https://www.scmp.com/rss/519229/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele In the dead of night, officers from Malaysia’s maritime agency boarded two tankers that were transferring millions of barrels of oil in the waters off Penang, as the re-emergence of ageing vessels from a shadow fleet in the country’s waters has put the spotlight on the illegal trade in Asia. The January 29 bust was a rare disruption to a trade worth billions of dollars each year – much of it from sanctioned oil-producing nations Russia and Iran, and involving ships plying the waters in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342393/malaysian-waters-see-return-illegal-oil-transfer-dark-fleet-tankers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342393/malaysian-waters-see-return-illegal-oil-transfer-dark-fleet-tankers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:05:21 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The Congo Basin, a region of tropical forest larger than India, is at a point where further damage may rob the world of a crucial bulwark against climate change. That was the conclusion of the first comprehensive scientific report about the state of the environment in a region that stretches from Cross River in Nigeria to the Rift Valley in East Africa. An executive summary of the 800-page report, authored by 177 experts from across the basin and beyond, was released on Monday for the Cop30... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3332174/world-has-decade-save-congo-basin-biggest-tropical-carbon-sink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3332174/world-has-decade-save-congo-basin-biggest-tropical-carbon-sink?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 06:58:32 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The French military completed its withdrawal from Senegal on Thursday, the last West African country where it maintained a permanent troop presence, amid waning regional influence in recent years. France has faced opposition from leaders of some of its former colonies in Africa over what they described as a demeaning and heavy-handed approach to the continent. The French military handed over Camp Geille, its largest base in Senegal, along with a nearby air facility, to the Senegalese government... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3318682/france-withdraws-senegal-ending-military-presence-west-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3318682/france-withdraws-senegal-ending-military-presence-west-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 03:52:24 +0000 Football fans in China were outraged by Zhejiang FC’s decision to go ahead with a league match hours after the death of their Gabon international striker, Aaron Boupendza. Police have ruled out foul play in the death of the 28-year-old, who died after falling from the 11th floor of a building in the eastern city of Hangzhou on Wednesday afternoon. Boupendza’s Hangzhou-based club went ahead with a home Chinese Super League fixture later on Wednesday against Meizhou Hakka, sparking grief and anger... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3306879/fans-voice-anger-china-club-plays-hours-after-gabon-striker-aaron-boupendzas-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3306879/fans-voice-anger-china-club-plays-hours-after-gabon-striker-aaron-boupendzas-death?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Apr 2025 06:09:08 +0000 Junta chief Brice Oligui Nguema celebrated a huge victory in Gabon’s presidential election on Sunday after provisional results gave him 90.35 per cent of the vote. Oligui, who ended more than five decades of corruption-plagued rule by the Bongo family in August 2023, assuming the role of transitional president, had promised to return the country to democratic rule. “God does not abandon his people,” Oligui told hundreds of delighted supporters at his campaign headquarters, paying tribute to what... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3306372/gabon-junta-chief-oligui-nguema-wins-presidential-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3306372/gabon-junta-chief-oligui-nguema-wins-presidential-election?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Apr 2025 20:41:26 +0000 When Chinese destroyer Nanning, frigate Sanya and supply ship Weishanhu made a port call in Gabon in July last year, the Chinese navy was happy to help repair some equipment on the Gabonese frigate Mbini. While they were there, the Chinese sailors also showed their counterparts how to use weapons and equipment, plus they carried out anti-terrorism, anti-piracy and rescue operations with them. The Chinese naval stop in Gabon was just one of five visits to countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3291559/africas-gulf-guinea-china-proving-it-master-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3291559/africas-gulf-guinea-china-proving-it-master-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Dec 2024 08:00:09 +0000 Gabon on Saturday held a referendum on a new constitution that the ruling junta calls a “major turning point” after a coup ended 55 years of rule by the Bongo dynasty in the oil-rich nation. The central African country’s 860,000 registered voters have faced an onslaught of calls by authorities on TV, radio and social media to make their ballot count – whether they choose a green one meaning “yes” or a red one for “no”. With the campaign dominated by official propaganda, local media say voter... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3286869/gabons-ruling-junta-praises-constitutional-referendum-turning-point?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3286869/gabons-ruling-junta-praises-constitutional-referendum-turning-point?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Nov 2024 09:59:35 +0000 More than a decade ago, Angola was China’s No 2 source of crude oil. But it has fallen down the list as Beijing has increasingly turned to the Arab states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Russia, and other Asian countries. According to a report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: “In 2010, Angola was the world’s second-largest exporter of oil to China, after Saudi Arabia. By 2023, Angola had been bumped to number eight on this ranking of oil suppliers to China.” It is a long way... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265800/angola-model-over-china-buys-more-crude-oil-gulf-and-russia-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265800/angola-model-over-china-buys-more-crude-oil-gulf-and-russia-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2024 09:00:08 +0000 A small fishing town in southwest Cameroon is counting on Chinese funding to transform itself into a major Central African sea hub. The Kribi Deep Seaport, on Africa’s Atlantic coast, is being built by Chinese state-owned China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), and largely funded by China Eximbank which has provided around US$1.48 billion over the past decade. It is hoped the port will provide relief to Douala, Cameroon’s main port around 150km (93 miles) to the north, and that it will serve... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3263943/chinese-funding-keeps-cameroons-deep-seaport-expansion-project-afloat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3263943/chinese-funding-keeps-cameroons-deep-seaport-expansion-project-afloat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 May 2024 06:30:10 +0000 The transhipment of Iranian oil to bypass American sanctions is expected to be high on the agenda when a Treasury delegation from Washington meets Malaysian officials later this week, with the US Ambassador on Monday predicting “candid and frank” talks. Malaysia has long been accused by the West of helping Iran evade economic sanctions by harbouring vessels belonging to a “dark fleet” of ships in its waters. The fleet offloads Iranian oil, which is then shipped for sale to China as Malaysian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3261576/us-delegation-malaysia-discuss-sanction-evading-iranian-oil-shipped-dark-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3261576/us-delegation-malaysia-discuss-sanction-evading-iranian-oil-shipped-dark-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 May 2024 08:18:16 +0000 After a roaring start for high horology in January and February 2024, the watch world seems to have maintained its pace with a frenzy of activity this spring – not least because Watches & Wonders returned to Geneva for its 2024 edition. Whilst the main event drew crowds from April 9 to 15 as brands showed off their key pieces for the year, stunning novelties abounded at other events in Geneva and elsewhere over the last two months. Bovet introduced a worldtimer that mechanically accounted for... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3261347/7-timepiece-highlights-march-and-april-2024-lana-del-rey-sporting-jacob-co-and-lvmhs-bulgari?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3261347/7-timepiece-highlights-march-and-april-2024-lana-del-rey-sporting-jacob-co-and-lvmhs-bulgari?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 May 2024 06:00:24 +0000 According to a succession of chief executives, tourism is vitally important to the local economy. But like much else in contemporary Hong Kong, this allegedly key industry continues to wallow in the doldrums. Presentation of local “attractions” remains problematic. Preferred tour-bus-style excursion routes were originally designed – back in the 1970s – to give readily digestible, “on the right you can see …” scenic overviews to overseas punters with a presumedly sketchy grasp of exactly where... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3260614/expert-guest-lecturers-enliven-group-tours-many-places-good-luck-finding-any-whod-dare-explain-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3260614/expert-guest-lecturers-enliven-group-tours-many-places-good-luck-finding-any-whod-dare-explain-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Apr 2024 00:17:17 +0000 The Chinese navy has stepped up its port calls around Africa as part of Beijing’s growing military diplomacy with the continent. After the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) paused many of its African port visits during the pandemic, it is getting back to full strength again in a bid to cement diplomatic ties as well as show off military hardware, according to observers. Earlier this week, China’s 45th naval fleet, including guided-missile destroyer Urumqi, missile frigate Linyi and comprehensive... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3258645/chinese-navy-steers-course-african-ports-beijings-renewed-diplomatic-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3258645/chinese-navy-steers-course-african-ports-beijings-renewed-diplomatic-push?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Apr 2024 10:00:23 +0000 China’s top cyberspace regulator has pledged to deepen the push for artificial intelligence governance with African countries at a China-Africa internet forum this week. Cyberspace Administration of China director Zhuang Rongwen said the country would work with Africa to share opportunities brought by the information revolution and improve the global internet governance system. Zhuang made the comments during the opening ceremony of the China-Africa Internet Development and Cooperation Forum on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3257862/chinas-cyberspace-regulator-vows-work-africa-ai-governance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3257862/chinas-cyberspace-regulator-vows-work-africa-ai-governance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Apr 2024 11:28:39 +0000 Three tankers with Russian Sokol oil that had been stranded at sea due to payment problems and Western sanctions have started to move towards China and India, data from Kpler and LSEG showed on Monday. The backlog of Sokol tankers has become the biggest disruptions to Russia’s oil trade since the West imposed sanctions on Moscow over its military actions in Ukraine. More than 10 million barrels of Sokol have been floating in seaborne storage over the past three months due to payment difficulties... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3252492/some-stranded-russian-sokol-oil-cargoes-begin-move-china-and-india-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3252492/some-stranded-russian-sokol-oil-cargoes-begin-move-china-and-india-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Feb 2024 17:45:39 +0000 We will soon usher in the Year of the Dragon, marking a unique time for expanding relationships, harnessing new ideas and moving forward, sentiments that will reverberate halfway across the world in Africa. The continent has long had robust economic ties with China, but now faces a critical juncture as the latter’s economy softens. Africa needs to diversify and solidify existing relationships with other global partners, including the United States, to buffer itself from China’s changing economic... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248568/chinas-economy-slows-africa-stands-critical-juncture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248568/chinas-economy-slows-africa-stands-critical-juncture?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jan 2024 11:30:14 +0000 Debt traps are being laid for many low-income and developing countries, but the usual suspect, China, doesn’t actually hold a candle to Western lending institutions. As Jomo Kwame Sundaram, a Malaysian economist and former United Nations assistant secretary general for economic development, has argued cogently, rising interest rates and lending practices promoted and sometimes pushed on to developing economies by Western institutions such as the World Bank are the real causes of rising “poverty... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247830/wests-privatising-lending-poor-nations-laying-real-debt-traps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247830/wests-privatising-lending-poor-nations-laying-real-debt-traps?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jan 2024 13:00:12 +0000 Since Indonesia’s bloody anti-communist purge in the 1960s, politics in the archipelago nation have largely been dominated by centre-right forces. But a newly formed leftist party believes it can garner enough popular support to start changing that. At a press conference in Jakarta on January 3, Indonesia’s Labour Party (Partai Buruh) chief Said Iqbal said his party’s electability was on the rise in the lead-up to the February 14 general election. Said, who is also president of Indonesia’s Trade... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3247791/indonesia-election-2024-labour-party-seeks-shake-politics-defending-worker-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3247791/indonesia-election-2024-labour-party-seeks-shake-politics-defending-worker-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jan 2024 09:00:22 +0000 Sierra Leone’s ex-president Ernest Bai Koroma has been charged with four offences including treason for his alleged role in a failed military attempt to topple the West African country’s government in November, a court in the capital Freetown said. The court’s decision could escalate tensions in Sierra Leone coming after the attempted coup and a contentious election in which President Julius Maada Bio was reelected for a second term in June 2023. Tensions have been on the rise in the country... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3247228/sierra-leone-charges-ex-president-koroma-treason-over-foiled-coup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3247228/sierra-leone-charges-ex-president-koroma-treason-over-foiled-coup?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jan 2024 04:54:02 +0000 An international team of scientists say they have developed a new method to identify the origin of pangolin scales, adding to the toolkit for cracking down on the poaching and trafficking of the endangered animal, which is prized in China. The researchers found that poaching activity shifted from West to Central Africa from 2012 to 2018 as the Asian pangolin population shrank, with Cameroon’s southern border emerging as a poaching hotspot. The team said the shift could be a response to increased... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3245103/genetic-test-tracks-origins-illegal-pangolin-products-china-adding-conservation-toolkit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3245103/genetic-test-tracks-origins-illegal-pangolin-products-china-adding-conservation-toolkit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Dec 2023 19:00:08 +0000 Sierra Leone’s authorities have said that an attack at the weekend by gunmen on a key army base in the capital, Freetown, was a failed coup. Thirteen military officers and one civilian, suspected of being involved in the November 26 assault have been arrested, Inspector General of Police William Fayia Sellu, said at a press briefing on Tuesday. At least 21 people, including 14 of the West African nation’s soldiers had been killed in clashes with the gunmen, Sellu said. Some civilians caught in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3243184/sierra-leone-government-says-army-base-attack-was-coup-attempt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3243184/sierra-leone-government-says-army-base-attack-was-coup-attempt?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Nov 2023 04:28:20 +0000 The UN Security Council on Wednesday failed again to take action on the Israel-Gaza war, with Russia and China vetoing a US-led draft resolution and a text led by Moscow drawing insufficient support. The rival powers went ahead and put forward texts doomed to defeat despite what diplomats said was a last-ditch effort led by France to delay a vote and work toward consensus. The United States, Israel’s historic backer which exercised its own veto last week, put forward a resolution that would... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3239206/us-and-russian-bids-israel-gaza-war-fail-un-security-council?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3239206/us-and-russian-bids-israel-gaza-war-fail-un-security-council?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2023 22:56:06 +0000 South Korean streaming platform Coupang Play appears to be stepping up its drama series output, with a pair of enticing new projects among our round-up of the latest Korean drama casting news. 1. Hide Coupang Play has confirmed the cast for its upcoming project Hide. Mine lead actress Lee Bo-young, also recently seen in a supporting role in See You in My 19th Life, will portray Na Moon-young, a woman searching for her missing husband Cha Sung-jae, played by Lee Mu-saeng (The Glory). Lee... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-drama/article/3238647/bae-doona-offered-lead-sci-fi-thriller-k-drama-family-planning-ahn-bo-hyun-eyed-historical-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-drama/article/3238647/bae-doona-offered-lead-sci-fi-thriller-k-drama-family-planning-ahn-bo-hyun-eyed-historical-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2023 11:15:16 +0000 The United States on Wednesday blocked a United Nations Security Council resolution that called for “pauses” in the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants to permit the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Washington used its veto power against the Brazil-drafted resolution, which condemned all violence against civilians and demanded immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. “The United States is disappointed that this resolution made no mention of Israel’s rights of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3238429/israel-hamas-war-us-vetoes-un-security-council-resolution-calling-pause-humanitarian-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3238429/israel-hamas-war-us-vetoes-un-security-council-resolution-calling-pause-humanitarian-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2023 21:32:18 +0000 The UN Security Council rejected a Russian resolution Monday night that condemned violence and terrorism against civilians but made no mention of Hamas, whose surprise attack that killed 1,300 Israelis was the worst Jewish massacre since the World War II Nazi Holocaust. Only four countries joined Russia in voting for the resolution – China, United Arab Emirates, Mozambique and Gabon. Four countries voted against it – the United States, Britain, France and Japan. The other six countries... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3238178/un-security-council-rejects-russias-resolution-gaza-failed-mention-hamas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3238178/un-security-council-rejects-russias-resolution-gaza-failed-mention-hamas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Oct 2023 02:34:16 +0000 With supporters clutching small Palestinian flags behind him and a traditional Palestinian scarf draped over his shoulders, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appeared at a public rally in Boksburg on Saturday, voicing deep concern about “the atrocities that are unfolding in the Middle East”. Ramaphosa, a former anti-apartheid activist, pledged South Africa would back Palestinians and described them as having withstood Israeli “occupation for almost 75 years”. His remarks sharply contrasted... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3238157/global-south-sympathetic-palestinians-aligns-china-us-seeks-support-israel-against-hamas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3238157/global-south-sympathetic-palestinians-aligns-china-us-seeks-support-israel-against-hamas?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Oct 2023 18:30:27 +0000 When the military in Niger removed then-president Mohamed Bazoum in a coup d’état in July, Beijing’s statement appeared to support the deposed leader, saying he was “a friend of China”. Then, in the wake of the coup, on August 3, China’s foreign affairs ministry said it hoped that Bazoum’s “personal safety is ensured” and that relevant parties in Niger would “settle differences peacefully through dialogue”. But now, China is shifting from its earlier position as it works to build positive... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3235443/coups-threaten-african-stability-china-struggles-make-headway-belt-and-road-interests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3235443/coups-threaten-african-stability-china-struggles-make-headway-belt-and-road-interests?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Sep 2023 22:00:13 +0000 It’s fair to say that while some trends come and go, others stand the test of time and become staples that transcend generations. One such enduring classic is the Mary Jane shoe. With its timeless design, rich history and a roster of celebrity admirers, Mary Janes have definitely cemented their place in fashion. The story of these memorable shoes begins in the late 19th century. Characterised by their rounded toe, low heel and single instep strap, they were initially designed as practical,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3235974/why-mary-janes-are-trendy-and-timeless-plus-6-pairs-shop-right-now-olivia-rodrigo-and-dua-lipa-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3235974/why-mary-janes-are-trendy-and-timeless-plus-6-pairs-shop-right-now-olivia-rodrigo-and-dua-lipa-are?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Sep 2023 20:00:12 +0000 President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country as a result of the coup that removed the democratically elected president. Niger’s junta said in response that Sunday’s announcement signals a “new step towards the sovereignty” of the country. “Imperialist and neocolonialist forces are no longer welcome on our national territory. The new era of cooperation, based on mutual respect and sovereignty is already under... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3235661/macron-says-france-will-end-its-military-presence-niger-and-pull-ambassador-after-coup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3235661/macron-says-france-will-end-its-military-presence-niger-and-pull-ambassador-after-coup?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Sep 2023 19:38:37 +0000 The recent coups in Africa are attempts by militaries to save their countries from presidents’ “broken promises”, the head of Guinea’s junta said as he rebuffed the West for boxing in the continent of more than 1 billion people. Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, who was sworn in as Guinea’s interim president following the coup in 2021, told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that beyond condemning the coups, global leaders must also “look to and address the deep-rooted causes”. “The putschist is not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3235417/un-guineas-junta-leader-defends-coups-africa-and-rebuffs-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3235417/un-guineas-junta-leader-defends-coups-africa-and-rebuffs-west?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Sep 2023 04:47:38 +0000 On a map of the Philippines, Palawan resembles a keris, a short Malay sword. Ecologists call the Sulu Sea castaway the “last frontier” due to its unique flora and fauna – wildlife that has more in common with that in nearby Borneo than the rest of the Philippine archipelago. That – along with its unique geology, coral reefs and pearly white beaches – is why glossy magazines rank the island province as being among Asia’s best. The obvious way to reach the island from Manila would be by air, but... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3234338/slow-travel-philippine-paradise-palawan-bus-and-ferry-stop-dive-puerto-galera?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3234338/slow-travel-philippine-paradise-palawan-bus-and-ferry-stop-dive-puerto-galera?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Sep 2023 05:15:17 +0000 Gabon’s military government freed President Ali Bongo from house arrest, a week after overthrowing him in a bloodless coup. The deposed president is free to seek medical treatment abroad if he wishes, a junta spokesman said on state television in the capital, Libreville, on Wednesday. His release comes two days after coup leader General Brice Oligui Nguema was sworn in as transitional president. Bongo, 64, was shown on television meeting United Nations special envoy Abdou Abary. It was the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3233712/gabon-junta-frees-deposed-president-ali-bongo-house-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3233712/gabon-junta-frees-deposed-president-ali-bongo-house-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Sep 2023 07:26:09 +0000 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has previously declared Africa a priority for Brussels. However, the European Union’s policy now lies in tatters after last week’s eighth coup since 2020 in West and Central Africa, this time in Gabon. Rich in natural resources, much of Africa has widely been seen as key by many in the EU to its goal of decoupling from Russia and “de-risking” from China in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the region had... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3233308/eus-africa-plan-undermined-coups-china-us-and-russia-sense-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3233308/eus-africa-plan-undermined-coups-china-us-and-russia-sense-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Sep 2023 22:15:12 +0000 General Brice Oligui Nguema, who led a coup last week that toppled Gabon’s 55-year-old dynasty, took the oath of office as interim president on Monday, promising to hold “free … [and] transparent elections” after an unspecified period. Nguema, head of the elite Republican Guard, led officers in a coup on Wednesday against President Ali Bongo Ondimba, scion of a family that had ruled since 1967. The ousting came just moments after Bongo, 64, was proclaimed victor in last month’s presidential... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3233376/gabon-coup-leader-brice-oligui-nguema-sworn-interim-president-promises-free-transparent-elections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3233376/gabon-coup-leader-brice-oligui-nguema-sworn-interim-president-promises-free-transparent-elections?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Sep 2023 11:38:01 +0000 China’s vast economic interests in Gabon are under threat after the military seized power in the oil and mineral-rich nation on Central Africa’s west coast. But some experts believe the military coup could spell good news for Beijing in the long run, improving China’s opportunity for closer ties in the region as the influence of France falls. On Wednesday, army officers took power in the tiny country, placing President Ali Bongo Ondimba under house arrest. The coup came just hours after it was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3233074/military-coup-gabon-puts-chinas-economic-interests-under-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3233074/military-coup-gabon-puts-chinas-economic-interests-under-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Sep 2023 02:00:20 +0000 The African Union suspended Gabon’s membership one day after military officers ousted President Ali Bongo, the first regional response to the eighth coup in West and Central Africa since 2020. Wednesday’s military takeover ends the Bongo family dynasty’s almost six decades in power and creates a new conundrum for a region hit with a wave of coups that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called a “contagion of autocracy”. Like other juntas who have snatched power in the region, Gabon’s military... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3233054/african-union-suspends-gabon-after-coup-junta-prepares-swear-new-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3233054/african-union-suspends-gabon-after-coup-junta-prepares-swear-new-president?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Sep 2023 04:50:29 +0000 General Brice Oligui Nguema, named Gabon’s new leader following a coup, loyally served the central African country’s longtime strongman before turning on his son in Wednesday’s military takeover. Held aloft triumphantly by his troops following the announcement of the coup that ended 55 years of rule by the Bongo family, the elite republican guard chief is experienced and popular among his peers. Gabon’s coup leaders appointed him after toppling President Ali Bongo Ondimba following Saturday’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3232908/gabon-coup-general-brice-oligui-nguema-installed-transitional-president-who-he?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3232908/gabon-coup-general-brice-oligui-nguema-installed-transitional-president-who-he?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Aug 2023 03:50:08 +0000 The president of Gabon, Ali Bongo, knew well the threat of military coups in his part of the world. But he swore one wouldn’t happen to him. “While our continent has been shaken in recent weeks by violent crises, rest assured that I will never allow you and our country Gabon to be hostages to attempts at destabilisation. Never,” Bongo declared in early August as the central African nation marked 60 years of independence from France, almost all of that time with his family in power. Now,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3232901/gabons-wealthy-dynastic-leader-ali-bongo-thought-he-could-resist-africas-trend-coups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3232901/gabons-wealthy-dynastic-leader-ali-bongo-thought-he-could-resist-africas-trend-coups?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Aug 2023 03:05:26 +0000 A group of senior military officers in Gabon announced on national television on Wednesday they had taken power and election results were annulled, just minutes after President Ali Bongo was declared to have won a third term. If successful the coup would represent the eighth since 2020 in west and central Africa, a region that in the last decade had made strides to shed its reputation as a “coup belt”, only for persistent insecurity and corruption to open the door to military leaders. Here is a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3232810/gabon-and-other-recent-coups-west-and-central-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3232810/gabon-and-other-recent-coups-west-and-central-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Aug 2023 07:54:46 +0000 Rebel officers in the oil-rich central African state of Gabon announced on Wednesday they had seized power following disputed elections in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba, in power since 2009, had been declared victor. Bongo, 64, whose family has ruled Gabon for over 55 years, was placed under house arrest and one of his sons arrested for treason, the coup leaders said. In a dramatic predawn address, a group of officers declared “all the institutions of the republic” had been dissolved, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3232788/gabon-military-officers-announce-television-they-have-seized-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3232788/gabon-military-officers-announce-television-they-have-seized-power?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Aug 2023 05:03:10 +0000 In the past decade, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has expanded its diplomatic outreach under President Xi Jinping’s drive to modernise the country’s military and win global respect. Analysing articles published by state news agency Xinhua, the South China Morning Post found that since 2013, the number of military exercises held by China with foreign militaries has more than doubled. Its navy has also made more port visits, especially to nations in the Global South. Military officials in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3230733/chinas-increase-military-exercises-helps-aid-diplomacy-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3230733/chinas-increase-military-exercises-helps-aid-diplomacy-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Aug 2023 22:00:15 +0000 Zambia’s football association expressed “surprise” on Friday at claims its women’s coach abused a squad member at the current World Cup, after Fifa launched an investigation into what it called an “allegation of misconduct”. According to a report in the Guardian newspaper, Zambian coach Bruce Mwape is accused of rubbing a player’s breasts after a training session. “We can confirm that a complaint has been received in relation to the Zambian women’s national team and this is currently being... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3230009/fifa-womens-world-cup-zambia-coach-denies-accusations-sexual-misconduct-calling-reports-fake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3230009/fifa-womens-world-cup-zambia-coach-denies-accusations-sexual-misconduct-calling-reports-fake?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Aug 2023 09:31:34 +0000 When Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki visited Beijing last month, President Xi Jinping was there to greet him with a guard of honour, a 21-gun salute and a welcome banquet at the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People. It was a sharp contrast to the United States in December when Afewerki was not even invited to the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington. Eritrea is heavily sanctioned by Western nations for alleged human rights abuses but Xi told Afewerki that Beijing “opposes external... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3225939/why-china-gives-africas-leaders-red-carpet-treatment-and-chance-ask-favours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3225939/why-china-gives-africas-leaders-red-carpet-treatment-and-chance-ask-favours?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jun 2023 12:00:09 +0000 Senior officials from over a dozen countries including Saudi Arabia and Iran were in talks on closer links with the BRICS bloc of major emerging economies on Friday as it met to deepen ties and position itself as a counterweight to the West. BRICS, which now consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is considering expanding its membership, and a growing number of countries, mostly from the global South, have expressed interest in joining. Once viewed as a loose association of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3222813/brics-meet-friends-seeking-closer-ties-amid-push-expand-bloc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3222813/brics-meet-friends-seeking-closer-ties-amid-push-expand-bloc?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jun 2023 14:11:58 +0000 While the leaders of the world’s richest countries met in the Japanese city of Hiroshima and singled out China as a source of their concerns on issues from maritime claims and economic intimidation to human rights, China rolled out the red carpet for leaders from five Central Asian countries in Xian, a city that witnessed the peak of prosperity in China’s imperial dynasties. The timing of the two-day China-Central Asia Summit in mid-May, which partially overlapped with the Group of Seven summit,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3221963/contest-unequals-china-pitches-build-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3221963/contest-unequals-china-pitches-build-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 May 2023 15:30:17 +0000 The imminent coronation of King Charles is an ideal time for Australia and New Zealand to take stock of the British monarchy and its role in national life – including certain myths about what becoming a republic might mean. In particular, there is a common assumption that both nations must remain monarchies to retain membership of the Commonwealth of Nations. It might sound logical, but it is entirely wrong. There is no basis for it in the rules of the Commonwealth or the practice of its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3219583/busting-king-sized-myth-why-australia-and-new-zealand-could-become-republics-and-still-stay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3219583/busting-king-sized-myth-why-australia-and-new-zealand-could-become-republics-and-still-stay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 May 2023 20:00:09 +0000 Malaysian maritime authorities were searching on Tuesday for three crew missing from a Gabon-registered tanker a day after the 26-year-old vessel caught fire in waters off the southern coast. The ship, MT Pablo, sailing from China to Singapore to pick up crude oil, was not carrying cargo and there were no reports of an oil spill, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said. However, it did not rule out the chance that the men, two Indian nationals and a Ukrainian, could still be... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3219159/china-singapore-bound-oil-tanker-catches-fire-malaysia-2-indians-1-ukrainian-missing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3219159/china-singapore-bound-oil-tanker-catches-fire-malaysia-2-indians-1-ukrainian-missing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 May 2023 11:28:07 +0000 Global Impact is a weekly curated newsletter featuring a news topic originating in China with a significant macro impact for our newsreaders around the world. Sign up now! Developments in the US-China relationship come so quickly these days that the recent glimmers of hope for more constructive bilateral engagement, kindled by the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his counterpart Joe Biden in Indonesia last year, might seem like something in the mists of time. “The world is big... https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3219078/global-impact-us-china-relations-remain-knife-edge-even-after-latest-olive-branch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3219078/global-impact-us-china-relations-remain-knife-edge-even-after-latest-olive-branch?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 May 2023 06:00:14 +0000 Washington seeks a “constructive and fair” economic relationship with Beijing, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday, striking a conciliatory tone amid fierce political tensions between the world’s two largest economies. “China and the United States can and need to find a way to live together and share in global prosperity,” she said in a speech at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. Washington remained committed to use trade constraints to defend... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3217786/us-treasury-secretary-janet-yellen-calls-better-economic-relations-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3217786/us-treasury-secretary-janet-yellen-calls-better-economic-relations-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Apr 2023 16:56:20 +0000 China will help Gabon to diversify its oil-dependent economy and build a green “belt and road” strategy to make the Central African nation a model for cooperation in addressing climate change. The announcement by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday came after he met Gabon’s visiting president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Under the agreement, China will help build key infrastructure and encourage Chinese investment in Gabon’s forestry, fishery, digital... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3217757/china-help-oil-dependent-gabon-shift-economic-gears-greener-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3217757/china-help-oil-dependent-gabon-shift-economic-gears-greener-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Apr 2023 13:00:19 +0000