SCMP News Digest
Sunday, 25 January 2026
Anger from rights groups as woman’s headless body found in Istanbul rubbish bin
The decapitated body of a woman, whose legs were also cut off, was found in a rubbish bin in Istanbul overnight, Turkish media reported on Sunday, sparking fury from women’s groups.
Her body was wrapped in a sheet and dumped in a rubbish container in the Sisli district, where it was discovered on Saturday evening by a paper collector looking for items to recycle, the DHA news agency said.
Investigators identified the victim as a 37-year-old Uzbek national.
They were not immediately able to find…
Minneapolis killing is a ‘wake-up call’ that US values are ‘under assault’, says Obama
Barack and Michelle Obama on Sunday issued a forceful statement condemning the killing of a second US citizen in Minneapolis by federal agents, saying it exemplified US President Donald Trump’s “assault” on American values.
“The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault,” the former president and first lady said in a joint statement, one day…
Dozens of protesters supporting Palestine Action hunger striker arrested in UK
London’s Metropolitan Police have arrested 86 people on suspicion of aggravated trespass after they breached prison grounds while protesting in support of a Palestine Action prisoner on hunger strike.
The force said on Saturday evening that it had detained a group of protesters outside HMP Wormwood Scrubs in west London.
According to the force, the group refused to leave the grounds when ordered to do so, allegedly blocked prison staff from entering and leaving, and threatened police…
At least 80 political prisoners released in Venezuela, rights group leader says
At least 80 people considered political prisoners by a leading Venezuelan rights group had been released on Sunday as part of a continuing release process, according to the leader of the group.
The people were released from prisons across the country and more releases were likely to take place, Alfredo Romero, the director of Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal, said on social media.
Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez said on Friday that 626 people have been released from…
Starmer leadership rival Andy Burnham blocked from seeking return to UK parliament
British Labour Party politician Andy Burnham was on Sunday blocked from trying to return to parliament, with lawmakers on the left of the party accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his allies of a political move to keep out a potential leadership rival.
Burnham said he was disappointed at the decision but called for unity in the Labour Party.
One of the party’s most high-profile politicians and an elected mayor in the northern English city of Manchester, Burnham said on Saturday he wanted…
Indonesian rescuers recover bodies after Java landslide, 72 still missing
Improved weather on Sunday helped rescuers on Indonesia’s main island of Java recover more bodies as they dug through mud and debris in search of scores of missing in a landslide that killed more than two dozen villagers.
The predawn landslide on the slopes of Mount Burangrang in West Java province on Saturday buried some 34 houses in Pasir Langu village. On Sunday, 72 people remained missing, many feared buried under tons of mud, rocks and uprooted trees. About 230 residents living near the…
Qianhai to strengthen role as key partner to Hong Kong
A new action plan released by the Qianhai authorities in Shenzhen aims to strengthen its position as a “key partner” to Hong Kong rather than a competitor, further bolstering the city’s status as a global hub for finance, trade and talent.
The 2026 plan, released recently by authorities, is set to deepen cooperation between the special economic zone and the city through a dual-headquarters hub that enables Hong Kong-based unicorns to benefit from the free flow of capital, data and resources.
A…
Russian shadow tanker’s Indian captain, crew in French custody
France on Sunday took into custody the Indian captain of an oil tanker suspected of belonging to Russia’s sanctions-busting “shadow fleet” for the vessel’s failure to fly a flag, prosecutors said.
The 58-year-old captain was in charge of the tanker, the Grinch, which was seized by the French navy in the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday and is now moored under guard at a southern French port near Marseille.
The Marseille prosecutors’ office, in charge of investigating the case, said the rest of the…
Why China’s rapid ousting of 2 top generals is a sharp warning on party purity
The sudden removal of China’s two most senior generals is believed to be a stark warning underscoring President Xi Jinping’s zero-tolerance focus on Communist Party discipline and political purity ahead of two landmark events next year.
Beijing announced on Saturday that Zhang Youxia, first-ranked vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and China’s top uniformed officer, was under investigation for serious disciplinary violations, as was Liu Zhenli, chief of the CMC’s Joint Staff…
Hong Kong civil servants warned to avoid perks after official’s bribery probe
Hong Kong civil servants have been urged to exercise greater caution and refrain from accepting any offers in the workplace, as stakeholders called on authorities to explain how the head of a government office became embroiled in a bribery case.
Ricky Cheng Chun-sang, former director of the Tianjin Liaison Unit, was dismissed last week and placed under criminal investigation for allegedly accepting advantages without permission, after posting on social media about perks such as an upgraded…
Iraq elects president, to choose PM amid US pressure to cut Iran ties
Iraq’s parliament will meet on Tuesday to elect the country’s new president, who will then appoint a prime minister, which is expected to be Nouri al-Maliki after he was endorsed by the Levantine country’s largest Shiite bloc.
By convention, a Shiite Muslim holds the post of prime minister, the parliament speaker is Sunni and the largely ceremonial presidency goes to a Kurd.
Parliamentary speaker Haibat al-Halbussi announced on Sunday that the new parliament will convene on Tuesday to elect a…
What does China’s first naval visit to Uruguay say about its Latin American ambitions?
The PLA Navy hospital ship Silk Road Ark arrived at the Uruguayan port of Montevideo last Tuesday for a four-day technical stop.
The port call, as reported by China’s state news agency Xinhua, marked the first visit by a Chinese naval vessel to Uruguay – which sits between South America’s two biggest economies, Brazil and Argentina.
Analysts said the inaugural visit signalled that Beijing’s efforts to expand its military exchanges in the western hemisphere were unaffected by America’s military…
Europe must make the US feel the cost of coercion
Europe’s survival as an independent political power depends on its readiness to impose costs on the United States while reopening a sustained channel with China.
The Arthashastra counsels that the enemy of one’s enemy is one’s friend. Europe has ignored this principle, absorbing repeated American bullying while refusing to leverage relations with China as a counterweight.
The Greenland episode crystallises a reality enforced through trade threats, security conditionality and territorial…
South Korea withdraws budget minister nominee after allegations
South Korea’s president has withdrawn his nomination of Lee Hye-hoon to head the country’s newly created budget ministry after she was accused of unlawful real estate investments and mistreating staff.
The plan to appoint the former conservative lawmaker from former president Yoon’s People Power Party was viewed as an attempt by President Lee Jae Myung to promote national unity with some cross-party appointments. Lee’s liberal government was elected after his predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol, was…
China-US team’s feat could ‘open entirely new avenues’ in semiconductors
A joint Chinese-US research team says it has developed a new semiconductor manufacturing method that it says could “open up entirely new avenues” to develop high-performance light-emitting and integrated devices.
The process would surpass conventional lithography machines, which are the main way today of making the semiconductors used in most electronics.
When a lithography machine etches a chip circuit, the laser strikes the material vertically. If light goes sideways, it causes uncontrolled…
Macron pushes forward France’s social media ban for under 15s
French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants his government to fast track the legal process to ensure that a ban on social media for children under the age of 15 can enter into force in September at the start of the next school year.
In a video released late on Saturday by French broadcaster BFM-TV, Macron said he had asked his government to initiate an accelerated procedure so that the proposed legislation can move as quickly as possible and be passed by the Senate in time.
“The brains of our…
Filipino crew head home after China Coast Guard rescue near Scarborough Shoal
More than a dozen Filipino crew members rescued from the South China Sea have been transferred from the Chinese coastguard to Philippine vessels close to where their ship went down.
The China Coast Guard said the transfer of the 15 survivors and the remains of two deceased from the capsized cargo ship took place on Sunday afternoon at the request of Philippine search and rescue authorities. Four other crew members from the ship remain missing.
The Chinese coastguard rescued the men on Friday…
Man dies after collapsing while hiking on Hong Kong Island
A hiker in his forties was airlifted to hospital and later pronounced dead after passing out on a trail on Hong Kong Island on Sunday.
Police said they received a report at 2.16pm that the man had collapsed on the Hong Kong Trail, near Parker Avenue on Siu Ma Shan.
A government helicopter airlifted the hiker to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan, where he was later certified dead.
Police are investigating the cause of his death.
The 50km trail runs from Victoria Peak to Big…
EU envoys top guests at India celebration to seal trade deal
European Council president Antonio Costa arrived in India on Sunday, as the EU and New Delhi seek to seal a free-trade pact, capping nearly two decades of negotiations between the economic behemoths.
Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are chief guests for this year’s Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on Monday before the 16th EU-India summit on Tuesday, where they hope to shake hands on the accord, described as the “mother of all deals”.
“The summit will be an…
Why China Miao ethnic group moves houses at night, dances with soot on faces upon completion
China’s Miao ethnic group is marked out from others thanks to their observance of a unique tradition known as “moving house at night”.
The custom sees young men smear soot on their faces, dance, turn lights on and off and conclude the relocation by firing a hunting rifle before sunrise.
The tradition is long-standing in a Miao ethnic township in Xiangyun county, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, southwestern China.
The Miao people, who primarily live in the mountainous regions of…