World

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong’s Observatory has warned of windy weather and swells for the rest of the weekend under the effects of a typhoon in the South China Sea …

A fuel train in Russia exploded into flames after it collided with a truck in the Smolensk region. The accident happened early on Friday morning, near the border with Belarus, according to officials. The truck is reported to have driven onto the rail lines as the train approached, forcing the locomotive driver to slam on the brakes. However, the train …

Officials say the country is burdened with more than 24,000 non-citizens held in its prisons The South African government is advancing consultations within the Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security Cluster to establish a law that would facilitate the transfer of foreign nationals serving time in South African prisons. This initiative, spearheaded by Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald, is being undertaken …

The attacks could happen “in a matter of weeks,” the broadcaster cited sources as saying The US is “preparing options” for strikes on alleged drug traffickers inside Venezuela, NBC has reported, citing unnamed American officials. In recent weeks, Washington has sunk at least three boats it alleges were carrying narcotics off the coast of the Latin American country, killing at …

Obtaining a visa to enter mainland China often requires filling out pages of paperwork, paying more than US$100, and waiting days for the documents to be processed. But for a growing number of visitors, some hurdles have been lowered or removed entirely as Beijing continues to relax visa-free entry rules to attract more foreign visitors and boost the nation’s tourism …

Edmund Kemper, who butchered numerous family members and a string of young women, was notorious for his psychological torment of authorities and police officers. Despite being brought in by the FBI as a consultant to help understand serial killers due to his purported intellect, he relished playing warped psychological games with them to demonstrate his dominance. During one interrogation, Kemper …

The State Department has accused Gustavo Petro of “incendiary actions” at a New York City rally The United States will revoke the visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro following what officials described as “reckless and incendiary actions” during a street protest in New York City, the State Department announced late Friday. The Colombian leader was seen speaking through a megaphone and …

A new tunnel connecting the north and south of Europe is under way. Construction workers broke through the final layer of rock on September 18 to construct an underground tunnel between Austria and Italy, which, once completed, will become the world’s longest tunnel of its kind. The Brenner Base Tunnel will connect the two European countries by a high-speed rail …

New Zealand’s government said it would not recognise a Palestinian state for now, an unexpected move that puts it out of step with traditional partners such as Australia, the UK and Canada. “With a war raging, Hamas remaining the de facto government of Gaza, and no clarity on next steps, too many questions remain about the future State of Palestine …

Cutting energy ties with Moscow would put Hungary’s economy “on its knees,” the prime minister has said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told US President Donald Trump in a recent phone call that his country’s economy would collapse almost instantly if it cut off Russian oil and gas. Budapest continues to resist mounting pressure from Brussels and Washington to end …