https://www.scmp.com/rss/325320/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Western governments and financiers increasingly avoid infrastructure projects that involve a Chinese presence as their geopolitical and economic rivalries intensify. Yet the Nairobi Railway City project stands as a rare exception. It combines British financing with Chinese construction and labour to build a major new public transport hub in the Kenyan capital. At the heart of the project is the proposed new Central station and a 172-hectare (425-acre) district that includes new businesses, homes... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349734/does-kenyan-rail-project-provide-model-chinese-and-western-firms-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349734/does-kenyan-rail-project-provide-model-chinese-and-western-firms-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun In classrooms and training centres across China, a growing number of students from Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond are learning not just the Chinese language, but how the country’s factories operate, how supply chains are managed and how products are marketed and sold across borders. Hebei Software Institute, in the northern city of Baoding, has been at the forefront of the push. The vocational college said it had established multiple overseas-oriented programmes in recent years, particularly... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349616/vocational-schools-new-front-chinas-strategy-support-businesses-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349616/vocational-schools-new-front-chinas-strategy-support-businesses-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A charity co-founded by Prince Harry in Africa to honour his late mother, Princess Diana, has sued him for defamation after he stepped down as a patron last year. Sentebale, which supports young people living with HIV in Botswana and Lesotho, filed suit last month in London’s High Court, according to court records reviewed Friday. Online filings show Harry and his friend, Mark Dyer, a trustee at the charity, are being sued for either libel or slander. No documents were available. Disagreements... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349711/prince-harry-sued-african-charity-he-set-honour-princess-diana?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349711/prince-harry-sued-african-charity-he-set-honour-princess-diana?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:44:09 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu Hong Kong customs has seized about 10,000 suspected counterfeit football jerseys and other unlicensed goods worth an estimated HK$64 million (US$8 million) ahead of the World Cup finals in June. Three people aged 25 to 56 were also arrested on suspicion of violating the Trade Descriptions Ordinance during the operation Customs and Excise Department carried out from March 9 to 27. Officers targeted cross-boundary transshipment and local deliveries, seizing about 110,000 items, including jerseys,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349490/10000-suspected-fake-football-jerseys-seized-hk64-million-customs-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349490/10000-suspected-fake-football-jerseys-seized-hk64-million-customs-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:30:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A man has admitted stabbing four children to death at a kindergarten in Uganda, saying he believed killing them as human sacrifices would make him wealthy, prosecutors said on Wednesday. The defendant, Christopher Okello Onyum, 39, who holds both Ugandan and American citizenship, appeared in court to have the charges formally put to him. He is thought to have gained access to the kindergarten by posing as a parent, before attacking children with a knife, killing four of them – ranging in age... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3349434/uganda-man-says-he-killed-4-children-human-sacrifices-bid-get-wealthy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3349434/uganda-man-says-he-killed-4-children-human-sacrifices-bid-get-wealthy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 19:56:41 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan The first tankers that turned away from the Strait of Hormuz did not just redraw shipping maps. They redrew grocery lists, too. After Iran’s partial closure of the strait disrupted a chokepoint that carries roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil, traders priced in something they know too well: war is not only about missiles; it’s about the bill that lands on kitchen tables months later. Brent crude climbing back above US$100 a barrel, and touching roughly US$120 on the worst days, is already... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349221/war-premiums-hit-groceries-china-deals-give-africa-room-breathe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349221/war-premiums-hit-groceries-china-deals-give-africa-room-breathe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Muhammad Faizan Fakhar Muhammad Faizan Fakhar Much Western discourse on artificial intelligence has lately focused on establishing safeguards and installing guardrails against powerful new AI systems, algorithmic bias, the collusion of governments and tech oligarchs, and rising related environmental costs. The growing AI backlash in the West has been labelled a “botlash” in a recent commentary by Stanford University’s Marietje Schaake, who includes anti-AI movements such as “QuitGPT”, “Resist and Unsubscribe” and “Stealing Isn’t... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349034/danger-global-souths-pursuit-ai-magical-cure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349034/danger-global-souths-pursuit-ai-magical-cure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Democratic Republic of Congo will receive some migrants as part of a new deal under the Trump administration’s third-country programme, its government said on Sunday, the latest such African nation to receive migrants being deported from the United States. The deportees will start arriving in DR Congo this month, the Congolese Ministry of Communications said in a statement, without further details on the date or the number of deportees expected. It described the arrangement as a “temporary”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349108/dr-congo-latest-african-nation-receive-third-country-deportees-us-under-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349108/dr-congo-latest-african-nation-receive-third-country-deportees-us-under-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 22:53:36 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Last month in Florida, many leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean showed up for the so-called Shield of the Americas summit. Prefacing his speech, the self-styled US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared, “I only speak American.” Most people there spoke Spanish and/or English. Both the northern and the southern parts of the hemisphere are called American, but there is no such language as Hegseth’s, at least linguistically. However, it was clear what he meant. The United States just... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349098/why-beijing-now-only-true-partner-africa-and-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349098/why-beijing-now-only-true-partner-africa-and-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 15:05:43 +0000 Bob Savic Bob Savic China’s investments in North Africa have intensified in 2026, building on long-standing Belt and Road Initiative frameworks while accelerating amid the US-Israeli war with Iran. With 40-50 per cent of China’s seaborne oil imports traditionally passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which is now blocked to most container traffic, Beijing has sought to diversify energy sources away from Gulf Arab states. For more than a decade, Beijing has pursued deeper engagement across the Middle East and North... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348801/chinas-growing-north-africa-presence-structural-challenge-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348801/chinas-growing-north-africa-presence-structural-challenge-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Across major African cities such as Nairobi, Lusaka, and Abuja, governments are using surveillance technologies and credit lines from China to monitor public spaces and curb crime, a new survey shows. The UK-based Institute of Development Studies (IDS) said Chinese banks were increasingly funding African governments to build and maintain digital infrastructure – including surveillance cameras and command and control centres – under the “safe city” project, also known as “smart city”, which is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou The compound is modern with air conditioning in every room. Inside are a medical clinic, massage parlour, and Vietnamese barbecue, Chinese hotpot and halal eateries – a full range of conveniences. Yet the residents are gone – and they appear to have fled in haste. Clothes still hang out to dry, while the stench of rotting food lingers. Located in a secluded area in Kampot province near Cambodia’s border with Vietnam, the site is believed to be a telecoms scam centre. Cambodian authorities said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348930/game-whack-mole-how-could-scam-industry-bring-china-and-us-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348930/game-whack-mole-how-could-scam-industry-bring-china-and-us-together?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:00:10 +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 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Iran’s exiled prince Reza Pahlavi plans to flip the script on Beijing Allies of exiled Iranian royal Reza Pahlavi signalled a potential reset in Tehran’s ties with China and Russia, as the 65-year-old increasingly positioned himself as a central figure in Iran’s political future – a claim that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348584/chinas-iran-war-strategy-trumps-hormuz-ask-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348584/chinas-iran-war-strategy-trumps-hormuz-ask-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu Two significant decisions within eight days made by the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo reflect the current state of its mining industry, where Chinese companies have emerged as preferred partners. On March 19, DR Congo’s Mining Registry announced the cancellation of mining permits held by Australia’s AVZ Minerals for non-payment of surface rights fees. It was the second cancellation in three years suffered by the company in DR Congo after its Manono lithium concession was revoked... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348614/china-gains-ground-dr-congos-mining-sector-australian-firm-loses-permits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348614/china-gains-ground-dr-congos-mining-sector-australian-firm-loses-permits?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:00:14 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Preserving Cantonese has been challenging due to the dominance of Mandarin, limited learning resources and a lack of a standard written form. With a declining number of young learners, the language faces an uncertain future. Artificial intelligence (AI) – seen by some as an existential threat to humanity – may become the hope for saving the language, and many others, along with the distinct cultures they embody. This is the mission of Hong Kong-based deep-tech company Votee AI: to use large... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347975/mandarin-replacing-cantonese-offbeat-ai-fights-back-big-tech-looks-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3347975/mandarin-replacing-cantonese-offbeat-ai-fights-back-big-tech-looks-away?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Kenya has revived construction on its multibillion-dollar Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) extension that stalled more than six years ago, replacing heavy sovereign debt with innovative financing after renegotiating its loans with China. According to Kenyan officials, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and its subsidiary, China Road and Bridge Corporation, will build the railway’s two remaining sections at an estimated cost of US$5.4 billion. Kenyan President William Ruto earlier this... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348406/china-and-kenya-partner-finish-most-consequential-rail-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348406/china-and-kenya-partner-finish-most-consequential-rail-project?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan has pushed back against a growing number of foreign governments that label it part of China in their internal systems. But questions are mounting over whether Taipei’s retaliatory moves can deliver results. The dispute has widened in recent weeks after South Korea, Denmark and Cameroon were found to have changed how they designate the island in official systems, such as those that handle visa documents, residence permits and international conference credentials. Taipei has responded with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348438/names-and-games-taipei-hits-back-over-china-label-will-it-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348438/names-and-games-taipei-hits-back-over-china-label-will-it-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Gunmen killed at least a dozen people in Jos, the capital of Nigeria’s restive Plateau state, sparking retaliation from a mob that killed 10 more, locals said on Monday. Plateau state, in central Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, experiences recurring violence in the countryside, mostly linked to land disputes between farmers and herders. Jos has seen bouts of sectarian violence in the past, but deadly, mass casualty attacks in the crowded city have been rare in recent years. At least 12 people were... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3348391/mob-retaliates-after-gunmen-kill-12-nigeria-bar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3348391/mob-retaliates-after-gunmen-kill-12-nigeria-bar?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:43:35 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow ByteDance has bolstered its controversial video-generation model Seedance 2.0 with “advanced” watermarking and intellectual property (IP) protection guardrails ahead of its global roll-out, the TikTok owner has said. The much-anticipated international release comes amid intense scrutiny from Hollywood studios over alleged IP theft after numerous Seedance-generated videos featuring famous Hollywood actors and characters went viral in February. On Wednesday, ByteDance said its global safety and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348290/bytedance-bolsters-seedance-20-watermarking-ip-safeguards-ahead-global-roll-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348290/bytedance-bolsters-seedance-20-watermarking-ip-safeguards-ahead-global-roll-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 09:00:13 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage For most people, ants are unwelcome guests at a picnic, but international demand for the insects is driving a new black market in East Africa, where it could threaten ant populations and the broader environment. In early March, 27-year-old Chinese national Zhang Kequn was detained at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, with more than 2,200 live queen ants packed in his luggage. Around the same time, Thai authorities seized a shipment of ants sent from the Kenyan port city of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348256/why-are-smugglers-swarming-east-africa-ants-send-china-and-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348256/why-are-smugglers-swarming-east-africa-ants-send-china-and-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 04:00:12 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell In these turbulent times, focusing on the World Trade Organization’s 14th ministerial conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon, is a bit like trying to focus on a picnic sitting alongside a bar brawl, or listening to a lesson in pruning bonsai while a lumberjack takes a chainsaw to a giant redwood. But try we must. Even if the deliverables are meagre and may take years to materialise, the symbolism of Yaounde points to a possible future very different from today’s chaotic hegemonic unilateralism –... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348028/wto-meeting-cameroon-signals-rise-world-minus-one-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348028/wto-meeting-cameroon-signals-rise-world-minus-one-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Kenya secured trade and infrastructure financing deals during Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng’s visit this week, but analysts cautioned that deepening ties were complicated by rising debt and Nairobi’s balancing act between global powers. The “early harvest” Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries grants Kenyan products – including tea, coffee and avocados – duty-free and quota-free access to the Chinese market starting in May. After talks with Han on Tuesday, Kenyan President... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348071/kenya-secures-trade-deal-china-rising-debt-us-competition-complicate-deeper-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348071/kenya-secures-trade-deal-china-rising-debt-us-competition-complicate-deeper-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:00:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The UN General Assembly on Wednesday designated the transatlantic African slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity”, despite opposition by the United States and some European countries. In a move advocates hailed as a step towards healing and possible reparations, the resolution was adopted to applause by a vote of 123 in favour, three against and 52 abstentions. The US, Israel and Argentina opposed the measure, while Britain and EU member states abstained. Ghana’s President John... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3347954/un-designates-african-slave-trade-gravest-crime-against-humanity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3347954/un-designates-african-slave-trade-gravest-crime-against-humanity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 05:37:55 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu The Iran war has cut off a fifth of global oil and LNG supply, handing African producers “a structural advantage” in supplying global markets, although their capacity is hampered by factors beyond the Middle East conflict, according to analysts. “West and North African exports are largely insulated from the conflict, meaning barrels from Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, Algeria and Libya are viewed as lower-risk alternatives,” said Grace Goodrich and Anne-Laure Klein of Energy, Capital & Power, a Cape... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347841/african-producers-may-have-energy-edge-during-iran-war-if-they-can-overcome-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347841/african-producers-may-have-energy-edge-during-iran-war-if-they-can-overcome-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu The ripples of the US-Israel on Iran are fuelling inflationary pressures across Africa through higher energy and fertiliser prices, threatening a fragile economic recovery. Most of Africa’s 54 countries depend on fuel imports and have experienced sharp increases in fuel prices, driven by disruptions to Middle East exports and the surge in global prices. Most are just getting over the price shocks caused by Russia’s war with Ukraine, which started in 2022 and has hurt many African countries that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347572/iran-war-delivers-new-inflation-stress-african-economies-emerging-older-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347572/iran-war-delivers-new-inflation-stress-african-economies-emerging-older-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:13:26 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi Zijin Mining, China’s largest gold producer, has expanded its buying spree by acquiring controlling shares in China-based Chifeng Jilong Gold Mining for 18.26 billion yuan (US$2.64 billion), the company said. The acquisition came only two months after Zijin Mining proposed to buy Canadian Allied Gold for 28 billion yuan as part of its global expansion. Through its subsidiary Zijin Gold, the acquisition was structured in two primary tranches, Zijin Mining said in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing... https://www.scmp.com/business/commodities/article/3347547/chinas-zijin-mining-clinches-us26-billion-chifeng-gold-takeover-expansion-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/commodities/article/3347547/chinas-zijin-mining-clinches-us26-billion-chifeng-gold-takeover-expansion-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 06:17:31 +0000 Wilson Lau Wilson Lau Macau’s culinary identity is a deliciously unruly map of the world: a centuries-old laboratory of creative fusion where spices, techniques and stories collide. Long before “fusion cuisine” became a trend, Macanese cooking was already inventing itself at the crossroads of oceans – an everyday experiment in adaptation, improvisation and joyful hybridity. What began as practical substitutions and ingenuity has evolved into a living tradition that prizes sustainability, originality and a renewed... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347312/macau-gastronomy-fest-unites-39-unesco-cities-chengdu-lucknow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347312/macau-gastronomy-fest-unites-39-unesco-cities-chengdu-lucknow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:00:36 +0000 Grace Brewer Grace Brewer At the World Food Forum (WFF), a United Nations-backed platform where gastronomy bridges cultures and drives agrifood systems transformation, Flora Igoe leads the Youth Culture Programme. Based in Rome at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), she guides young chefs in safeguarding intangible food heritage – family recipes, ancient farming practices and time-honoured techniques – while connecting their work to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. “Food often creates connections between... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347293/uns-world-food-forum-building-new-generation-changemakers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347293/uns-world-food-forum-building-new-generation-changemakers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:00:20 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A strike on a healthcare facility in Sudan has killed 64 people and wounded 89 more, the World Health Organization reported on Saturday. The deceased included 13 children, WHO Director-General ‌Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media. The UN’s humanitarian office in Sudan had earlier said it was “appalled by the attack on a hospital in East Darfur yesterday, reportedly killing dozens, including children, and injuring more”. Sudanese rights group the Emergency Lawyers, who document... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3347452/64-killed-including-13-children-attack-sudan-hospital-who-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3347452/64-killed-including-13-children-attack-sudan-hospital-who-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 23:03:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Anyone applying to become a minister in Madagascar’s new government will be subjected to lie detector tests to root out those who are corrupt, the country’s military leader said on Thursday. President Michael Randrianirina, who took power in a coup in the Indian Ocean island in October, said Madagascar had acquired a polygraph machine and a specialist to operate it to vet new government ministers. “We will know who is corrupt and who can help us,” Randrianirina said. “We are not looking for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3347249/madagascars-leader-orders-lie-detector-tests-prospective-ministers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3347249/madagascars-leader-orders-lie-detector-tests-prospective-ministers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 04:13:49 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The first two months of 2026 saw a record number of migrant deaths in the Mediterranean, despite fewer crossing attempts towards Europe, according to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). At least 655 people died or went missing in January and February - more than double the 287 recorded for the same period last year. NGOs and researchers said the reasons were multiple: storms, complications for rescue operations and border closures. Frontex, the EU’s border control... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347136/hundreds-die-crossing-mediterranean-2026-already-smashes-records?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347136/hundreds-die-crossing-mediterranean-2026-already-smashes-records?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 07:07:11 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat The United Nations has warned the conflict in the Middle East is sending shock waves from the fertiliser industry to food prices, as countries across the northern hemisphere – including China – enter their spring planting seasons. If the conflict lasts longer than three months, the impact would become “significantly more serious”, affecting input costs in agriculture and disrupting the next planting season with longer-term consequences, chief economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347036/prolonged-iran-war-could-have-serious-impact-food-prices-says-uns-fao?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347036/prolonged-iran-war-could-have-serious-impact-food-prices-says-uns-fao?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 06:00:03 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao Cosco Shipping Ports, a unit of state-owned giant Cosco Shipping, reported modest earnings growth for 2025, as management expects to expand in emerging markets amid rising geopolitical risks to global trade. Net profit rose 1.1 per cent to US$312.1 million, and revenue increased 11 per cent to US$1.67 billion, according to its 2025 results. Total container throughput climbed 6.2 per cent to 153 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The company’s overseas terminals saw strong growth, with... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3347064/china-based-cosco-shipping-ports-expects-limited-impact-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3347064/china-based-cosco-shipping-ports-expects-limited-impact-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:31:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Chinese national and a Kenyan man were charged on Tuesday with unlawfully dealing in wildlife species after they were found in possession of hundreds of live ants stored in specialised tubes. The case was the latest focused on the alleged smuggling of ants in the East African country, where authorities last year described a growing trend in the trafficking of ants to markets in Europe and Asia. Officials have not said if the ants are sought after as pets or for other purposes. The suspects,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346945/chinese-national-and-kenyan-associate-charged-illegally-smuggling-ants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346945/chinese-national-and-kenyan-associate-charged-illegally-smuggling-ants?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 23:31:46 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Multiple explosions staged by suspected suicide bombers rocked the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, killing at least 23 people and wounding more than 100 others, police said Tuesday, . The three blasts, which struck on Monday evening, came after an attack on a military post overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected jihadists. Combined with the attack on the military position the evening prior and a mosque bombing in December, the assaults have wrecked a peaceful... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346862/suicide-attacks-nigeria-kill-23-wound-more-100?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346862/suicide-attacks-nigeria-kill-23-wound-more-100?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:09:51 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A US federal appeal court allowed the Trump administration on Monday to temporarily resume summarily deporting undocumented migrants to countries that are not their own. The US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, in a 2-1 vote, lifted a block on the so-called third-country deportations that had been imposed by a lower court. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled last month that third-country deportations were unlawful but put his ruling on hold to allow the government time to file an appeal. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346805/trump-administration-can-resume-third-country-deportations-appeal-court-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346805/trump-administration-can-resume-third-country-deportations-appeal-court-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:35:10 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump slams European allies, praises China and continues to justify Iran attack US President Donald Trump used a White House meeting with the German Chancellor on March 3 to blast European allies, praise China, waffle on tariffs and argue that the attack he had launched against Iran days... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3346569/beijing-iran-war-trumps-china-trade-plan-new-ai-arena-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3346569/beijing-iran-war-trumps-china-trade-plan-new-ai-arena-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:30:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Resource-rich African nations are increasingly asserting control over critical minerals to maximise domestic returns, sending global prices soaring and exerting pressure on Chinese supply chains. One price crunch started last month when Zimbabwe, Africa’s biggest lithium producer, abruptly suspended exports of raw lithium minerals and concentrates. The country had originally planned to impose the ban in 2027 to encourage more local value-added processing of the mineral but the government brought... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346717/chinas-supply-chain-meets-wall-african-resource-nationalism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346717/chinas-supply-chain-meets-wall-african-resource-nationalism?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 06:36:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters A total ⁠of ⁠62 ⁠people including eight children have died since heavy rains and flooding hit Kenya’s capital ‌Nairobi and other areas late last week, police said on Saturday. The capital was the worst hit with ⁠33 deaths, the force said in ‌a statement on X that updated the official ‌tally of casualties. More than 2,000 ⁠families ⁠have been displaced across Kenya and ‌intense rain was continuing in several ‌regions, it ‌added. Aid workers started pulling ‌bodies from floodwaters across Nairobi... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346673/kenya-floods-death-toll-rises-62-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346673/kenya-floods-death-toll-rises-62-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:48:32 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Living in container houses under the constant shadow of terrorism, Chinese diplomats in Somalia represent the extreme front line of a new, assertive era in Beijing’s foreign policy. During a video call to staff at the Chinese embassy in Mogadishu, Foreign Minister Wang Yi laid bare the “complex and severe risks of terrorism”, using the situation in the war-torn nation as a stark reminder of why China was overhauling how it protected its citizens and interests overseas. The call was made in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346474/chinas-new-security-era-africa-protecting-assets-citizens-dr-congo-somalia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346474/chinas-new-security-era-africa-protecting-assets-citizens-dr-congo-somalia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage As conflict in the Middle East pushes oil beyond US$100 per barrel, Angola and other African producers are in line to be among the main beneficiaries. On Thursday, following renewed tanker attacks, Brent crude oil prices surged back past US$100 a barrel, having reached a peak of US$119.50 on Monday, the highest level since 2022. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime chokepoint through which about 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum products flowed daily, has crippled energy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346457/how-middle-east-conflict-and-soaring-oil-prices-will-affect-angolas-chinese-debt-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346457/how-middle-east-conflict-and-soaring-oil-prices-will-affect-angolas-chinese-debt-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters A man was arrested with more ⁠than 2,200 live ⁠garden ants in his ⁠luggage at Nairobi’s main airport this week amid a rise in cases of smuggling of the insects in Kenya. Chinese national Zhang Kequn, 27, was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta ‌International Airport on Tuesday while he was trying to leave the country, court filings on Thursday showed. Immigration officials flagged a “stop order” on Zhang’s passport after he evaded arrest in Kenya last year. Ant aficionados pay large sums to ⁠maintain... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346382/ant-smuggling-rises-kenya-chinese-national-caught-2238-insects-airport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346382/ant-smuggling-rises-kenya-chinese-national-caught-2238-insects-airport?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:15:10 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China’s export growth surged in the first two months of this year, as global demand booms, while experts pointed to the likelihood of strong momentum for the rest of the year as AI-driven tech investments ramp up. Exports jumped 21.8 per cent from a year earlier – the biggest gain in four years – to US$656.58 billion in the combined figures for January and February released by customs authorities on Tuesday. This represented a significant acceleration from the 6.6 per cent growth recorded in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3346036/chinas-exports-surge-218-first-2-months-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3346036/chinas-exports-surge-218-first-2-months-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 03:11:18 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press At least 23 people were killed in flash flooding overnight in the capital Nairobi, police said Saturday, amid search and rescue operations and widespread devastation. Torrential rains lashed the city late on Friday, turning major streets into rivers and flooding thousands of homes and businesses. Rescue teams were still pulling out bodies and rescuing trapped residents on Saturday, while reporters saw heavily damaged roads and infrastructure from the city’s vast slums to upmarket areas like... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3345823/8-dead-kenya-floods-motorists-stranded-flights-disrupted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3345823/8-dead-kenya-floods-motorists-stranded-flights-disrupted?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 12:04:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A mine collapse on Tuesday at a major coltan mining site in eastern DR Congo left at least 200 dead, according to Congolese authorities, a number disputed by the rebel group that controls the mine. The collapse took place on Tuesday at the Rubaya mines, which are controlled by the M23 rebels, according to a press release from the Ministry of Mines on Wednesday. Fanny Kaj, a senior official in the M23 rebel group, which controls the mines, disputed the figure and said that the collapse was caused... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3345511/dr-congo-says-least-200-dead-coltan-mine-collapse-rebels-dispute-toll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3345511/dr-congo-says-least-200-dead-coltan-mine-collapse-rebels-dispute-toll?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 04:21:43 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin As China and the United States compete to shape the future of artificial intelligence, Africa’s rapidly expanding digital landscape is emerging as a new arena for their rivalry, far from the technology hubs of Silicon Valley or Shenzhen. With a growing population, expanding internet access and linguistic diversity, Africa is increasingly seen as a critical region for AI development, according to analysts. Early infrastructure and platform decisions can shape the future of emerging technology... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345483/africa-emerges-new-arena-us-china-competition-over-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345483/africa-emerges-new-arena-us-china-competition-over-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 20:10:11 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Major shipping lines are suspending services and diverting vessels across the Middle East as escalating military tensions threaten a prolonged disruption of global supply chains, with the critical Strait of Hormuz chokepoint effectively closed to commercial traffic following US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The crisis has ensnared both oil tankers and container ships, creating a maritime bottleneck that could ripple through international commerce. As of Monday, 132 container ships with a combined... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345291/shipping-firms-suspend-gulf-routes-iran-war-leaves-132-vessels-trapped?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345291/shipping-firms-suspend-gulf-routes-iran-war-leaves-132-vessels-trapped?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi The capital market is likely to be a battleground between traditional businesses and artificial intelligence start-ups, as tech investors expect both to survive AI-driven disruption through mergers and acquisitions (M&As). The outlook follows the launch of new agentic products by start-ups like Anthropic, which pushed investors to view AI as a potential replacement for the business models of established industry leaders, triggering an “AI scare trade” in January in listed software, wealth... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3345226/how-ai-scare-trade-sparking-ma-battles-traditional-firms-and-start-ups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3345226/how-ai-scare-trade-sparking-ma-battles-traditional-firms-and-start-ups?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 05:39:53 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu The escalating conflict in the Middle East is set to drive up travel costs for Hong Kong passengers as many are forced to opt for more expensive direct routes to Europe, according to analysts. They said on Monday that the suspension of major transit hubs in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Doha in Qatar had left travellers scrambling for seats on direct flights or “conflict-free” paths to Europe, with surging demand set to trigger a spike in airfares. A check of Hong Kong flag carrier... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3345146/middle-east-conflict-drive-airfares-hong-kong-travellers-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3345146/middle-east-conflict-drive-airfares-hong-kong-travellers-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:00:15 +0000