https://www.scmp.com/rss/326288/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A French woman and an American national evacuated from the cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak have tested positive, officials said on Monday, as the complex operation to repatriate those on board continued. The French woman, one of five passengers from France flown back from the MV Hondius and placed in isolation in Paris, started to feel unwell on Sunday night, and “tests came back positive”, said Health Minister Stephanie Rist. One of 17 American passengers repatriated from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353143/more-passengers-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-test-positive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353143/more-passengers-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-test-positive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 08:47:20 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israel deported two activists on Sunday after being detained near Greece for slightly over a week for leading an aid flotilla attempting to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. The two, Spanish-Swedish citizen of Palestinian origin Saif Abukeshek and Brazilian citizen Thiago Ávila, were among dozens of activists intercepted by the Israeli navy off the coast of Crete. Both are members of the Global Sumud Flotilla’s steering committee, whose mission is to break Israel’s naval... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353043/spanish-brazilian-flotilla-activists-released-after-detention-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353043/spanish-brazilian-flotilla-activists-released-after-detention-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 10:06:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla who were brought to Israel for interrogation appeared before an Israeli court on Sunday, according to the rights group defending them. The flotilla of more than 50 vessels had set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking an Israeli blockade of Gaza and bringing supplies to the devastated Palestinian territory. They were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Greece early on Thursday, with Israel saying it had... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352266/gaza-flotilla-activists-detained-israel-face-extreme-brutality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352266/gaza-flotilla-activists-detained-israel-face-extreme-brutality?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 08:34:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israeli forces near the southern Greek island of Crete intercepted more than 20 boats from a flotilla of several dozen seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and planned to transport about 175 detained activists to Greece on Thursday, Israeli authorities said. Activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla said Israeli forces stormed their vessels overnight, smashing engines and detaining some of those on board while they were sailing in international waters near Greece, hundreds of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351997/israel-intercepts-gaza-aid-flotilla-international-waters-greece-detaining-dozens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351997/israel-intercepts-gaza-aid-flotilla-international-waters-greece-detaining-dozens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 08:19:37 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press An 89-year-old man armed with a hunting rifle opened fire inside a Greek social security office in Athens on Tuesday, wounding an employee in the leg, authorities said. The suspect then carried out a second shooting at a courthouse in the city, leaving four more people lightly injured. The attack was reportedly sparked by problems with the man’s pension payments. He was arrested a few hours after the shootings in the port city of Patras, state broadcaster ERT reported. Earlier, local media... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351740/greece-man-89-opens-fire-shotgun-injures-least-4?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351740/greece-man-89-opens-fire-shotgun-injures-least-4?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:05:04 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle The appeal of a trip to Europe, to gaze at historic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, to ski in the Alps or sunbathe on a Greek beach, is well known to travellers. One of the attractions has long been the ease with which borders can be crossed. But while the war in Iran has disrupted travel around the world, a new source of potential woe for visitors to Europe has just kicked in. Non-EU nationals must now register their biometric data on arrival. This controversial move has been almost a decade... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3351439/new-entry-system-non-eu-residents-chipping-away-europes-image?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3351439/new-entry-system-non-eu-residents-chipping-away-europes-image?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 15:30:08 +0000 Denise Tsang Denise Tsang Hong Kong’s food safety watchdog has urged people with gluten allergies not to eat a Marks & Spencer yoghurt product after the allergen was found but not declared on the label. The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) said on Monday night it was investigating the omission of gluten from the ingredients list of the supermarket’s authentic vanilla Greek yoghurt product. The affected batch, imported by Alf Retail Hong Kong Limited, is sold in 500g (18oz) packs with a use-by date of May 12. “The CFS noticed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350774/hong-kong-watchdog-warns-undeclared-gluten-marks-and-spencer-yoghurt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350774/hong-kong-watchdog-warns-undeclared-gluten-marks-and-spencer-yoghurt?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:49:26 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press It is said that a bowl of soup made of cow bellies and legs can cure ulcers, hangovers and an assortment of other ailments – if you are courageous enough to try it. And Dimitris Tsarouhas, the owner of a restaurant in the Greek city of Thessaloniki that specialises in patsa, is striving to register the soup with Unesco as a unique and traditional dish of Greece that harks back to the time of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. That has conjured up a new dispute with age-old rival Turkey, which also... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3350248/tripe-soup-being-culturally-appropriated-dispute-boils-between-2-nations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3350248/tripe-soup-being-culturally-appropriated-dispute-boils-between-2-nations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Worsening wildfires, soaring heatwaves and rising water levels have prompted Greek officials to take a closer look at protecting priceless archaeological sites that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The monuments, scattered across the country, earn Greece millions of dollars in tourism revenue. But many of the sites are in rural areas and officials believe better planning is needed in case large crowds of tourists need to be evacuated in an emergency. After a three-year study by... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350008/greece-moves-protect-19-ancient-sites-olympia-wildfires-and-heatwaves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350008/greece-moves-protect-19-ancient-sites-olympia-wildfires-and-heatwaves?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:15:50 +0000 dpa dpa A woman trying to board a train in Germany at the last minute resorted to extraordinary means and bit a station worker in the arm when he tried to intervene. The 36-year-old woman was looking to board a local train at Munich’s Pasing station as the doors were closing, police said on Wednesday. The 29-year-old employee tried to stop her, and the woman bit his arm, resulting in a visible wound. However, the man did not sustain any serious injury and was able to continue working, it said. The woman... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349411/germany-woman-bites-railway-worker-get-through-closing-doors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349411/germany-woman-bites-railway-worker-get-through-closing-doors?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:53:45 +0000 Reuters Reuters Two Chinese container ships sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday on their second attempt to leave the Gulf after turning back on Friday, ship-tracking data showed. The critical waterway has effectively been shut since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28. The vessels ‌sailed in close formation out of the strait and into open waters, data on the MarineTraffic platform showed. “Both vessels successfully crossed on a second attempt today, marking the first container vessels to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348455/chinese-container-ships-pass-through-strait-hormuz-second-attempt-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348455/chinese-container-ships-pass-through-strait-hormuz-second-attempt-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:27:59 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A criminal trial opened in Greece on Monday over a train collision that killed 57 people, many of them college students, in a disaster that horrified the country and revealed long-neglected safety failures. The February 2023 crash triggered a fireball on impact and left passengers trapped in mangled rail cars. Most of the 36 defendants - all rail and transport officials - face serious charges linked to endangering public transport. The crash occurred at Tempe in northern Greece after a passenger... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347625/greece-trial-begins-rail-disaster-killed-57?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347625/greece-trial-begins-rail-disaster-killed-57?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:17:58 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Some Hong Kong residents planning to leave the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with their pets because of conflict in the Middle East are considering flying to other countries rather than returning home due to the city’s 120-day quarantine requirement for cats and dogs. The pet owners called on authorities to relax the “excessive” quarantine rules for Dubai, saying the requirement had made returning to Hong Kong unfeasible. In a reply to the South China Morning Post, the Agriculture, Fisheries and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347441/hongkongers-uae-urge-rethink-home-citys-120-day-quarantine-cats-dogs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347441/hongkongers-uae-urge-rethink-home-citys-120-day-quarantine-cats-dogs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 04:00:19 +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 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse President Emmanuel Macron will visit Cyprus on Monday, his office said, as France deploys warships to the Mediterranean following a drone attack on the island EU member days ago. Macron will meet his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Paphos to show “solidarity” and detail moves to “strengthen security around Cyprus and in the eastern Mediterranean”, the Elysee said on Sunday. The visit will take place as the war pitting the US and Israel... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345905/macron-visit-cyprus-france-deploys-warships-mediterranean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345905/macron-visit-cyprus-france-deploys-warships-mediterranean?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 16:54:36 +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 Khushboo Razdan,Teresa Elena Frontado Khushboo Razdan,Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump vowed to press ahead with a sweeping military campaign against Iran until US objectives are fully achieved, warning that additional American casualties were likely even as Washington intensified what he described as one of the largest offensives in modern history. “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,” Trump said in a video posted on social media, referring to the deaths of three US service members confirmed earlier by the US Central Command. “That’s the way... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3345054/pentagon-confirms-three-american-deaths-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3345054/pentagon-confirms-three-american-deaths-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 16:21:58 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang Yuanyue Dang,Amber Wang A Chinese private company has drawn the attention of security watchers after detailing US military deployments near Iran, a move experts say underlines Beijing’s intelligence abilities. MizarVision, a Chinese commercial intelligence analysis firm, has consistently published monitoring posts regarding American military movements on social media over the past two years. But it has attracted fresh attention in the past month with an increase in the frequency and granularity of its posts and by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344638/china-flexing-its-intelligence-muscle-tracking-us-military-moves-near-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344638/china-flexing-its-intelligence-muscle-tracking-us-military-moves-near-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Lucy Quaggin Khushboo Razdan,Lucy Quaggin Just hours apart on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, two congressional hearings laid bare the United States’ calibrated yet deeply sceptical approach to China, with senior officials stressing the pursuit of stable ties without trust and highlighting alleged Chinese efforts to steal or circumvent US technology restrictions. The officials’ appearances before Congress reflected bipartisan concern and underscored persistent tensions over trade and advanced technologies such as semiconductors, ahead of US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344521/us-seeks-healthy-trade-relations-china-does-not-trust-it-lawmakers-clarify?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344521/us-seeks-healthy-trade-relations-china-does-not-trust-it-lawmakers-clarify?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters Germany’s ruling conservatives on Saturday passed ⁠a motion to ban social media use for under 14s and introduce more stringent digital verification checks for teenagers, building momentum for such limits in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. At a party conference in the city of Stuttgart, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union also called for fines for online platforms that failed to enforce such limits and European ‌Union-wide harmonisation of age standards. A growing number of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344227/germanys-ruling-party-seeks-social-media-ban-children-aged-below-14?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344227/germanys-ruling-party-seeks-social-media-ban-children-aged-below-14?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 14:49:35 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen The US State Department will subsidise companies to roll out cheap smartphones running American software in the Indo-Pacific region, part of its “Pax Silica” initiative that seeks to shore up the resilience of the US artificial intelligence supply chain and win the AI race with China. The US has launched the Edge AI Package, which provides up to US$200 million of funding for mobile network operators and smartphone vendors to deploy “low-cost, high-performance” handsets in some partner nations in... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3344055/washington-offers-us200-million-boost-american-smartphone-industry-indo-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3344055/washington-offers-us200-million-boost-american-smartphone-industry-indo-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 23:23:13 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times South Korea will take part as an observer in the inaugural meeting of the US-led “Board of Peace”, dispatching a former envoy to Thursday’s session in Washington, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Kim Yong-hyun, former ambassador to Egypt, will attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace scheduled for February 19, as the South Korean representative,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. A ministry official said that South Korea would attend as a non-member observer... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3343904/south-korea-signals-cautious-support-trumps-board-peace-attending-observer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3343904/south-korea-signals-cautious-support-trumps-board-peace-attending-observer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 08:45:35 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Greece said on Monday it will seek to obtain a series of photos that appear to show the final moments of 200 Greeks who were executed by a Nazi firing squad in Athens during World War II, after the previously unknown pictures appeared on an online sale site. The images that appeared on eBay over the weekend allegedly show the men being led to their deaths on May 1, 1944, at a shooting range in the Kaisariani suburb of the Greek capital. Although the executions were well known, there were no... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343776/greece-will-seek-obtain-nazi-execution-photos-offered-sale-ebay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343776/greece-will-seek-obtain-nazi-execution-photos-offered-sale-ebay?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 21:03:32 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu With the Winter Olympics now under way in Milan and Cortina, Chinese brands involved in the Games are mounting an ambitious marketing push across Italy and Europe, with sportswear and sports equipment naturally taking centre stage. At the forefront is Li Ning, the company supplying the national team with clothing and gear for the competition after returning as the official partner of the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) – a role that had previously ended in 2004. The partnership coincides with Li... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342687/chinese-sports-brands-set-sights-european-expansion-2026-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342687/chinese-sports-brands-set-sights-european-expansion-2026-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 08:00:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters ‌Greek defence authorities have arrested a member ‍of the Greek defence forces accused of leaking “secret information” to “third parties”, the Greek National Defence General Staff (GEETHA) said ⁠on Thursday. Two months ago, Greece’s intelligence service received a tip-off from a Western national security agency that “highly sensitive” information was leaked to China by ‍a member of the country’s military, sources close ‍to the investigation added. The man, a member of the Greek Air Force in ‌the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342573/greece-arrests-soldier-suspected-leaking-secret-information-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342573/greece-arrests-soldier-suspected-leaking-secret-information-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 22:41:21 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele In the dead of night, officers from Malaysia’s maritime agency boarded two tankers that were transferring millions of barrels of oil in the waters off Penang, as the re-emergence of ageing vessels from a shadow fleet in the country’s waters has put the spotlight on the illegal trade in Asia. The January 29 bust was a rare disruption to a trade worth billions of dollars each year – much of it from sanctioned oil-producing nations Russia and Iran, and involving ships plying the waters in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342393/malaysian-waters-see-return-illegal-oil-transfer-dark-fleet-tankers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342393/malaysian-waters-see-return-illegal-oil-transfer-dark-fleet-tankers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:05:21 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A collision between a speedboat carrying migrants and a Greek coastguard patrol vessel off the eastern Aegean island of Chios has killed at least 15 people, the coastguard said late on Tuesday, while a search and rescue operation involving patrol boats, a helicopter and divers was under way for potentially missing people. The bodies of 14 people – 11 men and three women – were recovered from the sea, the coastguard said, while another 25 migrants, including about 11 children, were rescued and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342296/least-15-killed-collision-between-migrant-speedboat-and-greek-coastguard-vessel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342296/least-15-killed-collision-between-migrant-speedboat-and-greek-coastguard-vessel?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:43:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A deadly storm this week dumped nearly six months of rain on the Greek capital, Athens, in less than a day, one of the country’s top weather experts said on Thursday. Wednesday’s storm lashed the country and left two dead, with disaster crews spending Thursday cleaning up debris. Kostas Lagouvardos, research director at the National Observatory in Athens, said the “extreme” weather phenomenon had dumped up to 170 mm (6.7 inches) of rain on the capital. That amounted to “about 40 per cent of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340888/deadly-storm-athens-dumps-six-months-rain-single-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340888/deadly-storm-athens-dumps-six-months-rain-single-day?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:49:24 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Israel is cashing in on soaring international demand for combat-proven air defence systems, as analysts say the billions of dollars' worth of weapon sales will significantly expand the country’s influence beyond the Middle East. The weapon exports to Europe, Asia and Africa are helping Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration overcome its diplomatic isolation over the Gaza war by making the Jewish-majority state a key long-term security partner for its customers. “Exporting air defence... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337726/israels-rising-air-defence-sales-become-its-most-potent-foreign-policy-weapon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337726/israels-rising-air-defence-sales-become-its-most-potent-foreign-policy-weapon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 05:30:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on ‍Monday he will discuss Iran’s nuclear activities during his visit next week with US President Donald Trump. Speaking at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel was aware Iran had been conducting “exercises” recently, without elaborating. Earlier on Monday, Iranian state media reported Iran had held missile drills in various cities... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3337396/netanyahu-discuss-irans-nuclear-activities-next-phase-gaza-plan-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3337396/netanyahu-discuss-irans-nuclear-activities-next-phase-gaza-plan-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 20:33:22 +0000 Reuters Reuters Greece’s finance minister was on Thursday named head of the Eurogroup, the body that helps shape euro zone policy, underlining his country’s turnaround since the years when it came close to crashing out of the single currency. Kyriakos Pierrakakis saw off the rival Belgian candidate to become president of the assembly of finance ministers from the 20 countries sharing the euro. Greece had to be bailed out three times between 2010 and 2015 by euro zone governments to avoid economic collapse after... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336175/greek-minister-takes-over-eurogroup-president-historic-turnaround?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336175/greek-minister-takes-over-eurogroup-president-historic-turnaround?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 05:18:26 +0000 Mark Footer Mark Footer Asked what he foresaw as the next significant travel trend, CNN International anchor Richard Quest, guest speaker at the TravMedia Summit in Singapore last month, identified shoulder-season adventures. It’s a trend being taken up especially fervently by Gen Z, who are choosing just-off-peak times to travel to make their money go further and avoid the worst of the tourist crowds. Recent reports including Airbnb’s “2025 Fall Travel Trends” point to the fact that those born between 1997 and 2012... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3334043/travel-gen-z-and-try-these-5-shoulder-season-destinations-seoul-santorini?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3334043/travel-gen-z-and-try-these-5-shoulder-season-destinations-seoul-santorini?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 07:00:09 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China tells Japan to ‘behave’ properly as it dismisses call for talks China has urged Tokyo to “behave with restraint” after it called for talks amid the diplomatic freeze over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan. 2. Chinese rare earth magnet exports to US hit 9-month high as trade war resolves China’s shipments of rare earth permanent... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3333582/china-dismisses-talks-japan-rise-rare-earth-magnet-exports-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3333582/china-dismisses-talks-japan-rise-rare-earth-magnet-exports-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 13:15:15 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China has accused the United States of trying to undermine its relations with Greece after US ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle urged Athens to sell the Chinese-operated port of Piraeus. Guilfoyle called the presence of China’s state-owned shipping giant Cosco at the port in the south of Greece “unfortunate”, in an interview last week with Greek broadcaster Antenna TV. “But I think there are ways around it, that something could be worked out, whether you pursue a path of enhancing output in other... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333506/china-accuses-us-undermining-ties-greece-envoys-piraeus-port-remarks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333506/china-accuses-us-undermining-ties-greece-envoys-piraeus-port-remarks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 06:06:37 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press An agreement to supply Ukraine with US liquefied natural gas (LNG) was signed in Athens on Sunday during the official visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Greece. Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attended the signing of the deal between Greece’s gas supplier DEPA and Ukraine’s Naftogas, as did the US ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle. The gas will be supplied via pipelines from the northern Greek port of Alexandroupolis to the Ukrainian port of Odesa.... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333012/greece-and-ukraine-sign-us-gas-supply-deal-zelensky-visits-athens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333012/greece-and-ukraine-sign-us-gas-supply-deal-zelensky-visits-athens?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 17:52:42 +0000 Reuters Reuters The United States on Thursday designated four entities in Germany, Italy and Greece as global terrorists, accusing them of being “violent Antifa groups” as US President Donald Trump takes aim at left-wing groups. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement he had designated German-based Antifa Ost as “Specially Designated Global Terrorists”, along with three other groups in Greece and Italy, in an effort to build on Trump’s “commitment to confront Antifa’s campaign of political... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3332752/violent-antifa-us-designates-4-left-wing-groups-europe-terrorists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3332752/violent-antifa-us-designates-4-left-wing-groups-europe-terrorists?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 04:39:41 +0000 Jimmy Chow Jimmy Chow After two decades of quiet perseverance, Hong Kong boccia player John Loung finally struck gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Loung’s story of endurance has earned him a place as a finalist in this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards in the perseverance category. Co-organised by the South China Morning Post and Sino Group, the annual awards honour unsung heroes whose courage, compassion and determination make a positive difference in the community. Born with cerebral palsy, Loung has limited... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3329617/spirit-hong-kong-awards-boccia-player-who-won-paralympic-gold-after-20-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3329617/spirit-hong-kong-awards-boccia-player-who-won-paralympic-gold-after-20-years?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 03:56:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Hopes for a resumption of long-stalled talks to heal Cyprus’ decades-old ethnic rift were buoyed on Sunday when Turkish Cypriots elected a leader who campaigned on getting back to negotiating a two-zone federation with rival Greek Cypriots after an eight-year stalemate. Tufan Erhurman, 55, won by a landslide, receiving 62.76 per cent of the vote, against incumbent Ersin Tatar’s 35.81 per cent, according to unofficial figures broadcast on BRT TV. Nearly 65 per cent of 218,000 registered voters... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329598/turkish-cypriots-elect-new-leader-boosting-hopes-talks-heal-cyprus-ethnic-split?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329598/turkish-cypriots-elect-new-leader-boosting-hopes-talks-heal-cyprus-ethnic-split?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Oct 2025 20:41:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Greece’s parliament on Thursday approved a government-backed bill allowing people to work 13-hour days, despite fierce objections from trade unions and opposition parties. Unions have staged two general strikes against the reform this month – the latest on Tuesday – with thousands of workers protesting against a measure “worthy of the Middle Ages”, according to the left-wing Syriza party. Syriza refused to participate in the vote, and the spokesman for their parliamentary bloc Christos... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329280/greece-passes-13-hour-workday-law-sparking-strikes-and-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329280/greece-passes-13-hour-workday-law-sparking-strikes-and-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 12:25:49 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng China logged a welcome uptick in spending on services during the just-concluded eight-day “super golden week” public holiday, as the country’s transport hubs handled record numbers of passengers. Chinese transport authorities logged 2.432 billion passenger trips – a record high and a 6.2 per cent year-on-year increase – during this year’s extended holiday, which combined the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. The surge was mainly driven by overlapping demand for tourism and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328354/china-sees-uptick-super-golden-week-spending-amid-record-travel-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328354/china-sees-uptick-super-golden-week-spending-amid-record-travel-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 08:02:49 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israel said on Monday it deported campaigner Greta Thunberg and another 170 activists from an international flotilla it prevented last week from delivering aid to Gaza, sending them to Greece and Slovakia. Earlier, Swiss and Spanish activists from the flotilla said they were subjected to inhumane conditions during their detention by Israeli forces. Monday’s expulsions brought to 341 the total number deported from 479 detained. Israel’s foreign ministry issued a statement, accompanied by photos... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3328045/thunberg-among-171-deported-israel-gaza-activists-allege-mistreatment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3328045/thunberg-among-171-deported-israel-gaza-activists-allege-mistreatment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:48:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Some of the activists detained while trying to reach Gaza by sea have returned to their home countries to describe mistreatment at the hands of Israeli guards, claims that Israel denies. Some 450 activists were arrested as Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of 42 boats seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and deliver a symbolic amount of aid to the famine-stricken territory. Those detained between Wednesday and Friday were brought to Israel, where many... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327939/released-gaza-flotilla-activists-allege-mistreatment-while-being-detained-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327939/released-gaza-flotilla-activists-allege-mistreatment-while-being-detained-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 21:17:03 +0000 Aidyn Fitzpatrick Aidyn Fitzpatrick AT BOARDING SCHOOL in the UK in the mid-1970s, a fellow pupil asked me, after I had told him I was born in Beijing, whether that meant I was Chinese. “Oh yes,” I said, “that means I possess a Chinese soul.” OK, in my defence, I was nine. My father (Alan Donald) was a British diplomat, posted to Beijing three times during his career, and ended up British ambassador there in the late 1980s. I don’t remember anything of China as a baby – we left in 1966 at the start of the Cultural Revolution, when... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3327804/angus-donald-wild-parties-war-zones-and-finding-love-through-psychic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3327804/angus-donald-wild-parties-war-zones-and-finding-love-through-psychic?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 04:45:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto sent a navy frigate to assist a Gaza-bound flotilla on Wednesday, after organisers said several of their boats had been targeted by multiple drones off Greece. The Global Sumud Flotilla said more than a dozen explosions were heard around the flotilla as it sailed off Greece late on Tuesday, with damage caused by “unidentified objects” dropped on deck. “To ensure assistance to the Italian citizens on the ‘Flotilla’ … I spoke with the Prime Minister and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326720/italy-sends-navy-ship-protect-gaza-aid-flotilla-after-drone-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326720/italy-sends-navy-ship-protect-gaza-aid-flotilla-after-drone-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:33:52 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan China’s recent high-profile diplomatic activity, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin and the Victory Day parade in Beijing in the same week, conveyed more than international headlines suggested. Although much of the media spotlight focused on the optics of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, I think the real story centres on pragmatic engagement, regional reassurance and the realignment of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325907/focusing-pageantry-west-misses-point-chinas-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3325907/focusing-pageantry-west-misses-point-chinas-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings A member-driven organisation representing European business interests in China is urging policymakers to seize the opportunity – while forming the nation’s next five-year plan – to rebalance the economic-development model and strike at the heart of cutthroat price competition that hurts both foreign and domestic firms. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, which has more than 1,600 member companies, recommends in its latest position paper that China should use its 2026-2030 plan to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325859/eu-chamber-china-flags-manufacturing-maladies-urging-course-correction-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325859/eu-chamber-china-flags-manufacturing-maladies-urging-course-correction-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 09:01:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Four farmhands whack a pistachio tree with sticks and ripe nuts rain down onto tarps. The bounty seems plentiful, but the crew is unimpressed. “Few pistachios,” says Daso Shpata, a 47-year-old Albanian worker, under a blazing sun on Greece’s Aegina island, among leafy trees bearing clusters of the red fruit and against a backdrop of chirping cicadas. Climate change has slashed harvests. But there are other headaches too: children disinclined to continue the family business, trees replaced with... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3325187/island-said-grow-greeces-tastiest-pistachios-faces-death-its-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3325187/island-said-grow-greeces-tastiest-pistachios-faces-death-its-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 07:15:08 +0000 Mark Magnier,Finbarr Bermingham,Khushboo Razdan Mark Magnier,Finbarr Bermingham,Khushboo Razdan US and European leaders reacted with veneration, concern and stiffened resolve on Wednesday to China’s epic military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Over 25 foreign leaders – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – joined Chinese President Xi Jinping at the showcase event marked by intimidating weaponry and choreographed troop manoeuvres. “I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3324250/western-leaders-parse-china-military-parade-displaying-authoritarian-strength?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3324250/western-leaders-parse-china-military-parade-displaying-authoritarian-strength?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 20:21:26 +0000 Tim Pile Tim Pile Increasingly, tourist destinations are embracing sustainability in ways that protect nature and benefit local communities. These places are taking concrete steps to reduce waste, preserve ecosystems and transition to clean energy without losing their appeal. The changes bring cleaner streets, warmer welcomes and healthier environments for residents, along with more fulfilling holidays. Copenhagen, Denmark Polished and progressive yet grounded in green values, the Danish capital integrates... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3323014/8-holiday-destinations-embrace-clean-living-and-sustainable-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3323014/8-holiday-destinations-embrace-clean-living-and-sustainable-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 10:00:12 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Who before this month had ever heard of Erika McEntarfer, the career statistician who toiled quietly and uncontroversially at the heart of the US data-gathering machine, for 20 years at the Census Bureau and more recently as head of the Bureau of Labour Statistics? Who except US President Donald Trump could have sought to create a firestorm out of dull labour statistics, accusing McEntarfer of rigging jobs numbers to contradict his narrative of a robustly recovering economy, and making an... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322690/trump-isnt-first-leader-be-paranoid-about-economic-data?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322690/trump-isnt-first-leader-be-paranoid-about-economic-data?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 12:30:07 +0000