https://www.scmp.com/rss/519450/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South American and European Union officials on Saturday signed a major trade deal, which they hailed as sending a powerful message at a time of tariff threats, global uncertainty and protectionism. The deal between the 27-nation European Union and Mercosur bloc members Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay creates one of the world’s largest free trade areas after 25 years of tricky negotiations. It was given fresh impetus amid the sweeping use of tariffs and trade threats by US President... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3340259/south-american-bloc-eu-sign-long-awaited-fta-amid-trumps-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3340259/south-american-bloc-eu-sign-long-awaited-fta-amid-trumps-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 09:31:45 +0000 dpa dpa A majority of European Union countries gave the go-ahead on Friday for the bloc to sign the Mercosur free trade deal with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay after decades of negotiations. At a meeting of representatives from the 27 EU countries in Brussels, a sufficient number of participants agreed to the planned signing of the deal, diplomatic sources said. The new free-trade zone, with more than 700 million inhabitants, will be the largest of its kind in the world, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339395/eu-agrees-worlds-largest-free-trade-zone-mercosur-pact-after-25-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339395/eu-agrees-worlds-largest-free-trade-zone-mercosur-pact-after-25-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 13:59:56 +0000 Agencies Agencies Brazil’s former president Jair ‌Bolsonaro underwent “a phrenic nerve block procedure” on Saturday ‍to treat his persistent hiccups, his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, said on social media. In a subsequent statement, the doctors treating Bolsonaro said they blocked ⁠the right phrenic nerve and scheduled a new procedure in 48 hours to block the left one. In medical literature, the phrenic nerve is described as a vital nerve originating ‍in the neck that controls the diaphragm, the primary muscle ‍for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3337912/brazil-judge-puts-coup-plot-convicts-under-house-arrest-after-ex-police-commander-flees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3337912/brazil-judge-puts-coup-plot-convicts-under-house-arrest-after-ex-police-commander-flees?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 18:03:25 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Late last year, as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen began her second term in office, a giant purple banner was draped over the side of the EU executive arm’s headquarters, declaring: “United for our Future, 2024-2029.” While unity among the EU’s 27 member states has always been elusive, it has rarely been more critical. Its leaders will gather on Thursday to try to round off the year with a collective bang, but there is growing fear it will end with a series of disparate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336817/after-year-shocks-europe-faces-crunch-talks-ukraine-china-and-its-economic-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336817/after-year-shocks-europe-faces-crunch-talks-ukraine-china-and-its-economic-future?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 06:00:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration has revoked the visas of six foreigners deemed by US officials to have made derisive comments or made light of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last month. The US State Department said on Tuesday it had determined they should lose their visas after reviewing their online social media posts and clips about Kirk, who was killed while speaking at a Utah college campus on September 10. The announcement came as US President Donald Trump was posthumously... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329038/us-revokes-visas-6-foreigners-over-charlie-kirk-related-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329038/us-revokes-visas-6-foreigners-over-charlie-kirk-related-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 23:39:17 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick As US destroyers closed in on Venezuela’s coast on Thursday, China condemned Washington’s military build-up and warned against foreign interference, backing Nicolas Maduro in a showdown that is drawing in powers far beyond the Caribbean. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China opposed “any move that violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and a country’s sovereignty and security”. She added that Beijing rejected “the interference of external forces in Venezuela’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322712/china-warns-us-over-military-build-warships-head-towards-venezuela?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322712/china-warns-us-over-military-build-warships-head-towards-venezuela?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 17:37:08 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Paraguayan lawmakers on Tuesday heard government ministers outline a proposed assembly law that would allow companies to manufacture electronic and digital goods locally using imported parts, many from China, as political debate grows over whether the country should end diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of Beijing. Economy Minister Carlos Fernandez Valdovinos and Industry and Commerce Minister Javier Gimenez told a Senate hearing the measure would let businesses that currently import fully... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/3321638/paraguay-eyes-chinese-parts-assembly-plan-amid-us-tariff-war-china-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/3321638/paraguay-eyes-chinese-parts-assembly-plan-amid-us-tariff-war-china-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 18:34:02 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s approval rating has fallen below 45 per cent for the second time since he took office amid a backlash over his handling of Typhoon Danas and his support for a recall campaign targeting opposition lawmakers. A new survey released by the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation on Tuesday found that only 42.9 per cent of respondents were satisfied with Lai’s performance – down 5.8 percentage points from June. The disapproval rating was 44.5 per cent. It marks the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3318738/taiwanese-leader-william-lai-one-his-worst-moments-approval-rating-falls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3318738/taiwanese-leader-william-lai-one-his-worst-moments-approval-rating-falls?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 10:00:14 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te is planning a US “stopover” trip in August that could take him to New York and Texas en route to South America, sources said, a move that is bound to anger Beijing. On Monday, Paraguayan President Santiago Pena confirmed that Lai would visit his country next month. Paraguay is the only country in South America and one of only 12 worldwide to recognise the self-governing island, down from 22 a decade ago. Analysts said Lai might add Guatemala and Belize, two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318239/taiwanese-leader-said-be-planning-us-stopover-thats-set-anger-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318239/taiwanese-leader-said-be-planning-us-stopover-thats-set-anger-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 05:00:47 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Paraguayan president Santiago Peña said Monday that his country would “stand firmly by Taiwan”, describing the 68-year diplomatic relationship as a strategic and values-based alliance that the country is prepared to defend “with all its strength and with a loud voice”. Speaking at a Taiwan–Paraguay business forum in Asunción, Peña said his country’s partnership with the self-ruled island reflects Paraguay’s sovereign foreign policy and its commitment to democratic principles, not just economic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318209/paraguay-president-vows-defend-taiwan-ties-all-its-strength?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318209/paraguay-president-vows-defend-taiwan-ties-all-its-strength?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 23:31:58 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Paraguay has expelled a senior Chinese diplomat, accusing him of trying to interfere in the country’s domestic politics and to undermine its relations with Taiwan during a UN event. Xu Wei, a senior Chinese envoy to Latin America, was in Asuncion to attend a Unesco meeting. However, Paraguayan authorities said Xu skipped the event on Wednesday to meet with members of the country’s congress. There, he reportedly urged lawmakers to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognise mainland China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289790/paraguay-expels-chinese-diplomat-urging-lawmakers-sever-ties-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289790/paraguay-expels-chinese-diplomat-urging-lawmakers-sever-ties-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Dec 2024 21:29:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters Paraguayan President Santiago Pena said on Wednesday that he was “fully open” to trade deals with China via South American trade bloc Mercosur, despite his country’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Paraguay’s long-standing diplomatic support for Taiwan has hindered local farmers’ grains exports to China, which claims sovereignty over the self-governed island. Paraguay is the last South American country with formal relations with Taiwan, which strongly objects to China’s sovereignty... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3275393/paraguay-open-china-trade-deals-mercosur-trade-bloc-despite-taiwan-ties-pena-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3275393/paraguay-open-china-trade-deals-mercosur-trade-bloc-despite-taiwan-ties-pena-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2024 21:55:25 +0000 A predawn police raid targeting the home of a Paraguayan lawmaker in a notorious drug smuggling haven near the country’s border with Brazil turned into a chaotic shoot-out, authorities said, leaving the lawmaker dead and the nation on edge. The killing on Monday of Eulalio “Lalo” Gomes, a 67-year-old rancher and lawmaker from Paraguay’s long-ruling Colorado party, also served as a grim reminder of the web of collusion between politicians’ families and organised crime in Paraguay, experts... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3275145/police-just-killed-my-dad-paraguay-lawmaker-dies-drug-raid-shoot-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3275145/police-just-killed-my-dad-paraguay-lawmaker-dies-drug-raid-shoot-out?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2024 05:17:44 +0000 For Hongkongers, the fourth full day of competition at the Paris Olympics ended much as the previous one had, with Siobhan Haughey doing as Siobhan Haughey often does. She had to set aside the euphoria of the night before, when she swam to bronze in the 200 metres freestyle, and set up another shot at gold, in the 100m. Anyone in Haughey’s hometown who went to bed doubting she had enough in the tank can wake to the news that she had plenty. So, too, did gymnast Simone Biles and the New... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3272553/while-you-were-sleeping-5-things-know-haughey-flies-biles-soars-paris-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3272553/while-you-were-sleeping-5-things-know-haughey-flies-biles-soars-paris-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jul 2024 23:58:56 +0000 Chaos and confusion reigned on Wednesday as Morocco beat Argentina 2-1 in their opening game of the men’s Olympic football tournament, but only after a late equaliser for the South American side was disallowed and the final minutes were played out in an empty stadium following crowd trouble. Argentina thought they had escaped from the Group B match in Saint-Etienne with a 2-2 draw when Cristian Medina scored in the 16th minute of added time. But as their players celebrated, projectiles including... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3271773/chaos-crowd-trouble-morocco-beat-argentina-mens-olympic-football-opener?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3271773/chaos-crowd-trouble-morocco-beat-argentina-mens-olympic-football-opener?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 23:32:55 +0000 Kylian Mbappe wanted to take part in this year’s Olympics in his home city, while there were hopes that Lionel Messi would feature for Argentina, but instead the men’s football tournament at the Paris Games will be largely devoid of star attractions. As captain of France and the most famous athlete in the country hosting this year’s Games, Mbappe’s presence in coach Thierry Henry’s Olympic squad would have been an enormous boost for organisers as well as for the team’s chances of winning... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3271576/paris-olympics-star-names-short-supply-mens-football-which-also-minus-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3271576/paris-olympics-star-names-short-supply-mens-football-which-also-minus-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2024 11:30:10 +0000 Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Monday he had been “scared” by Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro’s warning of a “bloodbath” if he loses elections on Sunday. “I was scared by Maduro’s statements that if he loses the election there will be a bloodbath,” Lula told international news agencies in Brasilia, as the Venezuelan leader prepares to seek a third six-year term amid accusations of foul play and opposition persecution. “Maduro has to learn: if you win, you stay [in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3271477/lula-scared-maduros-bloodbath-warning-ahead-venezuela-vote-president-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3271477/lula-scared-maduros-bloodbath-warning-ahead-venezuela-vote-president-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2024 18:40:10 +0000 The never-say-die Hong Kong men’s rugby team summoned a grandstand finish to stun Brazil and complete their South American tour with a roller-coaster 26-25 victory in Sao Paulo. Head coach Andrew Douglas’ team were on the brink of defeat at 25-19 down entering the closing minute. When the nervy hosts kicked into touch from inside their own 22, however, Hong Kong ruthlessly capitalised on the error. A cross-field kick following the line-out invited Seb Brien to steal over close to the corner. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3271307/hong-kong-rugby-tour-citys-men-fight-back-stun-brazil-and-send-world-cup-message?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3271307/hong-kong-rugby-tour-citys-men-fight-back-stun-brazil-and-send-world-cup-message?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jul 2024 11:02:19 +0000 Brazil’s president revealed on Friday that his administration was putting together “a proposal to join” the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s flagship infrastructure and investment project. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shared the news during an event announcing investments by the Brazilian Development Bank to renovate a highway between Rio de Janeiro and Santos, a city 85km (53 miles) from Sao Paulo, site of the country’s main port. Describing a synergy between Chinese interests and Brazil’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3271218/after-spurning-china-years-brazil-reveals-plan-join-belt-and-road-initiative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3271218/after-spurning-china-years-brazil-reveals-plan-join-belt-and-road-initiative?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2024 20:05:13 +0000 Hong Kong delivered a merciless 12-try performance to thump Paraguay 80-12 and claim a first victory on their South American tour on Sunday. Head coach Andrew Douglas’s team were narrowly beaten in their opening game last week against Chile. Paraguay, however, are ranked No 38 in the world, 17 places beneath the Chileans and 14 behind Hong Kong. Douglas had taken the opportunity to rest a number of regular starters for next Sunday’s meeting with world No 29 team Brazil. Among those brought into... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3270409/south-america-rugby-tour-hong-kong-bounce-back-narrow-chile-loss-thrash-paraguay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3270409/south-america-rugby-tour-hong-kong-bounce-back-narrow-chile-loss-thrash-paraguay?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jul 2024 11:12:20 +0000 Head coach Andrew Douglas said Hong Kong were expecting to run into a fired-up Chile on the first leg of their South American tour this weekend. The game will provide Hong Kong with an overdue challenge against legitimate Test-calibre opposition, after a series of no-contests en route to claiming a fifth successive Asia Rugby Championship last month. Proposed changes to 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification, gifting Asia an extra spot at the expense of South America, have added extra spice to the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3269309/hong-kong-braced-fired-chile-rugby-bosses-poised-hand-asia-world-cup-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3269309/hong-kong-braced-fired-chile-rugby-bosses-poised-hand-asia-world-cup-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jul 2024 09:30:11 +0000 Javier Milei’s campaign last year for the Argentinian presidency included calling China – the second-largest buyer of Argentina’s exports – an “assassin” and an attack on its ruling Communist Party’s human rights record. He threatened to curb ties with Beijing and signalled a foreign policy more aligned with the United States and Israel. Since taking office in December, Milei, the self-proclaimed anarcho-capitalist, has appeared to be caught between realism and idealism. Days after his... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268992/what-mileis-china-agenda-argentinas-envoy-talks-trade-space-and-global-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268992/what-mileis-china-agenda-argentinas-envoy-talks-trade-space-and-global-south?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2024 15:00:08 +0000 China secured the final place in the women’s rugby sevens tournament at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, with South Africa taking the last spot in the men’s draw at the expense of Great Britain. Both sides qualified for the Games after winning the Olympic repechage over the weekend in Monaco, where 12 teams in each draw battled it out for the last available place at the Games up for grabs. Hong Kong’s men and women both made it to the quarter-finals of their competitions, but were comfortably... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3267752/paris-olympics-china-women-cruise-through-monaco-seal-final-rugby-7s-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3267752/paris-olympics-china-women-cruise-through-monaco-seal-final-rugby-7s-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2024 02:06:46 +0000 Head coach Andrew Douglas said an “expansive, high-risk” Hong Kong want to convince locals to “fall in love with rugby”. Douglas’s team know victory over South Korea at Hong Kong Football Club on Saturday will seal a fifth straight Asia Rugby Championship (ARC) title, after the team comfortably beat the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia in their opening two matches. But Hong Kong must be wary of a reaction from Korea, who tossed away a 14-point half-time advantage to lose 36-32 against... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3267583/asia-rugby-championship-hong-kong-hope-high-risk-game-against-korea-will-win-over-locals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3267583/asia-rugby-championship-hong-kong-hope-high-risk-game-against-korea-will-win-over-locals?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jun 2024 01:00:13 +0000 Chong Ka-yan ran in a hat-trick of tries as Hong Kong’s women got their final shot at Olympic qualification off to a flyer on Friday, with a 33-15 win over Paraguay. There were also scores for Natasha Olson-Thorne and Nam Ka-man in the World Rugby Sevens Repechage event at Louis II Stadium in Monaco, with Poon Hoi-yan and Stephanie Chan adding eight points with the boot. Andy Vilk’s side did not make life easy for themselves, however, twice falling behind in the opening half. Cinthia Cristaldo... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3267607/china-hong-kong-women-get-olympic-7s-repechage-flying-start-monaco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3267607/china-hong-kong-women-get-olympic-7s-repechage-flying-start-monaco?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 13:24:48 +0000 Hong Kong rugby bosses have already begun plotting how to manage their latest calendar collision, with crucial women’s 15s and sevens tournaments poised to cross over in September. The full weight of the city’s rugby armoury is currently behind head coach Andy Vilk’s sevens team, as they target success at the Olympic repechage tournament, which gets under way in Monaco on Friday. Hong Kong begin their pool campaign versus Paraguay, whom they comfortably beat earlier this year, before games... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3267396/paris-olympics-hong-kong-rugby-women-brace-fixture-clash-7s-team-chase-games-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3267396/paris-olympics-hong-kong-rugby-women-brace-fixture-clash-7s-team-chase-games-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 00:00:11 +0000 Lionel Messi and Argentina are poised to begin the defence of their Copa America crown when they face Canada in Atlanta. The tournament is taking place across the United States, two years before it hosts the World Cup, and the opener kicks off at 8pm on Thursday local time (8am Friday, Hong Kong time). Argentina won the Covid-delayed 2021 tournament, beating hosts Brazil in the final for their first major honour since 1993. Having won the World Cup just over a year later, the Albiceleste were... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3267416/copa-america-lionel-messis-argentina-defend-title-us-uruguay-brazil-lie-wait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3267416/copa-america-lionel-messis-argentina-defend-title-us-uruguay-brazil-lie-wait?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jun 2024 17:00:09 +0000 China’s rugby sevens coaches are confident their women’s team can live up to expectations back home and reach the Paris Olympics via the final qualifying tournament in Monaco, which starts on Friday. And they have a former Hong Kong international helping their cause, in technical coach and video analyst Fan Shun-kei, who is under no illusion about the aspirations held by Chinese officials. Changes have been made since China fell short in their first attempt to qualify, in the Asian qualifier... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3267406/can-china-reach-paris-olympics-rugby-sevens-handling-expectation-key-last-qualifier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3267406/can-china-reach-paris-olympics-rugby-sevens-handling-expectation-key-last-qualifier?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:12:05 +0000 Andrew Douglas, the Hong Kong head coach, has called for a shake-up of the Asia Rugby Championship after his side crushed Malaysia 70-6 on Saturday. The stormy Selangor weather that delayed kick-off by 30 minutes was a tougher opponent for Hong Kong than the hosts. Douglas made seven changes from the previous week’s cruise against United Arab Emirates, and there was a belated debut from the bench for former England under-20 hooker Calum Scott. Douglas praised his players’ “outstanding effort and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3265961/asia-rugby-championship-hong-kong-coach-suggests-reform-after-rout-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3265961/asia-rugby-championship-hong-kong-coach-suggests-reform-after-rout-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jun 2024 11:46:32 +0000 Head coach Andrew Douglas was “frustrated” with Hong Kong’s scrappy performance in their 52-5 Asia Rugby Championship (ARC) victory over debutants United Arab Emirates. UAE capitalised on Hong Kong’s sluggish start to cross first after six minutes. The hosts delivered a sound response to that early blow, scoring eight tries and preventing UAE from getting back on the board. Douglas, nevertheless, lamented his team’s “stop-start” display, and identified a number of areas to improve for Hong... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3265021/asia-rugby-championship-hong-kong-flyer-coach-frustrated-and-demanding-improvement-after-scrappy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3265021/asia-rugby-championship-hong-kong-flyer-coach-frustrated-and-demanding-improvement-after-scrappy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jun 2024 12:59:20 +0000 Hong Kong failed to shed their “nearly men” tag after a slim Challenger Series semi-final loss to hosts Germany cost Jevon Groves’ team the chance to fight for world series status. The top four Challenger Series finishers qualified for a playoff in Madrid, beginning on May 31, where four spots in next season’s HSBC SVNS Series are up for grabs. Germany snaffled that precious fourth spot after beating Hong Kong 21-14 in a nip-and-tuck last-four match in Munich. Groves’ side were otherwise... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3263312/heartache-hong-kong-men-loss-germany-costs-chance-join-world-series-china-women-good-shot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3263312/heartache-hong-kong-men-loss-germany-costs-chance-join-world-series-china-women-good-shot?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 May 2024 04:36:54 +0000 Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday welcomed Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on his first visit to the country, with the two meeting in the capital of Brasilia and the South American leader pushing his counterpart to buy his country’s beef. Brazil had wished to seize on the bilateral meeting to push forward an agreement to open Japanese markets to Brazilian beef, a goal the Latin American country has pursued since 2005. In an appeal to the prime minister, Lula insisted he... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3261427/president-lula-tells-japans-kishida-try-brazilian-beef-bid-score-export-orders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3261427/president-lula-tells-japans-kishida-try-brazilian-beef-bid-score-export-orders?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 May 2024 07:48:37 +0000 Hong Kong’s men have been drawn alongside Spain, Papua New Guinea and Brazil for the pool stages of the final sevens Olympic qualifying tournament in June. Unlikely to reach the Games in Paris this summer after missing out on the regional qualifying spot to Japan, Jevon Groves’ side have at least avoided South Africa, Canada and Great Britain in the opening rounds. The city’s women have a slightly easier task ahead of them, having been grouped with Uganda, Paraguay and Jamaica for the World... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3259799/paris-olympics-hong-kongs-men-face-spain-last-chance-sevens-qualifier-while-uganda-among-womens-pool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3259799/paris-olympics-hong-kongs-men-face-spain-last-chance-sevens-qualifier-while-uganda-among-womens-pool?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Apr 2024 09:00:23 +0000 The UN Human Rights Council on Friday demanded a halt to all arms sales to Israel, highlighting warnings of “genocide” in its war in Gaza, which has killed more than 33,000 people. The resolution, which passed with 28 of the council’s 47 member states voting in favour, six opposed and 13 abstaining, marked the first time the United Nations’ top rights body has taken a position on the bloodiest-ever war to beset the besieged Palestinian territory. Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel’s ambassador to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3257976/un-rights-council-mulls-call-halt-arms-sales-israel-amid-plausible-risk-genocide-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3257976/un-rights-council-mulls-call-halt-arms-sales-israel-amid-plausible-risk-genocide-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Apr 2024 08:29:10 +0000 The US on Wednesday said it was monitoring the situation in Taiwan hours after the strongest earthquake to hit the island in more than two decades struck and prompted an outpouring of support from Taipei’s allies. The 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked the eastern side of the island around the county and city of Hualien on Wednesday morning. It left more than 900 injured, at least nine dead and 56 people trapped in two coal mines, tunnels and damaged roads. “We are monitoring reports of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3257772/taiwan-earthquake-us-other-taipei-allies-send-messages-support-rescue-efforts-continue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3257772/taiwan-earthquake-us-other-taipei-allies-send-messages-support-rescue-efforts-continue?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Apr 2024 17:00:27 +0000 In just 100 days, his government has banned most protests, cancelled a ministry for women and a national institute against discrimination, and shut down – by deploying heavily armed police – a state news agency, which it accused of “political bias”. If all these things had happened in Hong Kong, you would have known all about it in 24/7 coverage from Washington and its faithful media servants in the Anglo-American press, just as you have been bombarded with heavily editorialised “news” about... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3257070/argentinas-milei-wants-china-out-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3257070/argentinas-milei-wants-china-out-america?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Mar 2024 13:00:10 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg About 6,000 older bitcoin mining machines in the US will soon be idled and sent to a warehouse in Colorado Springs, where they will be refreshed and resold to buyers overseas looking to profit from mining in lower-cost environments. Wholesaler SunnySide Digital operates the 35,000-square-foot facility taking in the equipment from a mining client. The outdated machines are among several hundred-thousand it expects to receive and refurbish around a major quadrennial update in the bitcoin... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3256562/bitcoin-halving-april-cut-mining-reward-driving-exodus-old-us-equipment-countries-cheap-electricity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3256562/bitcoin-halving-april-cut-mining-reward-driving-exodus-old-us-equipment-countries-cheap-electricity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Mar 2024 02:30:10 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Taiwan has agreed to allow duty-free imports of Paraguayan pork in a landmark move that could strengthen ties between two allies whose relations have long vexed mainland China. “This is a moment to celebrate,” said Jose Chih-Cheng Han, Taiwan’s top envoy to Asuncion on Thursday, noting Paraguayan President Santiago Pena visited the island last year seeking such an outcome. Han hailed the deal as a boon for Paraguayan producers who have faced weaker demand following US and European Union... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3256454/taiwan-agrees-allow-duty-free-imports-paraguayan-pork-setback-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3256454/taiwan-agrees-allow-duty-free-imports-paraguayan-pork-setback-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Mar 2024 19:55:13 +0000 Hong Kong’s men got off to a flying start in the second round of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger series, hammering Japan and coming from behind to beat Chile to end the first day in Uruguay unbeaten. The city’s women made the best possible start in their pool, beating Dubai runners-up Kenya 12-0 on the back of two Natasha Olson-Thorne tries, but they then lost 24-5 to Belgium, who finished the day top of the group having earlier downed Papua New Guinea 37-5. Jevon Groves’ men ran in six tries,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3254780/hong-kongs-men-crush-japan-flying-start-world-rugby-sevens-challenger-event-uruguay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3254780/hong-kongs-men-crush-japan-flying-start-world-rugby-sevens-challenger-event-uruguay?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Mar 2024 04:41:45 +0000 Hong Kong’s women’s sevens team are going the extra miles to improve before their home tournament when they play in this week’s World Rugby Challenger Series leg in Uruguay. A young squad have undertaken a three-flight, 30-hour journey via Qatar and Brazil, monitored by strength and conditioning staff who ensured players kept mobile and minimised screen time to improve sleep. It will be worth it if they can go into next month’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens on a high by performing well in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3254563/sevens-totem-nam-ka-man-mentors-emerging-generation-hong-kong-continues-preparations-uruguay-test-30?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3254563/sevens-totem-nam-ka-man-mentors-emerging-generation-hong-kong-continues-preparations-uruguay-test-30?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Mar 2024 12:11:04 +0000 Over the past two decades, China’s presence in Latin America has been synonymous with major infrastructure projects and the exploitation of natural resources. A recently published study suggests, however, that the wind is now blowing in a different direction. Following the failure of some Belt and Road Initiative investments in the region and a slowdown in China’s economy, data analysed by the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank, indicates that Chinese money is now flowing into... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3252865/chinas-latin-american-investments-downshift-smaller-more-strategic-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3252865/chinas-latin-american-investments-downshift-smaller-more-strategic-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Feb 2024 14:00:12 +0000 British Foreign Secretary David Cameron will visit the Falkland Islands in a high-profile demonstration they are a “valued part of the British family” amid renewed Argentinian calls for talks on the future of the islands they call Islas Malvinas. Cameron’s visit will be the first by a British Cabinet minister since 2016 and he stressed that the issue of the archipelago’s sovereignty is “not … up for discussion” while the islanders wish to be British. Argentina’s President Javier Milei, who met... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3252344/uks-david-cameron-visit-falklands-says-islands-sovereignty-not-discussion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3252344/uks-david-cameron-visit-falklands-says-islands-sovereignty-not-discussion?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Feb 2024 11:48:55 +0000 At least 19 people have died in forest fires raging near Chile’s coast, Interior Minister Carolina Toha said on Saturday, warning the toll was likely to climb higher. Fifteen of the 19 victims “have already been identified”, Toha said, adding that there were 92 active fires, with 43,000 hectares (106,000 acres) burned across the country. Firefighters were battling the blazes which were threatening hundreds of homes, prompting the president to declare a state of emergency. The blazes are... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3250843/10-feared-dead-chile-forest-fires-hundreds-homes-threatened?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3250843/10-feared-dead-chile-forest-fires-hundreds-homes-threatened?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Feb 2024 11:49:56 +0000 China will support Jamaica to play a bigger role in world affairs, Foreign Minister Wang Yi has pledged, as the two countries aim to strengthen strategic alignment. The message from China’s top diplomat came as he wrapped up a six-nation tour with a visit to the Caribbean country. Meeting Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness in the capital Kingston on Saturday, Wang said China looked forward to expanding cooperation in trade, investment, new energy, agriculture, digital economy and the “blue... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249235/chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-vows-help-jamaica-play-bigger-role-world-stage-hails-one-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249235/chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-vows-help-jamaica-play-bigger-role-world-stage-hails-one-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jan 2024 11:00:13 +0000 On December 30, one day before Indonesia’s Asean chairmanship lapsed, the region’s foreign ministers issued a statement articulating their “concern” over “recent developments in the South China Sea that may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region”. This statement from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations came after months of escalating tensions between Chinese and Filipino vessels, amid growing concern that the region would be dragged into US-China strategic competition. It... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248660/us-china-tensions-asean-playbook-shows-how-small-states-can-navigate-big-power-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248660/us-china-tensions-asean-playbook-shows-how-small-states-can-navigate-big-power-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jan 2024 01:30:10 +0000 Hong Kong began their World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series campaign in Dubai on Friday, and made five changes to the men’s team that just missed out on qualifying for the Paris Olympics. Jevon Groves side take on Georgia, Papua New Guinea and Uruguay in Pool A at the 12-team tournament, with a top four finish in their sights, but without the likes of Max Woodward, Salom Yiu Kam-shing, Alex McQueen, Mike Coverdale and Alessandro Nardoni. Instead, Sebastian Brien comes in as captain, and is joined... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3248285/world-rugby-sevens-challenger-series-hong-kong-teams-make-winning-start-tournament-dubai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3248285/world-rugby-sevens-challenger-series-hong-kong-teams-make-winning-start-tournament-dubai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jan 2024 14:30:17 +0000 Andy Vilk wants Hong Kong’s women to “pick up where we left off” when they launch their new season at the opening HSBC Sevens Challenger series leg in Dubai on Friday. The Englishman said he had reset mentally after a “whirlwind introduction” to Hong Kong rugby last year, in which he oversaw a historic bronze medal at the Asian Games. Hong Kong’s women also qualified for this year’s Olympic Games repechage tournament, and earned a spot in the 2024 Challenger Series, through their performances in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3247574/hong-kong-sevens-head-coach-vilk-targets-challenger-series-quarter-finals-promotion-elite-top-tier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3247574/hong-kong-sevens-head-coach-vilk-targets-challenger-series-quarter-finals-promotion-elite-top-tier?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jan 2024 02:00:16 +0000 In Oscar Wilde’s masterful play The Importance of Being Earnest, first performed in 1895, Lady Bracknell famously says that “to lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune, to lose both looks like carelessness”. Fast forward more than a century and this same sentiment is being felt in much of Brussels with the potential failure of the European Union’s free trade negotiations with the Mercosur nations of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The setback comes hard on the heels of the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245710/eu-losing-two-trade-deals-would-look-less-misfortune-more-carelessness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245710/eu-losing-two-trade-deals-would-look-less-misfortune-more-carelessness?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Dec 2023 06:30:11 +0000 Calls mounted for calm to prevail as Venezuela said it saw a “provocation” in joint US-Guyana military exercises and vowed to pursue the “recovery” of an oil-rich region both neighbours claim as their own. The UN Security Council called an urgent meeting for Friday on the fast-escalating row that Guyana said “threatens international peace and security”. The United States, through National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, on Thursday urged the sides to find a diplomatic solution to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3244339/guyana-venezuela-border-tensions-soar-over-disputed-oil-rich-essequibo-region?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3244339/guyana-venezuela-border-tensions-soar-over-disputed-oil-rich-essequibo-region?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Dec 2023 04:48:26 +0000 Taiwan has named a new de facto ambassador to the US, but analysts say he may be less effective than his predecessor and that his more careful bureaucratic style will contrast with her well-honed political skills. Hsiao Bi-khim was a long-time lawmaker before her three-year tenure as head of the Washington office of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (Tecro). She announced her decision to return to Taiwan and run for vice-president on November 20 as a member of the ruling... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3243839/taipeis-new-envoy-us-may-be-less-effective-his-predecessor-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3243839/taipeis-new-envoy-us-may-be-less-effective-his-predecessor-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Dec 2023 22:02:09 +0000