https://www.scmp.com/rss/522629/feed The latest news and top stories on International Crisis Group. A prominent Brussels Belgium based global non-profit non-governmental organisation and think tank, the International Crisis Group is dedicated to preventing and resolving deadly conflicts and shaping policies for a more peaceful world. Its main areas of focus include conducting field research and analysis on global crises, providing early warning and engaging with policymakers to promote peaceful solutions. The institution is... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press Famine. Massacres. And now badly needed food and other supplies are under strain. Sudan on Wednesday enters a fourth year of war that is being called an “abandoned crisis” as a new conflict in the Middle East throws into shadow the fighting that has forced 13 million people to flee their homes. Sudan has been described as the world’s largest humanitarian challenge, notably in terms of displacement and hunger. There is no end in sight to the fighting between the military and the paramilitary... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350197/sudan-enters-4th-year-war-abandoned-crisis-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350197/sudan-enters-4th-year-war-abandoned-crisis-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:45:07 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju As the Iran war reshapes West Asian geopolitics, Pakistan has unexpectedly emerged as a backchannel mediator between Tehran and Washington, potentially sidelining India’s efforts to assert itself as a credible global diplomatic actor. India, despite its growing partnerships with the US, Israel and the Gulf states, has been absent from any meaningful conflict-resolution initiative on Iran. Umer Karim, a political science researcher at the University of Birmingham, said India’s strengthening... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347999/pakistan-steps-iran-mediator-while-india-watches-wings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347999/pakistan-steps-iran-mediator-while-india-watches-wings?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:21:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The role of Israel’s hijacking of Iran’s street cameras in the killing of the country’s supreme leader underscores how surveillance systems are increasingly being targeted by adversaries in wartime. Hundreds of millions of cameras have been installed above shops, in homes and on street corners across the world, many connected to the internet and poorly secured. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled militaries and intelligence agencies to sift through vast amounts of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347633/iran-built-camera-network-control-dissent-israel-made-it-targeting-tool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347633/iran-built-camera-network-control-dissent-israel-made-it-targeting-tool?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:34:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse By firing ballistic missiles at the UK-US Diego Garcia base nearly 4,000km (2,485 miles) from its shores, Iran is sending a message that it still has cards to play after three weeks of war, according to experts. A UK official source said Iran was “unsuccessful” in targeting the Indian Ocean military facility, one of two bases that London has allowed the US to use for certain missions in its war against Iran. Until now, most had believed Iran – under US-Israeli bombardment since February 28 – was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347468/what-4000km-diego-garcia-missile-launch-reveals-about-irans-intentions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347468/what-4000km-diego-garcia-missile-launch-reveals-about-irans-intentions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 07:30:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters Long before the US and Israel ⁠attacked Iran, the Islamic Republic had devised its own weapon: holding the world’s main ⁠oil lifeline hostage to offset its foes’ military superiority, three regional sources familiar with Iranian planning said. For decades, Iran has signalled that if pushed into a confrontation, it would restrict tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint where its adversaries are most exposed because disruptions there reverberate instantly through global energy... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346557/how-iran-turned-strait-hormuz-potent-weapon-against-us-bombardment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346557/how-iran-turned-strait-hormuz-potent-weapon-against-us-bombardment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:15:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ships anchored in the Gulf or transiting the Strait of Hormuz are changing their tracking data to boast links to China in an attempt to evade Iranian attacks, according to data from shipping tracker Marine Traffic analysed by Agence France-Presse. Iran has effectively closed the vital waterway since US-Israeli strikes on it began on February 28, and at least 10 vessels have been attacked since. But by claiming to have an “all-Chinese crew” aboard, or changing their destination to “Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346021/ships-brandish-china-links-evade-irans-attacks-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346021/ships-brandish-china-links-evade-irans-attacks-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:52:45 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk North Korea had abruptly cancelled the 2026 Pyongyang International Marathon less than a month before the race, its international partner said on Monday, raising fresh questions about the country’s cautious approach to reopening to foreign visitors. Beijing-based Koryo Tours, which specialises in tours to the country, said it had received notice of the cancellation from the North Korean race organiser. “This decision was communicated to us by the DPR Korea Athletics Association and has been... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346000/north-korea-cancels-pyongyang-marathon-weeks-race-no-reason-given?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346000/north-korea-cancels-pyongyang-marathon-weeks-race-no-reason-given?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:18:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A day after the Mexican army killed the country’s most powerful drug lord, the picturesque town where it happened was a study in contrasts. Tourist shops in Tapalpa were open Monday, and workers were on the job. But gunshots also rang out, and in the street was a dead man lying beside a bullet-pocked vehicle. Meanwhile, heavily armed Mexican security forces kept up their battle with cartel gunmen following the killing that sparked a surge in violence and put the country on edge. Cartel fighters... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344389/73-people-died-attempt-capture-mexican-cartel-leader-and-its-violent-aftermath-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3344389/73-people-died-attempt-capture-mexican-cartel-leader-and-its-violent-aftermath-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 23:57:49 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen America’s military action in Venezuela and President Donald Trump’s talk of owning Greenland are stoking concerns that the United States is dismantling the rules-based global order. But this could also be a diplomatic opening for China as it tries to portray itself, in contrast, as a more responsible and stabilising power. Analysts said while this aligned with Beijing’s push to strengthen ties with its neighbours – a strategic move as its rivalry with Washington has intensified – concrete... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340181/how-us-actions-venezuela-and-beyond-could-spell-opportunity-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340181/how-us-actions-venezuela-and-beyond-could-spell-opportunity-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration will withdraw from dozens of international organisations, including the UN’s population agency and the UN treaty that establishes international climate negotiations, as the US further retreats from global cooperation. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order suspending US support for 66 organisations, agencies and commissions following his instructions for his administration to review participation in and funding for all international... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339107/trump-pulls-us-out-dozens-international-organisations-including-un-linked-agencies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339107/trump-pulls-us-out-dozens-international-organisations-including-un-linked-agencies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 23:25:05 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Myanmar’s junta-held election will not mask the nation’s dire economic condition, experts warn, as civil war drives some of the highest inflation in Asia, power shortages hack at production and the country’s military rulers seek fast cash from the sale of rare earths and kickbacks from drugs and scams. The military has begun a phased election, with voting in some areas taking place on Sunday and further rounds planned in January, a process critics say is designed to project control rather than... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3337994/why-myanmars-junta-election-cannot-hide-collapsing-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3337994/why-myanmars-junta-election-cannot-hide-collapsing-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 07:00:13 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones The first day of voting in Myanmar’s three-stage election was held on Sunday, a process decried as a charade with the most popular pro-democracy party banned and up to half the war-torn country unable to vote. In the capital, Naypyidaw, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing cast his vote in an election he views as a way to cement the future of the military in a country torn apart by civil war since he seized power after the public rejected army-linked parties in the last poll. “People should vote,” the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337919/myanmar-polls-open-amid-civil-war-junta-seeks-prolong-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337919/myanmar-polls-open-amid-civil-war-junta-seeks-prolong-power?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 00:10:36 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Taya says her life was looking up as Myanmar crept out from decades of isolation. She had a job in marketing, enough money to shop in Yangon’s new retail plazas and fuel her quiet dreams of opening a small bakery, as her generation enjoyed unprecedented economic and personal freedoms. But that was before Myanmar’s short-lived experiment with greater democracy ended in a coup in 2021. With the military once more in charge, the economy is in free fall, and inflation has surged to well over 20 per... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337820/lost-my-future-myanmars-charade-election-dims-hopes-diaspora?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337820/lost-my-future-myanmars-charade-election-dims-hopes-diaspora?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump has deployed thousands of US troops to the Caribbean and warned of strikes on Venezuelan soil. On Wednesday, Trump announced the seizure of an oil tanker in enforcement of unilateral US sanctions. How far could Trump go, and what would be the result? What is the motivation? Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a leftist nemesis of the United States, successfully resisted an attempt during Trump’s first term to oust him through sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Days... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3336009/us-venezuela-tensions-how-far-will-trump-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3336009/us-venezuela-tensions-how-far-will-trump-go?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 05:52:02 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Thailand and Cambodia traded blame on Thursday for the breakdown of the ceasefire over their disputed border, with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet accusing Thai soldiers of killing a civilian, as villagers on both sides prepare for the conflict to return. His Thai counterpart, Anutin Charnvirakul, on Wednesday risked incurring the wrath of US President Donald Trump by saying he “no longer cares” about the threat of tariffs, which were trimmed as a condition for the truce, as he accused... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332657/ceasefire-cambodia-unravels-thailand-pm-no-longer-cares-about-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332657/ceasefire-cambodia-unravels-thailand-pm-no-longer-cares-about-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 10:25:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters A de facto partition of Gaza between an area controlled by Israel and another ruled by Hamas is increasingly likely, multiple sources said, with efforts to advance US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war beyond a ceasefire faltering. Six European officials with direct knowledge of the efforts to implement the next phase of the plan told Reuters it was effectively stalled and that reconstruction now appeared likely to be limited to the Israeli-controlled area. That could lead to years of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3332373/gaza-faces-de-facto-partition-israel-trumps-peace-plan-falters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3332373/gaza-faces-de-facto-partition-israel-trumps-peace-plan-falters?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:35:09 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Barely two weeks after US President Donald Trump proclaimed “peace” between Thailand and Cambodia, the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord he presided over now teeters on the edge of collapse. On Monday, Thailand’s armed forces suspended the truce agreement, accusing Cambodia’s military of laying fresh landmines in contested border territory. Thai defence minister Natthaphon Narkphanit confirmed on Tuesday that Thailand was halting implementation of the pact and would not be returning 18 Cambodian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332298/trumps-thailand-cambodia-truce-unravels-2-weeks-after-it-was-signed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332298/trumps-thailand-cambodia-truce-unravels-2-weeks-after-it-was-signed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 05:44:24 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The United States has given South Korea the green light to build nuclear-powered submarines – a landmark decision that could significantly boost Seoul’s naval capabilities and place it among a select group of nations with such assets. Analysts say the move could reshape Northeast Asia’s strategic landscape in ways that not only strengthen deterrence but also reduce the risk of open conflict, as Washington recalibrates its alliance priorities under President Donald Trump. Trump announced the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331790/how-us-nod-south-koreas-joining-nuclear-sub-club-could-reshape-strategic-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331790/how-us-nod-south-koreas-joining-nuclear-sub-club-could-reshape-strategic-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 10:30:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Afghan and Pakistani negotiators are to meet in Istanbul on Saturday to address security issues and establish a lasting ceasefire along their shared border after an outbreak of unexpectedly intense bloody clashes. The confrontation – which resulted in dozens of deaths, among them civilians – began two weeks ago following explosions in central Kabul, which the Taliban government blamed on its Pakistani neighbour, launching a retaliatory offensive at the border. Vowing a strong response, Islamabad... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330316/afghan-pakistani-negotiators-strengthen-truce-istanbul-after-doha-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330316/afghan-pakistani-negotiators-strengthen-truce-istanbul-after-doha-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 10:24:06 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Aidan Jones Joseph Sipalan,Aidan Jones Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will sign a peace accord over a border dispute with Cambodia during the Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, in a ceremony to be presided over by US President Donald Trump. US officials have been pressing both members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to sign the deal, officially called the Declaration on Thai-Cambodian Relations, but dubbed the ‘Kuala Lumpur Accords’ during Trump’s one-day stop in Malaysia. The American leader is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330312/asean-summit-trump-jets-preside-over-thai-cambodia-peace-deal-spectacle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330312/asean-summit-trump-jets-preside-over-thai-cambodia-peace-deal-spectacle?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 09:43:02 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier US President Donald Trump offered up a litany of grievances in a combative UN speech on Tuesday that called on the global community to end “failed approaches”, stop supporting renewable energy and recognise that “I have ended seven unendable wars”. Addressing the world’s foremost diplomatic body with his typically undiplomatic rhetoric, Trump boasted about revitalising US fortunes, adding that the US has the “greatest weapons on earth” that it would rather not deploy. “Not only is the UN not... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326596/trump-attacks-un-fiery-general-assembly-speech-slams-global-institutions-and-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326596/trump-attacks-un-fiery-general-assembly-speech-slams-global-institutions-and-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:47:53 +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 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier As world leaders descend on New York this week, blocking traffic and frustrating local residents, expect widely divergent messages from Washington and Beijing at the UN General Assembly, deep anxiety over institutional reform and fundamental questions about the organisation’s future on its 80th anniversary. Despite US President Donald Trump’s globally unpopular tariffs, norm-breaking policies and destabilising pullback from the global body, Beijing has not rushed to fill the leadership vacuum –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3326430/un-general-assembly-will-china-rise-fill-us-void-created-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3326430/un-general-assembly-will-china-rise-fill-us-void-created-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 13:39:22 +0000 Alan Robles Alan Robles Manila has spent billions on modernising its armed forces, but a new report warns the Philippines still leans too heavily on American protection – a gamble fraught with risk as US President Donald Trump repeatedly questions the value of old alliances. The Southeast Asian nation’s ability to counter China’s growing assertiveness remains in doubt, according to the assessment by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group think tank, which found that the Philippines’ security strategy is still... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323482/can-philippines-trump-proof-its-us-alliance-deter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323482/can-philippines-trump-proof-its-us-alliance-deter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 04:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The UN General Assembly voted Friday to back the “New York Declaration”, a resolution which seeks to breathe new life into the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine – without the involvement of Hamas. The text was adopted by 142 votes in favour, 10 against – including Israel and key ally the United States – and 12 abstentions. It clearly condemns Hamas and demands that it surrender its weapons. Although Israel has criticised UN bodies for nearly two years over their failure to condemn... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325396/un-general-assembly-votes-hamas-free-palestinian-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325396/un-general-assembly-votes-hamas-free-palestinian-state?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:51:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters Earthquakes that flattened villages in eastern Afghanistan this month destroyed homes and livestock, the only assets owned by most families, leaving survivors with almost nothing to rebuild as aid runs thin. At least 2,200 people were killed and more than half a million affected when a powerful earthquake struck the region on the night of August 31 followed by a series of strong aftershocks. The quakes have left tens of thousands of people homeless, with some fearing further landslides. Abdul... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3325231/intergenerational-crisis-looms-afghanistans-quake-survivors-aid-runs-thin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3325231/intergenerational-crisis-looms-afghanistans-quake-survivors-aid-runs-thin?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:46:01 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Myanmar’s military regime wants to hold the first election since it seized power in 2021, but opponents have decried the idea as senseless amid the country’s civil war, as they warn of more bloodshed while the junta embarks on a doomed attempt at a reset. The country has announced that the first phase of the general election is scheduled to begin on December 28, with additional stages to follow. The statement offers the clearest timeline yet after months of vague promises by the junta’s leader,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322662/myanmar-juntas-sham-election-plan-slammed-gateway-more-bloodshed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322662/myanmar-juntas-sham-election-plan-slammed-gateway-more-bloodshed?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 09:12:52 +0000