https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/322263/feed The latest breaking news, politics and current affairs from Europe. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Reuters Reuters Many delegates to ⁠the International Monetary Fund’s steering ⁠committee walked out of a meeting on ⁠Saturday when Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov addressed the group in Russian, three sources familiar with the matter said. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has roiled the International Monetary and Financial Committee, preventing it from reaching consensus statements in the years ‌since. There were deep divisions again at this week’s annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371248/european-delegates-walk-out-russian-finance-minister-imf-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371248/european-delegates-walk-out-russian-finance-minister-imf-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Oct 2026 07:51:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Chinese-made cars filmed sensitive information during a Norwegian military exercise, including access codes at secure sites and officials’ comings and goings, raising concerns about the risks posed by connected vehicles. During a security exercise at Oslo airport on September 14 to 18, waiting soldiers tapping on their vehicle’s screen discovered videos recorded by the on-board cameras, the Dagens Naeringsliv newspaper revealed. The recordings showed who was getting in and out of the cars, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371243/security-fears-norway-chinese-smart-cars-record-sensitive-military-data?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371243/security-fears-norway-chinese-smart-cars-record-sensitive-military-data?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Oct 2026 07:08:23 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian China and the Philippines recently traded accusations over the medical evacuation of a Philippine serviceman from a grounded naval vessel in the hotly disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. The incident has sparked renewed worries about potential armed skirmishes in a global artery of trade. But Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr was also quick to emphasise the economic dimensions of a major conflict. After a decade of rapid economic growth, the Philippines is facing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370775/philippines-china-free-manufacturing-strategy-high-risk-bet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370775/philippines-china-free-manufacturing-strategy-high-risk-bet?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Oct 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Beijing warned Brussels not to “fantasise” that taking a hard line will force it into concessions, as the bloc confirmed plans for a gung-ho new kill switch that will allow Brussels to “immediately” kick China out of the single market. Exactly a week after the two sides struck a surprise deal to restrict the volume of hybrid cars China ships to Europe, the flare-up suggests the threat of a trade war between two of the world’s three biggest economies has far from subsided. “The EU should not... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371217/china-warns-eu-not-fantasise-trade-approach-brussels-confirms-new-kill-switch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371217/china-warns-eu-not-fantasise-trade-approach-brussels-confirms-new-kill-switch?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 22:30:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pope Leo spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Friday, calling for a ceasefire in a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine, as he recovers in hospital from a lung cancer operation. The Vatican said that Pope Leo “expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance, and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population”. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371210/hospital-pope-leo-pushes-putin-ceasefire-contested-ukraine-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371210/hospital-pope-leo-pushes-putin-ceasefire-contested-ukraine-city?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:47:47 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday asked European Union leaders to provide Kyiv an extra 70 billion euros (US$79 billion) in funding next year to help it keep fighting Russia. “The war will cost 155 billion euros next year. And we need at least 70 billion euros more from you – for defence, for weapons and for our resilience,” Zelensky said in a speech at an EU summit in Brussels. “This is a realistic amount. And I ask you to find this support. It will help us hold Russia back.” The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371207/zelensky-asks-eu-extra-79-billion-sustain-ukraines-war-effort?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371207/zelensky-asks-eu-extra-79-billion-sustain-ukraines-war-effort?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 15:09:01 +0000 C. Uday Bhaskar C. Uday Bhaskar The awarding of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay matters for reasons that go well beyond the laureate herself. The award does three things at once. First, it restores credibility to the prize. Second, it rejects in unambiguous terms the Thrasymachian doctrine that might is right, which has become the operating philosophy of major powers. Third, it highlights a warning of what happens when a hegemon decides it is above the law. The correction was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370866/nobel-peace-prize-message-behind-navi-pillays-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370866/nobel-peace-prize-message-behind-navi-pillays-win?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse European leaders on Friday rallied around Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky as Kyiv’s ties with US President Donald Trump have nosedived and worries grow that US leader is increasingly siding with Russia. Relations between Kyiv and Washington have soured since last week, when Trump eased sanctions on Russia in exchange for Moscow releasing large amounts of diesel onto global markets. Zelensky infuriated Trump further by ordering Ukraine’s forces to restart strikes on Russian oil refineries in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371174/european-leaders-back-zelensky-ukraine-us-ties-fray-over-trumps-russia-sanctions-lift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371174/european-leaders-back-zelensky-ukraine-us-ties-fray-over-trumps-russia-sanctions-lift?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:14:29 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukraine’s resumption of strikes on Russian refineries is ⁠a “disgrace” that keeps ⁠global energy prices elevated, US President ⁠Donald Trump told the Newsmax news outlet in an interview aired on Thursday. Ukraine struck a Russian oil refinery after President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that Kyiv was abandoning a ceasefire covering energy sites that Trump had announced, ‌and criticised his willingness to strike deals with Moscow. “All he’s doing is making the world oil price higher. Well, I think... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371106/trump-rebukes-zelensky-calls-ukraines-strikes-russian-refineries-disgrace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371106/trump-rebukes-zelensky-calls-ukraines-strikes-russian-refineries-disgrace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 04:56:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A minibus collided with a stationary train in a Channel Tunnel vehicle boarding area in France on Thursday evening, injuring the driver and 18 passengers, authorities said. Five people were severely injured, though no one’s life appeared to be in danger, the local prefect said in a statement. The minibus was carrying truck drivers of various nationalities who were heading to travel on a LeShuttle train, which carries vehicles and their passengers through the tunnel. The area around the tunnel... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371068/bus-hits-train-near-channel-tunnel-france-injuring-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371068/bus-hits-train-near-channel-tunnel-france-injuring-19?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2026 22:25:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife on Thursday carried out their first joint engagement since their surprise move back to the UK in August, with Meghan telling well-wishers: “It’s great to be back.” King Charles’ 42-year-old younger son and Meghan, 45 – who left Britain and quit royal duties in 2020 amid a bitter royal family feud – were greeted with cheers as they arrived in the central English city of Nottingham. The couple then stopped to chat and joke with the crowd as well as pose for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371063/prince-harry-and-meghan-first-joint-outing-uk-return-great-be-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371063/prince-harry-and-meghan-first-joint-outing-uk-return-great-be-back?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2026 17:26:00 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Brussels is open to developing a powerful new trade weapon that could contain a kill switch that would quickly eject Chinese companies from the EU market, the bloc’s national leaders were told during a top-level meeting in the Belgian capital on Thursday. There was broad support among the 27 members for such a tool, first laid out in a French-German joint paper last week, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signalling that her trade team could get to work on developing it,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371061/chinese-chemicals-and-machinery-eu-crosshairs-leaders-back-more-trade-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371061/chinese-chemicals-and-machinery-eu-crosshairs-leaders-back-more-trade-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:41:24 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse EU leaders locked horns on Thursday over the bloc’s next long-term budget as they kicked off talks in Brussels under pressure to seal a deal before several high-stakes elections next year, most crucially in France. The 27-nation European Union wants an agreement by Christmas, worried that any future deal-making will be derailed by potential Eurosceptic wins across the bloc, including in France where the far-right’s Marine Le Pen is favoured in opinion polls. “We are facing very, very difficult... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371036/eu-leaders-clash-over-trillion-euro-budget-fears-grow-over-french-election-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371036/eu-leaders-clash-over-trillion-euro-budget-fears-grow-over-french-election-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:42:26 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times South Korea will continue supporting Ukraine “as a responsible member of the international community” despite a diplomatic dispute over the disclosure of two North Korean prisoners of war being repatriated to the South, a foreign ministry official said on Thursday. The official said Seoul would treat its help to Ukraine separately from the dispute, while continuing bilateral consultations to resolve outstanding issues. The remarks came after South Korean Ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3371018/seoul-maintain-ukraine-aid-despite-spat-over-north-korea-prisoner-transfer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3371018/seoul-maintain-ukraine-aid-despite-spat-over-north-korea-prisoner-transfer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:35:56 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukraine struck a Russian oil refinery ⁠on Thursday after President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that Kyiv was abandoning a ceasefire covering energy sites announced by US President Donald Trump, and criticised Trump’s willingness to strike deals with Moscow. By effectively walking away from Trump’s demand that Ukraine halt attacks on Russian refineries and openly criticising the US leader, Zelensky risks deepening the biggest rift between Kyiv and Washington since Russia’s February 2022 invasion... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370993/were-done-ukraine-resumes-russian-refinery-strikes-zelensky-defies-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370993/were-done-ukraine-resumes-russian-refinery-strikes-zelensky-defies-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:08:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Tech billionaire Elon Musk called on Wednesday for Volodymyr Zelensky to “go” as Ukraine’s leader, after insisting any disruption to the war-torn country’s use of his satellite communications system was the fault of the US government, not his company. The comments came as Kyiv raised doubts over US support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, accusing Washington this week of helping Moscow by failing to warn it of incoming missile strikes and hobbling Kyiv’s military response through changes to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3370923/musk-suggests-us-government-behind-any-slowdown-ukraines-starshield?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3370923/musk-suggests-us-government-behind-any-slowdown-ukraines-starshield?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:29:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Irish author Sally Rooney can no longer sell her books in the UK because of her support for the activist group Palestine Action, her publisher Faber said on Wednesday. Rooney has previously expressed her support for the group, which was banned as a “terrorist” organisation by the UK government in July 2025. It is not banned in Ireland, where Rooney lives. The proscription, which the organisation is appealing against, puts Palestine Action on the same blacklist as militant groups Hamas and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370918/sally-rooney-books-cant-be-sold-uk-amid-palestine-action-ban-publisher-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370918/sally-rooney-books-cant-be-sold-uk-amid-palestine-action-ban-publisher-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2026 16:41:07 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Leaders of the EU’s 27 member states will instruct Brussels to “urgently” come up with new weapons to counter the imbalances they believe are caused by China’s economic policies, at a meeting in the Belgian capital on Thursday. The instruction – part of a draft statement being negotiated ahead of this week’s European Council summit – comes after the European Union and China reached a surprise deal in Beijing last week that will cap the number of Chinese hybrid cars imported to the bloc at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3370914/eu-leaders-urgently-call-new-trade-weapons-tackle-china-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3370914/eu-leaders-urgently-call-new-trade-weapons-tackle-china-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:45:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A lawyer for a Ukrainian accused of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines supplying Russian gas to western Europe said on Wednesday that Moscow used the network to exert political and economic pressure, as the former military officer’s trial opened in Germany. Sergiy Kuznietsov is the first person to go on trial over the 2022 sabotage. The 50-year-old is accused of leading a Ukrainian team of divers and an explosives expert to bomb Nord Stream, seven months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3370911/ukrainian-accused-nord-stream-pipeline-sabotage-goes-trial-germany?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3370911/ukrainian-accused-nord-stream-pipeline-sabotage-goes-trial-germany?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:43:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump said that “massive” oil, gas and mineral exploration is set to begin in “our new and beautiful Greenland”, though it was not clear what developments he was referring to on an island where resource extraction has stymied companies for decades. Despite Trump’s optimism, the harsh climate of Greenland – a self-governing territory of Denmark, rather than a part of the United States – as well as a lack of infrastructure have foiled all previous attempts to extract so-called... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370906/trump-says-massive-oil-gas-and-mineral-exploration-begin-greenland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370906/trump-says-massive-oil-gas-and-mineral-exploration-begin-greenland?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:08:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The head of the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday that the US and other wealthy nations needed to urgently tackle mounting global debt levels that were weighing heaviest on low-income countries and straining the global financial system. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said that while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other US leaders recognised that the federal deficit and national debt had grown too high, just trying to grow the US economy out of its more than US$40... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370877/imf-head-urges-us-and-rich-nations-rein-deficits-global-debt-soars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370877/imf-head-urges-us-and-rich-nations-rein-deficits-global-debt-soars?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2026 09:20:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukraine on Wednesday accused Russia of wilfully flouting Donald Trump’s purported “energy ceasefire” and passing up an opportunity to ease hostilities, after a renewed wave of deadly strikes across the country that also hit vital power supplies. Kyiv in particular faced a barrage of powerful ballistic missiles and attack drones targeting energy facilities and critical infrastructure, despite the US president’s surprise weekend announcement. Four people were killed in the city and power to at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370833/russian-strikes-kill-6-ukraine-knocking-out-power-across-kyiv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370833/russian-strikes-kill-6-ukraine-knocking-out-power-across-kyiv?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:12:31 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press German authorities opened an investigation into possible sexual harassment after a robot controlled by two young men touched the buttocks of a 16-year-old girl and made thrusting movements toward her, police said. Police in the western city of Cologne responded after the incident overnight Saturday to Sunday in which the robot’s suspected 16-year-old owner and a 19-year-old companion were said to have filmed the alleged assault. They were said to have streamed the incident and commentated on it... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370797/police-germany-seize-robot-after-teen-girl-allegedly-groped?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370797/police-germany-seize-robot-after-teen-girl-allegedly-groped?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2026 02:17:22 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pope Leo XIV spent a peaceful night in Rome’s Gemelli hospital after doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung and confirmed he has cancer, the Vatican said on Wednesday. The surgery confirmed that the pope had the most common type of lung cancer, known as lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin late on Tuesday. The Vatican said doctors were waiting for the results of further tests before deciding on a course of treatment. The press office pointed to the medical... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370785/pope-leos-lung-surgery-successfully-completed-vatican-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370785/pope-leos-lung-surgery-successfully-completed-vatican-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:04:00 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran is trying to hit military sites in the UK and the suspected plot to attack a US-run military airbase in September was “not unique”, the head of Britain’s MI5 spy agency said on Tuesday. Ken McCallum, who leads the UK’s domestic security service, said Tehran was seeking to intensify its attacks in Britain beyond the traditional targets of Iranians opposed to the country’s Islamic authorities. That has included arson and sabotage attacks on Jewish sites that Britain says were carried out by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370774/mi5-chief-warns-iran-targeting-military-sites-uk-hostile-state-threats-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370774/mi5-chief-warns-iran-targeting-military-sites-uk-hostile-state-threats-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2026 13:39:32 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia kicked off their first visit to Ceuta on Tuesday in a show of solidarity with residents of the Spanish city in North Africa as they grapple with a migration crisis that has strained relations with Morocco. The royal couple will then travel to Melilla, Spain’s other North African exclave, on Wednesday. It will be the first visit by a Spanish monarch to the two cities since Felipe’s father, Juan Carlos I, toured them in 2007. Their visit comes after about 80,000... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370760/spanish-royals-visit-ceuta-back-enclave-amid-border-migration-strain-morocco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370760/spanish-royals-visit-ceuta-back-enclave-amid-border-migration-strain-morocco?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2026 11:49:37 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Drones struck two ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria on Tuesday, sinking one and prompting emergency rescue operations, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. The Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship Dignity sank after it was hit by a military strike. Five sailors were rescued, while a search for the other 11 crew members continued, Varna district governor Mario Smrkov said. Rescuers evacuated all 15 crew members from one ship, the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, with five receiving treatment for minor... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370741/bulgaria-seeks-nato-support-after-black-sea-drone-strikes-hit-merchant-ships-sinking-1?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370741/bulgaria-seeks-nato-support-after-black-sea-drone-strikes-hit-merchant-ships-sinking-1?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2026 09:57:40 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Nato’s top military commander said the alliance is “ready to fight tonight” if it is attacked, as European officials warn Russia could test Nato’s defences with increased covert attacks or a limited military incursion. European nations have in recent months faced an escalation of covert Russian activity, including an arson attack on an Estonian defence company and a failed attempt to attack a Ukrainian aircraft at a German airport. If Russia decides to attack Nato, the alliance will respond by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3370653/natos-top-commander-says-alliance-does-not-want-war-ready-fight-tonight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3370653/natos-top-commander-says-alliance-does-not-want-war-ready-fight-tonight?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 23:25:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The European Union will on Tuesday open new negotiation chapters with Ukraine, an essential step in Kyiv’s long path to join the bloc. Ukrainian lawmakers on Monday passed legislation protecting the rights of national minorities, which removes a major hurdle in Kyiv’s bid for membership. The status of the Hungarian-speaking minority in western Ukraine had long caused tensions with Budapest and Hungary had blocked Ukraine’s EU membership bid, officially submitted days after Russia’s full-scale... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370647/ukraines-eu-accession-bid-advances-after-kyiv-passes-minority-rights-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370647/ukraines-eu-accession-bid-advances-after-kyiv-passes-minority-rights-law?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 18:41:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Monday that a suspected plot targeting the RAF Fairford airbase in Britain was “highly likely” to have been coordinated in Iran, and almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The RAF Fairford base in southwest England, which had been used by US bombers to carry out strikes on Iran, became the focal point for a major ‌security response after five British men were arrested nearby in the early hours of September 27 on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370646/uk-pm-burnham-says-irans-irgc-highly-likely-have-been-behind-raf-fairford-incident?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370646/uk-pm-burnham-says-irans-irgc-highly-likely-have-been-behind-raf-fairford-incident?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 17:56:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A 14-year-old boy opened fire with a hunting gun at a school in France on Monday, wounding the headmaster and a teacher before being disarmed by a member of staff, local authorities said. The shooting took place at Joseph-Lakanal middle school in the southern town of Aubagne, near Marseille, where a third person was grazed by gunfire, police said. Authorities said there did not appear to be a link with high school protests that have rocked France in recent weeks. “The middle school was not... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370635/french-police-detain-pupil-14-suspected-shooting-principal-and-teacher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370635/french-police-detain-pupil-14-suspected-shooting-principal-and-teacher?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 14:46:52 +0000 Reuters Reuters Hackers raised the temperature of refrigerators and freezers at hundreds of French supermarkets to as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) overnight, causing fires and spoiling food. The Paris prosecutor’s office said on Monday that a “large-scale” attack was “affecting connected refrigerators in several major food retailers across France”, leading to food losses and fires. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has instructed France’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) to investigate, a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370633/france-supermarkets-say-cyberattack-forced-defrosting-refrigerators-over-200-stores?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370633/france-supermarkets-say-cyberattack-forced-defrosting-refrigerators-over-200-stores?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:54:56 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle The visit by star-studded Manchester City, the most successful English football team of recent times, was a highlight of Hong Kong’s football festival this summer. Supporters, sporting the club’s colours, flocked to Kai Tak Stadium, turning it into a sea of blue. Now, the club has plumbed the depths, found guilty by an independent tribunal of systematic breaches of the English Premier League’s financial rules over almost a decade. The affair has, with justification, been described as one of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370382/manchester-city-scandal-test-britains-commitment-rule-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370382/manchester-city-scandal-test-britains-commitment-rule-law?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain When Liverpool fans greeted Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday with jeers and banners demanding the Abu Dhabi-owned football club be relegated, they took aim at what critics have long dubbed “sportswashing” – the practice of using high-profile sports investments to launder a tarnished international reputation. Focusing solely on public relations, however, obscures a much deeper network of high-stakes diplomacy and geopolitical economics between London and Abu Dhabi. The reality behind the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3370627/inconvenient-truth-man-city-case-spotlights-realities-uk-uae-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3370627/inconvenient-truth-man-city-case-spotlights-realities-uk-uae-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:20:44 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham,Xiaofei Xu Finbarr Bermingham,Xiaofei Xu Weeks of high-wire negotiations between China and the EU culminated in a surprise trade deal that will, among other measures, impose strict quotas on Chinese hybrid car exports to the bloc and slash Chinese tariffs on a variety of European goods. The deal, unveiled on Friday, takes some of the heat out of searing bilateral trade tensions and temporarily averts the prospect of a bruising trade war – a cooldown augmented by Beijing’s subsequent reduction of value-added tax (VAT) export rebates on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3370623/china-eu-take-breath-after-surprise-deal-brings-temporary-halt-trade-tussle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3370623/china-eu-take-breath-after-surprise-deal-brings-temporary-halt-trade-tussle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 11:56:34 +0000 Agencies Agencies Jury selection took place on Monday for the ⁠trial of British actor ⁠and comedian Russell Brand over alleged ⁠historical crimes including rape and other sexual offences. Brand, 51, once one of Britain’s most high-profile broadcasters and former husband of US singer Katy Perry, faces three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and ‌one count of indecent assault relating to six women from 1999 to 2009. Brand has denied all the accusations. He arrived at London’s Southwark Crown Court... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370619/uk-comedian-russell-brand-london-court-rape-trial-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370619/uk-comedian-russell-brand-london-court-rape-trial-start?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 11:10:16 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Weeks of high-wire negotiations between China and the EU culminated in a surprise trade deal that will, among other measures, impose strict quotas on Chinese hybrid car exports to the bloc and slash Chinese tariffs on a variety of European goods. The deal, unveiled on Friday, takes some of the heat out of searing bilateral trade tensions and temporarily averts the prospect of a bruising trade war. Beijing agreed not to retaliate against Brussels’ move to curb imports of Chinese hybrid cars,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3370613/how-china-and-eu-pressed-pause-trade-war-and-what-it-took-get-there?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3370613/how-china-and-eu-pressed-pause-trade-war-and-what-it-took-get-there?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:33:47 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse American-born economists ⁠Robert ⁠Hall ⁠and Michael Woodford have won the 2026 Nobel economics prize for their work on how monetary and fiscal policy can help stabilise fluctuations in the economy. Hall, 83, is affiliated with Stanford University in California, and Woodford, 70, with Columbia University in New York. The announcement was made in Sweden’s capital Stockholm, with the winners honoured “for microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation”. One of their key insights is that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370605/robert-hall-michael-woodford-win-2026-nobel-prize-economics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370605/robert-hall-michael-woodford-win-2026-nobel-prize-economics?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:05:56 +0000 Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma China agreed to cut millions of hybrid car exports to the European Union over the next four years, easing simmering trade tensions ahead of a key meeting of European leaders later this week. The deal will slow exports to half or less the pace currently predicted by the EU, the bloc’s trade chief, Maros Sefcovic, told a press conference in Beijing on Friday after two days of negotiations. Next year alone, it will pare shipments by up to 700,000 vehicles and trim as much as €14 billion (US$16... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3370591/china-eu-car-deal-eases-trade-tensions-now-least?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3370591/china-eu-car-deal-eases-trade-tensions-now-least?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2026 09:12:28 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are considering firing US ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after a series of reports alleging she has engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens. A senior US official said on Sunday that Trump and Rubio are “extremely p***** off” by Guilfoyle’s reported conduct and are likely to decide on what action to take this week after Monday’s Columbus Day holiday. The official, who spoke on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370518/trump-rubio-consider-firing-us-envoy-greece-after-mounting-reports-improper-conduct?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370518/trump-rubio-consider-firing-us-envoy-greece-after-mounting-reports-improper-conduct?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 23:41:21 +0000 dpa dpa Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will publish all details of his dealings with Manchester City in his previous mayoral role after his intervention in support of the football club’s owners raised eyebrows. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch had urged him to publish “everything” related to his work with the club as Greater Manchester mayor. City have been found guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations between 2009 and 2018. The club maintained their innocence and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370515/uk-pm-burnham-publish-manchester-city-dealings-after-intervention-draws-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/sport/football/article/3370515/uk-pm-burnham-publish-manchester-city-dealings-after-intervention-draws-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 18:33:52 +0000 Reuters Reuters British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Russia interfered ⁠in the 2016 ⁠Brexit vote, as he warned voters in ⁠France and Germany about Moscow-backed efforts to influence their politics. Burnham, who took over as Britain’s leader in July and said last month that Britain could consider rejoining the European Union in the future, is the first British prime minister ‌to say openly there was evidence of Russian interference in the referendum a decade ago. “I asked the question coming to Downing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370514/it-clear-russia-interfered-brexit-referendum-says-uk-pm-burnham?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370514/it-clear-russia-interfered-brexit-referendum-says-uk-pm-burnham?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 18:11:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Eleven people were killed and 27 injured in western Turkey on Sunday when a coach turned over after colliding with a truck, authorities said. The coach crashed near the entry to a motorway between the city of Bursa and the seaside city of Izmir, the governor’s office of the local Manisa district said on social media, stating the death toll. Emergency services rushed to the scene, Turkey’s Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said. “We are closely following the situation, in coordination with all the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370511/11-dead-27-injured-after-coach-crashes-lorry-western-turkey-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370511/11-dead-27-injured-after-coach-crashes-lorry-western-turkey-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 16:54:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump has sowed more confusion, announcing an “energy ceasefire” between Ukraine and Russia that sparked astonishment in Kyiv, silence from Moscow and support from Ukraine’s Western allies. But the ceasefire appeared shaky at best as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia struck multiple Ukrainian power plants on Sunday, including one in the capital and another in Kharkiv, leading to power outages and outrage. Trump’s announcement on Sunday came two days after he... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370510/trump-says-russia-ukraine-agree-energy-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370510/trump-says-russia-ukraine-agree-energy-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 15:12:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Polish police are investigating after arresting a man suspected of plotting an attack against Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, the interior ministry said on Sunday. Searches were continuing at the suspect’s home, ministry spokeswoman Karolina Galecka said, adding: “information about this man will of course then be verified by the police”. This came after Tusk and Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said that a suspect had been detained. “The man... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370502/poland-probes-suspected-assassination-attempts-pm-defence-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370502/poland-probes-suspected-assassination-attempts-pm-defence-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 12:18:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo said ⁠on Sunday that doctors had detected a small growth on his lung during a recent health check and he would be undergoing surgery this ‌week to remove it, in the first health scare of the 71-year-old pontiff’s tenure. Leo told pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly Sunday prayer that the growth was “well-contained” and caught at an early stage. “Recently, during ⁠some medical examinations, doctors found a localised nodule in my ‌lung,” said the pontiff. “It was detected at a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370499/pope-leo-undergo-surgery-small-growth-lung?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370499/pope-leo-undergo-surgery-small-growth-lung?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 10:58:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A man died on Saturday after he entered the tiger enclosure at a wildlife park in northern England and was attacked by one of the animals, police said. Emergency medical personnel responded to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park near the city of Doncaster after the incident was reported at about 1.35pm, but the victim died at the scene, South Yorkshire Police said in a statement. The tiger was not injured and remained inside the enclosure during the incident, the force said. The wildlife park was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370465/tiger-kills-man-who-entered-big-cat-enclosure-uk-wildlife-park?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370465/tiger-kills-man-who-entered-big-cat-enclosure-uk-wildlife-park?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 23:20:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russian strikes killed at least 20 people in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday, a day after US President Donald Trump announced a deal to buy Russian diesel that Kyiv warned would help bankroll Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Three children were among those killed when Russian aerial bombs hit residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said on Saturday. At least 18 people were wounded in the attack. Missiles also struck Kyiv in a daytime... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370451/russian-attacks-kill-15-ukraine-after-trump-strikes-diesel-deal-putin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370451/russian-attacks-kill-15-ukraine-after-trump-strikes-diesel-deal-putin?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 12:25:26 +0000 Reuters Reuters Three people were injured in a ⁠stabbing attack at ⁠a further education ⁠college in Warsaw on Saturday, police said, the latest in a series of incidents that have stoked concerns in Poland about copycat violence among young people. On Friday, thousands of ‌police visited schools nationwide to try to reassure pupils after two stabbing sprees by teenagers in as many days sparked rumours of potential further attacks, fears that Saturday’s incident is likely to intensify. “At 12.30pm today, we... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370444/polands-police-detain-76-check-50000-schools-after-2-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370444/polands-police-detain-76-check-50000-schools-after-2-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:39:03 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham,Dewey Sim,Xiaofei Xu Finbarr Bermingham,Dewey Sim,Xiaofei Xu The European Union and China have “reached an understanding” that will cut Chinese hybrid car shipments to the bloc by “more than a half”, in a temporary salve to trade tensions that have threatened to boil over into a full-blown trade war. Speaking after marathon trade talks in Beijing, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said the deal would see China slash its hybrid car exports “by several million cars” over a four-year period. “This is the first time that China has accepted to moderate its exports... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3370385/china-and-eu-reach-understanding-hybrid-vehicles-after-crunch-trade-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3370385/china-and-eu-reach-understanding-hybrid-vehicles-after-crunch-trade-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:59:22 +0000