https://www.scmp.com/rss/519463/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan The first tankers that turned away from the Strait of Hormuz did not just redraw shipping maps. They redrew grocery lists, too. After Iran’s partial closure of the strait disrupted a chokepoint that carries roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil, traders priced in something they know too well: war is not only about missiles; it’s about the bill that lands on kitchen tables months later. Brent crude climbing back above US$100 a barrel, and touching roughly US$120 on the worst days, is already... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349221/war-premiums-hit-groceries-china-deals-give-africa-room-breathe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349221/war-premiums-hit-groceries-china-deals-give-africa-room-breathe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Across major African cities such as Nairobi, Lusaka, and Abuja, governments are using surveillance technologies and credit lines from China to monitor public spaces and curb crime, a new survey shows. The UK-based Institute of Development Studies (IDS) said Chinese banks were increasingly funding African governments to build and maintain digital infrastructure – including surveillance cameras and command and control centres – under the “safe city” project, also known as “smart city”, which is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Senegalese government has banned all but essential foreign trips for government ministers as part of cost-saving measures triggered by the energy crisis linked to the Iran war. Senegal, like many African countries, imports most of the petroleum products it consumes, leaving its economy vulnerable to supply disruptions such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has sent the price of crude soaring. For millions in the region, soaring fuel prices have worsened the hardships they already... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3349048/iran-war-senegal-limits-foreign-visits-ministers-fallout-conflict-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3349048/iran-war-senegal-limits-foreign-visits-ministers-fallout-conflict-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 13:45:29 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu The Iran war has cut off a fifth of global oil and LNG supply, handing African producers “a structural advantage” in supplying global markets, although their capacity is hampered by factors beyond the Middle East conflict, according to analysts. “West and North African exports are largely insulated from the conflict, meaning barrels from Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, Algeria and Libya are viewed as lower-risk alternatives,” said Grace Goodrich and Anne-Laure Klein of Energy, Capital & Power, a Cape... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347841/african-producers-may-have-energy-edge-during-iran-war-if-they-can-overcome-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347841/african-producers-may-have-energy-edge-during-iran-war-if-they-can-overcome-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage As France’s influence fades and with Russian weapons in limited supply, a “military vacuum” has been created in West and Central Africa that China is uniquely positioned to fill, according to analysts. In a January report in the official journal China Military to Civilian, arms supplier China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation said Beijing was leveraging its reputation for “cost-effective technology and flexible financing” in Africa. This follows a wave of military coups across... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342903/how-military-vacuum-west-and-central-africa-opened-new-markets-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342903/how-military-vacuum-west-and-central-africa-opened-new-markets-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A microbiologist who revolutionised the production of laboratory-grown seafood protein took home the top prize in the 2025 African Business Heroes awards in Rwanda on Saturday, in the seventh annual edition of the largest event for start-ups of its kind on the continent. Diana Orembe, the founder of Tanzania-based NovFeed, was the winner out of 10 finalists in the awards, which received up to 32,000 applications from 54 countries. She took home US$300,000 in grant funding. Abraham Mbuthia of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336326/china-africa-partnership-leaps-future-beijing-expands-market-access-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336326/china-africa-partnership-leaps-future-beijing-expands-market-access-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 09:19:45 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has left the country for Senegal after being detained during a military coup, the government in Dakar said on Thursday, as a lead opponent accused him of arranging the uprising. The military in volatile Guinea-Bissau earlier appointed a general as the country’s new leader, a day after seizing power and derailing the announcement of election results. Opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa told Agence France-Presse he believed he had won Sunday’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3334438/guinea-bissau-general-sworn-junta-leader-deposed-president-arrives-senegal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3334438/guinea-bissau-general-sworn-junta-leader-deposed-president-arrives-senegal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 01:29:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse From Finland opening diplomatic outposts in Senegal to Czech instructors training Mauritanian security forces, a group of smaller European nations has joined a global scramble for influence in Africa. Estonia, Romania and Malta are among European Union countries that have sought to boost their presence on the continent over the past five years, revamping diplomatic and trade links. “There is a wave of second-generation Africa policy refreshes completed and … under way,” said Alex Vines of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3333849/africa-attracts-smaller-eu-nations-scrambling-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3333849/africa-attracts-smaller-eu-nations-scrambling-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 09:46:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Gold futures have soared above US$4,000 per troy ounce for the first time, as many investors seek a “safe haven” to park their money as the US government shutdown continues. Gold futures in New York jumped above the US$4,000 mark on Tuesday morning, marking a record high. The going price for New York spot gold had previously closed at US$3,960.60 per troy ounce – the standard for measuring precious metals – on Monday. Gold sales can rise sharply when anxious investors seek secure investments for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3328162/gold-reaches-record-us4000-amid-us-shutdown-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3328162/gold-reaches-record-us4000-amid-us-shutdown-trump-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 16:00:28 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is betting on a new generation of digital influencers and content creators to reshape its image in Africa, which observers have said is a major shift as Beijing looks to refine its “soft power” campaigns. This new strategy aims to reshape China’s public image by connecting directly with younger audiences through cultural exchange and tourism, showcasing a side of the country rarely seen in traditional news reports. For the second consecutive year, the Chinese embassy in Kenya is sponsoring... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326132/beijing-targets-gen-z-millennials-new-digital-strategy-build-its-brand-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326132/beijing-targets-gen-z-millennials-new-digital-strategy-build-its-brand-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 06:03:06 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo The International Criminal Court (ICC) is fighting back against the United States’ repeated sanctioning of its judges and prosecutors. But it can’t do it alone without global support from 125 of its member states against the American Goliath. Sadly, with heavy tariffs and other economic coercion hanging over their heads, many have chosen to stay silent. Washington has imposed new sanctions on four more ICC judicial officers, a move widely seen as protecting Israel. But that’s not the only... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3322976/world-must-stand-us-bullying-international-criminal-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3322976/world-must-stand-us-bullying-international-criminal-court?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Agencies Agencies The Trump administration is ramping up pressure on the International Criminal Court (ICC) for pursuing investigations into US and Israeli officials for alleged war crimes. The State Department on Wednesday announced new sanctions on four ICC officials, including two judges and two prosecutors, who it said had been instrumental in efforts to prosecute Americans and Israelis. As a result of the sanctions, any assets the targets hold in US jurisdictions are frozen. The sanctions are just the latest... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322575/us-sanctions-icc-judges-prosecutors-probes-alleged-american-israeli-war-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322575/us-sanctions-icc-judges-prosecutors-probes-alleged-american-israeli-war-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 18:52:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press On a recent evening in Senegal’s capital of Dakar, an imam named Ibrahima Diane explained to a group of men why they should be more involved in household chores. “The Prophet himself says a man who does not help support his wife and children is not a good Muslim,” the 53-year-old said, as he described bathing his baby and helping his wife with other duties. Some of the 14 men chuckled, not quite sold. Others applauded. Diane was taking part in a “school for husbands”, a United Nations-backed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3322146/senegals-schools-husbands-try-shift-gender-roles-prevent-mothers-dying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3322146/senegals-schools-husbands-try-shift-gender-roles-prevent-mothers-dying?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Aug 2025 12:45:35 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese companies and miners in Africa are facing severe security threats from armed groups in search of gold, driven by soaring global prices for the precious metal. Multiple attacks and kidnappings targeting gold miners have been reported from Ghana, the Central African Republic, Mali and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in recent months. In Mali – one of Africa’s top gold producers – the Chinese embassy has repeatedly warned its citizens against operating gold mines in the country... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321419/global-uncertainties-drive-chinese-rush-african-goldfields-despite-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321419/global-uncertainties-drive-chinese-rush-african-goldfields-despite-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 05:22:33 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last month highlighted Beijing’s “leapfrog development” in ties with African countries in the 25 years since the setting up of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Addressing a FOCAC ministerial event on June 11, Wang noted that trade had surged nearly 30-fold while Chinese investment had grown almost 100-fold since the strategic dialogue mechanism was set up in 2000. In parallel to closer economic ties, there has also been increased cooperation on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318574/how-china-leapfrogs-other-nations-build-close-african-trade-and-military-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318574/how-china-leapfrogs-other-nations-build-close-african-trade-and-military-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The French military completed its withdrawal from Senegal on Thursday, the last West African country where it maintained a permanent troop presence, amid waning regional influence in recent years. France has faced opposition from leaders of some of its former colonies in Africa over what they described as a demeaning and heavy-handed approach to the continent. The French military handed over Camp Geille, its largest base in Senegal, along with a nearby air facility, to the Senegalese government... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3318682/france-withdraws-senegal-ending-military-presence-west-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3318682/france-withdraws-senegal-ending-military-presence-west-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 03:52:24 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Several Chinese ambassadors from West African nations have bid farewell to their host countries in recent weeks. While some analysts suggest their departure could be routine rotations for diplomats, one said it could be a subtle message sent to Sahelian regimes amid rising tensions over resource nationalism and security concerns. In Senegal, a new Chinese ambassador, Li Zhigang, was welcomed in May, replacing Xiao Han, who had served for around four years. In Guinea, Huang Wei is concluding his... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315190/routine-or-rising-tensions-chinese-ambassadors-exodus-west-african-nations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315190/routine-or-rising-tensions-chinese-ambassadors-exodus-west-african-nations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jun 2025 02:00:09 +0000 SCMP Sport,Agence France-Presse SCMP Sport,Agence France-Presse Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko expressed his “deep gratitude” to China on Thursday for its support of the country’s women’s basketball team, after the United States rejected visas for several members ahead of a planned training camp. The visa refusals come amid US President Donald Trump’s administration’s immigration crackdown and tightened border controls. Senegal is among 36 nations the US is considering adding to a travel ban barring entry to its territory, according to an internal... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3315165/senegal-pms-deep-gratitude-china-after-us-refuses-womens-basketball-teams-visas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3315165/senegal-pms-deep-gratitude-china-after-us-refuses-womens-basketball-teams-visas?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 05:30:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Khaby Lame, the world’s most popular TikTok personality with millions of followers, has left the US after being detained by immigration agents in Las Vegas for allegedly overstaying his visa. The Senegalese-Italian influencer, whose legal name is Seringe Khabane Lame, was detained on Friday at Harry Reid International Airport but was allowed to leave the country without a deportation order, a spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed in a statement. Lame arrived in the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3313924/khaby-lame-worlds-most-popular-tiktok-star-leaves-us-after-being-detained-ice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3313924/khaby-lame-worlds-most-popular-tiktok-star-leaves-us-after-being-detained-ice?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2025 22:31:36 +0000 Senegal on Sunday voted in parliamentary elections, with the new leaders aiming for a resounding majority to see through the promise of ambitious reform that swept them to power eight months ago. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye secured victory in March by pledging economic transformation, social justice, and a fight against corruption – raising hopes among a largely youthful population facing high inflation and widespread unemployment. But an opposition-led parliament hampered the government’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3286930/senegal-heads-polls-new-anti-corruption-leaders-eye-parliamentary-mandate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3286930/senegal-heads-polls-new-anti-corruption-leaders-eye-parliamentary-mandate?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Nov 2024 11:30:13 +0000 Patrol boats and helicopters searched on Sunday for about 48 migrants missing since their boat sank near the Spanish island of El Hierro in what threatens to be the deadliest such incident in 30 years of crossings from Africa to the Canary Islands. Nine people, one of them a child, have been confirmed dead after their boat sank in the early hours of Saturday morning, emergency and rescue services said. Rescuers were able to pick up 27 of 84 migrants who were trying to reach the Spanish coast on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3280443/rescuers-search-missing-migrants-after-boat-sinks-canary-islands-9-dead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3280443/rescuers-search-missing-migrants-after-boat-sinks-canary-islands-9-dead?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Sep 2024 13:36:09 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Chinese space officials revealed new details about the construction of the ambitious International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) as a dozen more partners joined the project last week. The China-led moon base will be capable of conducting scientific research operations within a 100km (62 mile) radius of the lunar south pole by 2035, according to Wu Yanhua, chief designer of China’s major deep space exploration programme. By 2050, the ILRS will expand into a network of research facilities at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3277742/details-chinas-lunar-station-revealed-project-expands-dozen-new-partners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3277742/details-chinas-lunar-station-revealed-project-expands-dozen-new-partners?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2024 08:59:02 +0000 Denmark said on Monday it was shutting its embassies in Mali and Burkina Faso as part of its new Africa strategy, as military coups have “severely limited the scope for action in the Sahel region”. Denmark said it would open embassies in Senegal, Tunisia and Rwanda, and bolster diplomatic staff at its embassies in Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana. Following the closures in Bamako and Ouagadougou, a special representative will be appointed for the African Great Lakes and Sahel... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3276014/denmark-shuts-embassies-junta-led-mali-and-burkina-faso-over-military-coups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3276014/denmark-shuts-embassies-junta-led-mali-and-burkina-faso-over-military-coups?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Aug 2024 16:58:30 +0000 Fencing coach Greg Koenig said Cheung Ka-long being the city’s flag-bearer at Friday’s Olympic opening ceremony could be a good omen as the Hongkonger seeks to defend his title in Paris. The reigning men’s foil champion carried Hong Kong’s Bauhinia flag alongside swimmer Siobhan Haughey and Koenig said he had only one query when his pupil approached him for permission. “I only asked, ‘Do you want to do it’?” the Frenchman said. “Cheung replied he wanted to represent Hong Kong and would be proud... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3272063/cheung-ka-longs-role-paris-olympics-ceremony-good-omen-hongkongers-history-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3272063/cheung-ka-longs-role-paris-olympics-ceremony-good-omen-hongkongers-history-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jul 2024 00:00:14 +0000 More than a decade ago, Angola was China’s No 2 source of crude oil. But it has fallen down the list as Beijing has increasingly turned to the Arab states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Russia, and other Asian countries. According to a report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: “In 2010, Angola was the world’s second-largest exporter of oil to China, after Saudi Arabia. By 2023, Angola had been bumped to number eight on this ranking of oil suppliers to China.” It is a long way... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265800/angola-model-over-china-buys-more-crude-oil-gulf-and-russia-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265800/angola-model-over-china-buys-more-crude-oil-gulf-and-russia-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2024 09:00:08 +0000 Oumar Kane said he would need just one punch to beat triple world champion Anatoly Malykhin when they clash for the heavyweight title at ONE 169 in September. The outspoken Senegalese star said the Russian, who holds titles in three different divisions and has a 14-0 record in MMA, had only been successful because his previous opponents were too timid. And despite being a huge underdog, Kane (6-1), said his victory over Marcus Almeida last year was a bigger fight than the coming one in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3269487/one-championship-ill-take-malykhins-heavyweight-mma-belt-one-punch-says-kane?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3269487/one-championship-ill-take-malykhins-heavyweight-mma-belt-one-punch-says-kane?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2024 07:26:05 +0000 A Colorado man was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Tuesday for killing five members of an extended Senegalese family in a house fire, a crime which the victims’ friends and relatives say has forever changed their lives and their community, both in the US and in the West African nation. Kevin Bui, now 20, was the last of three teens charged in the August 5, 2020, fire to be sentenced after pleading guilty to reduced charges in a plea deal. Authorities say Bui, who had recently been robbed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3268967/kevin-bui-gets-60-years-jail-killing-senegalese-family-colorado-house-fire-over-stolen-iphone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3268967/kevin-bui-gets-60-years-jail-killing-senegalese-family-colorado-house-fire-over-stolen-iphone?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jul 2024 05:18:08 +0000 Oumar Kane will face social media rival Mamadou Kamara in a kickboxing contest at ONE Fight Night 23, before taking on Anatoly Malykhin for the MMA heavyweight title in November. Better known as “Reug Reug”, Kane has been on the receiving end of snipes from both of his coming opponents in recent weeks. Malykhin, who will put his belt on the line at ONE 169, was scathing about the Senegal fighter’s ability when asked how he felt about their coming battle for his belt. “The only thing ‘Reug Reug’... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3268845/one-championship-reug-reug-faces-social-media-rival-boucher-ketchup-title-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3268845/one-championship-reug-reug-faces-social-media-rival-boucher-ketchup-title-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jul 2024 07:59:11 +0000 ONE Championship is putting on its first event in the American city of Atlanta, and showcasing it with a heavyweight bout. Russian Anatoly Malykhin, the promotion’s heavyweight MMA champion, will put his heavyweight belt on the line against Senegal’s Oumar Kane at ONE 169 on November 8. The event in the Georgian state capital continues ONE Championship’s expansion into the potentially lucrative United States market. Chatri Sityodtong’s organisation held ONE Fight Night 10 in Denver – will play... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3267337/one-championship-malykhin-v-kane-mma-bout-marks-promotions-heavyweight-atlanta-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3267337/one-championship-malykhin-v-kane-mma-bout-marks-promotions-heavyweight-atlanta-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jun 2024 05:25:27 +0000 A diplomat in Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday that 68 Indian nationals died during the haj pilgrimage this year, marked by searing heat, bringing the overall tally to more than 600. “We have confirmed around 68 dead … Some are because of natural causes, and we had many old-age pilgrims. And some are due to the weather conditions, that’s what we assume,” said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The new toll comes after two Arab diplomats said on Tuesday that 550 deaths had been... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3267278/68-indians-died-during-hajj-pilgrimage-saudi-arabia-amid-searing-heat-diplomat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3267278/68-indians-died-during-hajj-pilgrimage-saudi-arabia-amid-searing-heat-diplomat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2024 12:59:54 +0000 Hundreds of visitors have died during the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca amid scorching heat, according to press reports and foreign ministries. At least 550 people have died on haj, diplomats told Agence France-Presse on Tuesday. Three hundred and twenty-three of the dead were Egyptians, most of whom perished due to heat-related illness, AFP reported, citing two Arab diplomats. Stampedes, tent fires and other accidents have caused hundreds of deaths during haj to Saudi Arabia in the past 30... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3267153/hundreds-die-haj-pilgrimage-amid-extreme-heat-saudi-arabia-reports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3267153/hundreds-die-haj-pilgrimage-amid-extreme-heat-saudi-arabia-reports?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2024 02:17:22 +0000 A Colorado man pleaded guilty to murder charges on Friday for starting a 2020 house fire that killed five members of a Senegalese family out of misplaced revenge for a stolen iPhone that he mistakenly tracked to the house. Kevin Bui, now 20, was a teenager at the time of the fire but prosecuted as an adult. He has been portrayed by prosecutors as the ringleader of three friends who started the August 5, 2020, fire in the middle of the night in a Denver neighbourhood. Bui wrongly believed people... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3263165/us-man-kevin-bui-pleads-guilty-starting-fire-over-stolen-iphone-killing-senegalese-family?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3263165/us-man-kevin-bui-pleads-guilty-starting-fire-over-stolen-iphone-killing-senegalese-family?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 May 2024 20:04:26 +0000 French luxury house Chanel will restage its cruise 2024-25 show, which took place in Marseille earlier this month, in Hong Kong on November 5. As Chanel’s president of fashion, Bruno Pavlovsky, said in an interview in Marseille, the label has never wavered from its commitment to the Asian city, which in recent years has lost its lustre as the region’s – if not the world’s – most important luxury hub. Thanks to the large numbers of travellers from mainland China and other parts of Asia that... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3261971/chanels-cruise-2024-25-show-coming-hong-kong-after-unveiling-collection-marseille-month-luxury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3261971/chanels-cruise-2024-25-show-coming-hong-kong-after-unveiling-collection-marseille-month-luxury?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 May 2024 05:00:12 +0000 A Boeing 737 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal’s capital, injuring 11 people, bringing the facility to a halt, according to the transport minister and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire. “Our plane just caught fire,” wrote Malian musician Cheick Siriman Sissoko in a post on Facebook that showed passengers jumping down the emergency slides at night as flames engulfed one side of the aircraft. In the background, people can be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3262058/boeing-737-skids-runway-senegal-airport-injuring-least-10-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3262058/boeing-737-skids-runway-senegal-airport-injuring-least-10-people?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 May 2024 11:11:07 +0000 With its gritty vibe and raw beauty, Marseille couldn’t be more different from fashionable and chic Paris, or pretty neighbours such as Cannes and Saint-Tropez. The port city on the Mediterranean coast of France was in the spotlight this week as the location of Chanel’s cruise 2024-25 show, which took place on a slightly chilly, wet and windy Thursday at the Cité Radieuse (Radiant City), a Unesco World Heritage site. Designed by Le Corbusier, the celebrated French modernist architect, and built... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3261285/breath-fresh-air-chanels-cruise-2024-25-show-marseille-white-lace-dresses-swimwear-and-sportswear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3261285/breath-fresh-air-chanels-cruise-2024-25-show-marseille-white-lace-dresses-swimwear-and-sportswear?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 May 2024 04:24:18 +0000 Creative platform, moneymaking opportunity or the voice of a new generation? No matter how you look at it, TikTok continues to be a cultural phenomenon with a colossal number of users every day – 1.7 billion worldwide in 2023, to be precise, according to a report by What’s the Big Data in late November last year, with a predicted 2.05 billion for 2024. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, a social media research firm, businesses are increasing their influencer marketing budgets, with an... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3260297/5-richest-tiktok-stars-and-their-recent-millions-ranked-how-do-khabane-khaby-lame-sisters-charli-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3260297/5-richest-tiktok-stars-and-their-recent-millions-ranked-how-do-khabane-khaby-lame-sisters-charli-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:00:16 +0000 A viral video clip that claims to show Senegal’s newly elected president Bassirou Diomaye Faye telling France to stuff it has delighted many and collected more than 52,000 likes from 1.3 million views on YouTube. “It is time for France to lift its knees from our necks … It’s time for France to let go of us.” However, it turned out to be an AI-manipulated fake. French commentators and politicians collectively heaved a sigh of relief. They cheered too early, though. The politician who made the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3259309/curtains-fall-france-africa-fake-video-bears-hint-truth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3259309/curtains-fall-france-africa-fake-video-bears-hint-truth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:00:17 +0000 Last month, thousands of TikTokkers thronged a sleepy and remote village in Kiambu, a county near the Kenyan capital Nairobi, to pay their last respects to one of their own, Brian Chira. It’s unlikely the village had ever seen such a huge and unruly crowd of youngsters. Donning T-shirts and hoodies featuring the deceased’s name and catchphrases, the TikTok fans, or “Chira Clan” as they called themselves, left other mourners startled after they took over the programme at the funeral... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3257698/kenya-becomes-latest-country-consider-curbs-tiktok-over-data-security-and-privacy-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3257698/kenya-becomes-latest-country-consider-curbs-tiktok-over-data-security-and-privacy-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Apr 2024 03:00:11 +0000 Anti-establishment candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye was set Monday to become the youngest president in Senegal’s history after his rival conceded the race, triggering a political earthquake in the West African nation. It marks a stunning victory for the 44-year-old, who was only freed from prison 10 days before Sunday’s election whose results are not yet official. It is the first time in 12 presidential votes held under universal suffrage since Senegal gained independence from France in 1960 that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3256696/senegal-anti-establishment-candidate-bassirou-diomaye-faye-wins-presidency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3256696/senegal-anti-establishment-candidate-bassirou-diomaye-faye-wins-presidency?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Mar 2024 19:58:18 +0000 Senegalese lined up to vote on Sunday in a tightly contested presidential race following months of uncertainty and unrest that has tested the West African nation’s reputation as a stable democracy in a region shaken by a wave of coups in recent years. The election comes after President Macky Sall unsuccessfully tried to postpone the February 25 vote until the end of the year, sparking violent protests. Sall is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term. As a result, the vote is taking... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3256540/senegal-votes-tightly-contested-presidential-race-after-months-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3256540/senegal-votes-tightly-contested-presidential-race-after-months-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Mar 2024 14:06:13 +0000 More than one branch of the terrorist group Islamic State (Isis) may have perpetrated the murderous attack on Moscow’s Crocus City concert hall based on circumstantial evidence, according to security analysts. The claim of responsibility by Isis should be taken at face value because it was issued through the group’s usually reliable official media wing, they said. “There is no question as to the authenticity of the statement, only as to how direct the connection is between Isis leaders and the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3256485/moscow-attack-likely-involved-more-1-isis-branch-russia-its-crosshairs-long-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3256485/moscow-attack-likely-involved-more-1-isis-branch-russia-its-crosshairs-long-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Mar 2024 13:08:09 +0000 Human-caused climate change is having a compounding impact on Africa and holding back the continent’s growth. In my two decades of residency in Cairo, Egypt, I have never witnessed a winter as warm as the one this year. Last year was the hottest that the land of the Nile has witnessed, with Egyptians sweltering in summer heat in October and November. Many other African countries – from Somalia and Senegal to Libya and South Africa – also experienced unprecedented heat. Climate change and extreme... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3255233/rich-world-must-follow-chinas-lead-and-support-africas-green-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3255233/rich-world-must-follow-chinas-lead-and-support-africas-green-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Mar 2024 08:30:10 +0000 Hong Kong risks watching their main rivals from Taiwan put together a much stronger team ahead of their FIBA Asia Cup qualifier in November. Officials at the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association told the Post they were on course to bring in two naturalised players for the next window of the tournament, while Hong Kong’s efforts to bring in reinforcements appeared to be stagnant. Sources with knowledge of the development told the Post they were working on the eligibility of Hong Kong Eastern... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3253832/while-hong-kong-drags-its-feet-naturalising-basketball-players-taiwan-busy-recruiting-foreign-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3253832/while-hong-kong-drags-its-feet-naturalising-basketball-players-taiwan-busy-recruiting-foreign-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Mar 2024 12:00:10 +0000 Hunan province, the birthplace of Mao Zedong, has never been a front runner in China’s economic development, but it may soon find a niche as a hub for trade with Africa thanks to a plan approved last month by the State Council, the country’s cabinet. With support from Beijing, Hunan will build a hub with six trade and logistics centres as part of a “pioneering zone for in-depth China-Africa economic and trade cooperation”, said Jiang Wei, director of West Asian and North African Affairs at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3252281/how-hunans-new-african-trade-hub-could-help-landlocked-chinese-province-catch-coastal-powerhouses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3252281/how-hunans-new-african-trade-hub-could-help-landlocked-chinese-province-catch-coastal-powerhouses?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Feb 2024 10:02:08 +0000 Charlotte Casiraghi and her husband Dimitri Rassam are calling it quits after four years of marriage together, according to French publication Voici News. The granddaughter of the late Princess Grace of Monaco and the son of French actress Carole Bouquet tied the knot in 2019, and have one son together, according to US media. According to People, the rumoured exes “have not yet confirmed” the split. The Voici News report quotes a source claiming they had been going through a rough patch for... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3250994/charlotte-casiraghi-monacos-dating-history-film-producer-and-rumoured-soon-be-ex-husband-dimitri?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3250994/charlotte-casiraghi-monacos-dating-history-film-producer-and-rumoured-soon-be-ex-husband-dimitri?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Feb 2024 08:00:14 +0000 Senegal’s former prime minister Aminata Toure, now a leading opposition figure, was arrested on Sunday in Dakar at a protest against the postponement of the presidential election, opposition deputy Guy Marius Sagna said. “I confirm that Aminata Toure has been arrested by the gendarmes,” he told Agence France-Presse. Toure was appointed prime minister by President Macky Sall before joining the opposition. Senegalese security forces had used tear gas and made high-profile arrests as pockets of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3250914/senegals-former-pm-aminata-toure-arrested-opposition-confirms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3250914/senegals-former-pm-aminata-toure-arrested-opposition-confirms?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Feb 2024 19:21:09 +0000 Global rice shortages are set to worsen, as India’s exports of premium varieties encounter fresh hurdles due to a surge in freight costs amid the Israel-Gaza war – and domestic shortages hit shipments of other types of rice. Exports of premium Indian basmati rice last month were half of what they were a year ago, with traders blaming freight rates that have doubled following a series of attacks on commercial ships by Iran-backed Houthi militants. Tensions have surged in the Middle East, with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3250769/global-rice-shortage-looms-top-exporter-indias-supply-woes-worsen-amid-red-sea-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3250769/global-rice-shortage-looms-top-exporter-indias-supply-woes-worsen-amid-red-sea-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Feb 2024 05:00:14 +0000 President Macky Sall postponed Senegal’s planned February 25 presidential election, announcing in a televised address to the nation that he had cancelled the relevant law due to electoral issues he warned would fuel disputes. With little more than three weeks to go before the vote, the unprecedented step on Saturday of delaying the poll, to an unspecified date, pitches Senegal into uncharted constitutional waters that some opposition and civil society groups said amounted to an “institutional... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3250864/senegal-leader-macky-sall-postpones-presidential-election-unprecedented-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3250864/senegal-leader-macky-sall-postpones-presidential-election-unprecedented-move?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Feb 2024 19:03:12 +0000 Amid huge fanfare, Lionel Messi, widely considered the greatest footballer of his generation, is due in Hong Kong in early February when his club, Inter Miami, visit to play an exhibition match. The release of tickets for Miami’s game against a Hong Kong team sparked a frenzy, with the initial allocation selling out within an hour. For those unable to acquire tickets, and those hoping to see more of Argentina captain Messi – often referred to as the “greatest of all time”, or “GOAT” – the Post... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3249972/lionel-messi-visits-hong-kong-when-inter-miami-match-details-about-tickets-tv-itinerary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3249972/lionel-messi-visits-hong-kong-when-inter-miami-match-details-about-tickets-tv-itinerary?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jan 2024 01:00:22 +0000 Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has praised his country’s long-standing relationship with China, while asking the Asian economic giant to open up more of its huge market to goods from Africa. In a meeting on the sidelines of last week’s Non-Aligned Movement summit in Kampala, Museveni told Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Guozhong that greater market access for African products would benefit Africa and China. Museveni pointed to China’s decades of support for Uganda, saying “we are happy both with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249459/uganda-asks-china-go-further-opening-its-market-african-products?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249459/uganda-asks-china-go-further-opening-its-market-african-products?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jan 2024 09:00:11 +0000