https://www.scmp.com/rss/512058/feed Russian forces invaded Ukraine in late February 2022, turning Moscow into a global pariah in the worlds of finance, diplomacy, sports and culture, as the West punished it with sanctions. President Vladimir Putin called Russia’s actions - which have triggered the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II - a “special military operation”. Nuclear-armed Russia has warned of consequences if Nato interferes in Ukraine, while strategic ally China urges a peaceful, diplomatic solution. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agencies Agencies Ukraine has relayed its proposal for a mutual ceasefire on striking energy targets to Russia via US mediators, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday. “If Russia is ready to stop striking our energy sector, we will be ready to respond in kind,” Zelensky said in his evening address. “And this proposal of ours - conveyed through the Americans - has been communicated to the Russian side,” he said. In the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine, some 340,000 people were without power on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349194/3-dead-15-injured-russia-hits-ukraines-port-city-odesa-major-drone-strike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349194/3-dead-15-injured-russia-hits-ukraines-port-city-odesa-major-drone-strike?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:13:04 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukraine and Syria pledged greater security cooperation in talks on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said as Kyiv seeks to promote its military expertise across the region following the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran. Zelensky, continuing his tour of Middle East countries, ‌met with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus. “We agreed to work together to provide more security and opportunities for development for our societies,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram. In a later post,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349106/zelensky-syria-discuss-security-cooperation-president-ahmed-al-sharaa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349106/zelensky-syria-discuss-security-cooperation-president-ahmed-al-sharaa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 20:01:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters A cargo ⁠ship carrying wheat sank in the Sea of Azov after coming under attack from Ukrainian drones, a Russia-installed official said on Sunday, leaving one person dead and two ‌missing. Vladimir Saldo, Moscow-installed leader of the Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine’s Kherson region, said the attack happened on Friday but crew members were unable to make known what had happened to them until Sunday. “It became known that the reason for the sinking ⁠of the Volgo-Balt in the Sea of Azov was a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349105/ukrainian-drones-attacked-cargo-ship-sank-killing-1-russian-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349105/ukrainian-drones-attacked-cargo-ship-sank-killing-1-russian-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 19:28:00 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pope Leo celebrated his first Easter Mass as pontiff with a call on Sunday to lay down arms and seek peace to global conflicts through dialogue, but he departed from a tradition of listing the world’s woes by name in the Urbi et Orbi blessing from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. Leo, the first US-born pope, emphasised Easter’s message of hope as a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection after being crucified, in both the blessing and his homily. “Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349090/pope-leo-calls-peace-dialogue-amid-ukraine-iran-wars-easter-mass?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349090/pope-leo-calls-peace-dialogue-amid-ukraine-iran-wars-easter-mass?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:35:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed concern that a prolonged US-Israeli war on Iran could further erode America’s support for Ukraine as Washington’s global priorities shift and Kyiv braces for reduced deliveries of critically needed Patriot air-defence missiles. Ukraine desperately needed more US-made Patriot air defence systems to help it counter Russia’s daily barrages, Zelensky said, speaking to The Associated Press in an exclusive interview on Saturday in Istanbul. Russia’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349073/ukraines-zelensky-fears-iran-war-may-lead-less-support-fight-russias-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349073/ukraines-zelensky-fears-iran-war-may-lead-less-support-fight-russias-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 06:25:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia and Ukraine traded deadly strikes overnight and on Saturday morning, killing 10 people and wounding several dozen more, officials on both sides said on Saturday. The attacks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to Istanbul for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He will also meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians. “We are working to strengthen our partnership to ensure the real protection of lives,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349053/russia-ukraine-strikes-kill-10-zelensky-travels-turkey-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349053/russia-ukraine-strikes-kill-10-zelensky-travels-turkey-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:48:49 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russian strikes killed at least eight people across Ukraine on Friday, including in a “massive” missile and drone attack near the capital, local authorities reported. Ukrainian officials claim the Kremlin is changing its tactics to increase civilian suffering, shifting to daytime barrages and preparing to target more key infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelensky has signalled Kyiv’s openness to a potential Easter truce. The holiday is celebrated on April 12 in Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349002/8-die-ukraine-russian-strikes-kyiv-holds-door-open-easter-truce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349002/8-die-ukraine-russian-strikes-kyiv-holds-door-open-easter-truce?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:57:46 +0000 Reuters Reuters Students across Russia are being offered large financial incentives ⁠to join drone units fighting in Ukraine as operators and engineers, while companies in Russia’s central Ryazan region have been given quotas to sign up workers for the army, documents show. The recruitment effort, which comes as Russian forces continue to grind forwards on the battlefield in Ukraine and as US-brokered peace talks are on ice due to the Iran war, suggests Moscow is diversifying its push to replenish its army’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3348784/russia-luring-students-large-financial-packages-join-drone-units?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3348784/russia-luring-students-large-financial-packages-join-drone-units?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:42:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters ⁠The Russian defence ministry said on Wednesday that its ⁠forces had taken full control of the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine, suggesting they had wrested control of a small sliver of land which had remained beyond their reach since 2022. Reuters could not independently verify the ‌battlefield report and a Ukrainian military spokesman said there had been no battlefield changes in the area in the last six months. More than 99 per cent of Luhansk, one of four Ukrainian regions Russia claimed as... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3348720/russia-says-it-has-taken-full-control-ukraines-luhansk-region?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3348720/russia-says-it-has-taken-full-control-ukraines-luhansk-region?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:55:17 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham In the days after the United States and Israel tipped the Middle East into a new and catastrophic crisis with their attacks on Iran, European leaders were all over the map. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz both voiced support for regime change in Iran soon after the strikes started more than four weeks ago. Each of them also questioned the continued utility of the international rules-based order, while Merz’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348402/europes-crisis-tourism-how-iran-war-swallowed-eus-geopolitical-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348402/europes-crisis-tourism-how-iran-war-swallowed-eus-geopolitical-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Every violation of international law invites the next. From Afghanistan to Iran, and across Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, Gaza and Venezuela, the line between what is permitted and what is prohibited has been steadily blurred by the complicit inaction of the United Nations Security Council. Wielding the veto as both a shield and a weapon, its permanent members act without grounding in the UN Charter. They play with the fate of millions, leaving a trail of death and destruction. Until recently,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348274/un-security-councils-inaction-tearing-world-apart?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348274/un-security-councils-inaction-tearing-world-apart?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A drone strike claimed by Ukraine triggered a fire at Russia’s Baltic port of Ust-Luga as the regional governor on Sunday reported new damage at the major exporting hub hit for a second time in days. Ukraine has intensified retaliatory attacks on Russian infrastructure – including refineries, oil depots and ports – saying they are justified as part of the effort to cut revenues funding Russia’s offensive. “There is damage to the port of Ust-Luga. There were no casualties,” Russian regional... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3348316/ukrainian-drone-strike-russian-baltic-port-starts-fire-damages-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3348316/ukrainian-drone-strike-russian-baltic-port-starts-fire-damages-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 13:02:25 +0000 Sandra Marco Colino Sandra Marco Colino The European Union (EU) is a bystander in the Iran war, but it might end up sustaining significant collateral damage. On one hand, public opinion across Europe is opposed to a conflict that circumvents the core principles of international law. On the other, the continent remains deeply reliant on the United States for its energy and security needs. A definitive anti-war stance risks alienating President Donald Trump, leaving Europe strategically exposed. Talk about being caught between a rock... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3347867/europes-response-iran-war-risks-becoming-its-darkest-hour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3347867/europes-response-iran-war-risks-becoming-its-darkest-hour?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that his country had “undoubtedly changed the geopolitical situation” in the Middle East with a series of decade-long defence agreements with Gulf states being hit with Iranian drones and missiles. Has he? And how important are the agreements for Ukraine, more than four years into the Russian invasion and facing its own maelstrom of military, economic and diplomatic challenges? The Ukrainian leader has been on a whirlwind tour of the Gulf... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348273/irans-drones-swarm-gulf-ukraines-wartime-tech-lands-billion-dollar-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348273/irans-drones-swarm-gulf-ukraines-wartime-tech-lands-billion-dollar-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 03:57:47 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Group of Seven counterparts traded barbs over the wars in Iran and Ukraine, casting doubt on Europe bowing to Donald Trump’s demand for military help in the Gulf. “The United States is constantly being asked to help in a war,” Rubio said referring to Ukraine, before taking off for the Friday conclusion of a G7 gathering outside Paris. “But when the US had a need, he didn’t get positive responses,” he added. The Europeans have rebuffed Trump’s bid for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348196/rubio-g7-diplomats-duel-over-wars-iran-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348196/rubio-g7-diplomats-duel-over-wars-iran-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:06:08 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham After eight years in the deep freeze, the European Parliament is sending an official delegation to China next week in the clearest sign yet that Beijing’s targeted lobbying blitz of its members is paying off. Seven members from the parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) will travel to Beijing and Shanghai alongside Engin Eroglu, head of its China delegation. They will meet officials, customs and port authorities, lawmakers and companies, including Shein and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348098/european-parliament-heads-china-after-8-years-members-say-its-no-sign-giving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348098/european-parliament-heads-china-after-8-years-members-say-its-no-sign-giving?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 05:55:21 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s airlines are expected to add nearly 2,900 more China-Europe flights to their summer schedules compared with last year, analysts said, as the US-Israel war on Iran hands them an even greater competitive advantage over other global carriers. Unlike many Western airlines, Chinese carriers can fly directly through Russian airspace to Europe rather than taking a lengthy detour, allowing them to offer quicker flights, save on fuel and avoid sending planes over the Middle East. The number of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347994/chinas-airlines-add-2900-flights-europe-russia-access-pays-dividends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347994/chinas-airlines-add-2900-flights-europe-russia-access-pays-dividends?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who has close ties with both US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, fears US-led Ukraine peace talks may be over, he said in an interview published on Thursday. “It may be due to the war in Iran, which is drawing a lot of attention away from the war in Ukraine. But it may also be that the negotiations have come to a halt because they’ve reached the end of the road and are not making any further progress,” Stubb said in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348027/finlands-president-says-ukraine-talks-may-be-end-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348027/finlands-president-says-ukraine-talks-may-be-end-road?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:40:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Iran war has deflected global attention from Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbour Ukraine as Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II enters its fifth year and an emboldened Kremlin undertakes a spring offensive. The past week showed that neither side was easing up. Russia on Tuesday fired almost 1,000 drones and 34 missiles at Ukraine in one of the war’s biggest bombardments. The following day Ukraine launched almost 400 drones in the largest reported overnight attack on Russian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347956/iran-war-deflects-attention-ukraine-russia-starts-spring-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347956/iran-war-deflects-attention-ukraine-russia-starts-spring-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 06:08:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea and Belarus’ strongmen leaders signed a “friendship and cooperation” treaty on Thursday after Kim Jong-un gave a lavish welcome to President Alexander Lukashenko on his maiden visit. Besides supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine – around 2,000 North Korean soldiers are thought to have died – both nations are under Western sanctions and are accused of gross human rights violations. The two men met last year in China. “In the modern realities of global transformation – at a time when... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347922/lukashenko-greeted-kim-jong-un-belarus-leaders-first-visit-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347922/lukashenko-greeted-kim-jong-un-belarus-leaders-first-visit-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:33:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen handed in her coalition government’s resignation on Wednesday after suffering a massive election defeat, but could still emerge as leader of a new cabinet in the coming weeks. Analysts say the result was a voter revolt over broken economic promises of the outgoing centrist government and ‌a sign that the electorate was tired of Frederiksen as a leader after seven years in power. Frederiksen’s Social Democratic Party had its worst election since 1903 on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347777/danish-pm-mette-frederiksens-left-wing-bloc-wins-election-falls-short-majority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347777/danish-pm-mette-frederiksens-left-wing-bloc-wins-election-falls-short-majority?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 23:54:31 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A major Russian drone and missile attack on civilian areas of Ukraine killed six people and injured at least 46, officials said on Tuesday, while Moscow’s army stepped up efforts to break through Ukrainian frontline defences in what could be the start of an anticipated spring ground offensive. Russia fired almost 400 long-range drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine’s air force said, in its biggest attack in weeks. The onslaught continued into Tuesday as dozens of drones targeted the capital Kyiv... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347764/4-dead-russia-fires-nearly-400-drones-ukraine-signs-spring-offensive-has-begun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347764/4-dead-russia-fires-nearly-400-drones-ukraine-signs-spring-offensive-has-begun?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:48:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters The European Commission will no longer submit a legal proposal to permanently ban Russian oil imports over Moscow’s war in Ukraine on April 15 as previously ‌planned, an updated EU legislative agenda showed on Tuesday. An EU official, however, said the proposal had not been cancelled and would still be published though no longer by the mid-April date due to “current geopolitical developments”. The US-Israeli war on Iran is creating the biggest oil supply disruption in history, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347756/eu-delays-proposal-permanently-ban-russian-oil-imports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347756/eu-delays-proposal-permanently-ban-russian-oil-imports?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:09:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukrainian and US delegations concluded a second day of talks in Florida on finding ways to end the four-year war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday. Russian representatives were not present at the talks, which opened in Florida on ‌Saturday. They were originally expected to attend the negotiations, which were expected to take place in Abu Dhabi. The US team is led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. “It is clear that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3347513/ukraine-and-us-teams-conclude-talks-zelensky-says-new-prisoner-exchange-possible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3347513/ukraine-and-us-teams-conclude-talks-zelensky-says-new-prisoner-exchange-possible?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 21:11:33 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen While Iranian Shahed-136 suicide drones recently drew attention for destroying key US radars and striking targets as far away as Cyprus in the US-Israel war on Iran, their distant “cousins” in China may pose an even higher risk in a future conflict. China’s ASN-301 shares the Iranian drone’s aerodynamic delta-wing design that is rooted in a common technological origin. The Chinese drone and its variants have evolved into either a highly sophisticated SEAD (suppression of enemy air defences)... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347494/why-chinas-asn-301-suicide-drone-more-deadly-its-iranian-counterpart?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3347494/why-chinas-asn-301-suicide-drone-more-deadly-its-iranian-counterpart?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 14:00:13 +0000 Wendy Wu Wendy Wu China should support India’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, a prominent US economist has suggested, saying the two Asian powers could overcome historical grievances and political distrust to inject stability into the world. “China’s real interest is true, stable multipolarity,” Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs told a seminar in Beijing on Friday, urging India not to become a pawn in a US game to hold China back. “I believe that China should, after... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347428/china-india-and-why-jeffrey-sachs-says-us-needs-make-un-great-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347428/china-india-and-why-jeffrey-sachs-says-us-needs-make-un-great-again?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 13:00:10 +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 Reuters Reuters Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko freed 250 prisoners on Thursday - the biggest batch to be released so far - in return for a further easing of US sanctions, the US embassy in neighbouring Lithuania said. The releases were part of a bargaining process in which Lukashenko was seeking a normalisation of ties with Washington after years of isolation and sanctions, in exchange for easing repression in the former Soviet state he has led since 1994. Belarusian ‌human rights group Viasna said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347236/belarus-frees-250-political-prisoners-us-removes-more-sanctions-latest-signs-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347236/belarus-frees-250-political-prisoners-us-removes-more-sanctions-latest-signs-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 03:05:20 +0000 Reuters Reuters European Union leaders failed to convince Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday to lift his blockade on a €90 billion (US$103 billion) EU loan to help Ukraine keep up its fight against Russia’s invasion. After a summit in Brussels, several leaders voiced deep frustration with Orban, who has cited a dispute over a war-damaged pipeline to justify blocking the implementation of the loan agreed back in December. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused Orban - who maintains cordial ties... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347233/eu-leaders-clash-hungarys-orban-blocking-ukraine-loan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347233/eu-leaders-clash-hungarys-orban-blocking-ukraine-loan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 02:27:20 +0000 Reuters,Bloomberg Reuters,Bloomberg A pro-Kremlin figure who unexpectedly denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine in a social media post this week that went viral has been placed in a psychiatric facility, Russian media reported on Thursday. Ilya Remeslo made a career denouncing Putin’s critics until he became one himself, posting a manifesto late on Tuesday to his 90,000 followers on ⁠Telegram entitled: “Five reasons why I stopped supporting Vladimir Putin.” He said Putin had prosecuted a “failing war”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3347211/pro-kremlin-russian-blogger-who-turned-putin-sent-psychiatric-unit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3347211/pro-kremlin-russian-blogger-who-turned-putin-sent-psychiatric-unit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:46:04 +0000 Agencies Agencies European Union experts have arrived in Ukraine to assess the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline, state energy firm Naftogaz said, after its closure in January caused a row with Hungary that is blocking an EU loan to Kyiv. The EU last week proposed sending a mission to inspect the pipeline. Ukraine later said it had accepted the EU offer of technical support and funding to restore oil flows through the damaged pipeline. Hungary and Slovakia have been cut off from Russian oil deliveries via... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347183/eu-inspects-druzhba-pipeline-bid-unclog-hungarys-block-ukraine-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347183/eu-inspects-druzhba-pipeline-bid-unclog-hungarys-block-ukraine-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:26:56 +0000 Reuters Reuters Peace talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine on ending the Ukraine war, the deadliest European conflict since World War II, were on a “situational pause”, the Kremlin said on Thursday. Moscow’s statement followed a report by Russia’s Izvestia newspaper that the Iran war had temporarily ‌halted negotiations between ⁠Moscow, ⁠Washington and Kyiv. Kremlin ‌spokesman Dmitry Peskov said ‌Russia hoped ‌the ‌pause would end and ⁠another round of ⁠negotiations can be held. US President... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347151/russian-report-says-ukraine-peace-talks-paused-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347151/russian-report-says-ukraine-peace-talks-paused-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 08:27:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday urged the European Union to overcome a veto by Hungary on a €90 billion (US$103 billion) loan vital for his country. Zelensky, during a visit to Madrid to meet Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, said he considered that the “main issue” of an EU summit to be held Thursday and Friday in Brussels. “We are really counting on the countries and the EU to find ways to resolve this issue,” he said. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban – Russian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347075/zelensky-urges-eu-bypass-hungarys-blackmail-veto-vital-us103-billion-loan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347075/zelensky-urges-eu-bypass-hungarys-blackmail-veto-vital-us103-billion-loan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:35:57 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia and Iran “brothers in hatred” on Tuesday as he sought support from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a time when the Iran conflict has robbed momentum from US-brokered talks to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. During talks with Starmer at 10 Downing Street, Zelensky urged Ukraine’s allies not to forget about his country and suggested the US and others should make use of Ukraine’s anti-drone technology during a Middle East war that has also... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346941/zelensky-starmer-urge-continued-support-ukraine-iran-conflict-steals-focus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346941/zelensky-starmer-urge-continued-support-ukraine-iran-conflict-steals-focus?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:43:37 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China leads the world in patent applications for anti-drone technology, which has drawn heightened attention during the wars in Ukraine and Iran and a spate of suspicious sightings in the West, according to intellectual property law firm Mathys & Squire. Patent applications for anti-drone systems rose 27 per cent over the past year, with China submitting 82 compared with 22 from the US, the second-largest filer, the 115-year-old UK-based law firm said on Monday. South Korea ranked third with six... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346874/china-leads-world-anti-drone-patents-us-and-south-korea-far-behind-law-firm-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346874/china-leads-world-anti-drone-patents-us-and-south-korea-far-behind-law-firm-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Asian utilities are boosting coal-fired power generation to cut costs and safeguard energy supply, industry officials say, as the US-Israeli war on Iran chokes liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments and soaring prices threaten to suppress LNG demand. Asia spot LNG prices have doubled to three-year highs in the second major supply shock in four years, as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has all but stopped and No 2 global exporter Qatar has halted shipments. In South Asia, Bangladesh is... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3346902/asia-ditches-gas-coal-after-iran-war-sends-prices-soaring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3346902/asia-ditches-gas-coal-after-iran-war-sends-prices-soaring?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:44:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The UK will “welcome” Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, British Defence Secretary John Healey told parliament, with the Ukrainian leader expected to travel to Madrid, Spain the next day. “Our total determination to stand with Ukraine remains steadfast and we will welcome President Zelensky to this country tomorrow,” Healey said on Monday. Healey’s announcement came hours after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would be meeting the Ukrainian leader “soon”. Ukraine’s European allies have vowed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346802/zelensky-visit-uk-starmer-says-it-vital-continue-supporting-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346802/zelensky-visit-uk-starmer-says-it-vital-continue-supporting-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 18:24:41 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Sean Penn, who won a best supporting actor Oscar for One Battle After Another on Sunday, was in Ukraine on Monday where he met President Volodymyr Zelensky in a show of support for the war-torn country. An Agence France-Presse reporter saw the Mystic River star getting out of a black car in central Kyiv earlier on Monday, wearing sunglasses and carrying a box of cigarettes. Penn, a vocal advocate for Ukraine who has visited the country several times, on Sunday won his third acting Oscar but was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346801/oscar-winner-sean-penn-skips-academy-awards-ceremony-visit-zelensky-kyiv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346801/oscar-winner-sean-penn-skips-academy-awards-ceremony-visit-zelensky-kyiv?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:32:57 +0000 Tian Shichen Tian Shichen With the Middle East ablaze and war in Ukraine showing no sign of respite, a stark new consensus is hardening in Paris, London and Berlin that Europe must rearm. Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron signalled a pivotal shift in deterrence by announcing an increase in the nation’s nuclear warheads and a “forward deterrence” plan. This follows a rare joint appeal from the British and German defence chiefs, who urged Europeans to build a moral and strategic case for a massive surge in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346554/europe-says-it-must-rearm-what-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346554/europe-says-it-must-rearm-what-end?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukraine wants money and technology in return for helping Middle Eastern nations defend against Iranian kamikaze drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, after Kyiv ‌sent specialists to four countries in the region. Zelensky told reporters in comments cleared for release on Sunday that each of the three teams sent to the Middle East consisted of dozens of people who will conduct expert assessments and demonstrate how drone defences should operate. Gulf states have ⁠expended large quantities of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3346657/ukraine-wants-cash-technology-return-helping-middle-east-nations-fight-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3346657/ukraine-wants-cash-technology-return-helping-middle-east-nations-fight-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:22:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korea on Saturday fired about 10 ballistic missiles towards the eastern sea, South Korea’s military said, staging its own show of force as the rival South conducts a joint military exercise with the United States. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from an area near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, but did not immediately say how far they flew. Japan’s Defence Ministry said the weapons landed in waters outside the country’s exclusive economic zone. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346587/north-korea-fires-10-ballistic-missiles-during-us-south-korea-military-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346587/north-korea-fires-10-ballistic-missiles-during-us-south-korea-military-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 07:11:31 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan The war in Iran is not just another Middle Eastern crisis. It is a window into what world politics looks like when rules are weakest and power is most concentrated. Washington has spoken in the language of surrender and coercion, European governments have called for restraint and respect for international law, and Asian powers have scrambled to keep energy flows moving through a Strait of Hormuz that has nearly ground to a halt. What this reveals is not a functioning rules-based order. It is a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346206/iran-war-signals-return-world-hierarchy-without-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346206/iran-war-signals-return-world-hierarchy-without-order?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran said the world should be ready for oil at US$200 a barrel as its forces hit merchant ships ⁠on Wednesday and the International Energy Agency recommended a massive release of strategic reserves to dampen one of the worst oil shocks since the 1970s. The war unleashed with joint US and Israeli air strikes nearly two weeks ago has so far killed around 2,000 people, mostly Iranians and Lebanese, as it has spread into Lebanon and thrown global energy markets and transport into chaos. Despite what... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3346265/iea-agrees-record-release-emergency-oil-reserves-calm-surging-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3346265/iea-agrees-record-release-emergency-oil-reserves-calm-surging-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:36:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japan and Germany said on Wednesday they would tap into their oil reserves to tackle the rise in crude prices due to the Middle East war, with Berlin saying the IEA global energy body had asked member states to release 400 million barrels. France, the current chair of the Group of Seven countries, said nations were coordinating their steps as G7 energy ministers said they stood ready to take “all necessary measures”. The latest announcement came as leaders of the Group of Seven advanced... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346251/germany-japan-unblock-oil-reserves-g7-stands-ready-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346251/germany-japan-unblock-oil-reserves-g7-stands-ready-act?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:29:15 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Mainland Chinese citizens feel more favourable towards Taiwan than they did six months ago, support a hardline stance towards the US if another trade war erupts and view Russia and North Korea most positively and Japan least positively among their neighbours, according to a new survey by the Carter Centre and Emory University. One finding that comes through loud and clear, its authors said, is that mainlanders believe they have arrived and their country now belongs in a grouping limited to China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346151/mainland-chinese-see-taiwan-positively-wont-retreat-us-trade-war-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346151/mainland-chinese-see-taiwan-positively-wont-retreat-us-trade-war-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 20:50:18 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russian and Ukrainian officials are making contradictory claims of battlefield successes in their four-year-old war, with Ukraine saying it has pushed Moscow’s forces back in some places on the front line but the Kremlin insisting that Russia’s invasion of its neighbour is making progress. At the same time, Russia’s almost daily aerial attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine continue. Three powerful glide bombs struck the centre of the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, killing four people, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3346143/russia-ukraine-both-claim-frontline-success-while-us-led-talks-remain-hold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3346143/russia-ukraine-both-claim-frontline-success-while-us-led-talks-remain-hold?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:46:43 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that American military objectives in Iran were nearly complete and the conflict could be nearing an end - a declaration met with a defiant vow from Tehran that the war would end on its own terms. Speaking at a news conference in Florida on the same day he discussed the war in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump claimed the US was “achieving major strides towards completing our military objective”, adding that “some people could say... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346023/trump-and-putin-discuss-quick-ending-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346023/trump-and-putin-discuss-quick-ending-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 20:21:18 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The EU must decide whether the rules-based international order “is more a help or a hindrance to our credibility as a geopolitical actor”, the bloc’s top official said on Monday, in the strongest sign yet that it might break from decades of rigid adherence to global norms. In a speech to the European Union’s ambassadors, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her most forceful rhetoric to date to call time on the old system, urging the diplomats to quickly update their thinking... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345980/get-realpolitik-von-der-leyen-questions-europes-faith-rules-based-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345980/get-realpolitik-von-der-leyen-questions-europes-faith-rules-based-order?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:27:49 +0000 dpa dpa Ukrainian ministers launched a protest at plans to reopen the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale, in a statement published in Kyiv on Sunday. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna called the admission of Russian artists to international events unacceptable and asked the organisers to reconsider their decision. After all, they had condemned Moscow’s aggression soon after the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine more than four years ago, they noted. “It is... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345911/kyiv-protests-against-moscows-participation-venice-biennale-art-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345911/kyiv-protests-against-moscows-participation-venice-biennale-art-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 22:43:25 +0000 Ningrong Liu Ningrong Liu The Iran war has declared the death of the old global order. Europe wasn’t even consulted before Washington struck Iran alongside Israel – proof the continent is trapped between moral outrage and geopolitical irrelevance. If Europe wants to matter, it must shift its gaze eastwards, redefining China not as a binary adversary but as a balancing power. This is the path from Atlantic dependence to Eurasian relevance. For China, too, this moment is pivotal. US President Donald Trump has launched wars... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344614/emerging-world-order-europe-and-chinas-interests-align?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344614/emerging-world-order-europe-and-chinas-interests-align?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 12:30:08 +0000