https://www.scmp.com/rss/519427/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Kyiv said on Friday that 10 people were arrested in Ukraine and Moldova on suspicion of planning to assassinate senior Ukrainian political figures on Moscow’s orders, with payouts of up to US$100,000. Kyiv has previously accused Russia, which invaded Ukraine four years ago, of plotting to kill several senior officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky and the head of Ukraine’s intelligence service. “As part of the work of a joint investigative team of Ukrainian and Moldovan law enforcement... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344159/10-arrested-over-russian-plot-kill-top-ukrainian-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344159/10-arrested-over-russian-plot-kill-top-ukrainian-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:58:33 +0000 Reuters Reuters European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday she felt that EU governments were not ready to give Ukraine a date for membership despite a demand to do so from ‌President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky repeated on Saturday that he needed a date as part of security guarantees for a final peace package with Russia. “My feeling is that the member states are not ready to give a concrete date,” Kallas told a panel at the Munich Security Conference. “There’s a lot of work to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343638/eu-not-ready-give-ukraine-date-membership-says-blocs-foreign-policy-chief-kallas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343638/eu-not-ready-give-ukraine-date-membership-says-blocs-foreign-policy-chief-kallas?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:49:25 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukraine’s power grid experienced mass outages on Saturday after a “technical malfunction” caused electrical lines between Moldova, Romania and Ukraine to fail, Ukraine’s energy minister said. The outages knocked out water supplies to Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and prompted a complete shutdown of the city’s metro network, paralysing transport for thousands. “Today at 10.42am a technical malfunction occurred, causing a simultaneous shutdown of the 400-kilovolt line between the power grids of Romania... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3341954/electricity-lines-between-ukraine-moldova-romania-fail-causing-mass-outages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3341954/electricity-lines-between-ukraine-moldova-romania-fail-causing-mass-outages?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:03:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Moldova’s ruling pro-EU party won parliamentary elections with the backing of more than half of voters, according to near-complete results on Monday for polls overshadowed by accusations of Russian interference in the ex-Soviet country. The small European Union candidate nation, which borders Ukraine and has a pro-Russia breakaway region, has long been divided over whether to move closer to Brussels or maintain Soviet-era relations with Moscow. Sunday’s elections were seen as crucial for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327173/moldovas-pro-eu-party-tops-polls-elections-hit-russian-meddling-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327173/moldovas-pro-eu-party-tops-polls-elections-hit-russian-meddling-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 23:27:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US Vice-President J.D. Vance warned on Wednesday that Donald Trump was “growing incredibly impatient” with Moscow as Washington’s stance on Russia hardens after diplomatic efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine stalled. Trump performed a stunning about-turn at the United Nations on Tuesday, suggesting that Ukraine could not only retake all of the territory it lost to Russia militarily, but also take even more. Trump “doesn’t feel like they’re putting enough on the table to end the war. If the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3326804/us-russia-spar-over-ukraine-war-amid-calls-killing-stop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3326804/us-russia-spar-over-ukraine-war-amid-calls-killing-stop?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 06:32:03 +0000 Mark Magnier,Frank Chen Mark Magnier,Frank Chen Adapting his “flood the zone” tactic to foreign trade, US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday another flurry of take-it-or-leave-it letters imposing tariffs on Brazil and six smaller economies that have resisted him or are too small to merit individual negotiating attention. Late Wednesday, the US president threatened to slap a 50 per cent tariff on Brazil in part as retaliation for its ongoing prosecution of his ally, the country’s former president Jair Bolsonaro. This represented a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3317603/trump-announces-new-tariffs-six-smaller-economies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3317603/trump-announces-new-tariffs-six-smaller-economies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 16:57:45 +0000 Moldova’s pro-Western President Maia Sandu has won a second term in a pivotal presidential run-off against a Russia-friendly opponent, in a race that was overshadowed by claims of Russian interference, voter fraud, and intimidation in the European Union candidate country. With nearly 99 per cent of votes counted in the second round of the presidential election held Sunday, Sandu had 55 per cent of the vote, according to the Central Electoral Commission, or CEC, compared to 45 per cent for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3285038/moldovas-maia-sandu-takes-lead-election-92-cent-vote-counted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3285038/moldovas-maia-sandu-takes-lead-election-92-cent-vote-counted?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Nov 2024 22:25:39 +0000 Moldovans cast their ballots on Sunday in a presidential election and EU referendum at a pivotal moment that could reinforce the small agricultural economy’s drive to join the European Union, after allegations of Russian election meddling. As the war in Ukraine rages to the east and turns the political and diplomatic spotlight on the former Soviet republic, it has accelerated its push to escape Moscow’s orbit and embarked on the long process of EU accession talks. Polls show pro-Western... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3283134/moldova-votes-election-eu-referendum-shadow-alleged-russia-meddling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3283134/moldova-votes-election-eu-referendum-shadow-alleged-russia-meddling?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Oct 2024 15:02:08 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification I refer to “Chinese border crossers chase the American dream, with mixed success” (July 18). There is no need for a Chinese person to travel to the other side of the globe to see that the obverse of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3271686/land-free-theres-another-side-free-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3271686/land-free-theres-another-side-free-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jul 2024 06:30:12 +0000 Fifa World Cup winners Antoine Griezmann, Rodrigo De Paul, Nahuel Molina and Angel Correa are set to be among the Atletico Madrid stars who take on Kitchee in Hong Kong this summer. The La Liga team will play the local side at Hong Kong Stadium on August 7, as part of a preseason tour of Asia. Ken Ng Kin, owner of the Hong Kong Premier League outfit, said the contract terms stipulated Atletico’s star names would play in Hong Kong, barring injuries, transfers, personal matters or international... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3268338/no-messi-repeat-say-organisers-ticket-price-set-atletico-madrid-match-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3268338/no-messi-repeat-say-organisers-ticket-price-set-atletico-madrid-match-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jun 2024 13:09:04 +0000 The European Union opened membership talks with Ukraine on Tuesday, giving the country a political boost in the midst of its war against Russia’s invasion, although a long and tough road still lies ahead before it could join the bloc. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, addressing the meeting in Luxembourg by video link, said the start of the talks was a historic moment and a significant step for both Kyiv and the EU towards “our shared great victory”. “For our nation, the European Union... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3268035/ukraine-starts-historic-eu-membership-talks-amid-war-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3268035/ukraine-starts-historic-eu-membership-talks-amid-war-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jun 2024 17:09:38 +0000 The European Union agreed on Friday to start membership negotiations with embattled Ukraine and Moldova, another step in the nations’ long journey to move closer to the West and mute Russia’s influence. Belgium, which currently holds the presidency of the EU, said member states have agreed that talks will start on Tuesday in Luxembourg. Ukraine applied to join the bloc less than a week after Russia invaded in February 2022, and EU leaders acted with uncharacteristic speed in making it a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3267609/eu-nations-start-membership-negotiations-ukraine-moldova?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3267609/eu-nations-start-membership-negotiations-ukraine-moldova?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 13:41:42 +0000 Hong Kong environmental authorities have received eight noise complaints related to a festival at the Central harbourfront over the weekend, while some residents 8km away in Wong Tai Sin and Tsz Wan Shan said they were disturbed by loud music. The organiser of the S2O Hong Kong Songkran Music Festival said on Wednesday that it had hired staff to measure noise levels at different spots around the venue and “no serious exceedance” was recorded during the entire event. “The measurements were... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3266377/hongkongers-8km-music-festival-complain-about-noise-although-levels-within-limits-site?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3266377/hongkongers-8km-music-festival-complain-about-noise-although-levels-within-limits-site?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2024 16:01:42 +0000 Four interior ministry employees were arrested in Moldova in a vast operation to catch government officials sabotaging Interpol red notices. US and French officers were involved in the operation that targeted 12 suspects and took place in 33 different locations in Moldova, France’s financial crimes prosecutor Jean-Francois Bohnert said in a statement. The attempt at fraud by mostly Moldovan officials aimed at “obstructing Interpol’s issuance of red notices targeting wanted international... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3265422/multinational-operation-breaks-scheme-sabotaging-interpol-red-notices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3265422/multinational-operation-breaks-scheme-sabotaging-interpol-red-notices?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jun 2024 03:28:00 +0000 Defence experts who have reviewed debris images from an Israeli air strike that ignited a deadly fire in a camp for displaced Palestinians questioned why Israel did not use smaller, more precise weapons when so many civilians were nearby. They said the bombs used were likely US-made. The strikes, targeting Hamas operatives, killed as many as 45 people sheltering in a temporary displacement camp near the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Sunday and have drawn international condemnation. Israel is... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3264843/israel-could-have-used-smaller-weapons-against-hamas-avoid-deaths-gaza-tent-camp-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3264843/israel-could-have-used-smaller-weapons-against-hamas-avoid-deaths-gaza-tent-camp-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 May 2024 06:02:33 +0000 Washington has painted for its military allies across the Atlantic Ocean a stark picture of China’s role in supporting Russia’s war with Ukraine, arguing Beijing should not be able to boost Moscow while seeking to enjoy normal ties across Europe. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell briefed Nato counterparts in Brussels this week, highlighting Beijing’s assistance to Moscow “through the provision of dual-use components that are in essence enabling Russia to execute this war inside... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3264623/us-urges-nato-partners-stay-wary-china-over-its-support-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3264623/us-urges-nato-partners-stay-wary-china-over-its-support-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 May 2024 17:40:24 +0000 I got a kick out of reading this headline and news summary the other day from The New York Times. “Campus Protests Give Russia, China and Iran Fuel to Exploit US Divide: America’s adversaries have mounted online campaigns to amplify the social and political conflicts over Gaza flaring at universities, researchers say.” Hmm, I think the US mainstream news media including the self-styled “greatest newspaper in the world” have been doing so much dividing that America hardly needs more help from its... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3262073/subversive-us-influence-over-unrest-georgia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3262073/subversive-us-influence-over-unrest-georgia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 May 2024 13:15:12 +0000 French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed he did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, saying the issue would “legitimately” arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines and Kyiv made such a request, in an interview with the Economist published on Thursday. The Economist said Macron gave the interview after delivering a keynote speech last week when he declared that Europe is “mortal” and could “die” partly due to the threat posed by Russian aggression after its February 2022 invasion... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3261223/ukraine-war-macron-stands-comment-send-troops-front-lines-if-russia-advances-warns-europe-hidden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3261223/ukraine-war-macron-stands-comment-send-troops-front-lines-if-russia-advances-warns-europe-hidden?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 May 2024 11:37:36 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification One of the more useful anecdotes in E.M. Forster’s A Room With A View involves whether it would be better to rent to a family rising up from humble beginnings or a family of noble background that... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3260442/what-old-money-can-learn-new-money-and-how-hong-kong-can-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3260442/what-old-money-can-learn-new-money-and-how-hong-kong-can-help?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Apr 2024 03:30:15 +0000 President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview published on Friday that if Ukraine does not get promised US military aid blocked by disputes in Congress, its forces will have to retreat “in small steps”. “If there is no US support, it means that we have no air defence, no Patriot missiles, no jammers for electronic warfare, no 155mm artillery rounds,” Zelensky told The Washington Post. “It means we will go back, retreat, step by step, in small steps,” he said. “We are trying to find some way... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3257299/zelensky-says-ukraine-forces-will-have-retreat-if-us-fails-give-military-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3257299/zelensky-says-ukraine-forces-will-have-retreat-if-us-fails-give-military-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Mar 2024 04:45:10 +0000 As the war in Ukraine stretches into its third year, China’s efforts as a mediator, offering its services to help bring about a cessation to the fighting, have yet to win much success. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, China has often billed itself as a neutral arbitrator, capable of playing a bigger role in ending the war. To that end, last year Chinese President Xi Jinping met twice with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and in April he held a phone call with Ukrainian... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3252998/time-could-soon-be-ripe-china-lead-negotiations-end-ukraine-russia-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3252998/time-could-soon-be-ripe-china-lead-negotiations-end-ukraine-russia-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Feb 2024 14:00:10 +0000 Pro-Russian rebel officials in Moldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria appealed to Russia for “protection” on Wednesday, amid fears the territory could become a new flashpoint in Moscow’s conflict with neighbouring Ukraine. The thin sliver of land has been de facto controlled by pro-Russian forces since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but is internationally recognised as part of Moldova. At a special congress in the region – only the seventh in its history – lawmakers passed a resolution... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3253567/ukraine-war-breakaway-moldovan-region-transnistria-asks-russia-protection-raising-fears-further?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3253567/ukraine-war-breakaway-moldovan-region-transnistria-asks-russia-protection-raising-fears-further?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Feb 2024 13:58:04 +0000 Greece has become the first majority-Orthodox Christian nation to legalise same-sex marriage under civil law. At least for the near future, it will almost certainly be the only one. Eastern Orthodox leadership, despite lacking a single doctrinal authority like a pope, has been united in opposing recognition of same-sex relationships both within its own rites and in the civil realm. Public opinion in majority Orthodox countries has mostly been opposed, too. But there are some signs of change. Two... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3252215/greece-legalises-same-sex-marriage-will-other-orthodox-countries-join-them-any-time-soon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3252215/greece-legalises-same-sex-marriage-will-other-orthodox-countries-join-them-any-time-soon?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Feb 2024 00:00:15 +0000 Russian forces launched 45 drones over Ukraine in a five-and-a-half-hour barrage Sunday, officials said, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continued the reshuffle of his war cabinet as the war enters its third year. In a statement, the Ukrainian air force said it had shot down 40 of the Iranian-made Shahed drones over nine different regions, including on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Kyiv. The attack targeted agricultural facilities and coastal infrastructure, officials for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3251700/russia-launches-45-drones-mass-barrage-ukraine-zelensky-continues-war-cabinet-reshuffle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3251700/russia-launches-45-drones-mass-barrage-ukraine-zelensky-continues-war-cabinet-reshuffle?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Feb 2024 16:55:49 +0000 The European Union has suspended a World Trade Organization dispute with China over alleged economic coercion of Lithuania for “technical reasons”, pausing one of the highest-profile rifts between the two sides in recent years. The long-running dispute emerged after the tiny Baltic nation hosted a controversially named Taiwanese government office in its capital city Vilnius. Subsequently, Lithuanian companies found the country had been wiped from China’s customs system, with its exports to China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3249980/eu-suspends-wto-dispute-china-over-alleged-economic-coercion-lithuania?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3249980/eu-suspends-wto-dispute-china-over-alleged-economic-coercion-lithuania?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jan 2024 18:35:41 +0000 Recent global shocks, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have hit much of the world hard in the past few years, especially Europe. However, there could potentially be even bigger political and economic chaos on the horizon during the rest of the decade. In Europe, this view was outlined on Tuesday by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, whose country currently holds the European Union’s rotating presidency in the first half of this year. De Croo warned that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248714/trumps-iowa-victory-shows-europe-and-world-general-must-prepare-more-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248714/trumps-iowa-victory-shows-europe-and-world-general-must-prepare-more-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jan 2024 11:30:13 +0000 European Union leaders agreed to open membership talks with Ukraine even as it continues to fight Russia’s invasion, but they could not agree on a €50 billion (US$54 billion) package of financial aid for Kyiv due to opposition from Hungary. At a summit in Brussels, other leaders bypassed objections from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban by getting him to leave the room while they took the historic step of agreeing to start accession negotiations with a country at war. But they could not... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3245118/eu-launch-membership-talks-ukraine-surprise-win-zelensky?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3245118/eu-launch-membership-talks-ukraine-surprise-win-zelensky?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Dec 2023 18:42:11 +0000 The United Nations on Tuesday demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war after more than three-quarters of the 193-member General Assembly backed the move, which had been vetoed by the United States in the Security Council last week. The United States does not have a veto in the General Assembly. It voted against the resolution, along with Israel and eight other countries. The resolution was adopted to a round of applause with 153 votes in favour, while 23 countries... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3244868/un-general-assembly-demands-humanitarian-ceasefire-israel-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3244868/un-general-assembly-demands-humanitarian-ceasefire-israel-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Dec 2023 22:01:10 +0000 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was travelling to Argentina on Saturday to attend the inauguration of new Argentine President Javier Milei, his first trip to Latin America. Zelensky’s trip, announced on the Telegram messaging app, will focus on Ukraine’s long-standing bid to secure the support of countries in the Global South in Ukraine’s 21-month-old war against Russia. The Ukrainian president said he had met the prime minister of the West African country of Cabo Verde, Ulisses Correia e... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3244523/ukraines-volodymyr-zelensky-heads-argentina-hoping-win-global-souths-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3244523/ukraines-volodymyr-zelensky-heads-argentina-hoping-win-global-souths-support?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Dec 2023 22:28:09 +0000 Pro-war Russian nationalist Igor Girkin, who is in custody awaiting trial for inciting extremism, said on Sunday he wanted to run for president even though he understood the March election would be a “sham” with the winner already clear. Girkin, who is also known by the alias Igor Strelkov, has repeatedly said Russia faces revolution and even civil war unless President Vladimir Putin’s military top brass fight the war in Ukraine more effectively. A former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3242089/jailed-russian-nationalist-igor-girkin-warns-sham-election-wants-run?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3242089/jailed-russian-nationalist-igor-girkin-warns-sham-election-wants-run?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Nov 2023 12:18:20 +0000 Another member of the Russian military was found dead under unknown circumstances this week. Lieutenant General Vladimir Sviridov, 68, and his wife Tatyana, 72, were found dead on Wednesday in their bedroom, said the Kyiv Post. They looked to have been dead for about a week before their discovery, according to the newspaper. Sviridov commanded the 6th Army of the Air Force and Air Defence of Russia from 2005 to 2009, per the Kyiv Post. The paper also reported that a Russian Telegram channel,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3242065/ukraine-war-russian-general-critical-army-found-dead-along-his-wife?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3242065/ukraine-war-russian-general-critical-army-found-dead-along-his-wife?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Nov 2023 07:35:13 +0000 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised as a “historic step” a recommendation by the European Union executive on Wednesday to invite Kyiv to begin membership talks as soon as it meets final conditions, even as it fights to repel Russia’s war. The recommendation by the European Commission is an important milestone on Kyiv’s road to Western integration and a geopolitical gambit for the EU as Ukraine has been fighting against a large-scale Russian invasion since February 2022. The Commission... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3240841/ukraine-hails-historic-step-towards-eu-membership-amid-war-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3240841/ukraine-hails-historic-step-towards-eu-membership-amid-war-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2023 15:37:48 +0000 Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa announced his resignation on Tuesday after he was embroiled in a corruption investigation into the awarding of energy-related contracts. The probe involving Costa and others covers alleged “misuse of funds, active and passive corruption by political figures, and influence peddling”, according to a statement from public prosecutors. Costa will also be investigated independently for allegedly intervening personally to speed up the awarding of licences for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3240711/portugal-prime-minister-antonio-costa-resigns-amid-corruption-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3240711/portugal-prime-minister-antonio-costa-resigns-amid-corruption-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Nov 2023 20:06:48 +0000 The European Union executive will recommend on Wednesday that the bloc open membership negotiations with Kyiv once it meets outstanding conditions, two EU officials said on Monday, more than 20 months since Russia invaded Ukraine. In Kyiv, a senior government official said Ukraine expected the European Commission to deliver a “positive” appraisal of its membership bid, a coveted prize as troops face battle fatigue and concerns swirl over the future of vital US military aid. The Commission will... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3240572/eu-will-propose-starting-membership-talks-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3240572/eu-will-propose-starting-membership-talks-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Nov 2023 23:59:18 +0000 The European Union executive is expected to recommend taking Ukraine one step closer to becoming a member of the bloc this week, according to EU officials, a coveted prize for Kyiv as weariness creeps in nearly two years after Russia’s invasion. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s Brussels-based executive will publish a report on Wednesday assessing progress achieved towards membership by EU hopefuls. On a visit to Kyiv on Saturday, she praised Ukraine for making headway. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3240461/eu-weighs-advancing-ukraines-membership-bid-war-russia-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3240461/eu-weighs-advancing-ukraines-membership-bid-war-russia-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Nov 2023 04:40:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters The UN General Assembly called for the 31st time on the United States to end its decades-long trade embargo against Cuba as the communist-run island suffers its worst economic crisis in decades, with shortages of food, fuel and medicine. The non-binding resolution was approved by 187 countries and opposed only by the United States and Israel, with Ukraine abstaining. Somalia, Venezuela and Moldova didn’t vote. The “yes” vote was up from 185 last year and 184 in 2021, and it tied the 2019 vote of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3240172/un-votes-overwhelmingly-end-us-embargo-cuba-us-and-israel-oppose?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3240172/un-votes-overwhelmingly-end-us-embargo-cuba-us-and-israel-oppose?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Nov 2023 03:11:24 +0000 Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed a group of businesses that had been enlisted to help the bloc’s flagship infrastructure programme, the Global Gateway. The new business advisory board would “help us to work closer together and deliver faster on the green and digital transitions, boosting the economy of our partners and the EU”, von der Leyen said. But close inspection of the list of board members reveals that the EU has invited Chinese state-linked companies... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3239057/eu-includes-companies-linked-beijing-its-global-gateway-board?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3239057/eu-includes-companies-linked-beijing-its-global-gateway-board?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2023 17:13:37 +0000 Thousands of foreigners are stuck in Israel and across the Palestinian territories, where a full-blown war has erupted since Hamas militants launched their attack. With the violence having already claimed thousands of lives on both sides, several countries have launched operations to repatriate their citizens, while others plan to do so in the coming days. Here is an overview of ongoing and planned evacuations, according to official sources: United States The US government will begin offering... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3237758/countries-rush-evacuate-citizens-israel-hamas-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3237758/countries-rush-evacuate-citizens-israel-hamas-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Oct 2023 20:24:53 +0000 Moldova’s pro-European President, Maia Sandu, said Russia’s Wagner paramilitary force was the main force behind an attempt to foment a coup against her, she told the Financial Times in an interview published on Friday. Sandu, interviewed by the Financial Times during the European Union’s European Political Community summit in Spain, said Wagner’s late leader Yevgeny Prigozhin stood behind the bid to overthrow her. She also said Moscow remained engaged in attempts to destabilise the country lying... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3237148/president-says-wagners-prigozhin-plotted-coup-against-moldova-his-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3237148/president-says-wagners-prigozhin-plotted-coup-against-moldova-his-death?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Oct 2023 03:36:41 +0000 David Beckham is one of the most famous and revered football players of all time. Across his two-decade-long professional career, Beckham won league titles in four different countries and made over 100 appearances for England. And now, his life and legacy have been immortalised in his new Netflix docuseries, Beckham. From humble beginnings to global superstardom, here’s a look back at the star’s glittering football career in 15 photos. 1. David Beckham joined Manchester United in 1991 Despite... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3237068/15-david-beckhams-most-career-defining-moments-football-history-his-early-days-manchester-united-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3237068/15-david-beckhams-most-career-defining-moments-football-history-his-early-days-manchester-united-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Oct 2023 22:00:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s signature Wine and Dine Festival will return to the Central Harbourfront following a five-year hiatus, with an anticipated 140,000 turnout expected to boost a government drive to fire up the night economy. Spearheaded by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the festival will be held from October 26 to 29, featuring 300 booths with food and drinks from dozens countries and regions. “This is one of the first mega events in the coming months,” Raymond Chan, a general manager with the board,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3235988/will-hong-kongs-wine-and-dine-festival-pour-life-back-night-economy-event-return-october-140000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3235988/will-hong-kongs-wine-and-dine-festival-pour-life-back-night-economy-event-return-october-140000?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Sep 2023 08:56:16 +0000 Romania’s defence minister said on Wednesday that pieces apparently of a drone from Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine’s port on the Danube River have been found on the territory of his country. Romania is a Nato member. Angel Tilvar, the minister, told local news channel Antena 3 CNN that parts of what was most likely a drone were discovered in the eastern Tulcea county, an area of the Danube that forms a natural border between Romania and war-torn Ukraine. “I confirm that in this area, pieces... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3233656/nato-member-romania-says-russian-drone-debris-attacks-ukraine-found-its-soil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3233656/nato-member-romania-says-russian-drone-debris-attacks-ukraine-found-its-soil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Sep 2023 19:27:15 +0000 Russian drones targeted Ukraine’s southern Odesa region in the early hours of Sunday, with Moscow hitting a Danube port on the border with Nato member Romania in an attack condemned by Bucharest. Moscow has hit Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Black Sea and on the Danube for weeks, since exiting a key deal that allowed the safe passage of ships carrying grain. The attack came on the eve of a summit in Russia between Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who hopes to revive... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3233275/brutal-russia-attack-ukraines-danube-port-condemned-neighbours-romania-moldova?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3233275/brutal-russia-attack-ukraines-danube-port-condemned-neighbours-romania-moldova?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Sep 2023 14:42:59 +0000 The European Commission has no immediate money in the budget and no clear way to help finance the extra transport costs Ukrainian grain exports will face with the end of the Black Sea deal, sources said, leaving an opportunity for Moscow to cash in. Russia backed out of a UN-led Black Sea grain deal this month that allowed for the safe passage of Ukrainian cargo ships laden with cereals, oilseeds and wheat to reach global markets. Russia has already promised free grain to some of Ukraine’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3229174/ukraine-no-money-pot-grain-transport-after-russia-deal-collapse-eu-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3229174/ukraine-no-money-pot-grain-transport-after-russia-deal-collapse-eu-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jul 2023 16:26:11 +0000 A man from Tajikistan shot dead a border policeman and an airport security employee at Chisinau airport, Moldova on Friday before being arrested, officials said. A passenger was also injured and is being treated by doctors, said Moldova’s Prime Minister Dorin Recean. The 43-year-old Tajik national was being returned home under escort after being banned from entering Moldova for security reasons when he grabbed a gun from a border police employee, Recean said on Facebook. Special police forces... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3226194/gunman-kills-two-moldovas-main-airport-after-being-denied-entry-country-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3226194/gunman-kills-two-moldovas-main-airport-after-being-denied-entry-country-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jun 2023 16:24:45 +0000 Ukrainian missiles struck one of the few bridges linking the Crimea Peninsula with the Ukrainian mainland early on Thursday, cutting one of the main supply routes for Russian occupation forces in southern Ukraine as Kyiv pushes to drive them out. Vladimir Saldo, the head of the Russian-installed administration in occupied parts of Ukraine’s Kherson province, released video on the Chonhar road bridge, where craters had been blasted through the asphalt. “Another meaningless act perpetrated by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3225046/ukraine-war-kyiv-hits-bridge-linking-crimea-mainland-blow-russian-supply-route?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3225046/ukraine-war-kyiv-hits-bridge-linking-crimea-mainland-blow-russian-supply-route?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jun 2023 12:02:07 +0000 A top Russian officer has been killed in a Ukrainian missile strike during Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Russian forces, a Russian-backed official in Ukraine said on Tuesday, offering his condolences. Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-installed official in part of the southern Zaporizhzhia region which is under Moscow’s control, said Major General Sergei Goryachev, Chief of Staff of Russia’s 35th Army, had been killed on the Zaporizhzhia front on Monday where Ukrainian forces have been retaking some... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3223989/top-russian-officer-killed-ukrainian-counteroffensive-moscow-backed-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3223989/top-russian-officer-killed-ukrainian-counteroffensive-moscow-backed-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jun 2023 18:29:28 +0000 Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will take in meetings with US business and congressional leaders, along with a baseball game, when he heads to Washington next week for summit talks with US President Joe Biden. Sustaining both nations’ support for Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders will feature heavily when the leaders meet at the White House on Thursday, according to Sunak’s spokesman. But Britain sees no traction for securing a post-Brexit trade deal with the Biden administration,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3222878/biden-business-and-baseball-uk-prime-minister-rishi-sunaks-agenda-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3222878/biden-business-and-baseball-uk-prime-minister-rishi-sunaks-agenda-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jun 2023 22:13:23 +0000 The European Union is set for a “small revolution” through its enlargement to include Ukraine and potentially another nine countries, France’s Europe minister said on Friday. French President Emmanuel Macron created surprise on Wednesday by throwing his weight firmly behind the broadening of the 27-member EU in a speech in Slovakia. “The question for us is not whether we should enlarge … but how we should do it,” Macron told an audience, having previously vetoed EU membership talks with Albania... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3222820/eu-set-small-revolution-through-enlargement-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3222820/eu-set-small-revolution-through-enlargement-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jun 2023 15:52:01 +0000