https://www.scmp.com/rss/519222/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Muhammad Faizan Fakhar Muhammad Faizan Fakhar Much Western discourse on artificial intelligence has lately focused on establishing safeguards and installing guardrails against powerful new AI systems, algorithmic bias, the collusion of governments and tech oligarchs, and rising related environmental costs. The growing AI backlash in the West has been labelled a “botlash” in a recent commentary by Stanford University’s Marietje Schaake, who includes anti-AI movements such as “QuitGPT”, “Resist and Unsubscribe” and “Stealing Isn’t... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349034/danger-global-souths-pursuit-ai-magical-cure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349034/danger-global-souths-pursuit-ai-magical-cure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Last month in Florida, many leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean showed up for the so-called Shield of the Americas summit. Prefacing his speech, the self-styled US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared, “I only speak American.” Most people there spoke Spanish and/or English. Both the northern and the southern parts of the hemisphere are called American, but there is no such language as Hegseth’s, at least linguistically. However, it was clear what he meant. The United States just... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349098/why-beijing-now-only-true-partner-africa-and-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3349098/why-beijing-now-only-true-partner-africa-and-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 15:05:43 +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 Associated Press Associated Press Fatima Nazha slept on the street for two days after she and her family fled their home in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli mass evacuation order. All of the schools the government turned into shelters were full, and the family could not afford a hotel or a flat, so she and her husband eventually moved into a tent in the country’s biggest stadium while their children and grandchildren found shelter near the southern coastal city of Sidon. In just 10 days, more than 800,000 people in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346678/over-800000-lebanese-1-7-population-displaced-war-10-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346678/over-800000-lebanese-1-7-population-displaced-war-10-days?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 13:54:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters A total ⁠of ⁠62 ⁠people including eight children have died since heavy rains and flooding hit Kenya’s capital ‌Nairobi and other areas late last week, police said on Saturday. The capital was the worst hit with ⁠33 deaths, the force said in ‌a statement on X that updated the official ‌tally of casualties. More than 2,000 ⁠families ⁠have been displaced across Kenya and ‌intense rain was continuing in several ‌regions, it ‌added. Aid workers started pulling ‌bodies from floodwaters across Nairobi... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346673/kenya-floods-death-toll-rises-62-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346673/kenya-floods-death-toll-rises-62-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:48:32 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Fatima Nazha slept on the streets for two days after she and her family fled their home in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli mass evacuation order. All of the schools the government turned into shelters were full, and the family could not afford a hotel or a flat, so she and her husband eventually moved into a tent in the country’s biggest stadium while their children and grandchildren found shelter near the southern coastal city of Sidon. In just 10 days, more than 800,000 people... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346600/aid-groups-warn-humanitarian-crisis-lebanon-nearly-1-million-displaced-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346600/aid-groups-warn-humanitarian-crisis-lebanon-nearly-1-million-displaced-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 09:50:46 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Africa’s top regional body is hosting its annual summit in Ethiopia this weekend to discuss the future of the continent of some 1.4 billion people, as the organisation faces widespread discontent. Set up to “promote the unity and solidarity of the African States,” analysts say the African Union faces a legitimacy crisis among youth for failing to meet their expectations. Meanwhile, several African countries battle military coups, disputed elections and protests inspired by economic hardship... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3343583/african-union-youth-anger-mounts-over-corruption-lack-accountability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3343583/african-union-youth-anger-mounts-over-corruption-lack-accountability?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:54:30 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse IShowSpeed, a 21-year-old African-American influencer, has raced a cheetah, leapt with Maasai warriors and drawn huge crowds in a month-long tour of Africa that has also busted cliches about the continent. The YouTube and Twitch star’s tour, which started on December 29, has taken him to 20 countries, showing his tens of millions of followers a different side of Africa as he visited a diamond mine in Botswana, discovered Ethiopia’s rich cuisine and attended the Africa Cup of Nations football... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341650/youtube-star-ishowspeeds-africa-tour-offers-different-narrative-tv-stereotypes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341650/youtube-star-ishowspeeds-africa-tour-offers-different-narrative-tv-stereotypes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye China’s biggest mining company Zijin Mining Group is acquiring Canadian miner Allied Gold in an all-cash deal valued at about C$5.5 billion (US$4 billion), the first major cross-border transaction after Beijing and Ottawa recently reset ties after years of diplomatic strain. Zijin Gold International, a Hong Kong-listed subsidiary of Zijin Mining, agreed to buy all issued and outstanding shares of Allied Gold for C$44 per share, according to a joint announcement on Monday. Zijin Gold’s shares... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3341330/chinas-largest-gold-miner-zijin-buys-canadas-allied-gold-us4-billion-ties-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3341330/chinas-largest-gold-miner-zijin-buys-canadas-allied-gold-us4-billion-ties-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 03:37:54 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese lending to Africa dropped by nearly half to US$2.1 billion in 2024 compared with the previous year, according to a new report. The decline formed part of a decade-long trend. Lending had been on an upward trajectory since 2006 and peaked between 2012 and 2018 – a period that saw the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative – when it passed the US$10 billion mark each year. At its height in 2016, Beijing lent US$28.8 billion. But since 2020, the annual total has not crossed the US$5 billion... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341213/chinese-lending-africa-nearly-halves-year-priorities-shift-smaller-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341213/chinese-lending-africa-nearly-halves-year-priorities-shift-smaller-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 06:00:17 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow A week-long naval exercise off the South African coast involving the navies of China, Russia and the UAE has stirred debate over whether the primary purpose of Brics is evolving in the emerging post-Western global order. The exercise, held from January 9 to 16 under the banner “Will for Peace 2026”, was described by host nation South Africa as a routine maritime safety and interoperability operation. Officials said the drills aimed to improve coordination in protecting shipping routes and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340195/will-peace-drills-brics-tests-waters-military-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340195/will-peace-drills-brics-tests-waters-military-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China pledged to deepen cooperation and exchanges with Tanzania on Friday as its top diplomat toured the region, promising that Beijing would “always stand together” with Africa. Wang Yi also called on Tanzania to work with China to uphold international law and multilateralism, in what one observer said would be the Chinese foreign minister’s key message to Africa amid Washington’s apparent retreat from the rules-based international system. Wang will wrap up his six-day tour of the continent on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339490/china-urges-tanzania-back-multilateralism-vows-always-stand-together-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339490/china-urges-tanzania-back-multilateralism-vows-always-stand-together-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China and the African Union issued a joint call to uphold an international law-based order, with particular respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, in a display of unity against Washington’s raid on Venezuela. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and African Union chief Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed concerns over the events in Venezuela in a statement released after their meeting in Ethiopia on Thursday. The United States raided Venezuela on Saturday and abducted its leader Nicolas... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339294/china-fm-wang-yi-opens-africa-tour-united-call-rules-based-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339294/china-fm-wang-yi-opens-africa-tour-united-call-rules-based-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 06:34:20 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China will lead a joint naval exercise with Brics nations in South African waters next week – the bloc’s first such defence cooperation that is likely to raise alarm bells in Washington. The South African National Defence Force on Wednesday said the exercise – dubbed Will for Peace 2026 – would bring together “navies from Brics Plus countries for an intensive programme of joint maritime safety operations, interoperability drills and maritime protection serials” from January 9 to 16. It said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338479/china-lead-joint-naval-drills-brics-nations-south-african-waters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338479/china-lead-joint-naval-drills-brics-nations-south-african-waters?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 06:00:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse For years, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia projected geopolitical and economic power across the Gulf and beyond, seemingly in tandem. But a growing rivalry and struggle for influence has come to a head - most recently in Yemen - following years of divergence over a tangle of competing interests that reach from regional waterways to the corridors of power in Washington, analysts say. The once-close relationship between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Sheikh... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338476/saudi-uae-rivalry-explodes-view-after-strike-war-torn-yemen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338476/saudi-uae-rivalry-explodes-view-after-strike-war-torn-yemen?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 05:31:39 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Washington is securing bilateral health deals with countries across Africa to ensure direct access to critical pathogen data and specimens following the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO). Analysts say the US’ strategic retreat from multilateral organisations has created a vacuum that China is likely to exploit to deepen its influence within global health bodies and position itself as the main partner for the developing world. Under the “America First Global... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338042/washington-lines-slew-health-deals-us-and-china-vie-influence-across-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338042/washington-lines-slew-health-deals-us-and-china-vie-influence-across-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese workers are returning to Africa in their thousands, reversing a decade-long decline and signalling a renewed focus on strategic mega-projects across the continent. In 2024, there were 90,793 Chinese workers on contracted projects and labour services on the continent, an increase of about 4 per cent over the 87,078 recorded the previous year, according to data from the China Africa Research Initiative (CARI) at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. The upturn marks... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337009/chinese-workers-return-africa-lucrative-job-opportunities-beckon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337009/chinese-workers-return-africa-lucrative-job-opportunities-beckon?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is cementing its image as a lasting partner across Africa by gifting high-profile infrastructure, such as presidential palaces and parliament buildings. A key example is the new US$32 million Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) headquarters in Abuja. Funded by China and set for handover by the end of January, this centralised complex for the 15-member bloc aims to boost staff productivity and cut operational costs. On December 4, Chinese ambassador to Nigeria Yu Dunhai... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335984/china-built-headquarters-15-member-economic-bloc-strengthens-ties-west-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335984/china-built-headquarters-15-member-economic-bloc-strengthens-ties-west-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 08:00:13 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo With their domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. China’s businesses have emerged as global players in a string of industries in recent years – from electric cars to solar panels. Now, the country is rapidly... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335298/waste-wealth-why-china-building-incinerators-around-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335298/waste-wealth-why-china-building-incinerators-around-world?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 05:55:56 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia is seeking a foothold in Africa’s fast-changing markets as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim tours Ethiopia, South Africa and Kenya this week, casting the continent as a “strategic collaborator” for new supply-chain routes and emerging consumer markets. “Malaysia is deeply rooted in open markets, but we need reliable partners in a rapidly changing world,” Anwar told Ethiopian business leaders on Wednesday, according to local daily The Star. The outreach comes as the Southeast Asian nation... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3333544/malaysia-pivots-strategic-collaborator-africa-new-supply-chains-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3333544/malaysia-pivots-strategic-collaborator-africa-new-supply-chains-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:00:46 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press British police said on Saturday they were scouring hours of closed-circuit TV recordings to find an asylum seeker sentenced for sexual assault who was mistakenly released from prison. Ethiopian national Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was “last seen in the London area”, Essex Police said on Saturday, adding that officers from three separate forces were working together in the investigation. Kebatu came to national attention after his case triggered a wave of anti-migrant protests in London and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330324/uk-police-search-london-asylum-seeker-after-mistaken-release?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330324/uk-police-search-london-asylum-seeker-after-mistaken-release?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 12:58:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Britain’s justice minister on Friday said he was “appalled” after an Ethiopian asylum seeker and convicted sex offender whose crimes sparked protests was released from jail in error. The high-profile case earlier this year ignited demonstrations which swiftly spread to other towns where asylum seekers were believed to be housed, as well as counter-protests. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was jailed last month for sexually assaulting a teenage girl and a woman. Justice Minister David Lammy... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330284/uk-asylum-seeker-jailed-sex-assault-freed-mistake-instead-being-deported?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330284/uk-asylum-seeker-jailed-sex-assault-freed-mistake-instead-being-deported?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 18:55:54 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Ethiopia’s plan to convert its dollar-denominated Chinese loans to yuan is a “savvy financial arbitrage play” in the view of some analysts, while others warned that the move could “complicate” negotiations with bondholders over the 2023 Eurobond default. Eyob Tekalign, governor of the Ethiopian central bank, confirmed last week that Addis Ababa had initiated talks with Chinese lenders, including the Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank) and the People’s Bank of China, to swap part of its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330057/chinas-global-goal-yuan-boosted-ethiopian-hopes-loan-currency-swap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330057/chinas-global-goal-yuan-boosted-ethiopian-hopes-loan-currency-swap?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:00:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Makeshift scaffolding set up at a church in Ethiopia collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 36 people and injuring more than 200, state media said. The incident occurred at around 7.45am in the town of Arerti, roughly 70km (40 miles) east of capital Addis Ababa, when a group was visiting for an annual Virgin Mary festival. District police chief Ahmed Gebeyehu told state media Fana: “The number of dead has reached 36 and could increase”, adding “more than 200 people have suffered injuries” and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3327562/36-killed-when-scaffolding-ethiopia-church-collapses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3327562/36-killed-when-scaffolding-ethiopia-church-collapses?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 23:40:25 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The launch of a divisive multibillion-dollar mega dam on the Nile River has sparked a tense diplomatic battle between Ethiopia and Egypt, with Cairo denouncing it as “an unlawful unilateral act” and protesting to the United Nations Security Council. During an inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described the US$5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as a “symbol of Ethiopian unity and national achievement”. Several regional leaders, including Kenyan President... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325280/will-china-step-egypt-and-ethiopia-spar-over-beijing-backed-nile-mega-dam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325280/will-china-step-egypt-and-ethiopia-spar-over-beijing-backed-nile-mega-dam?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 04:00:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ethiopia officially inaugurated Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam on Tuesday, a project that will provide energy to millions while deepening a rift with downstream Egypt that has unsettled the region. Ethiopia, the continent’s second most populous nation with over 120 million people, sees the US$5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on a tributary of the Nile as central to its economic ambitions. The dam’s output has gradually increased since the first turbine was turned on in 2022,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3324951/ethiopia-opens-africas-largest-dam-amid-egyptian-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3324951/ethiopia-opens-africas-largest-dam-amid-egyptian-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:01:15 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage When more than two dozen officers from the Somali National Armed Forces were awarded Chinese training scholarships this month, Beijing’s ambassador to Somalia Wang Yu assured them and the rest of the country that “China will not be absent” in helping the East African country achieve peace. Since the 1991 overthrow of president Siad Barre, Somalia has been plagued by civil war and conflict with extremist groups such as al-Shabab. The training aims to help Somalia build a self-reliant defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323696/new-model-peace-china-takes-its-global-security-initiative-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323696/new-model-peace-china-takes-its-global-security-initiative-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2025 10:00:12 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Beidaihe meeting signals start of summer break for China’s political elite The appearance of President Xi Jinping’s chief of staff at the Beidaihe resort on Sunday indicates that senior Chinese leaders have started their annual summer break. 2. ‘It’s all changed’: how the trade war turbocharged an American rare earth mine USA Rare Earth is receiving a surge... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3320694/why-western-hegemony-over-learning-lessons-ukraine-war-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3320694/why-western-hegemony-over-learning-lessons-ukraine-war-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 13:15:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse At least 76 people have been killed and dozens were missing after a boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants sank off Yemen, in the latest tragedy on the perilous sea route, officials said on Monday. Yemeni security officials said 76 bodies had been recovered and 32 people rescued from the shipwreck in the Gulf of Aden. The UN’s migration agency said 157 people were on board. The accident occurred off Abyan governorate in southern Yemen, a frequent destination for boats smuggling African migrants... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3320646/un-says-68-migrants-dead-dozens-missing-after-boat-sinks-yemen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3320646/un-says-68-migrants-dead-dozens-missing-after-boat-sinks-yemen?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 05:19:46 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China has reaffirmed its support for peaceful development in the Horn of Africa, saying it will “actively engage” in regional initiatives to promote the concept. Beijing’s special envoy Xue Bing made the pledge at a conference on the topic in the Ugandan capital Kampala on Tuesday, a Chinese-led event that involved representatives from eight countries in East Africa. Xue said Beijing would offer military assistance and training, as well as help to develop the region’s infrastructure and boost... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320638/china-pledges-support-peaceful-development-horn-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320638/china-pledges-support-peaceful-development-horn-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 04:18:28 +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 dpa dpa A teenage Islamic extremist has pleaded guilty to planning a terrorist gun attack in the United Kingdom. Muhammad Billal, 18, was arrested on February 11 and charged with two counts of preparation of terrorist acts, relating to an alleged gun attack plan and travelling to Somalia. The defendant, from Nelson in Lancashire, was also charged with four counts of collecting information likely to be of use to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism relating to possession of issues of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3318814/uk-teenager-admits-plotting-terror-attack-gun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3318814/uk-teenager-admits-plotting-terror-attack-gun?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:25:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Boeing reached a settlement on Friday with a Canadian man whose wife and three children were killed in a deadly crash in Ethiopia in 2019, averting the first trial connected to the devastating event that led to a worldwide grounding of Max jets. The jury trial at Chicago’s federal court had been set to start on Monday to determine damages for Paul Njoroge of Canada. His family was heading to their native Kenya in March 2019 aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 when it malfunctioned and plummeted... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3317954/boeing-settles-canadian-father-after-ethiopian-737-max-crash-killed-his-family?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3317954/boeing-settles-canadian-father-after-ethiopian-737-max-crash-killed-his-family?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 00:38:53 +0000 Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump threatened an extra 10 per cent tariff on countries that align themselves with the “anti-American policies” of Brics, giving heightened prominence to a summit that had been most notable for its absences. “There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump said in a social media post that did not refer to any specific initiatives by Brics, a group of emerging market nations that are home to more than half the world’s population. The message coincided with the annual... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3317223/brics-draws-trump-anger-few-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3317223/brics-draws-trump-anger-few-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jul 2025 09:00:13 +0000 Igor Patrick,Khushboo Razdan Igor Patrick,Khushboo Razdan Rio de Janeiro is rolling out one of its largest peacetime security operations in recent memory as leaders and senior officials from the Global South’s major emerging economies convene in the coastal city for this week’s Brics summit. Officials say about 20,000 military personnel will be deployed to guard leaders from 28 countries and seven international organizations, including the UN and the World Bank. Airspace over the summit venue, Rio’s Museum of Modern Art, will be strictly controlled.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316881/rio-mounts-major-security-operation-brics-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316881/rio-mounts-major-security-operation-brics-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jul 2025 22:20:20 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Igor Patrick Khushboo Razdan,Igor Patrick Brics country leaders are meeting for the bloc’s annual summit in Rio de Janeiro this week, as questions loom about the group’s effectiveness as a voice of the Global South and counterweight to the Washington-led coalition of developed economies. Against the backdrop of relentless tension that US President Donald Trump has injected into America’s trade policy, this year’s gathering on July 6 and 7 will test whether the bloc can present a unified front capable of countering Trump’s efforts to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316715/questions-loom-brics-rio-summit-about-groups-effectiveness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316715/questions-loom-brics-rio-summit-about-groups-effectiveness?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 20:41:59 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage For over two decades, Chinese companies have been known to demonstrate a notable risk tolerance, often venturing into overseas markets that Western counterparts avoided. This is evident in the conflict-ridden yet mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo, where Chinese mining enterprises had in the past decade made vast investments as foreign-owned companies exited, positioning the country as the world’s largest producer of cobalt and second-largest producer of copper. This pattern of investment... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315136/growing-risks-chinese-companies-conflict-ridden-african-nations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315136/growing-risks-chinese-companies-conflict-ridden-african-nations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jun 2025 02:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump took credit on Friday for a peace deal negotiated in Washington between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda and complained that he would not get a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. The warring African nations said in a joint statement on Wednesday that they had initialled an agreement aimed at ending the conflict in eastern DRC – to be formally signed in the US capital next week. “This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World!”... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3315315/trump-complains-about-nobel-peace-prize-snub-over-congo-rwanda-peace-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3315315/trump-complains-about-nobel-peace-prize-snub-over-congo-rwanda-peace-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jun 2025 01:25:51 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand has been crowned Miss World 2025, marking a historic first for her country at the 72nd edition of the international pageant, held this year in Hyderabad, India. Chuangsri, a 22-year-old political-science student from Phuket, emerged victorious from a field of 108 contestants representing countries across the globe. She received the crown on Saturday from the reigning title-holder, Czech model Krystyna Pyszková. Chuangsri said she aimed to use the Miss World platform... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312694/suchata-chuangsri-becomes-thailands-first-ever-miss-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312694/suchata-chuangsri-becomes-thailands-first-ever-miss-world?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2025 04:09:31 +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 Associated Press Associated Press The United States Justice Department has reached a deal with Boeing that will allow the aviation giant to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading US regulators about the 737 Max aircraft before two of the planes crashed and killed 346 people, according to court papers filed on Friday. Under the “agreement in principle”, which still needs to be finalised, Boeing would pay and invest more than US$1.1 billion, including an additional US$445 million for the crash victims’ families, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3311631/boeing-reaches-deal-avoid-prosecution-over-737-max-crashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3311631/boeing-reaches-deal-avoid-prosecution-over-737-max-crashes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 May 2025 19:09:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters The United Nations rights chief urged on Friday for warring sides in South Sudan to pull back from the brink, warning that the human rights situation risks further deterioration as fighting intensifies. “The escalating hostilities in South Sudan portend a real risk of further exacerbating the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation, and undermining the country’s fragile peace process,” said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. “All parties must urgently pull back... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3311603/south-sudan-should-pull-back-brink-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3311603/south-sudan-should-pull-back-brink-un?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 May 2025 11:39:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pope Leo on Wednesday offered to mediate between leaders of countries at war, saying that he himself “will make every effort so that this peace may prevail”. The new US pontiff, who became head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics last week, also called on Christians living in the Middle East not to abandon their homes, in a speech to members of the Eastern Catholic Churches. “Who, better than you, can sing a song of hope even amid the abyss of violence?” he told the packed Paul VI hall at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3310305/pope-leo-offers-mediate-between-world-leaders-end-wars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3310305/pope-leo-offers-mediate-between-world-leaders-end-wars?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 May 2025 09:03:55 +0000 Reuters Reuters Several Asian airlines said on Wednesday they were re-routing or cancelling flights to and from Europe because of fighting between India and Pakistan. India attacked Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir and Pakistan said it had shot down five Indian fighter jets in the worst fighting in more than two decades between the nuclear-armed enemies. Domestic flights in both countries were also disrupted. India shut several airports and as a result, flights belonging to Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3309354/india-pakistan-fighting-asian-european-airlines-divert-cancel-flights-amid-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3309354/india-pakistan-fighting-asian-european-airlines-divert-cancel-flights-amid-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 May 2025 04:17:30 +0000 Ethiopians marked Easter festivities on Sunday with vows to embrace sacrifice, love and peace in a country facing armed conflict and other challenges. During Fasika, as Easter is known in Ethiopia, Christians of all denominations – including the majority Orthodox group – come together to celebrate Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. For some Ethiopians, religious festivals in recent months have acquired more meaning with the conflict in the Amhara region and instability in neighbouring... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3307234/ethiopians-mark-easter-call-peace-and-charity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3307234/ethiopians-mark-easter-call-peace-and-charity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Apr 2025 12:27:22 +0000 As we darted through Addis Ababa’s morning rush hour, my jet lag could not dull the energy of Ethiopia’s capital. We wove through crowds of office workers headed to high-rises and families leading goats home for Orthodox Christmas feasts while our guide explained how one needs at least three weeks to fully experience his country. From the dramatic peaks of Simien Mountains National Park to the sprawling salt plains of the Danakil Depression, natural wonders alone could fill a month of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3304674/3-day-ethiopia-travel-itinerary-shows-best-african-nation-shopping-sightseeing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3304674/3-day-ethiopia-travel-itinerary-shows-best-african-nation-shopping-sightseeing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Apr 2025 20:15:07 +0000 The next annual Brics summit will take up artificial intelligence governance, global health cooperation and financial reform, according to a “concept note” on Thursday from Brazil, the bloc’s chair this year. Brazil will call for inclusive and ethical global governance of AI technology, arguing its development should not be controlled by a few companies or countries but guided by multilateral frameworks ensuring fair access as well as protecting human rights and preventing algorithmic bias. “The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3298605/brics-summit-tackle-ai-governance-global-health-and-financial-reform-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3298605/brics-summit-tackle-ai-governance-global-health-and-financial-reform-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 20:12:08 +0000 Chinese rail contractors are consolidating their foothold in East Africa as part of a twin effort to improve the region’s connectivity and tap into its abundant reserves of strategic minerals. Last week, a consortium of Chinese companies won a US$2.15 billion deal to build a railway line linking Tanzania’s main port of Dar es Salaam with Burundi’s nickel mines. It was the third contract of its kind to be awarded to firms from China and will take 72 months to deliver, including a 12-month... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3297451/africas-expanding-rail-links-benefit-chinese-contractors-and-mineral-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3297451/africas-expanding-rail-links-benefit-chinese-contractors-and-mineral-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2025 04:00:09 +0000 In February 2022, amid Ethiopia’s deadly Tigray War, Beijing appointed veteran diplomat Xue Bing as China’s special envoy to the Horn of Africa, assigning him the difficult task of mediating disputes in a region that was in dire straits. For two years, from November 2020 to November 2022, thousands of people were killed and millions displaced after forces from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front attacked the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defence Force. Many Chinese companies that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3295988/chinas-strategy-peace-horn-africa-slow-going-will-it-ever-reap-rewards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3295988/chinas-strategy-peace-horn-africa-slow-going-will-it-ever-reap-rewards?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jan 2025 22:00:07 +0000 Somalia’s president will visit Ethiopia on Saturday, his office said, as the two countries look to build on a recent peace deal that aims to defuse mounting tensions in the Horn of Africa. Land-locked Ethiopia’s desire for access to the sea has deepened long-standing grievances with its neighbours in the volatile region. Somalia was outraged when Ethiopia signed a deal one year ago with its breakaway region of Somaliland, reportedly to recognise its independence in exchange for a port and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3294376/somalias-president-visit-ethiopia-over-red-sea-access-mounting-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3294376/somalias-president-visit-ethiopia-over-red-sea-access-mounting-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jan 2025 13:17:45 +0000