Category: World

Border closures and rising prices in Gaza are making traditional Eid baking difficult, yet families continue to bake amid rubble to keep holiday customs alive.

France’s municipal elections conclude Sunday amid a fractured political landscape, raising the prospect that far-right candidates could win key mayoralties and reshape momentum before next year’s presidential race.

SCMP’s weekly lifestyle roundup highlights BTS staging a free comeback performance for 22,000 fans — its first full show as a seven-member group in nearly three and a half years.

The South China Morning Post profiles chef GwanJu Kim and a dish called Jeonbok at Sol, highlighting his French training and Korean roots shaping Sol’s contemporary menu.

IOM data show at least 655 people died or went missing in Mediterranean crossings in Jan–Feb 2026, more than double last year’s figure, as storms, rescue complications and border closures worsened risks.

Frankie Lor and Jimmy Ting say wide barrier draws—stall 13 for Numbers and stall 10 for Little Paradise—will not be used as excuses ahead of Sunday’s BMW Hong Kong Derby.

Anutin Charnvirakul secured the Thai premiership after a parliamentary vote as the conservative bloc prevailed. His new government faces immediate economic strain from the US-Israeli war on Iran, which is driving costly fuel subsidies and petrol queues.

The South China Morning Post lists headline concerts and theatre across Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Macau this spring, including Nicholas Tse, EXO and Jane Zhang’s Guangzhou stop.

Malaysian police are investigating after 30 urns were stolen from the Xiao En memorial park in Negeri Sembilan. Authorities suspect a possible cross-border criminal link and are seeking the missing urns.

A social media image showing a South Korean cafe charging 2,000 won (US$1.35) for restroom use without a purchase has sparked mixed online reactions and a debate over customer access and business policy.

The UN’s FAO warns a prolonged Middle East conflict could push up fertiliser and food prices, with risks to spring planting if disruptions last beyond three months; that could affect Panama and Latin America through global market links.

Zhang Jinshui, a prominent Chinese remote-sensing scientist who helped apply satellite technology to bolster food security, has died at 47, Chinese media report.

The Philippines and North Korea clinched qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil after winning Asian Cup playoff matches; the Philippines advanced with a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan.

Iran launched strikes on energy sites in Qatar and Saudi Arabia after reported Israeli attacks on Iran’s South Pars gasfield and naval assets; Saudi Arabia says trust is gone.

Qatar expelled Iran’s military and security attaches after Iranian missiles caused “extensive damage” to Ras Laffan, an LNG facility, Al Jazeera reported.

Funerals are being held in Kabul after a Pakistani air strike hit a drug rehabilitation centre, killing and wounding people inside the facility and prompting concern over civilian safety.

Brazilian police said a raid in a Rio de Janeiro favela targeting a Red Command leader left at least eight people dead, authorities reported.

Hong Kong’s monetary authority kept its base rate at 4% after the U.S. Fed paused at 3.5–3.75%, with analysts warning that the Middle East conflict has clouded the outlook for rate cuts this year.

China has enacted a law to promote unity and progress among its 56 officially recognised ethnic groups, structuring policy across more than 60 articles in seven chapters.

Harbin’s emergence as China’s ice-festival capital traces back to its founding as the Chinese Eastern Railway’s construction and administrative hub, leaving lasting Russian architectural influence.