https://www.scmp.com/rss/329440/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil has won wider access to the world’s biggest beef market after China recognised the entire country as free of foot-and-mouth disease, though a new quota will still cap prices. The decision was announced on Tuesday by China’s General Administration of Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and was communicated during Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira’s visit to Beijing. After a risk analysis, Beijing lifted the restriction on northern Brazil and recognised the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355752/china-clears-brazilian-beef-foot-and-mouth-disease-quota-limits-profits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355752/china-clears-brazilian-beef-foot-and-mouth-disease-quota-limits-profits?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 21:03:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Trump administration has proposed a new punitive tariff of 25 per cent on many imports from Brazil, after deciding its practices were unfair on a range of issues from digital trade to illegal deforestation, top trade official Jamieson Greer said late on Monday. The measures, under the Section 301 trade statute, cover areas such as electronic payment services, preferential tariffs, intellectual property protection and ethanol market access as well, the Office of the United States Trade... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355743/us-proposes-25-tariff-punish-brazil-over-trade-practices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3355743/us-proposes-25-tariff-punish-brazil-over-trade-practices?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:13:00 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US casts Cuba as China-linked security threat while still pushing for talks One day after the United States brought criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355387/china-cuba-us-security-threat-brazils-rare-earths-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355387/china-cuba-us-security-threat-brazils-rare-earths-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:00:07 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Australian beef will soon be subject to an additional 55 per cent import duty in China, with shipments of the meat about to surpass an annual quota set by Beijing, China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed on Tuesday. Imports of Australian beef have already reached 90 per cent of this year’s quota, meaning that a tariff adjustment will soon be triggered, the ministry announced via an alert. Until recently, most imports of Australian beef were subject to low or even zero tariffs in China under a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3355698/australian-beef-will-soon-be-hit-55-tariff-china-ministry-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3355698/australian-beef-will-soon-be-hit-55-tariff-china-ministry-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:30:05 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China’s top diplomat said on Monday that Beijing and Brasilia should “jointly repel external challenges”, as the two countries opened a high-level strategic dialogue in Beijing. Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remark during a visit by his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, who arrived in the Chinese capital this weekend for the fifth Global Strategic Dialogue between the two governments. “Practical cooperation in all areas has been steadily enhanced, and the two peoples have never been so... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355615/china-urges-brazil-jointly-repel-external-challenges-ties-deepen-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355615/china-urges-brazil-jointly-repel-external-challenges-ties-deepen-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:58:23 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US decision to classify two Brazilian gangs as terrorist organisations is a political one aimed at boosting an ally of US President Donald Trump, the son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, politicians and analysts say. The gangs join eight other Latin American organised crime groups designated by the US as foreign terrorist organisations. But unlike the rest, they do not operate in the United States. The listing of First Capital Command, known as PCC, and Red Command, or CV,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3355612/us-targeting-brazilian-gangs-attempt-sway-election-there-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3355612/us-targeting-brazilian-gangs-attempt-sway-election-there-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:06:00 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Fang Yichun, from eastern China’s Jiangsu province, will visit Mexico for the first time next month to see Fifa World Cup games and relax on a tropical beach in the resort city Cancun. One of her university professors described Cancun as scenic, but the 22-year-old has seen mostly negative news reports about Mexico, featuring drug cartels, urban public safety threats and people sneaking across the US border. She said she planned to stay near her Chinese-speaking guides on the two-week trip. “My... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3355252/will-world-cup-travel-boom-help-mexico-dispel-chinese-tourists-safety-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3355252/will-world-cup-travel-boom-help-mexico-dispel-chinese-tourists-safety-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters India ⁠has signed ⁠a deal with Vietnam under which it will supply BrahMos missiles which it has jointly ‌developed with Russia and is in “final stages” for a similar deal with Indonesia, India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said on ⁠Saturday. India has a strong commitment ‌to Asean nations, Singh said, without disclosing more details ‌of the deals related to BrahMos. Singh ⁠was ⁠speaking at Asia’s premier defence forum, ‌the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. India, which has been... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3355438/india-seals-brahmos-missile-deal-vietnam-eyes-indonesia-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3355438/india-seals-brahmos-missile-deal-vietnam-eyes-indonesia-next?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 02:51:47 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong court has jailed two footballers and a betting agent for up to 17 months in the city’s largest match-fixing scandal in recent years, ruling that they deliberately undermined the integrity of the sport. Former Hong Kong Under-23 player Brian Fok, Brazilian player Luciano Silva da Silva and betting agent Waheed Mohammad returned to West Kowloon Court on Friday to be sentenced on five charges arising from a high-profile crackdown that saw 23 people arrested on suspicion of illegal... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3355363/2-footballers-bookie-jailed-17-months-hong-kong-match-fixing-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3355363/2-footballers-bookie-jailed-17-months-hong-kong-match-fixing-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 13:36:21 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United States on Thursday designated two well-known Brazilian crime groups, the so-called Red Command (CV) and First Capital Command (PCC), as terrorist organisations, despite opposition from Brasilia. “CV and PCC are two of the most violent criminal organisations in Brazil,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. “Their influence and illicit networks extend far beyond Brazil’s borders, across our region and into our country.” “Together, they command thousands of members and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3355276/us-labels-major-brazilian-crime-groups-terrorist-organisations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3355276/us-labels-major-brazilian-crime-groups-terrorist-organisations?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 06:21:25 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Across the vast United States, soybean farmers caught in the crossfire of the US-China trade war hoped for a deal on the crop when US President Donald Trump met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. There was optimism after the two presidents met in Busan, South Korea, in October, when China committed to increased soybean purchases. This time, however, Trump left Beijing without any concrete agricultural announcements, much less one about US farmers’ biggest export. Instead, a general... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3355222/us-farmers-seek-firmer-soybean-guarantees-despite-xi-trump-agriculture-pledge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3355222/us-farmers-seek-firmer-soybean-guarantees-despite-xi-trump-agriculture-pledge?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 17:00:55 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A new Chinese artificial intelligence agent platform is looking to replicate the “lobster craze” sparked by AI agent tool OpenClaw earlier this year, while avoiding some of the privacy and security risks associated with the open-source software. MuleRun, developed by Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group Holding, offers a one-stop service for users to access a range of different AI agents. The platform, showcased at the Alibaba Cloud summit on May 20, has been billed as an “always-on AI workforce”... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355175/why-mulerun-could-be-next-craze-new-alibaba-ai-agent-platform-promises-safer-adoption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355175/why-mulerun-could-be-next-craze-new-alibaba-ai-agent-platform-promises-safer-adoption?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Emiliano Martínez Viademonte Emiliano Martínez Viademonte The consumption of Ilex paraguariensis – known as “yerba mate” in South America – has spread beyond the borders of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil and is now gaining popularity in China. “Our exports have doubled since last year,” said Juan Luis Lorenzo, a local producer involved in the direct exports of yerba mate to China. The increase in exports by Lorenzo’s cooperative reflects the broader rise in yerba mate exports from Argentina to China, which have increased by 88 per cent since 2021,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3354443/yerba-mate-has-lots-health-benefits-chinese-may-be-drinking-it-wrong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3354443/yerba-mate-has-lots-health-benefits-chinese-may-be-drinking-it-wrong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 04:38:49 +0000 Reuters Reuters A photographer shooting the final day of the World Surf League (WSL) in New ⁠Zealand was injured by what organisers suspect was a sea lion or shark bite on Monday, forcing the event to be put on hold for several hours. The New Zealand Pro semi-final between Brazilian world champions Yago Dora and Italo Ferreira at Raglan was halted after the ‌in-water photographer suffered puncture wounds and needed medical attention, the WSL said. “This morning one of the water photography team suffered a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3354709/wildlife-injury-forces-new-zealand-surfing-event-be-put-hold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3354709/wildlife-injury-forces-new-zealand-surfing-event-be-put-hold?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 00:58:45 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Scientists in Brazil are working on a lab-grown donkey collagen that might save the animals from being wiped out worldwide. Their goal is to meet the Chinese middle class’ insatiable demand for ejiao – a traditional Chinese medicine with purported anti-ageing benefits that is derived from donkey skins – while also offering a purer product that poses less risk of contamination. Carla Molento, a professor of animal welfare at the Federal University of Parana and head of its Cellular Animal Science... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3354662/chinas-desire-endless-youth-wiping-out-donkeys-can-scientists-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3354662/chinas-desire-endless-youth-wiping-out-donkeys-can-scientists-help?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 10:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Brazilian head of a victims’ association for the 2009 crash of Flight 447 from Rio to Paris said that justice has yet to be served in France’s worst aviation crash after a Paris appeals court found Airbus and Air France guilty of manslaughter. Air France and Airbus, two of France’s most emblematic companies, said in separate statements that they would appeal Thursday’s ruling, potentially prolonging the legal battle for years. Brazilian Nelson Faria Marinho, who lost his son in the crash... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354499/air-france-2009-crash-verdict-sparks-mixed-emotions-among-victims-families?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354499/air-france-2009-crash-verdict-sparks-mixed-emotions-among-victims-families?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 07:39:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Paris appeal court on Thursday found Airbus and Air France guilty of corporate manslaughter over the 2009 Rio-Paris plane crash ‌that killed 228 passengers and crew in France’s worst air disaster. The verdict is the latest milestone in a legal marathon involving two of France’s most emblematic companies and relatives of the mainly French, Brazilian and German victims. Relatives of some of the 228 passengers and crew who died when the Airbus A330 vanished in darkness during an Atlantic storm... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354402/paris-court-finds-airbus-air-france-guilty-2009-crash-killed-228?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354402/paris-court-finds-airbus-air-france-guilty-2009-crash-killed-228?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 12:21:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Brazil’s right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro was riding high in the polls until the news broke of his ties to a banker jailed over a multimillion-dollar fraud scandal. The 45-year-old senator had been polling neck-and-neck with 80-year-old President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is expected to seek a fourth term in presidential elections in October. But a change may be under way following the publication of an audio recording by investigative outlet The Intercept in which... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3354338/jailed-banker-ties-roil-flavio-bolsonaros-brazil-presidential-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3354338/jailed-banker-ties-roil-flavio-bolsonaros-brazil-presidential-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 06:34:55 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo China’s purchase of “double-digit billions” in American agricultural products touted by US officials following President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing appears to be a marginal addition after factoring in previous commitments, analysts said, adding that new orders could reduce the country’s reliance on Brazil for soybeans and other items. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on ‌Friday that he expects to see China buy a 10-figure sum in agricultural products annually over the next... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353803/soybean-counters-scope-china-us-farm-deal-depends-math-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353803/soybean-counters-scope-china-us-farm-deal-depends-math-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil’s government expressed concern over China’s renewal of US beef import licences, warning the move could reshape competition in the country’s largest meat export market. A senior Brazilian government official told the South China Morning Post that the renewal brought “anxiety” to the sector and could affect domestic cattle prices. China is Brazil’s largest beef market, and the quota system already reduces the country’s competitiveness, the official said. The comments came after Bloomberg... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353616/china-restores-us-beef-trade-amid-trump-xi-summit-alarming-brazilian-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353616/china-restores-us-beef-trade-amid-trump-xi-summit-alarming-brazilian-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 20:46:09 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Travel agencies are seeing a notable rise in inquiries and bookings for trips to South America by tourists from mainland China after Brazil’s visa-free entry policy for visitors from the mainland took effect on Monday – and they also remain upbeat about the market’s growth potential. Coupled with the buzz of the 2026 Fifa World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, outbound travel from Chinese visitors to the Americas is expected to experience a surge as the summer travel peak approaches, said... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353288/brazils-visa-free-entry-chinese-visitors-sparks-rise-south-america-travel-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353288/brazils-visa-free-entry-chinese-visitors-sparks-rise-south-america-travel-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 11:00:05 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong With the war in the Middle East entering its third month, questions have surfaced over its geopolitical ramifications in the region and beyond. An entity that has drawn particular scrutiny is Brics. The 10-member grouping is defined less by a clear set of common values and more by contingently overlapping interests. It does not and cannot speak with one voice on the conflict. Two Brics members, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are at loggerheads: Tehran has launched missile and drone... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352951/brics-doesnt-need-unified-voice-iran-war-have-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352951/brics-doesnt-need-unified-voice-iran-war-have-future?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 21:30:06 +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 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju Vietnam has become the latest country to enter talks to buy India’s supersonic BrahMos missile – and at least 15 more are reportedly interested – as defence ministries across Asia and elsewhere increasingly look beyond Western-made systems. New Delhi and Hanoi are in advanced negotiations over a potential US$700 million deal, with talks progressing during Vietnamese President To Lam’s visit to India this week, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352981/vietnam-joins-rush-indias-battle-tested-brahmos-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352981/vietnam-joins-rush-indias-battle-tested-brahmos-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 05:30:06 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Even as “China shock 2.0” is roiling Western manufacturers, we must, it seems, brace for “China shock 3.0” – to the global food economy – as President Xi Jinping doubles down on the imperative that has obsessed Beijing for decades: food security. “China’s Food Future”, a consultation paper by Systemiq funded by the California-based Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, warns that China is poised to “reshape global agricultural commodity supply chains”. It suggests China is set to apply to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352799/prepare-china-shock-30-global-food-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3352799/prepare-china-shock-30-global-food-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told US President Donald Trump on Thursday that his country’s rare earth reserves are open to investment from China and any other nation willing to process the minerals on Brazilian soil, resisting pressure to side with Washington in its contest with Beijing over critical mineral supply chains. “We have no preference. What we want is to share with whoever wants to invest in Brazil,” Lula said at a press conference at the Brazilian embassy in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352824/lula-wont-sideline-china-or-anyone-rare-earths-tells-trump-refining-stays-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352824/lula-wont-sideline-china-or-anyone-rare-earths-tells-trump-refining-stays-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 23:01:58 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China made Brazil its top global investment destination last year, pouring US$6.1 billion into the country across a record 52 projects. The figures come from the China-Brazil Business Council (CBBC), which released its annual report on Thursday. The 45 per cent jump in value from the previous year far outpaced the 4.8 per cent rise in total foreign investment into Brazil. It also dwarfed China’s worldwide outbound flows, which grew just 1.3 per cent. Brazil absorbed 10.9 per cent of all Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352676/china-pours-us61b-brazil-making-it-beijings-top-investment-worldwide-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352676/china-pours-us61b-brazil-making-it-beijings-top-investment-worldwide-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 14:30:05 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Conflict in the Middle East is threatening the coming planting season, a UN official has warned, as countries already reeling from fertiliser shortages and surging costs face shocks to food security. The Strait of Hormuz, a major global chokepoint for fertilisers and other agricultural inputs as well as oil, has been under blockade since the start of joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Despite rising concerns over the impact of the conflict on global food production, China – supported... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3352718/iran-war-threatens-next-harvest-un-official-says-which-countries-are-most-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3352718/iran-war-threatens-next-harvest-un-official-says-which-countries-are-most-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 13:00:05 +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. My brother is in Tehran. Last year, he lived through 12 days of bombardment: this year, 40 days of missiles passing over his head. The ringing in his ears has not stopped. The history of asymmetric conflicts is consistent. Korea (1950–1953), Vietnam (1965–1973) and Iran–Iraq... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3352552/history-shows-high-cost-and-low-yield-war-conflict-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3352552/history-shows-high-cost-and-low-yield-war-conflict-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 03:30:05 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China remains on the radar of foreign aviators keen to scout out opportunities in the world’s second-largest economy, with many unfazed by the sector’s prolonged recovery and the dwindling number of expat pilots. Those expats still flying in China hail high job satisfaction and long-term outlook, but they also warn newcomers of competition and that overseas credentials and experiences are losing their acclaimed status. Jang Kwang-chol, an instructor captain with Chengdu Airlines who hails from... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352586/expat-pilots-hoping-take-china-told-their-credentials-are-no-longer-hot-ticket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352586/expat-pilots-hoping-take-china-told-their-credentials-are-no-longer-hot-ticket?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A teenage boy shot dead two staff members and injured two other people, including a student, at a school in northeast Brazil on Tuesday, prompting panicked students to try to escape over a wall, authorities and a witness said. A 13-year-old boy was arrested over the attack at Sao Jose Institute in Rio Branco, the capital of Acre state, the local government said in a statement. Eduardo Rodrigues Cavalcante, who works as a receptionist at a hotel next to the school, said that when the shooting... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3352546/boy-13-shoots-2-dead-brazil-school?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3352546/boy-13-shoots-2-dead-brazil-school?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 23:50:26 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As the Middle East conflict spreads uncertainty among farmers around the world, Chinese farmers are carrying out their spring ploughing as usual and appear largely untroubled. “The supply of chemical fertilisers for spring ploughing is ample,” an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said at a news conference last month, adding that domestic fertiliser prices were “far lower than international prices” and spring sowing was proceeding as normal. While policymakers around the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352366/how-middle-east-crisis-expanding-chinas-agrochemical-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352366/how-middle-east-crisis-expanding-chinas-agrochemical-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 22:00:10 +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 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chile exposes smuggling ring that shipped US$917m in stolen copper to China Chinese buyers were the end destination of a five-year smuggling pipeline that drained an estimated US$917 million worth of stolen copper from Chile, authorities said in April after police dismantled the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351914/beijing-backs-cuba-brazil-slams-byd-slave-labour-conditions-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351914/beijing-backs-cuba-brazil-slams-byd-slave-labour-conditions-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Brazil’s Congress on Thursday overturned President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s veto of a law dramatically reducing the prison sentence of his arch-rival Jair Bolsonaro, the second major defeat for Lula in as many days. Former president Bolsonaro, 71, was sentenced last year to 27 years behind bars for coup plotting over his attempt to cling to power after losing the 2022 election to Lula. The left-wing Lula had attempted to block a subsequent push by the conservative-majority Congress to reduce... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3352086/brazil-mps-slash-bolsonaro-prison-term-blow-lula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3352086/brazil-mps-slash-bolsonaro-prison-term-blow-lula?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:39:50 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju Brics’ inability to speak with one voice on the Middle East conflict has become a stern test of India’s leadership of the bloc, exposing the challenge of building consensus among its 10 members with divergent interests and concerns. The bloc could not agree on a common position on the war at a meeting of Brics officials to discuss Middle East and North Africa issues in New Delhi last week. Brics has long sought to present itself as a voice for the Global South as frustrations with the US-led... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352055/iran-war-tests-indias-brics-leadership-political-relevance-questions-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352055/iran-war-tests-indias-brics-leadership-political-relevance-questions-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:49:38 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Brics nations are assessing whether a digital payments framework linking their currencies could lessen the impact of Western sanctions, tariffs and US dollar volatility without destabilising the Washington-led global financial system. Under the plan proposed by India’s central bank, Brics is looking to allow cross-border transactions to be settled in local currencies. Its feasibility depends on how far the bloc’s members can lessen their reliance on Western-controlled payment channels without... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351860/brics-push-intra-currency-payments-immunity-against-western-clout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351860/brics-push-intra-currency-payments-immunity-against-western-clout?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The pace of tropical forest destruction slowed in 2025 after record losses the year before but remained at worrying levels equivalent to 11 football fields per minute, researchers said Wednesday. The world lost 4.3 million hectares (10.6 million acres) of tropical primary rainforest last year, down 36 per cent from 2024, said researchers from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the University of Maryland. “A drop of this scale in a single year is encouraging – it shows what decisive... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3351895/tropical-rainforest-loss-eases-after-record-year-still-11-football-fields-minute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3351895/tropical-rainforest-loss-eases-after-record-year-still-11-football-fields-minute?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:35:31 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong A massive genomic study of indigenous peoples in the Americas has uncovered evidence of a previously unknown migration into South America that occurred as recently as 1,300 years ago – during China’s Tang dynasty. These new settlers carried genes remarkably similar to indigenous populations in what is now Australia and the Pacific Islands, according to the study published online by the journal Nature on April 22. The international team, which included scientists from the University of Sao Paulo... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351798/gene-study-reveals-unknown-human-migration-south-america-late-720ad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351798/gene-study-reveals-unknown-human-migration-south-america-late-720ad?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu In the face of a prolonged US energy blockade of Cuba, solar panels from China have come to the rescue and provided a model of independence from fossil fuels that is resonating globally amid what is being called the worst energy crisis in history. Within the 12 months through February, solar’s share of national power generation in Cuba increased from 6 per cent to more than 20 per cent, according to Microgrid Media, a California-based publication that tracks global renewable energy capacity. “By... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351455/china-poised-reap-rewards-energy-shock-heats-race-renewables?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351455/china-poised-reap-rewards-energy-shock-heats-race-renewables?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China has launched a bond-market-connect scheme with Brazil, Chinese media outlets reported this week, marking the first such link among emerging markets. Schemes such as this one, often dubbed “connects” between Chinese bond or stock markets and their offshore counterparts, typically allow investors to bypass special permits or capital-flow controls when trading on either side’s exchanges. China now maintains at least five offshore capital-market “connect” schemes on three continents. Hong... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351185/brazil-beckoned-china-now-has-stock-and-bond-connect-schemes-these-5-regions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351185/brazil-beckoned-china-now-has-stock-and-bond-connect-schemes-these-5-regions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:00:10 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The global balance of power has tilted to major emerging economies such as China and India as US hegemony is increasingly undermined – much of it by its own actions, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. In his speech on Saturday at the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Lavrov argued that the foundations of globalisation powered primarily by America had “come to an end”. He added that the trend had been under way during former US president Joe Biden’s administration, and that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350598/russias-lavrov-says-balance-power-shifting-emerging-economies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350598/russias-lavrov-says-balance-power-shifting-emerging-economies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:42:35 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Spain and Brazil signed a flurry of agreements at Pedro Sanchez and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s first bilateral summit, as the Spanish leader seeks to build an alliance to counter US President Donald Trump. “The relationship between Spain and Brazil goes far beyond the strictly bilateral,” Sanchez told reporters after signing 15 deals covering areas including critical minerals, telecommunications and artificial intelligence. “Peace and the values that sustain it are being attacked by a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350545/spain-signs-deals-brazil-sanchez-builds-anti-trump-bloc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350545/spain-signs-deals-brazil-sanchez-builds-anti-trump-bloc?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:05:18 +0000 Holly Chik,Victoria Bela Holly Chik,Victoria Bela The three astronauts stationed on China’s Tiangong space station will extend their stay by around a month, state broadcaster CCTV said on Friday. The crew lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on October 31 on board the Shenzhou-21 vessel and were expected to return to Earth at the end of this month after a standard six-month mission. In November, a crack was discovered in a window of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, forcing the space station’s previous crew to extend their stay for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350472/chinas-space-station-crew-maximise-opportunities-spending-extra-month-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350472/chinas-space-station-crew-maximise-opportunities-spending-extra-month-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:02:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva delivered a blunt critique of US President Donald Trump in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais published on Thursday, saying world leaders should seek respect rather than ‌rule by fear. “Trump has no right to wake up in the morning and threaten a country,” Lula told El Pais, referring to the president’s public threat on April 7 to wipe out Iranian civilisation as part of the US-Israeli war on Iran. “He wasn’t elected for that, and his... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350342/brazils-lula-blasts-trumps-fear-based-rule-calls-great-maturity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350342/brazils-lula-blasts-trumps-fear-based-rule-calls-great-maturity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:38:32 +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. Tesla outraces China’s BYD in pure electric car sales to regain world’s top spot Tesla has regained the global pure electric vehicle (EV) crown for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2024, after its deliveries rose 6.5 per cent year on year in the three months ending March. 2.... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3350112/brazil-blacklists-chinas-byd-how-batteries-might-get-quality-upgrade-7-ev-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3350112/brazil-blacklists-chinas-byd-how-batteries-might-get-quality-upgrade-7-ev-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:30:08 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil will require foreign partners to process rare earth minerals domestically as a condition for access to its reserves, a senior government official said this week, setting terms that could reshape how Chinese and Western firms compete for resources the country has long exported raw. “Our doors of Brazil to foreign investment are open, but our position has matured,” Leonardo Durans, a senior official at Brazil’s industry ministry, said at a press conference with international media on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350094/brazil-demands-rare-earths-be-processed-home-us-and-china-compete?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350094/brazil-demands-rare-earths-be-processed-home-us-and-china-compete?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:37:42 +0000 Zhu Wenqian,Daniel Ren Zhu Wenqian,Daniel Ren Chinese companies – from sectors as diverse as bubble tea, budget retail and cars – are expanding their presence in Brazil, with analysts saying the robust trade ties between China and Latin America’s biggest economy could help pave the way for further investment. Mixue Group, known for its affordable ice cream and beverages, opened its first Brazil outlet on Saturday, drawing large crowds in Sao Paulo, the country’s largest city. The opening marked its third store in the Americas after... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349982/chinese-firms-target-brazil-it-becomes-magnet-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349982/chinese-firms-target-brazil-it-becomes-magnet-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:57:44 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The Brazilian government has dismissed the head of its labour inspection authority, days after his office added Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD to a registry of employers found to have subjected workers to conditions analogous to slavery. Luiz Felipe Brandao de Mello led the National Secretariat of Labour Inspection since 2023 and his dismissal was published in the official gazette on Monday. He oversaw the unit responsible for enforcing labour standards nationwide, including the fight... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349965/brazil-fires-slave-labour-watchdog-chief-after-byd-blacklisting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349965/brazil-fires-slave-labour-watchdog-chief-after-byd-blacklisting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:23:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters Former ⁠Brazilian intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem ⁠has been detained by ICE in the ⁠United States, the agency reported on its website on Monday, after he fled Brazil in September following his conviction for plotting a coup with ex-president Jair Bolsonaro. Ramagem, a former Federal Police inspector, was sentenced to over 16 years in prison for his role ‌in a plot to overturn leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s 2022 election victory over Bolsonaro. Ramagem’s lawyers did not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349961/brazils-fugitive-ex-spy-chief-detained-ice-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349961/brazils-fugitive-ex-spy-chief-detained-ice-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:05:11 +0000