https://www.scmp.com/rss/519433/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press Two enormous sandlike dunes at an old chemical processing plant in South Africa are at the centre of an exploratory US-backed project to extract highly sought-after rare earth elements from industrial mining waste. The Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project has US support through a US$50 million equity investment by the government’s International Development Finance Corporation and is part of accelerated US efforts to reduce its reliance on China for the minerals crucial for making electronic devices,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350632/trump-backs-us50-million-investment-south-africa-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350632/trump-backs-us50-million-investment-south-africa-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:48:59 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Across major African cities such as Nairobi, Lusaka, and Abuja, governments are using surveillance technologies and credit lines from China to monitor public spaces and curb crime, a new survey shows. The UK-based Institute of Development Studies (IDS) said Chinese banks were increasingly funding African governments to build and maintain digital infrastructure – including surveillance cameras and command and control centres – under the “safe city” project, also known as “smart city”, which is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Richard Harris Richard Harris The mighty Zambezi River has its source in northern Zambia, and flows north, west, south, then east, tracing borders for several countries including Zimbabwe. As the river enters Zimbabwe, the water molecules begin to flow faster, unknowingly energised – developing first into a rush, then eventually a torrent as they plunge down the Victoria Falls. This is an excellent analogy of the extremes of stock market price movements. In a stock market crash, prices move slowly, then very fast. My... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348698/us-hong-kong-theres-no-excuse-insider-trading?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348698/us-hong-kong-theres-no-excuse-insider-trading?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu The Iran war has cut off a fifth of global oil and LNG supply, handing African producers “a structural advantage” in supplying global markets, although their capacity is hampered by factors beyond the Middle East conflict, according to analysts. “West and North African exports are largely insulated from the conflict, meaning barrels from Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, Algeria and Libya are viewed as lower-risk alternatives,” said Grace Goodrich and Anne-Laure Klein of Energy, Capital & Power, a Cape... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347841/african-producers-may-have-energy-edge-during-iran-war-if-they-can-overcome-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347841/african-producers-may-have-energy-edge-during-iran-war-if-they-can-overcome-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:00:08 +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 Annemarie Evans Annemarie Evans I WAS BORN IN a small city in the north of Mozambique called Nampula in 1962. My parents were living in Mozambique. My father was a soldier and the capital was called Lourenco Marques (present-day Maputo). It was, of course, a colony of Portugal. We moved to Portugal when I was four. My father became a merchant and he travelled a lot, so I seldom saw him. I stayed with my grandparents in Porto and then lived with my mother again in Lisbon a few years later. By then, she was separated from my... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3341202/ricardo-pinto-covering-macau-through-decades-and-launching-literary-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3341202/ricardo-pinto-covering-macau-through-decades-and-launching-literary-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Army helicopters rescued people stranded on rooftops and hundreds of tourists and workers were evacuated from one of the world’s biggest game reserves, as torrential rains and flooding in three countries in southern Africa killed more than 100 people, authorities said on Friday. The death toll across South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe is an accumulation after weeks of heavy rains. Weather services issued warnings that more rain was on the way, possibly bringing more destructive... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3340231/over-100-dead-torrential-rains-and-floods-across-southern-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3340231/over-100-dead-torrential-rains-and-floods-across-southern-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 22:52:43 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The Chinese state-owned construction giant that built the Mao Zedong-era Tanzania-Zambia railway is returning to the project with a US$1.4 billion commitment to overhaul and run the line as it increasingly becomes geoeconomically important for China. In a deal struck on Monday, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) agreed to an initial US$1.1 billion investment plus a further US$238 million to be reinvested into the severely dilapidated Tazara Railway, as the line is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327348/us14-billion-tazara-rail-deal-puts-china-fast-track-africas-copperbelt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327348/us14-billion-tazara-rail-deal-puts-china-fast-track-africas-copperbelt?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 04:00:18 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage A geopolitical contest is unfolding in central-southern Africa, where major global powers are vying for control of key logistical routes amid a global race to secure critical minerals for the green energy transition. At the centre of this rivalry lies the small town of Kapiri Mposhi in central Zambia, a strategic hub where three competing corridors – China’s Tazara, the US-backed Lobito Corridor and Japan’s Nacala Corridor – converge. Observers say the race to build these corridors is not just... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324542/china-us-japan-race-control-key-african-rail-routes-critical-minerals-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324542/china-us-japan-race-control-key-african-rail-routes-critical-minerals-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 06:00:14 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Global gas giant Qatar has pledged to invest US$103 billion in Africa in the coming years, joining Gulf neighbours the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia as the continent’s biggest financiers amid waning interest from the West and China. Six sub-Saharan African countries are set to benefit from agreements signed during the second half of last month with Al-Mansour Holdings, a conglomerate owned by a branch of Qatar’s ruling al-Thani dynasty. Key critical metals producer the Democratic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3324228/qatar-joins-gulf-surge-us103-billion-african-nations-wests-interest-wanes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3324228/qatar-joins-gulf-surge-us103-billion-african-nations-wests-interest-wanes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 04:00:10 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall What was meant as a symbolic gesture of friendship at an international summit has snowballed into a national panic in Japan, after false reports circulating in Africa and online suggested that new visa schemes would allow large numbers of migrants to settle in the country. In just a few days, a mistranslated phrase, an overzealous government statement and a flurry of social media posts turned a modest cultural exchange programme into a heated immigration controversy. The confusion stemmed from... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3323384/mass-migration-panic-rural-japan-after-symbolic-africa-ties-mistranslated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3323384/mass-migration-panic-rural-japan-after-symbolic-africa-ties-mistranslated?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 00:00:08 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley Global headlines continue to be dominated by wars, both of the physical kind characterised by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s siege of Gaza, as well as trade wars such as those provoked by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that the resurgence of infrastructure wars has attracted relatively little international attention. And yet Japan’s relaunch of a major land and maritime infrastructure initiative spanning East Asia, Africa, India and the Middle... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3322677/why-japan-should-cooperate-china-infrastructure-not-compete?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3322677/why-japan-should-cooperate-china-infrastructure-not-compete?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Cash-strapped Mozambique is open to asking China to restructure the US$1.4 billion it owes its biggest bilateral creditor, President Daniel Chapo said. The gas-rich southeast African nation’s economy contracted for two straight quarters after disputed October elections triggered violent protests that left hundreds died and saw factories and shops burned and looted. The unrest hit public revenues, heaping pressure on the state to stay current on debt payments and amplifying questions about... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3317079/mozambique-mulls-asking-china-rework-us14-billion-debt-after-unrest-hits-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3317079/mozambique-mulls-asking-china-rework-us14-billion-debt-after-unrest-hits-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2025 07:31:12 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The US State Department has introduced performance metrics for American ambassadors in Africa to evaluate them based on the number of business deals they make as part of the US government’s new “trade, not aid” approach. Within its first 100 days, President Donald Trump’s second administration secured 33 deals worth US$6 billion across the continent, Troy Fitrell, a senior US official for the Bureau of African Affairs, said at the launch of the bureau last month. The US’ new commercial diplomacy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3312907/us-steps-contest-china-africa-focusing-ambassadors-business-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3312907/us-steps-contest-china-africa-focusing-ambassadors-business-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jun 2025 10:02:25 +0000 The construction of a multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas plant in Mozambique is set to resume after the administration of US President Donald Trump approved a US$4.7 billion loan in a move to bolster American companies against their Chinese competitors in Africa. Last month, the US Export-Import Bank (Exim) reapproved the loan to support the export of American equipment and services for the development and construction of the US$20 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project on the Afungi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305815/us-steps-competition-against-china-us47-billion-loan-mozambique-gas-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305815/us-steps-competition-against-china-us47-billion-loan-mozambique-gas-project?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Apr 2025 08:00:10 +0000 China’s oil imports from Africa may have dropped sharply in recent years, but investments by Chinese companies in liquefied natural gas (LNG) are booming. Nearly two decades ago, African oil accounted for close to a third of China’s imports. Now that figure has dropped to about 10 per cent, with China sourcing more of its oil from the Middle East and Russia. But now in Africa, Chinese businesses are increasingly shifting into LNG investments – both to help China meet its swelling demand and to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3302362/chinese-gas-investments-africa-take-oil-imports-sink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3302362/chinese-gas-investments-africa-take-oil-imports-sink?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Mar 2025 14:00:09 +0000 More than 1,500 prisoners escaped from a Maputo prison on Wednesday, taking advantage of the third day of unrest triggered by the controversial confirmation of the long-ruling Frelimo party as the winner of recent elections. A total of 1,534 detainees escaped the high-security prison located about 15km (nine miles) from the capital, national police chief Bernardino Rafael said at a press conference. Among those attempting to escape, 33 were killed and 15 wounded in clashes with prison staff, he... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3292278/1500-prisoners-escape-33-inmates-killed-mozambique-amid-post-election-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3292278/1500-prisoners-escape-33-inmates-killed-mozambique-amid-post-election-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:29:39 +0000 South African police arrested 95 Libyan nationals in a raid on a suspected secret military training camp on Friday and authorities said they were investigating whether there were more illegal bases in other parts of the country. The camp was discovered at a farm in White River in the Mpumalanga province, about 360km (220 miles) northeast of Johannesburg, police said. National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said in a post on social media site X that the Libyans stated they had entered the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3272086/south-african-police-arrest-95-libyan-nationals-suspected-secret-military-training-camp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3272086/south-african-police-arrest-95-libyan-nationals-suspected-secret-military-training-camp?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jul 2024 14:18:21 +0000 Comprising 1,192 coral islands sprinkled along 822km of Indian Ocean, stretching from off the western flank of Sri Lanka to south of the equator, the Maldives has long captured the imagination of travellers. With Hong Kong Airlines having resumed direct flights to the capital, Malé, this month, travelling there will be easier than making the previous schlep through Singapore or the Middle East. Now: where to stay? The country has 172 resorts to choose from, catering to just about every taste... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3270102/maldives-best-resort-raffles-meradhoo-vs-waldorf-astoria-rated-vibe-location-and-facilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3270102/maldives-best-resort-raffles-meradhoo-vs-waldorf-astoria-rated-vibe-location-and-facilities?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jul 2024 00:45:09 +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 new US$1.5 billion Chinese-built iron and steel plant in Zimbabwe has fired up its blast furnace as it begins production of pig iron, a major raw material needed to make steel. There are high hopes that the Mvuma steel plant could see Zimbabwe become one of Africa’s largest producers of iron and steel products. “Today marks a monumental milestone as our cast iron machine produces its very first batch of pig iron,” Dinson Iron and Steel Company (Disco), the Zimbabwean subsidiary of Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3267554/chinese-built-steel-plant-zimbabwe-fires-its-furnace-it-builds-nation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3267554/chinese-built-steel-plant-zimbabwe-fires-its-furnace-it-builds-nation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jun 2024 14:30:08 +0000 A new Chinese fishing port on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coastline that is expected to create thousands of jobs is on track to be completed next year. The US$111 million port in Kilwa Masoko is being built by state-owned China Harbour Engineering Company under the Belt and Road Initiative, a transcontinental infrastructure project, with the aim of helping China meet its huge domestic demand for seafood. But the means by which it meets this demand have come under scrutiny with critics warning that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266796/china-looks-africa-meet-rising-demand-seafood-can-it-balance-local-interests-its-own-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266796/china-looks-africa-meet-rising-demand-seafood-can-it-balance-local-interests-its-own-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jun 2024 07:13:58 +0000 Violence against children caught in multiplying and escalating conflicts reached “extreme levels” in 2023, with an unprecedented number of killings and injuries in crises, from Israel and the Palestinian territories to Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine, according to a new UN report. The annual report on Children in Armed Conflict reported “a shocking 21 per cent increase in grave violations” against children under the age of 18 in an array of conflicts, also citing Congo, Burkina Faso, Somalia and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3266244/violence-against-children-war-reached-extreme-levels-2023-including-gaza-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3266244/violence-against-children-war-reached-extreme-levels-2023-including-gaza-un?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2024 03:38:33 +0000 You might not be familiar with Plaatjieskraal Ghost Town in South Africa. I wasn’t, until I read about Russ Cook, who recently became the first person known to have run the length of the African continent. The 27-year-old Englishman began his journey at Cape Agulhas, Africa’s southernmost point, and finished 16,300km (10,130 miles) away, in Tunisia. He crossed 16 countries in 352 days and, on completing the epic feat, admitted with typical British understatement that he felt “a little bit... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3262567/worlds-longest-walk-24262km-south-africa-china-what-see-and-countries-avoid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3262567/worlds-longest-walk-24262km-south-africa-china-what-see-and-countries-avoid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 May 2024 08:15:13 +0000 So far in 2024, so good for the resilience of the upper echelon of Hong Kong’s jewellery market, with premium lots selling at robust prices at recent spring auctions. Exceptional pieces invariably attract discerning connoisseurs, both locally and overseas. The current robust demand underscores the globally recognised investment value of top-quality jewellery. At Sotheby’s Hong Kong’s Magnificent Jewels sale last month, a record was set for a natural fancy-coloured diamond sold at auction, with... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/jewellery/article/3262166/jewellery-still-smart-investment-spring-auction-season-says-so-sothebys-hong-kong-magnificent-jewels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/jewellery/article/3262166/jewellery-still-smart-investment-spring-auction-season-says-so-sothebys-hong-kong-magnificent-jewels?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 May 2024 04:00:10 +0000 Though some multinational companies from Europe still see promise in projects aligned with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, acting on that potential is more difficult than it was 10 years ago thanks to deep geopolitical complications and fundamental differences of opinion on how best to build infrastructure. Duisport, the German operator of Europe’s largest inland hub for water and land shipping, has invested US$30 million in a cross-border railway hub in Chongqing, an important logistics node... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3261593/chinas-belt-and-road-once-hotspot-european-investment-getting-cold-shoulder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3261593/chinas-belt-and-road-once-hotspot-european-investment-getting-cold-shoulder?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 May 2024 02:00:22 +0000 Japan has dispatched its top diplomat on a whirlwind tour of Global South countries in recent days, as Tokyo seeks to showcase its commitment to the emerging economies of Asia and Africa – where it continues to jostle with China for influence. Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa began her 10-day tour last Saturday in the Indian Ocean island nation of Madagascar, off Africa’s east coast, where she discussed economic cooperation and Japan’s “free and open Indo-Pacific” strategy – a vision it shares... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3261373/japan-sells-itself-global-souths-china-counterweight-whistle-stop-tour-africa-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3261373/japan-sells-itself-global-souths-china-counterweight-whistle-stop-tour-africa-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 May 2024 04:00:10 +0000 In northwest Zimbabwe, a mining site abandoned three decades ago is roaring back to life after a Chinese company pumped millions of dollars into a new lithium processing plant, amid the latest global rush for the “white gold”. Development of the Kamativi lithium mine, located about 90km (56 miles) southeast of Hwange in Matabeleland North Province, is being done in two phases. The first phase is now up and running, with the mine producing an annual total of 300,000 tonnes of raw spodumene ore... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261136/chinas-investment-africas-lithium-mines-begins-pay-new-mineral-supply-chains-created?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261136/chinas-investment-africas-lithium-mines-begins-pay-new-mineral-supply-chains-created?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 May 2024 04:00:25 +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 Stepping onto the small passenger ferry to Ludao, or Green Island (population: 3,000), few of my fellow travellers show any trepidation. Although the island is only 50 minutes east of Taitung’s ferry port, I have been warned that the choppy waters off southeastern Taiwan can make for an uncomfortable ride. And indeed, water sprays the ferry windows and the generous allocation of plastic vomit bags is put to use, but thankfully not by me. Nevertheless, the journey will prove to be worth it. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3258180/coral-turtles-diving-and-rare-saltwater-hot-springs-southern-taiwans-green-island-and-liuqiu-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3258180/coral-turtles-diving-and-rare-saltwater-hot-springs-southern-taiwans-green-island-and-liuqiu-island?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Apr 2024 04:50:13 +0000 Nearly 100 people died when an overcrowded makeshift ferry sank off the north coast of Mozambique, local authorities said on Monday. The converted fishing boat, carrying about 130 people, ran into trouble on Sunday as it tried to reach an island off Nampula province, officials said. The death toll rose to 96 on Monday with people reported missing. “Because the boat was overcrowded and unsuited to carry passengers, it ended up sinking,” Nampula’s secretary of state Jaime Neto told the BBC, adding... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3258166/more-90-people-killed-after-boat-sinks-mozambique-coast-authorities-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3258166/more-90-people-killed-after-boat-sinks-mozambique-coast-authorities-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Apr 2024 22:26:26 +0000 When Christopher Columbus set off to discover new lands, he thought he saw mermaids. Records indicate the 15th century Italian explorer was disappointed, thinking them “not half as beautiful as painted”. That is because they were not mermaids at all; they were manatees, large marine mammals found mostly in the warmer coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. I, on the other hand, am on the lookout for their near-identical cousins – dugongs – found in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Also known as sea... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3257986/coral-reefs-elusive-dugong-and-wealth-other-marine-life-mozambiques-bazaruto-archipelago?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3257986/coral-reefs-elusive-dugong-and-wealth-other-marine-life-mozambiques-bazaruto-archipelago?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Apr 2024 11:15:16 +0000 The Palestinians want the Security Council to vote later this month on their revived request for full membership in the United Nations, despite the United States reiterating that Israel and the Palestinians must first negotiate a peace agreement. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, said 140 countries recognise the state of Palestine, and “we believe it is high time now for our state to become a full member at the United Nations”. The Palestinians are making a fresh bid for UN... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3257802/palestinians-make-fresh-bid-un-membership-us-says-peace-israel-must-come-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3257802/palestinians-make-fresh-bid-un-membership-us-says-peace-israel-must-come-first?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Apr 2024 04:41:08 +0000 Zimbabwe declared a state of disaster over a devastating drought that’s sweeping across much of southern Africa, with the country’s president saying it needs US$2 billion for humanitarian assistance. Wednesday’s declaration was widely expected following similar actions by neighbouring Zambia and Malawi, where drought linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon has scorched crops, leaving millions of people in need of food assistance. “Due to the El Nino-induced drought … more than 80 per cent of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3257796/zimbabwe-declares-drought-disaster-el-nino-leaves-millions-hungry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3257796/zimbabwe-declares-drought-disaster-el-nino-leaves-millions-hungry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Apr 2024 03:56:30 +0000 The United Nations Security Council on Friday turned down a US-led resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as part of a hostage deal after Russia and China vetoed the measure proposed by the United States. The resolution, on which Algeria also voted no and Guyana abstained, called for an immediate and sustained ceasefire lasting roughly six weeks that would protect civilians and allow for the delivery of humanitarian help. Eleven members of the 15-member council voted for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3256447/china-and-russia-veto-us-led-un-resolution-gaza-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3256447/china-and-russia-veto-us-led-un-resolution-gaza-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Mar 2024 16:48:19 +0000 Human-caused climate change is having a compounding impact on Africa and holding back the continent’s growth. In my two decades of residency in Cairo, Egypt, I have never witnessed a winter as warm as the one this year. Last year was the hottest that the land of the Nile has witnessed, with Egyptians sweltering in summer heat in October and November. Many other African countries – from Somalia and Senegal to Libya and South Africa – also experienced unprecedented heat. Climate change and extreme... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3255233/rich-world-must-follow-chinas-lead-and-support-africas-green-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3255233/rich-world-must-follow-chinas-lead-and-support-africas-green-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Mar 2024 08:30:10 +0000 It has been 10 years since Malaysia Airlines passenger flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014. To this day, it remains one of the biggest aviation mysteries globally. It’s unthinkable that a modern Boeing 777-200ER aircraft with 239 people on board can simply vanish without any explanation. Yet multiple searches in the past decade have still not yielded the main wreckage or the bodies of the victims. At a remembrance event held earlier this week, the Malaysian transport minister announced a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3254716/can-malaysias-mh370-aircraft-still-be-found-10-years-after-it-disappeared?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3254716/can-malaysias-mh370-aircraft-still-be-found-10-years-after-it-disappeared?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Mar 2024 03:00:16 +0000 Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has praised his country’s long-standing relationship with China, while asking the Asian economic giant to open up more of its huge market to goods from Africa. In a meeting on the sidelines of last week’s Non-Aligned Movement summit in Kampala, Museveni told Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Guozhong that greater market access for African products would benefit Africa and China. Museveni pointed to China’s decades of support for Uganda, saying “we are happy both with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249459/uganda-asks-china-go-further-opening-its-market-african-products?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249459/uganda-asks-china-go-further-opening-its-market-african-products?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jan 2024 09:00:11 +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 The United Nations Security Council demanded on Wednesday an “immediate” end to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on shipping in the Red Sea. The resolution passed “demands that the Houthis immediately cease all such attacks, which impede global commerce and undermine navigational rights and freedoms as well as regional peace and security”. It was adopted after Russia, as well as China, Mozambique and Algeria abstained. The intensifying attacks have caused shipping companies to bypass the route... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3248000/un-security-council-demands-immediate-end-houthi-red-sea-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3248000/un-security-council-demands-immediate-end-houthi-red-sea-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jan 2024 23:35:17 +0000 Hong Kong customs officers have arrested two people travelling from Mozambique on suspicion of trafficking HK$16.5 million (US$2.1 million) worth of methamphetamines. The Customs and Excise Department on Saturday said a 27-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man were arrested after officers found about 33.5kg (73.8lbs) of suspected narcotics hidden down the backs of 10 oil paintings and concealed in 54 handicraft items stored in their check-in luggage. The duo landed in Hong Kong on Friday after... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3246132/hong-kong-customs-arrests-duo-flying-mozambique-over-hk165-million-meth-haul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3246132/hong-kong-customs-arrests-duo-flying-mozambique-over-hk165-million-meth-haul?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Dec 2023 14:05:33 +0000 North Korea’s alleged smuggling of luxury goods in defiance of UN sanctions has come under the spotlight, as Japanese authorities intercepted a Lexus sedan suspected to be bound for Pyongyang on the same day the North recalled its ambassador to Switzerland amid an investigation into ivory trafficking. The uncovering of the attempted smuggling cases is likely to antagonise the regime in Pyongyang, experts suggest, although they say the United Nations sanctions regime imposed on North Korea is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3244737/north-koreas-attempts-smuggle-luxury-goods-expose-un-sanctions-regime-may-be-open-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3244737/north-koreas-attempts-smuggle-luxury-goods-expose-un-sanctions-regime-may-be-open-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Dec 2023 09:00:19 +0000 North Korea may recall its ambassador to Switzerland later this month, sources familiar with the matter have said, following allegations that the envoy was involved in illicit trades of parts of African wild animals for money evading UN-imposed sanctions against Pyongyang. The suspicions have prompted a United Nations Security Council-related panel to launch a fact-finding investigation regarding involvement by the ambassador, Han Tae-song, in the trade of elephant tusks and rhino horns, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3244466/north-korea-may-recall-ambassador-switzerland-year-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3244466/north-korea-may-recall-ambassador-switzerland-year-end?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Dec 2023 15:00:21 +0000 China’s leading remote agricultural monitoring system is arming developing countries with tools to break the information barrier in agriculture, challenging the Western-dominated rules of food. CropWatch was first developed in 1998 by a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Originally intended for domestic use, it has now become a global initiative that is gaining popularity in many countries around the world. The system analyses data from satellites and ground stations to provide... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3242568/cropwatch-more-160-countries-join-chinas-tech-war-against-west-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3242568/cropwatch-more-160-countries-join-chinas-tech-war-against-west-food?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Nov 2023 02:00:10 +0000 Debate periodically surfaces about “correct” spellings for certain places, and why certain usages take precedence. Macao – or Macau – is an obvious Asian example. Before making any historical explanation for these dual spellings, let us make one contemporary point completely plain. On international treaty documents, China’s “other” Special Administrative Region is Macao with an o; Macao – not Macau – is used on Hong Kong signage on the approaches to the Macao-Zhuhai Bridge and other official... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3241135/macao-vs-macau-whats-name-former-portuguese-colony-province-and-enclave-china-has-undergone-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3241135/macao-vs-macau-whats-name-former-portuguese-colony-province-and-enclave-china-has-undergone-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Nov 2023 23:45:19 +0000 To most people, the name Zheng Mahler likely conjures up an image of a German-Chinese man. But in fact, it is the name of not one, but two people. Royce Ng and Daisy Bisenieks together form an artist duo that creates research-based multimedia installations rooted in fields like anthrozoology – the study of human-animal relationships – and the interactions between nature and technology. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, but based on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island since 2013, Ng and Bisenieks have... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3240456/what-it-be-virtual-bat-exhibition-hong-kong-takes-viewers-psychedelic-journey-through-trees-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3240456/what-it-be-virtual-bat-exhibition-hong-kong-takes-viewers-psychedelic-journey-through-trees-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Nov 2023 04:45:11 +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 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 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