https://www.scmp.com/rss/519400/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Human remains have been found aboard a cargo ship struck by Iran while transiting the Strait of Hormuz last month, the vessel’s owner said on Friday, after three crew members were reported missing following the attack. US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February prompted Tehran to respond by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial artery for global oil supplies. The Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree was struck in March while travelling through the strait after departing Khalifa port in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348975/human-remains-found-thai-ship-attacked-iran-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348975/human-remains-found-thai-ship-attacked-iran-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:22:56 +0000 Mia Nurmamat,Carol Yang Mia Nurmamat,Carol Yang Maritime tracking data showed that no ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, marking the first full day without any confirmed commercial traffic in either direction since February 28, when the US and Israel began military strikes on Iran. Crossings dropped to zero, below the previous seven-day average of 2.57 daily transits, according to maritime analytics firm Windward. Although no vessels entered the waterway that day, about 400 ships sailed in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, it... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346755/no-ships-cross-strait-hormuz-first-time-conflict-began-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346755/no-ships-cross-strait-hormuz-first-time-conflict-began-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:30:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Twenty Thai crew members of a cargo ship attacked in the crucial Strait of Hormuz arrived in Thailand on Monday, with three of their colleagues still stranded on the vessel in the Gulf. The Thai-registered Mayuree Naree was hit by two projectiles on Wednesday while transiting through the Gulf waterway, after departing a port in the United Arab Emirates. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had struck the Thai ship, as well as a Liberia-flagged vessel, in the strait because they had ignored... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346718/20-thai-sailors-return-home-after-iranian-attack-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346718/20-thai-sailors-return-home-after-iranian-attack-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 06:24:36 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong’s public airmail services to 24 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia have been affected after a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran forced flight cancellations to two Gulf states and disrupted transit journeys. A Hongkong Post spokesman said on Sunday evening that the department’s airmail services to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were suspended with immediate effect until further notice. “Airmail services transiting through these locations will also be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3345053/hongkong-posts-airmail-services-24-countries-affected-strikes-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3345053/hongkong-posts-airmail-services-24-countries-affected-strikes-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:45:39 +0000 CNA CNA May Lau was jolted awake by loud, urgent knocking on her cabin door in the early hours of Friday – and she knew immediately something was wrong. “They were knocking so loudly, I thought there was no way this was a drill,” she said in Mandarin. “They told us to get up as soon as we could. I could smell the smoke in the air and I knew there was a problem. We didn’t even have time to take our things.” A fire had broken out on deck nine of the World Legacy, a Liberia-registered cruise ship, as it... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344125/passengers-recall-terrifying-escape-fire-singapore-bound-cruise-ship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344125/passengers-recall-terrifying-escape-fire-singapore-bound-cruise-ship?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:04:01 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage African solar energy use is surging, with Chinese-made panels a common sight across the continent, on rooftops and in the massive renewable energy plants being built in countries such as Algeria and South Africa by companies from China. An Oxford Economics study released on Monday showed the continent welcomed a record 9,516 megawatts worth of Chinese-made solar panels in the first seven months of this year, from just 6,625MW in the same period last year. The trend reflects how Africa is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326649/chinese-solar-panels-rewire-africa-future-record-pace-costs-fall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326649/chinese-solar-panels-rewire-africa-future-record-pace-costs-fall?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 02:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US Treasury Department on Tuesday sanctioned a network of shipping companies and vessels led by an Iraqi-Kittitian businessman for smuggling Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi oil. The administration of US President Donald Trump is keeping pressure on Iran while nuclear talks have stalled. A sixth round of negotiations was suspended after the start of a 12-day war in June. A senior Iranian official said on Tuesday that the path to nuclear negotiations is not closed but US demands for curbs on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3324109/us-sanctions-shipping-network-smuggling-iran-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3324109/us-sanctions-shipping-network-smuggling-iran-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:57:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Liberia’s president was “honoured” to meet US counterpart Donald Trump this week and wasn’t offended by Trump’s comment about his fluency in English – his mother tongue – Liberia’s foreign minister said on Friday. The US president’s gaffe has even inspired a catchy tribute song in the West African country, Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti said on Friday evening. Trump praised President Joseph Boakai on Wednesday for his English-speaking skills, apparently unaware that English is the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3318007/liberian-president-not-offended-trumps-good-english-remark-honoured-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3318007/liberian-president-not-offended-trumps-good-english-remark-honoured-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 16:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Rescuers pulled three more crew members and a security guard alive from the Red Sea on Thursday, maritime security sources said, a day after Houthi militants sank the Greek ship Eternity C and said they were holding some of the crew still missing. It was the second Greek bulk carrier sunk this week by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia, shattering months of relative calm off Yemen’s coast, the gateway to the Red Sea and a critical route for oil and commodities to the world. Many shipping companies... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3317778/rescuers-save-4-more-survivors-houthi-struck-ship-red-sea-10-still-missing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3317778/rescuers-save-4-more-survivors-houthi-struck-ship-red-sea-10-still-missing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 23:23:48 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service US President Donald Trump praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai for speaking English articulately, seemingly unaware of the fact that English is Liberia’s national language. “Such good English, that’s beautiful,” Trump said during a Wednesday meeting at the White House with five African leaders. “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?” Boakai chuckled awkwardly as Trump’s praise continued. “Were you educated?” Trump pressed. When Boakai replied “Yes, sir”, Trump asked his counterpart if... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3317652/trump-marvels-liberian-presidents-good-english-its-his-nations-official-language?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3317652/trump-marvels-liberian-presidents-good-english-its-his-nations-official-language?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 05:37:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Rescuers searched on Thursday for more than a dozen crew members who went missing after Yemen’s Houthi rebels sank a ship in the Red Sea as the United States alleged the group may “have kidnapped” those on board. The Houthis released dramatic footage of the sinking of the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned Eternity C, which the rebels targeted with gunfire and explosive drones for hours, killing at least three crew members. The attack on the Eternity C, as well as the sinking of the bulk carrier... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3317617/ship-attacked-yemens-houthis-sinks-red-sea-6-25-mostly-filipino-crew-rescued?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3317617/ship-attacked-yemens-houthis-sinks-red-sea-6-25-mostly-filipino-crew-rescued?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 02:35:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Liberian-flagged cargo ship came under fire from Houthi rebels on Monday in the Red Sea, with two on board reported to be hurt and two others missing in an assault a day after the Yemen-based rebels sunk another vessel. The attack on the Greek-owned bulk carrier Eternity C in the crucial maritime route came after the Houthis attacked the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas with drones, missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire Sunday, forcing its crew of 22 to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3317309/ship-attacked-red-sea-after-yemens-houthis-claim-earlier-bulk-carrier-sinking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3317309/ship-attacked-red-sea-after-yemens-houthis-claim-earlier-bulk-carrier-sinking?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 02:55:26 +0000 Quincy Wilson, the 16-year-old sensation who is headed to the Olympics as part of the US 4x400 metres relay pool, made his case to compete in Paris with a sizzling 44.20 seconds at a meet in Gainesville, Florida. Wilson broke the under-18 world record, taking control before the final straight of the race on Friday local time, holding off reigning Olympic 4x400m relay gold medallist Bryce Deadmon, who finished second in 44.23. It was another impressive performance from Wilson, who finished sixth... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/athletics/article/3271245/paris-olympics-wilson-16-could-be-us-youngest-male-runner-games-after-latest-feat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/athletics/article/3271245/paris-olympics-wilson-16-could-be-us-youngest-male-runner-games-after-latest-feat?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jul 2024 08:59:09 +0000 Tim Weah and other members of the US national team were targeted with racist abuse on social media after the Americans were beaten 2-1 by Panama in the Copa America. US Soccer Federation issued a statement that it was “deeply disturbed with the racist comments made online.” Weah, who is Black, was sent off with in the 18th minute after punching a Panama player. It was earliest red card for a US player since Jimmy Conrad was given his marching orders during a 2010 friendly against Honduras. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3268396/us-international-tim-weah-subjected-racist-abuse-after-red-card-copa-america-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3268396/us-international-tim-weah-subjected-racist-abuse-after-red-card-copa-america-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jun 2024 05:00:13 +0000 The Yemeni Houthi group said on Sunday its forces had attacked two ships in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The first ship, Transworld Navigator, had been targeted in the Red Sea using “an uncrewed surface boat” which led to a direct hit against the ship, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said. The second vessel, Stolt Sequoia, was attacked in the Indian Ocean with a number of cruise missiles, he said. He said the ships belonged to companies that “violated the ban on entering the ports of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3267783/yemen-houthis-claim-attacks-2-ships-red-sea-and-indian-ocean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3267783/yemen-houthis-claim-attacks-2-ships-red-sea-and-indian-ocean?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2024 05:34:05 +0000 A bulk carrier sank days after an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels believed to have killed one mariner on board, authorities said early Wednesday, the second-such ship to be sunk in the rebel campaign. The sinking of the MV Tutor in the Red Sea marks what appears to be a new escalation by the Iranian-backed Houthis in their campaign targeting shipping through the vital maritime corridor over the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The attack comes despite a months-long US-led campaign... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3267176/cargo-ship-mv-tutor-sinks-red-sea-days-after-houthi-drone-boat-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3267176/cargo-ship-mv-tutor-sinks-red-sea-days-after-houthi-drone-boat-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2024 04:32:45 +0000 New video footage appears to show the moments before a Houthi naval drone – seemingly disguised as a slow-moving fishing boat – struck a commercial vessel in the Red Sea last week. The Iran-backed rebels on Wednesday scored a hit on the M/V Tutor with an uncrewed surface vessel, causing severe flooding and damage to the engine room of the bulk cargo carrier, and forcing the crew to abandon the ship. A video purporting to show the attack began circulating around social media on Sunday. In it,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3267059/video-shows-houthis-attack-cargo-ship-sea-drone-seemingly-disguised-fishing-boat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3267059/video-shows-houthis-attack-cargo-ship-sea-drone-seemingly-disguised-fishing-boat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jun 2024 07:44:26 +0000 Resource-backed loans, pioneered as a way to access mostly Chinese funding for the building of roads, hydroelectric dams and railways have been termed “asymmetrical” and “non-transparent” by African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina. “I think it’s time for us to have debt transparency accountability and make sure that this whole thing of these opaque natural resource-backed loans actually ends, because it complicates the debt issue and the debt resolution issue,” he said last... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261163/does-chinas-oil-infrastructure-lending-model-africa-need-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261163/does-chinas-oil-infrastructure-lending-model-africa-need-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 May 2024 04:30:09 +0000 After favourable reviews and a strong opening weekend at the box office, Alex Garland’s provocative Civil War is already poised to become one of the most talked-about films of 2024. The filmmaker’s graphic, often terrifying, depiction of a war-torn America and a government in crisis has sparked plenty of debate among audiences and critics. And while the story’s “what-if” premise is pure fiction, Civil War is nonetheless flavoured by a gritty realism central to its power. The principal focus of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3259996/how-accurate-2024-film-civil-war-its-depiction-photojournalists-pulitzer-prize-winner-carolyn-cole?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3259996/how-accurate-2024-film-civil-war-its-depiction-photojournalists-pulitzer-prize-winner-carolyn-cole?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:15:11 +0000 A Hong Kong resident has been arrested on suspicion of raping a woman at a hotel in Causeway Bay. Police said they received a report on Wednesday morning that a 19-year-old woman had been raped in a hotel room at the Regal Hongkong Hotel on Yee Wo Street. Officers investigating the matter subsequently detained a 35-year-old man from Liberia, who holds a Hong Kong identity card. Two suspected marijuana cigarettes were also discovered in his possession, the force said. The man and woman had become... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3260376/hong-kong-police-arrest-35-year-old-man-suspected-raping-woman-19-causeway-bay-hotel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3260376/hong-kong-police-arrest-35-year-old-man-suspected-raping-woman-19-causeway-bay-hotel?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:08:17 +0000 Trade between China and Africa defied economic headwinds in the first quarter of 2024, with two-way trade growing by 5.9 per cent year on year to US$70.86 billion, according to the latest customs data. This was despite a property crisis in China which affected copper demand, with a downturn in copper prices towards the end of 2023. Experts have attributed the rise in trade to higher commodity prices during the period, as well as incentives introduced by Beijing to grow trade with Africa, in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3259601/china-africa-trade-gets-boost-critical-minerals-needed-ev-battery-production?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3259601/china-africa-trade-gets-boost-critical-minerals-needed-ev-battery-production?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Apr 2024 14:00:17 +0000 Niger’s military junta has signed a US$400 million deal with a Chinese state-owned oil giant as part of its plan to “diversify international partnerships” after cutting ties with France and the United States. The deal signed on Friday by Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) chief executive officer Zhou Zuokun will see the Chinese company advance the money to help Niger’s military rulers meet short-term obligations as the economy struggles to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3259074/chinese-state-firm-agrees-us400m-loan-niger-junta-return-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3259074/chinese-state-firm-agrees-us400m-loan-niger-junta-return-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Apr 2024 10:00:17 +0000 I recently holidayed in Shikoku, the least visited of the four main islands of Japan, and had a wonderful time enjoying the sights (it was cherry blossom season), food and company. A group of us living in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore travel together once a year, and it’s become something of an annual tradition since our first trip to Vietnam in 2016. For some of us, it’s the only time that we see each other. In Shikoku, I couldn’t resist buying a few beautifully packaged boxes of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3257246/power-sockets-still-not-standardised-first-emperor-unified-china-standardising-writing-and-measures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3257246/power-sockets-still-not-standardised-first-emperor-unified-china-standardising-writing-and-measures?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Mar 2024 00:15:19 +0000 Niger has already begun courting new international supporters, just days after it severed military ties with the United States and ordered 1,000 American troops out of the country. On March 16, Niger’s government broke off “with immediate effect” its military cooperation agreement with the US. The very next week, officials from the Chinese embassy in capital Niamey as well as executives from China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which has invested billions in Niger’s petroleum industry,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3257165/niger-cosies-new-friends-china-and-russia-just-days-after-sending-us-military-packing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3257165/niger-cosies-new-friends-china-and-russia-just-days-after-sending-us-military-packing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Mar 2024 08:00:22 +0000 Sierra Leone may be a small country on Africa’s Atlantic coast, but it is part of China’s big ambitions to break its dependency on Australia and Brazil for its iron ore. More than 80 per cent of China’s iron ore comes from Australia and Brazil but Beijing wants to de-risk that supply. And the West African nation, along with other countries including Guinea, Liberia, Cameroon and Congo-Brazzaville, are the key to making that happen. In the northern province of Sierra Leone, a 12 million tonne... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3255471/china-planning-break-its-dependency-australia-and-brazil-iron-ore-africa-key?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3255471/china-planning-break-its-dependency-australia-and-brazil-iron-ore-africa-key?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Mar 2024 13:00:12 +0000 Malaysia is rectifying a gender bias in its constitution next week according to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, allowing foreign-born children to Malaysian mothers and their non-Malaysian spouse to automatically get citizenship, ending years of struggle for many. Under the current law which goes back to 1963, only Malaysian men who marry non-citizens and have a child abroad can pass their citizenship to their children, while children born to Malaysian mothers under the same arrangement are... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3255273/malaysia-correct-gender-bias-citizenship-amendment-promising-equal-rights-foreign-born-children?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3255273/malaysia-correct-gender-bias-citizenship-amendment-promising-equal-rights-foreign-born-children?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Mar 2024 13:50:11 +0000 A Houthi missile attack killed three seafarers on a Red Sea merchant ship on Wednesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, the first fatalities reported since the Iran-aligned Yemeni group began strikes against shipping in one of the world’s busiest trade lanes. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, which set the Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged ship True Confidence ablaze around 50 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen’s port of Aden. In an earlier message on X responding to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3254447/2-dead-first-fatal-houthi-attack-red-sea-shipping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3254447/2-dead-first-fatal-houthi-attack-red-sea-shipping?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Mar 2024 19:35:25 +0000 Three cables under the Red Sea that provide global internet and telecommunications have been cut as the waterway remains a target of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officials said. Meanwhile, a Houthi missile hit a container ship in the Gulf of Aden, but caused no injuries. What cut the lines remains unclear. There has been concern about the cables being targeted in the Houthi campaign, which the rebels describe as an effort to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis have... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3254185/red-sea-crisis-3-underwater-data-cables-cut-yemens-houthis-claim-latest-ship-strike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3254185/red-sea-crisis-3-underwater-data-cables-cut-yemens-houthis-claim-latest-ship-strike?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2024 03:56:13 +0000 China’s ongoing efforts to challenge the dominance of the West in global governance have been on show this week with the visit of Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio to Beijing. And according to observers, by winning support from developing countries like Sierra Leone, China is positioning itself as a voice for the Global South – offering an alternative to the largely Western leadership of international affairs. In a meeting with Bio at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3253839/sierra-leone-leaders-visit-china-shines-light-xi-jinpings-challenge-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3253839/sierra-leone-leaders-visit-china-shines-light-xi-jinpings-challenge-west?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Mar 2024 02:00:14 +0000 Hong Kong has always been one of the great maritime cities. Surrounded by water and boasting more than 250 islands, historically it emerged as a pioneer for trade and shipping in the early 1800s. Its container port was once the busiest in the world, and still ranks in the top 10 globally. It therefore should be no surprise that Hong Kong once again hopes to harness its seafaring origins to set a new course for growth in the sector. This time, the city aims to lead the way in the greening of the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3253909/hong-kong-puts-shipping-industry-greener-course?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3253909/hong-kong-puts-shipping-industry-greener-course?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Mar 2024 22:30:09 +0000 In its eight years of operation, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has grown to be the second-largest multilateral development bank in terms of membership and has invested more than US$50 billion in more than 250 projects. While some might laud the size and scale of the AIIB, it’s impossible to determine whether its investments have hit their mark. This is because the AIIB has made it exceptionally hard for communities negatively affected by its financing to raise environmental and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/asia/article/3252089/aiib-must-give-local-communities-voice-development-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/asia/article/3252089/aiib-must-give-local-communities-voice-development-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Feb 2024 08:30:11 +0000 Amid deepening trust, India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations elevated ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022. This came as India’s desire to be a more prominent security partner in the Indo-Pacific intersected with Asean’s motivation to work with alternative sources of security amid the polarising geopolitical dynamics in the Pacific. Since then, several important developments have occurred, including the first docking of an Indian submarine in Indonesia in February... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3249664/amid-red-sea-clashes-india-and-asean-must-work-secure-indian-ocean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3249664/amid-red-sea-clashes-india-and-asean-must-work-secure-indian-ocean?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jan 2024 08:30:10 +0000 Antony Blinken said on Monday the United States was committed to deeper relations with Africa despite global crises as he opened a trip in the shadow of coups and the rising influence of Russia and China on the continent. Blinken is touring four democracies on the Atlantic Coast – Cabo Verde, formerly known as Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola – as security deteriorates in the Sahel and doubts grow about a key US base in coup-hit Niger. US President Joe Biden welcomed African leaders... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3249402/us-all-africa-antony-blinken-says-opening-coastal-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3249402/us-all-africa-antony-blinken-says-opening-coastal-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jan 2024 18:28:30 +0000 The US has carried out a second strike on Yemen to curb the Houthi rebels’ ability to attack merchant shipping – which the group has been engaged in since November, in protest at Israel’s war against Hamas. While Washington has stressed its strikes were defensive in nature, it is possible that they could lead to an escalation of violence in the Middle East. This would not be in the global interest and major powers need to prevent such an outcome. The Houthi movement that controls large parts of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248590/china-and-india-have-duty-act-houthi-threat-global-shipping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248590/china-and-india-have-duty-act-houthi-threat-global-shipping?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jan 2024 21:30:14 +0000 Indian Navy commandos have boarded a hijacked Liberian-flagged vessel in the Arabian Sea and are now carrying out “sanitisation” operations, the navy said on Friday, without elaborating. An Indian Navy warship intercepted the MV Lila Norfolk on Friday afternoon, less than a day after the navy received news that it had been hijacked off Somalia’s coast in the North Arabian Sea. At least 15 Indian crew members were on board the MV Lila Norfolk, which was hijacked and the navy received information... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3247465/india-sends-warship-after-arabian-sea-hijacking-liberian-flagged-vessel-indian-crew-members?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3247465/india-sends-warship-after-arabian-sea-hijacking-liberian-flagged-vessel-indian-crew-members?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jan 2024 12:23:36 +0000 As a doctrine and practice, the “responsibility to protect” (R2P) is considered “an international norm”, according to the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect at City University of New York. “R2P seeks to ensure that the international community never again fails to halt the mass atrocity crimes of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity,” it said. The concept emerged in response to the failure of the international community to adequately respond to mass... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3247158/its-time-invoke-responsibility-protect-over-palestinian-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3247158/its-time-invoke-responsibility-protect-over-palestinian-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jan 2024 13:00:10 +0000 A Japanese-owned chemical tanker struck on Saturday off the coast of India was targeted by a drone “fired from Iran,” the Pentagon said, a sign of expanding risks to commercial shipping beyond the Red Sea. The attack came amid a flurry of drone and missile strikes by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on a vital Red Sea shipping lane since the start of the Israel-Gaza war on October 7, with the group claiming to act in solidarity with Gaza. Saturday’s attack took place around 10am local time and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3246145/pentagon-says-iran-drone-struck-chemical-tanker-near-india-expanding-red-sea-risks-amid-israel-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3246145/pentagon-says-iran-drone-struck-chemical-tanker-near-india-expanding-red-sea-risks-amid-israel-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Dec 2023 02:20:13 +0000 The expulsion of an international student from China has revived concerns about preferences for foreigners, with a major state-affiliated news source calling for equal treatment. In an editorial on Friday, Shanghai-based digital newspaper The Paper applauded the authorities’ decision to expel a Liberian student from the Liuzhou Vocational and Technical College in southern China for not attending over 60 hours of classes since October 20. The student’s residence permit was cancelled over the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3245330/expulsion-foreign-student-china-fans-equal-treatment-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3245330/expulsion-foreign-student-china-fans-equal-treatment-call?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Dec 2023 12:00:12 +0000 A Liberian-flagged cargo ship caught fire in the Red Sea on Friday after being hit by a projectile launched from rebel-controlled Yemen, a US defence official and a private intelligence firm said. The attack on the Al Jasrah further escalates a campaign by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who have claimed responsibility for a series of missile assaults in recent days that just missed shipping in the Red Sea and its strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The attacks are a response to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3245223/cargo-ship-red-sea-set-ablaze-projectile-launched-yemen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3245223/cargo-ship-red-sea-set-ablaze-projectile-launched-yemen?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Dec 2023 09:04:08 +0000 A US Navy warship responded to a distress call from a commercial tanker in the Gulf of Aden that had been seized by armed individuals and the vessel is now safe, US officials said on Sunday. The tanker, which had been carrying a cargo of phosphoric acid, was identified as the Central Park by the vessel’s company. The officials did not identify the attackers. In a statement, the US military said the USS Mason, with help from allied ships, demanded that the commercial ship be released by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3242878/israel-linked-tanker-seized-yemen-unidentified-armed-attackers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3242878/israel-linked-tanker-seized-yemen-unidentified-armed-attackers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Nov 2023 14:35:33 +0000 Political veteran Joseph Boakai was on Monday declared winner of Liberia’s presidential election, beating incumbent George Weah, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) said after completing the ballot count. Boakai won with 50.64 per cent of the vote, against 49.36 per cent of the vote for former international football star Weah, Davidetta Browne Lansanah, president of the commission, told reporters. Boakai won with only a 20,567-vote margin. Liberia’s President George Weah concedes election... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3242236/joseph-boakai-declared-winner-liberia-presidential-election-after-completing-ballot-count?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3242236/joseph-boakai-declared-winner-liberia-presidential-election-after-completing-ballot-count?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Nov 2023 18:07:13 +0000 Liberian leader and football legend George Weah conceded defeat to opposition leader Joseph Boakai after a tight presidential run-off, saying it was “time to put national interest above personal interest”. The latest and nearly complete results showed Boakai leading with nearly 51 per cent of the votes in Liberia, Africa’s oldest republic founded by freed American slaves. “The results announced tonight, though not final, indicate that … Boakai is in a lead that we cannot surpass,” Weah said in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3242039/liberias-president-george-weah-concedes-election-defeat-joseph-boakai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3242039/liberias-president-george-weah-concedes-election-defeat-joseph-boakai?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Nov 2023 20:11:33 +0000 A Russian missile damaged a Liberia-flagged civilian vessel entering a Black Sea port in Odesa region, killing one and injuring four people, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday. After pulling out of the UN-brokered deal that guaranteed safe shipments of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, Russia has been repeatedly attacking Ukrainian port infrastructure. “The missile hit the superstructure of a civilian vessel under the flag of Liberia, at the moment of its entry into the port,” Ukraine’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3240851/ukraine-says-russian-missile-hits-civilian-ship-transporting-iron-ore-china-killing-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3240851/ukraine-says-russian-missile-hits-civilian-ship-transporting-iron-ore-china-killing-one?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2023 21:14:51 +0000 If there’s anything that crystallises Zhou Dongyu’s career ambitions, it’s her desire to learn multiple languages. “I want to go around the world,” says the Chinese film star. “I’ve been trying to learn English on my own terms. But after knowing the director, my English has a Singaporean accent!” The “director” in question is Anthony Chen, the Singaporean filmmaker behind 2013’s Ilo Ilo, his breakout film that won him the Cannes Film Festival’s Camera d’Or for best first feature. Now he’s back... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3240599/chinese-actress-zhou-dongyu-co-star-beguiling-gen-z-drama-breaking-ice-filming-frigid-conditions-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3240599/chinese-actress-zhou-dongyu-co-star-beguiling-gen-z-drama-breaking-ice-filming-frigid-conditions-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Nov 2023 10:15:09 +0000 As the world transitions to green energy, the race is on to control the mining and refining of vital minerals such as cobalt, lithium and graphite. The current leader in that race, by far, is China – which controls the majority of the market. But that dominance is fast being challenged by the West. During last month’s Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, the European Union made it known it intended to challenge China’s dominance of the mining and processing of minerals that power electronics and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3240247/europe-us-racing-challenge-chinas-dominance-over-vital-african-minerals-market-will-they-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3240247/europe-us-racing-challenge-chinas-dominance-over-vital-african-minerals-market-will-they-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2023 08:03:15 +0000 A massive untapped iron ore mine in West Africa has shot up China’s list of belt and road priorities as it pushes to cut reliance on Australia and Brazil for the mineral essential to steel production. Simandou, a 110km (68 mile) mountain range in the inland forests of southeastern Guinea, is home to the world’s largest known undeveloped reserve of high-grade iron ore, with a projected annual production capacity of 120 million tonnes. The vast deposits have drawn Chinese multinationals including... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3239571/why-chinese-interest-soaring-west-african-guineas-simandou-iron-ore-reserves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3239571/why-chinese-interest-soaring-west-african-guineas-simandou-iron-ore-reserves?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Oct 2023 08:00:16 +0000 Chinese construction companies in Rwanda are facing stiffer competition from foreign firms and declining profits, with fewer development projects available for bidding since the pandemic. The decline in the number of projects in Rwanda resulted from a government reallocation of Covid-related resources to the healthcare sector, said Tang Hai Ping, 34, a project manager of Chinese construction firm Stecol Corporation (Rwanda). Chinese companies like Stecol had ventured into Rwanda following its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3238686/chinese-construction-firms-rwanda-see-shrinking-slice-pie-india-turkey-enter-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3238686/chinese-construction-firms-rwanda-see-shrinking-slice-pie-india-turkey-enter-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2023 06:00:25 +0000 If another pandemic happens, the world will again be unprepared. That’s the bleak assessment of former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark, who co-chaired the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, after the United Nations General Assembly held a high-level summit aimed at heading off another pandemic. The upshot: have another meeting. Other pandemic experts who tracked months of negotiations on the 13-page declaration adopted by the assembly’s 193 member nations were... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3235798/are-we-prepared-next-pandemic-only-if-world-breaks-cycle-panic-and-neglect-says-ex-new-zealand-pm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3235798/are-we-prepared-next-pandemic-only-if-world-breaks-cycle-panic-and-neglect-says-ex-new-zealand-pm?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Sep 2023 02:13:00 +0000 Chinese loans to Africa have decreased significantly in recent years, according to a US university. In 2021 and 2022, China made 16 new loan commitments worth a combined total of US$2.22 billion to African countries, signifying two consecutive years of lending to Africa below US$2 billion, according to new data compiled by Boston University’s Global Development Policy Centre. In its Chinese Loans to Africa Database, the centre tracked seven loans worth US$1.22 billion that Chinese lenders signed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3235290/chinese-investors-focus-west-africa-amid-decline-total-loans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3235290/chinese-investors-focus-west-africa-amid-decline-total-loans?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Sep 2023 08:00:14 +0000