Uncategorized

China’s EV boom has the EU setting up roadblocks. Can cooperation clear the way?

AdvertisementChina-EU relationsEconomyGlobal EconomyChina’s EV boom has the EU setting up roadblocks. Can cooperation clear the way?Decades after their first joint venture, EU carmakers fear losing their markets to China’s upstarts. Is it too late for them to work together?
Reading Time:6 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPXiaofei Xuin ParisPublished: 6:00am, 15 Oct 2025This year marks half a century of formal diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, as well as the 25th anniversary of the founding of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. The latest story in our series examining ties between the two powers focuses on intensified competition in the auto industry, a bedrock sector for Europe and an area where China has made enormous strides, particularly in electric vehicles and other hi-tech advancements.AdvertisementWhen Volkswagen engineers arrived at the facilities of Chinese carmaker First Automobile Works’ (FAW) in the early 1990s, they saw a factory stuck in ..

AmericasEuropeIndy TVMiddle EastNewsUS Crime NewsUS politicsWorld

Charlie Kirk’s widow accepts Presidential Medal of Freedom on his behalf following Trump’s self-congratulatory speech: Live updates

CloseTrump celebrates sirens in the distance during Charlie Kirk Medal of Freedom speechPresident Donald Trump gave a self-congratulating speech on Tuesday as he posthumously awarded conservative activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The award ceremony took place in the White House Rose Garden, on what would’ve been Kirk’s 32nd birthday. Kirk was killed on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. His widow, Erika Kirk, accepted the award on his behalf.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring my husband in such a profound and meaningful way,” she said. “And thank you for making this event a priority amid the peace process in the Middle East.”
In a rambling speech at the ceremony, Trump praised Kirk as much as he praised himself and his allies. He took time to highlight his “very historic trip” to Israel, applauded several members of his administration who were in attendance and claimed “people are loving” the newly renovated Rose Garden.
At one point, ..

AmericasEuropeIndy TVMiddle EastNewsUS Crime NewsUS politicsWorld

Top lawyers for Bush, Clinton and Obama join together to blast Trump’s political prosecutions: ‘No American is safe’

A bipartisan trio of former White House ethics lawyers warned “no American is safe from political prosecution” after the Trump administration’s recent indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
President Donald Trump, who publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute his political rivals without “delay” last month, has since used a federal prosecutor to embark on a retribution campaign.
Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s newly appointed interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, secured grand jury indictments against Comey and James. Comey has pleaded not guilty and his attorneys have dubbed it a “vindictive” prosecution; James has yet to make a formal plea, but called the charges against her a “weaponization of our justice system.”
Richard Painter, Norman Eisen and Virginia Canter, who served as ethics counsels for Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton respectively, asked for investigations int..

Uncategorized

After decades of struggle, women in China are rewriting their future

AdvertisementChina societyOpinionChina OpinionRen YanOpinion | After decades of struggle, women in China are rewriting their futureThe quiet revolution towards upholding women’s rights in China isn’t just about slogans but involves the hard work of families, educators and policymakers
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPRen YanPublished: 5:30am, 15 Oct 2025Every Lunar New Year, the urban professional woman – let’s call her Tracy – returns to her rural hometown, where she quickly drops her city identity for her simple rural name Cuihua, helping her family prepare the holiday meal.
AdvertisementFunny before-and-after pictures emphasising the contrast between sleek blazers and comfortable pyjamas have captivated Chinese social media users. But these social media memes mask a deeper question. How does “Cuihua” become “Tracy”?
Her journey involves more than a change of name; it encompasses the dramatic rise of Chinese women’s social status driven by personal resilience, family suppo..

World

Bowen: Trump’s role in Gaza ceasefire was decisive, but not a roadmap to peace

Bowen: Trump's role in Gaza ceasefire was decisive, but not a roadmap to peace4 hours agoShareSaveJeremy BowenInternational editorShareSaveEPA/ShutterstockSpeaking to the Israeli parliament, Trump declared “the historic dawn of a new Middle East”Donald Trump's quick trip to Israel and Egypt was the victory lap he wanted.
Anyone watching the speeches he made in Jerusalem and Sharm el-Sheikh could see a man luxuriating in his power – enjoying the applause in Israel's parliament, and in Egypt, basking in the fact that so many heads of state and government had flown in.
One veteran diplomat in the room said it looked as if Trump saw the role of the world leaders there as extras on his film set.
Trump's message at Sharm was, in effect, that he had created a historical turning point.
“All I've done all my life is deals. The greatest deals just sort of happen… That's what happened right here. And maybe this is going to be the greatest deal of them all,” he said…

World

My friend Bipin threw back Hamas grenade – and saved my life

My friend Bipin threw back Hamas grenade – and saved my life6 hours agoShareSavePhanindra DahalBBC Nepali in KathmanduShareSaveDhan Bahadur ChaudharyDhan Bahadur (left) and Bipin, seen here in their bachelor level college year at Far Western University in NepalBipin Joshi threw back a grenade from Hamas attackers before being taken hostage in the assault on Israel two years ago, says the fellow Nepalese student he saved.
“I may not have survived if both grenades had exploded. Bipin showed courage and threw the grenade out,” Dhan Bahadur Chaudhary told BBC Nepali.
He was speaking after the Israeli military identified his friend's body as being among four dead hostages returned by Hamas under the Gaza ceasefire accord.
Bipin was 23 and working on a kibbutz when he was taken by Hamas into captivity along with 250 others on 7 October 2023. It's unclear how or when he died.
His family and friends hoped right up to the release deadline that he might be among living hostages returne..

Uncategorized

GITEX 2025: Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed inaugurates world’s largest tech and AI event

GITEX Global 2025 hosts over 6,800 tech companies and 2,000 startups from 180 countries, making it the world’s largest tech event/ Image: WAM The 45th edition of GITEX Global opens with record-breaking participation, reinforcing the UAE’s rise as a global digital leader under the direction of its Presidency and the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
GITEX 2025 inaugurated by Sheikh Mohammed
GITEX Global 2025 officially opened its doors on October 13 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai. Now in its 45th edition, the event has reached new heights in scale and ambition, solidifying its reputation as the world’s largest technology and artificial intelligence showcase. Sheikh Mohammed’s inauguration was marked by a high-level delegation of key UAE leaders, including: H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy P..

AmericasEuropeIndy TVMiddle EastNewsUS Crime NewsUS politicsWorld

Even Newsmax rejects the Pentagon’s new press restrictions ahead of signing deadline

Amid a slew of mainstream news publications rejecting the Pentagon’s prohibitive new press restrictions ahead of a Tuesday signing deadline, right-wing cable channel Newsmax surprisingly declared that it would also refuse to sign the new agreement, calling the policy “unnecessary and onerous.”
In fact, amid the continued backlash against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new rules – which the Pentagon Press Association called an “unprecedented message of intimidation” – only one media organization has agreed to sign the letter: Trump-boosting channel One America News.
Late last month, the Department of Defense – which the Trump administration recently rebranded as the War Department – announced that it was imposing severe restrictions on reporters covering the Pentagon, including requiring them to cease gathering any information that the department hadn’t already cleared. Hegseth declared that any journalist who didn’t sign the pledge would have their press credentials revoked.
Followin..

Uncategorized

Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer leaves island for US exile after imprisonment

AdvertisementUS-Cuba relationsWorldAmericasCuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer leaves island for US exile after imprisonmentUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Ferrer’s arrival on Monday ‘after suffering years of abuse, torture and threats to his life’
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAssociated PressPublished: 5:27am, 14 Oct 2025Updated: 5:46am, 14 Oct 2025Prominent Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer left the island on Monday for exile in the US at the request of the US government, Cuban and American authorities confirmed.
AdvertisementThe director of bilateral relations for the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Alejandro Garcia, told Associated Press that Ferrer, 55, departed before noon from his hometown Santiago in eastern Cuba en route to Florida.
“He leaves the country due to a request made by the US government to the Cuban government, which [Ferrer] is in agreement with,” Garcia said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Ferrer’s arrival on Monday “after suffering..

World

Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees freed as Trump hails ‘historic dawn’ in Middle East

Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees freed as Trump hails 'historic dawn' in Middle East57 minutes agoShareSaveTom BennettJerusalemShareSave'Peace in the Middle East': Trump signs ceasefire deal in EgyptThere have been celebrations across Israel and the Palestinian territories as a major hostage and prisoner exchange on Monday marked a significant step towards ending two years of war in Gaza.
In a crucial first phase of the US-brokered plan to end the war, Hamas returned all living Israeli hostages, while Israel freed almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
There were emotional scenes as families of the Israeli hostages screamed and cried with happiness as they embraced their freed loved ones.
And for the Palestinians who were freed from Israeli jails, huge crowds waving flags and playing patriotic music greeted them as they arrived on buses in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
US President Donald Trump landed in Israel minutes after the first hostage..