https://www.scmp.com/rss/5/feed Breaking news, analysis and opinion from the SCMP's international edition. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s trade with Iran and Gulf countries fell sharply in March as restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz tightened amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. Newly released data by Chinese customs showed imports from Iran plunged 48 per cent year on year last month, while exports to the country dropped 90 per cent. Across the broader Middle East, exports to eight Persian Gulf economies – including Saudi Arabia and Qatar – fell by 57 per cent, while imports declined by nearly 33 per cent. The disruption... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350703/chinas-trade-iran-gulf-states-plunges-strait-hormuz-crisis-hits-energy-flows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350703/chinas-trade-iran-gulf-states-plunges-strait-hormuz-crisis-hits-energy-flows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:06:21 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Lesson for China? Iran’s low-cost 358 missile takes out million-dollar US assets 2. Hong Kong Sevens: Blitzboks win first title, Black Ferns go unbeaten again 3. The rupture: how Europe fell out of love with America 4. Closed? Open? Closed? Why is Iran changing course on the Strait of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3350679/irans-lesson-china-record-breaking-hong-kong-sevens-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3350679/irans-lesson-china-record-breaking-hong-kong-sevens-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:59:54 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Yemen’s Tehran-aligned Houthi movement has threatened to besiege a second key Middle East waterway as Iran launched drone attacks against US Navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend after a diplomatic effort to end the war appeared to collapse. A closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, would effectively sever Saudi Arabia’s only remaining oil export route. The kingdom has been shipping up to 7 million barrels of crude per day through the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350671/iran-war-escalates-houthis-threaten-sever-saudi-oil-exports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350671/iran-war-escalates-houthis-threaten-sever-saudi-oil-exports?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 03:42:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US federal prosecutors said on Sunday an Iranian national was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for allegedly trafficking arms to Sudan on behalf of Tehran. Shamim Mafi, 44, is charged with “brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan”, US Attorney Bill Essayli wrote in a social media post. A resident of the Los Angeles suburb of Woodland Hills, Mafi “is an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350660/woman-charged-us-trafficking-arms-sudan-iranian-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350660/woman-charged-us-trafficking-arms-sudan-iranian-government?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:38:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel said its military had been instructed to use “full force” against imminent threats in Lebanon despite a truce there and vowed to level homes allegedly used by Hezbollah, with state media reporting on Sunday that demolitions were under way. While some displaced south Lebanon residents have rushed back to their homes, many are hesitant to return, uncertain about the durability of the 10-day truce, which came into effect on Friday and halted weeks of fighting between Israel and Iran-backed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350658/israel-says-military-use-full-force-lebanon-despite-truce-if-soldiers-face-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350658/israel-says-military-use-full-force-lebanon-despite-truce-if-soldiers-face-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:35:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press UK police said on Sunday they were investigating whether a string of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London were the work of Iranian proxies, as the country’s chief rabbi said British Jews were facing a campaign of violence and intimidation. The Metropolitan Police force said counterterror officers were investigating fires at synagogues and other sites linked to the Jewish community, as well as an attack on a Persian-language media company. No one has been injured in the blazes, the latest of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350657/uk-police-investigating-iran-link-arson-attacks-jewish-sites-london?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350657/uk-police-investigating-iran-link-arson-attacks-jewish-sites-london?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 19:39:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a video address released on Sunday that Canada’s strong economic ties to the United States were once a strength but are now a weakness that must be corrected. In the 10-minute address, Carney spoke about his government’s efforts to strengthen the Canadian economy by attracting new investments and signing trade deals with other countries. “The world is more dangerous and divided,” Carney said. “The US has fundamentally changed its approach to trade,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350656/canadas-carney-says-economic-ties-us-are-weakness-must-be-corrected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350656/canadas-carney-says-economic-ties-us-are-weakness-must-be-corrected?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:55:45 +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 Associated Press Associated Press Senior Cabinet ministers on Sunday rallied around UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose leadership is teetering over his decision to give Britain’s most important diplomatic job to Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished politician and friend of Jeffrey Epstein. Starmer will face restive lawmakers in Parliament on Monday to fight for his job after the explosive revelation that Mandelson was appointed ambassador to the United States despite failing security checks. Starmer says he is “furious” that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350654/allies-back-starmer-mandelsons-epstein-links-leave-uk-leader-fighting-his-job?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350654/allies-back-starmer-mandelsons-epstein-links-leave-uk-leader-fighting-his-job?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 17:34:54 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A man shot dead eight children – seven of them his own – early Sunday in the southern US state of Louisiana in an incident of domestic violence that spanned three locations, police said. The early morning massacre at a grey house in the city of Shreveport was the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in more than two years, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. Two women were shot and seriously injured, including the mother of some of the slain children. Three boys and five... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350653/8-children-killed-after-shootings-louisiana-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350653/8-children-killed-after-shootings-louisiana-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:50:54 +0000 dpa dpa The head of Ukraine’s police patrol, Yevhen Zhukov, has handed in his resignation after two police officers were seen fleeing the scene when a gunman opened fire in Kyiv, killing at least six. “As an officer with combat experience, I have decided to tender my resignation from my current post. I believe this is the right thing to do,” said the police general at a press conference in Kyiv on Sunday. It comes after an unknown gunman killed at least six people and injured more than a dozen others in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350652/police-patrol-chief-quits-over-shameful-response-kyiv-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350652/police-patrol-chief-quits-over-shameful-response-kyiv-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:27:31 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry on Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader. It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) southwest of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison. Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350649/us-animal-rights-activists-clash-police-over-wisconsin-dog-breeder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350649/us-animal-rights-activists-clash-police-over-wisconsin-dog-breeder?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:44:49 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic Since America launched its “major combat operation” against Iran, several Nato allies have distanced themselves from Washington. Now America also risks losing ground in strategically important Southeast Asia to China. Could it face an erosion of influence similar to that suffered by Russia in Central Asia as a result of its “special military operation” in Ukraine? Soon after US President Donald Trump launched massive air and missile strikes on Iran on February 28, it became clear Washington... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350148/can-iran-fiasco-help-china-edge-out-us-key-arena-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350148/can-iran-fiasco-help-china-edge-out-us-key-arena-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Two enormous sandlike dunes at an old chemical processing plant in South Africa are at the centre of an exploratory US-backed project to extract highly sought-after rare earth elements from industrial mining waste. The Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project has US support through a US$50 million equity investment by the government’s International Development Finance Corporation and is part of accelerated US efforts to reduce its reliance on China for the minerals crucial for making electronic devices,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350632/trump-backs-us50-million-investment-south-africa-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350632/trump-backs-us50-million-investment-south-africa-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:48:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pro-Russian former president Rumen Radev is set for a runaway victory in Bulgaria’s election and may even secure a parliamentary majority, exit polls showed, potentially ending years of weak coalition governments and altering the European Union member’s foreign policy. An updated exit poll conducted by Sofia-based Alpha Research showed Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria with 44 per cent, far ahead of the long-dominant GERB party, led ‌by former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, at 12.5 per cent. If... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350625/corruption-fuels-mistrust-bulgarias-eighth-election-five-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350625/corruption-fuels-mistrust-bulgarias-eighth-election-five-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:41:00 +0000 Kai-Lung Hui Kai-Lung Hui Generative artificial intelligence (AI) powered by large language models presents a significant breakthrough. For the first time, humans are communicating with computers using language instructions. This has enabled the use of AI agents to perform intelligent tasks involving some degree of advanced reasoning and complex logic. Vibe coding – the use of AI for programming and software development by lay persons – empowers end-user application deployments. One-person companies using AI agents to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350030/ai-advancing-now-its-humans-redefine-their-worth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350030/ai-advancing-now-its-humans-redefine-their-worth?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Three people in California have been sentenced for insurance fraud in a bizarre scam that involved someone dressed in a bear costume damaging luxury cars. The California Insurance Department said the three used a person in a bear suit to stage fake attacks inside a Rolls-Royce and two Mercedes in 2024, then submitted fraudulent claims seeking nearly US$142,000 in payouts from insurance companies. The department called it “Operation Bear Claw”. Two Los Angeles-area men and a woman pleaded no... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350605/how-bear-costume-cost-these-luxury-car-insurance-scamsters-their-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350605/how-bear-costume-cost-these-luxury-car-insurance-scamsters-their-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 04:35:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo sought ⁠to downplay his feud ⁠with US President Donald Trump on Saturday, ⁠saying reporting about comments he has made so far during his Africa tour “has not been accurate in all its aspects”. Speaking to reporters in English aboard his flight to Angola for the third leg of his ambitious 10-day Africa tour, the first US pope said comments ‌he made two days earlier in Cameroon decrying that the world was being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” were not aimed at Trump. That speech, said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350604/pope-leo-seeks-defuse-tensions-trump-says-not-trying-debate-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350604/pope-leo-seeks-defuse-tensions-trump-says-not-trying-debate-him?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:32:39 +0000 Regina Ip Regina Ip For the first time in its history – and in a striking departure from its long-standing doctrine of minimal economic intervention – Hong Kong is preparing to draw up a five-year plan. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has asked all policy bureaus to help draft proposals by the end of the year. To lead the exercise, veteran civil servant Janice Tse Siu-wah has come out of retirement. The Legislative Council, not to be left out, has formed a committee supported by six coordinating groups spanning... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350403/how-markets-will-test-hong-kongs-new-economic-model?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350403/how-markets-will-test-hong-kongs-new-economic-model?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Former US president Barack Obama met New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for the first time on Saturday at a child care centre where they read to preschoolers and led a singalong. The meeting comes as Mamdani, a democratic socialist who marked his 100th day in office just over a week ago, is also trying to build a working relationship with Republican US President Donald Trump. Obama and Mamdani did not take questions after reading the book Alone and Together to the children and leading a singalong of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350602/obama-meets-new-york-mayor-zohran-mamdani-reading-preschoolers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350602/obama-meets-new-york-mayor-zohran-mamdani-reading-preschoolers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 23:16:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Saturday she had “no regrets” about symbolically handing over her Nobel Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump in January. “There is a leader in the world, a head of state in the world who risked the lives of his country’s citizens for Venezuela’s freedom,” she told a news conference in Madrid. Machado presented her Nobel Prize to Trump when she met him in the White House just two weeks after he ordered US forces to attack Caracas and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350601/venezuelas-machado-says-no-regrets-about-giving-her-nobel-prize-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350601/venezuelas-machado-says-no-regrets-about-giving-her-nobel-prize-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 20:10:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Canadian man accused of helping 14 ⁠people in the province ⁠of Ontario kill themselves by selling a ⁠legal but deadly substance online will avoid a murder trial by pleading guilty to lesser charges, his lawyer said on Saturday. Kenneth Law, 60, will plead guilty to counselling or aiding suicide under a deal with Crown prosecutors that will see more serious ‌first-degree murder charges withdrawn, Matthew Gourlay of Henein Hutchison Robitaille said in an email. Law’s case is scheduled to return... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350600/canadian-man-kenneth-law-plead-guilty-suicide-kit-case-avoid-murder-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350600/canadian-man-kenneth-law-plead-guilty-suicide-kit-case-avoid-murder-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:22:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A gunman who killed at least six people in the streets of Kyiv on Saturday before taking hostages and barricading himself in a nearby supermarket has been shot dead by police, Ukrainian officials said. The head of Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, Ihor Klymenko, said in a statement on social media that special tactical police units stormed the store after attempts to contact the gunman with a negotiator failed. The attacker was killed while resisting arrest, he said. Speaking to reporters at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350599/kyiv-gunman-kills-5-and-takes-hostages-being-shot-dead-ukraine-police?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350599/kyiv-gunman-kills-5-and-takes-hostages-being-shot-dead-ukraine-police?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:30:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters Mexican ⁠President Claudia Sheinbaum and Spain’s Pedro Sanchez ⁠met in Barcelona on Saturday after a summit of progressive leaders, signalling a rapprochement during the first presidential visit to the Mediterranean country in eight years. The meeting took place during Sheinbaum’s visit to Barcelona to attend the fourth “In defence of democracy” summit, a gathering ‌of global leftist leaders to mobilise advocates of these movements against the far-right. Sheinbaum’s trip marks a softening of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350597/mexico-mends-ties-spain-first-presidential-visit-8-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350597/mexico-mends-ties-spain-first-presidential-visit-8-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:30:23 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump on Saturday directed his administration to speed up reviews of certain psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine, which recently has been embraced by combat veterans and conservative lawmakers despite having serious safety risks. Ibogaine is banned under the federal government’s most restrictive category for illegal, high-risk drugs. But the administration is taking steps to ease access to psychedelics that Trump said were already designated as potential breakthroughs by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350593/trump-signs-order-speed-review-psychedelics-including-controversial-drug-ibogaine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350593/trump-signs-order-speed-review-psychedelics-including-controversial-drug-ibogaine?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 14:41:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse UK counterterror officers are investigating an arson attack on a shop in an area of London with a large Jewish population, police said on Saturday, following similar incidents in recent weeks. No one was injured in the fire on late Friday in Hendon, in the northwest of Britain’s capital, London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement, without specifying the business targeted. It comes after police arrested two people over a separate arson attack on a synagogue in nearby Finchley, on Wednesday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350585/uks-counterterror-police-probe-another-london-arson-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350585/uks-counterterror-police-probe-another-london-arson-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:47:18 +0000 Fox Yi Hu Fox Yi Hu In Canada, fans and foes of Chinese electric vehicles are holding their breath for brands like BYD to hit the market. Whether they love them or not, they share the hope that Chinese carmakers will help to bring all EV prices down, as affordability becomes a growing concern for consumers. Companies including BYD, Geely, Nio and Xpeng are preparing to roll out sales locations in Canada, seizing the opportunity of warmer ties between the two countries. Ottawa struck a milestone trade deal with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350483/china-trade-deal-has-canadians-looking-forward-cheaper-electric-vehicles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350483/china-trade-deal-has-canadians-looking-forward-cheaper-electric-vehicles?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press When Alina Dotsenko returned to her museum after Ukrainian forces retook the southern city of Kherson from Russian forces in late 2022, she found thousands of artworks had vanished. “I walked in and saw empty storage rooms, empty shelves. My legs gave way, and I just sat down by the wall, like a child,” the Kherson Art Museum director said. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022, the museum held more than 14,000 works in a collection “ranging from America to Japan”. As the Russians... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350568/ukraine-works-interpol-find-thousands-cultural-artefacts-looted-russians?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350568/ukraine-works-interpol-find-thousands-cultural-artefacts-looted-russians?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:01:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iranians striving to maintain a semblance of normal life after weeks of US and Israeli bombing and a deadly crackdown on protesters in January remain daunted by the future, as damage from air strikes ⁠and internet cuts take a toll. With talks expected on extending a truce and agreeing an end to the conflict, shops, restaurants and government offices have stayed open. On sunny spring mornings, city parks are busy with picnicking families and young people playing sports, while others gather at... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350563/iranians-fear-pressure-will-100-increase-after-us-israeli-strikes-stop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350563/iranians-fear-pressure-will-100-increase-after-us-israeli-strikes-stop?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:05:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters A US appeals court allowed President Donald ⁠Trump’s administration on ⁠Friday night to continue construction ⁠of a US$400 million ballroom on the site of the White House’s demolished East Wing, setting a June hearing to review a Washington judge’s order halting the project. An order by a three-judge ‌panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit put the lower court’s preliminary injunction on hold for now, giving the panel time to consider the US Justice Department’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350557/us-court-lets-trump-resume-work-us400-million-white-house-ballroom-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350557/us-court-lets-trump-resume-work-us400-million-white-house-ballroom-now?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:47:34 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Their backgrounds stand out. And not in a good way. Two bankruptcies and six law enforcement jobs in three years. An allegation of lying in a police report to justify a felony charge against an innocent woman – an incident that led to a US$75,000 settlement and criticism of his integrity. A third job candidate once failed to graduate from a police academy, then lasted only three weeks in his only job as a police officer. Their common bond: all were hired recently by US Immigration and Customs... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350552/red-flag-recruits-how-record-us75-billion-ice-expansion-led-questionable-hiring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350552/red-flag-recruits-how-record-us75-billion-ice-expansion-led-questionable-hiring?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 02:48:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Two US Army soldiers have been injured after encountering a brown bear in a mountainous training area in Anchorage, according to the military. The incident happened on Thursday as the soldiers were taking part in a “land navigation training event” in Arctic Valley, part of the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s training area. The soldiers were receiving medical care as of Friday, a military official told the Anchorage Daily News. Queries sent to base were not immediately returned on Friday. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350547/2-us-soldiers-injured-brown-bear-attack-during-training-exercise-alaska?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350547/2-us-soldiers-injured-brown-bear-attack-during-training-exercise-alaska?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:32:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Trump administration and Anthropic’s CEO on Friday discussed working together for the first time since a dispute earlier this year between the Pentagon and the artificial intelligence firm over how that company’s models should be used. The meeting between CEO Dario Amodei and White House staff, which took place amid growing ‌fears the AI start-up’s latest model will supercharge cyberattacks, suggests the two sides might be on a path to rebuilding trust. The Trump administration, central... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350546/white-house-and-anthropic-ceo-discuss-working-together-amid-mythos-ai-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350546/white-house-and-anthropic-ceo-discuss-working-together-amid-mythos-ai-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:17:51 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Spain and Brazil signed a flurry of agreements at Pedro Sanchez and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s first bilateral summit, as the Spanish leader seeks to build an alliance to counter US President Donald Trump. “The relationship between Spain and Brazil goes far beyond the strictly bilateral,” Sanchez told reporters after signing 15 deals covering areas including critical minerals, telecommunications and artificial intelligence. “Peace and the values that sustain it are being attacked by a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350545/spain-signs-deals-brazil-sanchez-builds-anti-trump-bloc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350545/spain-signs-deals-brazil-sanchez-builds-anti-trump-bloc?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:05:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters Congress passed a short extension to a high-profile surveillance law on Friday after failing to secure the long-term reauthorisation pushed by US President Donald Trump. The brief pause comes after a late-night attempt to reauthorise the law for ‌five years failed in the House. It sets up another round of wrangling over whether and how to reform what is known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the National Security Agency to surveil foreigners using data... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350544/us-congress-extends-controversial-surveillance-law-10-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350544/us-congress-extends-controversial-surveillance-law-10-days?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:27:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse France and Britain said on Friday that they would lead a multinational mission to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while emphasising the force would be entirely defensive and only deployed once lasting peace in the region was agreed. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the force was being set up as they co-chaired international talks in Paris focused on ensuring free-flowing trade through the critical shipping corridor. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350543/iran-war-france-and-uk-lead-defensive-force-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350543/iran-war-france-and-uk-lead-defensive-force-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:35:55 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo called on Cameroonians on Friday to reject violence and be generous with their neighbours during an event billed as the biggest of his four-nation Africa tour, with roughly 120,000 people flocking to a mass he led in the port city of Douala. Amid heavy security, some believers had made their way on Thursday to the city’s Japoma ‌Stadium, venue of the mass, and slept overnight outside on mats to hear Friday’s address from the pontiff, who has become outspoken on war and inequality and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350542/pope-urges-cameroon-reject-violence-mass-draws-120000-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350542/pope-urges-cameroon-reject-violence-mass-draws-120000-people?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:15:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Scores of Chinese women were brought to Germany without valid residency permits for sex work across the country, prosecutors in Frankfurt alleged on Friday. Five suspects are accused of organised smuggling of foreigners for their roles in operating the prostitution ring over the past three years, according to prosecutors. Prostitution is legal in Germany but is strictly regulated. A 43-year-old Chinese man and a 35-year-old Chinese woman allegedly ran the illegal business, using a network of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350540/scores-chinese-women-smuggled-germany-massive-prostitution-ring-prosecutors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350540/scores-chinese-women-smuggled-germany-massive-prostitution-ring-prosecutors?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:46:01 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday urged the United States and Iran to guard against any provocations by Israel and use their current ceasefire to push for lasting peace. “We must not allow weapons to again replace words,” he told the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey. “Let it not be forgotten, the shortest path to peace is dialogue and diplomacy. Peace is not a one-winged bird.” His remarks came as Washington and Tehran weighed the next steps after a temporary halt in fighting,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350539/turkeys-erdogan-urges-iran-us-use-ceasefire-push-lasting-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350539/turkeys-erdogan-urges-iran-us-use-ceasefire-push-lasting-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:16:46 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China’s leading LED chipmaker and its Malaysian partner have abandoned their US$239 million cash offer to purchase Dutch technology company Lumileds Holding after opposition from US authorities, marking the latest setback for Chinese tech investment overseas following the high-profile Nexperia saga. Sanan Optoelectronics, listed in Shanghai, said in a disclosure announcement on Friday that despite multiple rounds of discussions, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350520/chinese-led-chipmakers-purchase-dutch-firm-collapses-after-us-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350520/chinese-led-chipmakers-purchase-dutch-firm-collapses-after-us-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier In an apparent sign that Tehran blinked first in the blockade showdown between Iran and the US, the two sides announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was open and operational after nearly seven weeks that have seen hundreds of ships blocked and sent energy prices soaring worldwide. “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!” US President Donald Trump said on social media, using an unofficial name for the strategic waterway. Iranian... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350530/iran-us-say-strait-hormuz-fully-open-commercial-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350530/iran-us-say-strait-hormuz-fully-open-commercial-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:51:26 +0000 dpa dpa Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip killed more than 38,000 women and girls between October 2023 and the end of 2025, a UN report published on Friday showed. Palestinian health authorities put the estimated total death toll by the end of 2025 at just over 71,000, rising to more than 72,000 by mid-April as Israel continued sporadic attacks despite a ceasefire with the Islamist group Hamas. According to the analysis by UN Women, this means over half of all the victims in Gaza by the end of 2025 were... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350527/israeli-attacks-killed-over-38000-women-girls-gaza-october-2023-un-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350527/israeli-attacks-killed-over-38000-women-girls-gaza-october-2023-un-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:42:52 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Some exporters at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou report a modest return of orders to China from Southeast Asia, as energy-market volatility linked to the US-Israeli war in Iran prompts some Western buyers to prioritise supply chain stability. The shift is visible in buyer patterns on the exhibition floor, where the number from Europe and the United States appears to have recovered from last year’s levels, according to Chinese exporters, with more inquiries for home appliances, new energy products... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350446/iran-war-energy-shock-threatens-southeast-asias-supply-chains-win-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350446/iran-war-energy-shock-threatens-southeast-asias-supply-chains-win-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:30:08 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain A temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon unveiled by US President Donald Trump on Thursday was the final turn in the diplomatic maze leading to a breakthrough in Pakistan-mediated peace talks between Washington and Tehran, analysts say. Arranged by Pakistan with help from Saudi Arabia, the 10-day cessation of hostilities in Lebanon was a key Iranian condition for a second and potentially conclusive round of talks in Islamabad on a date yet to be set. Marathon talks between high-powered... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350522/lebanon-becomes-key-iran-us-peace-talks-amid-fears-israels-hegemony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350522/lebanon-becomes-key-iran-us-peace-talks-amid-fears-israels-hegemony?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:00:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Kremlin on Friday denied that ⁠President Vladimir ⁠Putin was insulated from ⁠bad news after a celebrity blogger accused unidentified top officials of not telling Russia’s paramount leader the truth about the country’s problems. Viktoria Bonya, a social media influencer who ‌is well known inside Russia for her appearances on reality TV shows, said this week that she supported Putin and listed five problems which she said officials were not briefing him on honestly. Her video was watched more... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3350519/kremlin-denies-putins-isolation-russias-woes-amid-bloggers-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3350519/kremlin-denies-putins-isolation-russias-woes-amid-bloggers-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:47:25 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang To sharpen its competitive edge in the world’s next-generation vehicle market, China has pledged to fast track automotive technical standards to build its status as a global rule-setter. The carmaking powerhouse would drive high-quality development of the auto sector through the formulation and enhancement of core standards during the next five years, officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) told state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) in Beijing on... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350467/chinese-ministry-focuses-car-standards-put-industry-global-driving-seat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350467/chinese-ministry-focuses-car-standards-put-industry-global-driving-seat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced mounting pressure to quit on Friday over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as envoy to Washington, after it emerged the veteran politician had failed security vetting. The affair has haunted Starmer for months amid growing anger over Mandelson’s 2024 nomination to the top diplomatic post despite his close ties to late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mandelson, a long-time insider with Starmer’s ruling Labour Party, has held multiple ministerial posts since... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350451/uks-starmer-faces-calls-resign-mandelson-scandal-reignites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350451/uks-starmer-faces-calls-resign-mandelson-scandal-reignites?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:36:42 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A Pakistan-flagged tanker that entered the Persian Gulf over the weekend has become the first carrier to exit through the Strait of Hormuz with a crude cargo since a US blockade began on Monday, underscoring just how limited traffic through the vital chokepoint remains. The Shalamar sailed just south of Iran’s Larak Island and out into the Gulf of Oman late Thursday with around 450,000 barrels of crude loaded at Das Island in the United Arab Emirates, according to ship-tracking data. The Aframax... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3350440/pakistan-oil-tanker-becomes-first-exit-through-hormuz-us-blockade-began?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3350440/pakistan-oil-tanker-becomes-first-exit-through-hormuz-us-blockade-began?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:38:21 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. 3 satellites to track all? Chinese radar images confirm US military fears Last month, China released a series of undated radar images of the Towa Maru. It marked the first time ever that a geosynchronous orbit (GEO) synthetic aperture... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3350385/chinas-3-satellite-surveillance-network-hong-kongs-inflation-surge-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3350385/chinas-3-satellite-surveillance-network-hong-kongs-inflation-surge-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:12:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press South African opposition party leader Julius Malema was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday after he was convicted of breaking firearm laws by firing a rifle at a political rally in 2018. He was released pending an appeal, which will be heard at a later date. If the verdict and sentence are upheld, Malema will be disqualified as a lawmaker. South African law bars anyone from serving in Parliament if they have been convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months in prison... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350399/south-african-politician-malema-sentenced-5-years-firing-rifle-rally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350399/south-african-politician-malema-sentenced-5-years-firing-rifle-rally?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 03:55:06 +0000