PODCAST

News - South China Morning Post

All the latest breaking news from Hong Kong, China and around the world

All Episodes

US walks away from WHO, leaving unpaid tab of US$260...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

One year after President Donald Trump ordered the US to withdraw from the World Health Organization, the process was formally completed on Thursday, though the nation is leaving behind unpaid debt of roughly US$260 million. All funding to the health agency has been terminated and people working with the WHO have been recalled from all offices and its headquarters, the Department of Health and Human Services said on Thursday. The US has also ended all participation in WHO-sponsored leadership...

US letting China buy Venezuela oil but not at...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

The Trump administration is allowing ‌China to purchase Venezuelan oil but not at “unfair, undercut” prices at which ‍Caracas sold the crude before the US removed President Nicolas Maduro, a US official said on Thursday. While the oil will be sold in the global marketplace, the administration has required that the majority be ⁠sold to the United States, the administration official said on condition of anonymity. The US says it will control Venezuela’s oil sales indefinitely after seizing

China reliance and tariff wars emerge as top risks...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

Ongoing tariff wars and a dependence on China are two of the top emerging risks for the global defence sector, according to a report released this week by the UK-based consultancy WTW (Willis Towers Watson). The defence sector is facing several new challenges in an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment, framed by the industry’s dependence on China’s materials and ongoing uncertainty amid a tariff dispute between Beijing and Washington. “The defence sector’s reliance on Chinese

China to set GDP growth range, providing policy...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

China’s government is likely to set this year’s economic growth target in a range between 4.5 per cent and 5 per cent, according to three sources briefed on the matter. Such a target would indicate a tolerance for a modest deceleration from last year’s 5 per cent gross domestic product growth as Beijing highlights the importance of “high-quality” development and urges local officials to embrace “the right concept of political performance”, the sources said. The range, if confirmed, would

How China can strengthen High Seas Treaty governance

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

The United States’ abrupt withdrawal earlier this month from dozens of international institutions, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, was more than another episode of diplomatic retrenchment. It was a reminder that the post-war architecture of global governance, particularly in environmental affairs, is under strain. Against this backdrop, China’s decision to nominate Xiamen as the host city for the secretariat of the new High Seas Treaty should not be read as a quest

US and Canada drift apart on China as Ottawa rethinks...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

Look for the US and Canada to move farther apart on China policy, even in areas where they were previously aligned, analysts say, days after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a multifaceted deal with Beijing. In recent years, Washington and Ottawa had drawn closer together when it came to dealing with Beijing, from electric vehicle tariffs and research security to investment screening. But that convergence is now fraying, analysts say, as Canada signals a greater willingness to...

Peru’s president refuses to step down as secret China...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

President Jose Jeri of Peru has vowed not to resign despite rising pressure over a widening scandal involving undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen, as opposition lawmakers say the affair has damaged public trust and senior officials insist no illegal acts took place. The controversy, known in Peruvian media as “Chifagate”, a reference to Chinese-Peruvian cuisine, centres on late-night encounters at a Chinese restaurant and a wholesale shop in Lima. The meetings were not recorded on

Trump sues JPMorgan, accusing bank of closing his...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

US President Donald Trump has filed a US$5 billion lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase on accusations of debanking, according to a complaint posted ‌on the CNBC website. Trump said JPMorgan violated its own policies by singling him out, in a bid to ride ‍the “political tide”, and terminating several of his accounts. He said the bank “unabashedly” boasted for 225 years it served customers with respect, and worked diligently to uphold its core values. “Despite claiming to hold these principles dear,...

Greenland PM says he doesn’t know what’s in deal...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

Greenland’s prime minister said on Thursday that he was not aware of the contents of a framework agreement about the Danish autonomous territory that US President Donald Trump announced after a meeting with Nato’s chief, but stressed no deal could be made without involving the island. “Nobody else than Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark have the mandate to make deals or agreements about Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark without us,” Jens-Frederik Nielsen told a press conference. “We have...

After fatal rail accident, missing dog Boro that...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

After back-to-back fatal train crashes sent shock waves through Spain, some good news arrived on Thursday: Boro, the missing dog, was found. Days earlier, Boro’s owner Ana Garcia issued a desperate plea to help find him after the dog bolted on Sunday in the aftermath of the high-speed train crash in southern Spain that killed at least 43 people. Garcia, 26, and her pregnant sister were travelling with Boro on the train that derailed. On Thursday, forest firefighters in southern Spain found

Ukraine’s Zelensky slams ‘fragmented’ Europe, says it...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday blasted the EU’s lack of “political will” in countering Russian leader Vladimir Putin, during a fiery address criticising some of Kyiv’s top allies at the World Economic Forum. The speech to the Davos elite came minutes after Zelensky had met with US President Donald Trump, a conversation which he said brought agreement about what post-war US security guarantees for Ukraine would look like. Zelensky did not say what the security guarantees...

Hong Kong won’t pursue carbon-based taxes under bid...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

Hong Kong will not pursue carbon-based taxation in its decarbonisation efforts, as maintaining a low and simple tax framework is central to the city’s competitive advantage, the financial chief has told a panel at the World Economic Forum. Speaking at the “How to Finance Decarbonization?” panel in Davos, Switzerland, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said that a key strategy by Hong Kong authorities was collaborating with the private sector to develop robust business cases for sustainable...

Trump engaged in ‘criminal scheme’ to overturn...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his prosecution of US President Donald Trump on Thursday, accusing him of engaging in a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Smith, in remarks to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, said his team of investigators had “developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity”. “Rather than accept his defeat in the 2020 presidential

Trump sends message to Putin ‘war has to end’ after...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

US President Donald Trump said his message to Russian leader Vladimir Putin was that the war in Ukraine has to end, ‍after what he said were “good” talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos on Thursday. US and Ukrainian officials have spent weeks in frenetic shuttle diplomacy as Kyiv faces pressure from Trump to secure peace in the nearly four-year-old war, despite few signs Moscow wants to stop fighting. After a meeting with the Ukrainian leader that lasted around an hour,...

Elderly Hong Kong woman arrested after tragedy in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

Hong Kong police have arrested an elderly woman on suspicion of murder after she and her husband were found unconscious in a Tsim Sha Tsui hotel room, with the man sustaining a stab wound to the neck and later dying. Cleaners at the Ramada Grand hotel on Austin Avenue discovered the woman, 73, and the man, 77, lying on the bed in their room at about 4.50pm on Thursday, police said. Emergency services rushed them to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei, but the man was pronounced dead at...

The Chinese satellites SpaceX says were on collision...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

A small number of Chinese satellites and space debris forced SpaceX’s Starlink fleet to execute a large number of collision avoidance manoeuvres last year, as both sides complained of safety challenges from rival internet megaconstellations. The largest culprit was Hongqing Technology’s Honghu-2 satellite, which accounted for 1,143 such manoeuvres. The experimental satellite was launched aboard LandSpace’s Zhuque 2 Y-3 rocket in December 2023. Such manoeuvres consume fuel and shorten a...

Sinners breaks Oscars record with 16 nominations, F1,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

Ryan Coogler’s blues-steeped vampire epic Sinners led all films with 16 nominations to the 98th Academy Awards on Thursday, setting a record for the most in Oscar history. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters showered Sinners with more nominations than they had ever bestowed before, breaking the 14-nomination mark set by All About Eve, Titanic and La La Land. Along with best picture, Coogler was nominated for best director and best screnplay, and double-duty star Michael B.

Hong Kong slams EU Parliament’s bid to sanction...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

Hong Kong authorities have condemned a resolution strongly backed by the European Parliament to sanction officials and revoke the city’s special trade status to protest against former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s conviction in a national security trial. The city government on Thursday evening also condemned the body for making “groundless accusations” against Hong Kong and using Lai’s case to smear its national security legislation. “The Hong Kong government strongly urges the European...

Hong Kong Bar chief warns against applying ‘political...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

The head of the Hong Kong Bar Association has called on the public not to apply “political lenses” to court rulings, following several high-profile national security cases that have put the spotlight on the city’s rule of law. Senior Counsel Jose-Antonio Maurellet, who was re-elected uncontested for a second term to helm the professional body on Thursday, also expressed full confidence in the city’s judicial independence. Maurellet said that amid heightened geopolitical tensions, national...

Hong Kong hitting high notes as fans roll in for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/01/22

Hong Kong could gain about HK$200 million (US$25.6 million) in economic value from K-pop powerhouse Blackpink’s coming concerts at Kai Tak Stadium, with fans of the girl group pouring into the city ahead of the three much-awaited shows. Excited fans splurged on band merchandise on Thursday ahead of the first concert at the weekend, while parts of Kai Tak Sports Park, where the stadium is located, were awash with pink. Hong Kong is the final stop of the four-member band’s “Deadline” global

21,863 results