https://www.scmp.com/rss/326446/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Three victims of IRA bombings in England on Friday dropped their civil claim for damages against former Irish republican leader Gerry Adams, whom they had sought to hold personally responsible for orchestrating the blasts. The trio – who were injured in IRA bomb blasts in the 1970s and 1990s – had also sought to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Adams was a senior member of the Irish Republican Army. But on the very last day of the two-week trial, their lawyer Anne Studd told the High Court in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347392/ira-bomb-victims-drop-civil-court-claim-against-gerry-adams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347392/ira-bomb-victims-drop-civil-court-claim-against-gerry-adams?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 17:19:02 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words In a world so unpredictable, it is nice to know that every March 17, the Irish community worldwide will come together and celebrate Ireland’s national day, St Patrick’s Day. Visiting Hong Kong this week, I am struck by the strong people-to-people links that form the bedrock of our... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3347007/ireland-predictable-partner-unsettling-times?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3347007/ireland-predictable-partner-unsettling-times?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu HSBC Holdings plans to raise US$2.5 billion by issuing two tranches of additional tier-1 (AT1) bonds, marking the reopening of such offerings after the US and Israel war on Iran rattled global financial markets. The biggest lender in Hong Kong and Europe by assets said in a stock exchange filing before the market opened on Wednesday that it intended to issue the AT1 bonds, officially named perpetual subordinated contingent convertible securities, on March 24 to strengthen its capital. The... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346960/hsbc-launches-us25-billion-at1-bond-issue-hong-kong-after-market-standstill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3346960/hsbc-launches-us25-billion-at1-bond-issue-hong-kong-after-market-standstill?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:29:44 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar Guy Ritchie’s Young Sherlock is the hot new thing on TV. The series, inspired by the Young Sherlock Holmes books by Andrew Lane, is currently the No 1 show on Amazon Prime, according to streaming data collection website FlixPatrol. The origin story reimagines Holmes’ (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) relationship with James Moriarty (Dónal Finn), presenting them as friends and partners in crime as they uncover a high-stakes conspiracy involving a Chinese princess, a war weapon and a dark family secret. “I... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3346438/meet-donal-finn-who-plays-james-moriarty-guy-ritchies-young-sherlock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3346438/meet-donal-finn-who-plays-james-moriarty-guy-ritchies-young-sherlock?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams appeared at London’s High Court on Monday for a civil lawsuit which aims to hold him liable for Irish Republican Army bombings in Britain, a case which could ‌affect the prominent republican leader’s legacy. Adams became Sinn Fein leader in 1983 when it was the IRA’s political wing, establishing himself as the face of the movement seeking to end British rule in Northern Ireland. He later reinvented himself as a peacemaker after helping secure the 1998 Good... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346015/northern-irelands-gerry-adams-uk-court-trial-over-ira-bombings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346015/northern-irelands-gerry-adams-uk-court-trial-over-ira-bombings?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:29:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The warming El Nino weather phenomenon could form later this year, potentially pushing global temperatures to record heights. There is a 50-60 per cent chance of El Nino developing during the July-September period and beyond, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The World Meteorological Organization will issue an update on El Nino on Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know about El Nino and its cooler sister, La Nina. Why the name? El Nino and La Nina are two... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3345180/el-nino-may-return-2026-making-planet-even-hotter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3345180/el-nino-may-return-2026-making-planet-even-hotter?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:43:31 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Importers in the United States are expected to front-load goods from China after the Supreme Court struck down the use of emergency powers as the legal basis for US President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, potentially opening a brief window of relief, analysts said. Companies selling products made in China, or using Chinese raw materials, were likely to place larger orders in the coming weeks amid uncertainty over whether Trump’s pledge to raise a new tariff – from 10 per cent to 15 per... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344893/trumps-tariff-setback-could-spark-surge-chinese-imports-us-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344893/trumps-tariff-setback-could-spark-surge-chinese-imports-us-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:00:13 +0000 Junjie Wang Junjie Wang German Chancellor Friedrich Merz became the seventh world leader to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this year, when the two held discussions on February 25. US President Donald Trump may be next on the list, as he is scheduled to arrive in China on March 31, the first of potentially four face-to-face meetings with Xi this year. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has accepted an invitation to visit before the end of June. The rush of leaders travelling to China this year, often after long... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344664/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344664/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 02:55:45 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Food poisoning, while traumatic for victims, rarely draws wider attention unless there are clusters of cases. A spate of recent incidents linked to oysters served in Hong Kong must prompt quick action from the industry and health authorities to find the source, ensure safety and make changes to protect the city’s reputation. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s Centre for Food Safety has identified dozens of cases linked to raw shellfish imported from South Korea, Spain and France.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3343888/food-poisoning-cases-hong-kong-must-prompt-swift-mitigation-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3343888/food-poisoning-cases-hong-kong-must-prompt-swift-mitigation-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 22:45:07 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service A viral AI-generated video of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise fighting atop a building is causing a stir online. The 15-second video comes from the latest AI video-generation platform, Seedance 2.0. The platform was launched this week by its owner, ByteDance, the same Chinese parent that oversees TikTok. As the video circulates online, the Motion Picture Association and other industry stakeholders have called out the video for its unauthorised use of copyrighted works. MPA’s CEO, Charles Rivkin, wrote... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343548/hollywood-shaken-brad-pitt-tom-cruise-fight-video-made-chinese-ai-over-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343548/hollywood-shaken-brad-pitt-tom-cruise-fight-video-made-chinese-ai-over-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 22:29:26 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong’s health authorities have warned of a recent “drastic increase” in norovirus-related food poisoning incidents that are all related to raw oyster consumption, with 20 of them being recorded over the past 2½ weeks. The Centre for Health Protection said on Thursday that it had received 23 reports of food poisoning, involving 69 patients, since January 18. Among them, 20 cases affecting 57 people were related to norovirus, which typically causes food poisoning and acute... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3342562/drastic-increase-food-poisoning-cases-hong-kong-linked-raw-oysters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3342562/drastic-increase-food-poisoning-cases-hong-kong-linked-raw-oysters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:29:34 +0000 Reuters Reuters Queen’s University Belfast on Monday cut ties with former US senator George Mitchell over his links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, saying it was no longer appropriate to remain associated with the key figure in the Northern Ireland peace deal. The university said its ⁠decision followed new information on Mitchell released in the latest trove of millions of files linked to late convicted sex offender Epstein by the US Justice Department last Friday. The university plans to remove... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342159/queens-university-belfast-cuts-ties-us-politician-george-mitchell-over-epstein-links?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342159/queens-university-belfast-cuts-ties-us-politician-george-mitchell-over-epstein-links?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 21:19:54 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa HBO Max’s latest Game of Thrones spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, premiered on January 18 and follows George R. R. Martin’s book series Tales of Dunk and Egg that chronicles the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg, around 80 years after the events of the GOT prequel House of the Dragon. It stars actor Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall and Dexter Sol Ansell as the young Egg. The cast is joined in episode two of the show by actor Finn Bennett, who takes on the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3341800/meet-finn-bennett-who-plays-prince-aerion-targaryen-knight-seven-kingdoms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3341800/meet-finn-bennett-who-plays-prince-aerion-targaryen-knight-seven-kingdoms?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 10:00:12 +0000 dpa dpa A documentary about a community resisting an immigration raid in Scotland has won an award at a major film festival. Everybody To Kenmure Street was recognised with the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Civil Resistance at the Sundance Film Festival in the US. The film documents events on May 13, 2021, when hundreds of people gathered in Kenmure Street in the Pollokshields area of Glasgow to prevent two of their neighbours being detained. The two men were released after protesters... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341957/film-scotland-community-resisting-immigration-raid-wins-sundance-award?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341957/film-scotland-community-resisting-immigration-raid-wins-sundance-award?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:32:11 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Flight routes between Europe and China are suddenly crowded with prime ministers and presidents, giving the impression of a continent pivoting eastward. A flurry that began late last year with visits to Beijing by the Spanish king and French president has continued with leaders of Britain, Ireland and Finland, with Germany’s chancellor to follow next month. The frenzied outreach comes with the transatlantic relationship on the rocks. US President Donald Trump’s designs on Greenland have even... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341938/full-pivot-or-anxious-hedge-europes-leaders-flock-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341938/full-pivot-or-anxious-hedge-europes-leaders-flock-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:00:13 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell In Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, Mike Campbell described how he went bankrupt: “Gradually, and then suddenly.” Over the past weeks, there is a feeling that US President Donald Trump and his administration have reached the “suddenly” bit. First, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney captivated a World Economic Forum audience when he described the “rupture” in the rules-based order, a “bargain” that “no longer works”: leaving middle countries like Canada with no choice but to dilute their... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341726/gradually-then-suddenly-world-waking-us-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341726/gradually-then-suddenly-world-waking-us-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:30:14 +0000 Junjie Wang Junjie Wang US allies are shifting their focus to Beijing as Donald Trump doubles down on his tariff threats. After fresh US warnings, the year has started with a diplomatic rush to Beijing as European, Asian, and North American leaders seek stability through bilateral engagement with China. South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung kicked off the diplomatic pivot in early January. As the first South Korean president to visit China since 2019, his trip cemented a thaw in relations. Irish Taoiseach Micheál... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3341387/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3341387/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:15:05 +0000 Mark Logan Mark Logan Winston Churchill wrote his four-volume masterpiece, A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, at the very moment a new era of world history was taking shape: victory over the Nazis, the birth of the United Nations, the Bretton Woods institutions. All signalled continuity of Anglo-Saxon leadership in world affairs, the baton passing fairly peacefully from Britain to America. But 80 years on from the end of the second world war, the world is reconfiguring itself once more. And what it means for... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341102/anglosphere-fractures-starmers-china-visit-could-be-historic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341102/anglosphere-fractures-starmers-china-visit-could-be-historic?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa If you thought you’d seen the last of Westeros, you were pleasantly wrong. Game of Thrones may have ended in 2019, but George RR Martin, the author of the novel series the beloved show is adapted from, continues to bring fans back into his universe with spin-offs. This includes HBO’s House of the Dragon (since 2022), a prequel set around 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and more recently, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The latest series, which premiered on HBO on January 18, is... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3341235/meet-peter-claffey-aka-ser-duncan-game-thrones-spin-knight-seven-kingdoms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3341235/meet-peter-claffey-aka-ser-duncan-game-thrones-spin-knight-seven-kingdoms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 10:00:21 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Finland’s prime minister begins a four-day visit to China on Sunday, heading a large business delegation on a trip designed to forge closer ties with Beijing amid pressure from coercive US policies. According to analysts, Petteri Orpo’s trip also highlights Beijing’s efforts to strengthen ties with individual European Union member states as a way to soften broader EU scrutiny over claims that China’s overcapacity is driving a huge trade imbalance. Observers expect cooperation to largely focus on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341111/finlands-leader-set-4-day-china-visit-europe-seeks-counter-trump-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341111/finlands-leader-set-4-day-china-visit-europe-seeks-counter-trump-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 12:00:11 +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 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong For all his bombast, few could have imagined the sound and fury with which Donald Trump has taken to foreign policymaking in his second presidential term. Over the past 12 months, the US president has laid bare American ambitions to lay claim to territories within its near periphery deemed to be of strategic significance. From Greenland – a mineral-rich autonomous territory of Denmark – to Panama, a critical maritime trade choke point, the White House has made its geopolitical appetite... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3340443/trumps-blunt-interventions-risk-undermining-us-interests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3340443/trumps-blunt-interventions-risk-undermining-us-interests?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters European Union ambassadors reached broad agreement on Sunday to intensify ‌efforts to dissuade US President Donald Trump from imposing tariffs on European allies, while also preparing retaliatory measures should the duties go ahead, EU diplomats said. Trump vowed on Saturday to implement ‍a wave of increasing tariffs from February 1 on EU members Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, along with Britain and Norway, until the US is allowed to buy Greenland, a step major EU... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340351/eu-considers-us108-billion-retaliatory-tariffs-us-over-trumps-greenland-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340351/eu-considers-us108-billion-retaliatory-tariffs-us-over-trumps-greenland-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 20:05:19 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Hua Chunying, China’s foreign vice-minister, beamed this week as she presented a leading Czech lawmaker with a decorative porcelain plate – a gift that signalled a possible thaw in ties between Prague and Beijing. The image sent tongues wagging in Europe: a symbol that a new Chinese charm offensive towards a Europe jilted by its erstwhile ally across the Atlantic had reached even its most hawkish capitals. China has spent the opening weeks of the year courting European governments, offering... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340190/chinas-charm-offensive-beijing-bypasses-brussels-bid-soften-eu-trade-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340190/chinas-charm-offensive-beijing-bypasses-brussels-bid-soften-eu-trade-push?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:00:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thousands of Irish farmers protested on Saturday against the European Union’s trade deal with the South American bloc Mercosur, a day after EU states approved the treaty despite opposition from Ireland and France. Tractors streamed into the roads of Athlone, in central Ireland, for the demonstration, displaying signs including “Stop EU-Mercosur” and ones with the European Union flag emblazoned with the words “sell out”. Farmers on Friday also marched in Poland and blocked roads in France and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339457/irish-farmers-protest-march-against-eu-mercosur-trade-deal-very-disappointing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339457/irish-farmers-protest-march-against-eu-mercosur-trade-deal-very-disappointing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 14:40:46 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Major powers should take the lead in respecting the development path of other nations, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday, in a veiled swipe at the United States for raiding Venezuela and capturing its president, Nicolas Maduro. The remarks from Xi, which build on Beijing’s earlier criticism of US strikes on Venezuela, came during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Beijing. “The world today is undergoing changes and turbulence not seen in a century, with unilateral... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338729/xi-jinping-makes-veiled-swipe-us-hegemony-undermining-international-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338729/xi-jinping-makes-veiled-swipe-us-hegemony-undermining-international-order?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 05:02:53 +0000 Chow Chung-yan Chow Chung-yan As families and friends gather to bid farewell to a turbulent 2025, the unassuming potato will, no matter where you live, almost certainly find its place on the dinner table. Domesticated nearly 10,000 years ago in Peru, it did not voyage beyond the Americas until the 16th century. Yet no vegetable has played a more significant role in human history and politics than this humble tuber. Dubbed the calorie king, potatoes produce more calories and nutrients per unit of land than any other major... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338149/be-potato-lesson-resilient-staple-resonates-2026-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338149/be-potato-lesson-resilient-staple-resonates-2026-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 01:00:12 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham With the end of the year approaching, the European Commission is rapidly ramping up its de-risking efforts through a flurry of broadsides against Chinese firms – even as the bloc’s most powerful member states appear to be moving in different directions on China. Foreign subsidy regulation probes were launched against online retailer Temu and Nuctech, a maker of airport scanning equipment, on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. E-commerce giant Temu saw its Dublin headquarters raided by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3336127/brussels-ramps-china-de-risking-while-france-and-germany-pull-further-apart?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3336127/brussels-ramps-china-de-risking-while-france-and-germany-pull-further-apart?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 17:56:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters Temu’s European headquarters in Dublin were raided by EU regulators last week on concerns about potential Chinese state subsidies granted to the online retailer, a subsidiary of China’s e-commerce giant PDD Holdings, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Temu did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The raid comes amid increasing concern within the EU over cheap imports from China, as low-value e-commerce shipments have flooded into the bloc thanks to a customs waiver... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335969/temus-dublin-office-raided-eu-regulators-chinese-subsidy-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335969/temus-dublin-office-raided-eu-regulators-chinese-subsidy-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 19:51:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters An Irish navy ship spotted up to five drones operating near the flight path of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s aircraft as he arrived for a state visit to Ireland on Monday, local media reported on Thursday. The sighting triggered a major security alert amid fears it was an attempt to interfere with the flight path, the Irish Times reported. It quoted unnamed sources as saying the aircraft, which arrived slightly early, was not in any danger. The Ukrainian delegation arrived late on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335277/drones-spotted-near-zelenskys-flight-path-dublin-spark-security-alert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335277/drones-spotted-near-zelenskys-flight-path-dublin-spark-security-alert?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 03:23:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israel was cleared on Thursday to enter the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest by the organiser, prompting Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia to withdraw over the Gaza war and plunging the competition into one of the biggest rows in its history. The broadcasters who had threatened to boycott the event cited the death count in Gaza and accused Israel of flouting rules meant to guard the contest’s neutrality. Israel accuses its critics of mounting a global smear campaign against it. After a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335253/israel-cleared-stay-eurovision-spain-ireland-and-others-boycott-contest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335253/israel-cleared-stay-eurovision-spain-ireland-and-others-boycott-contest?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 19:13:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday he expected to discuss “key issues” with Donald Trump as the American-led push to end Russia’s war on Ukraine accelerated, with the US president’s envoy heading to Moscow. Ukraine’s negotiator Rustem Umerov said “significant progress” had been achieved in two days of talks with US officials on Trump’s plan to end the war, even though more work was needed on “challenging” issues. The comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff was due to meet... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334825/zelensky-says-not-fair-exclude-europe-ukraine-reconstruction-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334825/zelensky-says-not-fair-exclude-europe-ukraine-reconstruction-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 23:54:43 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Controversy continues to plague Thailand’s hosting of this year’s Miss Universe beauty pageant days after the winner was crowned, but one contestant believes that some of the earlier “drama” was all for show. In the latest development, a Thai activist has accused Jakapong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, the former CEO of JKN Global Group and Miss Universe Organisation, of fleeing to Mexico to avoid her legal problems. The transgender celebrity businesswoman bought the Miss Universe pageant for US$20... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334075/more-chaos-plagues-miss-universe-pageant-drama-all-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334075/more-chaos-plagues-miss-universe-pageant-drama-all-show?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 08:32:46 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A joint declaration at the Cop30 summit in Brazil – reached without United States participation after Washington again pulled out of the Paris climate pact – has kept fragile climate cooperation alive for the Global South, even as the talks fell short of a fossil fuel phase-out. Observers said the outcome revealed both the limits of a strained multilateral system and the room that still existed for developing nations to influence the global energy transition, with several pointing to the UN... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3333934/what-cop30-deal-means-climate-unity-and-global-south-amid-fossil-fuel-stalemate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3333934/what-cop30-deal-means-climate-unity-and-global-south-amid-fossil-fuel-stalemate?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 08:35:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters Irish fashion designer Paul Costelloe, personal designer to the late Princess Diana who became a fixture at London Fashion Week for four decades, has died aged 80, his family said in a statement on Saturday. Costelloe was appointed as Diana’s personal designer in 1983, shortly after establishing his own label, Paul Costelloe Collections, and their collaboration continued until her death in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Costelloe, who led the development of all his collections from his studio in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333820/paul-costelloe-personal-designer-princess-diana-dies-80?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333820/paul-costelloe-personal-designer-princess-diana-dies-80?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 18:53:36 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Chinese investment is still being actively welcomed in Ireland, the head of a major business organisation said, even as the wider European Union adopts a more cautious attitude and Dublin walks a tightrope to maintain ties with both the US and China amid a wide-ranging rivalry between the world’s two largest economies. “We’re firmly open for business within the EU rules, that is an unambiguous position,” Mary Rose Burke, CEO of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, told the Post in an interview last... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333696/ireland-business-chamber-welcomes-chinese-investment-despite-us-eu-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333696/ireland-business-chamber-welcomes-chinese-investment-despite-us-eu-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 06:00:20 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words Halloween is surely one of the most fun and frivolous of all the annual festivities in Hong Kong. On October 31 every year, Lan Kwai Fong is thronged with party-goers in their spooky get-ups, while children run around, wide-eyed and delighted, trick-or-treating with their... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3330836/did-you-know-halloween-has-irish-origins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3330836/did-you-know-halloween-has-irish-origins?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 03:30:09 +0000 Fionnuala McHugh Fionnuala McHugh In 1992, a British newspaper sent me to New York to interview a man called Paul Mellon. He was 85 and was said to have been wealthier longer than any other living American; the family fortune flowed from the Mellon Bank, founded in 1870. He was also, according to a London gallery owner, “the last civilised collector”. In his Manhattan town house off Park Avenue, one of his seven residences, there was a Canaletto, a squad of Constables, a Stubbs, some Bonnards; the dining room alone had a... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3330044/moving-through-life-without-collecting-lessons-nomadic-childhood?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3330044/moving-through-life-without-collecting-lessons-nomadic-childhood?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 23:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Left-wing independent Catherine Connolly on Saturday won the race to be Ireland’s new president, comfortably beating her centrist opponent in a contest marred by record numbers of spoiled ballots. Connolly, 68, secured more than 63 per cent of the votes, well ahead of Heather Humphreys of the Fine Gael party on 29.5 per cent, according to the official count. But the seemingly comprehensive victory was marred by the number of spoiled votes and criticism over the lack of right-wing candidates,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330334/irelands-catherine-connolly-set-be-president-after-rival-concedes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330334/irelands-catherine-connolly-set-be-president-after-rival-concedes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 16:23:43 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Irish actor Anthony Boyle, who plays the lead role of Arthur Guinness in Netflix’s House of Guinness, is the internet’s latest heartthrob. The Belfast-born actor, 31, plays the eldest Guinness sibling and heir to the Irish brewing empire. The show premiered on September 25 and follows the story of the Guinness empire and its four heirs following the death of the family patriarch, Benjamin Guinness. His riveting performance has won accolades – but it’s a certain bath scene that has fans... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3329407/meet-anthony-boyle-actor-behind-bath-scene-netflixs-house-guinness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3329407/meet-anthony-boyle-actor-behind-bath-scene-netflixs-house-guinness?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Oct 2025 22:00:09 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Australian healthcare technology start-up Heidi has secured US$65 million in a new funding round, as it aims to expand its workforce and establish offices in Hong Kong and Singapore to capitalise on the growing demand for medical artificial intelligence technology in the region. The company is valued at US$465 million following its series B round announced on Monday, led by Point72 Private Investments, a global alternative asset manager. The six-year-old start-up planned to build a team of about... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3327945/start-heidi-secures-us65-million-expand-ai-healthcare-hong-kong-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3327945/start-heidi-secures-us65-million-expand-ai-healthcare-hong-kong-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 04:00:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Germany’s culture minister on Saturday slammed threats by several European countries to boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel took part as politicising a cultural event. Spain said this week it would boycott the world’s largest live televised music event in May if Israel participates, and Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland and the Netherlands have made similar threats. “Eurovision was founded to bring nations together through music. Excluding Israel today goes against this fundamental... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3326256/germany-slams-israel-boycott-eurovision-brings-nations-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3326256/germany-slams-israel-boycott-eurovision-brings-nations-together?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Sep 2025 11:26:12 +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 Associated Press Associated Press The only British soldier to be prosecuted in the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre in Northern Ireland went on trial on Monday in Belfast on murder charges in a case that has come to symbolise the three decades of sectarian violence known as “The Troubles”. The ex-paratrooper, a lance corporal named as “Soldier F” to protect his identity, was concealed behind a blue curtain that shielded him from view of the families of some of the 13 people killed and 15 wounded when troops opened fire on unarmed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325652/ex-british-soldier-goes-trial-1972-bloody-sunday-killings-northern-ireland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325652/ex-british-soldier-goes-trial-1972-bloody-sunday-killings-northern-ireland?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 23:51:26 +0000 Jane Cai,Sylvie Zhuang,Nora Mankel Jane Cai,Sylvie Zhuang,Nora Mankel 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. A part of a series of reports examining ties between the two powers, Jane Cai, Sylvie Zhuang and Nora Mankel look at a shift under way in the attitudes of younger Europeans towards China and the opportunities it offers. More than two years after stringent Covid-19 restrictions prompted an exodus of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324879/enduring-opportunity-why-younger-europeans-can-see-their-futures-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324879/enduring-opportunity-why-younger-europeans-can-see-their-futures-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 14:00:09 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Can you train your mind to be happy? Yes, experts say. Here’s how Happiness can be elusive. When you get what you expect will bring happiness – a cool new job, a flashy car, the date you always wanted – for a time, you feel great. But that feeling subsides, and you start to feel that, really, you had it wrong, and you... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3324125/training-your-mind-be-happy-meaning-chinese-red-thread-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3324125/training-your-mind-be-happy-meaning-chinese-red-thread-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 07:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Online fast-fashion retailer Shein received a €150 million (US$175 million) fine on Wednesday from France’s data protection authority over the improper use of cookies, a decision the company contested and said it would appeal. The Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL), a government body charged with enforcing consumer data protection, said Shein’s website failed to comply with regulations in collecting consumers’ data without consent. When users browsing Shein’s French... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3324274/shein-hit-us175-million-fine-french-watchdog-over-cookie-misuse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3324274/shein-hit-us175-million-fine-french-watchdog-over-cookie-misuse?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 04:15:10 +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 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump has promised to impose hefty import taxes on pharmaceuticals, a category of products he has largely spared in his trade war. For decades, in fact, imported medicine has mostly been allowed to enter the United States duty free. That is starting to change. US and European leaders recently detailed a trade deal that includes a 15 per cent tariff rate on some European goods brought into the United States, including pharmaceuticals. Trump is threatening duties of 200 per... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323971/trump-plans-hefty-tax-imported-drugs-risking-higher-prices-and-shortages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323971/trump-plans-hefty-tax-imported-drugs-risking-higher-prices-and-shortages?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 17:16:58 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Hong Kong police have arrested two people for allegedly stealing an artwork worth HK$50,000 (US$6,410) that is understood to be a piece by well-known French street artist Invader. The force said on Wednesday that it had received a report the day before from a manager at the Harbour City shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui about the missing artwork. Officers reviewed CCTV footage and were later able to identify and arrest a 40-year-old Irish man and a 32-year-old Filipino woman on Tuesday afternoon... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3323387/hong-kong-police-arrest-2-over-theft-hk50000-piece-french-street-artist-invader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3323387/hong-kong-police-arrest-2-over-theft-hk50000-piece-french-street-artist-invader?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:13:06 +0000