https://www.scmp.com/rss/325817/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Sheheryar Bilal Sheheryar Bilal No Ethiopian, Pakistani, Indian, Brazilian or other serious policymaker believes artificial intelligence will solve corruption or improve governance overnight. National policies such as Digital Ethiopia 2030, Pakistan’s National AI Policy 2025 or other initiatives in Chile, Argentina and Colombia consider AI as a means to enhance service delivery in healthcare, education, agriculture, taxation and disaster management, rather than as institutional reform. These are practical applications.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349302/ai-pessimism-luxury-global-south-cannot-afford?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349302/ai-pessimism-luxury-global-south-cannot-afford?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil is set to exhaust its annual beef export quota to China by early May, industry officials said, as cattle prices hit a nominal record and Beijing’s import restrictions forced exporters across South America to scramble for alternative markets. The benchmark price for finished cattle tracked by the Centre for Advanced Studies on Applied Economics at the University of Sao Paulo reached R$365 (US$71.57) per arroba (per 11.5-15kg) on Wednesday, a gain of 12.5 per cent over the past 12 months,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349571/brazil-track-fill-china-beef-export-quota-may-prices-hit-all-time-high?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349571/brazil-track-fill-china-beef-export-quota-may-prices-hit-all-time-high?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:28:30 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar A genocide complaint filed with Indonesian prosecutors against Myanmar’s newly elected President Min Aung Hlaing marks a further step by rights activists to hold the country’s military rulers accountable for their alleged international crimes, regardless of where they were committed. The complaint, lodged on Monday with Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office (AGO), accuses the former military chief of genocide against the Rohingya, including mass rape, forced eviction, killings and arson attacks... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349532/indonesian-activists-target-myanmars-president-genocide-case-against-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349532/indonesian-activists-target-myanmars-president-genocide-case-against-him?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil’s labour ministry on Tuesday added Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD to a registry of employers found to have subjected workers to conditions analogous to slavery, limiting access to state financing and increasing reputational risks in its most important market outside China. The Ministry of Labour and Employment published the updated Cadastro de Empregadores, commonly known as the “dirty list”, adding 169 employers in the latest semi-annual revision. BYD Auto do Brasil Ltda. was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349311/brazil-blacklists-byd-slave-labour-conditions-its-biggest-plant-outside-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349311/brazil-blacklists-byd-slave-labour-conditions-its-biggest-plant-outside-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 20:10:07 +0000 Lijia Zhang Lijia Zhang While enjoying a foot massage in Buenos Aires’ Chinatown, I chatted with my masseuse, a Fujianese woman in her late 50s surnamed Wang. Her life, it seemed to me, mirrored that of many recent Chinese immigrants to Argentina. She eats exclusively Chinese food, her friends are fellow Chinese and she still speaks mostly Chinese. While it is not unusual for migrants anywhere to gravitate towards their own community, the tendency appears particularly strong among the Chinese. China’s presence in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348870/chinese-overseas-need-not-keep-ourselves-i-certainly-dont?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348870/chinese-overseas-need-not-keep-ourselves-i-certainly-dont?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 01:30:12 +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 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Welcome to Open Dialogue, a series from the South China Morning Post where we bring together leading voices to discuss the stories and subjects occupying international headlines. In this edition, we invited a prominent industry player and economist to reflect on the role of stablecoins, cryptocurrencies pegged to fiat currencies or other assets. They discuss the differing approaches of China and the United States, as well as Hong Kong’s role in China’s strategy, as the city is expected to issue... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347710/gary-liu-and-liu-xiaochun-what-role-stablecoins-could-play-china-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347710/gary-liu-and-liu-xiaochun-what-role-stablecoins-could-play-china-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:00:28 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Chilean President Gabriel Boric left La Moneda presidential palace for the last time on Wednesday, ending a four-year term with a call for national unity that most observers took as a reference to the Chinese undersea cable dispute that defined his final weeks in office. “I wish success to the incoming government, success for Chile, and may our homeland always come first, above any interest, above any disagreement,” Boric said from the palace courtyard, where he arrived with his partner, Paula... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346275/chiles-boric-leaves-office-calls-unity-after-split-successor-over-china-cable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346275/chiles-boric-leaves-office-calls-unity-after-split-successor-over-china-cable?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 18:30:28 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The Chilean capital Santiago awoke on Wednesday to a mixture of celebration and tension. As the city prepared for the inauguration of its centre-right president, the new government’s first crisis was already unfolding behind the scenes: an undersea fibre-optic cable linking the South American country to Hong Kong that had enraged Washington and may prove a watershed moment in how Latin America handles critical infrastructure projects and its partnership with Beijing. Jose Antonio Kast was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346261/inauguration-day-chiles-new-president-inherits-chinese-cable-scandal-and-us-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346261/inauguration-day-chiles-new-president-inherits-chinese-cable-scandal-and-us-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:44:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged Latin American nations to use military power against the “cancer” of drug cartels and offered to support them with US missile strikes targeting narco kingpins. Trump, currently waging a war with Iran, laid out a muscular position for advancing Washington’s interests in the western hemisphere, pronouncing that communist-led Cuba was “in its last moments of life” and advocating tough action by allies against organised crime blighting the region. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345839/trump-offers-latin-american-leaders-us-missile-strikes-hit-drug-cartels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345839/trump-offers-latin-american-leaders-us-missile-strikes-hit-drug-cartels?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 17:46:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Thursday promised US$10 billion and Muslim-majority nations offered funding and troops for Gaza as he inaugurated his “Board of Peace”, a new institution whose ultimate mission has drawn questions. Trump brought together allies from around the world - many authoritarians, with few Western democrats who traditionally ally with the United States - to hail his peacemaking just as he sends US military might near Iran and threatens war. Presiding with a gavel over the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344048/trump-kicks-his-board-peace-war-clouds-loom-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344048/trump-kicks-his-board-peace-war-clouds-loom-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 17:06:55 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China becomes Brazil’s biggest vehicle exporter in January, surpassing Argentina China surpassed Argentina in January to become Brazil’s largest exporter of vehicles, solidifying Chinese brands’ dominance in the region’s biggest car market and undercutting a long-standing Argentine... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3343881/catls-battery-game-changer-teslas-ai-training-centre-china-7-ev-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3343881/catls-battery-game-changer-teslas-ai-training-centre-china-7-ev-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 07:30:07 +0000 Lijia Zhang Lijia Zhang A few weeks ago, while travelling in Buenos Aires, I learned a new word: chino. I already knew its literal meaning – even a poor linguist like me could manage that – but in Argentina the word has taken on a second life. A chino is the neighbourhood mini-market run by Chinese migrants, most of whom are from Fujian or Guangdong province. Known for staying open late, these shops have become a fixture of urban life. One afternoon, as an Argentine friend showed me around his neighbourhood in Palermo,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342817/forging-robust-china-south-america-ties-takes-more-just-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342817/forging-robust-china-south-america-ties-takes-more-just-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The United States is seeking a fair and enduring competition with China, along with strengthening its economic and political relationships with Latin America, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday. He termed this the strategy of reducing vulnerabilities without cutting ties with Beijing. Speaking at an investor conference in Sao Paulo, hosted by the Brazilian bank BTG Pactual, Bessent said that Washington did not want to sever economic ties with China. Still, it was trying to... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3343118/treasury-chief-says-us-seeks-fair-china-competition-eyes-latin-america-realignment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3343118/treasury-chief-says-us-seeks-fair-china-competition-eyes-latin-america-realignment?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 22:05:24 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China surpassed Argentina in January to become Brazil’s largest exporter of vehicles, solidifying Chinese brands’ dominance in the region’s biggest car market and undercutting a long-standing Argentine trade advantage within Mercosur. According to industry figures reported by Autoweb on Monday, Chinese vehicles sent to Brazil reached 16,800 units in January, versus 13,400 from Argentina. It underscores the erosion of Argentina’s decades-long grip on Brazil’s import market, after China first led... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3342980/china-becomes-brazils-biggest-vehicle-exporter-january-surpassing-argentina?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3342980/china-becomes-brazils-biggest-vehicle-exporter-january-surpassing-argentina?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:00:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The presidents of Argentina and Romania said on Sunday they have been invited to attend the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s controversial “Board of Peace” in Washington on February 19. Originally designed by Trump as a mechanism to oversee the Gaza truce and post-war reconstruction, the board’s mandate has since expanded, prompting concerns among critics that it could evolve into a rival to the United Nations. Writing on his Facebook page, Romania’s President Nicusor Dan said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342854/romania-argentina-leaders-invited-trumps-board-peace-meeting-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342854/romania-argentina-leaders-invited-trumps-board-peace-meeting-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 19:29:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Seven foreign-born players for Malaysia’s national football team have been cleared to keep competing after the Court of Arbitration for Sport temporarily halted Fifa-imposed bans while their appeal is reviewed, Malaysia’s football federation said on Tuesday. Last September, Fifa fined the Football Association of Malaysia 350,000 Swiss francs (US$450,000) for fake documents filed to naturalise the seven players, who were also fined and suspended for a year. The players stemmed from Argentina,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341381/7-fifa-banned-malaysian-footballers-cleared-play-after-cas-grants-stay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341381/7-fifa-banned-malaysian-footballers-cleared-play-after-cas-grants-stay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 07:33:25 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi will travel to China next week, in what is expected to be the first visit by a Latin American leader to Beijing since the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in an early January operation. Beijing says the trip will focus on strengthening political dialogue and expanding economic cooperation. The state visit will run from February 1 to 7, according to China’s foreign ministry, and comes at a tense moment in the western hemisphere following... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341315/xi-meet-uruguays-orsi-first-latin-america-china-visit-us-capture-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341315/xi-meet-uruguays-orsi-first-latin-america-china-visit-us-capture-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 21:55:02 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Larry Fink, the interim co-chief of the World Economic Forum (WEF), is openly musing about a venue change for the flagship event that would take the annual January meeting outside Switzerland. “You should also see WEF start doing something new: showing up – and listening – in the places where the modern world is actually built,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “Davos, yes. But also places like Detroit and Dublin – and cities like Jakarta and Buenos Aires.” The Blackrock chief executive officer... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340700/larry-fink-ponders-moving-world-economic-forum-davos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340700/larry-fink-ponders-moving-world-economic-forum-davos?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 09:54:52 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China has confirmed that it received an invitation from the United States to join Donald Trump’s “board of peace for Gaza”. When asked about China’s position on the US president’s proposal on Tuesday, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the invitation had been received but he did not say whether Beijing would accept. Trump has invited dozens of world leaders to join the initiative as part of his efforts to push forward his 20-point plan to resolve the conflict in Gaza. The board was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340562/china-confirms-invite-join-trumps-gaza-peace-board-wont-say-if-will-accept?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340562/china-confirms-invite-join-trumps-gaza-peace-board-wont-say-if-will-accept?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 10:30:09 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The Trump administration is asking countries that want a permanent spot on his new Board of Peace to contribute at least US$1 billion. According to a draft charter for the proposed group seen by Bloomberg, US President Donald Trump would serve as its inaugural chairman and would decide on who is invited to be members. Decisions would be taken by a majority, with each member state present getting one vote, but all would be subject to the chairman’s approval. “Each Member State shall serve a term... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340288/trump-wants-nations-pay-us1-billion-stay-his-board-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340288/trump-wants-nations-pay-us1-billion-stay-his-board-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 23:45:11 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Argentine President Javier Milei said he intends to travel to China in 2026, confirming the plan at a moment when the United States is stepping up pressure on Buenos Aires to scale back its relations with Beijing. Milei made the remarks in an interview with the local newspaper Clarin that was published on Sunday. Asked whether the trip was still on his schedule, he said it was and framed the visit as part of Argentina’s wider commercial agenda rather than a political signal. “We have a very good... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3339649/argentinas-milei-plans-china-trip-2026-us-pressures-buenos-aires-curb-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3339649/argentinas-milei-plans-china-trip-2026-us-pressures-buenos-aires-curb-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 19:17:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Reuters Agence France-Presse,Reuters US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Friday that Argentina has fully repaid an emergency currency loan that generated “tens of millions” in profit for American taxpayers while stabilising a key regional ally. In a social media post, Bessent praised Argentinian President Javier Milei’s economic reforms and said the successful intervention showed that US President Donald Trump’s “Peace Through Economic Strength” policy was at work in Latin America. Argentina faced a severe liquidity... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339402/argentina-repays-us-emergency-loan-boosting-trumps-economic-strategy-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339402/argentina-repays-us-emergency-loan-boosting-trumps-economic-strategy-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 16:10:28 +0000 dpa dpa A majority of European Union countries gave the go-ahead on Friday for the bloc to sign the Mercosur free trade deal with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay after decades of negotiations. At a meeting of representatives from the 27 EU countries in Brussels, a sufficient number of participants agreed to the planned signing of the deal, diplomatic sources said. The new free-trade zone, with more than 700 million inhabitants, will be the largest of its kind in the world, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339395/eu-agrees-worlds-largest-free-trade-zone-mercosur-pact-after-25-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339395/eu-agrees-worlds-largest-free-trade-zone-mercosur-pact-after-25-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 13:59:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United States, which on Saturday attacked Venezuela and is said to have abducted its president, has a long history of military interventions and support for dictatorships in Latin America. On multiple occasions the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and his successor Nicolas Maduro – who Donald Trump says is now in US hands – accused Washington of backing coup attempts. Here are the main US interventions in Latin America since the Cold War. 1954: Guatemala On June 27, 1954, colonel Jacobo... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338634/us-interventions-latin-america-history-coups-and-conflicts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338634/us-interventions-latin-america-history-coups-and-conflicts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 15:16:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Argentine President Javier Milei on Friday signed into law a so-called “tax innocence” bill, which aims to encourage people to bank dollars stashed under mattresses or in offshore accounts by forgiving a degree of tax evasion. Over years of high inflation and currency controls, Argentines traded their battered pesos for dollars, which they often hoarded at home, in cash. The government estimates Argentines are sitting on some US$251 billion in what are commonly called “mattress dollars” – six... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3338587/argentina-targets-us-dollars-hoarded-under-mattresses-eases-tax-evasion-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3338587/argentina-targets-us-dollars-hoarded-under-mattresses-eases-tax-evasion-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 01:17:20 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A fire at a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana in the early hours of New Year’s Day has left dozens of people presumed dead and around 100 injured, according to authorities. Here is a look at some other nightclub, bar and music venue fires that have led to significant death tolls: December 2025: A fire ripped through a popular nightclub in Arpora village, in India’s Goa state, killing 25 people, including kitchen workers and tourists. March 2025: A fire and ensuing stampede at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338451/swiss-ski-resort-bar-inferno-joins-long-list-worlds-worst-club-fires?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338451/swiss-ski-resort-bar-inferno-joins-long-list-worlds-worst-club-fires?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 02:23:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters In March 2024, retired Argentine football star Carlos Tevez published a tweet hinting at something suspicious going on in a Buenos Aires suburb. The treasurer of the Argentine Football Association, Tevez claimed, was making many trips to Pilar, where he implied the official had buried bags of money and kept a collection of antique cars. Coalicion Civica, a ‌progressive political party, began investigating after Tevez’s post and filed a criminal complaint centred on a mystery villa in Pilar. As... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3338432/argentina-fa-turmoil-ahead-world-cup-over-mystery-villa-and-dirty-money-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3338432/argentina-fa-turmoil-ahead-world-cup-over-mystery-villa-and-dirty-money-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 19:00:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg China has bought at least 8 million tons (7.25 million tonnes) of US soybeans this year, according to people familiar with the matter, putting the world’s top importer on track to meet a pledge it made two months ago as part of an apparent trade truce with Washington. State-owned buyers have continued to book US cargoes into late December, the people said, asking not to be named as they are not authorised to discuss the purchases. That extends a buying spree that began in October and maintains a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338347/china-buys-two-thirds-pledged-us-soybeans-2025-closes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338347/china-buys-two-thirds-pledged-us-soybeans-2025-closes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 17:13:49 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Ji Siqi Xinyi Wu,Ji Siqi China is kicking off 2026 with a three-year import quota for beef shipments from major trading partners, in a move aimed at protecting its struggling domestic industry over the coming years. Effective Thursday, a 55 per cent tariff will be levied on over-quota beef from countries including Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Uruguay, New Zealand and the United States, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Wednesday. “The objective of these safeguard measures on imported beef is to help the domestic... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3338320/china-imposes-beef-import-quota-slaps-over-quota-tariffs-shield-local-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3338320/china-imposes-beef-import-quota-slaps-over-quota-tariffs-shield-local-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 13:00:14 +0000 dpa dpa Early in the morning, shortly after five, the tension is mounting. Dawn is breaking, and the sea lies deep and dark as foam dances on the waves. Behind the window in the cabin, it is cosy. Barren rocky outcrops pass by in the distance. Can Captain Omar Galindo make it past Cape Horn so that we can cross over to land in the stable inflatable boats? The manoeuvres are tricky, and safety always comes first. The wind is allowed to blow at a maximum of 30 knots. This is not a regular cruise. We are... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3338032/expedition-cruise-chiles-cape-horn-reveals-awesome-nature-end-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3338032/expedition-cruise-chiles-cape-horn-reveals-awesome-nature-end-world?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 23:15:10 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan It has been a turbulent year for the fraught US-China relationship. In the fifth part of a series looking back at the events of 2025, we examine how Trump’s strained relationship with farmers in America’s rural heartland may impact the 2026 midterm elections. As a bruising 2025 draws to a close for America’s Democratic Party, the caucus is spotlighting mounting challenges facing farmers in the country’s rural heartland. In a series of mini-documentaries released late this year, the lush green... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3337193/democrats-bet-betrayal-rural-heartland-trumps-america-first-mantra-falls-short?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3337193/democrats-bet-betrayal-rural-heartland-trumps-america-first-mantra-falls-short?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 16:01:09 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Late last year, as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen began her second term in office, a giant purple banner was draped over the side of the EU executive arm’s headquarters, declaring: “United for our Future, 2024-2029.” While unity among the EU’s 27 member states has always been elusive, it has rarely been more critical. Its leaders will gather on Thursday to try to round off the year with a collective bang, but there is growing fear it will end with a series of disparate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336817/after-year-shocks-europe-faces-crunch-talks-ukraine-china-and-its-economic-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336817/after-year-shocks-europe-faces-crunch-talks-ukraine-china-and-its-economic-future?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 06:00:12 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China congratulated ultraconservative José Antonio Kast on his victory in Chile’s presidential race, as the country competes with the United States for influence across Latin America. “China stands ready to work with Chile’s new government to further deepen mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation in all areas,” a foreign ministry spokesman said Monday. A day earlier, Kast, a 59-year-old former lawyer, clinched victory over the government-backed communist candidate Jeanette Jara in a... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3336759/china-seeks-greater-influence-us-backyard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3336759/china-seeks-greater-influence-us-backyard?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:00:17 +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 Reuters Reuters Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado will not receive the Nobel Peace Prize in person at Wednesday’s award ceremony in Oslo, the director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute said on Wednesday, with her current whereabouts unknown. Machado, 58, was due to receive the award at a ceremony at Oslo City Hall in the presence of King Harald, Queen Sonja and Latin American leaders including Argentine President Javier Milei and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa. The ceremony starts at 1pm (8pm... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335810/machados-nobel-press-conference-called-peace-prize-winners-whereabouts-unknown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335810/machados-nobel-press-conference-called-peace-prize-winners-whereabouts-unknown?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:37:19 +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 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump has announced a long-anticipated US$12 billion farm aid package to assist farmers caught in US-China trade tensions, crediting his tariff strategy for making the bailout possible and asserting that his negotiations with China had led to the resumption of massive soybean sales. But the announcement has not pleased all farmers, particularly those still struggling with low prices and lost markets. Some said it was too little, too late, and that a bailout wouldn’t be... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3335671/slap-face-not-all-us-farmers-happy-trumps-12-billion-aid-package?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3335671/slap-face-not-all-us-farmers-happy-trumps-12-billion-aid-package?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 22:48:49 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The White House released a national security blueprint on Friday, marking a sweeping assertion of US influence in the Americas. The framework pledges to prevent non-Western powers from expanding their foothold across the Western Hemisphere, a clear reference to China’s growing presence in the region. In US strategic parlance, the “Western Hemisphere” refers broadly to the Americas, a geopolitical space long regarded as a place Washington has sway over. This belief harks back to the Monroe... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3335430/trumps-new-national-security-blueprint-aims-combat-chinas-rise-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3335430/trumps-new-national-security-blueprint-aims-combat-chinas-rise-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 21:23:45 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A businessman who has US President Donald Trump’s backing for the presidency of Honduras was locked in a “technical tie” with a right-wing TV host after a preliminary vote count, the Central American country’s electoral body said on Monday. Nasry Asfura, 67, led 72-year-old rival Salvador Nasralla by just 515 votes, making it a “technical tie”, National Electoral Council (CNE) head Ana Paola Hall said on X after a partial digital tally of Sunday’s down-to-the-wire ballot. She called for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3334823/right-wing-rivals-honduras-presidency-technical-tie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3334823/right-wing-rivals-honduras-presidency-technical-tie?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 22:30:26 +0000 Emiliano Martínez Viademonte Emiliano Martínez Viademonte Much research on cancer prevalence has focused on genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. But a new study by Argentine researchers offers a novel evolutionary perspective: the social structure of mammals may play a critical role in cancer risk. The new angle has been proposed by researchers from the cancer philosophy and biology systems group at the University of Buenos Aires, led by Professor Matías Blaustein. Their study, published on November 12 in the journal Science Advances, suggests... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334774/united-we-stand-why-mammals-band-together-may-face-lower-cancer-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334774/united-we-stand-why-mammals-band-together-may-face-lower-cancer-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:00:19 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Hong Kong authorities told the contractor linked to the city’s deadliest inferno in decades to step up fire safety measures as recently as last week. Prestige Construction & Engineering Co Limited received a fire warning about renovation work at Wang Fuk Court on November 20, the city’s Labour Department told the Post. Three prosecutions for safety violations at the site were also initiated between July 2024 and earlier this month, it said. The site was inspected 16 times. The city’s Independent... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334524/hong-kong-fire-trump-calls-japan-china-row-macron-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334524/hong-kong-fire-trump-calls-japan-china-row-macron-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:14:16 +0000 Ruairidh J. Brown Ruairidh J. Brown On November 16, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s most advanced aircraft carrier, sailed into the Caribbean to join Operation Southern Spear – the largest US military deployment in the Caribbean since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Donald Trump is, however, a very different president from John F. Kennedy. Whereas Kennedy endorsed the burden of American exceptionalism to “assure the survival and the success of liberty” at “any price” or “hardship”, Trump promises to prioritise “America... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333424/venezuela-trumps-real-aim-could-be-laying-claim-western-hemisphere?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333424/venezuela-trumps-real-aim-could-be-laying-claim-western-hemisphere?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Former president Mauricio Macri warned on Friday that Argentina could weaken its export base if it distances itself from China, sharpening his public split with President Javier Milei. Macri argued that China remains central to Argentina’s sales of soy, beef and other raw materials, goods the US already produces in abundance. “China is more complementary than the United States for Argentina. I do not think it is good to interrupt that process,” he said. A long-time Milei ally, Macri was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3333767/ex-argentine-leader-warns-milei-cutting-china-ties-could-backfire-us-push-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3333767/ex-argentine-leader-warns-milei-cutting-china-ties-could-backfire-us-push-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 21:37:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The White House hit out on Thursday at South Africa’s leader for “running his mouth” over the United States’ boycott of this weekend’s Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg in another diplomatic rift between the US and a country that has been especially targeted for criticism by President Donald Trump. South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters in Johannesburg that the US had indicated it was changing its mind over its boycott of the G20 leaders summit at the “11th hour” and wanted to take... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3333602/south-african-president-says-us-wants-reverse-its-boycott-and-join-g20-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3333602/south-african-president-says-us-wants-reverse-its-boycott-and-join-g20-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 18:09:35 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Many Western critics of China seem to suffer from the same fallacy as some police detectives and anti-pornography activists who believe that porn turns people into rapists. You may find porn in the personal collections of some serial rapists and sadistic killers, but that’s because statistically, most men and some women also use porn. In something analogous, some critics of China remark that many Chinese public intellectuals and scholars have been turning to Western authoritarian or anti-liberal... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333069/dont-blame-china-americas-authoritarian-turn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333069/dont-blame-china-americas-authoritarian-turn?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 01:30:10 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Fifa has lodged criminal complaints in five countries and opened its own formal investigation into the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), after dismissing its appeal over the use of forged documents by seven foreign-born footballers representing the Southeast Asian nation. In a withering 63-page explanation of its decision, football’s governing body upheld all fines and bans imposed in September against FAM – and the seven players – describing the falsified records allowing the “heritage... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3333263/fifa-kicks-out-malaysias-appeal-urges-criminal-probes-fake-heritage-players-claim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3333263/fifa-kicks-out-malaysias-appeal-urges-criminal-probes-fake-heritage-players-claim?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:27:34 +0000 Reuters Reuters Chileans are voting in a presidential election on Sunday that is pitting the governing leftist coalition against an array of right-wing candidates and will also redefine the country’s legislature. Polls opened at 8am and are expected to close at 6pm, but will remain open if there are voting queues. Initial results are expected quickly with a full count within hours. There are eight candidates in the race and none are expected to get the 50 per cent plus one vote needed to win the election... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3332991/chile-votes-pivotal-election-amid-crime-and-immigration-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3332991/chile-votes-pivotal-election-amid-crime-and-immigration-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 11:53:35 +0000 David Okoronkwo David Okoronkwo After US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands in Busan last month, the headlines highlighted smiles and tariff rollbacks. Washington hailed it as a “massive victory”, saying China had pledged to buy 12 million tonnes of American soybeans by January and at least 25 million tonnes annually for the next three years. Futures on the Chicago Board of Trade surged and farmers in the US Midwest cheered. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared that “our great soybean... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332390/soybean-diplomacy-us-china-now-holds-remote-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332390/soybean-diplomacy-us-china-now-holds-remote-control?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Powerful explosions tore through an industrial estate near Argentina’s capital on Friday, sparking a huge blaze and injuring more than 20 people. Thick billows of black smoke rose hundreds of metres into the night sky, illuminated orange from the massive blaze, observed Agence France-Presse reporters near the site, which is close to the country’s busiest international airport just outside Buenos Aires. “The explosions and fire breaking out in the different factories are huge,” said Gaston... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3332941/argentina-powerful-explosions-rock-industrial-area-near-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3332941/argentina-powerful-explosions-rock-industrial-area-near-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2025 13:09:19 +0000