South China Morning Post

• the search,
• Breaking news
• World news
• Facebook
• Twitter
• headlines

All the breaking news and latest world news from South China Morning Post, with Twitter and Facebook search trends.

Twitter Search News Trending

Tweets by SCMPNews

Facebook Search News Trending

1. Thailand cuts back sugar in coffee and tea to tackle health crisis

   For many Thais, a meal does not feel complete without an iced coffee or tea so sugary it could pass for dessert. The government, concerned about the health consequences, wants them to dial it back. Starting on Wednesday, nine major coffee chains across the country have pledged to cut the default sugar content in some of their drinks by half in a government initiative aimed at tackling excessive...

2. As Central Asia builds ‘smart cities’ with China, is it moving away from Russia?

   Central Asian governments are forging ahead with ambitious “smart city” mega-projects to tackle rapid population growth and ageing Soviet-era infrastructure. They are also pulling in much-needed foreign investment, and China’s strong visibility in these projects – while Russia is notably absent – is fuelling debate over whether the region is trying to reduce its economic dependence on Moscow. It...

3. Thai gunman detained, hostages freed after school shooting

   A gunman who fired shots at a school in Hat ‌Yai district in southern Thailand on Wednesday has been detained and all the people who were held hostage have been freed, a police ⁠official told Reuters. An 18-year-old man entered ‌the Patongprathankiriwat School in Songkhla Province’s Hat Yai earlier on Wednesday ‌with a gun, the provincial administration ⁠said ⁠on social media. “The perpetrator...

4. Iran’s revolution anniversary marred by protests, nuclear tensions

   Iran marked the 47th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution on Wednesday as the country’s theocracy remains under pressure, both from US President Donald Trump who suggested sending another aircraft carrier group to the Middle East and a public angrily denouncing Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. The commemoration represented a split-screen view of life in Iran, with state...

5. China accuses US of seeking to revive its nuclear test programme

   China has rejected US claims that it conducted a nuclear test in 2020, saying the accusation is “an excuse” to justify a potential US return to nuclear testing. “The United States has persistently distorted and smeared China’s nuclear policy,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Wednesday. The pushback was in response to a statement by Thomas DiNanno, US undersecretary of state for arms...

6. Gundam, Godzilla to headline Asian IP festival Con-Con in Hong Kong

   An Asia-wide intellectual property festival will be held in Hong Kong in April, featuring Japanese musicians – including Cocomi as its ambassador – and pop culture exports such as hit franchises Gundam and Godzilla. Held at AsiaWorld-Expo on April 4 and 5, Con-Con Hong Kong will also showcase immersive exhibitions and dialogue sessions with Asian creators. “Con-Con”, which stands for Convention...

7. Trump’s White House revises India trade deal, sparking confusion over terms

   The White House revised its fact sheet on the US-India trade agreement to adjust language around agricultural goods, adding to confusion about the deal already raised by farmer groups. In a revised statement, the US removed a reference to pulses – a staple food in India that includes lentils and chickpeas – and changed some phrasing around India’s offer to buy more American goods. An earlier...

8. Cold shoulder? China and EU in diplomatic stand-off ahead of Munich showdown

   As a flurry of European leaders flock to China, a different diplomatic dynamic has taken shape in Brussels, exposing deep-seated problems in the relationship between the EU and China. Several sources described a deliberate slowing of high-level appointments with Chinese diplomats in the Belgian capital – an effort to reciprocate the lack of access EU diplomats receive in Beijing. In the Chinese...

9. China official dies after horse riding accident while filming publicity clip for local agriculture

   The death in a horse riding accident of a Chinese government official while filming to promote the beauty of a local area has sparked heated online discussions about the phenomenon of “official influencers”. On January 11, He Jiaolong fell from a horse while filming for an agricultural e-commerce programme in the Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang, northwestern China, and...

10. Vote recount calls grow in Thailand amid claims of election irregularities

    Allegations of irregularities in Thailand’s election – including vote-buying, uncounted ballots and tallies greater than the names on electoral lists – have gathered momentum, increasing the pressure on polling authorities to hold recounts. Protests across the country have been aimed squarely at the Election Commission (EC). While any potential recounts are unlikely to change the overall result...