https://www.scmp.com/rss/507991/feed Protests in Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020 made headlines around the world. Here’s the latest news and updates from street protests happening elsewhere. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz said on Monday he would slash his salary by 50 per cent to try to end weeks of anti-government protests. But the announcement by the centre-right leader fell on deaf ears, with protesters calling for his resignation and clashing again with police in the Andean city of La Paz. The US-backed Paz has made various gestures aimed at ending a popular revolt that has exploded just six months into his presidency. The demonstrations have radicalised since trade unions began... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3354816/bolivian-leader-slash-own-salary-50-gesture-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3354816/bolivian-leader-slash-own-salary-50-gesture-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 20:30:46 +0000 Reuters Reuters Turkish riot police fired tear gas and forced their way into the main opposition party’s headquarters to evict its ousted leadership on Sunday, fuelling a crisis at the heart of Turkey’s democracy. Clouds of tear gas billowed within the Republican People’s Party (CHP) building while those inside shouted and threw objects at the entrance as police ‌broke through a makeshift barricade. There were no reports of injuries during the intervention. A Turkish court ousted CHP leader Ozgur Ozel on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354702/police-turkey-force-ousted-opposition-out-headquarters-crisis-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354702/police-turkey-force-ousted-opposition-out-headquarters-crisis-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 18:39:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thousands of protesters in Bangladesh clashed with police in a bid to seize a suspect accused of raping a four-year-old girl, officials said on Friday. In recent months, the South Asian country has seen a spike in reported cases of violence against women and children, fuelling widespread anger. Police said the suspect, Monir Hossain, was detained by locals in Bangladesh’s second-largest city of Chattogram and was being handed over to the authorities on Thursday when tensions boiled over among... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3354554/bangladesh-protestors-clash-police-over-alleged-child-rape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3354554/bangladesh-protestors-clash-police-over-alleged-child-rape?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 10:31:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press It began as a satirical online project. Now millions of young Indians are flocking to it as an outlet for their frustration. A parody political party called the Cockroach Janta Party, with the insect as its symbol, has exploded across India’s social media by turning absurdist humour into protest. Memes and short videos mocking corruption, joblessness and political dysfunction have flooded social media sites, where millions of users are embracing the cockroach – known for its ability to survive... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3354417/young-indians-protest-through-parody-cockroach-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3354417/young-indians-protest-through-parody-cockroach-party?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 14:18:40 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Bolivia’s President Rodrigo Paz faces a deepening crisis as widespread protests and blockades leave the political capital under siege less than six months after he took office. Two weeks of road closures – spearheaded by the Bolivian Workers’ Central, COB, peasant unions and miners – have emptied markets in La Paz and depleted vital hospital oxygen reserves. The government reported that at least three people died after emergency vehicles were blocked from reaching medical centres. On Monday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3354186/bolivias-capital-under-siege-protests-and-blockades-deepen-crisis-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3354186/bolivias-capital-under-siege-protests-and-blockades-deepen-crisis-president?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 05:02:26 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israeli forces opened fire on at least two vessels in an aid flotilla sailing towards Gaza on Tuesday, according to video footage and flotilla organisers, but Israel said no live ammunition was used ‌and there were no casualties. The flotilla was making a renewed attempt to deliver aid to Gaza after earlier missions were intercepted by Israel in international waters. Video from the flotilla’s livestream showed soldiers firing shots at two of the boats. The type of ammunition fired was not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354155/israeli-forces-fired-shots-gaza-flotilla-all-boats-intercepted-group-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3354155/israeli-forces-fired-shots-gaza-flotilla-all-boats-intercepted-group-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 23:48:00 +0000 Reuters Reuters Prosecutors in ⁠Minnesota on Monday charged a ⁠US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent with assault in connection with the shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis in January during US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown ‌in the city. Christian Castro, 53, was charged with four felony counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and a misdemeanour of falsely reporting a crime, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty told a press conference. Castro was the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354030/minnesota-officials-charge-ice-agent-shooting-venezuelan-immigrant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354030/minnesota-officials-charge-ice-agent-shooting-venezuelan-immigrant?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 23:44:51 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Protests erupted in Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Monday as a nationwide public transport strike kicked off in protest at rising fuel prices. Commuters were stranded in various suburbs and the city centre remained deserted as motorists with private vehicles opted to stay home as protesters burned tyres on major roads. The Kenya Association of Private Schools had advised its members to assess and determine the safety of learners going to school, and most schools opted for online learning. Kenya’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353985/kenya-protesters-block-roads-public-transport-strike-over-fuel-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353985/kenya-protesters-block-roads-public-transport-strike-over-fuel-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 10:28:25 +0000 Reuters Reuters Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time on Saturday in a final overshadowed by five countries’ boycott over Gaza, claiming a dramatic ‌victory despite another big public vote for Israel that secured it second place. The garish and usually good-natured competition involving pop acts from countries across Europe and beyond, now in its 70th year, has been plunged into crisis by a dispute over Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, a response to ⁠the Hamas-led attack on October 7,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353846/bulgarias-dara-wins-eurovision-contest-beating-out-israel-top-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353846/bulgarias-dara-wins-eurovision-contest-beating-out-israel-top-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 23:46:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Forty years. That is how long Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been in power. The 81-year-old was sworn in on Tuesday to extend his presidency over a further five-year term that may well be his last – although not necessarily the last for the Museveni family. The president’s son and presumptive heir, army chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, oversaw days-long rehearsals of the military parade that will animate the eighth inauguration of Museveni, with Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets flying... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353285/ugandan-president-81-sworn-new-term-after-40-years-helm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353285/ugandan-president-81-sworn-new-term-after-40-years-helm?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 10:12:57 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Nobel Peace laureate and activist Narges Mohammadi has been transferred to a Tehran hospital more than a week after collapsing in prison, her foundation said on Sunday. Her transfer comes after days of pleading by her family and others who described her condition as critical. Her foundation said she has been granted a prison sentence suspension on bail. It was not clear for how long her sentence is suspended, the foundation said. Mohammadi had been imprisoned since December in Zanjan prison. She... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353072/jailed-iran-nobel-laureate-narges-mohammadi-transferred-hospital-after-medical-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353072/jailed-iran-nobel-laureate-narges-mohammadi-transferred-hospital-after-medical-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 23:54:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters Hundreds of protesters clashed with Australian emergency services workers in a remote town following the arrest of a man suspected of murdering a five-year-old indigenous girl, police said on Friday. Australia’s prime minister, the Northern Territory’s police commissioner and a spokesperson for the victim’s family all appealed for calm after an angry crowd of roughly 400 indigenous people gathered on Thursday night at the hospital where ‌the suspect was taken after being beaten unconscious by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352139/riot-erupts-over-australian-indigenous-girls-suspected-killer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352139/riot-erupts-over-australian-indigenous-girls-suspected-killer?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 08:10:27 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow India’s agreement to review Dhaka’s request for Sheikh Hasina’s extradition could hint at more flexibility over a deeply political issue, but observers warn that does not mean New Delhi is ready to hand the former Bangladesh ruler over just yet. The ex-prime minister fled to India in August 2024 after her regime fell to protesters. India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on April 17 it was conducting a formal review of Dhaka’s extradition request. The announcement – a significant shift... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351243/india-opens-door-sheikh-hasina-extradition-talks-delhi-dhaka-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351243/india-opens-door-sheikh-hasina-extradition-talks-delhi-dhaka-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:46:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nepal’s home minister stepped down on Wednesday over growing criticism of his finances after less than a month in office he won on an anti-corruption platform. Sudan Gurung, a key figure in the Gen-Z protests last September that toppled Nepal’s previous government, said he was stepping down to ensure a “fair investigation”. “I have resigned from the position of Home Minister with effect from today,” the 38-year-old posted on his social media accounts. “For me, morality is greater than a position... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3351038/nepal-minister-quits-amid-financial-scrutiny-after-just-weeks-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3351038/nepal-minister-quits-amid-financial-scrutiny-after-just-weeks-office?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:13:34 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pro-Russian former president Rumen Radev is set for a runaway victory in Bulgaria’s election and may even secure a parliamentary majority, exit polls showed, potentially ending years of weak coalition governments and altering the European Union member’s foreign policy. An updated exit poll conducted by Sofia-based Alpha Research showed Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria with 44 per cent, far ahead of the long-dominant GERB party, led ‌by former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, at 12.5 per cent. If... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350625/corruption-fuels-mistrust-bulgarias-eighth-election-five-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350625/corruption-fuels-mistrust-bulgarias-eighth-election-five-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:41:00 +0000 Reuters Reuters Dozens of protesters were detained by ⁠police in New ⁠York City on Monday during demonstrations ⁠calling for the blocking of arms sales to Israel and an end to US military support for its ally. Demonstrators included anti-war group Jewish Voice for Peace, which said around 90 people were detained. ‌Among those detained was whistle-blower Chelsea Manning, a former US Army soldier and WikiLeaks source. The New York City Police Department said there were “multiple” arrests but did not provide a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349963/dozens-arrested-new-york-protesters-demand-us-blocks-sale-bombs-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349963/dozens-arrested-new-york-protesters-demand-us-blocks-sale-bombs-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:57:42 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Police broke up a blockade in the centre of Dublin by fuel protesters who have brought much of Ireland to a standstill during the past week, as the government on Sunday prepared to approve cost-cutting measures they hope will end the six days of disruption over soaring costs at the pump. As tractors and trucks that had blocked O’Connell Street were rolling out of the capital, protests continued elsewhere, with police on the other side of the country clashing with demonstrators at the Galway... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349810/ireland-police-remove-farmers-blockades-protesting-fuel-price-rises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349810/ireland-police-remove-farmers-blockades-protesting-fuel-price-rises?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 12:13:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Rocking her baby to soothe his searing pain and gasping breaths, 18-year-old Rubia Akhtar Brishti recounts how her son nearly died in Bangladesh’s deadly measles outbreak. “The boy had [a] high fever and found it hard to breathe,” Brishti said, wiping the fevered brow of one-year-old Minhaz, cradled in her arms. “His whole body had rashes.” At least 143 people have died in the outbreak since March 15, the vast majority children, with more than 12,000 suspected cases – the worst in the South... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349753/vaccine-coverage-gaps-spur-bangladeshs-deadly-measles-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349753/vaccine-coverage-gaps-spur-bangladeshs-deadly-measles-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 11:18:38 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The city of Minneapolis released a video on Monday showing a chase and scuffle that ended in a non-fatal shooting in January and the suspensions of two federal officers involved in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. The video – from a city-owned security camera – captured part of the incident in which federal officers chased a Venezuelan man to his home. Another Venezuelan man who lives there was shot during the confrontation. Federal authorities in February dropped... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349198/video-brings-new-scrutiny-minnesota-ice-shooting-after-charges-against-2-men-collapsed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349198/video-brings-new-scrutiny-minnesota-ice-shooting-after-charges-against-2-men-collapsed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:28:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nepal’s former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli and ex-home minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested on Saturday over their alleged involvement in a deadly crackdown on protesters in September, police said. The detentions came a day after Prime Minister Balendra Shah and his cabinet were sworn in after the first election since the 2025 uprising that toppled 74-year-old Oli’s government. “They were arrested this morning and the process will move forward according to the law,” said Kathmandu Valley... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348224/nepals-ex-pm-kp-sharma-oli-arrested-over-alleged-role-crackdown-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348224/nepals-ex-pm-kp-sharma-oli-arrested-over-alleged-role-crackdown-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 02:55:27 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari A high-level inquiry in Nepal has held former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli and other senior government officials responsible for criminal negligence over the shootings in last year’s deadly youth uprising that killed 76 people, as the leak of the crucial report to a local publication triggered criticisms due to its sensitive nature. The committee, led by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki, has recommended investigation and prosecution of Oli, his home minister Ramesh Lekhak, and former Inspector... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348012/nepals-probe-deadly-uprising-finds-ex-prime-minister-officials-reckless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348012/nepals-probe-deadly-uprising-finds-ex-prime-minister-officials-reckless?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:00:10 +0000 dpa dpa Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Berlin on Sunday to protest against online sexual violence and express solidarity with victims, amid heightened attention after a German celebrity came forward with allegations against a former partner. A newly formed group named Feminist Fight Club! called for protesters to assemble at the Brandenburg Gate amid a controversy over pornographic deepfakes in Germany. People held banners that read “Human rights online too” and “Turn the shame... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347509/thousands-rally-berlin-against-online-sexual-violence-pornographic-deepfakes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347509/thousands-rally-berlin-against-online-sexual-violence-pornographic-deepfakes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 18:34:24 +0000 Agencies Agencies Most of Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region was ‌left without power on Saturday after a Russian drone attack, local governor Viacheslav Chaus said. He ⁠said repair works were under way ‌to fix the damage. The region, which ‌borders Russia and Belarus, ⁠had ⁠a pre-war population of nearly ‌a million. The regional capital, also called ‌Chernihiv, ‌was fully without power, ‌the city administration there ⁠said. Russia has conducted a vast ⁠bombardment campaign against Ukrainian energy facilities... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3347437/most-ukraines-chernihiv-region-has-no-power-after-russian-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3347437/most-ukraines-chernihiv-region-has-no-power-after-russian-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:15:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A 19-year-old star wrestler and two other young men were hanged in Iran this week, raising alarm among rights groups that a wave of executions may be under way as authorities facing relentless attacks from the US and Israel seek to squelch public dissent. The three men are the first to be executed from among the tens of thousands who were arrested during a January crackdown on nationwide protests. Rights groups say more than 100 others could face death sentences. The wrestler, Saleh Mohammadi,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347426/iran-hangs-3-young-men-rights-groups-raise-alarm-multiple-executions-could-follow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347426/iran-hangs-3-young-men-rights-groups-raise-alarm-multiple-executions-could-follow?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 09:40:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Trump administration filed a lawsuit on Friday against Harvard University, accusing the institution of allowing a “hostile environment” towards Jewish and Israeli students during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus from 2023 to 2025. President Donald Trump has launched an offensive against major American universities, accusing them of giving free rein on their campuses to pro-Palestinian movements in the face of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, action which he equates with... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3347411/us-government-sues-harvard-over-anti-israel-protests-cites-hostile-environment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3347411/us-government-sues-harvard-over-anti-israel-protests-cites-hostile-environment?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 05:27:23 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Anyone applying to become a minister in Madagascar’s new government will be subjected to lie detector tests to root out those who are corrupt, the country’s military leader said on Thursday. President Michael Randrianirina, who took power in a coup in the Indian Ocean island in October, said Madagascar had acquired a polygraph machine and a specialist to operate it to vet new government ministers. “We will know who is corrupt and who can help us,” Randrianirina said. “We are not looking for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3347249/madagascars-leader-orders-lie-detector-tests-prospective-ministers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3347249/madagascars-leader-orders-lie-detector-tests-prospective-ministers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 04:13:49 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Hundreds of people turned out in London on Sunday for a pro-Palestinian march banned by the government after police said it was organised by a group “supportive of the Iranian regime”. Police said in a statement they had arrested 12 people and were investigating anti-Israeli chants allegedly made at the rally. Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said earlier this week she had agreed to the ban to “prevent serious public disorder” in the context of the continuing conflict in the Middle East, where... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346690/police-arrest-12-hundreds-join-banned-pro-palestinian-march-london?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346690/police-arrest-12-hundreds-join-banned-pro-palestinian-march-london?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 19:43:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Two men on a motorbike threw acid in the face of an Indonesian rights activist, leaving him badly hurt and prompting calls on Friday for a thorough investigation amid concerns of democratic backsliding in the country. Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of the KontraS rights group, sustained serious injuries to his face, an eye, hands and chest in the attack in Jakarta late on Thursday. Andrie was riding a motorbike when he was approached by two men on a scooter, one of whom threw acid at him,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346574/acid-attack-indonesian-activist-raises-fears-democracy-under-prabowo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346574/acid-attack-indonesian-activist-raises-fears-democracy-under-prabowo?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 02:20:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A home-made explosive thrown near anti-Islam protesters outside the New York mayor’s home was a viable device “that could have caused serious injury or death”, police said on Sunday. Two suspicious devices were thrown by a man identified by police as Emir Balat near the protest on Saturday led by a far-right influencer to oppose public Muslim prayer. An Agence France-Presse correspondent at the scene heard Balat shout “Allahu akbar” (“God is the greatest”) during the incident, which is under... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345909/new-york-police-say-device-thrown-near-anti-islam-protest-was-improvised-explosive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345909/new-york-police-say-device-thrown-near-anti-islam-protest-was-improvised-explosive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 20:45:35 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Sixty-one years after state troopers attacked Civil Rights marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, thousands are gathering in the Alabama city this weekend, amid new concerns about the future of the Voting Rights Act. The March 7, 1965, violence that became known as Bloody Sunday shocked the nation and helped spur passage of the landmark legislation that dismantled barriers to voting for Black Americans in the Jim Crow South. But this year’s anniversary celebrations – events run all... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345904/us-activists-politicians-rally-anniversary-civil-rights-march?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345904/us-activists-politicians-rally-anniversary-civil-rights-march?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:28:01 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Bangladesh began fuel rationing on Sunday as the war in the Middle East deepened an energy crunch, creating long queues at petrol stations and boiling over into anger. The country of 170 million people imports 95 per cent of its oil and gas needs. Following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes throughout the Gulf, the national oil company, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), restricted fuel sales for most vehicles. Authorities capped fuel purchases for several... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345903/bangladesh-rations-fuel-us-iran-war-stresses-energy-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345903/bangladesh-rations-fuel-us-iran-war-stresses-energy-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:40:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Nepali political party led by an ex-rapper is set for a landslide victory in the country’s first parliamentary election since Gen Z protests ousted the old leadership that has ruled the Himalayan nation for decades. The Rastriya Swatantra, or the National Independent Party (RSP), formed only four years ago, had already won 117 of 165 directly elected seats and led in eight other constituencies in the results published on Sunday morning by Nepal’s Election Commission. Other political parties... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345883/nepali-ex-rapper-will-form-government-after-landslide-election-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345883/nepali-ex-rapper-will-form-government-after-landslide-election-win?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 11:00:26 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari A 35-year-old rapper and engineer who entered politics just four years ago has beaten a former prime minister in Nepal’s crucial parliamentary election, in a contest widely seen as a referendum on a generational shift in leadership after last year’s youth uprising. Balendra Shah – the former Kathmandu mayor widely known as Balen – surged ahead of 74-year-old communist leader K.P. Sharma Oli in a race for a seat in Nepal’s House of Representatives in the eastern district of Jhapa, election... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345808/nepal-election-rapper-turned-politician-balen-shah-poised-become-next-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345808/nepal-election-rapper-turned-politician-balen-shah-poised-become-next-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 09:18:21 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Reuters Agence France-Presse,Reuters The United States has ordered non-emergency staff at two Pakistani consulates to leave the country and granted permission for staff to leave missions in Saudi Arabia, Cyprus and Oman as Iran retaliates over US-Israeli raids. The State Department ordered non-emergency US government employees and their family members at the consulates in Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan due to “safety risks”, the US embassy in Islamabad said in a statement on Wednesday. It said there was no change to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345490/us-pulls-diplomatic-staff-karachi-lahore-amid-pro-iran-protests-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345490/us-pulls-diplomatic-staff-karachi-lahore-amid-pro-iran-protests-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 01:13:46 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pakistani authorities deployed troops and imposed a three-day curfew before dawn on Monday in the northern cities of Gilgit and Skardu after several people died and tens were injured in violent protests following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes, officials said. Thousands of Shiite demonstrators on Sunday attacked the offices of the UN Military Observer Group, which monitors the ceasefire along the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, and the UN... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345199/pakistan-cities-under-curfew-after-23-die-pro-iran-protests-over-khamenei-killing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345199/pakistan-cities-under-curfew-after-23-die-pro-iran-protests-over-khamenei-killing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:53:58 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Sangharsh Bhusal returned to the spot outside Nepal’s parliament building where police shot him last year. The 28-year-old still bears scars on his head, hand and abdomen from the violence that engulfed Kathmandu during Nepal’s Gen Z uprising, when thousands took to the streets demanding good governance and an end to corruption. It was here, in front of the seat of power, where many young protesters believed their voices should have been heard when gunfire rang out. At least 77 people –... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345168/young-nepalis-hope-post-uprising-election-candidates-shun-same-old-patterns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345168/young-nepalis-hope-post-uprising-election-candidates-shun-same-old-patterns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg At least 10 pro-Iranian protesters were killed in clashes with police as they tried to storm the gates of the US consulate in Pakistan’s main port city of Karachi on Sunday. Security forces opened fire at the consulate, resulting in the deaths of 10 protesters, with 34 injured, said Sukhdew Assardas Hamnani, a spokesman for the Sindh government. “The police reached the site and took the situation into control,” he said. Faisal Edhi, who runs Edhi Foundation, a rescue service, said several of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345061/10-killed-karachi-pro-iran-protests-erupt-across-pakistan-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345061/10-killed-karachi-pro-iran-protests-erupt-across-pakistan-india?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 01:12:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Venezuelan opposition leader and winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize Maria Corina Machado said on Sunday that she will return to Venezuela in the coming weeks and that elections will be held in the South American country. Machado did not set a date for her return but said one of the objectives will be to prepare “for a new and gigantic electoral victory”. In a message shared on social media, the politician called on her supporters to “strengthen the unity of Venezuelans that began with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3345059/venezuelas-opposition-leader-machado-will-return-country-coming-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3345059/venezuelas-opposition-leader-machado-will-return-country-coming-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 22:44:21 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Thousands of supporters of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro demonstrated in cities across the South American nation on Sunday, as organisers hoped to build momentum for a right-wing victory in the coming presidential elections. Protesters draped in yellow and green – the colours of the national flag – took to the streets in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and the capital Brasilia to voice their opposition to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who faces a tough re-election bid in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3345058/supporters-ex-president-bolsonaro-rally-across-brazil-against-lula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3345058/supporters-ex-president-bolsonaro-rally-across-brazil-against-lula?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 21:54:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press When targeted by nationwide protests early this year, Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei unleashed the bloodiest crackdown of his nearly four decades in power. But now a US or Israeli military strike has ended his rule. Iran’s state TV confirmed Khamenei’s death on Sunday, a day after after US President Donald Trump said the 86-year-old was dead. Israeli officials also told reporters earlier that he was killed in a major new attack by US and Israeli forces. Khamenei tried to avert such... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345002/what-know-about-irans-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345002/what-know-about-irans-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 23:30:55 +0000 dpa dpa At least 30 people in Iran are facing the death penalty in connection with the recent mass protests in the country, according to the human rights group Amnesty International. A death sentence had already been passed in eight cases, the organisation reported on Friday. Among the 22 other cases before the courts, two men were still minors, Amnesty said. The Iranian judiciary has not officially confirmed any of the death sentences. However, a week ago, the Misan news agency, which is linked to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344214/30-people-iran-face-death-penalty-after-protests-amnesty-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344214/30-people-iran-face-death-penalty-after-protests-amnesty-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:12:00 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US agencies are struggling to find the best method to fund additional software for millions of Iranian civilians to get around their government’s strict internet censors, amid a surge in demand over weeks of domestic unrest. The State Department, US senators from both parties, and other US agencies have advocated for funding virtual private networks and anticensorship technology programmes that would allow about a quarter of the people in Iran to access the internet without the Islamic... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343760/us-lawmakers-push-vpn-funding-so-iranians-can-access-internet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343760/us-lawmakers-push-vpn-funding-so-iranians-can-access-internet?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:20:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nepalese candidates launched their campaigns on Monday for next month’s parliamentary election, the first since deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the previous government last year. “This election will draw the future of the country,” Sushila Karki, who is serving as interim prime minister until the March 5 vote, said ahead of the launch. The youth-led protests were triggered by a brief social media ban but were fuelled by anger at economic stagnation and an ageing elite seen as out of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343687/campaigning-starts-nepals-first-election-deadly-anti-corruption-protests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343687/campaigning-starts-nepals-first-election-deadly-anti-corruption-protests?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 04:16:56 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press White House border tsar Tom Homan said on Sunday that more than 1,000 immigration agents have left Minnesota’s Twin Cities area and hundreds more will depart in the days ahead as part of the Trump administration’s drawdown of its immigration enforcement surge. A “small” security force will stay for a short period to protect remaining immigration agents and will respond “when our agents are out and they get surrounded by agitators and things got out of control”, Homan told CBS’ Face the Nation.... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343653/trumps-border-tsar-homan-says-small-security-force-will-remain-minnesota?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343653/trumps-border-tsar-homan-says-small-security-force-will-remain-minnesota?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 19:00:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Bangladesh’s prime minister-in-waiting Tarique Rahman on Saturday dedicated his landslide election win to those who “sacrificed for democracy”, calling for unity after the first polls since a deadly 2024 uprising. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Rahman, 60, the scion of one of the most powerful political dynasties, is set to lead the South Asian nation of 170 million people after sweeping elections on Thursday. “This victory belongs to Bangladesh, belongs to democracy,” he said, in his... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343587/bangladesh-pm-be-celebrates-landslide-win-thanks-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3343587/bangladesh-pm-be-celebrates-landslide-win-thanks-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 11:21:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Friday that a change of government in Iran would be the “best thing that could happen”, as he sent a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East to ratchet up military pressure on the Islamic republic. Trump’s comments were his most overt call yet for the toppling of Iran’s clerical establishment, and came as he pushes on Washington’s arch-foe Tehran to make a deal to limit its nuclear programme. At the same time, the exiled son of the Iranian shah toppled in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343549/trump-says-change-power-iran-would-be-best-thing-he-sends-second-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343549/trump-says-change-power-iran-would-be-best-thing-he-sends-second-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 23:44:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters Former CNN anchor Don Lemon is due in federal court in Minnesota on Friday to enter a plea in a criminal case stemming from his coverage of a protest at a church against US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Lemon, now an independent journalist, livestreamed a protest against Trump’s deployment of ‌thousands of armed immigration agents into Democratic-governed Minnesota’s biggest cities. The protest disrupted a January 18 service at Cities Church in St Paul. He was charged with... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343520/us-ex-cnn-anchor-don-lemon-enter-plea-minnesota-ice-protest-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343520/us-ex-cnn-anchor-don-lemon-enter-plea-minnesota-ice-protest-case?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:24:01 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump’s point man on Thursday announced the end of an aggressive immigration operation in Minnesota that triggered large protests and nationwide outrage following the killing of two US citizens. Thousands of federal agents including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducted weeks of sweeping raids and arrests in what the administration claims were targeted missions against criminals. “I have proposed and President Trump has concurred that this surge... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343372/trump-end-minnesota-immigration-crackdown-border-tsar-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343372/trump-end-minnesota-immigration-crackdown-border-tsar-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 15:09:26 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran marked the 47th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution on Wednesday as the country’s theocracy remains under pressure, both from US President Donald Trump who suggested sending another aircraft carrier group to the Middle East and a public angrily denouncing Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. The commemoration represented a split-screen view of life in Iran, with state television showing hundreds of thousands of people across the country attending pro-government rallies,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343207/irans-revolution-anniversary-marred-protests-nuclear-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343207/irans-revolution-anniversary-marred-protests-nuclear-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:30:04 +0000 Reuters Reuters Draped in burnt-orange robes, two dozen Buddhist monks arrived in Washington on Tuesday on a 3,700km (2,300-mile) “Walk for Peace”, a ‌self-described spiritual journey across nine states that has been cheered on by crowds of thousands. “I feel like in our ‍country and in our world right now that you have to show your support for peace in every possible way you can,” said Bob Anderson, 74, of Gloucester County, Virginia, during a stop by the monks in Richmond on February 3. “And so this is a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343110/walk-peace-buddhist-monks-arrive-washington-after-3700km-journey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343110/walk-peace-buddhist-monks-arrive-washington-after-3700km-journey?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:14:01 +0000