https://www.scmp.com/rss/519143/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The pace of tropical forest destruction slowed in 2025 after record losses the year before but remained at worrying levels equivalent to 11 football fields per minute, researchers said Wednesday. The world lost 4.3 million hectares (10.6 million acres) of tropical primary rainforest last year, down 36 per cent from 2024, said researchers from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the University of Maryland. “A drop of this scale in a single year is encouraging – it shows what decisive... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3351895/tropical-rainforest-loss-eases-after-record-year-still-11-football-fields-minute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3351895/tropical-rainforest-loss-eases-after-record-year-still-11-football-fields-minute?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:35:31 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg An alleged cocaine boss with a US$2 million bounty on his head was captured by Bolivian forces as the Andean nation renews cooperation with the US after decades of hostility. Dozens of antinarcotics police raided two houses in Santa Cruz in the early hours of Friday, with snipers positioned on nearby rooftops. Their target, Uruguayan citizen Sebastian Enrique Marset Cabrera, was immediately put on a plane to be transferred to the US by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Bolivia’s President... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346567/cartel-boss-us-most-wanted-list-captured-bolivia-raid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346567/cartel-boss-us-most-wanted-list-captured-bolivia-raid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 19:43:26 +0000 Fan Chen,Zhao Ziwen Fan Chen,Zhao Ziwen China has vowed to firmly safeguard its overseas interests – a core objective reaffirmed in its latest five-year plan – at a time when global volatility is testing supply chains and regional influence. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that Beijing would continue to strengthen its capacity to protect Chinese interests and citizens abroad, put the people first, and develop a global system for security and risk prevention. According to analysts, his remarks reflect the growing pressures on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345902/world-full-turmoil-china-stands-firm-mountain-compatriots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345902/world-full-turmoil-china-stands-firm-mountain-compatriots?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A cargo plane carrying money crashed on Friday near Bolivia’s capital, damaging about a dozen vehicles on the highway, scattering bills on the ground and leaving at least 15 people dead and others injured, an official said. Defence Minister Marcelo Salinas said the Hercules C-130 plane was transporting newly printed Bolivian currency when it “landed and veered off the runway” at an airport in El Alto, a city near the capital of La Paz, before ending up in a nearby field. Firefighters managed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344961/plane-carrying-money-crashes-bolivia-killing-15-and-sparking-rush-pick-bills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344961/plane-carrying-money-crashes-bolivia-killing-15-and-sparking-rush-pick-bills?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 05:25:57 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China congratulated ultraconservative José Antonio Kast on his victory in Chile’s presidential race, as the country competes with the United States for influence across Latin America. “China stands ready to work with Chile’s new government to further deepen mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation in all areas,” a foreign ministry spokesman said Monday. A day earlier, Kast, a 59-year-old former lawyer, clinched victory over the government-backed communist candidate Jeanette Jara in a... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3336759/china-seeks-greater-influence-us-backyard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3336759/china-seeks-greater-influence-us-backyard?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:00:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Chinese woman has been arrested and charged over the theft of gold from the Natural History Museum in Paris, in one of several recent high-profile break-ins targeting French cultural institutions, a prosecutor said on Tuesday. The theft – by what the museum’s director at the time said was an “extremely professional team” – took place on September 16, about a month before an audacious jewellery heist at the world-famous Louvre Museum on Sunday. A 24-year-old Chinese woman was arrested in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329828/chinese-woman-held-over-us1-million-gold-theft-paris-natural-history-museum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329828/chinese-woman-held-over-us1-million-gold-theft-paris-natural-history-museum?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:07:57 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Bolivia’s new pro-business president-elect vowed on Monday to renew diplomatic ties with Washington as the South American country veered right after nearly two decades under socialist rule blamed by many for its myriad economic woes. Rodrigo Paz, a 58-year-old economist-turned senator, emerged victorious in a run-off election on Sunday, beating a fellow right-wing rival after a first voting round in August saw the socialist MAS party founded by ex-leader Evo Morales ousted from the race. In his... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3329719/bolivias-president-elect-says-will-resume-ties-us-after-nearly-two-decades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3329719/bolivias-president-elect-says-will-resume-ties-us-after-nearly-two-decades?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 18:55:47 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Bolivians on Sunday elected a pro-business centre-right senator as their new president, ending two decades of socialist rule that left the South American nation deep in economic crisis. With 97.8 per cent of ballots counted, Rodrigo Paz had 54.6 per cent of the vote to 45.4 per cent for his rival, right-wing former interim president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) said. The news was greeted with joy, music and fireworks on the streets of La Paz. “We came to celebrate... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3329597/bolivia-holds-tight-run-voters-seek-president-lift-them-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3329597/bolivia-holds-tight-run-voters-seek-president-lift-them-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Oct 2025 20:04:57 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China has formally joined a South American trade bloc as an observer in a move analysts said would strengthen its strategic foothold in the region and help power industries ranging from artificial intelligence to electric vehicles. Xinhua reported last week that China had been formally accepted as an observer state of the Andean Community, a regional organisation comprising Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. China has engaged with the Andean Community since 1999, when the two sides reached an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327978/china-joins-south-american-trade-bloc-boosting-its-ai-and-ev-industries-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327978/china-joins-south-american-trade-bloc-boosting-its-ai-and-ev-industries-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 10:00:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Centrist senator Rodrigo Paz was leading Bolivia’s presidential election late on Sunday, according to early official results, which showed the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS) on track for its worst election defeat in a generation. Paz of the Christian Democratic Party had secured 32.18 per cent of the vote, while Eduardo del Castillo of MAS had just 3.16 per cent, according to initial results released by the electoral tribunal on Sunday night. Conservative former president Jorge “Tuto”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3322160/polls-close-bolivias-presidential-election-following-steady-turnout-few-disruptions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3322160/polls-close-bolivias-presidential-election-following-steady-turnout-few-disruptions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Aug 2025 21:18:52 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Bolivian policeman taken hostage by demonstrators was blown up with explosives, the government said Thursday, marking a dramatic escalation in the state’s stand-off with backers of ex-president Evo Morales. Clashes between police and Morales’ backers, who are demanding that he be given a shot to return to power, have left at least five dead, including four officers, according to officials. The protests, which began over a week ago, have also grown into a wider revolt against incumbent... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3314304/police-officer-blown-dynamite-bolivias-crisis-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3314304/police-officer-blown-dynamite-bolivias-crisis-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jun 2025 07:35:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Tributes have poured in from across Latin America following the death of Uruguay’s former president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. The 89-year-old – who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity – lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3310235/uruguays-former-leader-jose-mujica-worlds-poorest-president-dies-aged-89?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3310235/uruguays-former-leader-jose-mujica-worlds-poorest-president-dies-aged-89?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 May 2025 00:52:56 +0000 Bolivian-American billionaire Marcelo Claure has floated the idea of offering a US$1 million reward for ex-president Evo Morales, who is the subject of an arrest warrant. Claure, in a post on X late on Saturday, said he would think about the reward, above a photograph of a wanted poster for Evo Morales, implying, but without saying as much, that the reward would be for information leading to the former president’s arrest. Claure, a former COO of SoftBank, now manages his own investment fund and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3297994/billionaire-proposes-us1-million-reward-bolivias-ex-president-evo-morales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3297994/billionaire-proposes-us1-million-reward-bolivias-ex-president-evo-morales?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Feb 2025 02:58:46 +0000 A Bolivian judge ordered the arrest of Evo Morales on Friday, inflicting another blow to the socialist former president’s ambition to run in this year’s election. The court declared Morales in contempt and also ordered his detention on human-trafficking charges, prosecutor Sandra Gutierrez told reporters. The judge also ordered freezing Morales’ bank accounts, according to local television station Unitel. Morales, who is being investigated for allegedly having a child with a minor, did not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3295279/bolivia-judge-orders-arrest-ex-president-morales-human-trafficking-charges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3295279/bolivia-judge-orders-arrest-ex-president-morales-human-trafficking-charges?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jan 2025 19:52:40 +0000 Supporters of Bolivia’s ex-president Evo Morales stormed a barracks in central Chapare province and took around 20 soldiers hostage, military sources said, marking a dramatic escalation in their stand-off with the state. The hostage situation comes nearly three weeks after backers of Morales – the country’s first indigenous leader – began blocking roads to prevent his arrest on what he calls trumped-up rape charges aimed at thwarting his political comeback. Morales, 65, was in office from 2006... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3284904/evo-morales-supporters-storm-bolivia-military-barracks-take-hostages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3284904/evo-morales-supporters-storm-bolivia-military-barracks-take-hostages?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2024 23:58:13 +0000 Bolivia’s government on Monday accused former president Evo Morales of staging an attempt on his own life, saying that the shots fired at his car on Sunday came after he tried to run a police checkpoint. “Mr Morales, nobody believes the theatre you have staged,” Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo told a news conference. He added that Morales, who claims the government tried to kill him, would “have to answer … for the crime of attempted murder” of a police officer. Del Castillo claimed the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3284229/bolivia-government-accuses-morales-staged-assassination-attempt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3284229/bolivia-government-accuses-morales-staged-assassination-attempt?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2024 19:37:42 +0000 The recent tragic explosion at a lithium battery manufacturing facility in South Korea that killed 22 people should be a wake-up call to the world. The Aricell factory housed an estimated 35,000 battery cells on its second floor, where they were inspected and packed. More batteries were stored elsewhere. While the cause of the explosion is unclear, lithium-ion batteries’ flammable properties are well known. Lithium-ion batteries can produce dangerous levels of heat, short circuit easily and can... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3268411/its-time-asia-reckoned-lithium-ion-batteries-sustainability-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3268411/its-time-asia-reckoned-lithium-ion-batteries-sustainability-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jul 2024 12:30:10 +0000 Bolivian President Luis Arce angrily called accusations that he was behind an attempted coup against his government “lies”, saying the general who apparently led it acted on his own and vowing that he would face justice. Arce’s comments on Thursday, his first to the press since Wednesday’s failed apparent coup, came after the general involved, Juan Jose Zuniga, alleged without providing evidence that the president had ordered him to carry out the mutiny in a ruse to boost his flagging... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3268400/bolivias-president-calls-claims-he-was-behind-attempted-coup-lies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3268400/bolivias-president-calls-claims-he-was-behind-attempted-coup-lies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jun 2024 04:29:59 +0000 Bolivian authorities on Thursday paraded handcuffed detainees in front of the media, announcing 17 arrests after a botched coup d’état that has deepened political turmoil in a country mired in severe economic crisis. Tensions have been rising in recent weeks in the Andean nation over surging prices, shortages of dollars and fuel, and a feud between President Luis Arce and his powerful predecessor Evo Morales ahead of 2025 elections. Riot police kept close watch over government buildings a day... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3268357/bolivia-arrests-17-failed-coup-deepens-instability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3268357/bolivia-arrests-17-failed-coup-deepens-instability?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jun 2024 22:18:23 +0000 Bolivian armed forces pulled back from the presidential palace in La Paz on Wednesday evening and two military leaders were arrested after President Luis Arce condemned a “coup” attempt against the government and called for international support. Earlier in the day, military units led by General Juan Jose Zuniga, recently stripped of his military command, had gathered in the central Plaza Murillo square, home to the presidential palace and Congress. An armoured vehicle rammed a door of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3268187/coup-fears-rise-troops-and-tanks-deploy-outside-bolivia-presidency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3268187/coup-fears-rise-troops-and-tanks-deploy-outside-bolivia-presidency?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2024 21:03:48 +0000 Peru has signed a deal with the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies to train thousands of its citizens in new technology. President Dina Boluarte visited Huawei’s headquarters in Shenzhen on Wednesday as part of a week-long visit to China designed to attract more investment. The Peruvian president’s office said she had signed an agreement to train 20,000 young professionals, women and entrepreneurs from small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in new technologies, especially in artificial... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268156/chinese-telecoms-giant-huawei-signs-deal-train-thousands-peruvians-new-technology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268156/chinese-telecoms-giant-huawei-signs-deal-train-thousands-peruvians-new-technology?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2024 12:00:14 +0000 Lionel Messi and Argentina are poised to begin the defence of their Copa America crown when they face Canada in Atlanta. The tournament is taking place across the United States, two years before it hosts the World Cup, and the opener kicks off at 8pm on Thursday local time (8am Friday, Hong Kong time). Argentina won the Covid-delayed 2021 tournament, beating hosts Brazil in the final for their first major honour since 1993. Having won the World Cup just over a year later, the Albiceleste were... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3267416/copa-america-lionel-messis-argentina-defend-title-us-uruguay-brazil-lie-wait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3267416/copa-america-lionel-messis-argentina-defend-title-us-uruguay-brazil-lie-wait?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jun 2024 17:00:09 +0000 Peruvian President Dina Boluarte confirmed on Wednesday that she will be visiting China at the end of June on a trip to drum up more economic investment in her country. During her visit, Boluarte also aims to address recent controversies related to the operation of the megaport in the Peruvian coastal city of Chancay, which is being built with Chinese financing. Chinese leader Xi Jinping had invited Boluarte for a state visit earlier, but her acceptance had been held up because congressional... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3265545/peruvian-president-travel-china-end-june?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3265545/peruvian-president-travel-china-end-june?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jun 2024 22:21:01 +0000 CNGR Advanced Material, a Chinese battery-component maker and Tesla supplier, is looking to buy major stakes in Argentina brine deposits to extend its foray into the lithium-rich region as it builds its own supply chain outside the Asian nation. Senior CNGR executives visited at least three deposits in Argentina last week, according to people familiar with the matter. Those include the Jama project in Jujuy province and the Rincon project in Salta province, said one of the people, who asked not... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3265126/chinas-cngr-looks-snap-more-lithium-projects-argentina?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3265126/chinas-cngr-looks-snap-more-lithium-projects-argentina?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jun 2024 04:13:59 +0000 Spend a few minutes browsing online reviews of hotels, sightseeing attractions and activities and you will notice certain phrases appear more often than others. “Avoid this hotel” is a familiar heading, usually followed by a list of grievances that can run to hundreds of words. “I would give this zero stars if I could,” is another sign that a tourist enterprise has overcharged or under-delivered. And things definitely are not going well when a reviewer resorts to: “I’m standing in the ticket... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3264685/sad-niagara-falls-boring-grand-canyon-venice-its-just-canal-tourists-lol-online-reviews?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3264685/sad-niagara-falls-boring-grand-canyon-venice-its-just-canal-tourists-lol-online-reviews?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 May 2024 10:15:10 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick A World Bank investigation into a US$230 million infrastructure project in Bolivia found numerous violations committed by a large state-owned Chinese construction company, including disregard for local labour laws and environmental damage, complicating work on an enterprise already delayed and over budget. The bank’s board approved the financing in 2017 and awarded it to the Bolivian Road Administration (ABC), which then commissioned China State Construction Engineering Corporation, the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3264778/world-bank-finds-chinese-company-committed-violations-bolivian-infrastructure-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3264778/world-bank-finds-chinese-company-committed-violations-bolivian-infrastructure-project?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 May 2024 19:02:52 +0000 The deadly turbulence on a Singapore Airlines Ltd. flight on its way from London to Singapore has put a spotlight on the world’s most unstable air routes. A British man was killed and seven other people were critically injured after Singapore Air flight SQ321 encountered severe turbulence as it entered Thai airspace on Tuesday, triggering an emergency landing in Bangkok. While the most turbulent flights of all connect Santiago in Chile to Santa Cruz in Bolivia, there are similarly bumpy rides... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3263599/chile-japan-these-flight-routes-suffer-worlds-worst-turbulence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3263599/chile-japan-these-flight-routes-suffer-worlds-worst-turbulence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 May 2024 06:50:08 +0000 President Gustavo Petro said that Colombia will sever diplomatic ties with Israel, whose government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he described as “genocidal” in its war in Gaza. “Tomorrow (Thursday) diplomatic relations with the state of Israel will be severed … for having a government, for having a president that is genocidal,” Petro, a harsh critic of the devastating war against Hamas, told a May Day rally in Bogota on Wednesday. Netanyahu is Israel’s head of government, while the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3261132/colombia-cut-diplomatic-ties-israel-over-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3261132/colombia-cut-diplomatic-ties-israel-over-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 May 2024 03:51:58 +0000 Argentina’s China-friendly policy remains unchanged no matter how its internal situation evolves, the country’s foreign minister said on Tuesday in Beijing, as the South American country moves to stabilise strained bilateral ties following President Javier Milei’s election win in December. “No matter how Argentina’s internal political situation changes, its friendly policy toward China will not change,” Diana Mondino told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to a foreign ministry... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261061/argentinas-foreign-minister-pledges-unchanged-china-friendly-policy-during-visit-aimed-steadying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261061/argentinas-foreign-minister-pledges-unchanged-china-friendly-policy-during-visit-aimed-steadying?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 May 2024 11:30:22 +0000 China has pledged to push ahead with a plan to build a digital economy this year, drawing upon the country’s data assets to drive innovation amid an intensifying tech rivalry with the West. China will adopt an “appropriate forward-thinking plan” to accommodate future digital infrastructure needs, accelerate the creation of a national integrated computing network and pave the way for breakthroughs in digital technology and innovations in key areas, according to a government circular on digital... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3260945/china-highlights-data-and-digital-silk-road-new-plan-drive-innovation-us-tech-rivalry-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3260945/china-highlights-data-and-digital-silk-road-new-plan-drive-innovation-us-tech-rivalry-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Apr 2024 09:58:08 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Bolivian counterpart on Sunday their two countries, which both oppose “hegemony and bullying”, should guard the common interests of the Global South and strengthen political mutual trust. The remarks were made during a meeting in Beijing between Wang and Bolivian Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa Lunda, who is on a three-day visit until Tuesday. During the meeting, Wang called for improved coordination on multilateral strategies between Beijing and La... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3260759/china-and-bolivia-should-safeguard-global-south-interests-says-wang-yi-south-american-nation-appeals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3260759/china-and-bolivia-should-safeguard-global-south-interests-says-wang-yi-south-american-nation-appeals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Apr 2024 06:24:32 +0000 We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Israel ‘unhappy’ with China’s response to Iranian attack After Iran’s strike on Israel, Beijing reacted by ‘expressing deep’ concern and repeating its call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The statement, which Israel said was “not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3259575/israel-unhappy-chinas-response-iran-more-hongkongers-seek-divorce-scmps-7-highlights-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3259575/israel-unhappy-chinas-response-iran-more-hongkongers-seek-divorce-scmps-7-highlights-week?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Apr 2024 03:55:21 +0000 A viral tweet showing a virtual cashier from the Philippines working at a fast-food restaurant in New York City has sparked debate about the proliferation of cross-border remote work and whether it is a sign of job market innovation or a dystopian future built around the exploitation of foreign labour. Tech start-up founder Brett Goldstein posted on X last week about his experience at Japanese fried chicken joint Sansan Chicken in the East Village, where he encountered a Filipino woman working... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3259395/virtual-cashier-zooming-philippines-nyc-restaurant-sparks-debate-about-remote-work-ethics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3259395/virtual-cashier-zooming-philippines-nyc-restaurant-sparks-debate-about-remote-work-ethics?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Apr 2024 04:00:33 +0000 This is the 34th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. The Tsimané are an indigenous people from the Bolivian Amazon in South America. You have probably never heard of them. I had not. I had to look up how to pronounce Tsimané: chee-mah-nay. They are a tiny population – only about 9,000 individuals spread across 80 villages and living in communities of 20 to 30 families. And yet this small group is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3259004/how-prevent-dementia-does-amazonian-tribe-hold-key-it-has-80-cent-lower-incidence-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3259004/how-prevent-dementia-does-amazonian-tribe-hold-key-it-has-80-cent-lower-incidence-west?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Apr 2024 11:15:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A former US ambassador who pleaded guilty to spying for Cuba for over four decades was sentenced in federal court on Friday to 15 years in prison. Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested in December for what US officials called “one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent.” Rocha pleaded not guilty in February to charges of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government but later accepted a plea deal with federal... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3258892/us-ex-envoy-victor-manuel-rocha-who-spied-cuba-sentenced-15-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3258892/us-ex-envoy-victor-manuel-rocha-who-spied-cuba-sentenced-15-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Apr 2024 04:30:45 +0000 A cruise ship reportedly carrying 1,500 passengers was stuck Wednesday in the Spanish northeastern port of Barcelona due to the visa problems of a group of Bolivian passengers who were due to disembark there, officials said. Authorities say 69 Bolivians are not being allowed to leave the ship because they lack valid documents to enter the European Union’s border-free Schengen area. Spanish government officials in the city said they are in contact with Bolivian authorities and the MSC Cruises... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3257756/1500-people-stuck-msc-armony-cruise-ship-spain-due-bolivian-passengers-visa-problems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3257756/1500-people-stuck-msc-armony-cruise-ship-spain-due-bolivian-passengers-visa-problems?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Apr 2024 12:47:26 +0000 In just 100 days, his government has banned most protests, cancelled a ministry for women and a national institute against discrimination, and shut down – by deploying heavily armed police – a state news agency, which it accused of “political bias”. If all these things had happened in Hong Kong, you would have known all about it in 24/7 coverage from Washington and its faithful media servants in the Anglo-American press, just as you have been bombarded with heavily editorialised “news” about... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3257070/argentinas-milei-wants-china-out-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3257070/argentinas-milei-wants-china-out-america?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Mar 2024 13:00:10 +0000 For the Paris Olympics, it could almost be a new sport: score points by hunting down mosaics that a mystery artist who calls himself “Invader” has cemented to walls across France’s capital, the world – including Hong Kong – and even had carried aloft to the International Space Station. Vincent Giraud, one of the artist’s Parisian fans, is already an avid player. He downloaded Invader’s addictive FlashInvaders mobile-phone game that awards points to users who find and photograph the colourful and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3254325/how-2024-paris-olympics-visitors-invader-frances-banksy-will-offer-another-way-discovering-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3254325/how-2024-paris-olympics-visitors-invader-frances-banksy-will-offer-another-way-discovering-city?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Mar 2024 03:10:01 +0000 As ceasefire talks take place between Israel and Hamas, the possibility of an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah is causing global concern as it could lead to untold human tragedy. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz stated that Israel may launch a ground offensive unless hostages are released before the month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on March 10. Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians while Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023 resulted in about... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3253645/amid-israels-siege-hamas-scores-victories-beyond-battlefield?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3253645/amid-israels-siege-hamas-scores-victories-beyond-battlefield?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Feb 2024 12:30:12 +0000 Colombia’s government on Friday announced an expedition to remove items of “incalculable value” from the wreck of the legendary San Jose galleon, which sank in 1708 while laden with gold, silver and emeralds estimated to be worth billions of dollars. Culture Minister Juan David Correa said that seven years after the discovery of the wreck off Colombia’s coast, an underwater robot would be sent to recover some of its bounty. Between April and May, the robot would extract items from the galleon’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3253079/colombia-use-underwater-robot-remove-treasures-worth-billions-18th-century-shipwreck?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3253079/colombia-use-underwater-robot-remove-treasures-worth-billions-18th-century-shipwreck?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Feb 2024 05:50:45 +0000 [The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] 2023 was a year of increasingly serious climate crises, armed conflicts and intensifying geopolitical tensions. At the start of 2024, the world seems further away than ever from achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, as was once hoped. We desperately need to get back on track and accelerate progress. The SDGs are the responsibility of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network... https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/hong-kong/topics/prof-sachs-global-sustainability/article/3249553/inspiring-change-professor-jeffrey-sachs-global-sustainability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/hong-kong/topics/prof-sachs-global-sustainability/article/3249553/inspiring-change-professor-jeffrey-sachs-global-sustainability?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jan 2024 16:00:27 +0000 China says it has discovered a massive deposit of lithium, a key material in the country’s flourishing new-energy sector that has emerged as a pillar of economic growth. And the revelation comes at a time when China has doubled down on efforts to explore domestic resources as it aims to amp up energy and resource security against the backdrop of an intensified global race for core resources that will help power growth. The Ministry of Natural Resources said the huge reserve – about 1 million... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3248961/china-unearths-million-tonne-lithium-deposit-heating-global-resource-race-thailand-also-boasts-big?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3248961/china-unearths-million-tonne-lithium-deposit-heating-global-resource-race-thailand-also-boasts-big?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jan 2024 14:00:13 +0000 The fighting begins and ends with a hug, part of a singular ritual that has residents of the Peruvian Andes punching and kicking in a year-end fight competition known as Takanakuy. Before the duelling starts in an open-air arena, male fighters remove their elaborate headgear – stuffed birds, foxes or even goat heads worn as symbols of strength or to bring good luck. Many participants in the holiday tradition come from the town of San Juan de Lurigancho in Chumbivilcas province, part of the Cusco... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3246907/peruvian-andes-new-year-welcomed-punch-then-hug?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3246907/peruvian-andes-new-year-welcomed-punch-then-hug?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jan 2024 13:00:12 +0000 South Africa launched a case on Friday at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel for what it said were “genocidal” acts in Gaza, with Israel rejecting the case “with disgust.” According to a statement, the ICJ application related to alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Genocide Convention, and said that “Israel has engaged in, is engaging in and risks further engaging in genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza.” In The Hague application, South... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3246726/israel-rejects-disgust-south-africas-international-court-justice-gaza-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3246726/israel-rejects-disgust-south-africas-international-court-justice-gaza-case?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Dec 2023 19:46:46 +0000 From a tour of the Chinese city of Shenzhen, a popular day-trip destination for Hong Kong people, to a look at things travellers don’t get told by tourism boards, we look back at our most popular travel and leisure stories of 2023. 1. Morbid art gets star treatment In May, we looked at how an Alien special effects designer’s works are the star of two Swiss medieval towns that offer an unlikely mix of idyllic backdrops and morbid art. H. R. Giger was born in the Swiss city of Chur, where his... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3246495/most-read-2023-airbnb-crackdown-penang-swiss-towns-morbid-art-alien-movie-effects-designer-7-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3246495/most-read-2023-airbnb-crackdown-penang-swiss-towns-morbid-art-alien-movie-effects-designer-7-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Dec 2023 08:17:08 +0000 Chilean-Italian conductor Paolo Bortolameolli dreamed of being on the podium ever since his dad took him to a classical concert when he was seven years old. “While I was listening to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, I got caught by emotion that I had never felt before and started crying,” the 40-year-old recalls. “I hugged my dad and said, ‘I don’t understand what’s going on, but I can’t stop these tears.’ My dad was so moved he took me backstage after the concert. “When I saw the conductor, I... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3246359/i-cant-stop-these-tears-chilean-italian-conductor-paolo-bortolameolli-his-musical-journey-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3246359/i-cant-stop-these-tears-chilean-italian-conductor-paolo-bortolameolli-his-musical-journey-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Dec 2023 09:15:15 +0000 In Oscar Wilde’s masterful play The Importance of Being Earnest, first performed in 1895, Lady Bracknell famously says that “to lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune, to lose both looks like carelessness”. Fast forward more than a century and this same sentiment is being felt in much of Brussels with the potential failure of the European Union’s free trade negotiations with the Mercosur nations of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The setback comes hard on the heels of the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245710/eu-losing-two-trade-deals-would-look-less-misfortune-more-carelessness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245710/eu-losing-two-trade-deals-would-look-less-misfortune-more-carelessness?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Dec 2023 06:30:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US prosecutors accused a former US diplomat of spying for Cuba’s intelligence service over the decades he held top posts in embassies across Latin America and at the White House, according to a criminal complaint. Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement called the alleged crimes by Victor Manuel Rocha “one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent”. Rocha, 73, a former US ambassador to Bolivia who was also posted to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3243860/us-accuses-former-ambassador-spying-cuba-over-decades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3243860/us-accuses-former-ambassador-spying-cuba-over-decades?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Dec 2023 03:37:55 +0000 Last week, Israel and Hamas announced a deal allowing dozens of hostages and scores of Palestinian prisoners to be freed, while offering besieged Gaza residents a four-day truce after weeks of all-out war. Three exchanges had been made by Sunday. The agreement followed reports of humanitarian aid groups, hospitals and refugee camps being targeted and bombarded. Growing humanitarian concerns over Israeli advances in Gaza ramped up concerns in the Global South. For these developing countries, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3242963/how-israel-gaza-war-and-western-reaction-are-shaping-role-and-ambition-diverse-global-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3242963/how-israel-gaza-war-and-western-reaction-are-shaping-role-and-ambition-diverse-global-south?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Nov 2023 14:00:12 +0000 As the pendulum of geopolitics swings in a different direction, driven by the Ukraine war and US-China rivalry, one of the new realities is that populism is back, with a fierceness unseen in modern times. Look no further than Latin America. As Argentina grapples with an unprecedented economic crisis, the populace has elected Javier Milei as president. His ideas, if implemented, could reshape global affairs. When campaigning for president, Milei proposed bold changes to his nation’s relationship... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3242333/how-argentinas-radical-new-pro-us-leader-javier-milei-could-rock-latin-america-and-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3242333/how-argentinas-radical-new-pro-us-leader-javier-milei-could-rock-latin-america-and-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Nov 2023 11:30:11 +0000