https://www.scmp.com/rss/519443/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham In an abandoned Norwegian mine last year, an unusual experiment produced results that drew scrutiny in boardrooms and government offices across Europe and helped to spark new regulations pouring fuel on already fiery EU-China relations. Ruter, the public transport authority for greater Oslo, drove new and used electric buses made by Chinese manufacturing conglomerate Yutong into a decommissioned mineshaft inside a mountain. There, cybersecurity tests revealed that the buses could be remotely... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352351/two-worlds-collide-regulatory-battlefield-hanging-over-eus-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352351/two-worlds-collide-regulatory-battlefield-hanging-over-eus-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 10:00:26 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States will launch an effort on Monday to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said, as two ships around the strait reported attacks. Trump gave few details about what could be a sweeping attempt to help hundreds of vessels and some 20,000 seafarers. Iran quickly denounced the move as a ceasefire violation. Trump said in a social media post on Sunday that “neutral and innocent” countries have been affected by the Iran war, and “we have... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352291/cargo-ship-near-strait-hormuz-reports-being-attacked-iran-makes-new-peace-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352291/cargo-ship-near-strait-hormuz-reports-being-attacked-iran-makes-new-peace-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 17:04:40 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United Nations voiced alarm on Wednesday at the number of people being executed in Singapore for drug-related offences, saying it was incompatible with human dignity. UN rights chief Volker Turk said there had been a general shift away from the use of capital punishment in Asia, and Singapore was one of only a few countries imposing the death penalty for drug-related crimes not involving intentional killing. The death penalty is mandatory in Singapore for drug trafficking above certain... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351031/un-alarmed-singapore-executions-drug-related-offences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351031/un-alarmed-singapore-executions-drug-related-offences?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:21:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Saturday she had “no regrets” about symbolically handing over her Nobel Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump in January. “There is a leader in the world, a head of state in the world who risked the lives of his country’s citizens for Venezuela’s freedom,” she told a news conference in Madrid. Machado presented her Nobel Prize to Trump when she met him in the White House just two weeks after he ordered US forces to attack Caracas and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350601/venezuelas-machado-says-no-regrets-about-giving-her-nobel-prize-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350601/venezuelas-machado-says-no-regrets-about-giving-her-nobel-prize-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 20:10:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The health of jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi is critical after she suffered a heart attack last month, supporters warned on Wednesday. Her Iran-based family and legal team were on Saturday allowed a second in-person visit with Mohammadi in her prison in northern Iran where “clear signs of a deterioration in her general condition were observed, and her physical state was described as critical”, her foundation said in a statement. The latest meeting came after an earlier... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350240/jailed-iranian-nobel-winner-mohammadi-critical-after-heart-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350240/jailed-iranian-nobel-winner-mohammadi-critical-after-heart-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 02:46:45 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Britain said on Thursday it had tracked and deterred three Russian submarines on an alleged month-long “covert operation” in UK waters in the North Atlantic near vital undersea cables and pipelines. Disclosing details of the joint mission with Norway and other unspecified allies, British Defence Secretary John Healey said there was no evidence the Russian vessels had damaged the subsea infrastructure. The UK minister said he was revealing the operation, which involved British warships and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349565/uk-tracked-russia-submarines-alleged-atlantic-covert-operation-defence-secretary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349565/uk-tracked-russia-submarines-alleged-atlantic-covert-operation-defence-secretary?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:55:12 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Meltwater from snow-capped mountains is fostering an emerging trout-farming industry thousands of kilometres from the sea in western China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The region, famous for its cotton, is on track to become China’s top trout producer as it ramps up efforts to diversify its agricultural base following criticism of labour practices in the cotton sector that led to import bans overseas. In 2018, in response to rising domestic demand for Atlantic salmon and limited local... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347727/how-salmon-raised-landlocked-xinjiang-netting-fans-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347727/how-salmon-raised-landlocked-xinjiang-netting-fans-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 02:00:08 +0000 Nong Hong Nong Hong Gulf exporters are scrambling to bypass the Strait of Hormuz after Iran choked off most of the maritime traffic in one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates rushed to divert exports through overland pipelines; officials warned that even naval escorts could not guarantee safe passage. About a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade passed through this narrow waterway. The immediate shock was felt in the Gulf. The strategic... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3347190/conflict-middle-east-boosting-value-arctic-windfall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3347190/conflict-middle-east-boosting-value-arctic-windfall?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran has not updated its official death toll figures for weeks, while human rights groups outside the country are struggling with chronic communication problems, meaning the number of people killed during the war remains largely unknown. The last time Iran’s health ministry gave a full update about casualties was on March 8, the ninth day of the conflict, when it said around 1,200 civilians had been killed in US and Israeli air strikes across the country. Overseas human rights groups have long... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347682/overseas-monitors-struggle-track-irans-war-casualty-figures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347682/overseas-monitors-struggle-track-irans-war-casualty-figures?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 06:34:40 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A 19-year-old star wrestler and two other young men were hanged in Iran this week, raising alarm among rights groups that a wave of executions may be under way as authorities facing relentless attacks from the US and Israel seek to squelch public dissent. The three men are the first to be executed from among the tens of thousands who were arrested during a January crackdown on nationwide protests. Rights groups say more than 100 others could face death sentences. The wrestler, Saleh Mohammadi,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347426/iran-hangs-3-young-men-rights-groups-raise-alarm-multiple-executions-could-follow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347426/iran-hangs-3-young-men-rights-groups-raise-alarm-multiple-executions-could-follow?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 09:40:05 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Accelerating glacial retreat in the Himalayas over the past decades is threatening over 2 billion people in the region who depend on meltwater from the “water tower of Asia” for their daily needs, according to climate scientists. Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region have been losing ice at twice the rate since 2000, with smaller glaciers under 0.5 sq km shrinking more rapidly than larger ones, according to two landmark reports published on Saturday to coincide with the World Day for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347298/himalayas-glacier-loss-threatens-2-billion-people-greatest-problem-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347298/himalayas-glacier-loss-threatens-2-billion-people-greatest-problem-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit said in an interview broadcast Friday that she was “manipulated” by convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whom she accused of extorting others. A commoner who married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, Mette-Marit’s name appears multiple times in Epstein documents released by the US Department of Justice earlier this year. The files revealed an unexpectedly close friendship between the pair and raised questions in Norway about whether Mette-Marit can become... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347382/norway-crown-princess-says-she-was-manipulated-epstein?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347382/norway-crown-princess-says-she-was-manipulated-epstein?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 14:16:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters A US congressional committee said ⁠on Tuesday it has ⁠issued a subpoena to Attorney General ⁠Pam Bondi to testify behind closed doors in its probe of the late convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. Bondi faces accusations that the Justice Department has concealed the names of powerful associates of Epstein in its release ‌of millions of documents related to the late financier. Under the subpoena, Bondi would give a sworn deposition to the House of Representatives Oversight Committee on ‌April... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346938/us-house-panel-subpoenas-pam-bondi-testify-epstein-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346938/us-house-panel-subpoenas-pam-bondi-testify-epstein-investigation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:29:38 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration on Wednesday opened a new trade investigation into manufacturing in foreign countries – an effort that comes after the Supreme Court struck down US President Donald Trump’s previous use of tariffs by declaring an economic emergency. Trump and his team have made clear that they’re seeking to replace the hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenues after the Supreme Court’s February ruling by using different laws to establish new tariffs. In this case, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346279/us-launches-trade-probe-china-and-eu-bid-revive-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346279/us-launches-trade-probe-china-and-eu-bid-revive-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 23:46:48 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Norwegian police said on Wednesday that three brothers had been arrested on suspicion of a “terrorist bombing” over a weekend explosion at the US embassy in Oslo that caused minor damage but no injuries. Police prosecutor Christian Hatlo told a press conference the brothers, who were Norwegian citizens of Iraqi origin, had been arrested in Oslo around 3.30pm and that police were investigating the motive. “We are still working from several hypotheses. One of them is whether this is an order from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346274/3-brothers-iraq-links-arrested-terrorist-bombing-us-embassy-norway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346274/3-brothers-iraq-links-arrested-terrorist-bombing-us-embassy-norway?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 18:16:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US embassy in Oslo was hit by an explosion in the early hours of Sunday but no one was injured, police in the Norwegian capital said, adding the cause was not immediately known. The blast occurred around 1am local time and caused only “minor material damage” to one of the building’s entrances, Oslo police said in a statement. Investigators were examining the scene, while dogs, drones, and helicopters were involved in the search “for one or more potential perpetrators”, it said. “Police view... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345858/us-embassy-norways-oslo-hit-explosion-no-injuries-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345858/us-embassy-norways-oslo-hit-explosion-no-injuries-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 06:15:04 +0000 Donald Rothwell Donald Rothwell The Iranian diaspora has been celebrating and governments around the world have generally not mourned the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in last weekend’s US and Israeli air strikes on Iran. While there has been much political justification for these attacks from Washington and Israel, neither has sought to legally justify their conduct. No real effort has been made to reference the acknowledged right of self-defence, most likely because the evidence did not exist. In other words, there was no... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3345741/australia-needs-make-its-stance-iran-attacks-known?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3345741/australia-needs-make-its-stance-iran-attacks-known?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters The president and CEO of the World Economic Forum, Borge Brende, said he was stepping down on Thursday, a few weeks after the forum launched an independent investigation into his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Brende, who became president of the WEF ‌in 2017, announced his decision in a statement following disclosures from the US Justice Department that showed the Norwegian had three business dinners with Epstein and had also communicated with the disgraced financier via email... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344763/world-economic-forum-ceo-borge-brende-resigns-over-epstein-revelations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344763/world-economic-forum-ceo-borge-brende-resigns-over-epstein-revelations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:50:07 +0000 dpa dpa Norway’s former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland has been admitted to hospital due to the stress caused by the Epstein scandal, the NTB news agency and others cited his lawyer as saying on Tuesday. Jagland is one of the most prominent figures to have been implicated by the release of files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Norwegian authorities are investigating allegations of serious corruption. The former top politician is said to have stayed at Epstein’s apartments in Paris and New... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344532/norways-former-prime-minister-hospital-following-epstein-files-disclosures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344532/norways-former-prime-minister-hospital-following-epstein-files-disclosures?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 02:43:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Friday that a change of government in Iran would be the “best thing that could happen”, as he sent a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East to ratchet up military pressure on the Islamic republic. Trump’s comments were his most overt call yet for the toppling of Iran’s clerical establishment, and came as he pushes on Washington’s arch-foe Tehran to make a deal to limit its nuclear programme. At the same time, the exiled son of the Iranian shah toppled in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343549/trump-says-change-power-iran-would-be-best-thing-he-sends-second-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343549/trump-says-change-power-iran-would-be-best-thing-he-sends-second-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 23:44:41 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar The 2026 Winter Olympics keep going viral for the wrong reasons. American athletes Breezy Johnson and Alysa Liu, who won gold in women’s downhill and figure skating respectively, broke their medals soon after clinching their big wins. Elsewhere, Czech ice dancers Kateřina Mrázková and Daniel Mrázek have been facing criticism for using an AI-generated track in their Olympic rhythm dance routine, per People magazine. There are also reports of a norovirus outbreak in the Olympic Village, notes CNN.... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3343292/meet-sturla-holm-laegreid-olympian-who-admitted-cheating-his-girlfriend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3343292/meet-sturla-holm-laegreid-olympian-who-admitted-cheating-his-girlfriend?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Nato said on Wednesday that it had launched a mission to strengthen its presence in the Arctic, part of an effort to defuse severe tensions within the alliance prompted by US President Donald Trump’s push for the US to acquire Greenland. The new mission, Arctic Sentry, will coordinate an increasing military presence of Nato allies in the region, including exercises such as Denmark’s Arctic Endurance on Greenland, the ‌alliance’s military headquarters said in a statement. Nato did not quantify... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343235/nato-launches-arctic-sentry-mission-bid-ease-greenland-tensions-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343235/nato-launches-arctic-sentry-mission-bid-ease-greenland-tensions-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:44:52 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Economic issues are expected to take centre stage at the US-China summit in April but regional security will also feature, according to former US ambassador to Beijing Nicholas Burns. Speaking via a video link to the Yale Centre Beijing on Tuesday, Burns said US President Donald Trump would be “right to focus on economic issues” during his trip to the Chinese capital for talks with President Xi Jinping. “And let us hope that they can sustain the truce in tariffs – the tariff wars – and sustain... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343223/what-will-headline-xi-trump-summit-former-us-envoy-weighs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343223/what-will-headline-xi-trump-summit-former-us-envoy-weighs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Britain’s King Charles is ready to “support’’ UK police examining claims that the former prince Andrew gave confidential information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Buckingham Palace said on Monday. The statement came after Thames Valley Police said Monday that they were “assessing” reports that the former prince, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, sent trade reports to Epstein in 2010. The department, which serves an area west of London that includes Mountbatten-Windsor’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342973/uk-police-assess-claims-ex-prince-andrew-sent-sensitive-trade-records-epstein?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342973/uk-police-assess-claims-ex-prince-andrew-sent-sensitive-trade-records-epstein?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:55:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Norway’s ambassador to Jordan and Iraq has resigned after an investigation was launched into her ties to late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the foreign ministry said on Sunday. Mona Juul, who played a key role in the secret Israeli-Palestinian negotiations which led to the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s, is among several high-profile Norwegian figures swept up in the latest Epstein file release. “This is a correct and necessary decision. Juul’s contact with the convicted abuser Epstein has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342855/senior-diplomat-resigns-norway-investigates-epstein-links?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342855/senior-diplomat-resigns-norway-investigates-epstein-links?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 19:53:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The presidents of Argentina and Romania said on Sunday they have been invited to attend the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s controversial “Board of Peace” in Washington on February 19. Originally designed by Trump as a mechanism to oversee the Gaza truce and post-war reconstruction, the board’s mandate has since expanded, prompting concerns among critics that it could evolve into a rival to the United Nations. Writing on his Facebook page, Romania’s President Nicusor Dan said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342854/romania-argentina-leaders-invited-trumps-board-peace-meeting-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342854/romania-argentina-leaders-invited-trumps-board-peace-meeting-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 19:29:27 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Beijing has denounced Norway’s latest security assessment labelling China as a threat, dismissing the report as “sheer speculation and imagination” while accusing Oslo of holding a “misguided” view that risked damage to ties. In an online statement posted on Saturday, the Chinese embassy in Norway said the reports “once again fabricate the so-called ‘China threat’ narrative out of sheer speculation and imagination, replete with cliches and not worthy of refutation”. “The China-related content is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342771/china-slams-threat-label-norway-security-report-sheer-speculation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342771/china-slams-threat-label-norway-security-report-sheer-speculation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 13:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit said on Friday she “deeply regretted” her friendship with convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the embarrassment it has caused the royal family. A commoner who married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, Mette-Marit’s name appears in new Epstein documents released a week ago by the US Justice Department. The documents revealed an unexpectedly close friendship between the two and raised questions in Norway about whether Mette-Marit can become queen. “I deeply... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342728/norways-crown-princess-apologises-over-epstein-ties-amid-royal-embarrassment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342728/norways-crown-princess-apologises-over-epstein-ties-amid-royal-embarrassment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:12:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The son of Norway’s crown princess admitted Wednesday to a life of excess attributed to a “need for recognition”, but denied committing rape as he took the stand in tears. Marius Borg Hoiby, Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s 29-year-old son from a relationship before her 2001 marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, is on trial in Oslo district court accused of 38 crimes, including four alleged rapes and assaults against ex-girlfriends. He has pleaded not guilty to the most serious offences. He faces up to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342408/norway-crown-princesss-son-makes-tearful-admission-excesses-need-recognition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342408/norway-crown-princesss-son-makes-tearful-admission-excesses-need-recognition?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:42:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The son of Norway’s crown princess pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to four counts of rape at the opening of a trial that has embarrassed the royal family. Marius Borg Hoiby, Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s 29-year-old son from a relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, stood and muttered a negative response when asked to enter a plea to the four counts of rape. Clad in green trousers and a green jumper, wearing bold glasses and earrings, Hoiby remained expressionless as his trial got... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342257/norway-royals-son-pleads-not-guilty-four-counts-rape-amid-epstein-link-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342257/norway-royals-son-pleads-not-guilty-four-counts-rape-amid-epstein-link-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:46:08 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram This may be the year of the abrasive Hollywood heroine. Think of Rose Byrne, who received an Oscar nod for her role as a nerve-frazzled mother in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, or Jennifer Lawrence, kicking up a storm at a family party as she becomes gripped by post-partum psychosis in Die My Love. Alongside them, there are the gun-toting female revolutionaries of One Battle After Another, led by the indefatigable Teyana Taylor. Then there are the women who form the heartbeat of Joachim Trier’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342179/why-joachim-triers-sentimental-value-most-acclaimed-european-film-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342179/why-joachim-triers-sentimental-value-most-acclaimed-european-film-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:15:36 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The eldest son of Norway’s crown princess has been arrested, just before his trial opens on charges including rape in a case that has been an embarrassment to the royal family, police said on Monday. Marius Borg Hoiby was arrested on Sunday evening and is accused of assault, threats with a knife and violation of a restraining order, police said in a statement. They requested four weeks’ detention on grounds of risk of reoffending. His lawyers could not immediately be reached for comment. On... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342143/norwegian-scandal-deepens-crown-princess-son-arrested-trial-amid-epstein-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342143/norwegian-scandal-deepens-crown-princess-son-arrested-trial-amid-epstein-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:04:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Norway’s crown princess, whose son goes on trial on Tuesday on rape charges, has found herself embroiled in another scandal after newly unsealed files revealed her unexpected friendship with late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The latest scandal has even raised questions about whether Mette-Marit, a commoner who married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, could still become queen one day. Her name appears at least 1,000 times in the millions of new Epstein documents released by the US Department of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342063/latest-epstein-files-dump-reveals-embarrassing-friendship-another-royal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342063/latest-epstein-files-dump-reveals-embarrassing-friendship-another-royal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 06:14:25 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Marius Borg Hoiby, the son of Norway’s future queen from a previous relationship, was initially welcomed into the royal family, but now, facing trial accused of four rapes, he has become a liability. The 29-year-old, who was born before his mother Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby married Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon, goes on trial in Oslo’s district court on Tuesday accused of 38 counts, including four rapes and assaults against ex-girlfriends. He was arrested on August 4, 2024, suspected of assaulting... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341987/how-marius-hoiby-went-living-norway-royal-familys-gilded-cage-alleged-rapist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341987/how-marius-hoiby-went-living-norway-royal-familys-gilded-cage-alleged-rapist?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 07:49:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A fresh cache of files released on Friday related to the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contains documents that refer to numerous high-profile figures. US President Donald Trump, tech billionaire Elon Musk and Britain’s former prince Andrew are among those making headlines after being named in the documents. Here are key details about some of the others mentioned, none of whom has been accused of wrongdoing: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates In a draft email... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341970/who-else-epstein-files-billionaires-celebrities-and-norways-crown-princess?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341970/who-else-epstein-files-billionaires-celebrities-and-norways-crown-princess?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 20:30:50 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi In the US State Department’s catalogue of priorities for the next five years, Taiwan rates exactly zero mentions. The department’s Agency Strategic Plan does list peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific as a goal but its top focus after national security is the western hemisphere. The plan sets out the direction of US foreign policy and foreign assistance between 2026 and 2030 and in doing so, sidesteps the island entirely. It is a contrast to the White House’s National Security Strategy (NSS)... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341101/what-about-taiwan-why-us-foreign-policy-now-all-about-western-hemisphere?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3341101/what-about-taiwan-why-us-foreign-policy-now-all-about-western-hemisphere?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Agencies Agencies US President Donald Trump showcased his new “Board of Peace” on Thursday, a day after backing off his own threats against Greenland. Trump abruptly announced on Wednesday that he was scrapping tariffs against Europe and ruling out military action to take Greenland from Denmark, partially defusing a crisis which has shaken the meeting of global elites. On his second day at the Swiss ski resort, Trump sought to promote the “Board of Peace”, his controversial body for resolving international... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340860/watch-trump-showcase-his-board-peace-davos-after-greenland-climbdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340860/watch-trump-showcase-his-board-peace-davos-after-greenland-climbdown?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:02:24 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump repeatedly made an apparent gaffe in a speech on Wednesday to world leaders assembled in Switzerland by referring to “Iceland” several times instead of his much coveted “Greenland”, with the White House furiously denying any confusion on his part. The 79-year-old Republican has been clamouring for the United States to acquire Greenland, a large island territory of Denmark, citing what he called security threats from Russia and China in the Arctic Circle. On Wednesday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340761/white-house-responds-after-trump-repeatedly-refers-greenland-iceland-davos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340761/white-house-responds-after-trump-repeatedly-refers-greenland-iceland-davos?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 02:03:19 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao US President Donald Trump’s accelerated push to seize Greenland has transformed a once-quirky idea into a full-blown diplomatic crisis, with observers warning it could deal a near-fatal blow to the post-war transatlantic order. Trump initially did not rule out the use of America’s military to control the autonomous Danish territory but backed down at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, saying that he “won’t use force”. He also called off tariffs against European countries over their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340715/greenland-meltdown-what-does-trumps-quest-mean-global-order-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340715/greenland-meltdown-what-does-trumps-quest-mean-global-order-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Nato members must collectively protect the Arctic from growing Chinese and Russian influence, the chief of the security alliance said on Wednesday, while sidestepping the issue of Washington’s controversial bid to acquire Greenland. Speaking at an event during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said the transatlantic security alliance was crucial not only for the defence of Europe, but also for the US, which required a “safe Arctic, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3340730/sidestepping-greenland-row-nato-chief-urges-arctic-unity-counter-china-and-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3340730/sidestepping-greenland-row-nato-chief-urges-arctic-unity-counter-china-and-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:21:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Canada is considering whether to send a ‌small contingent of troops to Greenland to ‍take part in Nato military exercises, a source directly familiar with the matter said on Monday. The news was first reported by CBC News and the Globe and Mail newspaper. Military officials have presented plans for the operation to the government and are awaiting a decision from ‍Prime Minister Mark Carney, said the source, who requested anonymity ‍given the sensitivity of the matter. Carney’s office declined to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340475/canada-could-send-small-contingent-troops-greenland-nato-exercises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340475/canada-could-send-small-contingent-troops-greenland-nato-exercises?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 17:38:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Donald Trump no longer needs to think “purely of peace” after being snubbed for a Nobel prize, the US president said in comments published on Monday, adding the world will not be safe until Washington controls Greenland. Trump has put the transatlantic alliance to the test with threats to take over Greenland “one way or the other”, with European countries closing ranks against Washington’s designs on the vast Danish territory. German and French leaders denounced as “blackmail” weekend threats by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340445/trump-abandons-peace-focus-after-nobel-snub-message-norway-pm-world-not-secure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340445/trump-abandons-peace-focus-after-nobel-snub-message-norway-pm-world-not-secure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 10:15:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters European Union ambassadors reached broad agreement on Sunday to intensify ‌efforts to dissuade US President Donald Trump from imposing tariffs on European allies, while also preparing retaliatory measures should the duties go ahead, EU diplomats said. Trump vowed on Saturday to implement ‍a wave of increasing tariffs from February 1 on EU members Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, along with Britain and Norway, until the US is allowed to buy Greenland, a step major EU... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340351/eu-considers-us108-billion-retaliatory-tariffs-us-over-trumps-greenland-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340351/eu-considers-us108-billion-retaliatory-tariffs-us-over-trumps-greenland-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 20:05:19 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Opening a new front in his worldwide tariff onslaught, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would impose a 10 per cent import tax on the United Kingdom and six European countries for opposing his plan to purchase Greenland and that the rate would more than double if they did not let him acquire the Danish territory. His post on Truth Social two weeks to the day after he abducted Venezuela’s president from Caracas marks the latest chapter in a tumultuous start to 2026, even by Trump’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340283/trump-hits-denmark-and-other-nato-allies-tariffs-force-greenland-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340283/trump-hits-denmark-and-other-nato-allies-tariffs-force-greenland-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 16:39:58 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United States on Thursday said Iran halted 800 executions of protesters under pressure from President Donald Trump, after Gulf allies appeared to pull him back from military action over Tehran’s deadly crackdown on demonstrations. Iran was shaken over the last week by some of the biggest anti-government protests in the history of the Islamic republic, although the demonstrations appear to have diminished over the last few days in the face of repression and a week-long internet... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3340070/iran-halts-hundreds-executions-gulf-allies-pull-trump-back-strike-us-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3340070/iran-halts-hundreds-executions-gulf-allies-pull-trump-back-strike-us-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 19:58:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters European countries sent small numbers of military personnel to Greenland on Thursday as ‌Denmark said it was pressing on with plans for a “larger and more permanent” Nato presence to secure the island coveted by US President Donald Trump. The modest European deployments, meant to help ‍Denmark prepare military exercises, sent a strong message of support a day after a meeting of officials from the US, Denmark and Greenland failed to reach any breakthrough on the impasse. After that meeting, Trump... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340058/european-allies-send-troops-greenland-amid-trumps-purchase-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340058/european-allies-send-troops-greenland-amid-trumps-purchase-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 14:11:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said on Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544. Iran had no direct reaction to Trump’s comments, which came after the foreign minister of Oman – long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran – travelled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3339521/european-parliament-chief-urges-iranians-keep-anti-government-rallies-amid-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3339521/european-parliament-chief-urges-iranians-keep-anti-government-rallies-amid-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 22:09:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Norwegian Nobel Institute said the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be transferred, ‌shared, or revoked, following remarks by Venezuelan opposition leader Maria ‍Corina Machado suggesting she might give her 2025 award to US President Donald Trump. In a statement, the institute said the decision to award a Nobel Prize is final and ⁠permanent, citing the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, which do not allow appeals. The organisation also noted that committees awarding the prizes do not comment on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339469/nobel-panel-rejects-machados-idea-give-her-peace-prize-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339469/nobel-panel-rejects-machados-idea-give-her-peace-prize-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 01:02:38 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,Sylvie Zhuang Seong Hyeon Choi,Sylvie Zhuang US President Donald Trump’s proposal to boost next year’s military budget to US$1.5 trillion aims to blunt China’s global influence, a move analysts said could push Beijing to speed up its own military build-up with “greater urgency”. On Wednesday, Trump wrote on social media that the US military budget for the 2027 financial year should be raised in the face of “very troubled and dangerous times”. “This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to and, more... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339229/trump-wants-us15-trillion-dream-military-will-china-boost-spending-response?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339229/trump-wants-us15-trillion-dream-military-will-china-boost-spending-response?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 14:11:08 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang Donald Trump’s renewed threats to take over Greenland could pose a direct challenge to China’s ambitions in the Arctic, but some observers say it may also open the door to increased cooperation with Europe. Following the abduction of Venezuela’s former leader Nicolas Maduro, the White House swiftly turned its attention towards the self-governing Danish territory, adding that “of course, utilising the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal”. On Sunday, the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339078/will-donald-trumps-threats-greenland-help-bring-china-and-europe-closer-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339078/will-donald-trumps-threats-greenland-help-bring-china-and-europe-closer-together?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:00:15 +0000