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Iran President Pezeshkian vows revenge after Khamenei killed in US–Israel strikes (Picture credit: AP)

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has declared that avenging the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is both a “legitimate duty and right” of the Islamic Republic, following joint US–Israeli strikes that killed the 86-year-old leader.In a statement carried by state television, Pezeshkian said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime.”He further described Khamenei’s killing as a “declaration of war against Muslims”. Calling it the assassination of “the highest political authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a prominent leader of Shiism worldwide,” Pezeshkian said it was “perceived as an open declaration of war against Muslims, and particularly against Shiites, everywhere in the world.”Israel attacks IranIsrael Attack Iran Live Updates: Missiles strike US navy headq..

AdvertisementChina’s Communist PartyChinaPoliticsInside Xi Jinping’s new guide to promoting Communist Party officialsChinese leader targets ‘two-faced’ officials and demands new benchmarks tailored to local needs in newly released speeches
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAlcott Weiin BeijingandJun Maiin Hong KongPublished: 6:00pm, 1 Mar 2026For a book on performance appraisals, it contained some surprising language – especially given its author, President Xi Jinping.
The volume, published by the Central Party Literature Press, coincided with the launch of an overhaul of the Communist Party’s promotion system that will continue in the run-up to next year’s leadership transition.Among the raft of speeches and instructions from Xi since November 2012 is a blunt warning to cadres about pursuing debt-laden white elephant projects.
Advertisement“Some officials probably didn’t even think about repaying the debt when they raised it. When will it be their turn to pay it?” Xi says in..

AdvertisementRetailingBusinessWarm winter no match: China’s sportswear sector posts surprise growthPolicy support, Chinese New Year demand and Winter Olympics exposure lift China’s sportswear makers, with Li Ning and Anta leading gains
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPCao LiPublished: 6:00pm, 1 Mar 2026China’s major sportswear makers have shrugged off soft consumer spending and a warm winter, according to analysts.
Retail sales in China’s sportswear sector picked up in the first two months of 2026 and beat expectations, helped by fresh policy support and Chinese New Year demand, analysts said. Separately, Chinese households also tuned into the Winter Olympics, where domestic sportswear giants Li Ning and Anta had high visibility.
“We are turning more positive on the China sportswear industry for the first time in 12 months,” Jefferies equity analysts John Chou, Boya Zhen and Anne Ling said in a report.
AdvertisementJefferies forecasts sportswear retail sales to grow by more ..

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AdvertisementHong Kong transportHong KongTransportAspiring taxi drivers taking tests each month up 30% after simplified assessment‘The average monthly number of candidates has now risen to around 1,800,’ transport chief Mable Chan says
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAmbrose LiPublished: 6:06pm, 28 Feb 2026Updated: 6:23pm, 28 Feb 2026The average number of aspiring Hong Kong taxi drivers taking a crucial industry test each month has increased by nearly 30 per cent following the launch of a simplified version of the assessment last year, the transport minister has said.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan also said on Saturday that the government was increasing the number of dedicated meeting spaces for the city’s five premium taxi fleets at cultural and business landmarks.
“We streamlined the written test arrangements for taxi drivers last year. The average monthly number of candidates has now risen to around 1,800, representing an increase of nearly 30 per cent..

AdvertisementChina-Latin America relationsChinaDiplomacyWhy won’t Chile let China’s Silk Road Ark military hospital ship give medical aid?The vessel has sailed into Valparaiso’s waters as the geopolitical winds shift in the western hemisphere
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP1Laura ZhouPublished: 6:00pm, 28 Feb 2026The Chilean government has turned down a request from a Chinese military hospital ship to treat Chilean residents on board the vessel.The decision reflects Santiago’s tilt towards Washington and US efforts to exert more influence in the western hemisphere, according to a Chinese academic.The Chilean Ministry of Health said on Friday that it had reviewed the Silk Road Ark’s request and decided not to grant it, citing a health code that restricts such services to professionals accredited ‌in the country, Reuters reported.
Advertisement“We ⁠determined that ⁠it is not appropriate to authorise this health operation to function on the ship’s facilities,” ‌the ministry s..

. Afghanistan said on Friday it carried out drone strikes on Pakistani military establishments as fighting between the two neighbours continued. Pakistan, meanwhile, said it shot down the drones using its anti-drone systems and reported no casualties.Afghanistan's military launched attacks late Thursday along the border in six provinces. It described the action as retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes carried out on Sunday in Afghan border areas, claiming “irrefutable evidence” that militants in Afghanistan were behind a recent wave of attacks and suicide bombings in Pakistan.Afghan authorities in Nangarhar province said fighting was ongoing in the Torkham border area on Friday morning.They also claimed Pakistani mortar fire hit civilian areas, including a refugee camp that had been evacuated overnight, as Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Mohammad Asif, said the country now considered itself in an “open war” with Afghanistan. Both sides gave different casualty figures. Afghanis..

Harvard University has found itself at the centre of a growing online storm after an artwork featured on its Department of South Asian Studies website drew sharp criticism and allegations of bias. The Coalition of Hindus of North America ignited the debate after calling out the university for what it described as “blatant Hinduphobia” in the visual used to represent its Elementary Sanskrit course.Taking to X, the coalition accused the university of bigotry for adding an image that feels “straight out of a horror movie,” starring a dark Hindu figure with a tilak, dangling “some sort of ghostly figurine in his hands.”The art was allocated for its course on Elementary Sanskrit, and the organisation blamed the university for introducing Sanskrit, “Hinduism’s sacred language,” in a “dark, manipulative and oppressive manner” to students, much like it introduces the religion itself.”“This is how students are introduced to Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages that has given birth to cla..

AdvertisementChina-Africa relationsChinaDiplomacyWhy Beijing’s US$4.5 billion Niger-Benin oil pipeline is being attacked by rebelsChinese nationals warned to avoid high-risk areas after infrastructure becomes a primary target for rebels seeking to halt military junta
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPJevans NyabiagePublished: 6:30pm, 27 Feb 2026China has placed its nationals on high alert following a series of rebel attacks targeting the US$4.5 billion Niger-Benin oil pipeline and an Islamic State raid on the Nigerien capital’s international airport on January 29.On Monday, the Chinese embassy in Niamey urged citizens to avoid high-risk areas and instructed firms to implement emergency response plans as insurgent groups increasingly target Chinese-managed infrastructure.The warning follows recent attacks on the pipeline and a predawn assault on Air Base 101 and Niamey International Airport by Islamic State militants, who damaged several aircraft before being repelled with ass..

AdvertisementUnited StatesWorldUnited States & CanadaVance dismisses prolonged Mideast war fears as US-Iran tensions rageThe US vice-president said Trump’s options range from military strikes ‘to ensure Iran isn’t going to get a nuclear weapon’ to dialogue
Reading Time:1 minuteWhy you can trust SCMPdpaPublished: 6:04pm, 27 Feb 2026US Vice-President J.D. Vance has said he does not believe potential military action against Iran would drag the country into a years-long war in the Middle East, according to an interview with The Washington Post published on Thursday.
Vance said he did not know how US President Donald Trump would decide on the Iran issue. Options, he said, range from military strikes “to ensure Iran isn’t going to get a nuclear weapon” to a diplomatic solution.
“The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight – there is no chance that will happen,” Vance told the newspaper.
AdvertisementHe cited last year’s limited US strikes on Iranian..