https://www.scmp.com/rss/31875/feed After adopting the euro, the Spanish economy initially benefited from sharply lower interest rates, spurring a property bubble. However, with the onset of the global financial crisis, property prices collapsed, causing widespread layoffs, and pushing unemployment to more than 26 per cent by the end of 2012. Spain received a bank bailout from the European Central Bank in 2012. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The Star The Star A scam syndicate has been renting a bungalow in an upmarket area in Malaysia’s Johor state and using AI to carry out job scams all the way in Spain. Police uncovered their activities when they arrested a total of 35 Chinese nationals during a raid at the bungalow in Gelang Patah at 11.50pm on May 14. Iskandar Puteri OCPD Assistant Commissioner M. Kumarasan said the suspects, aged between 21 and 39, used artificial intelligence technology and ready-made language templates to communicate with... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3354452/chinese-gang-caught-using-ai-malaysia-bungalow-spanish-job-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3354452/chinese-gang-caught-using-ai-malaysia-bungalow-spanish-job-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 02:41:51 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel said on Thursday it had deported all the foreign activists seized by its forces from a Gaza-bound flotilla, as the first group arrived in Turkey following global outcry over their treatment in custody. Hundreds of activists from countries around the world were placed in detention in Israel after they were intercepted at sea Monday while making the latest in a string of attempts to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory. Turkish foreign ministry sources said 422 activists,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354436/first-gaza-flotilla-activists-arrive-turkey-after-israel-deportation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354436/first-gaza-flotilla-activists-arrive-turkey-after-israel-deportation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 22:30:01 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau As high fuel prices and disruption from the Middle East conflict force many Asian carriers to cut capacity and rearrange routes, Singapore Airlines (SIA) is moving in the opposite direction: adding long-haul flights to Europe in a bid to capture traffic from its Gulf rivals. Aviation analysts said the carrier’s expansion reflected a rare combination in the region: a strong balance sheet, insulation from sudden jumps in fuel prices due to its hedging strategy and a hub in Singapore that could... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354405/singapore-airlines-faces-narrow-window-gain-market-share-gulf-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3354405/singapore-airlines-faces-narrow-window-gain-market-share-gulf-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 12:33:32 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Chinese investment in Europe hit a seven-year high of €16.8 billion (US$19.5 billion) in 2025, driven by a strong rebound in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and record greenfield completions, a new report has found. But the annual study, published on Tuesday by Rhodium Group and the Mercator Institute for China Studies, cautioned that the pipeline may be thinning, with newly announced projects falling under pressure from Beijing’s push to retain industrial capacity at home and Europe’s growing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354235/chinese-investment-europe-surges-7-year-high-despite-rising-trade-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354235/chinese-investment-europe-surges-7-year-high-despite-rising-trade-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 09:04:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Spain’s former Socialist prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has been placed under investigation for influence peddling and crimes allegedly committed in connection with the bailout of a small airline, according to a court on Tuesday. The move adds to pressure on current Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, already weakened by corruption investigations involving family members and senior political allies. Zapatero, who served as prime minister from 2004 to 2011, was not originally... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354132/spain-investigates-ex-prime-minister-zapatero-over-airline-bailout-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354132/spain-investigates-ex-prime-minister-zapatero-over-airline-bailout-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 12:53:48 +0000 Reuters Reuters Police in Spain said they had detained the son of fashion group Mango’s founder Isak Andic on Tuesday in connection with an investigation into his father’s death ‌in December 2024. Isak Andic died after falling more than 100 metres (330 feet) from a cliff while hiking with family members near the Mediterranean city of Barcelona. His death was initially treated as an accident, but police in Catalonia later said it was being investigated as a possible homicide. The family confirmed ⁠Jonathan Andic... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354109/mango-founders-son-arrested-over-fathers-mountain-death-plunge-spain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354109/mango-founders-son-arrested-over-fathers-mountain-death-plunge-spain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 09:51:40 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu With their domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. Not long ago, plans were in motion to build an enormous battery factory in the Belgian countryside. If completed, it would have created an estimated 2,000 jobs... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353994/chinas-firms-have-glaring-weakness-they-face-barrage-eu-probes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353994/chinas-firms-have-glaring-weakness-they-face-barrage-eu-probes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Spanish court acquitted Shakira in a tax fraud case, ordering the government to return more than 55 million euros (US$64 million) in wrongly imposed fines, according to a court document. The decision follows years of tax troubles in Spain for the Colombian superstar. The ruling relates to a dispute over the 2011 tax year in which Spanish authorities failed to prove that the singer was a resident of Spain, the Madrid-based court said in its decision. For a person to be considered a tax resident... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354004/shakira-acquitted-spanish-court-tax-fraud-over-us64-million-be-returned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354004/shakira-acquitted-spanish-court-tax-fraud-over-us64-million-be-returned?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 12:53:36 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Sparks flew in a Beijing conference room last week, as diplomats, officials and experts from Europe and China clashed over their deepening trade problems. Chinese speakers were accused of dismissing Europe’s long-standing complaints and ignoring the harsh economic reality of an increasingly lopsided trading relationship. EU diplomats were accused of “bullying”, while the bloc’s policies were billed as “protectionist” efforts to decouple from China. At the acrimonious event hosted by the European... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353867/sinking-ship-why-eu-and-china-could-be-heading-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353867/sinking-ship-why-eu-and-china-could-be-heading-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time on Saturday in a final overshadowed by five countries’ boycott over Gaza, claiming a dramatic ‌victory despite another big public vote for Israel that secured it second place. The garish and usually good-natured competition involving pop acts from countries across Europe and beyond, now in its 70th year, has been plunged into crisis by a dispute over Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, a response to ⁠the Hamas-led attack on October 7,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353846/bulgarias-dara-wins-eurovision-contest-beating-out-israel-top-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353846/bulgarias-dara-wins-eurovision-contest-beating-out-israel-top-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 23:46:15 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers, from BYD to Leapmotor, are voraciously seeking out manufacturing assets in Europe as the global energy crisis creates surging demand for battery-powered vehicles. Their pursuit of idled European assembly facilities owned by big names like Stellantis and Volkswagen is disrupting the pecking order in the global automotive industry, as the Chinese carmakers’ design and manufacturing heft sees them morph into international players. “China’s EV assemblers are... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353722/chinese-ev-makers-hunt-idled-plants-europe-they-expand-global-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353722/chinese-ev-makers-hunt-idled-plants-europe-they-expand-global-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 09:50:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A French woman infected in the deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship is critically ill and being treated with an artificial lung, a doctor at the Paris hospital caring for the sickened passenger said on Tuesday. The outbreak has now reached 11 total reported cases, nine of which have been confirmed. Three people on the cruise died, including a Dutch couple that health officials believe were the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America. The French passenger hospitalised in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353337/french-hantavirus-patient-critically-ill-put-artificial-lung?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353337/french-hantavirus-patient-critically-ill-put-artificial-lung?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 21:21:47 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Spanish passenger evacuated from the cruise ship at the centre of a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive for the virus, Spain’s health ministry announced on Tuesday as the World Health Organization said it has now confirmed 11 cases, including three people from the cruise who died. The passenger with the new confirmed case of hantavirus was in quarantine in a military hospital in Madrid, where 13 other Spanish nationals evacuated on Sunday – who all tested negative for the virus – also are... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353299/spain-reports-new-hantavirus-case-outbreak-grows-11?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353299/spain-reports-new-hantavirus-case-outbreak-grows-11?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 11:35:01 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren The pace of electrification on western Europe’s roads is likely to fire up sales of Chinese-developed smart cars, where they could command a 20 per cent share of the regional market in 2028 at the expense of local peers, according to a JPMorgan forecast. Chinese carmakers from BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) builder, to Stallentis-backed Leapmotor, were expected to deliver 2.5 million cars to customers in countries like Germany, Italy, France and the United Kingdom in 2028, a... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353170/chinese-smart-cars-set-control-20-western-european-market-2028-jpmorgan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353170/chinese-smart-cars-set-control-20-western-european-market-2028-jpmorgan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 11:56:52 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A French woman and an American national evacuated from the cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak have tested positive, officials said on Monday, as the complex operation to repatriate those on board continued. The French woman, one of five passengers from France flown back from the MV Hondius and placed in isolation in Paris, started to feel unwell on Sunday night, and “tests came back positive”, said Health Minister Stephanie Rist. One of 17 American passengers repatriated from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353143/more-passengers-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-test-positive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353143/more-passengers-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-test-positive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 08:47:20 +0000 Jen Paolini Jen Paolini Stübli From the team behind Swiss-Italian dining “grotto” Nocino comes Stübli, an Alpine-inspired steakhouse that treats fondue as a year-round indulgence. With chef-founder Matthew Ziemski at the helm, Stübli channels his family’s Bernese roots into generous spreads of potato rösti with toppings such as beef tartare and smoked egg yolk, summer black truffle fondue and “lobster thermidor” fondue, Australian Wagyu cuts and Dutch rose veal fillet medallions pan-fried to perfection. Swiss classics... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3352840/hong-kongs-hottest-new-openings-stubli-blanc-de-noirs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3352840/hong-kongs-hottest-new-openings-stubli-blanc-de-noirs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi When US President Donald Trump announced that 5,000 US troops would leave Germany, the immediate reading in Western capitals was political: another round in Trump’s running quarrel with European allies, triggered by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s criticism of Washington’s handling of the war with Iran. For Beijing, the more interesting reading is structural. The drawdown coincides with a period in which Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spent much of 2026 cultivating a “partners not rivals”... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352882/china-shouldnt-view-tired-us-signifying-europe-ready-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israel deported two activists on Sunday after being detained near Greece for slightly over a week for leading an aid flotilla attempting to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. The two, Spanish-Swedish citizen of Palestinian origin Saif Abukeshek and Brazilian citizen Thiago Ávila, were among dozens of activists intercepted by the Israeli navy off the coast of Crete. Both are members of the Global Sumud Flotilla’s steering committee, whose mission is to break Israel’s naval... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353043/spanish-brazilian-flotilla-activists-released-after-detention-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353043/spanish-brazilian-flotilla-activists-released-after-detention-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 10:06:06 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s diplomatic balancing act during his visit to China last month marked a sharp contrast with a European Union grappling with geopolitical upheaval and economic stagnation. Sanchez pushed for closer ties with Beijing while raising concerns over a persistent bilateral trade deficit and the Ukraine war, an approach that analysts said could serve as a diplomatic template for Brussels amid its fraying relationship with Washington. According to Wang Hanyi, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353031/could-spains-compliment-sandwich-approach-china-work-eu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353031/could-spains-compliment-sandwich-approach-china-work-eu?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 09:00:05 +0000 The Star The Star Malaysia has ramped up health screenings at all international entry points, particularly in the maritime sector, to prevent hantavirus from entering the country, according to Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. Dzulkefly assured the public that as of Sunday, there have been zero hantavirus cases reported in Malaysia or involving Malaysians, noting that the six lab-confirmed cases recently highlighted were all reported abroad. However, he stressed that the country must remain vigilant against the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353033/malaysia-tightens-border-screenings-prevent-hantavirus-entry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353033/malaysia-tightens-border-screenings-prevent-hantavirus-entry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 07:45:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The first plane carrying passengers from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship left Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday for Madrid, where they will be taken to a military hospital. Spanish nationals were the first to leave the MV Hondius, which remains anchored off Tenerife, the largest island in the Spanish archipelago off the coast of West Africa. The ship arrived hours earlier. None of the more than 140 people on the Hondius have shown symptoms of the virus, Spain’s health ministry, the World Health... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353021/hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-nears-canary-islands-who-led-evacuation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353021/hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-nears-canary-islands-who-led-evacuation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 01:59:18 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong’s West Kowloon is poised to emerge as the second-most important office sub-market after Central with the completion of new buildings that will accommodate banks and insurance companies, according to industry officials. However, there was expected to be limited demand from newcomers or via corporate expansion, with leasing activity dominated by relocations and higher vacancy rates in some of the city’s other business districts. The 40-hectare stretch of reclaimed land is being touted as... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3352926/hong-kongs-cultural-hub-west-kowloon-emerging-central-20?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3352926/hong-kongs-cultural-hub-west-kowloon-emerging-central-20?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse UK health authorities are gearing up to receive about 24 people from a virus-hit cruise ship, who will be isolated in a hospital once used for Covid-19 patients, NHS officials said Saturday. They are currently on board the Dutch ship, the MV Hondius, due to anchor off Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday. Most of the nearly 150 people on board will be evacuated and flown home to their home countries after weeks at sea, in a carefully prepared repatriation effort. Among them are about 24 British... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353018/hantavirus-outbreak-uk-isolate-cruise-ship-passengers-ex-covid-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353018/hantavirus-outbreak-uk-isolate-cruise-ship-passengers-ex-covid-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 17:15:25 +0000 Reuters Reuters Two new suspected cases of hantavirus were ⁠reported on Friday, one in Spain and the other on the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, as experts race to contain an outbreak that began on a luxury cruise ship. The announcements in locations thousands of kilometres apart will fuel concern about a cluster of cases so far associated with three deaths, although the World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly said the risk to the wider public is low and the virus does not transmit... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352958/new-suspected-hantavirus-cases-found-spain-and-remote-tristan-da-cunha?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352958/new-suspected-hantavirus-cases-found-spain-and-remote-tristan-da-cunha?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 16:59:09 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Leapmotor, one of China’s strongest-performing electric vehicle (EV) makers this year, has taken a major step towards building cars locally for European customers after agreeing with shareholder Stellantis to add a line at a Spanish plant previously earmarked for Opel. The Hangzhou-based company and Stellantis, owner of Peugeot, Fiat and Jeep, would jointly build Opel’s new fully electric C-sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and B10 models at the Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza, according to a... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3352948/chinese-ev-maker-leapmotor-taps-stellantis-spanish-plant-eu-production?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3352948/chinese-ev-maker-leapmotor-taps-stellantis-spanish-plant-eu-production?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 13:40:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Passengers aboard a cruise ship affected by a deadly hantavirus outbreak will start being flown to their countries of origin after the vessel arrives in the Canary Islands on Sunday, the Spanish government said on Friday. The MV Hondius is scheduled to reach the port of Granadilla on the island of Tenerife, off the coast of West Africa, on Sunday morning, cabinet minister Angel Victor Torres told journalists. “That same day, we will have planes available and will be able to start getting these... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352939/spain-repatriate-guests-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-heads-canaries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352939/spain-repatriate-guests-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-heads-canaries?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 12:06:25 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The World Health Organization insisted on Thursday that a deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic did not mark the beginning of a Covid-like crisis. “This is not the start of an epidemic. This is not the start of a pandemic,” WHO epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director Maria Van Kerkhove told reporters, insisting: “This is not Covid.” The WHO also said it expected the outbreak on the MV Hondius, currently sailing from Cabo Verde (formerly known as Cape... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352806/who-says-cruise-ship-hantavirus-outbreak-not-start-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352806/who-says-cruise-ship-hantavirus-outbreak-not-start-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 15:08:39 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong health authorities are seeking more information from the World Health Organization (WHO) on an outbreak of a deadly hantavirus strain capable of limited human-to-human transmission reported on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, while ramping up efforts to prevent the rare disease from reaching the city’s shores. The Department of Health’s Centre for Health Protection revealed on Thursday that it had contacted the WHO about the hantavirus cluster found on the MV Hondius after the vessel... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3352801/hong-kong-seeks-more-details-who-hantavirus-outbreak-cruise-ship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3352801/hong-kong-seeks-more-details-who-hantavirus-outbreak-cruise-ship?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 14:03:26 +0000 Reuters Reuters Countries worldwide scrambled on Thursday to trace people who had left the cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak before it got marooned off the coast of Cabo Verde, to prevent further spread of the disease. Three people – a Dutch couple and a German national – died in the outbreak on the MV Hondius. Five of the eight suspected hantavirus cases have now been confirmed, according to the World Health Organization. The vessel’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said 29 passengers left the ship on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352775/nations-race-track-passengers-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352775/nations-race-track-passengers-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 10:53:42 +0000 Reuters Reuters It was billed as an Atlantic odyssey to some of the most remote islands in the world. Instead, the cruise on the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius was left stranded off Cabo Verde, formerly known as Cape Verde, with passengers in their cabins, medical workers in protective suits tending to the sick and the ship’s operator seeking a safe port. The outbreak has left three dead and eight confirmed or suspected cases linked to the ‌Dutch-flagged expedition ship. Passengers, some of whom have been... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352673/passengers-hantavirus-stricken-ship-sway-between-fear-and-boredom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352673/passengers-hantavirus-stricken-ship-sway-between-fear-and-boredom?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 21:00:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pope Leo will inaugurate the soaring central tower of Barcelona’s famed Sagrada Familia basilica when he visits Spain next month in a week-long trip that will also take him to a migrant reception centre in the Canary Islands, the Vatican said on Wednesday. The June 6-12 visit will first bring Leo to Madrid for meetings with the government, parliament and King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. He will also preside over a prayer vigil with young people that will recall the last time a pope visited... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352659/pope-inaugurate-barcelonas-sagrada-familia-june-trip-spain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352659/pope-inaugurate-barcelonas-sagrada-familia-june-trip-spain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 14:09:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thailand vowed on Wednesday to tighten oversight of tourists’ behaviour after a series of incidents involving foreigners caught having sex in public, warning they damaged the country’s image. Tourism is vital to the Southeast Asian nation’s economy but foreign arrivals are yet to return to their pre-Covid highs. Visitors displaying “inappropriate behaviour”, including illicit drug use, would face prosecution as it “contradicts the beautiful culture of Thailand”, the prime minister’s office said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352645/thailand-vows-strict-tourist-oversight-after-public-sex-incidents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352645/thailand-vows-strict-tourist-oversight-after-public-sex-incidents?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 11:55:36 +0000 Reuters Reuters A ⁠luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly ⁠hantavirus outbreak and marooned for days off the coast ⁠of Cabo Verde with close to 150 people on board was due to head to Spain, while South Africa confirmed it identified among the victims a strain of the virus that can – in rare cases – spread among humans. The ship will dock “within three days” at Granadilla on the island of Tenerife, Spain’s health minister said on Wednesday, despite opposition from the Canary Islands regional government. “A joint... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352594/spain-opens-port-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-who-suspects-human-transmission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352594/spain-opens-port-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-who-suspects-human-transmission?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 08:03:01 +0000 Reuters Reuters The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that it suspects some rare human-to-human transmission of the deadly hantavirus took place between very close contacts on board a luxury cruise ship hit by seven confirmed or suspected cases. Human-to-human transmission is not common, and the UN health agency reiterated that the risk to the wider public was low from a disease typically spread from contact with infected rodents. A Dutch couple and a German national have died, while a British national... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352543/deadly-hantavirus-may-have-spread-between-humans-luxury-cruise-risk-low-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352543/deadly-hantavirus-may-have-spread-between-humans-luxury-cruise-risk-low-who?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 20:12:38 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo on a trip to Rome this week, in the wake of the pontiff’s clash with US President Donald Trump, a Vatican source said on Sunday. The source confirmed Italian media reports about the meeting, which newspapers said would take place on Thursday in an attempt to “thaw” relations. It comes just weeks after Trump’s extraordinary criticism of Pope Leo over the Catholic leader’s anti-war rhetoric. The private visit with the top US diplomat, who is a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352292/rubio-visit-rome-meet-pope-leo-after-trump-row-attempt-thaw-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352292/rubio-visit-rome-meet-pope-leo-after-trump-row-attempt-thaw-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 18:14:18 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Donald Trump’s latest attacks on US allies in Europe – including the order to withdraw troops from Germany and threats to do the same in Italy and Spain – may help to relieve the pressure on China. For now, Beijing’s priority should be to deny the US the chance to “redirect attention towards China” and let Washington’s own actions do the work, some analysts have argued. Trump has escalated his attacks on European allies in his second term, threatening to quit Nato over their refusal to support... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352274/how-can-china-best-profit-trumps-latest-rift-traditional-us-allies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352274/how-can-china-best-profit-trumps-latest-rift-traditional-us-allies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 12:00:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla who were brought to Israel for interrogation appeared before an Israeli court on Sunday, according to the rights group defending them. The flotilla of more than 50 vessels had set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking an Israeli blockade of Gaza and bringing supplies to the devastated Palestinian territory. They were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Greece early on Thursday, with Israel saying it had... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352266/gaza-flotilla-activists-detained-israel-face-extreme-brutality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352266/gaza-flotilla-activists-detained-israel-face-extreme-brutality?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 08:34:08 +0000 Peter Neville-Hadley Peter Neville-Hadley The duck-like beak of the sleek AVE high-speed train points the way south out of Madrid as it trundles sedately along a tangle of tracks before picking up speed and turning east towards Valencia, on Spain’s Mediterranean coast. First class consists of great armchairs – single seats on either side of the aisle with vast amounts of leg room. My tray table is down to hold a novel, and to receive a snack and a coffee in due course. But despite the carriage’s pleasantly woody interior, the adequate... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3351831/discover-europe-affordable-first-class-eurail-adventures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3351831/discover-europe-affordable-first-class-eurail-adventures?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen The US-Israeli war on Iran enters a third month and efforts for Washington and Tehran to resume talks remain stalled. These are major takeaways from the events overnight. What did Trump say? US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that Iran is “dying to make a deal”. When asked whether talks with Tehran have stalled, Trump said only a few people know the status of talks with Iran. He also pointed to uncertainty over the Iranian leadership: “We have a problem... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352092/iran-dying-make-deal-us-war-costs-soar-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352092/iran-dying-make-deal-us-war-costs-soar-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 00:40:30 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israeli forces near the southern Greek island of Crete intercepted more than 20 boats from a flotilla of several dozen seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and planned to transport about 175 detained activists to Greece on Thursday, Israeli authorities said. Activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla said Israeli forces stormed their vessels overnight, smashing engines and detaining some of those on board while they were sailing in international waters near Greece, hundreds of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351997/israel-intercepts-gaza-aid-flotilla-international-waters-greece-detaining-dozens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351997/israel-intercepts-gaza-aid-flotilla-international-waters-greece-detaining-dozens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 08:19:37 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Chinese solar exports surged in March, doubling to a record high as demand accelerated across dozens of markets, according to a new report. The spike comes as global energy systems react to renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and the US. The Persian Gulf shipping corridor, a critical chokepoint for global oil and gas flows, has become a focal pressure point amid escalating tensions that began on February 28 with US-Israel... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351938/crisis-surge-or-lasting-shift-chinas-solar-exports-double-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351938/crisis-surge-or-lasting-shift-chinas-solar-exports-double-month?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:08:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States is considering reducing the number of its troops in Germany, amid a row with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war. “The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump said on social media. The United States had more than 35,000 troops in Germany in 2024, according to the Congressional Research Service,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351923/trump-may-cut-us-troops-germany-after-merzs-humiliating-iran-comment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351923/trump-may-cut-us-troops-germany-after-merzs-humiliating-iran-comment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:46:31 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong A massive genomic study of indigenous peoples in the Americas has uncovered evidence of a previously unknown migration into South America that occurred as recently as 1,300 years ago – during China’s Tang dynasty. These new settlers carried genes remarkably similar to indigenous populations in what is now Australia and the Pacific Islands, according to the study published online by the journal Nature on April 22. The international team, which included scientists from the University of Sao Paulo... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351798/gene-study-reveals-unknown-human-migration-south-america-late-720ad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351798/gene-study-reveals-unknown-human-migration-south-america-late-720ad?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Hei Kiu Au Hei Kiu Au Walk into any serious steakhouse in Hong Kong today and you’ll find dry-aged beef on the menu, often for double the price of regular steak. What was an age-old practice has, in the past decade, made a comeback as chefs seek to unlock a deeper dimension of flavour. But here’s what most diners don’t realise: the technique has moved beyond beef. Across the city, chefs are dry-ageing fish, lamb, chicken and pigeon. Can the same process that transforms a slab of beef do the same for other... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3351650/beyond-steak-how-dry-age-fish-lamb-and-poultry-according-3-hong-kong-chefs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3351650/beyond-steak-how-dry-age-fish-lamb-and-poultry-according-3-hong-kong-chefs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa After a four-year hiatus, Euphoria is finally back on our screens with its highly anticipated third season and the return of its star-studded cast, including Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie and Jacob Elordi. View this post on Instagram A post shared by euphoria (@euphoria) Premiering on April 12, with episodes rolling out weekly on HBO Max, the new instalment follows the show’s central characters five years after high school ended and introduces several... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3351287/meet-priscilla-delgado-who-plays-angel-hbo-maxs-euphoria-zendaya?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3351287/meet-priscilla-delgado-who-plays-angel-hbo-maxs-euphoria-zendaya?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu In the face of a prolonged US energy blockade of Cuba, solar panels from China have come to the rescue and provided a model of independence from fossil fuels that is resonating globally amid what is being called the worst energy crisis in history. Within the 12 months through February, solar’s share of national power generation in Cuba increased from 6 per cent to more than 20 per cent, according to Microgrid Media, a California-based publication that tracks global renewable energy capacity. “By... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351455/china-poised-reap-rewards-energy-shock-heats-race-renewables?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351455/china-poised-reap-rewards-energy-shock-heats-race-renewables?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa Every time a European leader lands in Beijing with a business delegation, the same speculation follows: is the Atlantic consensus beginning to crack? Is part of Europe drifting towards China and away from Washington? In Spain’s case, the drama expires on contact with the record. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s four visits to Beijing in four years have not produced a European pivot, a strategic vision or a narrower trade imbalance. They have produced market access for agricultural goods. Call it... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350963/why-spains-fruit-bowl-diplomacy-china-comes-rather-empty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350963/why-spains-fruit-bowl-diplomacy-china-comes-rather-empty?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu The wind industry smells opportunity in Europe. At an expo in Madrid this week, the convention floor was abuzz as hundreds of European, American, Japanese and Korean exhibitors vied to pitch their products, knowing the continent urgently needs to shore up its energy security amid the US-Israel war on Iran. But there was one glaring absence: not a single company operating a booth was Chinese, with China’s participants only networking from the sidelines. At a time when many in Europe seek a rapid... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351318/its-tightrope-why-europe-faces-china-dilemma-over-its-wind-power-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351318/its-tightrope-why-europe-faces-china-dilemma-over-its-wind-power-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:30:08 +0000 Junjie Wang Junjie Wang Mozambique President Daniel Chapo became the first African head of state to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this year. Chapo was the tenth national leader overall to meet Xi in Beijing in 2026, following earlier visits from the heads of countries including the UK, Canada, Vietnam and Spain. US President Donald Trump is due to have a summit with Xi during a May 14-15 visit to China. Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit the country before the end of June. https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3351244/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3351244/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:58:05 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. This maxim, attributed to French emperor Napoleon, has been applied to Sino-US relations at a time when the United States seems unable to secure an off-ramp from the Iran war. Yet this narrative, promoted by some media... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3351129/chinas-interest-doesnt-lie-us-failures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3351129/chinas-interest-doesnt-lie-us-failures?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:30:09 +0000