https://www.scmp.com/rss/519452/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jen Paolini Jen Paolini Vincenzo Capuano What does multi-award-winning pizza taste like? Acclaimed Neapolitan pizzaiolo Vincenzo Capuano knows a thing or two about that. Having opened more than 40 restaurants globally, the world-champion chef now brings his signature Nuvola pizza – so-named for its airy, “cloud-like” texture, achieved through a specially developed dough-fermentation process – to Wan Chai. Capuano’s pies are also presented as a “cut” above the rest: a pair of “golden” scissors are used at the table to... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3354501/hong-kongs-hottest-new-openings-manteigaria-avalon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3354501/hong-kongs-hottest-new-openings-manteigaria-avalon?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Portuguese police on Thursday arrested the mother of two young French boys found abandoned by a main road in the south of the country, alone and crying. The boys, aged four and five, were rescued on Tuesday by a passing motorist near the resort town of Comporta, where they had been left with backpacks containing food and water but no identity documents, according to Portuguese media. A manhunt was launched for the boys’ mother, 41, and on Thursday Portuguese police said they had arrested her in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354428/mother-arrested-after-young-french-boys-abandoned-portugal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354428/mother-arrested-after-young-french-boys-abandoned-portugal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 17:45:25 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu With their domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. Not long ago, plans were in motion to build an enormous battery factory in the Belgian countryside. If completed, it would have created an estimated 2,000 jobs... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353994/chinas-firms-have-glaring-weakness-they-face-barrage-eu-probes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353994/chinas-firms-have-glaring-weakness-they-face-barrage-eu-probes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 01:00:10 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial China wants it both ways with the yuan, and it may just succeed despite conventional economic wisdom. Many mainstream economists think the yuan faces insurmountable barriers to internationalising as a major currency because of domestic capital controls. They might be right technically, but Chinese policymakers may have different goals. Full convertibility means abandoning capital controls, something Beijing is unwilling to give up any time soon. An increasing number of China’s trade partners and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353934/why-chinas-yuan-gaining-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353934/why-chinas-yuan-gaining-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Four men slipped aboard in the darkness. Armed with knives and moving fast, they descended into the engine room of the Taipan as the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker threaded its way through the Singapore Strait on the night of April 22. The crew managed to raise the alarm in time and thankfully no one was hurt. But by the time the vessel was searched the intruders were gone, vanished back into the water with a clutch of spare engine parts in tow. It was a modest haul. It was also the 16th such... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352482/sea-robbery-fears-stalk-singapore-and-malaysias-busiest-waterways?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352482/sea-robbery-fears-stalk-singapore-and-malaysias-busiest-waterways?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 08:00:54 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Federal investigators say they believe the man who carried out a mass shooting at Brown University and later killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor did not act randomly. Instead, former Brown student Claudio Neves Valente, 48, appeared to target places and people for what they represented in his own life – institutions and individuals he associated with personal failure, missed opportunity and perceived injustice. In a detailed behavioural assessment released on Wednesday, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351919/brown-university-shooter-targeted-symbolic-victims-tied-grievances-fbi-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351919/brown-university-shooter-targeted-symbolic-victims-tied-grievances-fbi-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:14:32 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu In the face of a prolonged US energy blockade of Cuba, solar panels from China have come to the rescue and provided a model of independence from fossil fuels that is resonating globally amid what is being called the worst energy crisis in history. Within the 12 months through February, solar’s share of national power generation in Cuba increased from 6 per cent to more than 20 per cent, according to Microgrid Media, a California-based publication that tracks global renewable energy capacity. “By... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351455/china-poised-reap-rewards-energy-shock-heats-race-renewables?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351455/china-poised-reap-rewards-energy-shock-heats-race-renewables?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Finbarr Bermingham Xiaofei Xu,Finbarr Bermingham Chinese railway giant CRRC has been forced out of a Lisbon metro contract in favour of a Polish firm, after a European Commission investigation found that foreign subsidies allowed CRRC to underbid rivals. “The in-depth investigation confirmed these preliminary findings, revealing that the subsidies in question had indeed given the consortium an unfair competitive edge, to the detriment of other bidders taking part in the tender and the integrity of the EU’s internal market,” the European... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350912/chinas-crrc-drops-bid-lisbon-metro-deal-eu-finds-billions-subsidies-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350912/chinas-crrc-drops-bid-lisbon-metro-deal-eu-finds-billions-subsidies-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:36:39 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The yuan is rapidly expanding as a global financing source. Just this month, Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund, Samruk-Kazyna, became the first financial institution from Central Asia to issue yuan-denominated debt – worth 3 billion yuan (US$440 million) – in China’s onshore market. Meanwhile, in a first for a euro-zone country, Portugal sold 1.99 billion yuan of eight-year debt in the offshore yuan bond market. The country’s debt agency said the securities, nicknamed dim sum bonds, aim to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3350441/chinese-yuan-slowly-surely-cutting-us-dollar-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3350441/chinese-yuan-slowly-surely-cutting-us-dollar-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pope Leo on Sunday recalled the “sorrow and great suffering” Angolans endured for centuries, as the American pope prayed at a Catholic shrine located at the site of an important hub of the African slave trade during Portugal’s colonial rule. Leo travelled to the Sanctuary of Mama Muxima, nestled in the Angolan savannahs of baobab trees at the edge of the Kwanza River. It became a major pilgrimage destination after believers reported an appearance by the Virgin Mary around 1833. But the Church of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350655/pope-leo-prays-catholic-shrine-angola-was-centre-african-slave-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350655/pope-leo-prays-catholic-shrine-angola-was-centre-african-slave-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:25:23 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo The Chinese are the heirs of mythical hero archer Hou Yi who shot down nine suns to save humanity from scorching heat and left just one to give them warmth. Today, they have mastered solar energy and the wind, and the five elements (wuxing). China has reinvented itself as the new electro-civilisation state. Let us remember that in the yin/yang, the sun is the yang, and their intricately connected wuxing are metals (originally gold), wood, water, fire and earth. The elements make up nature... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3350643/china-just-emerging-electro-state-or-electro-civilisation-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3350643/china-just-emerging-electro-state-or-electro-civilisation-state?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:42:50 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. The victory of Chinese motorcycle brand ZXMOTO in two races in the World Supersport class of the Superbike World Championship round in Portugal at the end of March is more than just a sporting achievement, it is a story of grit. Zhang Xue, ZXMOTO’s founder, left school at 14 to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3350496/chinese-motorcycle-brand-zxmotos-victory-more-sporting-achievement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3350496/chinese-motorcycle-brand-zxmotos-victory-more-sporting-achievement?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Five European Union finance ministers are calling for a tax on windfall profits of energy companies in reaction to rising fuel prices due to the Iran war, according to a letter from ‌the ministers to the EU Commission seen by Reuters on Saturday. The finance ministers of Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria made the joint call in a letter dated Friday, saying such a measure would be a signal that “we stand united and are able to take action”. “It would also send a clear message that those... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349035/eu-finance-ministers-urge-tax-energy-firms-profits-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349035/eu-finance-ministers-urge-tax-energy-firms-profits-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 09:32:17 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan could get a boost in its push for a next-generation fighter jet if Canada joins a multinational consortium backing the aircraft’s development, as Tokyo aims to narrow the gap with China’s fast-modernising air force. The Canadian government said it intended to take part in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), currently involving Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy, the Asahi newspaper reported on Tuesday. Japan is planning to replace its ageing F-2 fleet with a sixth-generation stealth... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348709/why-japans-advanced-fighter-project-may-get-canadian-tailwinds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348709/why-japans-advanced-fighter-project-may-get-canadian-tailwinds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:20 +0000 Wilson Lau Wilson Lau Macau’s culinary identity is a deliciously unruly map of the world: a centuries-old laboratory of creative fusion where spices, techniques and stories collide. Long before “fusion cuisine” became a trend, Macanese cooking was already inventing itself at the crossroads of oceans – an everyday experiment in adaptation, improvisation and joyful hybridity. What began as practical substitutions and ingenuity has evolved into a living tradition that prizes sustainability, originality and a renewed... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347312/macau-gastronomy-fest-unites-39-unesco-cities-chengdu-lucknow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347312/macau-gastronomy-fest-unites-39-unesco-cities-chengdu-lucknow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:00:36 +0000 Josiah Ng Josiah Ng It is a sign of our modern, interconnected times that the Macao Government Tourism Office has named British YouTubers Joshua Carrott and Oliver Kendal – usually known simply as Josh and Ollie – as keynote speakers for this year’s International Cities of Gastronomy Fest. The duo, better known for their YouTube channel Korean Englishman, rose to prominence by offering a fresh lens on the Korean Wave. While most online audiences rode the Hallyu wave via K-pop and dramas, Carrott and Kendal were... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347299/why-korean-englishmans-josh-and-ollie-are-perfect-gastronomy-fest-ambassadors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347299/why-korean-englishmans-josh-and-ollie-are-perfect-gastronomy-fest-ambassadors?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:00:26 +0000 Grace Brewer Grace Brewer At the World Food Forum (WFF), a United Nations-backed platform where gastronomy bridges cultures and drives agrifood systems transformation, Flora Igoe leads the Youth Culture Programme. Based in Rome at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), she guides young chefs in safeguarding intangible food heritage – family recipes, ancient farming practices and time-honoured techniques – while connecting their work to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. “Food often creates connections between... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347293/uns-world-food-forum-building-new-generation-changemakers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347293/uns-world-food-forum-building-new-generation-changemakers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:00:20 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Europe woke on Thursday to another energy shock, as military attacks on critical infrastructure in Qatar and Iran sent oil and gas prices across the continent soaring to levels unseen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The continent’s benchmark natural gas price, the Dutch TTF, climbed above €70 (US$80) per megawatt hour in Thursday morning trading – its highest level since December 2022, though still well below the more than €300 peak reached in the summer of 2022. Brent crude surged... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347195/war-iran-roils-energy-markets-europe-pays-price-dependency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347195/war-iran-roils-energy-markets-europe-pays-price-dependency?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:30:13 +0000 dpa dpa Authorities in the northern Portuguese city of Porto have discovered the body of a woman believed to have died two years ago in her flat, national media reported on Monday. The remains were found on January 21, according to Correio da Manhã newspaper and other outlets, citing local officials. The diabetic woman is thought to have died at the age of 73. The exact circumstances of her death are still unclear. The alarm was raised by a doctor at a health centre after the woman failed to attend... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344386/woman-lay-dead-her-porto-portugal-flat-2-years-her-body-was-discovered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344386/woman-lay-dead-her-porto-portugal-flat-2-years-her-body-was-discovered?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:32:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Abandoned for months on their fishing boat off West Africa, Indonesian sailor Surono and his shipmates face a dilemma: return home without almost a year’s wages or stay on the docked vessel. He is among a growing number of migrant workers abandoned by shipowners, who flout their obligations and desert crews without paying the salaries owed. “My family cries because I can’t get any money. My children and wife need money to eat,” Surono, 47, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said from... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342881/bitter-choice-indonesian-sailors-abandoned-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342881/bitter-choice-indonesian-sailors-abandoned-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 05:03:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters Moderate Socialist Antonio Jose Seguro secured a landslide victory and a five-year ‍term as Portugal’s president in a run-off vote on Sunday, beating his far-right, anti-establishment rival Andre Ventura. Seguro, who received backing from prominent conservatives after the first round amid concerns over what many see as Ventura’s populist, authoritarian tendencies, becomes the first Socialist head of state in 20 years, succeeding Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, ⁠a conservative, after two terms in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342856/portugal-elects-socialist-president-landslide-exit-polls-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342856/portugal-elects-socialist-president-landslide-exit-polls-show?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 20:54:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Spain and Portugal on Saturday braced for another storm heading for the Iberian Peninsula, just days after the floods caused by Storm Leonardo proved fatal in both countries. The latest depression, christened Storm Marta, has prompted the deployment of more than 26,500 rescuers in Portugal, where the foul weather has led three municipalities to postpone Sunday’s presidential vote till next week. Both countries have issued warnings over the potential fresh floods, after inundations blocked... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342787/fatal-floods-strike-spain-and-portugal-thousands-evacuating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342787/fatal-floods-strike-spain-and-portugal-thousands-evacuating?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 14:36:12 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft returns to Earth broken and unbroken China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft returned to Earth with no astronauts inside – just metal, heat and a cracked window – touching down at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia on Monday. 2. Nipah virus outbreak in India sparks worry in China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341335/nipah-virus-alarms-china-semiconductor-fibre-breakthrough-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341335/nipah-virus-alarms-china-semiconductor-fibre-breakthrough-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 07:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Spanish police have broken up a vast cocaine trafficking operation ‌that used speed boats to bring the drug ‍onshore from floating bases in the Atlantic, seizing around 10 tonnes of the drug and arresting 105 suspects. Police said on ⁠Monday that a year-long investigation in cooperation with law enforcement in countries including Cabo Verde, formerly known as Cape Verde, Colombia, France, Portugal and the US showed the group brought an estimated 57 tonnes ‍of cocaine to Europe in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341349/spain-busts-cocaine-trafficking-operation-used-floating-bases-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341349/spain-busts-cocaine-trafficking-operation-used-floating-bases-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 05:15:53 +0000 Aidyn Fitzpatrick Aidyn Fitzpatrick Macau, made for high rollers, isn’t short on flashy experiences. After a night at the MGM Cotai Supreme Room, where a million-pataca chip stack looks paltry, you can toast your winnings at Robuchon au Dôme at the Grand Lisboa and pop open a vintage wine that will set you back 250,000 patacas, before resting your head in one of 14 invitation-only David Beckham Suites at The Londoner. But one experience trumps all these because it cannot be bought: to climb into a blue Mini and be taken on a... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3340789/meet-goncalo-cesar-de-sa-journalist-who-got-scoop-macaus-return-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3340789/meet-goncalo-cesar-de-sa-journalist-who-got-scoop-macaus-return-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 04:00:09 +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 Cat Nelson Cat Nelson The first time I went to Macau was in 2017, and I spent an embarrassing amount of time lost inside The Venetian. Let me tell you, there’s something profoundly disorienting about a fake sky and canals indoors. I kept passing the same gondola, panic mounting. I suspect I’m not alone in this experience – or in the broader reality that many people never see much beyond Macau’s glitz and glam. It’s easy to visit for a weekend, stick to the resorts and come away thinking you’ve seen the city. But for... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3340967/week-postmag-many-layers-macau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3340967/week-postmag-many-layers-macau?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 04:45:08 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela In 2021, when Beijing finally pledged to stop building and financing new coal power plants overseas, Western governments and climate advocates rejoiced. John Kerry, US climate envoy at the time, said he was “absolutely delighted to hear” of the decision. It is “a key topic of my discussions during my visit to China”, Alok Sharma, a member of the British House of Lords, wrote on social media, suggesting it was a result of pressure from the West. But now, from Chile to Spain to Portugal, country... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339280/chinas-coal-fired-export-ban-was-cheered-west-then-came-massive-blackouts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3339280/chinas-coal-fired-export-ban-was-cheered-west-then-came-massive-blackouts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Moderate Socialist Antonio Jose Seguro came ‍out on top in the first round of Portugal’s presidential election on Sunday, followed by the far-right leader Andre Ventura, and the two will face off in a February 8 run-off. In the five decades since Portugal threw off its fascist dictatorship, a presidential election has only once before - in 1986 - required a run-off, highlighting ⁠how fragmented the political landscape has become with the rise of the far-right and voter disenchantment with... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340324/europes-far-right-eyes-run-portugals-presidential-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340324/europes-far-right-eyes-run-portugals-presidential-election?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 10:24:57 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Often described as the Macanese version of a hamburger, the pork chop bun is a delicious product of the city’s rich cultural blend and colonial history, tracing its origins to the Portuguese bifana, a classic pork sandwich. A good pork chop bun is defined by a fried or grilled pork chop placed horizontally inside a bread roll. The bun itself is crucial, prized for being extremely crisp on the outside yet supple inside, perfectly complementing the juicy, just-greasy-enough pork. The snack... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3340130/history-macaus-famous-pork-chop-bun-and-where-eat-authentic-classic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3340130/history-macaus-famous-pork-chop-bun-and-where-eat-authentic-classic?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 04:15:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A record number of 11 candidates in Portugal’s coming presidential election kicked off their campaigns on Sunday. The official two-week campaign period preceding the January 18 election will see the contenders competing to capture voters’ support. However, the broad field makes it unlikely that any candidate will capture more than 50 per cent of the vote, leaving the two top candidates to compete in a run-off ballot on February 8. Among the front runners, according to recent opinion polls, are... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338668/portugals-11-presidential-candidates-debate-migration-instability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338668/portugals-11-presidential-candidates-debate-migration-instability?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 09:32:26 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A Philippine cabinet minister has claimed that fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co intends to build a five-storey basement within a luxury home to store money, as more revelations of the widening flood-control corruption scandal surface. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla made the claim at a press conference on Tuesday, saying government checks of applications to a private village association and building permits suggested the Forbes Park property in Makati – one of Metro Manila’s most exclusive... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337637/philippine-ex-lawmaker-accused-building-5-level-basement-store-money?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337637/philippine-ex-lawmaker-accused-building-5-level-basement-store-money?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 09:54:50 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump suspended the green card lottery programme on Thursday that allowed the suspect in the Brown University and MIT shootings to come to the United States. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on the social platform X that at Trump’s direction she is ordering the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the programme. “This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country,” she said of the suspect, Portuguese national... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337017/trump-suspends-us-green-card-lottery-after-brown-university-mit-shootings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337017/trump-suspends-us-green-card-lottery-after-brown-university-mit-shootings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 06:01:35 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippine government is weighing whether a United Nations anti-corruption treaty can help track down and extradite a former lawmaker accused of being one of the masterminds behind the billion-peso flood control scandal and believed to be hiding overseas. Presidential press officer and undersecretary Claire Castro said Manila was studying a proposal by Senator Panfilo Lacson to tap the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) to help locate and extradite former congressman Zaldy Co. Co, who... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336671/philippines-weighs-using-un-anti-corruption-treaty-zaldy-cos-extradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336671/philippines-weighs-using-un-anti-corruption-treaty-zaldy-cos-extradition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:04:32 +0000 Aileen Chuang Aileen Chuang Hong Kong has signed a comprehensive avoidance of double taxation agreement (CDTA) with Norway, marking its fourth such pact this year as the city steps up efforts to strengthen its appeal as an international business and investment hub. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu signed the agreement with the Government of the Kingdom of Norway in Beijing on Tuesday. Hui had visited Norway to discuss the matter in June. Under the agreement, Hong Kong residents who... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3336653/hong-kong-signs-tax-treaty-norway-marking-fourth-such-agreement-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3336653/hong-kong-signs-tax-treaty-norway-marking-fourth-such-agreement-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 10:47:08 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa After beating out Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri to claim the Formula One championship title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 7, Lando Norris ran straight to his girlfriend Margarida Corceiro who was watching from the McLaren garage. The couple shared a sweet victory kiss as Norris embraced his 23-year-old model girlfriend before taking to the podium to celebrate his win. To fans of F1, Corceiro is a familiar face. The model has been in an on-again, off-again relationship with... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3335994/meet-formula-one-champion-lando-norris-girlfriend-portuguese-model-margarida-corceiro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3335994/meet-formula-one-champion-lando-norris-girlfriend-portuguese-model-margarida-corceiro?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:00:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety”, but gave no further details as Washington ramps up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government. “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” Trump said in a social media post. US officials contacted were surprised by Trump’s announcement and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3334635/venezuela-airspace-considered-closed-its-entirety-says-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3334635/venezuela-airspace-considered-closed-its-entirety-says-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 14:23:01 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service On my right, Jurassic fern fronds and violet morning glories cascade over a cliff on crystalline water, smashing into the craggy shore hundreds of feet below. To my left, lime-green succulents cling to a wall of volcanic rock. “You can see why Portuguese call this ‘the Garden in the Ocean’,” says Silvia Mota, a guide for tour operator Backroads’ new walking and hiking trip in Madeira, Portugal. This lush, 286 square mile (740 sq km) island – almost three times the size of Martha’s Vineyard, an... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3333879/hawaii-europe-how-madeiras-lush-hiking-trails-offer-scenery-worthy-movie-set?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3333879/hawaii-europe-how-madeiras-lush-hiking-trails-offer-scenery-worthy-movie-set?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 07:15:08 +0000 Daryl Ng Daryl Ng On October 26, East Timor officially acceded to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) at the opening of the annual summit, as the 11th member of the regional bloc. Known officially as Timor-Leste, the country gained full independence on May 20, 2002, after a United Nations-supervised referendum in 1999. With a population of 1.4 million and its capital in Dili, East Timor is rich in oil and natural gas reserves located in the Timor Sea. The country also exports coffee, vanilla and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332149/east-timors-membership-marks-new-chapter-asean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332149/east-timors-membership-marks-new-chapter-asean?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Global technology leaders will pack Lisbon’s annual Web Summit from Tuesday to talk about artificial intelligence, robots and start-ups – all under the shadow of tensions over cutting-edge tech and the natural resources needed to build it. Over four days, the “Davos for geeks” is set to welcome more than 70,000 visitors including 2,500 start-ups and 1,000 investors, according to organisers. Tech leaders gathered at Monday’s opening night, starring Swedish start-up founder Anton Osika, whose... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3332322/western-tech-dominance-fading-web-summit-ceo-says-davos-geeks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3332322/western-tech-dominance-fading-web-summit-ceo-says-davos-geeks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 07:53:45 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The longest US government shutdown on record is doing more than grind activities to a halt at home; an ocean away in Europe, local workers at US military bases have started to feel the pain. Thousands of people working at overseas bases in Europe have had their salaries interrupted since the shutdown began almost six weeks ago. In some cases, governments hosting the US bases have stepped in to foot the bill, expecting the United States to eventually make good. In others, including in Italy and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332077/shutdown-forces-some-overseas-us-military-bases-stop-paying-workers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332077/shutdown-forces-some-overseas-us-military-bases-stop-paying-workers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 21:57:23 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Emotions understandably ran high as East Timor formally became the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on October 26. The region and the world should now support Asia’s newest nation as it pursues long-awaited opportunities for international investment, regional integration and sustainability. Ahead of the accession ceremony in Malaysia, East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta admitted in an exclusive interview with the Post that there is plenty of hard work ahead. More... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3331073/east-timors-journey-asean-membership-can-be-source-inspiration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3331073/east-timors-journey-asean-membership-can-be-source-inspiration?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2025 22:45:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A French cyclist freed after weeks in a Russian jail for illegally crossing the border on Monday described his time in the country as a “rather strange experience” but said the Russians he met were “friendly”. Sofiane Sehili, 44, was arrested on the Russian-Chinese border in early September while attempting to break the record for the fastest endurance cycle from Lisbon to Vladivostok. Sehili, who describes himself as an ultra-endurance racer and adventure cyclist, had faced two years in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3330536/french-cyclist-freed-russia-says-detention-was-strange-experience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3330536/french-cyclist-freed-russia-says-detention-was-strange-experience?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 19:03:13 +0000 Charmaine Mok Charmaine Mok Antonio Neves Coelho, the chef and founder of the restaurant Antonio’s in Macau, has died at the age of 77. His death on October 12 was announced by his wife Mercy in a public social media post. “Our family is deeply saddened to inform you that my beloved husband, Antonio, passed away last Sunday,” she wrote. “I cannot express the grief that we are feeling at the loss of such a great man in the family and to everyone else.” Coelho, who opened his iconic restaurant in Macau’s Taipa Village in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3329401/life-antonio-coelho-founder-antonios-macau-who-died-aged-77?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3329401/life-antonio-coelho-founder-antonios-macau-who-died-aged-77?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 09:26:04 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng China logged a welcome uptick in spending on services during the just-concluded eight-day “super golden week” public holiday, as the country’s transport hubs handled record numbers of passengers. Chinese transport authorities logged 2.432 billion passenger trips – a record high and a 6.2 per cent year-on-year increase – during this year’s extended holiday, which combined the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. The surge was mainly driven by overlapping demand for tourism and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328354/china-sees-uptick-super-golden-week-spending-amid-record-travel-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328354/china-sees-uptick-super-golden-week-spending-amid-record-travel-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 08:02:49 +0000 dpa dpa The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has tried to confront the prosecutor who accused him of her murder, it has been reported. Christian Brueckner travelled for hours to the prosecutor’s office in the German city of Braunschweig but was denied a meeting with Hans Christian Wolters, Sky News reported on Monday. He told the broadcaster: “The prosecutor refused to meet me, but I told his representative I wanted his help to get my life back. “I’m being hounded by the media, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327299/madeleine-mccann-suspect-tries-confront-prosecutor-who-accused-him-girls-murder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327299/madeleine-mccann-suspect-tries-confront-prosecutor-who-accused-him-girls-murder?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 22:45:19 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Now that the US Federal Reserve has embarked on a policy easing cycle, with some other central banks around the world following suit, property investors must treat these changes as temporary and remember that there is no substitute for proper research into specific markets and assets, according to consultants. The Fed cut its target rate by 25 basis points to a range of 4 to 4.25 per cent during the sixth meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee last week. The Fed’s easing was widely... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3327073/fed-rate-easing-cycle-under-way-which-real-estate-markets-offer-value-money?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3327073/fed-rate-easing-cycle-under-way-which-real-estate-markets-offer-value-money?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 01:30:14 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, now more than three-quarters of a century old, has been one of the most intractable in international affairs. Yet, the moral issue involved is clear-cut. Israel, of course, has the unquestioned right and legitimacy to exist. That must be the starting point, which all nations must acknowledge, including the aspiring state for which Palestinians are fighting. Likewise, the prolonged suffering and dispossession of the Palestinians must also be recognised, along... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3326496/israeli-palestinian-compromise-vital-secure-two-state-solution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3326496/israeli-palestinian-compromise-vital-secure-two-state-solution?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 22:45:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters France recognised a Palestinian state at a United Nations summit in New York on Monday, nearly two years into the war in Gaza, joining Western allies such as Britain and Canada who made the same historic move on Sunday and were rebuked by Israel. While the announcement at the event convened by France and Saudi Arabia could boost the morale of Palestinians in their long search for statehood, it was not expected to deliver change on the ground. The most far-right government in Israel’s history has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326448/france-joins-other-western-nations-recognising-palestinian-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326448/france-joins-other-western-nations-recognising-palestinian-state?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 20:57:02 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings A member-driven organisation representing European business interests in China is urging policymakers to seize the opportunity – while forming the nation’s next five-year plan – to rebalance the economic-development model and strike at the heart of cutthroat price competition that hurts both foreign and domestic firms. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, which has more than 1,600 member companies, recommends in its latest position paper that China should use its 2026-2030 plan to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325859/eu-chamber-china-flags-manufacturing-maladies-urging-course-correction-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325859/eu-chamber-china-flags-manufacturing-maladies-urging-course-correction-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 09:01:04 +0000