-1mdb-unit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:20:34 +0000 Reuters Reuters Formula One enters an enforced five-week break with plenty to ponder following Sunday’s Japanese ⁠Grand Prix. The third race of the ⁠sport’s new engine era exposed the shortcomings of the ⁠rules overhaul, billed as Formula One’s most sweeping ever, in a way the first two in Australia and China had not. The hybrid power units, now split nearly 50-50 between electric and combustion power, have introduced an element of energy management to the racing with fresh challenges for drivers. They are... https://www.scmp.com/sport/formula-one-f1/article/3348470/formula-ones-governing-body-has-plenty-ponder-about-new-rules-during-5-week-break?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/formula-one-f1/article/3348470/formula-ones-governing-body-has-plenty-ponder-about-new-rules-during-5-week-break?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:30:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pop megastar Taylor Swift was sued by ⁠a Las Vegas ⁠performer on Monday who said ⁠Swift’s latest hit album The Life of a Showgirl violates her trademark rights. Maren Wade said in the complaint that marketing for Swift’s album threatened to “drown out” her long-running Confessions of a Showgirl stage show and ‌asked the court to block Swift from creating confusion with her album title. Representatives for Swift and her label Universal Music Group, also a defendant, did not immediately respond to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348462/taylor-swift-sued-trademark-infringement-over-life-showgirl-album-title?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348462/taylor-swift-sued-trademark-infringement-over-life-showgirl-album-title?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 23:02:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US ⁠military is upgrading White House facilities for the new East Wing, the administration said on Monday, after US President Donald Trump said the ballroom would be built atop a “massive” fortified complex. “The military is making some upgrades ‌to their facilities here at the White House and I’m not privy to provide any more details on that,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said at a press briefing. Leavitt’s comments followed Trump’s own update on the US$400 million White House... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348457/white-house-ballroom-project-include-massive-military-complex?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348457/white-house-ballroom-project-include-massive-military-complex?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 20:15:22 +0000 Reuters Reuters Two Chinese container ships sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday on their second attempt to leave the Gulf after turning back on Friday, ship-tracking data showed. The critical waterway has effectively been shut since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28. The vessels ‌sailed in close formation out of the strait and into open waters, data on the MarineTraffic platform showed. “Both vessels successfully crossed on a second attempt today, marking the first container vessels to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348455/chinese-container-ships-pass-through-strait-hormuz-second-attempt-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348455/chinese-container-ships-pass-through-strait-hormuz-second-attempt-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:27:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia said on Monday that an oil tanker carrying ‌100,000 tonnes of crude oil had arrived in Cuba and that Moscow would stand by its friends by working on further supplies despite a US blockade of the Communist-run island. The US cut off Venezuela’s oil exports to Cuba after toppling Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, and US President Donald Trump threatened to slap punishing ⁠tariffs on any other country that sent crude to Cuba. But Trump on Sunday signalled he ‌was reversing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348420/russian-oil-tanker-arrives-cuba-moscow-vows-stand-havana?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348420/russian-oil-tanker-arrives-cuba-moscow-vows-stand-havana?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:58:32 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa,Reuters Sumnima Kandangwa,Reuters Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli overcame a slow start to record ⁠his second straight win ⁠on Sunday at the Japanese ⁠Grand Prix in Suzuka, Japan. Antonelli, who recorded his maiden win two weeks ago in China, became the youngest-ever person to lead the drivers’ standings after finishing the race in 1 hour, 28 minutes and 3.403 seconds. “It’s been a big step,” said ⁠Antonelli, whose 72 points in the driver’s standings are nine more than teammate George ‌Russell. “Experience does a lot – obviously... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3348386/meet-f1-driver-kimi-antonelli-who-just-won-japanese-grand-prix-suzuka?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3348386/meet-f1-driver-kimi-antonelli-who-just-won-japanese-grand-prix-suzuka?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:00:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters Wars, including a widening conflict in the Middle East, are heightening risks for aviation as flight corridors are squeezed and drones become more widespread, Europe’s top aviation safety regulator has said. The month-old Iran war is reshaping airspace across the Middle East and increasing disruption to flights, including clogging routes between Asia and Europe that previously transited or ‌flew over the region. On top of the prolonged Russia-Ukraine conflict and fighting between Pakistan and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348364/iran-war-rogue-drones-force-european-aviation-safety-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348364/iran-war-rogue-drones-force-european-aviation-safety-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:28:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters Three United Nations peacekeepers from Indonesia were killed in two separate incidents in ⁠southern Lebanon after a bloody weekend in which Lebanese journalists and medical staff were killed in Israeli strikes. Two peacekeepers were killed on Monday after an explosion from an unknown origin destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan in south Lebanon, the United Nations peacekeeping force UNIFIL said in a statement. Two other soldiers were wounded in the blast. Earlier, another Indonesian soldier... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348348/indonesian-killed-lebanon-while-un-peacekeeping-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348348/indonesian-killed-lebanon-while-un-peacekeeping-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 03:40:26 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald ⁠Trump signalled he was reversing course on blocking oil shipments to Cuba on Sunday, saying he had “no problem” with any country sending in crude as a Russian tanker neared a Cuban port with a badly needed shipment. A sanctioned Russian vessel, part of the country’s “shadow fleet”, was just off the coast of eastern Cuba on Sunday, according to ship tracking data, and was expected to reach port on Monday, ‌a lifeline for the country’s economy that has nearly ground to a halt... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348329/us-allow-russian-oil-tanker-reach-cuba-possible-lifeline-caribbean-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348329/us-allow-russian-oil-tanker-reach-cuba-possible-lifeline-caribbean-island?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 23:29:59 +0000 Reuters,Young Post Reuters,Young Post Read the article and then answer the quiz questions below. [1] Punch the baby snow monkey and his stuffed orangutan toy have captured hearts around the world. They have inspired memes and even won over politicians. But in the wild, Punch’s fellow Japanese macaques have a different image. People often think of them as pests. They shoo them away or even kill them to prevent economic ‌damage to farmers. [2] Japan’s agriculture ministry estimated that monkeys caused 770 million yen (HK$37.8 million... https://www.scmp.com/spark/learning-zone/study-tools/reading-comprehension/article/3348112/spark-study-buddy-explorer-japans-monkey-problems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/spark/learning-zone/study-tools/reading-comprehension/article/3348112/spark-study-buddy-explorer-japans-monkey-problems?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 22:00:17 +0000 Reuters Reuters Aluminium Bahrain, which runs one of the world’s largest smelters, said on Sunday it was assessing the damage following Iranian strikes on the facility and another major aluminium producer in the United Arab Emirates. Two employees at Aluminium Bahrain were hurt in Saturday’s attack, the state-controlled company said, while regional peer Emirates Global Aluminium’s site sustained ‌significant damage from missile and drone strikes the same day. Most Gulf aluminium producers, which account for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348314/iran-targets-bahrain-aluminium-2-injured-amid-hormuz-closure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348314/iran-targets-bahrain-aluminium-2-injured-amid-hormuz-closure?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:22:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters French anti-terrorism prosecutors have opened an investigation into a suspected attack targeting Bank of America’s Paris headquarters after the reported overnight arrest of a man who allegedly tried to ignite an improvised explosive ‌device outside the US bank’s premises. In an emailed statement to reporters, the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office said the investigation involves the suspected attempted destruction by fire or other dangerous means in connection with a terrorist plot, as... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348307/french-prosecutors-open-terror-probe-after-bank-america-attack-attempt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348307/french-prosecutors-open-terror-probe-after-bank-america-attack-attempt?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:45:58 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse Lachlan Kennedy beat teenage sprint sensation ⁠Gout Gout for ⁠the second year in ⁠a row at Australia’s leading one-day athletics meet in Melbourne on Saturday before setting his sights on winning gold at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Kennedy crossed ‌the line in 20.38 seconds in the 200m at the Maurie Plant meet to pip the 18-year-old by 0.05 seconds at Lakeside Stadium. Gout Gout burst on the scene at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships in 2024, when he set an... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3348281/australian-teenage-sprint-sensation-compared-usain-bolt-fails-fire-melbourne?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3348281/australian-teenage-sprint-sensation-compared-usain-bolt-fails-fire-melbourne?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 09:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a close call between a United Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter in California, the agency said on Thursday, in the latest incident between a passenger jet and a military aircraft. The FAA said ‌a United Boeing 737-800 jet on Tuesday at 8.40pm was on final approach to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California when a Black Hawk crossed in front of the plane. Flightradar24, a flight tracking site, said the aircraft were 160... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348059/united-airlines-jet-has-close-call-us-army-helicopter-prompting-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348059/united-airlines-jet-has-close-call-us-army-helicopter-prompting-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:37:47 +0000 Reuters,dpa Reuters,dpa Max Verstappen asked a journalist to leave ⁠his Thursday media briefing ⁠at the Japanese Grand Prix, with ⁠the Dutchman still upset over a question asked by the same reporter in December about an incident that potentially cost him a fifth-straight drivers’ title. “I’m not speaking before he’s leaving,” Verstappen said as he sat down to take ‌questions in Red Bull’s hospitality area at the Suzuka circuit ahead of the third race of the season on Sunday. Verstappen had already clashed with the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/formula-one-f1/article/3348029/f1-japanese-grand-prix-smarting-verstappen-asks-journalist-get-out-media-briefing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/formula-one-f1/article/3348029/f1-japanese-grand-prix-smarting-verstappen-asks-journalist-get-out-media-briefing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:00:08 +0000 Reuters,Associated Press Reuters,Associated Press Only biological female athletes, whose gender ⁠will be determined by a ⁠one-time gene-screening test, will be eligible ⁠to take part in female category events at Olympic Games from now on, the International Olympic Committee said on Thursday. The IOC unveiled its new policy on the protection of the female category as part of its initiative to have a universal rule for competitors in ‌female elite sports after years of fragmented regulation that led to some major controversies. The IOC said all... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3348042/only-biological-females-can-compete-womens-events-olympic-games-ioc-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3348042/only-biological-females-can-compete-womens-events-olympic-games-ioc-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:00:12 +0000