https://www.scmp.com/rss/519128/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The war in Iran and ensuing closure of the Strait of Hormuz has exposed the risks of over-reliance on the Persian Gulf for oil, turning Beijing’s Mediterranean infrastructure plans from long-term goals into urgent strategic necessities. From Algerian oilfields to Moroccan battery factories and Egypt’s industrial base, China might now fast-track these projects to create a Mediterranean hub for a green-energy supply chain, observers said. Beijing aims to create a strategic backup that protects its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350427/why-china-urgently-looking-north-africa-energy-crisis-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350427/why-china-urgently-looking-north-africa-energy-crisis-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo has said the world needs to hear a message of peace and coexistence, after US President Donald Trump attacked him for a second time this week on social media. Speaking on Wednesday during his flight from Algeria to Cameroon for the second leg of a whirlwind 10-day ‌Africa tour, the first US pontiff urged respect for all people and said his travels so far had shown the importance of pursuing dialogue between different communities. “Although we have different beliefs, we have different... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350217/pope-leo-stresses-message-peace-and-unity-despite-another-trump-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350217/pope-leo-stresses-message-peace-and-unity-despite-another-trump-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:15:08 +0000 Bob Savic Bob Savic China’s investments in North Africa have intensified in 2026, building on long-standing Belt and Road Initiative frameworks while accelerating amid the US-Israeli war with Iran. With 40-50 per cent of China’s seaborne oil imports traditionally passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which is now blocked to most container traffic, Beijing has sought to diversify energy sources away from Gulf Arab states. For more than a decade, Beijing has pursued deeper engagement across the Middle East and North... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348801/chinas-growing-north-africa-presence-structural-challenge-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348801/chinas-growing-north-africa-presence-structural-challenge-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Across major African cities such as Nairobi, Lusaka, and Abuja, governments are using surveillance technologies and credit lines from China to monitor public spaces and curb crime, a new survey shows. The UK-based Institute of Development Studies (IDS) said Chinese banks were increasingly funding African governments to build and maintain digital infrastructure – including surveillance cameras and command and control centres – under the “safe city” project, also known as “smart city”, which is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday it was reintroducing testing for gender to determine eligibility to compete in the female category, preventing transgender women from competing. The screening will mean Olympic women’s sports at the 2028 Los Angeles Games will be limited to biological females, which would also rule out those with differences in sexual development (DSD) from competing. The IOC is abandoning rules it brought in in 2021 which allowed individual federations... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348045/olympic-womens-sport-be-limited-biological-females?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348045/olympic-womens-sport-be-limited-biological-females?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:44:48 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu The Iran war has cut off a fifth of global oil and LNG supply, handing African producers “a structural advantage” in supplying global markets, although their capacity is hampered by factors beyond the Middle East conflict, according to analysts. “West and North African exports are largely insulated from the conflict, meaning barrels from Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, Algeria and Libya are viewed as lower-risk alternatives,” said Grace Goodrich and Anne-Laure Klein of Energy, Capital & Power, a Cape... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347841/african-producers-may-have-energy-edge-during-iran-war-if-they-can-overcome-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347841/african-producers-may-have-energy-edge-during-iran-war-if-they-can-overcome-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu The ripples of the US-Israel on Iran are fuelling inflationary pressures across Africa through higher energy and fertiliser prices, threatening a fragile economic recovery. Most of Africa’s 54 countries depend on fuel imports and have experienced sharp increases in fuel prices, driven by disruptions to Middle East exports and the surge in global prices. Most are just getting over the price shocks caused by Russia’s war with Ukraine, which started in 2022 and has hurt many African countries that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347572/iran-war-delivers-new-inflation-stress-african-economies-emerging-older-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347572/iran-war-delivers-new-inflation-stress-african-economies-emerging-older-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:13:26 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Just days ahead of the US-Israeli air strikes on Iran, a news report suggested that Beijing was close to selling supersonic cruise missiles to Tehran – a move that could significantly boost the Islamic Republic’s capacity to counter US aircraft carriers. Before the world could work out whether game-changing Chinese missiles really would feature in an Iranian conflict against US forces, Beijing firmly denied the report, published by Reuters on February 24. Citing six sources, Reuters reported... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346026/what-if-iran-really-did-buy-export-variant-chinas-yj-12-supersonic-missile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346026/what-if-iran-really-did-buy-export-variant-chinas-yj-12-supersonic-missile?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage From a satellite ground station in Namibia to an Egyptian laboratory in orbit, China has been building the hi-tech backbone of Africa’s space ambitions. Earlier this month, Beijing handed over a new satellite data ground station near Windhoek, Namibia – the latest in a growing network of space facilities across the continent built by China or with Chinese funding. The China-funded ground station at Windhoek’s Telecom Earth Station enables Namibia to process remote-sensing data from satellites,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344266/how-china-building-hi-tech-backbone-africas-space-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344266/how-china-building-hi-tech-backbone-africas-space-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage In the heart of Algeria’s Sahara Desert, Chinese state-owned giant China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) has completed laying track on the PK330 Bridge, a final and critical link in a new railway designed to unlock the nation’s mineral wealth. The 6km (3.7-mile) bridge is part of the 950km railway linking the Gara Djebilet iron ore deposit in southwestern Tindouf province to the industrial hub of Bechar in the northeast. It was the “most technically demanding railway engineering feat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337896/how-algeria-could-help-china-plug-iron-ore-gaps-and-gain-pricing-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337896/how-algeria-could-help-china-plug-iron-ore-gaps-and-gain-pricing-power?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 08:00:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters Luca Zidane, son ‌of French World Cup-winner Zinedine, said his grandfather had supported him in switching international allegiance to Algeria, ‍after playing for France at junior level. Zinedine Zidane is widely regarded as one of the greatest French footballers, inspiring his country to their first World Cup victory in 1998 and scoring two goals in the 3-0 win over Brazil in the final in Paris. The midfielder also ⁠guided them to the Euro 2000 trophy, achieving an unprecedented double for Les... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3337733/grandpa-encouraged-me-play-algeria-says-son-french-football-legend-zinedine-zidane?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3337733/grandpa-encouraged-me-play-algeria-says-son-french-football-legend-zinedine-zidane?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Algeria’s parliament unanimously approved on Wednesday a law declaring France’s colonisation of the country a crime, demanding an apology and reparations in a move Paris condemned as “hostile”. Standing in the chamber, lawmakers wearing scarves in the colours of the national flag chanted “long live Algeria” as they applauded the passage of the bill, which states that France holds “legal responsibility for its colonial past in Algeria and the tragedies it caused”. The vote comes as the two... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3337664/algeria-brands-french-colonisation-crime-demands-apology-reparations-landmark-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3337664/algeria-brands-french-colonisation-crime-demands-apology-reparations-landmark-move?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 15:08:45 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press African leaders have made a new push to have colonial-era crimes recognised, criminalised and addressed through reparations. At a conference in Algiers on Sunday, diplomats and leaders convened to advance an African Union resolution passed at a meeting earlier this year calling for justice and reparations for victims of colonialism. In his opening speech, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf said Algeria’s experience under French rule underscored the need to seek compensation and reclaim stolen... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3334726/african-nations-push-recognition-colonial-crimes-and-reparations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3334726/african-nations-push-recognition-colonial-crimes-and-reparations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 04:41:47 +0000 Reuters Reuters Opec is set to agree on Sunday on another modest increase in oil output targets, three sources familiar with the talks said, as the producers’ group moderates plans to regain market share due to rising supply glut fears. Opec has raised output targets by more than 2.7 million barrels per day (bpd) – about 2.5 per cent of global supply – since April but slowed the pace in October and November from larger increases amid predictions of a looming oversupply. New Western sanctions on Opec member... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3331245/opec-agrees-output-increase-moderates-plans-due-glut-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3331245/opec-agrees-output-increase-moderates-plans-due-glut-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 13:31:54 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A woman arrested this week along with four other suspects over the unprecedented jewel heist at the Louvre was charged and remanded in custody on Saturday. The 38-year-old was in tears as she appeared at a Paris court, saying she feared for “her children” and for herself. She has been charged with complicity in organised theft and criminal conspiracy with a view to committing a crime. The magistrate justified the detention of the woman who lives in the French capital’s northern suburb of La... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3331199/woman-charged-over-louvre-heist-tears-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3331199/woman-charged-over-louvre-heist-tears-court?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2025 17:28:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A French court on Friday sentenced an Algerian woman to life imprisonment without parole for raping, torturing and murdering a girl in Paris, making her the first woman to receive this maximum sentence. Dahbia Benkired was handed an “irreducible life sentence” for killing 12-year-old Lola Daviet in the French capital in 2022, in a case that horrified the country and sparked anti-immigration fervour because the woman did not have the right to be in France. The sentence is the harshest under the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330288/algerian-woman-gets-life-sentence-rape-torture-and-murder-french-girl?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330288/algerian-woman-gets-life-sentence-rape-torture-and-murder-french-girl?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 23:32:52 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Iran has recalled its ambassadors to Britain, France and Germany, according to its state media. The move came hours after the UN Security Council voted down a resolution backed by China and Russia seeking to prevent the reimposition of global sanctions against the Islamic republic. China and Russia tabled a draft resolution on Friday aimed at halting the snapback mechanism under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) of 2015. This mechanism, initiated by the United Kingdom, France and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327091/iran-recalls-envoys-uk-france-and-germany-after-china-backed-un-resolution-fails?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327091/iran-recalls-envoys-uk-france-and-germany-after-china-backed-un-resolution-fails?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 12:14:03 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage African solar energy use is surging, with Chinese-made panels a common sight across the continent, on rooftops and in the massive renewable energy plants being built in countries such as Algeria and South Africa by companies from China. An Oxford Economics study released on Monday showed the continent welcomed a record 9,516 megawatts worth of Chinese-made solar panels in the first seven months of this year, from just 6,625MW in the same period last year. The trend reflects how Africa is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326649/chinese-solar-panels-rewire-africa-future-record-pace-costs-fall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326649/chinese-solar-panels-rewire-africa-future-record-pace-costs-fall?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 02:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Eight key members of the Opec alliance said Sunday they have agreed to again boost oil production, in a strategy analysts saw as a bid to gain a bigger market share of crude sales. Oil ministers in the V8 grouping – comprising Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman – decided to increase production by 137,000 barrels a day (bpd) from next month, they said in a statement. Those countries had already increased production by 2.2 million bpd in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3324668/key-opec-members-send-big-message-higher-oil-production?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3324668/key-opec-members-send-big-message-higher-oil-production?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Sep 2025 15:32:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A French judge on Sunday charged a homeless man, whose identity and nationality remain uncertain, for the murders of four men whose bodies were found in the River Seine just outside Paris, prosecutors said. The bodies, some partially naked, were found on August 13 in the river in the southeastern suburb of Choisy-le-Roi. A passenger on a passing train saw one body floating in the river and the others were found later. The suspect was detained on Wednesday and placed in pre-trial detention, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323000/homeless-man-charged-murder-after-4-bodies-found-frances-river-seine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323000/homeless-man-charged-murder-after-4-bodies-found-frances-river-seine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 19:22:52 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A man has survived clinging to the outside of an Austrian high-speed train, Austria’s state railway said on Sunday, reportedly after it left while he was having a cigarette break. The man late on Saturday grabbed onto the outside of the train at St Poelten, west of Vienna, railways spokesman Herbert Hofer said, and was later taken on board after the train performed an emergency stop. “It is irresponsible, this kind of thing usually ends up with someone dying,” he said. “And you’re not just... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3321410/smoke-break-leads-dramatic-ride-man-clinging-high-speed-train-austria?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3321410/smoke-break-leads-dramatic-ride-man-clinging-high-speed-train-austria?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 04:20:41 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage On the outskirts of the Namibian capital Windhoek, a Chinese-funded and built satellite data receiving ground station symbolises China’s growing cooperation in Africa’s nascent space industry. The station was described by the Chinese embassy as “a shining example of China-Namibia cooperation” as they celebrated the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations. In a social media post on July 18 announcing the completion of the satellite facility ahead of time earlier this year, the embassy said it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320537/china-built-satellite-station-shining-example-support-namibian-space-programme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320537/china-built-satellite-station-shining-example-support-namibian-space-programme?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is poised to begin receiving iron ore shipments from Guinea and Algeria this year, as Chinese firms complete the railway lines and ports needed to overcome logistical bottlenecks. For years, the lack of railway infrastructure connecting mine sites to port facilities had stymied iron ore exports from both nations. These massive projects are strategically important to China as it tries to diversify its supply of iron ore away from Australia and Brazil, which together account for about 80 per... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318968/new-railway-lines-put-guinea-and-algeria-track-send-iron-ore-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318968/new-railway-lines-put-guinea-and-algeria-track-send-iron-ore-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 06:00:13 +0000 Mark Magnier,Frank Chen Mark Magnier,Frank Chen Adapting his “flood the zone” tactic to foreign trade, US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday another flurry of take-it-or-leave-it letters imposing tariffs on Brazil and six smaller economies that have resisted him or are too small to merit individual negotiating attention. Late Wednesday, the US president threatened to slap a 50 per cent tariff on Brazil in part as retaliation for its ongoing prosecution of his ally, the country’s former president Jair Bolsonaro. This represented a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3317603/trump-announces-new-tariffs-six-smaller-economies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3317603/trump-announces-new-tariffs-six-smaller-economies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 16:57:45 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A convoy of buses and private cars departed for Gaza from Tunisia’s capital on Monday as part of efforts to spotlight Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid to the territory, even as Israeli authorities stopped a high-profile flotilla from landing there. The overland effort – organised independently but moved up to coincide with the flotilla – is made up of activists, lawyers and medical professionals from North Africa. It plans to cross Tunisia, Libya and Egypt before reaching Rafah, the border... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3313757/convoy-sets-gaza-north-africa-protest-against-israels-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3313757/convoy-sets-gaza-north-africa-protest-against-israels-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jun 2025 17:03:22 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is redirecting its electric vehicle (EV) strategy in the face of mounting tariffs from the US and EU, gradually pivoting from these established export markets towards emerging ones such as Africa. The Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, revealed plans earlier this month for EV and battery plants in the West African country. This is expected to boost local industrialisation as well as help Nigeria to capitalise on its rich deposits of lithium, a critical material for EV batteries and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311843/china-eyes-africa-it-shifts-ev-gears-face-us-eu-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311843/china-eyes-africa-it-shifts-ev-gears-face-us-eu-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 May 2025 03:00:07 +0000 A French-Algerian man went on trial in France on Monday for burning to death his wife in 2021, a case that shocked the public and sparked heavy criticism of police for failing to take adequate measures to protect her. In 2021 Mounir Boutaa, now 48, stalked his Algerian-born wife Chahinez Daoud following their separation, and even bought a van he parked outside her house near Bordeaux in southwestern France, which he used to watch her without being detected himself. On May 4 of that year, he... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3303696/french-algerian-man-trial-bordeaux-burning-wife-alive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3303696/french-algerian-man-trial-bordeaux-burning-wife-alive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Mar 2025 18:31:38 +0000 On his way back from the G20 summit in Brazil last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a quick, but important, stop in Morocco. There, he met the 21-year-old Moroccan Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, with the pair reaffirming their joint commitments to deepen ties between the two countries. It may have been a flying visit, but it was also a strategic one. According to observers, Morocco and other countries in the Maghreb region, which takes in western and central North Africa, are pivotal to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3288608/what-xis-flying-visit-morocco-means-chinas-ev-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3288608/what-xis-flying-visit-morocco-means-chinas-ev-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Nov 2024 09:00:10 +0000 A Swiss tourist was murdered in Algeria this month when a knife-wielding man attacked her at a cafe in front of her children, slitting her throat while shouting “Allahu akbar”, media reported. The attack took place in Djanet in southeastern Algeria on October 11, but was first reported this week by the French newspaper Liberation. Switzerland’s foreign ministry told AFP that it was aware of “the violent death of a Swiss citizen on October 11 in southeastern Algeria”. It said she had been part of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3283722/swiss-tourist-algeria-killed-knife-attack-cafe-front-her-children-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3283722/swiss-tourist-algeria-killed-knife-attack-cafe-front-her-children-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Oct 2024 11:24:42 +0000 Algeria’s incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been re-elected with almost 95 per cent of the vote, the country’s electoral authority ANIE said. More than 5.3 million people voted for Tebboune, accounting for “94.65 per cent of the vote”, ANIE head Mohamed Charfi told reporters on Sunday. Tebboune, 78, was heavily favoured to secure a five-year second term in the race against moderate Islamist Abdelaali Hassani, 57, who took 3.17 per cent of the vote, and socialist candidate Youcef... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3277703/algerias-tebboune-re-elected-president-second-term?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3277703/algerias-tebboune-re-elected-president-second-term?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Sep 2024 23:29:02 +0000 Algerians head to the polls on Saturday to cast votes for president and determine who will govern their gas-rich North African nation – five years after pro-democracy protests prompted the military to oust the previous president after two decades in power. Since elections were scheduled in March – ahead of the predicted schedule – there has been little suspense as military-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune appears poised to breeze to victory against the two challengers running against... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3277618/algerians-vote-president-tebboune-faces-easy-re-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3277618/algerians-vote-president-tebboune-faces-easy-re-election?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Sep 2024 11:16:05 +0000 With an outpouring of fans greeting her as she arrived in her hometown on Friday, Olympic gold medal-winning boxer Imane Khelif extolled Algeria for backing its athletes and said she hoped to again make her country proud in the future. The football-obsessed North African country has given Khelif the celebrity treatment since she returned to Algiers earlier this week. Nowhere has this been more true than Tiaret, the largely rural region in central Algeria where she grew up and learned to box. She... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3274867/olympic-gold-winning-boxer-imane-khelif-given-street-parade-return-algeria?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3274867/olympic-gold-winning-boxer-imane-khelif-given-street-parade-return-algeria?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Aug 2024 07:52:23 +0000 China’s success in bringing together rival Palestinian factions is only a first step, according to diplomatic observers who warned it faces a bigger challenge in making the deal stick and getting Israel on board. “The declaration is a great breakthrough, but it will not be easy to advance it,” said Ma Xiaolin, an international relations specialist at Zhejiang International Studies University. “The first step is to push for a ceasefire, but Israel has not changed its position on Hamas and has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3271752/chinas-middle-east-peace-drive-faces-big-challenges-after-brokering-palestinian-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3271752/chinas-middle-east-peace-drive-faces-big-challenges-after-brokering-palestinian-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 14:00:11 +0000 It did not take Jean-Luc Melenchon long to seize the moment after initial poll indications of the French legislative vote showed the leftist New Popular Front was headed to a shock victory. Before other leaders of that alliance – which includes his own far-left France Unbowed, the Socialists and the Greens – could get a word in, Melenchon took centre stage at a gathering of followers, demanding that it should be called on to govern the country. He also declared that the New Popular Front will... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3269528/who-jean-luc-melenchon-leftist-leader-defiant-after-french-election-victory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3269528/who-jean-luc-melenchon-leftist-leader-defiant-after-french-election-victory?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2024 20:26:42 +0000 Refugees and migrants face extreme violence, abuse and exploitation on land routes crossing Africa to get to the Mediterranean, with far more believed to be dying there than at sea, a UN-backed report said Friday. Nearly 30,000 migrants have been declared dead or missing attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe in the past decade. But it could be even worse for those travelling through Africa to the coast, according to a report from United Nations agencies for refugees and migrants and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3269366/migrants-face-unimaginable-horrors-crossing-africa-reach-mediterranean-says-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3269366/migrants-face-unimaginable-horrors-crossing-africa-reach-mediterranean-says-un?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jul 2024 10:59:16 +0000 On December 7, 1970, German chancellor Willy Brandt famously fell to his knees after laying a wreath of white flowers at the foot of the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, in Warsaw, Poland. This gesture of penance, on behalf of Germany for crimes committed by the Nazis, was one of the first political apologies that was broadcast on television for the public to see. Today, that video clip constitutes the opening of Apologies, a three-channel video installation by Taiwanese-American artist and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3269036/pope-macron-world-leaders-apologies-compiled-artists-hong-kong-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3269036/pope-macron-world-leaders-apologies-compiled-artists-hong-kong-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2024 08:15:09 +0000 Chinese companies are ramping up their acquisition of major copper, cobalt and lithium mining projects in Africa, dominating the critical minerals market, as Beijing positions itself to lead the global green energy transition. In one of the most recent investments, Chinese firm JCHX Mining Management is close to finalising a deal to buy Zambia’s Lubambe copper mine. The deal, which is awaiting approval from the Zambian authorities, would see the Shanghai-listed mining services and contracting... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268373/china-buy-another-african-mine-it-elbows-lead-global-green-energy-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268373/china-buy-another-african-mine-it-elbows-lead-global-green-energy-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jul 2024 08:00:18 +0000 China has displayed Nato-standard artillery at a leading defence exhibition in France in an attempt to boost its land-based weapons exports, but it faces fierce sales competition from its Western counterparts and geopolitical headwinds, analysts said. Last week, 61 Chinese defence contractors took part in Eurosatory, one of the largest defence exhibitions in Europe, a significant increase from the previous show in 2022 when fewer than 10 companies from China were present at the Paris event. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3267813/chinese-arms-firm-shows-nato-standard-artillery-aim-boosting-weapon-exports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3267813/chinese-arms-firm-shows-nato-standard-artillery-aim-boosting-weapon-exports?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2024 08:01:27 +0000 Nvidia has signed a deal to deploy its artificial intelligence technology at data centres owned by Qatari telecoms group Ooredoo in five Middle Eastern countries, Ooredoo’s CEO said. The agreement marks Nvidia’s first large-scale launch in a region to which Washington has curbed the export of sophisticated US chips to stop Chinese firms from using Middle Eastern countries as a back door to access the newest AI technology. It will make Ooredoo the first company in the region able to give clients... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3267721/nvidia-launch-middle-east-amid-us-curbs-ai-exports-concerns-china-dodging-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3267721/nvidia-launch-middle-east-amid-us-curbs-ai-exports-concerns-china-dodging-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jun 2024 13:14:39 +0000 Before the 2011 revolution that toppled Muammar Gaddafi and led to a bloody civil war in Libya, China had vast interests in the oil-rich North African nation. At the time, 75 Chinese companies controlled 50 large projects with a contract value of more than US$20 billion, according to estimates by China’s ministry of commerce. Spanning oil, construction, railways and telecoms, the extensive Chinese investments came to an abrupt halt after some of the companies were raided and dozens of workers... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3267487/china-makes-moves-reopen-economic-ties-libya-13-years-after-suspending-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3267487/china-makes-moves-reopen-economic-ties-libya-13-years-after-suspending-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jun 2024 08:00:15 +0000 Deadly heatwaves scorched cities on four continents as the Northern Hemisphere marked the start of summer, a sign that climate change may again help to fuel record-breaking heat that could surpass last summer as the warmest in 2,000 years. Record temperatures in recent days were suspected to have caused hundreds, if not thousands, of deaths across Asia and Europe. In Saudi Arabia, nearly two million Muslim pilgrims were finishing the haj at the Grand Mosque in Mecca this week. But hundreds have... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3267488/heatwaves-kill-hundreds-millions-swelter-summer-northern-hemisphere-begins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3267488/heatwaves-kill-hundreds-millions-swelter-summer-northern-hemisphere-begins?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 05:38:36 +0000 Two weeks after China and Bahrain agreed to form a comprehensive strategic partnership (CSP), analysts remain baffled by Beijing’s decision to offer its strongest form of diplomatic alliance to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom, with some saying the pact is aimed at undermining US interests in the region. Beijing’s selection of Bahrain, roughly two-thirds the size of Hong Kong and the smallest oil producer in the hydrocarbons-rich Gulf, has confounded leading experts on China’s role in the Middle... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3266694/are-us-interests-real-target-chinas-puzzling-new-partnership-bahrain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3266694/are-us-interests-real-target-chinas-puzzling-new-partnership-bahrain?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jun 2024 10:00:17 +0000 Leaders of the Group of Seven major democracies (G7) started their annual summit on Thursday, many of them under a cloud at home but determined to make a difference on the world stage as they seek to help Ukraine and counter China’s economic ambitions. Heading into two days of talks, diplomats said a deal had been agreed to issue US$50 billion of loans for Ukraine backed by proceeds from immobilised Russian assets, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday. “All G7 are... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3266508/g7-backs-deal-use-us50-billion-russian-assets-ukraine-seeks-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3266508/g7-backs-deal-use-us50-billion-russian-assets-ukraine-seeks-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:30:15 +0000 Italy hosts the annual summit of leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies on June 13-15. Where is the summit being held? The meeting is being held in Borgo Egnazia in the southern region of Puglia - a luxury hotel with a Michelin starred restaurant. Set among olive trees and boasting its own private beach offering an array of water sports, the complex is made up of traditional-style buildings and cobbled streets lined with flowers. Within its walls are bars, restaurants, shops and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3266279/whats-agenda-2024-g7-summit-italy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3266279/whats-agenda-2024-g7-summit-italy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2024 06:10:58 +0000 Group of Seven (G7) leaders are meeting in southern Italy this week for their annual summit in downbeat mood, confronting myriad woes at home even as they seek solutions for many of the world’s most pressing problems. US President Joe Biden faces a polarised electorate and dismal approval ratings ahead of a re-election bid in November while British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak looks certain to lose power in a national vote next month. The leaders of France and Germany, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3266271/beset-problems-home-g7-leaders-gather-italy-confront-global-woes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3266271/beset-problems-home-g7-leaders-gather-italy-confront-global-woes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2024 05:40:13 +0000 The United Nations Security Council backed a proposal outlined by US President Joe Biden for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and urged the Palestinian militants to accept the deal aimed at ending the eight-month-long war. Hamas welcomed the adoption of the US-drafted resolution and said in a statement that it is ready to cooperate with mediators over implementing the principles of the plan “that are consistent with the demands of our people and resistance”. Russia... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3266091/un-security-council-backs-bidens-3-phase-plan-israel-hamas-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3266091/un-security-council-backs-bidens-3-phase-plan-israel-hamas-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2024 20:16:38 +0000 Maurice Gourdault-Montagne was a French diplomat from 1978 until 2019, serving as ambassador to Japan, Britain, Germany and China. He was former president Jacques Chirac’s senior diplomatic adviser and was also President Emmanuel Macron’s special envoy to the UAE. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. Could I start by asking for your take on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Europe? This trip was very important in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265974/can-china-and-france-help-reinvent-future-trade-ukraine-and-gaza-former-diplomat-gives-his-view?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265974/can-china-and-france-help-reinvent-future-trade-ukraine-and-gaza-former-diplomat-gives-his-view?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jun 2024 22:00:19 +0000 From June 1 to August 31, Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard holders will have the chance to enjoy special promotions at a curated selection of the city’s top tables. From Chinese and Japanese, to Italian, Peruvian and Singaporean, these restaurants present some of the best dishes Hong Kong has to offer, all thoughtfully paired with complimentary wine and champagne. Get ready to savour the season with the Celebrating Flavours with Standard Chartered: Summer Sipping Offer, and stay tuned for... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/dining/article/3264496/luxe-dining-edit-beat-hong-kong-heat-these-6-restaurants-offering-special-promotions-summer-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/dining/article/3264496/luxe-dining-edit-beat-hong-kong-heat-these-6-restaurants-offering-special-promotions-summer-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 May 2024 08:00:15 +0000 Rafah residents reported intense artillery shelling and gunfire on Thursday in Gaza’s far-southern city after Israel said it had seized a strategic corridor on the Palestinian territory’s border with Egypt. The Israeli military launched its incursion into Rafah in early May, despite international objections over the fate of Palestinian civilians sheltering there. A strike over the weekend that started a fire and killed dozens in a displacement camp drew a wave of fresh condemnation, including a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3264749/rafah-battles-intensify-israel-takes-over-gaza-egypt-border-strip-cut-smuggling-tunnels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3264749/rafah-battles-intensify-israel-takes-over-gaza-egypt-border-strip-cut-smuggling-tunnels?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 May 2024 12:13:37 +0000 Israel’s military denied striking a tent camp west of Rafah after Gaza health authorities said Israeli tank shelling on Tuesday had killed at least 21 people there, in an area Israel has designated a civilian evacuation zone. Earlier, defying an appeal from the International Court of Justice, Israeli tanks advanced to the heart of Rafah for the first time after a night of heavy bombardment, while Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognised a Palestinian state, a move that further deepened... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3264481/gaza-officials-say-israeli-tanks-shell-evacuation-zone-near-rafah-israel-denies-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3264481/gaza-officials-say-israeli-tanks-shell-evacuation-zone-near-rafah-israel-denies-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 May 2024 18:26:32 +0000