https://www.scmp.com/rss/325434/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press A former Polish justice minister sought in his homeland for alleged abuse of power says he has travelled from Hungary to the US, prompting prosecutors in Poland to say on Monday that they are investigating whether he was assisted in evading liability. Zbigniew Ziobro was a key figure in the government led by the nationalist conservative Law and Justice party that ran Poland between 2015 and 2023. That administration established political control over key judicial institutions by stacking higher... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353176/polands-ex-minister-facing-prosecution-home-travels-hungary-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353176/polands-ex-minister-facing-prosecution-home-travels-hungary-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 12:45:36 +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 Reuters Reuters US Secretary of State Marco Rubio left the Vatican on Thursday after seeing Pope Leo in what was expected to have been a fraught meeting following President Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on the Catholic leader over the Iran war. Rubio spent 2-1/2 hours at the Vatican before driving away in a convoy under tight security. He met initially Leo before ‌sitting down with senior Vatican officials, including top diplomat Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin. “The meeting underscored the strong... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352797/rubio-meets-pope-leo-vatican-defuse-tensions-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352797/rubio-meets-pope-leo-vatican-defuse-tensions-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 12:30:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A French campaign group said on Wednesday it has sued companies selling nitrous oxide – also known as laughing gas – using what the activists alleged was “deceptive” marketing targeting young people, despite the health impacts. The Antoine Alleno Association – a road safety group headed by Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alleno, whose son was killed in 2022 by a speeding driver – said it had filed the legal action against the companies behind Cream Deluxe, which markets colourful canisters of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351016/french-activists-sue-deceptive-laughing-gas-suppliers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351016/french-activists-sue-deceptive-laughing-gas-suppliers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:34:48 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Prosecutors in the rape retrial of disgraced US movie mogul Harvey Weinstein told Tuesday how he wielded his power to prey on then-aspiring actress Jessica Mann. Weinstein, a central figure of abuse allegations that spurred the #MeToo movement, appeared at the New York courtroom in a wheelchair due to ill health. He is being retried on a count of third-degree rape against Mann that allegedly happened in 2013 in a Manhattan hotel room. Last June, a judge declared a mistrial on the charge after... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350929/weinstein-preyed-aspiring-us-actress-court-told-rape-retrial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350929/weinstein-preyed-aspiring-us-actress-court-told-rape-retrial?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:44:15 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Finbarr Bermingham Xiaofei Xu,Finbarr Bermingham Chinese railway giant CRRC has been forced out of a Lisbon metro contract in favour of a Polish firm, after a European Commission investigation found that foreign subsidies allowed CRRC to underbid rivals. “The in-depth investigation confirmed these preliminary findings, revealing that the subsidies in question had indeed given the consortium an unfair competitive edge, to the detriment of other bidders taking part in the tender and the integrity of the EU’s internal market,” the European... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350912/chinas-crrc-drops-bid-lisbon-metro-deal-eu-finds-billions-subsidies-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350912/chinas-crrc-drops-bid-lisbon-metro-deal-eu-finds-billions-subsidies-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:36:39 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Janusz Pawliszyn, the 71-year-old recipient of the Chemical Institute of Canada’s highest honour and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, has joined Guangzhou’s Sun Yat-sen University, the institution announced on April 9. Pawliszyn has supervised more than 110 master’s and doctoral students as well as nearly 200 postdoctoral students and visiting scholars, many of them from China. Ouyang Gangfeng was one of them. From 2004 to 2005, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Pawliszyn’s laboratory. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350619/canada-research-chair-chemist-janusz-pawliszyn-joins-chinese-university?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350619/canada-research-chair-chemist-janusz-pawliszyn-joins-chinese-university?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press When Alina Dotsenko returned to her museum after Ukrainian forces retook the southern city of Kherson from Russian forces in late 2022, she found thousands of artworks had vanished. “I walked in and saw empty storage rooms, empty shelves. My legs gave way, and I just sat down by the wall, like a child,” the Kherson Art Museum director said. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022, the museum held more than 14,000 works in a collection “ranging from America to Japan”. As the Russians... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350568/ukraine-works-interpol-find-thousands-cultural-artefacts-looted-russians?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350568/ukraine-works-interpol-find-thousands-cultural-artefacts-looted-russians?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:01:08 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan is set to take another step away from its long-standing limits on arms exports, a move analysts say will strengthen the domestic defence industry, spur innovation, deepen security ties and reduce Tokyo’s reliance on the US at a time when Washington is increasingly seen as a less reliable partner. The Yomiuri newspaper reported on Thursday that revisions to the Three Principles on the Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology would be approved at a cabinet meeting next week. The changes... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350486/japan-ditches-decades-arm-export-curbs-us-reliability-wavers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350486/japan-ditches-decades-arm-export-curbs-us-reliability-wavers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:00:18 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Major powers are closely watching Hungary’s election next week – a vote seen as a referendum on Europe’s right and crucial for Chinese interests in the EU. Recent polls show self-styled “illiberal democrat” Viktor Orban’s Fidesz trailing challenger Peter Magyar’s Tisza Party by between 19 and 23 points among likely voters ahead of an election on Sunday that has been described as “Europe’s most consequential”. For China, Russia and the United States under President Donald Trump, an Orban defeat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349109/orban-brink-could-hungarys-election-dent-chinas-influence-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349109/orban-brink-could-hungarys-election-dent-chinas-influence-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared the US‑Israel war against Iran had delivered “decisive, overwhelming victories”, even as he signalled that key military objectives were still “nearing completion” and that further strikes could inflict heavy damage on targets in the country. “We are going to hit them extremely hard. Over the next two to three weeks, we are going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong. In the meantime, discussions are ongoing,” he said in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348727/trump-declares-decisive-overwhelming-victory-iran-war-signals-end-operations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348727/trump-declares-decisive-overwhelming-victory-iran-war-signals-end-operations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 01:22:04 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan could get a boost in its push for a next-generation fighter jet if Canada joins a multinational consortium backing the aircraft’s development, as Tokyo aims to narrow the gap with China’s fast-modernising air force. The Canadian government said it intended to take part in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), currently involving Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy, the Asahi newspaper reported on Tuesday. Japan is planning to replace its ageing F-2 fleet with a sixth-generation stealth... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348709/why-japans-advanced-fighter-project-may-get-canadian-tailwinds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348709/why-japans-advanced-fighter-project-may-get-canadian-tailwinds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:20 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang As one of the biggest targets of wartime looting in centuries past, China is now positioning itself as a global pioneer in repatriating lost cultural artefacts. In this article, the second in a two-part series, Xinlu Liang looks at how China is wielding law, diplomacy and a Global South coalition to rewrite the rules of restitution, filling a void left by a retreating US. In January, as the United States was withdrawing from a raft of heritage and science bodies around the world, China was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348243/how-china-stepping-cultural-repatriation-void-left-retreating-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348243/how-china-stepping-cultural-repatriation-void-left-retreating-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A huge shipment of KitKat chocolate bars has been stolen in Europe, the brand said, warning that the heist risked causing shortages in stores right before Easter. KitKat, owned by Swiss food giant Nestlé, confirmed in a statement on Saturday that “a truck transporting 413,793 units of its new chocolate range has been stolen during transit in Europe”. The shipment, weighing around 12 tonnes (13.2 tons), disappeared last week while heading between production and distribution locations, it... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348270/over-400000-kitkat-bars-stolen-thieves-make-break-12-tonne-shipment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348270/over-400000-kitkat-bars-stolen-thieves-make-break-12-tonne-shipment?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 19:12:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Mexican navy said on Thursday that it was searching for two boats transporting humanitarian aid for Cuba with nine crew of different nationalities on board. The vessels set sail last Friday from Isla Mujeres in Mexico’s southeastern state of Quintana Roo and were due to arrive in Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday this week, the navy said in a statement. It said that there had been neither “communication nor confirmation of their arrival” in Cuba and that it has alerted naval commanders in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348065/mexicos-navy-searches-2-cuba-bound-aid-boats-are-missing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348065/mexicos-navy-searches-2-cuba-bound-aid-boats-are-missing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 01:41:46 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump will not attend a major annual gathering of American conservatives for the first time in a decade, a White House official said on Wednesday. The Republican billionaire has been a marquee fixture at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) since 2016, but will miss this year’s edition due to a busy schedule amid the “ongoing Iran conflict”, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The conference this year is being held from Wednesday to Saturday... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347920/trump-skip-major-annual-conservative-gathering-first-time-decade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347920/trump-skip-major-annual-conservative-gathering-first-time-decade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 22:15:09 +0000 The Star The Star Flights are cancelled, schedules are in chaos and scores of European tourists are still waiting to go home, three weeks after the United States and Israeli attack on Iran. Some of them, like retiree John Williams, 61, and his wife Gillian, 60, from the United Kingdom, are making good use of their “extended” time in Malaysia. “We’re sort of stranded, but frankly we are in no hurry. We are spending a few days in Penang and will explore other ways to get home later,” Williams said. “We saw that... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3347253/some-tourists-malaysia-make-most-mideast-flight-mess-others-scramble-get-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3347253/some-tourists-malaysia-make-most-mideast-flight-mess-others-scramble-get-home?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 04:36:07 +0000 Agencies Agencies Military escorts to protect tankers in the Strait of Hormuz are not a sustainable solution, according to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). “It reduces the risk, but the risk is still there,” IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez told the Financial Times. He said that a military deployment was “not a long-term or sustainable solution”. US President Donald Trump has called for an international naval operation off the Iranian coast to secure oil shipments, saying at the weekend that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346889/military-escort-tankers-strait-hormuz-not-long-term-fix-imo-head?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346889/military-escort-tankers-strait-hormuz-not-long-term-fix-imo-head?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:17:41 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa In the latest episode of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, viewers got a look into John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s secret 1996 wedding ceremony in Cumberland Island, Georgia. When JFK Jr. and Bessette tied the knot, details of the wedding were sparse and only revealed later in the 2024 book, JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography by RoseMarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil. The nuptials took place in a small Baptist church on Cumberland Island with a short guest list... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3345725/who-was-anthony-radziwill-polish-royal-cousin-john-f-kennedy-jr?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3345725/who-was-anthony-radziwill-polish-royal-cousin-john-f-kennedy-jr?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo A suspected CIA-funded publication in Asia recently asked where all the Chinese wolf warriors have gone. It was referring to those supposedly rude envoys who harangued the governments of their host countries and foreign ministry spokespeople who confronted foreign reporters at news conferences. Well, Beijing reined them in long ago. But US President Donald Trump has unleashed his own. Open hostility towards host countries and their peoples seems to be a job requirement in Washington for a US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345151/under-trump-us-has-unleashed-its-own-wolf-warriors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345151/under-trump-us-has-unleashed-its-own-wolf-warriors?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France will expand its atomic arsenal and could deploy nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries for the first time, as he unveiled an unprecedented plan to bolster security on the continent. Speaking from the Ile Longue nuclear submarine base as the clock ticks on his presidency, Macron announced that eight European countries including Germany, Poland, Sweden and Britain had agreed to participate in what he called a “forward” nuclear deterrence... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345189/europe-reacts-macrons-offer-deploy-atomic-weapons-frances-allies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345189/europe-reacts-macrons-offer-deploy-atomic-weapons-frances-allies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:40:58 +0000 Reuters Reuters The ⁠US remains Poland’s most ⁠important partner in military ⁠cooperation and Warsaw has been and will remain a loyal ally, but it can’t be a “sucker”, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in a speech to parliament on Thursday. His comments reflect the ‌delicate balancing act that Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-EU government must perform in maintaining the strong transatlantic bond they see as crucial for national security at a time when US President Donald Trump is upending old... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344759/poland-tells-us-it-wont-be-sucker-trump-reshapes-nato?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344759/poland-tells-us-it-wont-be-sucker-trump-reshapes-nato?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:51:36 +0000 dpa dpa Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday described a pair of explosions in Lviv as a “cynical and brutal terrorist act” that was “organised by Russia”. Two explosions rocked the western Ukrainian city in the early hours, killing a 23-year-old policewoman and injuring 25 others. “This was a terrorist attack,” Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel, adding that police have detained a female Ukrainian national. Police said that the detained woman was a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3344281/police-officer-killed-24-people-wounded-bomb-explosions-ukraines-lviv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3344281/police-officer-killed-24-people-wounded-bomb-explosions-ukraines-lviv?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 21:00:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russia fired scores of missiles and drones at targets across Ukraine on Sunday, crashing into energy and rail infrastructure and residential buildings, just two days before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Journalists in Kyiv heard a series of blasts starting at around 4.00am, shortly after an air raid alert was issued, with the air force later widening the alert nationwide, citing the threat of missiles. “Moscow continues to invest in strikes more than in diplomacy,” Ukrainian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3344258/russian-barrage-strikes-ukrainian-infrastructure-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3344258/russian-barrage-strikes-ukrainian-infrastructure-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:08:46 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Five European nations have announced a new programme to produce low-cost air defence systems and autonomous drones using Ukrainian expertise hard-won over the past four years of war against Russia. Friday’s initiative of the E5 nations – France, Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy – comes as one of many European efforts to bolster defence along their borders, like a “drone wall” with Russia and Ukraine to better detect, track and intercept drones violating Europe’s airspace. Both... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344210/5-european-nations-make-drones-tapping-ukraines-war-experience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344210/5-european-nations-make-drones-tapping-ukraines-war-experience?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 09:31:41 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Last week, US ambassador to Poland Tom Rose cut off contact with his host country’s parliamentary speaker over what he described as “outrageous and unprovoked insults” against President Donald Trump. Washington would “not permit anyone to harm US-Polish relations nor disrespect” the president, Rose warned, without specifying the insults. However, lower house speaker Wlodzimierz Czarzasty, a left-wing Polish politician, had earlier criticised Trump’s policies and said he would not support an... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3343426/trump-style-diplomacy-could-win-friends-china-harm-us-ties-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3343426/trump-style-diplomacy-could-win-friends-china-harm-us-ties-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called US President Donald Trump’s comments about European troops staying off the front lines in Afghanistan ‍insulting and appalling, joining a chorus of criticism from other European officials and veterans. “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling, and I’m not surprised they’ve caused such hurt for the loved ones of those who were killed or injured,” Starmer told reporters. When asked whether he would demand an apology from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341070/uks-starmer-slams-trumps-insulting-remarks-allies-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341070/uks-starmer-slams-trumps-insulting-remarks-allies-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 18:29:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters The White House said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump was discussing options for acquiring ‍Greenland, including potential use of the US military, in a revival of his ambition to control the strategic island despite European objections. Trump sees acquiring Greenland as a US national security priority necessary to “deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” the White House said in a statement. “The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338973/european-powers-rally-behind-greenland-face-renewed-trump-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338973/european-powers-rally-behind-greenland-face-renewed-trump-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 19:07:01 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Vietnam welcomed a record number of foreign tourists in 2025, as a resurgence of Chinese visitors and relaxed visa policies helped lure travellers. The Southeast Asian nation received around 21.2 million international visitors last year, up 20 per cent, according to the National Statistics Office. Its previous peak was 18 million, recorded in 2019 before the pandemic. Vietnam’s surge is part of a broader realignment in Southeast Asia’s multibillion-dollar tourism industry, largely at the expense... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338813/vietnam-overtakes-thailand-chinese-tourists-top-choice-travel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338813/vietnam-overtakes-thailand-chinese-tourists-top-choice-travel?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:52:48 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Eva Schloss, the Auschwitz survivor who dedicated decades to educating people on the Holocaust and was the stepsister of diarist Anne Frank, has died aged 96, her foundation announced Sunday. Her family expressed their “great sadness” at the loss of this “remarkable woman: an Auschwitz survivor, a devoted Holocaust educator, tireless in her work for remembrance, understanding and peace”. Britain’s King Charles, who danced with Schloss at an event in London in 2022, and his wife Camilla, patron... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338704/anne-franks-stepsister-holocaust-survivor-eva-schloss-dies-96?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338704/anne-franks-stepsister-holocaust-survivor-eva-schloss-dies-96?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 23:06:32 +0000 Connor Mycroft,Fiona Chow Connor Mycroft,Fiona Chow The number of inbound visitors to Hong Kong on New Year’s Eve rose by 25 per cent from 2024, despite the city forgoing its traditional fireworks display because of the deadly Tai Po fire, with bars and hotels appearing to benefit the most from the increase in footfall over the holiday. But with the number of departures by Hongkongers also increasing by nearly 21 per cent over the same period, not all businesses stood to gain equally. Immigration Department figures compiled by the Post on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3338413/hong-kong-welcomes-25-more-visitors-new-years-eve-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3338413/hong-kong-welcomes-25-more-visitors-new-years-eve-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 10:30:08 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A multibillion-dollar contract signed by Seoul this week to supply arms to Poland has underscored the strength of South Korea’s defence industry. Observers, however, warn that a growing global trend involving bloc-based arms trade could cast a shadow over the country’s future as a major weapons exporter. The consortium of Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha-WB Advanced System (HWB) on Monday signed a 5.6 trillion-won (US$4 billion) contract with Poland’s arms procurement agency, the Polish Armament... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338318/south-korea-seals-us4-billion-arms-deal-poland-amid-daunting-eu-bloc-trade-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338318/south-korea-seals-us4-billion-arms-deal-poland-amid-daunting-eu-bloc-trade-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters Poland ‍has asked the European Commission to investigate TikTok after the social media platform hosted artificial intelligence-generated content including calls for Poland to withdraw from the EU, it said on Tuesday, adding that the content was almost certainly Russian disinformation. A TikTok profile showing videos of young women dressed in Polish national colours ⁠and calling for Poland to leave the EU has gained popularity in recent weeks. The profile has now disappeared from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338212/poland-urges-european-commission-investigate-tiktok-over-ai-generated-content?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338212/poland-urges-european-commission-investigate-tiktok-over-ai-generated-content?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 17:35:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were “getting a lot closer, ‌maybe very close” to an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, while acknowledging that the fate of the disputed Donbas region remained a key unresolved issue. The two leaders spoke at a joint news ‍conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Sunday afternoon. Both leaders reported progress on two of the most contentious issues in peace talks: security... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337959/trump-putin-do-not-support-european-ukrainian-temporary-ceasefire-idea-kremlin-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337959/trump-putin-do-not-support-european-ukrainian-temporary-ceasefire-idea-kremlin-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 19:03:23 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Two sisters testified at Harvey Weinstein’s most recent criminal trial. Kaja Sokola accused the disgraced movie mogul of sexual assault. Ewa Sokola was called as a witness to boost her claims but ultimately ended up helping the defence. Now, Ewa Sokola is suing Kaja for defamation, alleging in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court that the psychotherapist and ex-model’s public remarks amount to libel and are damaging Ewa’s reputation and business as a cardiologist in Poland. Ewa... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337857/harvey-weinstein-accuser-kaja-sokola-being-sued-defamation-her-sister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337857/harvey-weinstein-accuser-kaja-sokola-being-sued-defamation-her-sister?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 19:41:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Belarus’ authoritarian president said on Thursday that Russia had deployed its latest nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system to the country, a move that comes as talks to end the war in Ukraine have entered a crucial phase. President Alexander Lukashenko said the Oreshnik, an intermediate-range ballistic missile system, arrived in the country on Wednesday and is entering combat duty. He did not say how many missiles have been deployed or give any other details. Russian President Vladimir Putin... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3336972/russia-deploys-nuclear-capable-oreshnik-missile-belarus-amid-ukraine-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3336972/russia-deploys-nuclear-capable-oreshnik-missile-belarus-amid-ukraine-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:57:32 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo For the philosopher Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, everything is “geist”, which could be translated as either mind or spirit. So everything is either mindful, spiritual or mental, depending on your preferred translation. He calls institutions “objective spirit”. This is because ideas are only “subjective” when they are stuck in people’s heads or in books. Once those ideas are realised, for example, in forms of governments and social institutions, they become objectified and take on a concrete reality,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336432/russia-will-end-european-union-not-other-way-around?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336432/russia-will-end-european-union-not-other-way-around?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:30:09 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s HK$141.5 billion (US$18.1 billion) investment in the expansion of its airport with a third runway is all about exploiting the city’s position as an international air cargo and passenger hub, and its connectivity with the mainland, amid rising air and sea competition. The pay-offs come in passenger and traffic volume and a network of destinations that circles the world. The latter has just received a big boost from the signing of aviation agreements with seven countries – mostly in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3336456/hong-kong-stepping-its-competitiveness-aviation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3336456/hong-kong-stepping-its-competitiveness-aviation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 22:45:08 +0000 Walter Woon Walter Woon The Imperial Japanese Navy destroyers Shigure, Isokaze, Hamakaze and Yukizake were assigned to escort duties when convoys were sent to Singapore to collect badly needed supplies for Japan during the second world war. The destroyers protected the light carrier Ryuho carrying a load of aircraft bound for the Japanese colony of Taiwan. This brief synopsis appears in episode six of the second series of the Japanese anime Kantai Collection (“Fleet Girls Collection”), also known as KanColle, in which... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3336265/singapore-taiwan-japan-must-face-its-past-asias-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3336265/singapore-taiwan-japan-must-face-its-past-asias-future?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 03:00:28 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong Hong Kong has signed aviation agreements with seven countries – mostly in Latin America – to expand its global reach and make better use of the airport’s three-runway system, according to a senior official. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan on Tuesday revealed that the government had signed deals with the Latin American countries of Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru and Cuba, along with Poland in Europe and Togo in West Africa, over the past two months. The new deals add to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3335729/hong-kong-signs-aviation-deals-7-countries-expand-global-network?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3335729/hong-kong-signs-aviation-deals-7-countries-expand-global-network?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 07:30:57 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem Russia’s accusation that the United States and Germany are recruiting Filipino mercenaries to fight in Ukraine is almost certainly disinformation, analysts say. Yet the claim exposes how easily Southeast Asian nations can be drawn into the information crossfire of global conflicts – becoming unwitting pawns in great-power narratives that shape opinions far beyond the battlefield. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged that “US representatives” had enlisted Filipinos to join... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334731/russia-claims-filipino-troops-are-fighting-ukraine-manila-calls-it-fake-news?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334731/russia-claims-filipino-troops-are-fighting-ukraine-manila-calls-it-fake-news?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 08:00:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a new national military service plan on Thursday as France seeks to bolster its armed forces to address growing concerns over Russia’s threat to European nations beyond the war in Ukraine. Macron announced that volunteers aged 18 and 19 will start serving next year in a 10-month new military service programme. “A new national service is set to be gradually established, starting from next summer,” Macron said in a speech at the Varces military base, in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334396/macron-unveils-new-french-voluntary-military-service-amid-russia-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334396/macron-unveils-new-french-voluntary-military-service-amid-russia-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 11:58:29 +0000 Reuters Reuters The EU’s highest court ruled on Tuesday that same-sex marriages must be respected throughout the bloc and rebuked Poland for refusing to recognise a marriage between two of its citizens that took place in Germany, on the grounds that Polish law does not allow marriage between people of the same sex. “The spouses in question, as EU citizens, enjoy the freedom to move and reside within the territory of the Member States and the right to lead a normal family life when exercising that freedom and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334114/eu-court-rules-nations-must-recognise-gay-marriage-rights-across-bloc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334114/eu-court-rules-nations-must-recognise-gay-marriage-rights-across-bloc?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:49:16 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham As they look to keep the United States engaged in Ukraine and push for lower trade tariffs, EU ministers lobbied their US counterparts for joint policies on China on Monday – even as new public opinion polling shows a waning appetite for such a partnership. The China carrot was dangled by successive ministers ahead of and after a meeting of the bloc’s trade council in Brussels, which was attended by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. This is despite... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334031/eu-ministers-court-trump-joint-china-policy-even-public-scepticism-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334031/eu-ministers-court-trump-joint-china-policy-even-public-scepticism-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 06:00:13 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s hit Apple TV+ drama The Morning Show, which has consistently held the No 1 spot on the platform’s Most Popular chart, was recently overtaken by Pluribus. Although The Morning Show has since reclaimed its position at the time of writing, it’s clear that the sci-fi thriller created by Vince Gilligan, known for shows like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, has quickly become viewers’ new obsession since its debut on November 7. Lead actress Seehorn, who... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3333494/meet-karolina-wydra-polish-american-actor-who-plays-zosia-apple-tvs-pluribus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3333494/meet-karolina-wydra-polish-american-actor-who-plays-zosia-apple-tvs-pluribus?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 22:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Poland’s foreign minister said on Sunday that an “offensive” auction of Holocaust artefacts has been cancelled in Germany, relaying information from his German counterpart, following complaints from Holocaust survivors. Radoslaw Sikorski made the comments on the X platform, saying he and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul “agreed that such a scandal must be prevented”. The top Polish diplomat thanked Wadephul for the information that the auction was cancelled. Earlier, a Holocaust survivors... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333011/germany-cancels-auction-holocaust-artefacts-after-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333011/germany-cancels-auction-holocaust-artefacts-after-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 17:15:25 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao This year marks half a century of formal diplomatic relations between China and the European Union as well as the 25th anniversary of the founding of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. Here, Shi Jiangtao looks at how the relationship has been affected by Trump 2.0 and accompanying ups and downs of US-China ties, and global conflicts. In an era defined by intensifying US-China rivalry, the European Union often finds itself pulled in opposite directions by the competing giants,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331751/can-eu-walk-strategic-autonomy-tightrope-china-us-tug-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331751/can-eu-walk-strategic-autonomy-tightrope-china-us-tug-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 22:00:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Poland and Romania are deploying a new weapons system to defend against Russian drones, following a spate of incursions into Nato airspace in recent months that exposed the alliance’s vulnerabilities and put Europe on edge. The American Merops system, which is small enough to fit in the back of a midsize pickup truck, can identify drones and close in on them, using artificial intelligence to navigate when satellite and electronic communications are jammed. As well as being deployed in Poland and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3331808/nato-deploys-new-system-detect-russian-drone-incursions-defend-poland-and-romania?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3331808/nato-deploys-new-system-detect-russian-drone-incursions-defend-poland-and-romania?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 11:20:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States has informed its Nato allies that it will scale back its troop presence along Europe’s eastern border with Ukraine as it focuses on security priorities elsewhere in the world, Romania’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday. The US Army later confirmed the move, but denied it was a sign of lessened commitment to Nato. Depending on operations and exercises, around 80,000-100,000 US troops are usually present on European soil. Nato allies have expressed concern that the Trump... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330813/us-tells-nato-troop-cut-europe-sparking-fears-security-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330813/us-tells-nato-troop-cut-europe-sparking-fears-security-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 14:28:25 +0000 Reuters Reuters Bird flu is spreading rapidly in Europe, with the highest number of countries in at least a decade reporting early outbreaks, raising concerns about a repeat of past crises that led to the culling of tens of millions of birds and higher food prices. Meanwhile, Australian scientists have found hundreds of dead seal pups on Heard Island in the sub-Antarctic with signs that suggest they were killed by bird flu, authorities said on Friday. The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330251/bird-flu-spread-raises-fears-new-crisis-amid-scientists-investigating-deaths-seals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330251/bird-flu-spread-raises-fears-new-crisis-amid-scientists-investigating-deaths-seals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 10:58:06 +0000